WINDOWS: A BROKEN FAIRY TALE

by Bramble, Casey

  Sarah nodded as Elspeth handed her the contract to look over. She did so and saw everything was just as it had been when Liz explained it. Sarah gave it back to Elspeth who reached for a pen sitting in a small ink well.

  “So we have reached an agreement?” Elspeth signed the papers.

  Felicity stood and pointed out where Sarah and Raven were to sign. After that was done, Liz stuffed the papers in a leather briefcase sitting beside the desk.

  Elspeth gave a plastic smile. “Welcome to the Chandlish Rose family, Ms. Petty. I’m certain that our association will be mutually beneficial.”

  The day of the grand opening dawned bright and cheerful. Sunlight streamed through Sarah’s curtains, rousing the young woman from a deep sleep. The smell of bacon and coffee twitched her nose as she sat up, stretching the stiffness out of her muscles. It had been hard work the last three weeks to get ready for a day that was here at last. Today they could start making money.

  After putting on her make-up Sarah opened the door to her room, expecting to see Raven sitting at the kitchen table. Raven always awoke before she did despite going to bed much later. This time, instead of a pesky redhead, Sarah found huge platters of food spread out on the kitchen table; pancakes, biscuits, bacon and a bowl of sausage gravy covered nearly every inch of the wooden top. The few places that weren’t loaded with baked goods held small jars of various jams and jellies. Sarah grabbed a plate from the cupboard and filled it. Raven decided to learn how to cook since she wouldn’t be living at the castle anymore and, like everything else she did, threw herself into the undertaking with gusto. Nobody would confuse the culinary concoctions with that of a chef but it had progressed nicely from inedible to quite tasty.

  As she ate, Sarah heard muffled thumps from downstairs. Probably just Bekah coming over to offer support to Raven, she figured. At least they were fighting in the shop this time instead of the store. Then Mandy’s high pitched giggle joined the chorus and Sarah thought it was nice how close the Chandlish girls were. But when she heard Felicity scream “Catch it!” at the top of her lungs, Sarah decided it would be a good idea to go see exactly what was going on.

  Surveying the scene from the top of the stairs, Sarah could come up with no reasonable explanations for the scene below. Liz and Mandy stood on a table by the forge, giggling at something. Bekah leaned against the wall wearing a bemused expression. At the center of it all, naturally, was Raven. Covered in dust from the shop floor, hair in total disarray and glistening with a thin layer of perspiration, Raven appeared to have been in quite a scuffle.

  Sarah considered, briefly, asking what was in the box but a month of dealing with Raven and Bekah taught her not to do stupid things so she settled for inquiring whose present that was.

  “It’s for the raffle.” Raven panted. Liz and Mandy noticed it was safe to come down so gingerly lowered themselves to the floor. Sarah simply nodded.

  “Aren’t you going to ask what’s in the box?” Bekah grinned at Sarah, uncoiling from the wall.

  “Nope.”

  Suddenly the box lurched sideways as whatever was in it tried to break free. Sarah could hear scratching from the inside, so it probably had claws.

  “You gonna help me carry this thing?” Raven bent over and grabbed the bottom.

  “Nope.” Sarah brushed past Bekah, hoping they wouldn’t be sued on their first day.

  Business boomed throughout the morning. The fliers and newspaper ads brought a decent number of people of course but the fact that Stephen Alexander was sporting a brand new sword forged in this very shop was the biggest draw. By lunch time Sarah already received 15 orders for blades of a similar style. All of the weapons and shields she made for the day were sold. One man even tried to buy the demos they sat aside.

  Raven’s demonstration of the effectiveness of her runes was also a rousing success. She held an inscribed shield over her chest while Bekah happily threw fireballs at it. Then the sorceress invited people to try breaking the swords, which none were able to do. They gained another 10 orders for shields and everybody who ordered a sword wanted theirs inscribed.

  The best time of the morning though was when Daniel Blackstone – the man Sarah danced with at the ball – entered the shop. To Sarah’s pleasant surprise, it turned out that Daniel was a doctor who lived just outside the city. He ordered a sword and shield with a promise to come by often to check on their progress. Sarah was so busy day dreaming about those visits that she accidently let herself slip into complacency.

