Red Twilight the Weaver chapter 6

Chapter 6:

What Lies Ahead?

Mother Corn finds her way outside Jessica's hole with the first light. Jessica walks alongside her. "It's cold today." Corn explains

"an April frost," Jessica whispers to herself

"I'm sorry Jessica I didn't get that."

"Have no fear. Today is a good day to start your walk if you are ready."

Corn nods "Yes I think you are right." She breaths deep. "It's such a long way."

"You are young, your heart is strong, and you will make it. But the road is long; I can help you only as much as I can. The work ahead is best left to those with more years left them my own." Jessica looks about. "Have you ever heard of Winterskiss from the others?"

A slight tremble to her words Corn nods "that is the home of the great birds, Kari worshipers I think."

Jessica nods "you have been told right." Jessica finds an old box outside of her home; she opens it and withdraws a flout and cape "Take my Crimsons with you when you go, and this whistle."

Corn shacks her head "for one like you, so old and brave, I Crimson is a symbol of power.

To one like me would it not be a mark of misfortune. Kari could see that robe for miles around."

"If that old hag's power where half what she boasts it wouldn't matter what color your vestments are she would still see you. But this is not for Kari, this is for Rook Warwing, she is much indebted to me, and I intend to cash in. Bring these to the forest on yonder, wear the Crimsons and play. She will come, and she will take you to Elec Mountain." Jessica explains "If not, I will scramble her eggs for her." She jokes slightly it seems "I will also give you a bow, and pray you never need it."

"Rook, that's a Rok name! kobolts and Roks have no earth dealings with one another…"

"And yet we both seem aware of them," Jessica calls heed

"To an adult Rok, I would not be even a mouthful."

"True, you would be a poor meal. But maybe it's not her belly that needs be filled."

"for what is a Rok debted to you?"

"I am a Weaver not only for Kolbolts but to all tribes of this land. She is to me what you are to me, and to what Onion is to the medicine mouse. The price of life need not change with feather or fur. The sun is up; it is time to eat, come back inside please."

And with that Jessica returns to the hole, she grabs mixed nuts, milk and cheese, hardened wheat bread and fruit jam then sets the table with the utmost of heist. Jessica is one who is accustom to serving food for many so can do so quite swiftly. Corn follows in only a short time later, but Jessica is already presenting a well-made meal. Corn blushes at the sight of such an excellent meal for her and her young.

Corn goes to fetch her kids, the lot gathers in the serving room. Jessica folds her arms as she sits at the head of the table awaiting her guest hands folded on the table. The children hungrily start sifting across the table grabbing up bread and nuts; the adults wait with a touch more refinement.

Mint is the last to eat as she watches the two mothers with some interest. "you still did not tell me what had happened to Onion."

Corn looks to her "his Fever has been persistent for a few days, I thought he was getting better but then he and Garlic were playing in the marsh, and he was stung by one of the eight lagged turtles and…" Corn brings one hand up to cover her faces as she starts whimpering.

Jessica holds up one hand to hush her "it's ok I understand," Jessica thinks about the term 'Eight Lagged Turtle' A Ctenizidae, sounds like, it's an Araneae. The medicine mouse is right, he is very sick, but I don't know…"

Corn slaps the table alongside her "Jessica; it is time for me to go. I cannot wait another moment!"

"Then take as much bread as you can carry in that satchel and I will wait here with the yearlings." Jessica waves Corn off. The kids freeze a moment looking up to understand the sudden stress among the women. Corn takes a bag and fills it with food form the table she carries it with her to the door and puts on Jessica's red robe, she ties the bag to her hip and secures the whistle to her neck with a string. "your mother can be excitable, can't she?"

Salt nods "it looks that way."

Cream tugs on one of Jessica's arms "you were about to tell her something."

"I think that the Medicine mouse is wrong about what made Onion sick."

Pepper grads his garbs form the basket and picks up a broom "I'm going to bring her back!"

"Make no mistake, the healing stone from Elec Mountain will still work, but there may be a different way. I wish she had brought him here with you."

Pepper drops her robe back in the basket "I don't get it."

