Kimber clutched her hands together at her chin and widened her eyes.
“Well, I suppose I could.” Nan winked.
Kimber grinned and bounced on her toes.
The children stood in place, swatting dirt from their bodies for a few minutes. Soon, Mama had added enough well water to cool the bath, and the kids climbed in. Kimber attended Tam with a soapy cloth, while Emma washed Kimber’s hair. One by one, she extracted the ribbons, rinsed them off, and dropped them in the grass to dry. Mama sat behind Emma outside the tub, working a lathered-up cloth around her ears.
The bathwater turned brown in under a minute.
“My word, Em. You’ve got mud inside your ears.” Mama chuckled. “Did you go swimming in it?”
Emma adored her mother’s careful touch. “The pigs didn’t want to go back into the yard. I tried to talk to them, but they didn’t listen. It’s like having to look after twelve Tams.”
Her brother grabbed her foot and tickled.
“Aah!” Emma squealed and tried to pull her leg back. “Stop!”
“Be still,” muttered Kimber. “We’as got more dirt in’ our hair, ’an ol’ Widow Poole’s ’ole yard.”
“’Ere’s more dirt in your hair an’ mine.” Tam stuck out his tongue and raspberried. “You got more hair.”
Mama poured water over Emma’s head. “That was very sweet of you to help Mrs. Poole like that. I’m proud of you all.”
Kimber leaned back, beaming. Tam dunked his head, shook it for a few seconds, and sat up.
Eventually, once she could find no traces of mud on anyone, Mama urged them out of the bath. Kimber and Tam ran inside in search of clean clothes while Emma picked up her blue dress.
“Em, that was just covered in mud. Go put something clean on.”
“It is clean.” Emma held it up, turned it to show the back, and turned it again.
Mama chuckled. “Seems Mother rather expected you to be a fast learner. All right, Em.”
“Learner?” asked Emma.
“Well, if she’s enchanting such little dresses for you, she’s obviously convinced you’re going to need it.”
Grinning, Emma wriggled into her favorite blue dress, knelt, and set to the task of washing Kimber and Tam’s clothes.
“Come inside when you’re finished and we’ll eat.” Mama stood.
“Yes, Mama.”
Emma smiled as she worked. Despite the day not yet being half over, she found herself tired enough to look forward to bedtime.
he next day after breakfast, Emma and Kimber sat in the meadow behind the house, watching a group of ten men working to build up the floor for the new section. Tam hovered around them, edging closer and closer until someone asked him to move away. He’d fade back a couple steps, and repeat creeping up on a worker until the man again told him to back up.
Emma liked that her new bedroom would be closer to Nan, but not being in the same bed with her parents anymore felt scary too. Whenever she used to wake from a bad dream, they’d be right there for her to hold on to. Da’s plan for the new room had three separate beds for the kids.
I won’t be dreaming of spiders anymore. She swished her feet side to side, tapping her big toes together while trying to figure out if she’d be lonely with her own bed, or if she’d prefer not being squeezed against the wall all night long. I’ll not dream of thieves either. Emma eyed the privy shack. The Banderwigh might haunt her nightmares still. She had told Kimber she found the thieves scarier, but thieves didn’t have strange powers or curses. Those men also didn’t seem too happy that they had to mistreat children due to their fear of the wizard. The Banderwigh, however… that creature had been evil. If she awoke from a nightmare in her new room, what would she do? She’d be the eldest, so it would be her job to protect Kimber and Tam from bad dreams.
I could go to Nan’s room. Emma glanced left at fast motion, smiling at a bird skimming low over the wavering green. I beat the monster for real; I can best a foul dream.
Kimber stuck a dandelion in her hair. “Wha’s got ya lookin’ sad?”
“Bah, darn it boy!” yelled a workman. “Watch yourself.”
Tam scooted back from a man carrying an armload of lumber. The worker seemed angry, but Tam fought not to laugh.
“I don’t know if I’ll like the new bed.” She looked away from the workmen, her attention drawn by the flutter of a white butterfly weaving over the meadow.
“I’as share the bed wi’ you, so’s you’as not ’lone.” Kimber smiled.
Emma laughed. “Okay.”