  At noon Raven loudly announced that they were going to hold the raffle. There were well over a dozen customers in the store and each turned to face her. Sarah managed to block out the memory but dismay returned with a vengeance when Raven struggled back from the shop carrying the large box.

  She finally managed to set it in the middle of the floor and produced a small glass jar with a bunch of tickets inside. Everyone who visited the shop was eligible to enter the drawing and people who made purchases or placed orders were given two chances. Raven drew out a slip of paper and, after a dramatic pause, announced that James Darby of Troy was their big winner.

  Mr. Darby, a portly man with black hair, waddled forward to receive his prize. A few of the other patrons slapped him on the back and some offered to buy it from him. That is until the box shook violently and a loud skittering could be heard from within. Then the crowd took one giant step back. Mr. Darby looked like he dearly wanted to join them.

  As Raven fit a key into the lock on the chains, Sarah heard Mandy whisper to Bekah in an excited voice, “Oh man, this is going to be awesome.”

  To her credit, Sarah reacted quickly and decisively. She leapt over the counter in a desperate bid to stop Raven from making a huge mistake. But there was no time. The chains clattered to the floor and something huge and brown and… fluffy… erupted from the box, screeching like a siren.

  Mr. Darby screamed-- somewhere amid the chaos Sarah thought it was a particularly girlish scream for such a large man-- and the mob bolted for the door as one. The furry thing, whatever it was, darted in and out of the milling throng. One of the cases crashed to the floor, spraying glass all over the tile. People stumbled in their hurry to escape, jostling each other for position. Raven stalked Mr. Darby, demanding he take his prize. The large barrel set up for garbage near the front door somehow fell on its side and rolled into the counter where Mandy perched, knocking her to the floor with a surprised giggle. Bekah unhelpfully decided to start yelling it was eating her leg. This incited the small crowd into even greater panic and with a final push they piled out of the shop, leaving a fuming blonde to glare undistracted at the redheaded girls in the quiet aftermath.

  “You three…” Anger bubbled just beneath the surface as Sarah took stock of the ruined store, “had better OMPH!”

  The lecture was cut short when a fuzzy missile hit Sarah in the stomach, knocking her head over heels. She came up against the wall with the thing buried in her chest and started to yell for help but before any sound escaped, the thing looked up at her with warm brown eyes. It started to sniff around her neck with its damp, furry nose, tickling her. Sarah tried to stand but the thing felt like it weighed a ton and wouldn’t stop squirming. She sat it on the floor but it just crawled back into her lap.

  Seeing that she wasn’t about to be disemboweled by some creature from her nightmares, Sarah tried petting it between its floppy ears. The creature moved its head back and forth under her hand. It’s kind of cute, she thought to herself. The three Chandlish sisters were a little more cautious in their approach but soon all four girls were happily petting the fur ball.

  “So what is it?” Sarah asked. The creature had fallen asleep snuggled into her arms.

  “A prairie-thumper.” Bekah grinned, giving it a final rub before standing up.

  Sarah looked perplexed. “What exactly is a prairie-thumper? And why did you think it was a good idea to give one away at the grand opening of a weapons store?”

  “I think it likes
you, Lil’bit.” Raven ignored Sarah’s questions.

  “You have a new pet, Sarah. What are you going to name him?” Mandy held the prairie-thumper while Sarah got to her feet.

  “Hmmm…” Sarah thought for a moment. The creature was making soft snoring noises as it squirmed trying to get more comfortable. “I think I’ll name him Snuffles.”

  And so Snuffles the prairie-thumper came to live at Petty and Chandlish Magical Armaments.

  Sarah taped a note to the front door saying that the shop was closed for the rest of the day due to unforeseen circumstances and made the responsible parties tidy up while she fixed a bed for Snuffles in her bedroom. It was more difficult than she thought it would be. About four feet long, two feet tall and weighing close to fifty pounds Sarah guessed, he was certainly too big to fit in a shoe box. Eventually she settled on a large crate some supplies had been shipped in and lined it with two quilts secured from Raven’s room. The prairie-thumper seemed to enjoy it and licked her hand affectionately.

