The Witch and the Alchemist (closed)

"An...heiress?" Abigail asked slowly and uncertainly."You think...Dorelia is an heiress?" From the different points Isendre had listed it did seem plausible, but the conclusion they'd reached was so ridiculous, so completely out there, that Abby couldn't help but be baffled how they'd decided upon that.

"Don't act like you didn't know!" one of the other women said--was that Maggie Coplin? Who was tending the bakery?--and Abigail looked over at them with pursed lips.

"You didn't know did you?" Isendre asked with realization blooming in her face. "Well, don't feel bad. I'm sure she doesn't want anyone to know or find out and that's why she didn't tell you. There are probably men after her looking to take her back--"

"Now stop this!" Abigail said almost laughing in frustration. "This is completely outrageous!"

Isendre didn't like being interrupted but she seemed unmiffed by Abby's outburst. "It's alright," she said. "She's a part of this town now and we'll do everything we can to protect her. She came here to hide from the position Fate thrust upon her and become a new person and we'll help her do that."

"You're all being silly," Abigail insisted but Isendre didn't seem to be listening to her and neither did anyone else.

"Shush," the blonde woman said. "Now do you know what she's wanting to do next? Is there anything we can help her with?"

Abigail sighed in resignation, giving all of the women a tight-lipped look. They were being foolish, concocting this insane story, but since she didn't have anything to replace it, she figured what was the harm with them believing it a while longer. So she told them about Dorelia's desire to work with Beatrice and her skill with sewing, the women getting more excited by the minute in their desire to help.

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Eyebrows bouncing in brief surprise, Lan looked quickly down at the piece of paper again when she yelled at him. Ohhh! THAT'S why she'd written it down-- and he blushed a bit at his callous error. Women were so fussy about things! He was constantly fumbling to try and figure out what they wanted or what they meant. He was just a simple alchemist for crying out loud! That was one mystery of science he'd never figure out: what went through women's heads. They kept him dancing on his toes to say the least.

From her apology he figured it best to just drop it and move on. Considering the subject matter and what she'd been through, he could at least understand that she would get emotional and upset. But he didn't flinch from this and would brave her lashing out at him to find out the answers they needed to get a clearer picture of this "monster".

Listening to her first answer, he thought he understood what she meant. When he'd first met Father Justin he'd known immediately that the man was a fruitcake. Nevermind that the first time Landon had laid eyes on the priest he'd been in the town square screaming about some evil or another, getting the crowd worked up into a mob-like frenzy. But still, he knew what she meant, or at least thought he did, twisting his mouth when she called it a "witch's trait". It was just intuition, as simple as that. It was starting to grind his nerves, now that she spoke so freely about it, EVERYTHING had to do with magic and being a witch now.

Hearing her mention that Father Justin was right about something he barely held back a derisive comment, smoothing his mustache to help himself be quiet. Everything that came out of the priest's mouth were the ramblings of a lunatic! Even the gospel he preached was warped and twisted from what the other Christian churches were teaching. And it was all designed to manipulate people and further fill their heads with his fantastical stories and make them believe them. Lan didn't really understand what she said about the selling souls thing and a man becoming a witch, but he made note of the point she made. Alright, so the guy had no soul. That was...well, it was something.... He didn't know how one would judge such a thing from sight, but a person walking around without a soul would have to stand out in some way, right?

Landon watched her turn and walk away a little bit, his frown deepening with what she said next. An illusion? Like, he was wearing a mask or a disguise or something? Wouldn't something like that be obvious? So why did she say 'probably'? His eyes widened in surprise at what she said about the man's smell. Magic...had a smell? Despite it still being an awkward subject for him, he was intrigued by this. What did magic smell like? Did different people's magic smell different? Could she maybe identify the man if she smelled that same scent again?

He was shaken from his analytical thoughts by her next words and suddenly he felt the need to protect her rise up inside him. With a concerned look on his face, he stepped forward and reached out to comfort her, but dropped his hand before it made contact. What the hell was he doing? Even if he found this man and brought him to justice, that didn't say that she would return his attractions for her. And would he really want her to? Even if she could get through the constant wall of science and the pursuit of knowledge he surrounded himself in--even if she could find some way to love him, how could he keep himself from hurting her? He couldn't. And already this day, despite his convictions before she'd arrived, he'd let himself get too close to her. He'd let himself dream and hope. Now it was time to stop and come back to reality.

He would continue to help her, but it all came crashing down upon him that he couldn't be her white knight in this. He wouldn't be able to save her, like in some imaginary story whisking her off to get married or something. so, he held back and stood there professionally with an empathetic look on his face. "Nothing bad will happen to you," he said confidently. "If he comes here to this town, there is no way he'll lay a hand on you without there being a big uproar about it. The townspeople may have been a bit confused during the trial, but this past week everyone has opened up to you. They would't stand by and let the Devil himself come to harm you, let alone this mere man." He paused for a moment before adding, "And neither will I."

Thinking over the different things she'd remembered, he wondered how clear of a picture in her head she had of the man, this Dwane person... That brought up a very important question. "If you saw him again, do you think you'd be able to recognize him?" he asked, with a considering look on his face, like he was trying to put a puzzle together.

He really wanted to help. She could tell by just looking at his face but right now she could not bring herself to meet his eyes. She noticed him stepping forward, trying to read out and comfort her but he stopped mid action. She looked at him confused, watching his hand drop back to his side. She wondered what was wrong. Why had he stopped? What could possibly b going through his mind right now that he would come to comfort her but stop before touching her....

She heard what he said and she looked up at him. â??Landon you havenâ??t even seen what a witch can really do. You donâ??t want to see what a witch can really do. Especially not that man. Heâ??d level the town before letting the people overpower him. Father Justin doesnâ??t even know how to correctly perform a salt circle to trap him...â? Then she paused and smiled briefly. â??I was worried at first when he brought out the salt. I knew that if I preformed my speech form inside the circle it would not have even remotely as effective as it previously was.â? She said with a smile. â??He could be a dangerous man if he had his facts straight. To bad for him he doesnâ??t have a clue how to deal with witches.â? She said as she shook her head and answered his question.

â??If we ran into each other again it means that there is someone, somewhere who hates me very much and wishes me to be miserable. It would be hard not to recognize him but he would more then likely recognize me first. If that happened then I would be better off dead. He knows how to deal with witches... People like him shouldnâ??t be allowed to know those things.â? She told him as she looked down, still holding herself.

But then something dawned on her. No one in this town knew what to do with a witch... Not even Landon. Her eyes widened with shock and understanding and then they narrowed to rage. That was why he had not touched her! That was why he had not come to comfort her after he finally realized that she was a witch. She showed him the magic of the leaf shriveling and ever since then he had been acting real strange. Treating her differently, even keeping his distance from her. The anger slowly melted to sadness and she looked up at him, grabbing the hand that had previously been outstretched to her and holding it up.

â??Why did you stop?â? she asked him. Her words were quite but sad and some bit of hurt could be heard in her voice. â??Its because you finally accepted it didnâ??t you? You finally admitted that Iâ??m a witch and you canâ??t handle it.... You donâ??t know how to handle a witch...â? Her grip on his hand tightened but not enough to hurt him. â??What is it about magic that scares people so much? What is it that seems to drive people mad when they encounter some?â? She asked him, the anger, sadness and hurt building. â??So, what? Was it okay when you thought I was â??confusedâ??? But now that you really know that I am a witch youâ??re.... youâ??re... scared?â? she asked him.

By now she was convinced that he was scared of her. She had seen the way that he looked at her before when she made the leaf shrivel... But she thought he got over it. She remembered what happened when he went into a sort of doctor mode. Nothing else seemed to matter but the health of the patient. That must have been what he did to cope with seeing what she did to the leaf. Tears spilled form her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

She held his hand in both of hers and then she looked down at it. The top, the bottom, and then she took his hand and used it to cup her cheek. His hand touched the tears that fell form her eyes. Her cheeks were so soft, so smooth; he had gotten to see her bare skin but other then cleaning and closing wounds he never actually got to touch it. â??Landon. Iâ??m a witch. But I am not going to hurt you.â? She told him. â??But the monster will. And he will come after me. I need to try and figure out what to do. I think youâ??re right. I canâ??t stay here. There is no room for a witch in this town.â? She told him. Her words were as soft and gentle but they were filled to the brim with the hurt and sadness she felt in her heart.

