Hilda - The Challenge Read online

  "I'm sorry, William, I am making a fool of myself, I know. But they all know about you already, and that scares me. Why do they all know about you while we are still getting to know each other?"

  By now William had had enough time to add up the digits. "By they you mean your witch colleagues?"

  She nodded. "From what Calandra told me, we are the big news all over the crystals." Then she quickly put a hand over her mouth. "I forgot to call you! I'm so sloppy... can you forgive me?"

  The book salesman slowly took her hand from her mouth and rested it in his. "Don't worry, Hilda. I was sure you were busy with something. And you had inflated my books, so I had a good time reading."

  The witch kept looking at him, but the expression on her face changed to one of incomprehensiveness. "Inflated your books? What do you mean? I had forgotten all about your books, William."

  It was his turn to be surprised. "No, really, you haven't. See there, on the blanket? Books. My books. Big books."

  Hilda resolutely shook her head. "Impossible. I have not done that, William."

  "But," he then wondered with reason, "if you didn't... who did it then?"

  Hilda frowned. "Did anyone come to the door while I was out?"

  "No. I took a bath and then came down with the books to read. You can ask the house."

  "It is true," the house confirmed. "He was in the bath. And he was in the room reading."

  Hilda picked up her wand. "That's impossible, I tell you. Only someone with magic can undo the shrinking. They don't just pop back." She pointed her wand at one of the books. "Come here, you."

  After a hesitation of a few seconds, the book calmly floated through the room, into Hilda's hand. William was surprised again. He found it hard to believe that she could actually hold the heavy book with one hand. But then, Hilda was magical.

  The witch stared at the book, muttering things William could barely hear, let alone understand. Her hair fell around her face as she leaned towards the book, her wand hovering over it. She murmured a few spells, ordering the book to reveal the magical signature of the person who had undone the shrinking.

  William stroked her head. "I'm going to fix a simple lunch," he said.

  "Oh... right... No, let me," said Hilda. The wand flashed over the table. The wine disappeared and lunch was served. It was hardly a simple lunch. "Enjoy," she added as she kept working on the book that was not easily convinced to give up the secret.

  William stared at the table in much the same manner as Hilda was staring at the book. He had thought he had gotten used to her use of magic, but the radical rapid replacement that happened in the blink of an eye put him back in his place. He was not sure if he would ever get used to it.

  "Uhm... thank you," he said and started to eat. After a few minutes he peered under Hilda's hair. "Dear little witch, don't forget to eat, okay?"

  "What? Oh. I guess you're right. The book isn't helping much..." She made it float back to the others, then got some food herself.

  "Did you get anything from it?", William wondered.

  "Yes, there was something. Very faint, hard to pick up. It also was very strange. I never encountered that before."

  After a while, William asked: "Perhaps it was a powerful wizard or so that came flying over."

  Hilda looked at him, a fork of food coming to a full stop halfway from the plate. She smiled. "See, that is so sweet about you. You really don't know about these things."

  "Oh. Well, I just thought..." William blushed. He had been called many things in his life, but sweet was one of the things that was very very low on that list.

  "Thank you for trying to help, William. You're really a wonderful friend. And.." She did not open up more; instead she quickly returned to finishing her lunch.

  With the mystery of the books unsolved, they sat together and went over the pro's and cons of the challenge once more.

  "So no outside help from magicians and the likes," William remembered.

  "True. Unless they are invited, but who'd do that?"

  He nodded. It made perfect sense. "And anyone can send a challenge to another."

  "As long as both contestants are equal. So you could for instance challenge Johan the mirror-maker, or the man who sells fruit. Those are ordin- I mean, non magical people. Magical people challenge other magical people."

  "Right, that makes sense also. And I don't mind if you call me an ordinary. If that is what I am."

  Hilda then did something William would never have expected. She got up and pushed his arm to the side, after which she sat in his lap. "And that is why I am having a problem calling you that. You are not ordinary to me, William. You are very special."

  Stumped about her action, he had put an arm around her without consciously noticing.

  "Remember when I told you that no one can live with me, and that I can't have anyone around me in my house?"

  "Oh, very clearly," he nodded.

  "Well, it seems that I was wrong. Because I really like having you here. And if you would tell me that you were leaving, that would be terrible." She raised a hand and gently touched his cheek. "I don't know how you feel about it, William. But when I was gone this morning, I missed you."

  He smiled. "You missed me so much that you forgot to contact me over the crystal ball."

  "Oh, shush, you," she grinned, softly patting him on the cheek. "You just want to play with the crystal ball."

  William then slipped both his arms around her and pulled her more tightly against him. "If you want to know how I feel about it, Hilda... I missed you too. It hurt me to see you fly off alone this morning, in my heart. Even though it was necessary."

  The witch put her head on his shoulder, brushing her long hair back. "I'd rather have taken you along." After a few silent moments, she said: "This feels good." A flushing red travelled over her cheeks, but she was not going to take back her words, since they were the truth. "William?"

  "Yes, Hilda?"

  "Could you pretend I'm drunk?"

  He didn't answer. Instead he scooped her up, got up from the chair and went up the stairs.