  “I’ll get you something larger later today or tomorrow.” Sarah promised the adorable critter. Snuffles replied by rolling over and going back to sleep. Within a week, the creature that had instilled terror in so many people would have free reign over the shop and be enjoying daily walks to the park where all the kids wanted to play with him. He was a very content prairie-thumper.

  The next night a castle guard appeared at their front door just as they were locking up.

  “Her Grace requires your attendance at a company meeting in one hour.” The man clicked his heels stiffly.

  Sarah groaned. The moment she’d been dreading all day was finally here, ever since the front page of the morning paper announced to everybody that their shop was the site of a horrific animal attack. Worse the article made it a point to tell everyone that they were a subsidiary of Chandlish Rose. Duchess Chandlish was going to go ballistic.

  Raven and Sarah arrived at the castle with five minutes to spare, thanks to Bryson. The dragon laughed so hard when he stepped through the portal that small sparks shot out of his mouth.

  “We’ve even heard about that little incident in my world.” He remarked in his gravelly voice.

  As they flew towards the meeting Sarah asked how it was possible for news from their world to reach Bryson’s since only a sorceress could open portals.

  Raven shrugged. “It’s not only sorcerers and sorceresses that can do that. Any magic user can bridge the gap between worlds. It’s actually a routine spell at the arcane university where they study magical creatures. Of course, that’s only true for smaller magical beings, like pixies and leprechauns. Dragons require a really powerful spell that allows them too traverse the realms.”

  “So what’s stopping another sorceress from summoning Bryson one day?”

  Bryson answered gruffly, a bit tired of being talked about like he wasn’t there. “We have a choice of going through the portals or not. Besides, it’s unlikely anybody but Raven could open one large enough for me to come through.” Raven leaned forward and stroked Bryson’s scaly neck.

  “How do you know which one is a portal Raven opened? If there are portals opening every day…?”

  Raven laughed, a soft tinkling noise Sarah found strangely comforting. “The door way I open for Bryson can be used by only him. Nothing else can come through.”

  Sarah was a little confused now. “Why is that?”

  “When someone like me first uses a summoning spell to find a familiar, the magic seeks out a compatible energy if that makes any sense. That way familiar and sorceress will always get along.

  Sarah nodded, though she had no clue what that meant. “Can demons move from world to world?” She was sitting behind Raven so didn’t see the redhead’s eyes close or her jaw clench.

  Raven shook her head, tickling Sarah’s nose with vanilla scented hair. “No, they have to be summoned.”

  When they finally arrived at the castle, a maid immediately showed them to the same office where the contract was signed. The family was laughing about something. Duchess Chandlish beckoned for them to join. Sarah knew at least a severe tongue lashing was coming, so she trailed behind Raven who calmly walked up and gave Stephen a fist bump.

  “Well you two, how’s business?” Elspeth produced a copy of the newspaper from a desk drawer and tossed it to Sarah.

  Speaking quickly, barely glancing at the paper she had read twice this morning before breakfast, Sarah recited the apology she worked on after the summons. “Your Grace, I beg your forgiveness. We felt that a raffle would be a way for people to remember our shop.”

  Elspeth pursed her lips. “Oh I believe people will remember your shop for quite some time.” The lady of the manor walked around the front of the desk and leaned against it with her arms crossed.

  Sarah trembled, knowing Duchess Chandlish had to be furious despite the friendly demeanor. Again she apologized, this time for bringing shame on Chandlish Rose.

  “What ever are you talking about child?” Elspeth chuckled and patted Sarah on the arm. The blonde, expecting a slap, almost drew back.

  “So you’re not mad?” Sarah asked in a hesitant voice, still not sure what was happening. Everyone except Sarah laughed.

  “One of the most important parts of running a business is word of mouth. That little stunt with the,” Elspeth glanced at Raven and Bekah, “prairie-thumper, I believe it was, made your shop the talk of the town. How many more people did you have in your shop today?”

