Hilda - The Challenge

by Paul Kater

  "Okay, so now we are going to do this together, William," said Hilda. They were standing in front of the chained-up house. "Let's see what we can do here."

  They both were swaying on their feet. The carriage had dropped them off and left. The magical couple had created several dozen floating, light-emitting balls that hung around them. Even witches and wizards need some light, after all.

  William, grinning like an idiot, pointed his hand at the iron mass like Hilda did. Wands did not want to appear in the hands of drunk magical ones, to avoid incredible disaster. "Okay, sweetwitch, got that. Now what, before I fall over?"

  Hilda giggled, holding on to William as she was far from sober as well, and therefore in for a bad morning. "Now you will the iron away. Just go make it poof and away and - well, you know!"

  "Oh, you mean like..." - William waved his hand - "...poof."

  The house was still covered in iron chains.

  "No, silly man, like this..." Hilda waved her hand. "Poof."

  The house was still covered in iron chains.

  "That's what I did," William muttered, "you know nothing." He tried it again, with the same result.

  "Well, at least I know more nothings than you do, silly man," Hilda flared up. She snipped her fingers and the iron chains were gone. "See? Now you apologise and you have to carry me inside."

  "Okay, okay, I will apologise for carrying you inside," William agreed, picking her up as he spoke.

  "That's better," Hilda mumbled, folding her arms around his neck and treating William to a wet and sloppy kiss.

  With a proper amount of effort William made it to the door that opened by itself. The house refrained from comments. It was certain there would not be responses it could take seriously, so better to forego the whole thing until perhaps the morning after.

  After a lot of stumbling and laughing from inside the house, the night finally attempted to settle over the magical location, ignoring the floating bright globes that the witchy couple had forgotten to extinguish.

  57. Shopping

  "Wand... need wand..."

  Several moments later: "Ahhhhh... Never, never again. Help me remember." Even more moments later: "Hey, did you hear me?"

  "Urgh... stop trying to kick me out of bed..."

  "Get your wand, William, that can fix the hurting head." Hilda promptly felt sorry for kicking him. Magic and alcohol did not mix, and it was obvious now that magic was taking a more prominent place in William's being. He had not gone through this before, and was going through the mother of all hangovers.

  William's hand appeared over the covers. His wand appeared. "And next?"

  Hilda pointed the tip of his wand to where his head probably was. "Now just ask for the pain to go away."

  "Okay..." A few seconds of nothing. "Holy Bejeebus. It works." William sat up and grinned. "You're amazing."

  "Just you remember that, William Connoley." Hilda winked, and let herself fall back on her pillow. "So I have done the good thing. Your turn now. Food. Lots of it."

  William laughed as he saw her self-satisfied face. Before he could get up though, she grabbed his arm.

  "Stop. Lots of good morning kisses first. Goes so well with breakfast."

  William agreed, so it took a while before they were drinking tea and eating assorted goodies.

  Suddenly Hilda said: "I guess you're right."

  "Eh? Right? I didn't say anything." William looked across the table without understanding her remark.

  "No, but you thought something and I am afraid you are right."

  "Oh. Right. It's the feely thing, isn't it?" William understood and shivered. How she did that was uncanny. The fact that Hilda grinned over his new feeling did not make him feel any better.

  "I'm sorry, William, I won't tease you any more. But not any less either."

  Her laughing made him feel good again. He loved it when she laughed. "So you agree then. We should pay another visit to Gurthreyn."

  "Yes. The first time together was scary. I think going there again will help. Somewhat." Hilda slowly continued eating after that.

  They went out to do the rounds together, as by now had become usual. This time the shepherds were their target of mischief again. Hilda and William worked together to make all sheep float away from their field and put them down again about half a mile away. The shepherds were thankful they got off so easy this time. The time they had ended up with coloured sheep had been a less funny one, even though the magical ones had arranged to make the colours wash off. After a while.

  "So when do you think would be a good time to go to Gurthreyn?", Hilda asked as they were lazing a bit in the sun, on their sun chairs.

  "Hmmm... a good time... I have a distinct feeling that there is no such thing as a 'good time' for that. But in a few days would be good, I reckon. After we rest up from this weird trip to Heraldion."

  Hilda nodded. "Sounds like a plan. Resting is good. I feel lazy... could you snip your fingers for more tea?"

  William sighed. "Lazy witch..." He snipped his fingers and their cups were refilled. "I hope that's to your liking, your witchiness."

  Hilda glared at her cup. "Are you sure that's the same tea I had before?"

  "Hardly, dear. That's inside you already."

  The wicked witch cast a nasty look at William. "You are lucky I love you. People have died for less."

  William grinned, patted her head and said: "Good witch, no grumping. Just drink tea and enjoy sunshine, okay?"

  Hilda magicked up a big smile, closed her eyes and nodded. "Will do. So pipe down."

  Her comment caused the opposite: William roared for laughter after that, and she lay laughing at least as hard.

  The house sighed, while the goldfish on Hilda's cup were lost for words.

