“This is it,” Sara said and rapped the door with her knuckles.
“It?” Brice said to himself, but both heard him.
The door opened. A woman with cheeks stained the same ruddy color as the wooden door stood before them. Her eyes went to the cat. She smiled. “Welcome. Come inside, please.”
A teapot and four cups sat on a tray. A piece of fish was on a small plate on the floor, and the cat ran to it and began eating with what seemed like more noise than necessary. The room was spacious, with four sofas, several stuffed chairs covered in rich brocade, and a ceiling so high a ladder would be needed to dust the dark wood it was made of.
Most of one wall was a fireplace, with compartments built in for tinder, cedar strips, and hardwood logs. A swing-arm held a black pot. The floors were bare rock, also reddish in color, and the walls were a matching shade of tan with a hint of red. Red doilies were displayed on the arms of the sofas to protect the rich fabric.
But it was the woman who held their attention as she pointed to a place behind the door to deposit their baggage. She was short, not even as tall as Prin, who was either eleven or twelve, but maybe thirteen. She was wide, with shoulders that belonged to a man. Her face was wrinkled, her eyes bright, and her movements were as quick and sure as those of any child.
Prin tried to guess her age and failed. That she was not young was evident. But neither was she old. She seemed worried, but also appeared to have expected them as she poured four cups of hot water and filled four silver tea-balls with dark leaves. She dipped them and passed the cups and saucers to each, before sitting on the facing sofa, the small tea table between them.
Sara said, “You knew we were coming.”
“The cat told me.”
“That’s our cat,” Prin said. “It’s from our ship.”
The woman sipped her tea and added a drop of milk before stirring it gently. “You may call me Maude. What you think you see, and what is the truth, is not always the same. Would anyone else like milk?”
Prin held out her cup, more so Maude would have to look at her as she said again, “That’s our cat.”
“I’ve introduced myself. Would you be so kind as to do the same?” Maude asked, ignoring Prin’s comment.
Sara set her teacup down harder than necessary. “No, I don’t think we will.”
“Oh, dear, have I offended?”
Sara threw Prin a warning glance, then said, “There are people looking for us. Hunting us. Dangerous people. Sipping tea and chatting is not what we’re here for.”
Maude said, “Why in the world would dangerous people be after you? Have you done something terrible?”
Sara picked up her teacup again and sipped, stalling for time, in Prin’s opinion. She had seen Sara do much the same on other occasions. She waited for an answer before continuing. And with good reason, since Maude evaded answering. While Maude seemed an overly friendly matron, they had no doubt she was a sorceress of the highest class, but didn’t speak or act like any they’d ever heard of. Sara said, “Is your husband at home?”
“Randall died before you were born, my dear. I live alone, so I love it when occasional company comes to visit.”
Prin glanced around at the size of the room, the doors leading to other rooms, perhaps to whole wings of rooms. Not a speck of dust, nothing out of place, nor sign of anyone else. Who cleaned and cooked for Maude, who made her clothing, cared for the grounds, and a hundred other things required in a home as large as a small castle? Yet, she’d not seen a single person.
She understood that Sara was getting upset, and Brice had no idea of what was happening but remaining silent as instructed. Prin stood, attracting the attention of all. “Your home is beautiful. Do you clean it yourself?”
“Mercy, no. I live here by myself and don’t allow it to get dirty.”
Prin said as if speaking offhandedly, “Do you do the dusting?”
“I cast a spell for that. But, since you are a sorceress, you knew that already, dear.” Maude smiled sweetly to take any sting from the words.
Prin saw through the sweet smile but remained calm. “Do you have people to help with the cooking, gardening and the rest?”
“I enjoy cooking on occasion. As for the gardens, when a tree or shrub grows to the right size and has been neatly trimmed, I throw a spell on it to make it remain the same. That way, I always have roses in full bloom, cherries on my trees, and so on. Of course, nobody else can see what I do. Just us.”
Sara said, “You speak freely with our male friend sitting right here.”
“The mage? He’s almost one of us, like a step-sister, don’t you think? Still part of the family.”
They hadn’t told her anything about Brice. Prin glanced at the cat again. “I said earlier, that’s our cat. How did you know what it looked like and where to send it to find us?”
Maude poured more tea. “I have many cats roaming the streets of Gallium, ordinary cats in every way, at least to everyone else. But if a sorceress looks at them, she sees a cat she is fond of, and when she looks closer, she notices the magic dots in the eyes and follows them here. I’m notified when someone follows the cat, and I get my teapot ready. I do love visitors, don’t you?”
“That’s not our cat?” Prin asked.
Maude mumbled a few words and the huge white and gray cat shrunk in size and changed colors to become a smaller tabby. “We should not always trust our eyes, should we?”
Sara relaxed, while Prin and Brice became more excited and he nudged Prin with his elbow. Brice said, “Did you see that? I saw it. The cat changed.”
Sara said, “No wonder the cat wouldn’t let me touch it. I’d have felt a smaller cat while seeing a larger one.”
Brice said, “So what? As a sorceress, you already knew it had a spell cast on it, right?”
Maude chuckled and said, “The boy is quick. However, I did not invent the spell, I copied it from an acquaintance so long ago that I forget her name, but I do remember she cast quite a spell.”
Prin glanced at a window and saw the sun sinking fast. She often used her age to beguile others, so she said in a charming voice, “As we mentioned, men are chasing us, including several mages who wish us dead. Me dead. We were going to head out to the country to pick apples so we could hide from them when your cat distracted us.”
“Oh, my. That’s dreadful, child. Is there any reason you cannot spend time here instead of an orchard? I love company, and it has been so long since I’ve had young people around.”
Prin saw an opening and dived in. “We’d love to. And since Sara and I know almost no spells, would you teach us some? I mean just a few basic things to amuse ourselves?”
Maude threw her arms wide and said, “I used to be a teacher of magic, you know. Oh, it was a long time ago, but such fun when a student felt the spark of learning.”
“Is that a yes?” Prin asked.
“Of course, it is. Why I have rooms in this big old house I haven’t entered in ages. I’ll teach you if you share your stories. I sense there are three of them, one for each of you, and I’d like to hear them all.”
“Will we be safe here?” Sara asked.
“Quite safe, I assure you. Anyone wish more tea?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Maude left for the kitchen and returned almost before she arrived there, telling them she had dinner almost prepared. She insisted on showing them to three adjoining rooms first, each as fresh and clean as if a crew of maids had departed moments earlier. Prin smelled the scent of soap and washed linen. Fresh cut flowers filled vases in each room.