Chapter 4 Mara

Mara chucked back the thick heavy mixture in one go. She tried her best not to test its contents. But alas, somehow, it still managed to touch the tip of her taste buds. It instantly caused Mara to retch.

"For the love of goddess!" Mara belched. Her mouth contorted as the foul taste lingered.

Mara shook her head. A desperate attempt to try and throw away the offensive sensation. But it proved powerless. She could only wait for it with defeat.

The thick green slime finally made its way down her gullet and splashed into her stomach. Mara could feel its' travel by every inch with misery. But as soon as she swallowed, the effects were undeniably instant.

The potion does work, Mara thought begrudgingly. Reluctantly and repulsively, it did. The witch had no room to fight that fact.

Mara straightened herself from the counter and lifted her hands. The spots were fading. Her skin returned to a plump and pink set of ageless appendages. Though Mara felt happy to see them return, a dark thought of reality loomed.

"Each year means I'll have to take in more." Mara made to turn her hands over and inspect. Then, finally, she saw them back to normal.

For now, Mara warned herself. The effects- they're only temporary. Tomorrow she would have to subject herself to another glass. And the day after.

And next year will be two glasses per day, Mara predicted. She knew well enough the dosages for the coming years. Each was increasing more than last year. She had foreseen the math in advance. And gathered the ingredients like this.

Despite the taste, it was only a matter of staying to it for the next twenty years.

Mara rolled back her head and smacked her lips. Her tongue roamed her mouth for hidden dangers. But, no. The potion's taste was gone. She sighed. Her head turned to look out the kitchen window.

On the hill, Mara could see Sy climbing up. The child was clumsily making it to the top. She looked lopsided, favoring her right side and stumbling about in her boots. She kept stopping to fix the strap of her sack on her shoulder—a thing which Mara spied to look suspiciously heavy.

On instinct, Mara narrowed her eyes. But she waved away her vexation.

Let her be for today. Mara consoled herself. It brought her a smile. This was not the day to be angry at her.

Mara shifted her eyes from the bag to Sy's dress. It was spotted with what looked to be engine oil- it was dark and greasy. A terrible thing to try and wash out, Mara had begrudgingly learned.

That seals it. The dress is a goner. So Mara thought and shook her head with disapproval. But it helped solidify her decision. She would have to go up to the market now.

Mara moved on the ball of her foot. She turned out of the kitchen to pull off a bag from the rack. It was lite and made from Freetan Leather.

Mara fingered the stitching on the side. After all the years, it still held firmly together. It was the only thing she still had of his.

Mara pulled up the flap. She checked her coin purse. It was still there and full of Teran gold. She spied it a moment to prospect how much it would take her back.

Mara made a mental note not to indulge. To buy something new. Sturdy. No bows. No frills. Something comfortable. And easy to repair.

Mara thought back to Sy's sack and how it seemed to drag her down. Such a heavyweight.

"Hmm," Mara hummed in thought. She walked on, stepping over to her study to pick up the broom. She turned back to the hall. It was here that she could see a shot into Sy's room.

The quilt on the floor made her stop in step. Mara frowned. The sight frustrated her beyond words. She could only bunch up her eyebrows. Shortly, she could feel a suitable course of curse words coming up her throat.

"Sy! I swear to gods- Ishtar, give me peace. This child does push it!" Mara cried. She instinctually stormed over to the child's room and snatched the quilt.

Mara folded the quilt in three sets and threw it onto the bed. She turned back to stomp down the hall. Her heels clicked loudly on the wooden floor. She swung her broom as she walked.

Mara reached the kitchen's backdoor and kicked it open. The force threw the door slamming to the side of the frame. Its' sound shocked the nearby goat. It bayed in protest. Mara looked at her apologetically.

"Sorry, Baphomet" Mara voiced. It was not her she meant for this anger. She was just a goat.

At the misdirection, Mara calmed herself. She softened her grip on the door. She walked down the steps with measured grace. The door eased closed behind her with its' distinctive groan.

Mara stood on the last step. Her brown eyes searched over the hillside. Sy was again nowhere to be seen. Mara cocked an ear forward to listen.

The sound of chickens rustling their feathers erratically was audible. The chicken coup was to the left of the house, across the barn, and after the goat pen. Mara took a step down. Her coins shifted with a slight jingle.

"Sy?" Mara called out after a moment. She waited. It did not surprise her to have an answer. But Mara still waited.

"Ouch!" Came the sound of a surprised Sy. Mara cocked an eyebrow to this. The child sounded close. Mara could now quickly guess where the child was.

Mara made no haste. She stomped over to the left. It did not take long for her to catch sight of Sy. Half her little upper body was bent inside the coup. The other half was covered in feathers sticking to the grease.

Mara crossed her arms.

"OY! I told you to stop bugging the chickens!" Mara yelled. Instantly, the child popped her head out of the coup.

Mara could see her face dirtied over in feathers and more grease. And other questionably brown smudges… Mara could only imagine with a grimace.

"I'm not!" Sy was quick to reply, mirroring her mother's tone. The child made a face to say as if she was busy and to be left alone.

"Yeah? Then what are you doing in there? Getting eggs?" Mara asked but broke into a knowing smile. She had a suspicion as to what the girl was up to. But she tried to maintain the simulated ignorance.

"You going out?" Sy answered instead. She moved to point to Mara's bag. The woman raised an eyebrow but didn't relay another emotion. Instead, she moved to lift her broom for the child to see.

"Yea, I'm getting some things," Mara replied. She watched Sy's eyes widen. This seemed to have piqued the child's interest.

"Oh, like what?" Sy asked and leaned in eagerly. Behind her, Mara could hear the chickens begin to quiet again. Mara steadied her gaze.

Do you think I'm that easy? That I would tell you? You sly little- Mara laughed inwardly. She tilted her head.

Nice try, kid.

"Nothing too different…except maybe I should buy a cake since today is-

"NO!" Sy yelled over her. The child's face lit up with complete horror at the idea. But just as quickly as the outburst, Sy was back to indifference.

"I mean- no. That's a waste of money." Sy quickly retorted. Mara hid a knowing smile and only nodded. She turned to walk on.

"I'm off then." Mara voiced. Sy made a quick wave.

"Okay. See you." Sy replied. Mara could hear the impatience in her voice. Finally, she decided to speed up her step. Her legs took long strides with each go.

"I'll be back soon." Mara voiced. She again waved back to the girl. Sy waved back curtly.

Mara moved to lower the broom and straddle it. Before pushing off, she gave another look back to Sy. The girl rolled her eyes. Her wave was now more a 'shoo-shoo' motion.

"Bye." Sy voiced, sounding rushed. Mara chuckled. Sometimes she found it fun to vex the child.

Mara said no more as she pushed off into the sky. The broom took her high up into the clouds. Leaving Sy alone to do whatever she was in the process of doing.