Nasty Little Witchling

The flood of bobbing heads and rattling wheels had lessened as we moved off the street leading to the gate. Alisa had talked to a passerby for a moment and now looked to be trying to find something along the side streets.

I stayed atop Missy as Alisa led us on foot further into the city. The doll shouldn’t have been getting too far away and I truly hoped Daral wouldn’t let it get stolen, again.

I tugged at the reins she was holding to get her attention and leaned down to speak. “What are you looking for?”

“A cobbler, my boots are killing me and they said there's a school here that will have cheaper options.”

“What’s it called?”

“Some long official name but they said there's a sign with an unlaced boot and ‘discounted student services’ written under it.”

The only occupants of the street taller than me were the larger carriages pulled by two or more horses smaller than Missy and Apple. Occasionally we passed people with features I’d very rarely seen before but there were some I hadn’t. A younger group of people were eating at a table outside, some with weirdly coloured hair. Alisa said they dyed it in a similar way that people did clothes and I didn’t know if I was disappointed or not that my dark hair would be harder to colour.

A lot of the streets looked similar and I could see all the way down them until a wall or another street crossed into it. Signs stuck out above our heads everywhere, all trying to compete to be the most eye-catching. There was an effort to make them all visible to someone like us, looking along the street, with many placed in odd spots to still be visible around others.

Every so often there was another butcher, another tailor, cobblers, grocers, carpenters, healers, apothecaries and signs with names and symbols I’d never seen before. There were extra doors near these stores that Alisa said went to the living areas in the two or three storeys above the storefronts. People living there wouldn't need to travel along more than a few streets to get everything they needed.

Alisa eventually spotted the sign along an almost empty street but there was going to be a problem getting to it. The street beyond us was blocked off by wooden barricades. Probably to keep us away from the people in thick and coarse clothing swarming over the foundations of a half-built structure.

Mages floated and unshrunk blocks of stone off of a large cart in the middle of the street. Another mage took those blocks and used a spell that had to reduce their weight significantly because someone else was throwing them up to a person on scaffolding near the top of the new building’s wall. I was amazed by the efficiency of them all. We stood and watched an entire row get completed with the last block needing to be cut by a spell to fit into the remaining gap.

Wet cement was placed onto the stone and into the gaps for another layer to start. Alisa waved over someone going to get more bricks. The young man smiled brightly and wiped away the dust on his face with a cloth from a front pocket. Alisa pointed to where we wanted to go and asked for the easiest directions to get around.

He waved her off with another smile, moved over one of the wooden barricades and walked us through to the far side of the construction. He was disappointed when Alisa told him she’d only be in the city for the day but was still pleasant in his goodbyes. I looked back when I heard jeers and saw him getting his back clapped by a few of the other workers.

“What was that?” I asked, obviously missing so many pieces of context.

“Martin was just asking me to have dinner with him later; I might have said yes if we were in Drasda, but there’s no point out here.”

“Why though, he doesn't know you?”

“Oh, right. Ah, when people of similar ages like the way another person looks they invite them places to see if they are compatible as a potential partner.”

I slowly nodded. “And the back-slapping?”

Alisa shrugged. “Boys.”

My nodding stopped but continued as I thought of Jacob and Greyson’s behaviour.

The cobbler’s school took up the space of three normal homes with the centre bit being the entrance. On either side of a door with an ‘open’ sign were displays behind glass. Inside were all types of footwear from stylized slip on ones to plain knee length boots.

Alisa held out the reins to me. “Can you watch them for a moment while I go inside?”

“I can.” I took the offered reins and watched Alisa disappear into the store to the sound of a bell chime. I shifted and stretched out my back and shoulders from the saddle as much as I could. Half the street was still covered in shade from the rising sun so I got Missy to shuffle over a bit to keep my head in it.

The horses were unimpressed by how hard the ground was and felt the only good thing about cities was seeing the farrier. I agreed with them on the first point since it meant I had to wear my boots.

