Sliding out of her sleeping robe she walked into the main room and opened the door finding a spirit that looked like Aignew on the other side, she said, “You cannot be Aignew, the wards would pass him freely and we have no bond. So spirit who is your master and why do you seek to deceive me?”

The whispering cold voice certainly sounded like Aignew’s as the spirit said, “I know our bond was broken, my witch. The banishment was far harsher on my self than I’d expected. I have been banished before and it was never like this, I have lost hundreds of turnings of knowledge, just gone. I’ll remember two turnings then there is a gap of five followed by clear memories of the next ten and then nothing again for three. My memory is in tatters, my knowledge broken, I hurt, my witch, I hurt.”

“You speak truth.” Raelea paused, thinking. “But… the restrictions of the bond we made was very one sided. Hastily made under desperate circumstances that deal was entirely in your favour, it is broken and I will not accept those restrictions again. If you seek to become my familiar again the deal will reflect our current status, I am not that terrified girl making a bad deal to save her life. Not this time.”

His voice rose to a angry shriek, “You cannot do this! Without me you would be dead and gone to rot turnings ago. You must accept the bond as it was, you must!”

Shaking her head she said, “No, I choose not to. I really don’t blame you because you only acted as is your nature. But you are now a predator with no teeth and I will no longer be your prey.”

Aignew froze and the markings that made up his definition swirled chaotically before draining away into nothing leaving him as only a shadow and his voice became even colder, hollow and echoing with the chill of the spaces between worlds, “There can be no other deal and you will regret this choice you make bitterly. By my essence that is within you I seal your power, I close the gate and hold the key, you will not know the feel of magic from this day til the day of your death. A death I will bring you as soon as this ward drops… but first you must suffer.”

As the touch of her magic faded away she collapsed to the floor, weak and nauseous at it’s lack. Aignew’s blank shape floated outside the wards for a moment glaring at her before fading from view.

She heard a bloodcurdling howl from behind the cottage. Pif was out there, outside the ward! Head swimming and fearful she sent to him, “Are you ok?”

She received his dismissive and disdainful reply, “Cold-Cloud showed he not friend, never been friend. Him stupid, devouring grey eat him. Gone now but not gone away, probably be back?”

“Yes, he will be back. Wants to make me go away.”

“Coming to keep nice-nice safe. Cold-Cloud won’t risk devouring grey.”

A she got to her feet Pif ran in through the door and ushered her to the sleeping robe in the the other room. Once she’d laid down he wriggled down into the sleeping robe next to her before he patting where she laid her head, “Sleepytime nice-nice, no fear Pffbt will protect.”

She laid her head down then he started sending some utterly nonsensical little lullaby, which strangely did make her feel better. She was shaky, trembling, and didn’t expect to be able to sleep but after only a short while she relaxed and Pif’s idiotic lullaby combined with the after effects of her magic being blocked to push her gently into sleep.

When she awoke it was morning and late morning at that. Laying there she listened to the thick walls creaking as they heated in the sun, smelling the slightly dusty haylike smell of a hot thatched roof but she had to pee. So no matter how comfortable she was she had to get up. Sliding out of the robe she didn’t even disturb the sprawled out and snoring form of Pif.

She shook her head, some great guardian he was. But as she stood she saw a dull grey hound with eyes that were pits of knowing darkness raise it’s head and regard her calmly from where it lay at the bottom of the robe. Oh.

Even without her magic she still had her spiritsight and the hound was a very well woven complex bundle of death energy, it was almost more solid and more ‘real’ than most spirits. How had Pif made this? Or perhaps he’d called it? If so, from where?

A sharp stab of pressure in her bladder reminded her she had some critical business to take care of instead of standing there wondering at the Pif’s abilities.

Completely soundlessly the hound followed her as she went to take care of her needs, which she had to admit was slightly unnerving. A while later her bodily needs were taken care of and she’d even had a bath because, well the pool was right there and looked so inviting.

Going into the kitchen she decided to make some breakfast.