Without another word she dropped his hand and walked over to the book shelf. She noticed a book. It was small, seemingly unimportant. She opened it. It was an empty journal. This will do. She thought as she flipped through the pages, whispering a stream of magic words before closing the book and kissing the cover. Beneath her lips the book changed. It got bigger and began to look much older. The book had changed into the book that she had brought with her. It seemed that she had some how magicked it here.

After that she wrapped her arms around her book and she left the room. Leaving him to his experiments. She walked down the halls and stopped back in the room that she had arrived in. She stood in the doorways as she looked at the room. She looked over the walls and the bed. It was made by now and the room had been cleaned. The place showed no sign that she had ever been there. There was no sign that she had even died there. She sighed, feeling unimportant and unwanted. She walked over to the bed and sat down on it before opening the book on her lap. She found the spot where the pages had been torn out and she laid them on it. With a little bit of magic the pages straightened themselves out and bonded back to the book. In three seconds it looked as though they had never been torn out.

She looked down at the book, knowing that she should right but not being able to bring herself to do so. Her mind was too busy turning over the events of today. She thought about the herbalist and her witch mother. She thought about the present she had given Landon and the child that was growing inside of her. She thought about the fights that they had gotten in and the way he reacted when he saw what she did. â??A cup of tea would really do me good right now...â? She thought allowed. His reaction played again and again in her head. She had seen his confusion. His fear. He was afraid of her.... â??Why do people always have to fear me?â? She closed the book and held it to her chest, pulling her knees up close to her body.

The book was huge and heavy. Baba was inside with a woman so Dorelia had to sit outside but she wanted to be in there with Baba clinging to her dress. This was the third town they had been to this week. She missed the forest and the fairies. She also milled being able to wear bloomers but Baba had allowed her to wear them over her dress so she didnâ??t mind it all too much. The dress was black and simple. It didnâ??t look like the dresses that the other girls had and in previous towns she had gotten made fun of for not looking like them. Even though she had long blonde hair and beautiful eyes. None of this mattered as long as she was dressed wrong.

Finally the door opened and Dorelia was so quick to try and get back inside that she ran into the legs of the woman exiting. â??My, what a little cutie!â? The woman explained as she picked the child up. Dorelia was frozen, unsure of what to do.

She looked to Baba for help but Baba just smiled. â??I adopted her after her parents could not care for her anymore. Dorelia say hello.â?

â??Hello.â? Dorelia said timidly

The woman laughed. â??My isnâ?? she just adorable. Such a pretty little girl she is. She looks almost of age. Tell me, have you plans to marry her?â?

Dorelia looked horrified as Baba answered, â??One day, yes, but one if there is a suitable suitor.â?

â??Perhaps my son then?â? The woman asked and Baba seemed to consider it! Dorelia looked at the woman. She noticed her fine clothing and all of the jewels she was wearing. She no doubt came form a very rich family and any woman in town would like to marry into it. So why was the mother so interested in her? She was only eleven! She wasnâ??t supposed to get married for at least two years. At most, four.

â??Perhaps, but Madam, to no intention of insult I must say that I cannot consent unless the children get along. I love this child very much and will not marry her to a man who will not make her happy.â?

â??Then it is settled. We shall have them meet and see how the feel. Oh Baba, I would love to have you as a part of my family!â? The woman exclaimed and Baba smiled.

â??Then you can get free readings right?â?

â??For me and my family. Tootles.â? And ith those words the woman put Dorelia down and left.

Dorelia stood there shocked then looked up at Baba. â??How could you dso that! I donâ??t want to marry a stranger!â?

â??This is why I scheduled for you two to meet.â?

â??But what if I donâ??t like him!â?

â??Then you wonâ??t want to marry him. But I think you will like this boy.â? Baba said with that knowing smile.

â??Maybe I donâ??t want to marry anyone. Maybe I want to be like you!â?

Baba just gave the girl a patient smile as she brought her inside. â??You think that now but you donâ??t know this world. You will be happy for a husband soon enough.â?

After that Baba would not hear another word of it. It was getting late so she put the child to sleep to make her ready for the following morning. When the morning did come Dorelia was slightly excited but she did her best to hide it. Baba gave her back the plan black dress and after that Dorelia was forced to speak up.

â??Isnâ??t there something nicer I could wear?â? she asked.

Baba smiled and raised an eyebrow. â??I thought you had no interest in this boy.â?

The little girl blushed. â??Well, that doesnâ??t mean I donâ??t want to look nice.â?

Baba just smiled and explained to the girl that she wanted this boy to like Dorelia for who she was and not for how she looked. Then she brushed out her hair and made sure that she was all clean before she took her to see the family.

Dorelia had been right with her guess of the family. They sent a carriage to pick the two women up and it seemed like forever before they finally arrived. The whole time Dorelia tried to squeeze Baba for answers on what she knew bout the family. Baba stayed tight lipped the whole trip, much to Doreliaâ??s dislike. When the carriage finally stopped Baba finally told her to wait for the driver to open the door then Baba would exit first. When Dorelia was finally let out she could not believe what she was seeing.

The estate seemed to spread as far as the eye could see. The mansion sitting on it was so huge she doubted that anyone could even us all of the rooms in a whole year. â??Baba they could move the town into here and still have room...â? She whispered to Baba.

â??We could fit two towns into here if we needed to.â? Said a manâ??s voice.

Dorelia spun around and saw a man standing there, dressed in a suite with a towel over his arm. She wondered what it was for but before she could ask the man went on. â??Madams I am here to escort you to the place where you shall be meeting the master and his mother.â?

â??Thank you Sir.â? Baba said. Dorelia clung to her dress as they walked. She had not meet many new people and she was not used to meeting so many new people so quickly. It made her nervous. What if they didnâ??t like her? What if they were mean? Baba seemed to sense the childâ??s worried so she put her hand on the little girlâ??s shoulder.

â??It will be okay Dorelia.â? She told the girl as they arrived at the doors of the house. Before the doors were opened they heard arguing inside.

â??Mother why would you do this to me?â? A boyâ??s voice demanded.

â??You have found fault with every girl in this town, you are almost of age! You must marry soon!â?

â??I will marry the woman that I choose to marry! Not some girl you find on a street corner!â?

â??How dare you! None of the girls are like that! They all came form fine families and you turned down each one!â?

â??Each one wanted the estate, not me mother, when will you learn that?â?

The fight was see heated that Dorelia overcame her shyness to get closer to the door. This was her mistake. The argument ended with those words and the boy stormed out the door. Or at least he attempted to. Instead he stormed right out the door and into Dorelia, knocking her over and landing on top of her.

Dorelia looked at this boy as he looked down at her. Both were confused, blushing and speechless.

â??Alexander! You get off her right now and apologize!â? His mother came out behind him, it was the woman that had visited Baba the previous day.

The boy looked mad. He wrapped her arms around Dorelia, who was still on the floor beneath him, and got up while holding her to him. â??Fine mother. You want me to marry this girl so badly then weâ??ll just have to run off and elope.â? And with that he put her down just to pick her up bridal style and run.

Dorelia was beyond confused at this boyâ??s actions. She hadnâ??t the slightest clue hat to do and she was frightened beyond her wits. â??Baba!â? she cried, reaching out for the woman as the boy ran away with her.

â??Alexan-!â? The woman was calling after the boy when Baba stopped her.

â??Relax Miss Quartette. The children will be fine but you should let them blow off some steam. Why donâ??t we go inside and have some tea?â? Baba said calmly. The woman was dumbfounded and, not knowing what else to do, brought Baba inside and ordered tea for he two of them.

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The boy ran with Dorelia across the estate. He ran with her until she could see the woods and then he ran into them. Not knowing what else to do and not wanting to fall Dorelia clung to the boy the whole way. He began to slow as they got further into the forest until he found what he was looking for.

There was a cave. It was not big, it would have been small for two grown people but for the two of them it was perfect. Inside the cave there were pillows and blankets. There was a store of food in two boxes on the opposite wall and drawings on the inside. They were detailed and beautiful. She noticed stacks of papers, no doubt more drawings. He brought her over to the pile of pillows and dropped her on it. Without giving her the chance to gather herself he got on top of her, his knees on either side of her hips and his hands on either side of her head, effectively caging her in with his body.

