by Paul Kater
cat licked the witch's nose once again.
"Hey, cat kid," she said as she sat up.
Around her, sailors lay sprawled over the deck, holding ears and closing eyes. William was sitting up as well, looking around and grinning at his witch.
"Seems that we got somewhere after all," he said. "That light is sunshine."
"Suck an elf." Hilda scrambled to her feet and managed to stay upright on the tilted deck. To the lower side she saw... trees. Apparently the Mimosa leaned against them. "Do you have any idea where we are?"
Hilda looked to the sky. It was blue, and here and there was a lost white cloud. At least that was reassuring. Blue skies and white clouds were familiar.
William had also managed to get to his feet. "No, not really. Maybe when we can climb up to the side of this ship."
"Hey sailor folk!" Hilda yelled, "we're clear!"
As the sailors, Maurizio and Rebel found a way to sit up again, a voice said: "Oh. You've returned. I was almost certain it was you."
Hilda looked at William. "Crappedy crap... don't tell me..."
Together they clambered up to the high side of the ship.
The Mimosa lay about fifty feet from their house, and it was the house that had spoken.
"We're home!" Hilda yelled.
"Yes. And had your ship not landed itself further away, you would not have had a home," the house complained.
"Who are you talking to?" Maurizio asked from his sitting position.
"The house!" Hilda exclaimed.
"The... house..." The captain rummaged in his pockets, found his eye patch and adjusted it over his head. "Of course. I should have known. And where are we?"
"Home!"
Rebel and a few sailors had worked their way up to where the magicals and their cats were, and stared at the white and red house.
"That's your house? It's cute," said Rebel. "Small but cute."
"I am not small," the house returned. "I am a proper witch's house."
"It talks! Maurizio, the house talks!"
Not much later, Rebel had levitated everyone off the ship and to the ground. The Mimosa rested rather ungracefully against the trees opposite the house, just as any ship would do with such a tremendous lack of water.
"Looks like your magic worked after all, Hilda," William said as he hugged her. "A bit late, but it did."
"Yes, I know now. I should have used Latin. But damn, I hate Latin." Then the witch looked at the crew of the Mimosa. "Are you people hungry or thirsty?"
The sailors were thirsty, so William and Hilda arranged for benches and tables, and coffee, tea and wine became available in copious quantities. After all, magic was about.
As the party was going, Rebel and William made the Mimosa sit straight up. Normally it would be unnerving to see a ship float on nothing, but the people who were around had seen their share, so nobody worried.
The party ended with a sumptuous dinner, straight from the Mimosa's amazing kitchen, and also very late in the night.
-=-=-
When finally the magicals were in bed, their own bed, Hilda snuggled up to William.
"I'm glad we're home. I know I'm going to miss Kerna for a while. And Rebel. And even Maurizio."
"So will I, sweetwitch. But you never know, maybe we will see them again."
"Would be nice. But then in a more normal way. Not with a ship with a crystal and all that. I hated to be without magic for so long."
William knew what she meant. He had missed the link with her as well, and that had only been the link. He wanted to say something when a loud bang accompanied a bright red flash from outside.
"What was that?" the witch wondered.
"I think Rebel and Maurizio moved on with the Mimosa."
"Already thought so... G'night, wizard."
"G'night, witch."
...
"And what about me?"
"Shut up, house!"
~ ~ ~
All the best from
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About the author:
I am an IT consultant who loves reading and writing.
I've been an amateur-author since years, writing SciFi, Fantasy and lately also Steampunk. My home is in the Netherlands.
I hope you liked "Hilda - Lycadea".
All other books I published so far:
Steampunk:
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My website: https://www.paulkater.com