“Whatcha doing?” a feminine voice asked.

“What does it look like?” Isabella asked instead of answering.

“Getting wet,” the voice replied before giggling. Izzy looked up and saw Willow flying around her head.

“Hey Willow,” Izzy greeted the pixie.

“Hi. I’m surprised you recognize me,” Willow said.

“Why is it surprising that I would recognize you?” Izzy inquired. “You spend a lot of time around here and me. Why is that? Did Jase ask you to be my babysitter?”

“No,” Willow laughed. “I volunteered!”

“That’s reassuring…”

“Anyway, the reason I’m surprised is that most humans can’t tell us apart,” the pixie said.

“Jase can,” Izzy replied.

“True, but he’s a bit different than most humans.”

“How so?” Izzy asked.

“He’s bonded to Lily silly,” Willow laughed.

“Huh. Yeah, I guess that does make him different,” Isabella replied. “Would you bond with a human?”

“The right one, sure,” Willow answered. “What about you?”

“Bond with a human?” Izzy asked smiling. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

Willow laughed. “I meant would you bond with a pixie?”

“I know and I was just teasing you,” Isabella said. “As you said, for the right one, sure. And if you’re wondering how I recognized you, it’s just like with humans, plants, and animals. Pixies look different too.”

“That makes sense,” Willow replied. “So, going to answer my first question?”

“Jase is making me wash all these bottles and tubes,” Isabella complained. She dropped the rag she had been holding and looked at her hands. “I’m turning into a prune.”

“Is that because you’re his apprentice?” Willow asked.

“Yes.”

“Why don’t you just use the dishwasher?”

“What is that?” Izzy asked.

“A machine that washes dishes,” the pixie answered. She flew to where the machine was located and pointed to it. “Open this door.”

Izzy dried her hands on a towel and walked to the dishwasher. After looking it over, she figured out how to open the door. Isabella pulled the top rack out.

“I just put the bottles, tubes, and lids in this?” she asked.

“Make sure the opening is pointing down, but sure.”

“Do you know how to turn the machine on?” an excited Izzy asked.

“Uh…no,” Willow admitted.

“That’s too bad,” Isabella said shutting the dishwasher.

“Give me a minute and I can learn though,” Willow laughed.

“Are you teasing me?”

“Nope,” Willow replied.

“But how can you learn how to use a machine like this in a minute?”

“Pixie magic!” Willow said shooting tiny sparks from her fingers. Izzy laughed and Willow laughed as well.

“Seems to me that pixie magic is the answer for a lot of things when it comes to you guys,” Izzy remarked.

Willow pretended to grip something in front of her, one hand above the other, brought her hands up to her right shoulder, and then moved them forward like she was moving a stick or something.

“What are you doing?” Izzy asked.

“The same thing your previous comment was doing,” Willow replied making a cranking motion with her right hand below her left. “I’m fishing.”

“I was not!” Isabella protested.

“Really?” the pixie asked, putting her hands on her hips.

“Ok. Maybe I was just a little,” Izzy sheepishly admitted.

“All I can say is that we have our ways of learning about the past very easily,” Willow said. She then slapped her hands over her mouth.

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah. I just said a little more than I should have,” Willow replied. “Hang on and I’ll teach you how to use the dishwasher.”

“Ok,” a confused Isabella said.

*

“Jase, do you have a moment?” a man asked as Lily, and I exited the butcher’s shop.

“Good afternoon Mohe,” I greeted the village chieftain after turning to face him. Lily waved at him and crawled into my shirt pocket. I hefted the bag I held in my other arm. “I have some pork tenderloins that I should really get home.”

“I’m not sure it’s so good,” Mohe said. “Anyway, we do need to talk. I’ll walk with you.”

“Alright,” I replied and started walking toward the north gate. We walked in silence until we exited Stonecroft. “What’s on your mind?”

“Finally,” Lily muttered.

“Be nice,” I said through our bond.

“I’m always nice,” Lily countered.

“I’ll get to the point,” Mohe said.

“It’s about time,” Lily said.

“Hush you,” I replied good naturally. Lily giggled but didn’t say anything else.