â??Is this what you want?â? he demanded, his voice was angry.

â??No!â? Dorelia cried fearfully.

The boy laughed but it was a cold one. â??Of course it isnâ??t. You are just like the rest of them arenâ??t you? Willing to sell your body to me for a chance at my wealth but if you donâ??t get my wealth then you donâ??t want anything to do with me. Is that it!â? He demanded again.

â??No!â? Dorelia repeated, growing more fearful by the second.

â??Donâ??t lie to me!â? the boy yelled, making her flinch as she thought he was going to hit her. â??Then why are you here? What do you want?! My money? My home? My family name?â? The boy demanded. â??What is so special about you that you think you can come here and try to woo me?â?

â??Nothing!â? Dorelia yelled back then she burst out crying. She turned to her side and brought her hands to her face, sobbing into them. â??I donâ??t want your money or your home. I donâ??t even know you name! I have my own why would I need yours?â? Dorelia sobbed, not understanding what the boy had meant when he asked if she wanted his name.

To have his name would give her the influence of his family and in these times influence was almost better then money. His family had plenty of both so he was more then used to having girls brought to him only wanting to have that and caring nothing for him. They would fawn over him; do anything that he wanted them to do, say anything they thought he wanted to hear. He had even found a few of them were willing to give him their bodies upon first meeting them so that he would choose to marry them. He had not taken their bodies, instead he sent them away with a swift slap and was scolded later about it but he didnâ??t care He was just sick and tried of people wanting him just for his money.

But then there was this girl, sobbing beneath him, claiming that she wanted nothing and that she didnâ??t even know his name. He leaned back, keeping his knees on either side of her he rolled her to her back so he could speak face to face with her. â??What do you mean? Everyone in town knows my name.â? he said. He wasnâ??t sure whether he was happy or offended that this girl didnâ??t know his name. â??My family founded this town. How could you possibly not know? Are you stupid or something?â? He asked her, truly confused by this girl.

â??I donâ??t live here.â? The girl beneath him sobbed.

Some of his rage returned. Girls were coming from other places to marry him now? â??So you come all this way to try for my hand? Or perhaps it was that woman who brought you here, willing to give up her own daughter for a chance to be a part of the family!â? He had seen it before. The few girls that were unwilling had been dragged here by their families. As much as he hated them he felt bad for them, knowing they were hurt by their family when he refused them.

â??No!â? The girl cried. â??Baba said I didnâ??t have to marry you. She just wanted me to meet you. I donâ??t know anybody here. We travel all the time. This is the third town we have been to in a week. Baba says that it is our way to travel but I just want to go back to the little cabin in the woods.â? The girl sobbed

The boy sighed, realizing that this girl had not even known who he was or that there was any wealth to be had in marrying him. He felt guilty for making her cry when she had done nothing wrong. He got off her and sat her up, wrapping her arms around her trying to get her to stop crying. He rocked her gently and spoke softly. â??Iâ??m sorry. My name is Alexander Quartette. My mother has been trying desperately for three years to marry me before my fifteenth birthday and I have seen her stoop to many lows in that search. There are girls who want me for money and families that push girls to try and marry me when they have no interest in it.â? He told her. Slowly Dorelia stopped crying but she was still frightened. â??I thought women were supposed to stay home and do domestic work. Why do you to travel?â?

Dorelia paused before responding. She wanted to lie to him so that she didnâ??t have to tell him the truth but she was too scared. She was worried that if she lied to him then he would get mad and pin her down again and yell at her. â??It is the witchâ??s way to travel until she finds a home...â? she said, then she cringed, expecting him to flip out or yell at her.

â??Witch? You are the daughter of the witch my mother went to see yesterday arenâ??t you?â? he asked and Dorelia shook her head.

â??No. Baba cares for me. My own family couldnâ??t keep me after the two found out that I was a witch.â? She told the boy in her quiet voice.

The boy looked at her. He took her by the shoulder and pulled her away form him. Dorelia cringed once more and brought her hands to her face. She was shaking, expecting him to hurt her or pin her again and yell at her. No one ever took this well. No one until now. â??Prove it.â? He said, challenging her.

Witches loved challenges, even the most timid witch. She looked over at the wall and saw a drawing of a puppy. She put her hand over the drawing and whispered some words. The drawing began to glow before walking off of the wall and running around the cave, jumping up and licking the boyâ??s face. â??You are a witch!â? The boy said, he was so shocked by the puppy that he let her go. This was what she had been hoping for. The moment she was free of him she jumped to her feet and tried to flee the cave. But the boy was faster. He grabbed her ankle, making her trip and fall. â??I didnâ??t say you could go yet!â? The boy scolded. He was used to getting everything that he wanted and he wanted her to stay.

Dorelia struggled to get away from him but he was stronger. He pinned her down differently this time and in a moment she felt something around the ankle that he had grabbed. When he finally got off of her she discovered that it was rope and that the other end was attached to the boyâ??s ankle. Now she was officially trapped. He kept her there and asked her lots of questions. He asked her about her life and made her do more and more magic for him so that he could see what she could do. He let her try and undo the knot many times over but she could never get it free, not even with magic.

Dorelia had no idea how much time passed. A storm had the chance to roll in but the cave was higher up then the rest of the ground so it didnâ??t flood and the two of them stayed dry. With all of the spells she was growing very tired until, finally, he had her caste one to many spells and she passed out. This was what the boy had been waiting for. The boy untied the two of them and put his plan into action. The cave had been hot so they were both a little bit sweaty. He messed up her hair with some pillows and her clothing then he did the same to his own outfit. Once everything was ready he knew he needed the finishing touch. Out form his pocket he pulled a ring. It had his family crest on it and it was attached to a bracelet which had a lock on it.

He put the golden ring on her ring finger and put the chain that connected the ring and the bracelet under her hand. Without the key he knew that she would not be able to get it off and even though this girl didnâ??t know it he decided that she would be the best for him to marry. Not only did she not care about his wealth of influence but it would drive his other crazy when she heard that he decided to marry a witch. After everything was set up he looked at her laying unconscious on the pillow, the look was complete. To anyone who didnâ??t know any better it really did look as if they had run off, gotten married and then made love while they were gone.

Then, he picked her up bridal style and walked all the way home, carrying her in his arms.

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When they got there his mother ran her little boy and was about to scold him for being so rude when she noticed the appearance. The little girl was unconscious. He hair and clothing were disheveled and she had the ring around her finger that had been given to him to put on his wife.

â??What have you done!?â? The woman demanded. She was so loud that she woke Dorelia.

The little girl looked at the two of them confused. Baba was smiling as was Alexander. It seemed that only his mother was unhappy.

â??You wanted me to marry her didnâ??t you? So I did.â? The boy said plainly as he set her feet down, hoping that she would be too weak to stand and lean on him because of that. She was and she did. This only added to the appearance of them being a couple.

His mother was furious but the boy kept his smile. â??I know you wanted me to marry but I didnâ??t think that you would want me to marry so bad that you would bring me a witch.â? The boy said plainly.

â??A witch?!â? His mother demanded as she turned to Baba. â??What is the meaning of this!?â?

â??What? I had the girl dressed in black and she was holding a spell book when you saw her. This was your idea. You came to see me. I thought you would be okay with your son marrying a witch.â? Baba said plainly but the woman was just getting madder. Then she finally turned to Dorelia. Alexanderâ??s eyes widened but before he could do anything his mother seized the girl.

â??This is your doing!â? she yelled, holding Dorelia up by one arm and leaving her to squirm. â??You did this! You enchanted my little boy! You little witch bitch!â? the woman yelled as she threw the child. Baba caught her with her magic and made her float back to the safety of hr arms.

â??She has the ring Miss Quartette, is this not what you wanted?â? Baba asked.

â??Not this! Not like this! I refuse to acknowledge this!â?

â??But mother!â?

â??There are no buts I this! Only witches and I will not have you marrying that girl! You are not thinking straight Alexander! She has enchanted you to get what she wants!â? His mother yelled at him.

â??No mother youâ??re wro-â?

â??Guards!â? The woman yelled, cutting him off. â??I want these two out of the mansion, off my property and out of this town! These two are hereby banned form the town of Quarts! BANNED! FOREVER!!!â? the woman yelled.