Kimber scooted close behind her and rested her chin on Emma’s right shoulder. “’Fink ’a faeries be watchin’ us?”
“Maybe.” Emma stared into the woods. The echoes of hammers made it sound like another group of workers had gone off into the forest. She spotted a few birds and one deer, but no faeries. Something did feel strange, but not as dark or frightening as when the Banderwigh had been watching her―almost as if the forest had the sniffles. For a moment, she felt tempted to beckon Greyfang and go exploring to find what made the forest feel ‘sick,’ but she decided against it. The sense of something not being right didn’t strike her as strong, and she wasn’t supposed to go running off. “I don’t see any.”
A man let out a yell of surprise. Emma spun toward the sound as a worker carrying two metal pails stumbled over a board jutting out from the incomplete floor. Tam scrambled to get out of his way, his being too close the evident reason the man hadn’t been watching where he was going. The worker waved his arms upward, trying to keep his balance, but stepped on a plank that shifted under him. Two buckets of carpenter’s nails went flying as the man waved his arms, trying not to fall. They crashed down; nails scattered everywhere on the floor, bouncing, rolling, and dropping between gaps in boards as well as littering the grass. The worker flew into a pair of sawhorses and sent a few long pieces of wood tumbling into the air on his way to the ground.
Tam started to laugh, but as soon as the man turned red in the face and roared, he went wide-eyed with panic and sprinted over to hide behind Emma.
The worker lunged upright and came stomping after him, seeming intent on giving the boy a whack. Emma pulled her feet in close, ready to jump up when the man towered over them. Kimber clamped on to her side and stared fearfully up at the man. Emma kept her expression guarded, trying to seem unafraid without being insolent.
“Dammit boy,” yelled the worker. He pointed at Tam, shook his hand, and let out a great sigh of exasperation. “You need to stay out of our way.”
“Sorry,” whispered Tam, into Emma’s back.
“He’s only curious,” said Emma. “I’ll keep him out of your way.”
The man shuddered with anger, but the red in his cheeks lessened. “Aye.” He tromped over to the house, went to the back door, and knocked.
“I didn’t do anything,” said Tam. “He tripped onna board.”
Emma shifted around to look at him. “He was trying not to step on you. Watch them from back here.”
“Aww.” He hung his head.
“I’as ’fought he’as gonna hit us,” said Kimber in a small voice.
Emma pulled her into a hug. “He wouldn’t if he knows what’s good for him. Mama and Nan are both home.”
Kimber’s fledgling tears switched to a smile. “Yeah.”
Mama answered the door, and the workman grumbled at her while gesturing back at the kids a few times before pointing at one of the buckets lying in the grass. Mama nodded.
“I don’t think he would have hit Tam.” Emma squeezed Kimber tight for a second. “He was angry, not mean.”
The worker headed back to the area where he’d tripped while Mama glided off the porch and walked over to the children.
“Tam…” Mama folded her arms. “Go collect those nails you made that man drop. When you’re done, you’re to stay out of their way.”
“Yes, Mama,” muttered Tam.
Tam trudged over to the worker, who murmured at him and pointed to the h
alf-built floor. The boy crawled under the boards into the narrow space between the floor and the ground. Emma started to get up, but Mama shook her head.
“That’s for him to do, Em. He’s only going to get the ones that fell where the men can’t reach. There’s no need for all three of you to get in their way.” She smiled. “When he’s done, bring him inside. The three of you may as well come with me into town, give these men a bit of peace.”
Kimber nodded.
“Yes, Mama,” said Emma, smiling.
A small arm came out of the hole in the floor, set a fistful of nails on the wood, and disappeared below. The workman grumbled, crawling around the grass, gathering nails back into his bucket. Emma peered into the woods once more, as that sense of strange unease returned.
“Mama?” asked Emma.
“Yes?” She stopped three steps into her walk to the house and returned to stand by Emma.
“Do you feel anything in the forest?” Emma pointed. “Something is different.”
Her mother stood tall, gazing amid the trees for a little while. “There is something unusual, but I wouldn’t worry about it. Whatever it is, it doesn’t feel dangerous.”
Kimber looked back and forth between the tree line and Emma. “Faeries?”