  Over the next few days, William kept studying the texts about the magician Gurthreyn, trying to come up with clues about the man and the place. Sometimes he'd read passages to Hilda out loud. Maybe she would hear something in his words that he kept missing. But she didn't. The only reaction it evoked from her was a sigh and the question why on earth he was bothering with all that, as so far nothing had come out of it.

  "William, you start to worry me."

  "And why is that?" William paged through the scrolls again.

  "You're obsessed with Gurthreyn."

  "I want to be prepared. That's different."

  "Sure looks the same to me, William."

  "Looks can be deceiving, my lovely little Gurthreyn."

  For a moment Hilda stared at him, then burst out laughing. "Damn you, stupid wizard, even though I sensed you were going to tease me, I fell for that and was going to hurt you!! Arrgh!!" She ran over to William, who was sitting at the table, and started batting him over the head, screeching as a real witch.

  William laughed as he tried to ward off her avalanche of hits. Even though they were not hard, there were very many of them, as Hilda was a very agile person with perfect eye-hand coordination.

  "And now I demand that you put that stuff aside and come with me. We're going to the village, for some shopping."

  "We go... shopping?" The utterly mundane concept of shopping had so far never crossed Hilda's lips, nor had it William's mind.

  "Uhuh. Come on, sweet man, I am sure you are familiar with the concept?" Hilda frowned, looking at him. "You must have gone shopping in that insane world of yours."

  "Of course. But I have been here since months now and you have not once brought up shopping in that time. Please allow me to be confused for a moment."

  "Certainly," Hilda smiled, "but now the moment has passed, so you are ready to come with me. Hop hop."

  "And do we need to dress up for that?", William asked.

  "No need, and really no use either. People will recognise us anyway."

  They went outside, brooms in floating tow.

  "Now, house, you be good. We won't be gone for long, I guess, so no need to chain you up. Okay?" Hilda patted the wall next to the door.

 
; "You have never done that before," the house remarked.

  "What?" Hilda frowned.

  "Touch me like that. It is nice."

  "Don't be silly, I did nothing." Hilda shook her head and mounted her broom.

  "And you two have fun. Maybe you can bring me something pretty," said the house as William also got onto his broom.

  "No promises there, okay? And I am certainly not going to look for it!" Hilda laughed as they flew up and raced over the treetops.

  "Sure, be that way," commented the house.

  "Wanna bet she's going to bring you something? I'm sure her boyfriend will persuade her," said one of the goldfish on the teacup.

  "I don't take bets. I'm a respectable house."

  "Should I just wait to see what we are going to shop for?", William asked as they were flying.

  "Well, you can ask," grinned the witch as she did some very wild slaloms around treetops, "but I can't guarantee an answer. After all..."

  "Yes, I know, you are unpredictable." That part of her was very predictable.

  "You got it! Wheeeee!"

  William was sure she would do a cartwheel in the air if that were in any way possible.

  Soon they reached the village. William did not know if she had aimed for it, but the market square was doing booming business again. Hilda and William came in calmly, not making any grand entrance, which surprised the wizard-to-be a bit. After all, the witch had been very boisterous and bold on the way over here.

  Using magic, of course, they clung their brooms to the roof of one of the houses that were opposite the market place. Hilda said that the people here were used to her doing it, and they even considered it an honour if their house was chosen to carry the broom of the witch.

  "Something with status or good luck, whatever. I can't really be bothered," the witch explained, but her expression told William something different and he grinned quietly.

  They walked into the market square. As usual, almost, the people that noticed them would move aside, giving them all the space they might possibly need. Again though, William noticed that none of them showed any fright of them. Most people greeted them politely too.

  Hilda went over to a stall that had beads and started to rummage through the collection. "Wrong, wrong, wrong, crappedy crappy wrong, wrong..."

  William wondered why the lady who owned the booth did not ask if she could help. The woman instead seemed to completely ignore the snooping witch. The beads-lady looked at William only once, smiled at him, and then went about her business.

  "Oooh, look!" Hilda held up a black bead. "Isn't that shiny?"

  "It's a black bead, Hilda." William pointed at it. "See? Black."

  "I know! That is why it is so pretty. It's jet!" Hilda looked at the bead as if she was falling in love with it. "A jet bead. Perfect. Now come and help me find a few amber ones. They are rare also."

  "Amber. Okay. I hope this is all going to make sense to me someday, but for now I will help you."

  Together they went over the beads, picking, looking, judging and putting back. The more that William and Hilda went through the beads, the more people seemed to be attracted to the bead stall.

  "Here, did you see this one?", William said. He handed her a black bead.

  "Jet!" Hilda beamed. "You're great!"

  The result of their hours of searching was six jet beads and eight amber ones. Hilda was as happy as a child with their loot. They paid the woman a silver coin, which according to her was far too much, but Hilda waved all her comments aside.

  They collected their brooms from the house, under the scrutinising eyes of a group of children, and flew off.

  "So, are you now going to tell me what you want to do with these beads?", William asked. "My back hurts from standing bent over, so I think my question is reasonable."

  Hilda grinned. "And you expect me to be reasonable because of that?" She flew her broom close to William's and patted his arm. "I'll tell you when we get home. And I'll show you too."