All Dorelia could do was cling to Baba, frightened ands confused. â??We will leave in peace.â? Baba said as she walked to the door. There was no carriage for them this time. In the background she could hear Alexander arguing with his mother. When they finally got back to town there were guards at the place they were staying. These guards watched them pack and saw them out of the town, reminding them never to come back.

Despite all this all Dorelia could think about was how mad his mother was and wonder about the strange ring that she had on her finger. Everything was blurry. She wondered if they had gotten married. Later she would remember exactly what happened and figure out how to remove the ring but she never got rid of it. She just couldnâ??t bring herself to do so and she wondered if that boy had ever found someone he could truly love and why he had gone to such an extent to make his mother mad.

When he came out of the memory she realized that she was laying down on the bed, still clinging to the book. She wondered once more what had ever become of the boy but for the first time she wondered if he had been serious about marrying her. She wondered if he had married someone else or if her perhaps he was still single. She decided that when she left this town she might want to visits him but quickly threw the idea away, remembering what had happened on their first visit.

She would need to find somewhere to go. There had to be someplace she could escape to somewhere but it seemed that no place she had been before would welcome her back or even be remotely safe with this man after her. She stroked her mind for ideas, any kind of clue where she might be able to go from here. She would have to bring her child, even if she hadnâ??t the slightest clue how to care for it she just could not lave the baby behind. The man might find the baby and hurt it. She doubted he would care that he sired it.

â??What would Baba do?â? she asked herself. Baba always seemed to know what to do. She was always calm and had a cool head I every situation. One needed a cool head to do magic and Baba had always been the best witch that she had known. There were times when other witches would stop by to study under her but they never stayed too long. Thinking of the woman made her eyes water and soon she found tears falling form her eyes. She missed her so much, nothing as the same with out her and it seemed that without the old womanâ??s gentle guidance everything was going wrong.

Landon felt insulted by her exhortation that the man-witch, this Dwane guy was so strong. He was still skeptical about this whole magic thing being anything more than a few minor tricks that he had yet to explain how they were done. And here, this faceless man was going to destroy them all if they got in his way? Father Justin, even? Apparently she didn't know that priest very well. Not like Lan knew him. Whatever level of evil was inside Dwane could be rivaled by the preacher's black-heart. And no matter how strong he was with 'magic', Lan was sure that the people of this town could do something. "It doesn't matter if he's a witch or not," he said firmly. "Soul or no soul and magical or normal--he's just a man and he'll bleed like anyone else." He stopped and marveled at how threatening his tone had gotten at the end there. Ease, up, killer, he chided himself in his head. No need to get so sanguine about it.

Hearing her next words, he got the urge to touch her shoulder again to comfort her, but successfully kept himself restrained this time. He didn't like her thinking so morbidly but he had no words of comfort to offer other than what he'd already said, and she'd brushed his confidence away like he was a toy kitten compared to tiger. Then things started to get away from him. She was grabbing his hand and speaking to him in a soft yet pained voice, anger and sadness battling over her pretty features. He stood speechless at what she said and the assertions she made. No! He wasn't scared! Well...he was...a little bit... But that hadn't been why he'd stopped himself from touching her!

Then Lan's heart ached at the sight of her tears--tears he'd caused her to shed--and he felt helpless to stop it. He didn't need to be in a relationship with her to hurt her--he was doing just fine as it was, and he felt silly and foolish for having tried to protect her by keeping himself distant.

When she pressed his hand to her face, he felt himself grow hot and then cold at the contact, feeling the wetness on her cheek under his fingertips. A blush rose to his cheeks a little as the urge to keep his hand there and to touch her more came upon him, and he barely restrained himself from caressing her cheek with his fingers. He was startled from his internal struggle when she spoke and his mouth worked soundlessly as he tried to find something to say. Leave town? Gah! Why had he even said that before? Trying to run her out of town. Where would she go on her own? And pregnant as well! He was such an idiot! It had been a foolish thing for him to have suggested in the first place--foolish, unprofessional and completely selfish of him. Trying to chase the girl away because he was scared of loving her! Where was his head? Ever since she'd come to town it seemed he'd lost his mind!

But now he was even more scared that she was seriously considering doing this--he had to stop her! He was still fumbling by the time she dropped his hand and turned away and all he got out was, "Dorelia, wait!" before she'd gone over to the book shelf. Then he was standing there wide-eyed as she turned the book in her hands--one of his unused notebooks--into the large book she'd brought with her to town. And then all other words fled from his mind as he muttered, "Holy shit..." and shuddered anxiously. There was that...thing again: magic. Alright, so he was terrified of what she could do, but it didn't mean he wanted her to leave. The things she could do just freaked him out a little bit--he knew she wasn't dangerous. She just made him face the unknown and THAT was what was scary for him--not that he thought she would hurt anybody. He knew she wouldn't.

But all of this died in his throat as she left the room with her arms wrapped around her book and he stood there, letting her go. Letting out a harsh breath from his lips, Lan scrubbed his hands through his hair frustratedly. How many times were they going to go through this song and dance? Was he ever going to stop upsetting her or getting mad at her? He figured he'd let her go calm down right now before he went to talk to her about leaving town. He'd have to convince her to stay, there was no question of that, but the 'how' had yet to come to him.

Turning back to his lab, Landon went back over to the two rabbits still hooked together and started to take them a part from one another. Setting the blood tubes aside he carried both of them, one under each arm, still asleep, out back and put them away in their cages. The miller's son, Joey showed up not too long after he closed the cages, watching as Lan stood brooding at the two unconscious animals.

"Everythin' a'right, sir?" the boy asked, rubbing his nose with his sleeve.

Lan turned to him with a bit of surprise but gave the young 13 year old a smile. "Yes, everything's fine, Joseph," he said in congenial tones, for once pleased to have company. He really didn't want to be alone with his thoughts right now. "You here to help me feed them?" The boy nodded, giving him a smile back and Lan nodded his head and walked over to the shed behind his house, the boy following close behind. They left the shed both with a bag of feed in hand and approached the crates against the back of the lab.

"So me ma and da want me to get to know this girl," Joey was saying as they started to fill the small troughs in each cage with grains from the bags. "And I don' really wanna, but they says she's a fine one and they want me to get married to her someday."

"Uh-huh," Lan said, feeling relaxed for once, just listening to the boy talk and enjoying the lad's presence. Joe seemed delighted to have an audience as well especially with the alchemist. He hung around the lab occasionally, fawning after Lan and trying to get his attention and there was some guilt as Lan realized all the times he'd brushed the boy off or gotten mad at him for being in the way. It occurred to him that he wasn't a very nice person and he wondered why the people of this town put up with him for so long. Then he remembered the alternative: Father Justin.

"So, we play by the dunes out behind me da's mill," the boy continued as he put grains into a rabbits cage. "And she's a lot of fun to be wit'. But then when I ask her if she'd want to go to the Fall festival dance with me--"

Lan looked at the boy with a quirked eyebrow. "The Fall festival isn't but for many months yet, Joseph," his tone was somewhat questioning.

"I know," Joe said, shrugging. "But I like her and I've never danced with a girl 'fore." Lan nodded his head in understanding before the boy went on. "So, anyways, I ask her if she'd go with me and she says 'Will I have to wear a pretty dress?' And I laugh and say, 'I hope so! If you'll marry me someday, you'll be wearing pretty dresses everyday!' And then she punches me in the arm! Like I said something to hurt her feelings!" Joey shook his head in disbelief and was silent for a few moments. "And then, I push her and she falls down into the sand dune a little ways. Then she's runnin' off cryin' to her ma and pa and gets me in trouble! I don't understand! We was playin' rough all morning and she fell down lots of times without makin' a fuss about it. I didn't even push her that hard!" The boy sulked a bit as he continued to feed the rabbits.

"Hm. Who was this?" Lan asked with a considering look.

"Feyra Jerat," Joey answered, looking at Lan like he might have some advice to offer.

Well, that explained it. Feyra Jerat was a bit of a tomboyish wild-child. Her parents were constantly trying to get her to become a little lady as the boisterous 12 year old grew older. But still she wanted to climb things and run and play-wrestle with the boys, even though her body was starting to go through changes that made it obvious she wasn't a child anymore. Now, Lan understood what the boy was saying, and he sighed with a small smile.