“Wow, aren't you a big girl?” a man said from the other side of the street. “Looking after these beauties all by yourself, are you?”

The small group he was a part of approached us. Apple huffed and moved so they weren't approaching her from behind since she was facing me and Missy for me to hold her reins.

“Where are your parents?” a woman from the group asked with a smile.

Two of the four were mages but their mana felt shallow and unmoving. The taller man who had spoken first walked closer and reached out his hand to slowly try to approach Missy’s neck. They were getting too close for the horses liking and Missy started to stomp her front hooves.

“Oooh, that means they’re irritated. My brothas’ a stable hand, should let me hold onto ‘em for ya,” a second woman said.

“We don’t want them getting away from you and hurting people, do you girl?”

Besides the closer man, the others were a few yards away and had fanned out around us. Apple was backing up and pulling my arm with her. Missy was calm but still kept rearing up slightly to stomp. A few people glanced at us while walking across the opposite side of the street but did nothing more.

“Go away,” I said. “It’s your fault they’re scared. These horses belong to a knight.”

I’d hoped invoking Annalise’s occupation would stop them, but they pressed forward. We’d already been close to the building and now there wasn’t anywhere else for Apple to back into. Missy was still in line with the road but was preparing to either run or trample them all, depending on what I wanted.

“Ooo a knight, how important. We like important people. Don’t we, fellas?”

I didn’t know how much of the fear I felt was from Apple or my own but I didn’t want them to hurt the horses. I pulled my boot from the stirrup, leant back and kicked out into the man’s face near Missy’s shoulder.

He’d seen me moving and tried to lean back but it connected well enough for him to stumble. He barred blood-covered teeth at me and moved towards me but a jolt of fright from Apple drew my attention to one of the women grabbing at her satchels. I couldn’t let them take Alisa’s belongings when I was still irked by Daral for the doll being taken.

While holding the reins I flicked my hand up for the cobble under their feet to jut out from the ground. Half their body was pushed upwards and she fell to the side and scurried away as Apple’s hooves came down next to her.

The man I’d kicked grabbed my leg and tugged at it away from where Missy could reach. A woman tried to drag me down on the same side but wasn’t tall enough to reach more than the hem of my tunic. I was barely holding onto the saddle and the other stirrup when Missy pitched forward. I felt her intent and heard the grunt as the fourth person took a set of hooves to the chest, for trying to get around us.

A loud whistle reverberated down the street followed by shouts. The tugging stopped for a moment as we all looked to see the workers running towards us with more climbing down the scaffolding.

The woman I tripped was the first to stumble to her feet and bolt. The other two followed but the last was still groaning on the ground.

Thick-soled boots pounded on the ground as the group of workers stopped near us. I still had my arm stretched out trying to hold onto and calm Apple who was throwing her head about.

Martin helped grab the reins while the others gave us space to not agitate the horses further. Missy was fine and quite proud of herself for the kick which helped Apple relax.

A bell chimed violently as the door to the cobbler was thrown open. Alisa was walking out with her palm raised and the beginnings of a spell tying together. She froze after seeing all the workers but kept the spell.

“Wait! They came to help,” I said. “Another group tried to take your bags.”

I didn’t really know what they were trying to do beyond that. There were horses all over the city and I wasn’t sure what taking them would have accomplished.

Alisa lowered her hand but quickly raised them again when a burly older worker got in her face. “How are you going to leave a young girl out alone like that? You know what kind of danger you put her in? I should be calling the Watch on you instead of this sorry lump.”

He motioned to the person with limp limbs that two other workers held up.

“I was only gone for a second,” Alisa said.

“And that’s all it takes for someone to snatch her.”

“Me? What would they want me for?” I asked.

Before anyone could answer—if they were going to at all—a person in a large leather apron came out with a pair of boots in one hand and a wooden contraption in the other.

“Ah, here's your order,” he said to Alisa and handed over the boots. “Is this the girl?”

The older man was still towering over Alisa as she answered. “Thank you and yes, that's her.”

“C’mon Benji, lay off. The horses pretty much had it handled,” Martin said.

