Baking With Penny! Anne is Making Progress

It's still early. I look around and I see a rare sight for me; Anne leaving her cabin to work for the day. Typically I don't see her for hours and not until she's already gotten started but today is going to be different. I meet her by the stairs greeting her bringing the most confused look on her face. "Good morning Anne!"

"Red? You're early."

"I've completed what I needed to already so I'm going to follow you today and assist."

"Ok, um, the first thing I need to do is get breakfast for you."

I give kind of an awkward stare, "Oh yea, I sometimes get that."

"And today you do because you completed what you needed to."

I follow her inside where she grabs a plate from the kitchen counter turning to me. I take it and just eat in the kitchen talking to her and the other cooks. They are all nice and even when they're working they are just on top of the conversation. They tell jokes while I learn more about them from the stories they have to share. It's amazing how well they all get along but I guess in such a confined space you get to know one another well. As I finish my plate Anne takes it as she is supposed to and returns it to the counter only two feet away. Then the two of us begin her day.

In a record time, we get Madam Odette's study clean and ready for her to use. She's in charge of polishing the railings today so we split up. She starts at one end on the side towards the wall and I start on the opposite end near the edge that runs all along the span of the top floor. We finish the main hallway and head to the library where the only other set of railings are located. By the time the two of us finish she is supposed to take out lunch but she has an hour and a half before they need to. She goes over the list and we find a chore that we can finish in that time. We simply clean the drain out of the fountain and make sure there are no large particles or yard waste in it.

Lunchtime rolls around and like the tag team we've become, we get meals out to everyone in under 20 minutes. After they finish we stack plates to be brought back to the kitchen to be washed. Between the two of us, we just keep going getting things knocked off to where we can help one of the landscapers carry new dirt to the newly constructed compost pile. Dinner time comes when we tame up just getting plates out and to her designated section. Dinner is over and all the plates come back. By this time we've completed her chores so we wait for the kitchen staff to finish before Ann's lessons with Penny. Tonight we had a simple treat that they call "Cupcake Chocolate Bomb". It's a cupcake that before baking has a solid mass of frozen chocolate put in the center so as it thaws and melts the cupcake bakes around it. Some are absorbed into it but the center is gooey and warm.

After the kitchen is cleaned up Penny reminds me, "So Red, today is collection day."

"Collection day?"

"Yup, you get to pay me for helping you with Anne."

"Uh-huh, and how does this work?"

"What we agreed on is that you show me what you and Madam Odette have been up to in your off hours since you're not allowed to tell me. Words spread rumors but actions tell stories."

"I think you're mistaken."

"I think I'm right in this. I mean, she's such a beautiful woman Red. You just can't ignore that now can you?"

She begins slowly pacing a small area of the kitchen as I speak, "Well, ok. You're right. She is a beautiful woman."

"Right? You can't tell me that in some way you didn't get rewarded. We don't get that but you may have."

"I think the 'may have' means that I haven't."

"You say that but your eyes say yes. So I want you to show me what you've done. I don't care how nasty it is, we can clean up later."

She gets close to my face. Her green eyes are just piercing through me. It feels like she's searching my mind looking for the answers that I try to hide. I try to think of a way out but I can't take my eyes away from her enough to think about it. She has me deadlocked in my spot. "Red, let me guess." I feel her paw rubbing against my inner thigh, "Did she ever get to play with this?" Her other paw grabs mine as she directs it to her chest, "Did she ever let you play with hers? Seems only fair." I'm trying not to but my body just won't listen. The soft feeling on my paw. It's just short of a paw-full but still feels soft to the touch through her clothes.

"Penny." I try snapping her out of it. She almost moans back to me, "Yes Red?"

"Can we stop here? For now?"

"But we're just getting started."

"And a small taste is all I got to start with so this is about it."