"Well, Joseph," Lan said as they set the bags aside and started to get the water bottles from the rabbits cages and filled them at the barrel by the lab's back door. "Women are complicated creatures and very fragile. There's no clear cut answer to understanding them. You just have to be patient and realize they don't think the same way we do." He handed the full water bottles to the boy to put in the cages and with a small twist of his mouth, Joey nodded. He still didn't understand, but what the alchemist had said made him feel like it wasn't just something he was missing. It seemed like nobody understood women was what Lan was saying.

Landon nodded with a sympathetic grin at the boy before continuing to fill the water bottles he had in his hands. "Hey, they've woken up!" the boy said excitedly and Lan turned around with furrowed brow. While feeding them, Joey had noticed the two rabbits that had been asleep and now pointed to them both, the two animals awake and alert in their cages. If Lan hadn't set them apart from the rest after he'd put them away, he probably wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between these two and the rest--they were acting just the same, healthy and awake. As Lan came over he stared wide-eyed with a smile growing on his face. Mostly he looked at the rabbit on the bottom crate, the one that had been a match to the blood of the first, and the one he'd put the blood into. It's dark brown eyes blinked at him as he stared, it's little nose bouncing a mile a minute. From the looks of things, there was no telling anything had happened to it and he felt a triumphant excitement burst inside him.

"Yeah!" Lan said hopping up from his crouched position beside the cages, shouting in victorious glee. The outburst startled both Joey and all the rabbits, all of them jumping in surprise at the excitement of the alchemist. And despite himself, Lan even began to dance a little in pure joy. The experiment had worked! It was a match! It was a match!

The boy understood that something grand had happened, but he didn't know what. Also, he'd never seen Landon act this way before and it kind of worried him a little bit. "Are you a'right, sir?" he asked querulously, scratching his head in confusion.

Still smiling brightly Lan turned to the boy, remembering that he was there. "Yes, yes, everything is fine! In fact everything is PERFECT!" Seeing the somewhat confused look on the lad's face, he resisted the urge to laugh merrily, having already freaked the boy out enough. "Uh, Joe, could you finish up here? I have some things I need to see to." He waited for the boy to nod and gave him a smile and appreciative pat on the arm before he hurried on his way. He had to tell Dorelia!

He went through the lab, putting on his jacket before he left again, a bright smile on his face as he left the building through the double doors, not even thinking to check the hospital for her. Confidently striding along he walked to Abigail's house, barely keeping himself from skipping on the way. When he got there, he knocked on the door in good spirits and entered when he heard the old woman beckon him from inside. Opening the door wide he stepped in grandly, his face alight and his chest puffed out, almost practically singing as he asked after Dorelia.

Abby who was busy cleaning her house, gave him a confused look. "I thought she was with you," she said, wiping down the dining table with a rag. "She left at least an hour ago to go and give you a tea plant."

"I know!" he said, practically giggling to himself remembering what the tea plant was for. "She gave it to me and it was the best thing ever!" He was barely paying attention to what he was saying, looking around the room for the young witch.

Abby put her hands on her hips, giving the man a suspicious look. "Alright, who are you and what have you done to the real Landon Cane?" She was somewhat amused by his current state. The man was like an excited puppy and it was odd seeing him like this.

The smile he had started to turn a bit serious as he continued to look for the young woman. "When was the last time you saw her?" he asked, going to the bedroom and poking his head in for a quick look around.

"I told you, an hour ago--Lan, get out of there!" she said somewhat scandalized at his nosiness. What if Dorelia had been in there and he'd seen her in a state of undress? The man had no decorum at all.

At first seeing her things still in the room gave him a bit of relief, but with the way she could make them appear with her at will like with the book--and yes, he shivered at the thought of how she'd done that--his frown deepened as he thought of her last words to him... Where was she? Praying that she hadn't left town already he started back towards the front door, unmindful of the looks Abigail was giving him. "If she comes back here, while I'm gone, you make sure she stays here, alright?"

From the worried frown on his face, Abigail started to get concerned as well. "Why? What has happened? What is going on?" But he was going out the door while she was talking. "What did you do now?" she asked quietly after he was gone.

His good mood gone now, he stalked the streets looking left and right anxiously, sweeping over the people he passed looking for her face to be one of those he saw. Even as worried as he was that she was already gone, something told him she was not... A certain feeling in his veins that told him she had not left yet. He shrugged it off as mere intuition and hopeful thinking, but couldn't get rid of the surety that she was still here. Somehow, he just knew she was. And when he thought about it, wondering about all the places she could be, he remembered the tea plant. She hadn't arrived to town with it so she must have bought it here and the only person who sold that kind of thing was...

Altering his course slightly, he made his way to Susy's house, dreading the experience of seeing the herbalist. Several years ago, the young woman's mother had died and she'd taken up the craft of tending herbs. The girl had no idea what she'd been doing and the notes her mother had left behind were nothing but gibberish. Lan had been a regular customer and had become somewhat used to herbs himself. So, he'd taken her under his wing and helped her out, while she helped him by providing the ingredients for his medicines. There had been attraction between them and Lan had really liked her, so when Father Justin had stepped forward and accused the girl of being a witch, Landon had been there to protect her and successfully refuted the priest's claims, and quieted the mob's anger.

But apparently people had treated her differently after that and Susanne had become a clingy, bitter person. Oh, of course, she kept up the appearances of being up-beat and optimistic and sweet as ever. Behind closed doors, though, she showed Lan a different side, ranting and raving at times about the daily injustices she suffered and how she'd make something of herself and she'd show them all she wasn't someone to be trampled or discarded. The sentiment was an admirable one, but the way Susy delivered it came off as something different: every day she would come bursting into his lab with a sob story about something else the people had done to her, something else someone had said, and then she'd rage bitterly about how she'd change things some day and they would all see! THEY WOULD ALL SEE! And how sorry they'd be.

Needless to say it was quite a turnoff for Landon to see her so warped and twisted by her need for love and acceptance. For one, it wasn't healthy, and for two she'd become a different girl than the one he'd fallen in love with. He'd loved her for her sweet, gentle kindness, her naivete and how she used to think even the most simple science experiments were the most amazing things she'd seen. She'd thought he was a genius and even though she hadn't understood half of what he showed her in his lab, no matter how much he explained it...it had been nice to have the attentions of a woman on him for a change. In the town he'd grown up in, all the boys and young men who were brawny and wealthy got attention, and Lan had always been quiet and brain smart and thus ignored. Then when he'd left to go school in the city when he was 15, it had been too much of a feverish battle to work as an apprentice and study his books to pay any attention to women.

Susy had been a welcome surprise, that someone could like him despite his lack of a hairy chest and muscles or lots of money. So, even when she'd continued to have problems and involved him in her daily torment at the hands of the townspeople, he'd continued to love her and comfort her and hoped she'd finally give up being this ugly monster she'd become. It was only after several months that he realized, she hadn't really changed at all from before. This hate inside her had always been there, he just hadn't seen it...or hadn't wanted to see it. Father Justin's accusations and the people's continued dislike of her had only given her the freedom to display who she'd been all along. And Landon, the one person who cared for her, the one man who loved her, was the one she showed it to. Everyone else got smiles and that giggly sweet girl who didn't let anything bother her. But as soon as they were alone, Susy would turn to him and say, "Did you see that? Did you see that? The way she looked at me just then? You can tell she didn't really mean what she said. They all talk about me behind my back. They'll see. Someday I'll show them all that I'm not someone you mess with! And then who'll be the one running home crying to their bed?"

Eventually he'd decided that it was too much to have her around and the love he'd felt for her had died with every progressing day, until it just wasn't there anymore. So, he'd told her it was over and then had come the clinginess. As he'd started to push her away, she'd suddenly started to change her tune. Now she was back to praising him and showering him with gifts, and coming around all the time in an attempt to win him back. But the way she did it was so simpering, so pathetic, it was an even bigger turnoff than her venomous anger had been, and now he didn't even love her anymore. So he'd shoved her away, told her to stop coming by the lab, and had even yelled at her a few times to get her to see what talking calmly to her didn't allow her to understand. Progressively she'd gotten the hint and had gone away.