Checking through her stores there was enough fatmeat, fish and fried rushroot cakes to last them a couple of tendays but fresh meat, fish, fruits and vegetables would be welcome. She’d have to see if there was anything she could scavenge from the overgrown kitchen garden for now and it would need replanting fully. Perhaps she could hunt some small game as well and a ride around the area looking for forage certainly wouldn’t go astray, she wondered if Pif could help with that. Maybe Corvus could also help her with some supplies, there were a few things her former tribe had traded for with other tribes or taken as spoils of raids that she’d missed terribly in the swamp, sweetcane, hotseeds, and hotroot. Surely Corvus could provide some of them?

She abruptly recognised what she was doing, trying to avoid thinking about the block Aignew had put on her magic.

She knew of no ways to block magic herself and this wasn’t something she’d even known Aignew could do. And wasn’t that a terrifying thought, what else hadn’t he taught her?

She would have to have a good long talk with Corvus about this blocking and about other things she may not know.

There was one major stroke of luck, instead of doing it the easy way and just setting them to feed from her own magic she’d linked the enhancements and protections anchored by her Implement to their own feeds. So they still worked, she was crippled but nowhere near as badly as she may have been. Also she was a Witch and a Witch is never helpless.

As she put the food on the table Pif appeared as if by magic and she smiled, in her experience cooking food might as well be a ritual called ‘summon small hungry Goblin’.

A bit later, hunger satisfied they went and got Horse from the barn with the hound trotting at their heels.

Pointing at the hound she sent to Pif, “Where did that creature come from?”

“Doggie is friend. Hungry hungry friend, takes all devouring grey but will munchmunch all nastybads. Munchmunch on Cold-Cloud if he be stupid. I hope he be stupid.”

Mounting Horse she swung Pif up in front of her and they lazily ambled around the farm, finding a pond that should have fish, a small orchard with nut and fruit trees, and dozens of small game, mostly rabbits and small birds. They flushed one large bird that ran off screeching, Raelea knew there was a lot of sweet meat hiding under it’s dull greasy looking feathers. Her sling was in her hand and the stone flying before she even really knew she was going to, the stone cracked into the bird and it flopped over. Tonight’s dinner was served.

It was mid afternoon by the time they returned to the cluster of buildings. As she led Horse into the barn the ward crackled a little and he was briefly covered in a dull platinum glow as he passed through the doorway. He snuffled happily at the bucket of grain she gave him while she rubbed him down and gave him a good brushing.

Hunting through the overgrown garden she managed to find enough vegetables for a meal and she couldn't wait. It had been a long time since she’d had a good roast. The garden definitely needed attention and would probably take a few days to sort out, she also needed to start her witches garden. Didn’t need magic for that, just hard work and knowledge.

The lack of magic would be a problem but worse she couldn’t feel the deep learnings any longer. Without their guidance she wasn’t sure what she should do.

Pushing her worries aside as nothing she could do anything about today she went inside, cooked a feast, and went to bed happily groaning from overeating because the bird was just soooo good. She wasn’t alone in overeating either, Pif was right beside her looking a little like an overstuffed green cushion.

Snuggling down and cuddling him, she slept.

******

Much later she awoke with her heart pounding. Looking toward the foot of her robe the dull grey hound had lifted it’s head and was looking at the wall between the bedroom and the kitchen intensely. It stood slowly then in a burst of movement dashed through the wall and into the other room.

Coming back in it settled at the foot of her robe again.

She lay there heart rate slowly settling as she tried to get back to sleep, but worry over her lost magic kept her awake for a long time and when she did finally fitfully asleep her nightmares were haunted by formless dread and unease.

It wasn’t much later she woke again to the hound hurtling toward the wall of the room this happened several more times and every time sleep returned slowly. Only for it to be restless and nightmare ridden.

By the time the dawn chorus sounded she’d given up on trying to sleep longer and dragged herself with gritty eyes and jaw cracking yawns into the bathroom.

She made herself and Pif up a plate of cold bird and rushcakes, leaving his on the table only a bit surprised he hadn’t come out when he smelled the rushcakes frying because it was very early.

*******

Stepping outside it was warm and the air held the smell of the night’s dew. She bent down and took hold of the first scraggly gone to seed plant in the bed, yanking it up she looked over the rest and sighed. This was going to take a while.

The sun was high in the sky and she was about three quarters done with the bed before Pif appeared, scratching himself and yawning.