  The house, very considerate, closed the bedroom door.

  20. Wake-up call

  It was evening and dark already when two pairs of feet slowly made their way down the stairs. The owners of the feet both carried a candle, to light their way.

  Once in the living room, the witch in her long red housecoat quickly made a few additional candles burn. Then she turned to William, who was wearing the blue robe, and wrapped her arms around him. "Just tell me when you want to pretend I am drunk again. My love." She looked at him and smiled, her face relaxed, calm, beaming.

  William looked at her face, feeling happy deep down in his heart that the worried tension had gone from her, if only temporary, and falling in love with that relaxed and happy face. He bent down the few inches that separated their faces and gently kissed her.

  Hilda got all weak in the knees again from the sensation of their lips touching, the closeness of his skin, the scent of their lovemaking still on both of them.

  "Don't worry, lovely woman, I'll remind you often enough," William said when they both had come up for air again.

  Hilda slid her hands over his chest and around his neck. "I must be crazy. Falling in love with... you."

  "An ordinary," he completed her sentence with a wink.

  "Shush, you. I did explain to you that you are not ordinary to me, so please remember that. No teasing the resident witch, okay?"

  He grinned. "Only a short while ago you did not seem to mind the teasing, resident witch."

  "Argh, that was different!" She shook him by his shoulders as well as she could, her face showing mock despair. "Why did I get involved with you..."

  Another kiss was more than enough answer for her. After finishing it, she said: "Are you hungry? I can get us something to eat."

  "Would be nice, Hilda. Do you want me to help?"

  "No. Just make yourself comfortable, I'll be fine. Witch, witc
h's kitchen, see the link?" She grinned and waited for him to let go of her. Then she slowly walked to the kitchen, from where she looked back at him and winked before disappearing from William's view.

  The salesman looked around. "Right. Comfortable. I'd say something's missing for that in this room." He sat down at the table and looked for a piece of paper, but there was only the quill and the inkpot. "Hmmm..." William got up and looked in the fireplace. From there he picked one of the notes that Hilda had thrown in, flattened it and then began to make a crude drawing, using the quill.

  "What are you doing?", Hilda asked as she arrived at the table carrying stuff that smelled incredible.

  "I am trying to draw something," William said, "a couch. Something comfortable."

  "Oh, nice, and what are you going to do with that?"

  "Well, I could hang it on the wall, but that wouldn't be the proper thing to do. I am not sure if the resident witch would appreciate that," he grinned, wrapping an arm around her waist and giving her a hug like that.

  Then Hilda sat down and as she started to eat, she made the paper slide over to her side of the table and looked at what William had been working on. "Looks nice. What would it be made of?"

  William, to the best of his knowledge, explained the innards of a couch. The part with springs seemed to make things quite complicated, so he left those out after a few attempts and just explained how the seating experience would be.

  "Leather? Would velvet work too?" Hilda looked at the drawing again.

  "Yes, velvet would work."

  Hilda looked at William, blue sparkles flashing in her eyes. William recognised the different pattern in them. They told of mischief. "Let me try something..." She whipped up her wand and pointed to a free space in the living room.

  In the relative darkness of the room, William saw a beam of faint light jump from the tip of the wand. It reached the open space, balled up and seemed to explode. The result was a couch. Velvet. And purple.

  "Something like that?"

  "Goodness..." Plate in hand, William walked over to the couch and touched it. The soft purple velvet was smooth, inviting to be touched and sat on. The filling of the couch was perhaps a bit hard, but that, he knew, would only present a minor detail to Hilda.

  Hilda joined him and watched him as he went around the couch and sat down.

  "You magnificent witch," he said, "you are good. You are really good. Come, sit here."

  She did. "Oh, yes. This is very nice. I'm glad you like it."

  "I do. It was also amazing to see how you made it," William said, thinking of the faint light from the wand.

  "Oh, thank you. Not that difficult when you know what you're going to do." Hilda sat back in the couch, rubbing her back against the soft, new piece of furniture.

  After finishing their meal, they went back to bed. And eventually they slept.

  The next morning. William had gotten up scarily early and wandered through the living room, while Hilda still lay sprawled over the bed, completely zonked out. He'd had wild and vivid dreams, woken up a few times and in the end had gone downstairs. He was afraid he'd wake up Hilda with his tossing and turning. "Perhaps the place is getting to me," he muttered, standing behind the purple couch, his hands resting on the fabric. "Really hope this witchcraft magic is not going to drive me mad." And he hoped he was wrong. After a short struggle with the kitchen he managed to get a glass of water and drinking that, he was feeling somewhat better and went back upstairs to join the witch.

  "You went away," Hilda mumbled as she climbed over him, half asleep still. "You should not go away. You are mine. For keeps."

  "But I came back," he whispered.

  "Yeah," she nodded, her smile hidden under her hair. "Back."

  Sleep came again, and this time it stayed with them for a few more hours.

  "Are you awake?", Hilda whispered.

  "I am," William whispered back.

  "Good." The wicked witch kept whispering. "I want you to know that I was serious."

  "About what?" He stroked her head that rested against his shoulder.

  "About you being mine for keeps. I'm not letting you go away, William."