He still came by her shop to get ingredients occasionally and she always acted like he was coming over to give her a second chance. Which was why he was cringing now as he neared her door. But if Dorelia was here with her...witches liked herbs and stuff, didn't they? It was worth a try, and he let out a deep breath as he knocked on Susy's door.

It had been at least an hour since she'd visited Paitr the architect this morning and after going over the plans for her new greenhouse there had been nothing left for her to do, so she'd come home. When she answered the door, Susy's eyes widened just a bit when she saw Landon on her doorstep. "Hello, Lanny," she said pleasantly. "Won't you come in?" And she stepped out of the way to offer him entrance, opening the door wide.

Lan scowled a little and she giggled at the face he made. "I told you not to call me that, Susanne," he said a bit harshly. It had been her nickname for him while they had been dating and it annoyed him that she still used it. He shook his head at her offer to come inside. "No, thank you. I've just been looking for Dorelia. Is she here? Have you seen her?"

Susy pouted cutely at his refusal, but stood back into the doorway. "The witch-girl?" she asked nonchalantly. "No, I haven't seen her since this morning, when she came to buy a tea plant from me. The girl is really smart. She's going to help me organize my shop." She said it haughtily, continuing to talk because after she'd answered his questions, Lan had gotten a far off look, his brow furrowed in consternation as he rubbed his mustache with his fingers. Mostly she talked because she knew he was no longer paying attention to her and if she fell silent, he would leave. It was something that had happened before...on more than one occasion.

"She gave me a lot of money for that plant," she continued on in a proud voice. "Enough to finally buy the greenhouse I've been wanting to build. Now I'll have plenty of room for all of my plants and people will all see it big and glorious behind my house, the glass shining in the sun." He merely grunted in response, still lost in thought--where is she? "You know they're saying she's a runaway heiress now and that the men from her rich family are gonna come looking for her."

That got his attention and the fog in his eyes cleared and he looked at her with a frown. "Hm? No, don't be silly. That's a stupid thing for people to think."

Susy pouted again as he looked off into space once more. Glancing over to the right, she saw Else Coplin standing on her porch with a baby on her hip. The young girl was watching discreetly and probably listening too. Susy frowned briefly, before putting on a cheerful smile and waving at the girl, making Else blush and turn away. Ha! Don't want to get caught snooping? Then don't do it, little wench! Susy thought to herself, grinning maliciously. Then she turned back to Lan who was starting to come out of his thoughts and probably tell her something like, 'Thank you for your time' and then he'd leave!

"Well," Lan said suddenly, looking at Susy and shrugging. "Thank you for you--"

"Wait, Lan!" Susy said grabbing onto his arm as he started to turn away. "You should come inside!" Her voice was anxious and a little loud and had drawn Else's attention again, albeit the girl was watching from the corner of her eye now. Landon looked like he was going to refuse again, so thinking quickly Susy said, "I'm sure that girl, Doreina used up a lot of your medicines what with getting sick a lot. Maybe you'd like to come in and restock?" She tried to keep the pleading, desperate tone from her voice, but it came through just a bit.

"Nah, not really," he said, shaking his head and shrugging, drawing away from her a little. Then in the planter beside her front window he saw a flower and an idea came to him. When he did see Dorelia again he was going to have to apologize and probably get on his knees to beg her not to leave. But it would look so much better if he did not come empty handed. "Yeah..." he said slowly looking back at Susy nodding. "Yeah, I think I will come inside."

At his first words Susy had started to slump but at his sudden change of heart she brightened and clapped her hands. "Right this way, Lanny," she said pleasantly, opening the door and letting him inside before her.

"Don't call me that," he said grumpily as he walked past her into the house. Susy stayed on her doorstep and stuck out her tongue out at Else who had been watching candidly again and it made the girl turn away blushing once more. Goodness! Else thought to herself, cradling the toddler on her hip. No need to be completely rude! If you were going to advertise your business on your front doorstep where anyone could hear and see, then don't be mad when people looked! And the teenage girl sighed as Susy stepped into the house closing the door shut behind her, taking her interesting conversation with the alchemist inside.

Lan looked around the house, noting the greenery swarming everywhere and rubbed his hands together in thought. Nothing had really changed about the place since Susy's mother had been alive, except now the plants looked like they might be taking over. Remembering Susy's mother made Lan smile. The woman had definitely known her herbs and had taught him a lot about the medicinal properties of nature in the 5 years he'd known her. Then Susy was coming into the room, with an excited smile on her face and Landon drew back just a bit.

"What can I help you with, Landon darling?" she asked, batting her eyelashes prettily.

Thinking about what he wanted, he merely crinkled his eyebrows at her behavior--now that she had him in her house, the show had begun. "Don't call me that either," he said as a minor afterthought before continuing. "I need a few flowers..." he said, looking around uncertainly.

"Flowers?" she asked, playing with her long braid and looking coyly at him.

"Yes. You know how some flowers have different meanings?" he asked, ignoring her coquettish demeanor as he talked. "I'm looking for some to say 'sorry' and 'thank you' and possibly, 'please don't leave'...if you have any that are that specific..." He rubbed his mustache a bit in thought looking at her and hoping she understood what he meant.

Susy blushed a little and tried not to smile. Of course, she thought that the flowers were meant for her and she went over to her mother's notebook and flipped through it. "Hm, interesting," she murmured. "Are they for a girl?" She asked while glancing at him from under her long eyelashes, a small knowing quirk to her mouth.

"Well, yes," he said, rubbing his mustache again and putting a hand into his pocket. "They're for a friend."

Ugh! Just a friend? she thought to herself and pouted a little bit. But she sucked it up and with the book in hand led him out back behind her house. All along the wall under the shade of the awning were a bunch of wildflowers in the dirt right by the house. Kneeling down while looking through her mother's notebook Susy began to select out different flowers, but ones that she wanted to receive from him. There was some Coriander, which stood for 'lust', a few Forget-me-nots that meant 'true love', and a stalk of Lavender that meant 'devotion'. She stood with the flowers she'd gathered, and handed them to him with a small smile.

Lan's eyes watched her carefully as she'd picked out the flowers and he brightened as she handed them to him, looking at the wonderful colors and how they blended well together. "This is it?" he asked her. "This all means what I said...what I asked for?"

"Yep," she said, holding her hands behind her back and blushing a bright red, waiting for him to hand them back to her and say something nice.

"Thank you," he said nodding to her with a pleased grin. "Dorelia will love these."

Abruptly Susy's smile disappeared and she stared in shock, her heart feeling like it was breaking into pieces. "What?" she asked, a little breathlessly, trying to gain a grip on herself and the world that suddenly seemed to be slipping away from her. "Who-who are they for?"

Landon was busy arranging the flowers together, so they looked nice and didn't notice her sudden change of expression. "They're for Dorelia," he said nonchalantly. "We had a fight earlier and I wanted to say I'm sorry."

Just as suddenly as she'd felt like the world was tipping on it's axis, Susy felt it right itself again. The two of them were having fights? And Lan was giving her flowers and saying he was SORRY? What the hell??? What had that-that witch done to her boyfriend? Whatever it was, it was obvious Dorelia was trying to move in on Lan and take him away from Susy. Well, she couldn't come in here and act all nice and buy him off of her! Lan was her heart and soul and she'd be damned if she'd let another woman have him! That's when she realized the flowers she'd given him were all wrong--if he gave those to Dorelia, no doubt with how well she seemed to know plants, the woman would know what they meant. It would only encourage the harlot to chase him more! But Susy couldn't take them from him now, not that he seemed so happy with them and with her for helping him out--it would make her look like a crazy jealous fool if she were to try and give him different flowers now.

So she thought quickly again and knelt down by the flowerbed once more. "Just a second!" she said urgently and he stopped fussing over the plants in his hand and looked at her. "I...I forgot you wanted to say 'sorry'." Then she flipped through her mother's notebook and looked for the perfect message to send to Dorelia to tell the woman to 'back the fuck off!' She quickly picked out a stalk of Hydrangea which said 'frigidness and heartlessness' and a Begonia which meant 'beware'. At the very least, they'd certainly confuse the woman, with mixed signals. Standing up quickly, brushing her hair out of her face she handed them to him and he added them to the others, not thinking anything untoward about her hasty additions.