He sent, “Food was good, thanks nice-nice. I help.” And he enthusiastically tore into the remaining weeds and inedible plants.

She bent back to it as well.

Of course Pif was Pif and his enthusiasm for the hard work waned very quickly. He soon wandered off to snooze in the shade, she just shook her head and kept working.

Shortly after midday, the bed was nearly cleared and a large pile of salvaged vegetables sat beside the kitchen door when the hound stood and looked to the south intently.

She straightened dropping the hoe she’d found in one of the buildings as her Implement warmed against her chest and it’s protections became active.

Looking intently toward the south herself she waited to see what had set the hound off.

A muted crackle and faint flash of pink light announced Corvus’ arrival, his hand flashed to his sword as he spotted the hound and he said, “What is that?”

“Pif summoned it to protect me.”

“Protect you from what? Anything that needs that dangerous a guard is something I should know about.”

She said, “Something has happened which will have ramifications for us, the last member of my group came back. But he came back deranged and with our bond truly broken. He… was my familiar.”

Corvus looked startled and concerned, “Was your familiar? I have some idea what that means, are you well?

“I am well enough, for some reason the breaking of our bond was much less damaging than it might have been. I can feel that my capacity for magic is undiminished but, he has also somehow blocked my magic.”

“Could he be captured and forced to undo whatever it is he did?”

“Unless you know a Shaman I doubt it, he is a very strong spirit.”

Corvus smiled lopsidedly, “I have to ask you if you believe in fate again. As I have possibly found another to join our rebellion. I ask if you believe in fate because he is a Shaman and he will be coming here if he chooses to accept my offer of a place in our fight against the Fae Chanar. A place offered because he also holds deep hatred for the supposed rulers of this realm.”

Feeling saddened she said, “That will be the way of this rebellion won’t it? We will take the unhappy, the abused, the hurt and the damaged. We will take them and forge them into an army, give them an outlet for their pain and their anger. Then they will die for the cause, thanking us for the chance. No I do not believe in fate… no witch does, we well know exactly what fate is and the cost of being it’s plaything.”

“It is not certain he will join us. He had lost everything he valued and sought death when I spoke with him. I merely offered a chance to die seeking the destruction of the Fae Chanar.”

Smiling sadly she said, “At least you offered something we will be able to provide.”

Frowning Corvus said, “Why so melancholy? I know that the loss of your magic is a major blow but I hardly think that should matter so much. We will find a way to fix that, blocking is not unknown among the Fae Chanar.”

“It’s not my magic, it’s the meddlesome meddling and the death that comes from it. We all dance to their tune even if most never know they exist, we Witches know this to be fact.”

Grinning Corvus said, “Well you may not be an aged crone but you have the intensely annoying ‘I know more than you do’ bearing well in hand.”

In spite of herself Raelea couldn’t help but also grin and say, “But Corvus I do know more than you and as a Witch I will make sure you can do as you must!”

His eyes rolled then he sighed and said, “Really? You pull that now, when you are powerless? But I reluctantly have to admit all too often you Unmentioned Beloved Witches are right about knowing more.”

Raelea’s smirk grew and she said, “I may have no magic but a Witch is never powerless.”

Corvus threw his hands in the air and said, “Fine! I know when I’m beaten. I’m going to leave with the tatters of my dignity. Pif! I’m leaving”

Hearing his name woke Pif from his snooze. He opened one eye lazily then seeing Corvus jumped up and threw himself at the Fae man.

“Hmmph at least Pif believes I’m wonderful and better than a Witch.” Pif looked between Raelea and Corvus with a frown on his face, then shot a glance at the hound just before Raelea felt a quick burst of some communication pass between them. Then the Goblin smirked and nodded before waving his finger in Corvus’ direction then pointing at Raelea with his other hand, nodding hard enough it seemed his head was in danger of coming loose.

Corvus sighed and said, “You as well?”

The Goblin’s fangs showed as he just smiled wider.

Shaking his head he turned to Raelea, “You’ve corrupted him utterly. I’ll leave you to get back to your gardening and I’ll return in a few days when I can get away again. Hopefully by then our number will have grown.”

He half bowed and with a crackle disappeared.

Raelea feeling just a little bit better went back to her gardening.