"The healing stones are powerful, so much so that they attract spiritualist and sorcerers from everywhere to see them. But there is a problem with the Rocks: their power diminishes as you hold them, even to the point at which they start to steel youth form the greedy and rob them of their ability to pass on their seed. My grandmother told me she once lived on Elec Mt. with a hundred and ninety-nine others, all where seekers of wisdom. The stones kept them healthy for many years. But young ones wishing to be mothers found that it was challenging to rear even with the strongest of partners, and not long after burns started to appear on people's bodies with no evident causation. Then some were born on the Mt. with no fur at all. That was when my grandmother fled. She was right to do so. My mother was the last to be born on the Mt.

My mother returned to Elec shortly after my birth to seek out my father, but everyone living there had passed, the stones took back all the life they had given. I have been there myself since no small number of my scrolls were taken from Elec."

Cream points out "you're a wizard?"

"Born to a wizard's family," she confirms

Pepper laughs "I knew it!"

"Do you see wizards in some ill light?" Jessica asks.

"Ask anyone, magic is taboo; all wizards are old birds hiding in the trees that eat little girls that stay out late."

Jessica recoils a hand to her breast "oh my…"

Garlic places her hands on her hips and looks to Pepper angrily "Pepper!"

"That's what we were told right?" Pepper shrugs.

Butter shacks her head "I think it might be a bad idea to anger a witch."

Garlic looks to Butter with the same irritated gaze.

Jessica gets out of her chair and starts a small fire under a cauldron "I think it is time to clean house. I'm going to wash your robes, the rest of you find some tools and start cleaning counters."

Salt yells out "I didn't say anything."

"Hush dear, manual labor heals the soul."

Cream slaps Salt on the side "yes, don't say anything or thing might get harder."

Cleaning is a quick task when you have so many hands, but sweeping and dusting does not suit young pups so well, quickly there is dispute between the ranks and the lot start fighting more so for fun than anything. But what harm is there in a little squabbling? So long as teeth and claws stay out of it anyway.

But hard work does not go unrewarded in the Weaver's home. At the end of the day beets and honey-water run in abundance. Over a cup of sweet water, Garlic looks to Pepper "where do you think mom is by know?"

"Maybe the long river?"

The old Weaver walks up behind Pepper and whispers in his ear gripping him by the shoulders "we don't have to guess, we could go see." Pepper offers a look of confusion "I am a witch, after all, I have a magic eye." She teases.

The six young-ones gather about and almost as one asks "Do you?"

Jessica leads them outside with a wave "grab your cloaks." She picks up a red and yellow hooded cap for herself and steps out. The children find their clothing and re-equip. Though the day was cold the night is warm and inviting. The air is thick with phosphorus bugs and pollen, the air smell sticky with fresh vegetation. Jessica leads them to a pond; she kneels down in front of the water.

The kids have been swimming with their mother before and the concept of swimming brings out the carefree nature in all of them. They throw down there robs as quickly as they had picked them up and jump into the water joyously, instantly having forgetting the function of the walk. Jessica giggles softly to herself watching the horseplay.

Butter jumps up on Pepper's Back pushing him at Garlic; Garlic screams in protest as she is knocked over. Mint tags Salt then runs away; Salt knows the game she is playing and runs after her, Cream finds a place to sit in the sandy clay and start to mold the mud around her into shapes. For a short time, Jessica sits watching and reminiscing about better times, and of her young, wondering where they must be as well.

Jessica brings one of her claws down and runs it along the surface of the water; the water shimmers a soft blue and light pours forth turning the night into the day it would seem. In a skitter, the kids rush from the water to seek shelter with the Weaver. Butter points and stutters an incomplete thought which Jessica finishes for her "A magic eye. You wanted to know where your mother is; I can watch her from here. We all can."

The genteel old women reaches her arms around the kids to pull them in close. The water takes on the properties of glass, as the reflection clears a mist outlines a ring in the water and Corn can be seen walking across a overgrow forest hiding in the thickets. Corn lowers her head seemingly stalking a middle-aged man who is singing as he walks, angry birds a watching as well. Jessica whispers to herself "The Great and Powerful Rodney."