"Thanks," he said with a small platonic smile and a nod, situating the flowers in his hand so they fit in with the others as he started to walk away.

"You're welcome," she said flirtatiously, waving goodbye. "Anytime, Lanny."

As he walked away and neared the corner of her house he called back over his shoulder, "Don't call me that!" before he disappeared out of sight.

As he walked, he thought about the different things he would say to convince her to stay and before he knew it he'd arrived back at the hospital. Shrugging, he entered the double doors wondering where else he should look for her and on a whim he headed towards the hospital wings. Not expecting to find her here he was surprised when he entered the room and saw her laying down upon one of the beds.

"There you are!" he said with a sigh of relief, coming fully into the room and walking up to the bed she was laying on. Then he was speaking all in a rush, not noticing her tears or her mood. "Alright, I know what I said before, about you needing to leave, but I was just angry and speaking foolishly. It was a dumb idea to send you from this town especially with you being pregnant and all. In fact," he said laughing a little, trying to stay serious as he used his old excuse for getting people to do what he wanted. "I'm your doctor and you have to listen to my advice and I advise you to stay in this town. At least until your baby is born. I'm not going to have a patient of mine wandering around the desert, big with child and getting heatstroke and possibly getting hunted down by all-powerful witchy men." He was blushing a little and trying to act stern--why was it so hard all of a sudden? Why was he laughing?--and had a finger pointed at her from the hand holding the flowers.

Remembering the flowers he handed them to her. "Oh! These are for you," he said with a small blush and nervous cough. Then he stood back and put his hands in his pockets and was able to calm the giddiness that had overcome him at first, his voice getting soft and quiet. "I'm sorry for the way I acted in the lab. I'm not scared of you and I know you won't hurt anybody. And I know what I saw when you did...those things... You just...you've gotta understand what this is like for me. The things that you can do...it makes everything I know to be true and real turn to ash before my eyes. The world is a big complex equation, everything working together in harmony, everything having a place and a cause and effect. Your...magic is like throwing an unknown variable into the mix. I don't know where it fits and I can't explain it and THAT is what...scares me..." It was hard admitting that, but he felt like he could to her, like it didn't matter if she thought he was weak for being scared. He knew she wouldn't think that.

"And you know," he said calmly. "It will be alright. I'm fine with you being who you are...as much as it freaks me out sometimes," he gave her a wry smile. "I'll get over it...I know I will. The more I'm around you when you do that sort of stuff, the more used to it I'll get...I'm sure..." he didn't sound too certain, but he hoped that was true. What more could she do that he hadn't seen already? The thought made him shiver just a little and he tried grinning at her nervously. "Maybe, maybe not..."

Then he laughed a little and looked down at the ground, then back at her again. "As far as the people of this town are concerned," he said licking his lips and frowning. "You leave them to me. If anything happens, I won't stand by and let them hurt you. I've helped you out so far... Can you trust me to continue to protect you?" Landon looked at her and rubbed his mustache as he waited for her to respond.

She hadnâ??t heard him coming. She hadnâ??t even felt him approaching her. She was lost in her thoughts so when he came upon her and spoke she nearly jumped out of her skin. At least that was how she felt. To him it would seem as though she had barely moved. His words pulled her back to the current reality and she suddenly remembered what had happened before she had come here and before she had gotten lost in her thought. She remembered what Landon had said about the man. He had sounded so brave, so confident that this man would not be able to hurt her, that they would be able to protect her here... It must be nice to be ignorant.

She pushed herself up form the bed. She moved slowly, running her fingers through her hair as he went on speaking. He wasnâ??t thinking much about what he was saying, that much she could tell. She didnâ??t look up at him but she could tell enough form the sound of his voice so she did not have to. Again he was insisting that she stayed here, then he reverted back to his old excuse. Did he think that the doctor excuse would work? Whether he did or not at least it brought a small smile to her lips and managed to lighten her mood. Not that he would be able to tell. She was still looking down and there was no way he would be able to detect the change in her mood...

Well, he did still have the blood in him. It would take a while before its effects finally wore off. She remembered that she hadnâ??t yet gotten the chance to explain how important blood was in witch craft and what having her blood inside of him would likely do to him. She thought of all of the possibilities and most of them she didnâ??t like. Landon was an alchemist. Science and magic far too often proved volatile when combined. She wondered briefly if she should tell him. Then the thought crossed her mind that she would not have to. On any other occasion she would have denied it that instant but here it seemed like the best course of action. He was so ignorant, almost innocent; with how little he knew about the world that she lived in that she did not want to do anything that might destroy the ignorance that shrouded him.

Dorelia remained silent. Keeping the truth from him felt like lying and that was enough to remove the smile that had found its way to her lips. She didnâ??t look at him until he said that he had something for her. She looked up and her eyes widened. Flowers? He had brought her flowers? But this was a desert... where did he get... then she remembered the herbalist and the smile returned to her face. He had gone to the herbalist to get her flowers. She wondered if he was doing this because he felt bad or if he had decided to follow the tradition that she had started. She hoped he had decided to follow the tradition. It was such a nice tradition that she could not help but wish it to live on everywhere she went.

This wasnâ??t the only surprising thing. Landon was actually apologizing. He was admitting to a fault. She couldnâ??t think of something much more out of character for him then that. When he explained why her magic had bothered him her happiness waivered. She had been right. He was completely ignorant of the world that she lived in, the magical part of the world that she embraced daily. Even though they were under the same roof, in the same town on the same earth the two of them lived in very different worlds. Hers was one of magic and nature and his was one of science. She began to worry what would happen if she shook his world too much. More often then not when the two combined it drove the person mad. Suddenly there was a whole world in front of them that they had never known, never even thought to wonder about and it shattered everything that had believed to be true. It was not that surprising that most people could not handle it but that did not make her feel any better. Some people handled it well; she only wished everyone could take it as well as her father had.

Her father had a different world and he shared it with her mother. It was a world of god. It was also a world where she often liked to visit but she never could quite stay, the world of magic pulled at her even before she had spoken those words on that fateful day. The world of god never sad entirely well with her but she embraced it the same. She could not deny magic but she liked the idea of a gad, if only he did not damn witches, then maybe she could feel more comfortable in his world. She thought her father would react just about as well as her mother had when he saw her magic. He had been there when she stopped the horse and she was sure he would turn on her like her mother had. Only he did the opposite. Not only did he embrace her world but he brought her to Baba, a witch, to give her everything that she could need. It was the only time he had ever truly been in her world but he needed to return to god, as was his job as a priest.

â??You donâ??t have to get used to it.â? She said with a smile as she stood up form the bed and accepted the flowers. The smile founds its way to her face once more and she smelt their beautiful scents. Flowers had meanings. She wondered if he knew that or if he had just picked these out because they were pretty ad smelt nice. They seemed far too random to be intentional. The bouquet had two different extremes working for it. There was lust, true love and devotion on one end and frigid heartlessness and beware on the other. She breathed in their scents deeply as she walked to one side of the room.

â??Landon I hope you know youâ??re some kind of sneaky devil.â? She told him, her light hearted mood seemed to have finally returned. â??As my doctor you wonâ??t let me leave yet you should knew hat this would be the best time for me to travel. Iâ??m not yet big with child or encumbered in any way, yet you want me to wait until the child is born...â? she raised an eyebrow, â??And what kind of doctor would allow a young, inexperienced mother to walk the desert with a new born? After all, the heat would be far to likely to kill the child if I left him covered and if I didnâ??t then the baby would burn up in the sun. So you would suggest that I stay for another year and by that time I will likely have grown to used to this place to want to leave.â? She said, to him, sure she had his little plan all figured out.

She took another whiff of the flowers and she could not help but smile. â??You picked these didnâ??t you.â? She said with a knowing smile, convinced he had chosen these for her. â??They are very pretty, thank you Landon.â? She said. She examined each of the flowers and could not keep from smiling as she did so.

â??Flowers have meanings you know.â? She told him with a smile. â??You went to the herbalist didnâ??t you? I donâ??t know how any flowers could grow in this desert without someoneâ??s help. They really are beautiful.â? She said happily. She walked back over to him, â??Flowers are usually just gifts but in the towns I have been to true romantics have used them to tell messages to their loved ones. Their wife already loves getting flowers but there is always more love and passion when the husband can stand there and tell her the meaning of each. It usually ends up with the woman getting pregnant.â? She said with a small wink. Telling him, in an indirect way, that when a husband explained the meanings to his wife and how he felt about her it usually lead to sex and then, if lucky, child.