  After thinking on it for a moment, Sarah realized that there were even more customers today than at the grand opening. “A lot.” She answered slowly, beginning to hope they might not be in trouble.

  “Of course there were.” Liz came over and draped an arm over Sarah’s shoulder. “Everybody wanted to see where the incident took place.”

  Elspeth smiled at everyone. “Branwyen, Sarah, you have done a fabulous job in opening your store and getting it noticed. Congratulations to you both.”

  The four daughters exchanged high fives as Sarah finally felt comfortable enough to smile herself. “Thank you, Your Grace.” She bowed her head slightly to Elspeth.

  “What are you five waiting for?” Stephen admonished with a wink, “Go out and celebrate.”

  After the girls left, all giggling and discussing which club they should hit first, Stephen turned to Elspeth.

  “So do you think she’ll work?”

  The Duchess didn’t have to ask who Stephen meant. “Do you find it strange that within a month a simple blacksmith has managed to become such close friends with those four?”

  Stephen agreed, “Liz and Mandy don’t surprise me but Raven and Bekah are never that quick to let someone else into their little world. I think that we should keep an eye on Sarah.”

  Elspeth smiled slyly. “That blacksmith will be perfect my plan. We can’t keep track of Branwyen anymore so I think it’s about time we invited Sarah into the family?”

  Stephen gazed at the door the group of girls had just left. “I think it’s high time indeed.”

  CHAPTER 10: SCHEMES

  The girl stood on top of a mountain, arms raised in triumph. Below, a crowd numbering in the millions chanted her name rapturously. “Me! Me!” She pumped her fist and yelled to the adoring crowd, reveling in their adulation. A warm boysenberry pie floated in front of her face and she took a bite. The pie was still whole so she took another bite. The pie was unchanged. That’s when it dawned on her; this was a magical pie pan that never emptied.

  “I do love a challenge.” She attacked the pie with both hands as the crowd changed their chant to cheers that she could do it.

  Suddenly something bumped into her and she fell off the couch, blinking dumbly at the stone walls. Where were the mesa and the admiration of her followers? More importantly, where the hell was that magical pie?

  The shadow pulsed and writhed in the back.

  Late Friday afternoon found Sarah and Raven sitting at a small table in the smithy while Snuffles rumma
ged around in a corner looking for something interesting. They had been in business for two weeks now and Sarah couldn’t be happier with the money they were making. Best of all Daniel showed up three times, offering to bring them lunch, which Raven accepted on their behalf.

  She wanted to focus on the sword for Daniel, but orders were backed up through the next three months and people were still visiting in droves. Word of their shop reached beyond Valentria’s borders and customers were coming from miles around for swords and shields. In fact business had been so good that they were going to have to hire someone to work the register if she and Raven wanted to actually build the armaments they sold. So now the blonde and redhead were interviewing applicants in the shop while Mandy watched over the store.

  “Thank you Mr. Clift, we’ll be in touch.” Sarah shook the man’s hand and nudged Raven with an elbow. The sorceress snorted and jerked awake in time to wave at Mr. Clift’s back.

  “How many was that?” Raven muttered, still half asleep. “Fifteen, twenty?”

  “That was number four.”

  “Have we hired anybody yet?”

  Struggling to keep the frustration out of her voice, Sarah said, “No. It’s rude to sleep through an interview, you know.”

  “But I’m tired.” Raven whined.

  Sarah tapped the pile of papers in her hand on the desk and looked at the next application. “Beverly Berksdale.” She called.

  A timid looking woman Sarah thought seemed familiar entered. Raven, for the first time that morning, stood and offered her hand.

  “Beverly, how nice of you to come see the shop. How’s Alma doing?”

  The small woman with brown hair shook hands with Raven and sat in the chair Sarah motioned to. “She’s doing quite well, thank you for asking, Lady Bra…“ Beverly caught herself and looked to the floor, “I mean, Raven.”

  “So did you want to buy a sword or a shield? I’m sure we have something in your size.”