“Not everything is faeries.” Emma smirked and tickled her.
Kimber laughed, squirmed, and tickled back.
“I don’t think it’s anything worth worry just yet.” Mama squinted. “Nevertheless, I’ll have a look later on.”
“Yes, Mama.” Emma grinned, trying to defend her sensitive sides from Kimber’s fingers while hunting for an opening to tickle the girl to the point of squealing.
Her mother went back inside. It didn’t take too long for their battle of searching fingers to fade to the two of them lying in the grass, out of breath and laughing. Eventually, Tam stopped putting handfuls of nails up through the hole. Once it became clear he had gone from searching for nails to playing under the floorboards, the workman shooed him out, and the boy came running over to Emma, grinning. She rolled to her feet, and escorted the two of them to the house.
Mama gathered some bottled potions and a few bundles into her satchel, then wrapped both Emma and Kimber with child-sized shawls before draping a little hooded cloak over Tam.
As soon as Mama let go of him, he raced across the room to claim his wooden sword and struck a dramatic cloak-swooshing pose. Kimber fidgeted with her green shawl, eyeing the old black one around Emma’s shoulders with a hint of guilt.
Mama held out her hand for Tam, and he ran over to take it. She walked outside, the girls following two steps behind.
“What’s wrong?” whispered Emma.
Kimber held up her shawl. “It’s new. You’as got a old worn ’un.”
“She wants you to be warm and knows I like this one because it used to be hers from when she was little.”
“Oh.” Kimber smiled with relief.
Mama approached the third house they passed on the way to the town, handing one of the potions to Mr. Knolwick via an open window. They exchanged brief pleasantries before Mama departed and walked straight south off the road.
Tam swatted at tall grass with his wooden sword, though he still vanished up to the shoulders in the sea of loam green. Emma kept her arms out in front of her to part the way until they made it across to another dirt trail a little while later.
They stopped at the Heath’s farm, where Mama checked on a few horses. Emma hovered close, listening in with the Wildkin Whisper as her mother made sure the animals were in good health and spirits. Tam and Kimber remained quiet, though the boy kept an eye out for imaginary goblins trying to steal livestock.
The Heaths and their three grown sons chatted with Mama for a bit before expressing their relief that Emma had been recovered safe from the thieves. Emma curtseyed and thanked them for their concern, enduring head pats and shoulder squeezes.
Mama returned to the road and led the way into town proper, stopping a few minutes later at the blacksmith’s shop. Mr. Burland stood by an outdoor forge under an awning attached to a store where he sold finished goods, mostly farm tools, horseshoes, and such.
“Oy, Arn,” said Mama. “Mafindwel.”
Mr. Burland hurried over. “Mrs. Dalen… Thank you for coming.”
Mama smiled. “You know I always stop by.”
“The boy didn’t find you then?” Mr. Burland shook his head, sending his long black hair and beard waving back and forth. “No matter. Eric has burned himself.”
Emma gasped. “Is he hurt badly?”
“His hand,” said Mr. Burland. “Uhh.” He stared at Emma, hesitance clear in dark blue eyes. “Perhaps you should watch the little’uns while your mama attends to Eric.”
Emma looked up at Mama, eager to observe her work, but also understanding the blacksmith’s son had probably suffered an injury bad enough to where he didn’t want a girl her age to see it. “Can we wait in the shop?”
Mama nodded. “Let us waste no further time then.”
Mr. Burland led the way through a side door. Emma took Kimber and Tam by the hand and turned left out of the storeroom toward the main shop floor while Mama followed the blacksmith to the right and up a flight of stairs. Faint moans of pain in the voice of a teenaged boy came from above.
The elder daughter, Lilliana, stooped over a counter, fiddling with a quill pen and parchment. She’d be seventeen in a few weeks, but had not settled on a boy to marry yet. A simple white dress with a brown vest covered her to the ankles, soft brown shoes poked out from under the hem. She had blonde hair like her younger sister Julianna, who made her way around the shelves of tools with a duster.
“Hello,” said Emma, looking up at the thirteen-year-old.
Julianna peered back over her shoulder and smiled. “Mafindwel, Emma. Hello Tam… and?”