Benji backed off but mumbled about having already raised his kids and didn’t need the stress of watching over someone else’s.

“Can you teach me how to do that whistle,” I asked Martin, who was still holding onto the reins.

The cobbler used the wooden thing to measure my boot size and went back in to get the correct pair. I’d tried to tell Alisa I didn’t need any but she said I would have to take it up with Annalise since they were her orders. She already looked grumpy at me for keeping Martin around to show me how to do more than blow air between my fingers so I didn’t press the issue.

“So, does this qualify me for dinner?” he asked Alisa after I made the faintest whistle.

She signed. “I wasn’t being evasive back then, I really am leaving this afternoon.”

I took my fingers off of my lips. “It’s true, she said if you lived back in Drasda she would have—ow!”

“I suppose that makes the rejection hurt a little less,” Martin said with a palm over his heart. “Can’t compete with distance like that. Hope you both have safe travels.”

He handed the reins back to Alisa and left back to his crew who had gotten an officer of The Watch over by them.

“Sorry,” I said. “I tried to fight them off and think we would have been fine even if the workers hadn’t come.”

“No, no. He was right, I shouldn't have just left you. And using combat spells in city limits would have been troublesome, even freecasting like yours. Anyways, I shouldn’t have left you out here alone. Are you okay? Your tunic looks torn.”

I decided to keep quiet about the magic I had used and discreetly lowered the cobblestone back down. No one seemed to have noticed the weird stone with Apple standing over it now. And Alisa didn’t care about the mana—if she felt me use it at all.

“I’m good.” I turned to see a tear up the side of my tunic where the woman had tried to grab me. One of her nails had made an angry red line down my skin as well.

“Well the captain told me to get you suitably dressed so don’t worry about it. And before you complain they might not let you in the train dressed like that even with a knight captain at your side.”

My new boots were brought outside so the shop and Alisa didn’t have to deal with anyone trying to steal me or the horses. I asked the person if there was any way to have boots made of something other than an animal. He thought about it for a moment and Alisa gave me an exasperated look as he went inside to ask his mentor.

A while later a simple answer was passed along, ‘no.’

“Why’d you ask that? Same reason you don’t seem to like eating meat?” Alisa asked as we rode towards a tailor the shop recommended.

I shrugged. “I don’t like animals dying.”

Alisa tilted her head to either side. “I can see why you'd feel that way considering where you grew up but that forest was peaceful compared to others. There are a lot of animals that don’t mind chomping on people.”

“Because people try to live where they already are.”

Alisa shook her head. “If we avoided every area, every migration pattern and roaming territory then we’d have nowhere for ourselves. They’re bigger than us and sometimes better at using mana than us, we’re not always the big bad monster.”

“Well when we find one of those I’ll happily turn them into a new pair of boots,” I said and stuck my leg out to show off the polished leather that fit snuggly up to my shin. These ones didn’t pinch my toes as much as the scratched and faded pair I’d placed into a satchel.

I had no idea how to use reins despite sitting behind them for days so I let Missy do most of it. She was better at the little movements and following behind Alisa wasn't hard for the clever creature.

I let my eyes wander over the different people and wondered how many of them would do the same thing as the group before. When I thought back I felt more disappointed with those that looked at me struggling and ignored me. The workers must have come running as soon as they saw so I wasn’t sure why no one else had.

The tailoring store was close and easier to find. It was a lot smaller than the cobbler and without any glass displays. Alisa helped me down from Missy and decided to be the one to wait outside this time. I glanced down at the open sign and pushed the door.

It didn’t budge.

I looked back to Alisa, confused since there was an open sign right there. She pulled at the air in front of her with a smirk.

“Oh.”

I closed the door behind me and a lot of light vanished from the room. There was still plenty to see but the room felt dimmer compared to the sunny street.

“Welcome, how can I help you?” a boy said as he stood from behind a similar counter I had sat behind at Pilim’s shop.