  "Show me? Okay, now you made me curious."

  "Oh, shiny! I love it when I can make you curious!" She laughed loudly. "And I will also take care of your sore back, William. You are really a darling to spend all that time with me, picking out the beads."

  Once they came home and the brooms had put themselves away, Hilda took William up the stairs and into one of the rooms that he had not been in before.

  "Come, look." She walked to a small table that had an insane amount of boxes and jars on it. Without hesitation she picked out three of the boxes. One of them contained nothing but jet beads. The next box was filled with amber beads. And the last box contained three necklaces. Each one was made of jet and amber beads.

  William did not ask, he knew she was going to explain about this all.

  "See, jet and amber are important things to a witch. They increase your magic." She reached inside her dress. "I am always wearing one."

  "Yes, I have seen that, but somehow I had never made the connection. Not knowing it is jet and amber." He reached out and touched the beads that were still warm from her body. "Very nice."

  Hilda closed her hand over his fingers that still held her necklace. "I usually never let anyone touch that, William, and not at all when I am wearing it. But you are not just anyone. That is why I have been working on this..." With her free hand she took a specific string of jet and amber beads from the small box. "I made this for you. I have charged it with the magic in the light of the full moon and I think it is ready now for you to wear it."

  Slowly, with a feeling of surprise all through him, William let go of the beads between his fingers. "You made something for me?"

  She nodded. "Yes. Since you are now close to being a full wizard, it is time for something-"

  William heard that there should be more words, but waited until she somehow was ready to say them. The way she was and felt to him now was very different from the bouncy witch he had been shopping with.

  She held up the necklace with both hands. It was rather short compared to hers. "I know you are not used to this, William. Well, I'm not either." Hilda grinned, William grinned along with her. "And this is probably the entirely wrong place for it, but..." She reached for his hands, holding them, that way making it four hands holding the necklace. Then she looked in his eyes. "William... do you want to be my wizard?"

  At that point something opened inside William. The one-way connection that had gone from him to Hilda since so long now worked the other way as well. He felt how she felt about him. How much she appreciated him being there, her love, the thrill of seeing what he was doing. He knew that this, what she asked now, was stronger than a marriage. This was bonding on a very intimate level.

  Hilda sensed how the link opened and poured herself into it. William had to know how she felt, fully and completely, so there was no holding back. He also had to see the fear she felt when thinking about him one day perhaps leaving her.

  'I love you, William,' she said, without words, 'and I want to forge this bond with you. You are free to say no. You are free to say yes. Will you be mine? Will you let me be yours?'

  William felt as if he was nailed to the floor. His entire being was frozen at that point. All there was for him was the presence of Hilda the witch, the feeling of her hands holding his, and the totality of feelings that she allowed him to experience.

  'Hilda,' she heard him say in the same wordless manner, and then an avalanche came rushing into her awareness. It carried his feelings for her and almost threw her off her feet. Then, equally silent, she heard: 'Yes. I will be yours. And you will be mine.'

  Then they were standing in the room again, holding hands, the necklace as braided through their fingers.

  Hilda smiled, carefully. "Thank you, William."

  "Silly witch, it's me who has to thank you." William then let her put the necklace around his neck.

  "There. You are pretty now." She kissed him. "And pretty wizards make wonderful dinners for clever witches."

  5
8. Gurthreyn's Secret

  They had been flying for a long time again. They had already crossed over the queendom of Raghuna and were not far from Gurthreyn.

  Since their bonding, which had happened so strangely and suddenly in the room where Hilda had her beads and necklaces, their relationship had gotten tighter in a most tremendous way. Understanding had grown in leaps. It had surprised them that, with the bond open in both ways, they were talking to each other even more. With the bond, William at least had expected that they would not need to talk so much, but the opposite proved true.

  Now they saw the beginnings of the area where the labyrinth of Gurthreyn lay. With mixed feelings of fright and determination they approached the massive structure.

  "Do you want to fly around it again?", Hilda asked.

  "Would be a good idea," William said. "I am convinced there is something around the side that has to tell us something. We just need to find what it is."

  "And where. And there's a lot of where, William."

  "Then we'd better get started..."

  They flew around the impressive wall. William insisted on having his wand in hand the whole time. For what, he did not know.

  The trip around the labyrinth was a long one. Hilda was getting bored and William knew it. By the time they had gone past only half of the wall, he was ready to call it quits as he did not want Hilda to suffer any longer.

  "No, William, we are going to do this- what was that?" Through the bond she had sensed a twitching in William's wand even before he did.

  The two brooms halted.

  "Where did this happen?", Hilda asked. "We were not going that fast..." She got her own wand and then slowly they tracked back.

  Their focus on the wands, they floated along the large looming wall. Its depressing presence seemed to be less now they were paying attention to something else than the atmosphere that made the place such a bad one to be.

  "Found it! Found it!" Hilda waved her wand. As she did, William found the spot also. "So, what do we have here?"

  They stared at the rough grey wall. It gave them the eerie feeling that it stared back at them, in an accusing way.