She backs off slightly disappointed but understanding, "So she would work you up to it? What a smart woman." It worked. I'm not sure how but it seemed to work. I mean, no doubt she will try again but for now, I got out of it. Don't get me wrong she's a beautiful woman but it seems that Madam Odette has eyes everywhere and I'm not sure what she can and cannot see. Penny gets the last of her things together to leave. She brushes against me as she does, "Next week Red, you show me."

The lights go out so I'm left in the dark for a bit. I ponder if there is a way out of this but at the same time, I did promise that I would pay her back for helping teach Anne. I don't see where I can get out of this. I'll think of something. For now, though, I promised Madam Delula that after I had completed my work for the day I would visit her.

As I head outside I can see that the sun is setting. Most of the garden is already in the shade so it won't be long before it's completely dark. Some of the small lamps are already on giving a little bit more light in places. There are a few new lights along the pathway to the cabin that I either never noticed before or are new. They give kind of a guide along the beaten dirt path. I greatly appreciate the change.

I arrive at the cabin where Madam Delula still has a light on but it's dim. At least she's there. I knock on the door and she answers letting me know to come in. Once inside she had on a different mage-looking robe that seems to fit her better. She has a small suitcase packed by the door but her books are still on the shelves. I look them over quickly while she shuffles around behind me. She catches me looking, "You can read later."

"But aren't these yours?"

"No, Lady Odette had me get enough to teach you so those are yours now."

"Wow."

"Use them wisely young one."

"I do appreciate what you've done to help me Madam Delula."

"No, just Delula. My contract is now up so the formality can be dropped. Per Madam Odette of course, so you're clear to be comfortable with me."

"It still feels weird."

She shuffles around the cabin making sure that she has everything. I just kind of sit back and watch her move around for a little bit while she does. She has her mind on her work for a couple of minutes until she remembers that I am there, "Oh Red! I forgot to ask you. How did you come up with the idea for your spell? Did you see the more complicated one?" I shuffle a bit standing, "I didn't actually. I didn't know it already existed until you said something."

"So where did you get the idea?"

"Well, I asked you about it a while ago. I was interested in 'far sight' because I wanted to see if there was something that Madam Odette was using to keep an eye on me. It seemed like magic that she could watch me everywhere."

"Ah, now I see. No pun intended. What did you learn?"

"Mostly just Visum control and general theory which I guess is a good start as any."

She grabs a couple of her books from the desk, "Very true. The first step in understanding and learning is getting a base to work off of. If you are looking for something that allows remote sight you started at a good spot but might be just a bit off. Your idea works on optical sight where it has to be in front of you."

"So I was way off."

"Not entirely. Getting a good idea of how to use Visum is a start. But hey, you did outstandingly, you passed all my challenges, don't worry about theory and magic for right now. Enjoy the time to relax."

She walks over bringing a chair with her, "Have a seat. I'll help you relax."

She sets the desk chair down in front of me to sit in. It still has the comfy cushion on it so it's soft. I take my seat and she stands behind me to start rubbing my shoulders, "Let's decompress you a bit. What did you learn while I was here?" I start to roll with her as she moves, "Theory, practice, application, and a few things on the side for fun." As she talks she starts digging deeper into my muscles, "Simple and advanced too. Just off the top of your head, what do you think you could use it for?"

"Things like survival skills, starting a fire, making a flare for rescue. Housework like watering plants and washing things down. Possibly messing with someone by blowing a breeze at them."

"You're a trickster aren't you?"

"I played around a little bit but nothing too serious. Made a squirt gun, hand torch, and so on for practice."

"You're a practical learner."

"No, I think I learn better by books. This is just something that I can take from the pages and put into the real world."

She stopped rubbing my back. I felt her move putting her weight on my shoulders with her arms in front of me. She has her face off to my left side, "You're a smart kid, you know that?" I relax a bit more, "I try." She stands up patting me on the shoulder, "I worked a deal with Lady Odette. You earned a shower so go do that and come back. We can talk more when you smell less." I can't be insulted by that comment. I do smell when I've been sleeping outside for more than three days. According to Madam Odette, tomorrow when Delula leaves I get the cabin to myself. I'll get to sleep inside for a change.