“Ah…”

“Ah? Pick up, order or just here to get out of the midday sun?” The boy sat back down and leaned onto the counter.

“Order?” That sounded the most like what I needed to do from my limited time in a tailoring shop.

“Right…”

The clothes on display weren’t frilly things pinned onto fabric torsos but racks of tunics, shirts, dresses, and pants hanging up along one wall. There were plenty of different colours and the sizing gradually changed from what a child could wear all the way up to the burly worker. The other side also had the same type of fabric the workers had been wearing.

I walked over to one that looked like pants combined with an apron that would hang off your shoulders. It didn’t seem to cover much of the top but one of the workers had been wearing something similar with a shirt under it.

I pointed to them and was about to ask the boy about the price when I saw he was scowling at my feet. “Get outta here before I call the Watch you fucking thief.”

“Hey! What kind of language is that?” a woman shouted from an open doorway behind him.

“They’re wearing stolen shoes, Mum! They want to take some of our overalls.”

A woman who looked similar to the boy with his brownish-blonde hair walked in and looked me up and down. “Thieves usually run when you accuse them. She’s just scared my deranged son is shouting at her. What are you looking for, dearie?”

I wanted to clear up that I wasn’t a thief so I pointed to the door to explain. “I…um….”

The woman walked to the door, looked outside and then exited with the door swinging shut behind them. The boy glared at me while I tried to ignore him. This felt like Pilim’s shop with Jaqalin all over again.

The door opened again and the woman walked in. “Brandon apologise to Valeria and go iron the entire pile up we have back there.”

Brandon opened his mouth and looked ready to protest before his mum levelled a glare at him. “Sorry, Valeria.”

He slipped off the stool and sulked into the back.

“Name's Malory, your friends told me what to get you but to let you pick out the specifics. You like those?” she asked and pointed to the overalls.

I nodded.

“What colour? We got blue, black and brown.”

“Black.”

“Alrighty then, hop up onto this block here for me. Got to get your measurements.”

I trotted over and stood atop the wooden block. Malory brought out a string and looped it around me at different points and along my body. She moved over to a paper and pencil to jot down numbers that made no sense to me. Why she needed so many different measurements for my torso was beyond me.

She poked me in the stomach after and asked if she needed to go beat some sense into my caretaker outside for not feeding me enough. I tried to persuade her that I’d actually gained a lot of weight but that didn’t help at all.

She sat me down on a stool and shoved a bar made of oats into my hands while she gathered the items she needed and made some quick alterations. I took a small nibble to check it wasn’t about to dry my entire body out like the last one. It was good and had fruits inside.

Thin pants, underthings, a short sleeved brown shirt and the black overalls were thrust at me as well as extras for everything besides the overalls placed on a counter. She insisted I change and led me to a small curtained off area to do so.

I took out the only items I had on me, the coin, letter opened and ring and placed them on a small stool inside. Putting on the new underthings was interesting and I had to ask Malory how the top was supposed to work. She had me turn around and guided my hands and fingers into putting the clasp together. Once on they were a lot more comfortable than my last pair and even Trissa’s sister’s. Everything else was simple to get into.

I laced up my boots again and bent my knees in the stiff overall fabric. It wasn’t too restrictive and I smiled at how everything fit so nicely. There were plenty of deep pockets in them for me to put back my items and I finished by tucking the speckled rock around my neck into the shirt.

Malory spun me around when I exited and adjusted the shoulder straps before nodding in approval. She snatched the other clothes I was carrying for ‘disposal,’ despite me saying I might need them again.

I walked out to a small set of claps from Alisa who then frowned at the invoice Malory handed her. Some silver and bronze were handed over while Missy wanted to know what the overalls would taste like but I pushed her head away from me. Alisa got a few roe back in change and put my extra clothing into a bag.

“I have enough roe leftover for lunch if you don’t need anything else.”

New clothes and boots were things I hadn’t thought I needed to begin with so I shook my head and tried to pull myself back onto Missy. The overalls stopped my legs from lifting as much and Alisa had to drop down to help me.