“Hello,” said Lilianna without looking away from her writing. “Please don’t let him touch anything sharp.”
“This is my sister, Kimber.” Emma adjusted her grip on Tam’s hand. At the sight of Julianna’s slender arm reaching to dust a metal-banded shield, her mind returned to that awful, awful dream the Banderwigh made her have… where she’d stepped on the poor girl. Again, she felt the cold sponginess of a dead girl’s arm underfoot. Julianna did not die when this place burned down. The Banderwigh lied in my dream.
“Are you all right?” Julianna walked over. “All the color faded from your cheeks.”
Emma swallowed, forcing a smile. “Yes. I’m fine. Thank you.”
Tam gravitated to the one small rack holding swords, three items out of almost a hundred. He pulled at her, trying to get closer, forcing Emma to set her heels.
“Are you sure?” Julianna tilted her head. “You looked like you’d seen a ghost.”
“I had a bad dream where the whole town burned,” said Emma in a half-whisper.
“Aww.” Julianna hugged her. “Did you really get taken by some monstrous creature?”
Tam nodded. “Yeah. And she thumped it! Like she thumped Rydh.”
Lilianna chuckled. “Don’t pick on her suitor.”
“He isn’t!” Julianna blushed. “I think he likes me, but he won’t even talk to me.”
Emma scrunched up her nose. “Bleh. He’s not nice.”
“He’s big and tough, so everyone’s afraid of him… but he’s nice inside.” Julianna twirled the feather duster around in her hands. “Why don’t you like him?”
“He stepped on Stick Knight’s horse!” yelled Tam. “Killed him. An’ he laughed at me. Pushed me over. ’Ey were gonna put me inna barrel, but Em thumped him.”
Emma narrowed her eyes. “He broke my brother’s toy and made fun of him for getting upset over it.”
“Oh. That’s not nice.” Julianna frowned. “Is that why I hear he’s afraid of you?”
Emma shrugged.
“He’s probably afraid of her mother.” Lilianna at last looked up from her writing. “But Emma’s a forest witch too, so
maybe he doesn’t want to be turned into a pig.”
The older girl hadn’t said ‘forest witch’ in a way that sounded bad, so Emma let it go. “I don’t think we can do that… turn someone into a pig. It’s just a legend.”
Kimber leaned up on tiptoe, her lips an inch from Emma’s ear, and whispered, “Banderwigh’s a legend tae.”
Emma grinned. Maybe Nan could turn people into pigs.
“Thank you!” bellowed Mr. Burland, loud enough to hear from upstairs.
“Well…” Julianna returned to her dusting. “If Rydh ever finds the courage to speak to me, I shall ask him about your brother. I do hope he has a suitable answer as I’ll not waste my time with someone who finds joy in tormenting small children.”
Mama walked in with the blacksmith right behind her. “Is all else well?”
“Aye,” said Mr. Burland. “Much obliged to your ministrations. I hope that boy is more careful with the forge.”
“His hand will be sore for a few days. Best not to make him work too hard.” Mama shook her head when the man attempted to hand her coins. “I’ll take a few for the elixirs to offset the cost of bottles, but Mythandriel’s favor is freely given.”
The blacksmith bowed at her.
“Hello, Mrs. Dalen,” said the daughters at once.
“Mafindwel, girls.” Mama smiled at each of them.
Emma waved farewell and followed her outside and down the street, dragging Tam away from the shiny blades. They stopped in the town square where Mama bought three small sweet breads for the children before heading to the eastern edge of Widowswood Town. Beyond a scattering of a few homesteads, the vast rolling plains continued to the Sparkling Run. Da had described the great river once, which flowed down from Calebrin City and continued all the way south into the land of Sondaren. She nibbled on the apple-cinnamon-flavored bread and tried to picture what it would be like to ride a boat like Da had along such a mighty waterway.
The dirt trail Mama followed away from the cobblestone street grew familiar, and set Emma on guard. She knew they headed to the Cooper farm, which meant an encounter with Rydh. With both Mama and Emma there, the boy wouldn’t dare tease Tam, but her little brother would probably run at the mere sight of him.
Emma and the Silverbell Faeries Page 3