“Woya and Trinity have left the village together,” Mohe said placing an emphasis on together.

“Oh!” Lily gasped. It then hit me.

“Oh!” I said aloud.

“Indeed,” Mohe agreed. “I’m glad you didn’t make me spell that out.”

“I never saw that coming,” Lily told me.

“I understand that they spent a lot of time together,” I told Mohe, “but I didn’t know they had romantic feelings for each other and had grown that close.”

“Jase!” Lily exclaimed.

“Yeah…” Mohe muttered.

“Sorry,” I told the chieftain. “But isn’t it good that she found someone to love?”

“Yes and no,” he replied. “Honestly the no is just me being selfish and wanting my daughter here in the village.”

“Do you know where they went?” I asked.

“Morganton,” the chieftain answered. “Evidently Trinity had been in contact with the town elders there and will become their second alchemist.”

“You say that like she hadn’t warned you,” I said.

“She hadn’t. Trinity didn’t tell us until they were packed and leaving with some guards that Morganton sent to accompany them back to the larger town,” Mohe said.

“Ouch,” Lily said aloud poking her head up so the chieftain could see her. Mohe snorted a laugh in agreement.

“That explains why more of the villagers have been coming out here the last few days,” I said as we arrived at the gate to my property.

“And you can expect most everyone else to buy from you from now on too,” Mohe said. “A few may continue to be stubborn asses and buy from caravans and Simon instead though.”

“Yay?” Lily said.

“Yeah, it’s a good thing,” I telepathically replied. Out loud I said, “We’ll be ready for them. Just make sure they don’t show up before 10 in the morning.”

Mohe laughed. “Can’t promise that, but I’ll tell everyone to give you similar hours to Simon. He opens at 8 in the morning and closes at 6 in the evening.”

“We can work with that,” I said.

“Yep! That’s what apprentices are for!” Lily added. Mohe and I laughed.

“You know, you could move into the village now,” Mohe suddenly suggested.

“Nah. We’re happy where we are,” I said.

“Yes, we are!” Lily agreed.

“It gets cold out here and we’ll probably get snow in a month or two,” Mohe said.

“We’re good,” I replied. “Maybe the snow will cut down on people’s visits too.”

“Oh yeah. The snow will do that,” Mohe agreed. “It’ll also keep you from coming in for supplies whenever you want.”

“I’ll make sure to stock up for the winter,” I replied.

“I’ll make sure Jase pretends to be a squirrel,” Lily said scrunching up her nose.

“Well, I tried,” Mohe said. “Can you forget the past and work with us?”

“I… yes. If you guys get over the pixie hate and put the past behind us,” I replied.

“We’ll do our best,” Mohe promised. “Well, I’m going to get on home before Ama sends out a search party.”

“Have a nice afternoon,” Lily and I said at the same time.

“You too,” Mohe replied turning and starting back towards the village. He stopped and turned. “Make sure you have supplies for pregnancies this winter.”

“Why?” I hesitantly asked.

“People will be trapped indoors if it snows a lot,” Mohe answered. He winked at me. “What else is there for a man and woman to do?”

“Oh!” Lily exclaimed.

“Right…” I muttered, which made the chieftain laugh and walk away.

“He’s got a good point,” Lily said.

“Yeah…” I replied, turning, and walking to the cottage. “You know, this land is really beautiful.”

“Yeppers,” Lily agreed looking around at the fall foliage with me. We enjoyed a slow walk home and entered through the kitchen door a few minutes later.

“Honey I’m home!” Lily shouted.

“Did you bring me something good?” Willow asked, batting her eyes at my familiar.

“Nope!”

“You never appreciate me,” Willow sighed throwing her head back and exaggeratedly wiped her forehead. The two pixies then fell into a giggling fit.

“Why didn’t you tell me about the dishwasher?” Isabella asking in lieu of greeting us.

“Uh…” I mumbled.

“Willow!” Lily exclaimed.

“What?” Willow asked.

“I wanted to tell Izzy about the dishwasher after seeing how far she got with hand washing.”

“Too bad, so sad!” Willow taunted. That led to another game of tag between the two pixies while Izzy and I watched and laughed.