  "In case you need to hear it from my mouth, sweet witch: I am not planning on leaving. Unless you come with me."

  "Good. As long as we are in the clear about that." Hilda made herself a bit more comfortable on William and together they lay there for a few more minutes.

  William then gently patted her behind. "Don't you have to go do the rounds?"

  "You never listen, do you?", Hilda sighed, "what have I told you about predictability?"

  "Oh. Right." And after a while, he added: "I think you are just too comfortable here and you don't want to get up."

  "Oh, shush you, you know nothing." As he had to laugh about that comment, she slapped him on the arm: "Lie still, or you'll bump me off the bed!" And she started laughing too.

  "That's not fair," the witch grumbled, "now I have to get up. And no, you can't come with me. Not now." She slid off the man under her and sat up on her knees. "But don't you dare leave." She pointed her finger at him which made him grin.

  "Don't worry. I'll be here. Just hurry."

  She did.

  Despite the comfortable bed, they decided to go downstairs and face what was left of the day. It was not surprising that there was not much of it remaining, and Hilda was glad there had been no people calling at the door.

  "Maybe," she said as she was reducing a carrot to nothing, "I should put a spell on you. One that makes you stay with me."

  "Do you think that is necessary?", William asked as he was scanning the table for something interesting to put on his bread.

  "Nah, I doubt that, but it could be interesting," she teased him.

  "Spontaneous is better, believe me," he said.

  "Probably."

  Twok.

  "Sounds like you have mail," William remarked.

  "Uhuh. It won't go away and I am not in a hurry." She hadn't spoken the words or her crystal ball started singing. "Why now?" She looked as if the sound caused her terrible pain. "That's Babs. I have to talk to her, okay?"

  "Okay, but if she can see you it might be a good idea to put something on first."

  "Uhm..." Hilda stared at her naked body. "You have a point". She first kissed his cheek, then put on her red coat, after which she walked to the ball and waved over it. "Babsy baby, good morning!"

  Babsy baby was silent for a moment. Then, wondering what the heck was happening, she said: "Morning? Where are you? It's well in the afternoon here, Hilda. Are you okay?" Even William picked up the concerned tones in the shrill voice of the Russian witch.

  "Yes, I'm okay. Fine even. Not quite awake yet, but that will settle itself. So, what's the reason for you to call me this fine day?"

  "Hilda, stop scaring me. Do I need to fly out to you and check on you?"

  "Oh, no need for that. William is checking on me already." Hilda giggled.

  Something Russian and incomprehensible came from the crystal ball, followed by: "So it's true? He's still with you? And all the other things?"

  "What other things?"

  "I heard that you want to ask William to fight Lamador for you."

  "I what? Who told you that bull, Babs? Come on, you know me better than that. It's my challenge, my deal, I am not allowed to bring in others. And I couldn't bring William in. He is not magical. Crap..." Hilda felt her wonderful feeling fleet from her as the subject of the challenge came up again.

  "Calandra mentioned some things...", Babs admitted.

  "Urgh. She added the bits that I left out," Hilda muttered, "don't believe a thing she says. Yes, William is still here, and I am keeping him here. Just for you: I think I love him. And I don't want him in danger. Okay?"

  "Okay, kiddo, but can you run that one thing by me again? The bit where you say you think you... love him? Are you certain that is what you wanted to say, or is sleep still hugging your brain?"

  William ha
d put on his blue robe and stood behind Hilda now, his hands on her shoulders as he peered at the large ball showing Baba Yaga.

  "Oh. I see. Sleep is not hugging your brain, something's messing with mine." Baba Yaga knew that Hilda would never allow someone to stand like that unless the wicked witch trusted the other person blindfolded.

  "Yes, I am awake. And I love him, Babs. Hey, do you love me too?", Hilda asked William as she looked up at him.

  "I do, Hilda. I love you."

  Baba Yaga looked at the two, trying to keep her face expressionless. With the many folds and wrinkles, that was not such a daunting task, but she did her best anyway. "Well, good for you, guys. Willy, do understand that I am going to keep an eye on you. if ever you do something to Hilly baby that I don't like, you'll answer to me. Do I make myself clear?" The undercurrents in her voice made her intent as clear as the crystal that Hilda's ball was made of.

  "You are clear, very clear, but I would very much appreciate it if you would first ask Hilda if she doesn't like it either," Willy replied.

  Babs thought about that. "Yeah, I can see reason in that. Okay, deal. If I worry about you I'll first get in touch with her about that."

  "Hey! I am stil here, you know!" Hilda waved her arms. "No need to talk about me as if I am somewhere else!"

  Babs' eerie cackle bounced through the room, and William could not help laughing either.

  "Hey, shush you!" Hilda pretended to bang on William's chest with her fists. As she had her back turned to the crystal ball, she was laughing also, and ended up in a hug from William.

  "Right, I see that it is time for me to stop watching before you take this too far. I value my crystal. Take care, guys." The face of the ugly witch disappeared.

  21. It's alive

  The couple spent the day doing close to nothing. Hilda felt obligated to check things at least through her mirror. William sat with her as she showed him parts of the kingdom he had not seen before.