Then a small laugh escaped her as she looked over the flowers again. â??You picked an interesting bunch here.â? She told him. â??These little violet ones are called Coriander,â? she explained, then she tossed him a smile, â??it was always popular with lovers. Very fitting since the flower stands for â??lust.â??â? She told him, sure he didnâ??t know any of this. â??But these little pinkish ones down here are different, they are called hydrangea and they stand for â??frigidness and heartlessness.â?? Over here,â? she said, pointing to the light blue flowers, â??Are forget-me-nots. Even the name sounds romantic. The flower stands for â??true love.â?? But this bright red one,â? she pointed to another flower in the bouquet, â??means â??beware.â??â? She liked to inform people on the meaning of flowers. It didnâ??t get her into any trouble and was much easier for people to accept then witchcraft.

â??This last one,â? she began as she separated a deep purple stalk form the rest of the flowers, â??is lavender.â? She breathed in the scent, smiling as she did so. â??I love the smell of lavender. It is supposed to be soothing. The flower itself means â??devotion.â??â? She told him with a smile as she put the piece back into the bouquet with the other flowers. She was still convinced that he had picked them. She didnâ??t believe that the girl was so bad with plants that she would have put this bouquet together. The two halves worked but they did not work together.

â??Come on Landon, lets get back to your lab. These flowers need water.â? She said with a smile, then she remembered, â??Oh yeah, the hares should be up by now. How are they doing?â? she asked him as she picked up her book off the bed. She held the book in one hand and the flowers in the other as she waited for him to lead the way to his lab. The sooner they got these flowers to some water the faster they would last and she didnâ??t want to see them die any time soon.

Seeing how she was reacting he knew it had been a good idea to let her cool off before he approached her--and it had also been good that he'd had time to think through his response and plan before just rushing in here and possibly making a fool of himself again. Listening to her go through the logistics of her travelling now versus later and the conclusion she made, he hid his smile behind his hand as his fingers smoothed his mustache repeatedly, looking down at the ground.

"I don't," he said, clearing his throat. "I don't know what your talking about. That hadn't occurred to me at all." His tone was mockingly innocent and he glanced up at her with a smirk.

When her attention was drawn back to the flowers he smiled proudly. "Yes, yes, I did," he said and blushed at what she said about husbands and their wives. He didn't want her to know that the herbalist was any more involved other than providing the flowers, being somewhat annoyed by his need to go to his ex to get a present for the girl he liked in the first place. But he also wanted to assure her that they were just meant as an apology and nothing more, while also taking credit for them and showing off a little bit. "I'm a bit of a flower afficianado, myself. I picked them out specifically for their meanings." And he nodded his head confidently, the pink in his cheeks somewhat fading as he grew calmer.

Then his smile froze on his face and his eyes went a bit wide as she explained each one and what they meant, his face turning a bright scarlet. Then the smile was gone and he was nervously trying to explain. "Well...I...it...er..." he stammered, licking his lips as his heart tried to pound it's way out of his chest. After a long pause as he bit his lips looking at the flowers, he finally said, "It-it was random.... They just looked pretty..." He nodded at her as if admitting he'd lied--well, he had--and the blush stayed firmly on his cheeks as he continued to look from her to the flowers and back again.

God! Lust??? Really? Darn Susy! he thought to himself. But in his mind, it didn't occur to him that the choices had been intentional, thinking the airheaded herbalist just didn't know what she'd picked out. Making me look like a darn, blasted fool! He rolled his eyes discreetly and shook his head thinking of that young woman and continued to curse her mentally. For an herbalist she wasn't very good. Not AT ALL! No wonder people didn't like her. But at that thought he felt a little guilty. No, no that was wrong. It would be different sure, if the townspeople had a good reason for not liking susy, but from as far as he could tell, it was just a residue from the witch accusations. But still it didn't make his reasons for not liking her any less and he refused to feel pity in that regard.

When Dorelia mentioned the lab Landon's eyes popped open in surprise and sudden rememberance. "Oh! Yes!" he said excitedly, holding her arm and shaking it like a little child overwhelmed with joy. "The rabbits! They're awake! Both of them! The experiment worked!" Then he was lightly tugging on her to follow him back to the lab, almost bouncing in place in his eagerness.

as they walked down the hallway towards the laboratory he continued to talk to her in animated tones. "Of course, I just want to try this again a few times," he said then suddenly put up his hands to ward off any offense that comment might have caused. "Just for experiments sake. I know you said it works everytime, but I can't be sure of that until I see it." Then he nodded and continued on with the plans he'd made from earlier when he'd first been looking for her. "So, anyways, we'll do a few more rabbits and then I want to try it on a human...myself to be exact."

As they arrived back at the lab, they came through the doors and he was exultant and his tone was filled with passion. "Do you know what this means?" he asked a little breathlessly. "I cannot tell you how long I've been looking for this answer! How many nights I've stayed up agonizing over this. And you, you've found it for me! That alone makes me love you and your...your magic! " He stumbled a little over saying it and quickly glanced around after the fact, but no, there wasn't anybody to hear.

"You have done a great service," he said as he neared the back door. "I cannot tell you how many lives you have saved with this discovery you have shared with me."

Then he took her out back and stoped when he saw Joey there. The boy was sitting with a rabbit in his arms, petting it and jumped up startled when Lan came through. Sometimes he liked to play with the animals, when Lan was busy in the lab and he hadn't expected the alchemist to come back out here.

"Joe, what are you doing here still?" Lan asked with a frown and confused scowl. The boy merely shrugged and gave him a guilty look. Then Landon shook his head and waved it off. "Nevermind. Are you done filling the water bottles, like I asked?" The lad nodded his head in a way that showed he was eager to please the man. "Then go home, Joseph." His dismissal of the boy was a bit harsh and he waved him away like he was a bother.

Joey seemed a bit disheartened by that. For the first time that afternoon, the alchemist had talked to him like he was a human being and it had felt good to hang around his idol doing even measelly chores. Also, when he'd noticed the rabbits had been awake and Lan had gotten so happy, Joey had convinced himself that he'd had something to do with it. That in some way he'd pleased the man.

But now, Landon was treating him just the same as he always had. As if Joey were a burden that he was eager to be rid of. ut still, there was hope that things would be different. "I could help," Joey said plaintively, glancing at Dorelia for the first time. But his attention was all for the alchemist who had already discarded the boy from thought and was looking over the other rabbits. The boy's eyes were anxious as they watched the alchemist for any approval, ANY at all. "I could--"

"Get in the way," Lan said, not looking at the boy, sniffing as he looked at the rabbits, thinking about how they'd redo the experiment. "You'll just get in the way, Joseph. I don't have time to entertain you, I'm very busy. Now go home."

"But--"

"Thank you," Lan said firmly and loudly, cutting the boy off once more. By his tone it was clear he was losing a bit of patience.

Then Joey understood and his shoulders slumped and he sighed sadly. Nothing had changed at all. Putting the rabbit he'd been holding back into it's crate, he started to turn and walk away morosely.

Having already forgotten the child, Lan turned to Dorelia," I think it would be best to leave the first two out of the experiment this time," he said his eyes getting thoughtful. "I'll get the crate and we'll bring a few of the others into the lab." And he started to move to get the fold-up wire cage.

She laughed slightly, from his town she could tell that was exactly what he had in mind for her. He really wanted her to stay and he was willing to trick her with false medical recommendations in order to do it. It was almost sweet. He even tried to play off knowing flower meanings. He said that he had picked them out especially for their meanings and she just barely managed to hold back her laughter. She knew that couldnâ??t be possible. Not with these meanings.

But calling him on his lie wouldnâ??t work. He would no doubt deny it. Besides, it wouldnâ??t be half as fun as what she had in mind and with the meanings of these flowers it was far too easy. Lust, true love, devotion, then the contrast or it. It was impossible for her not to tease him with it. She could not help but smile and as his face got redder the smile got wider. Finally he admitted that it was random and she decided that had been enough torment for one day... Well, for now at least. He was acting really strange. She couldnâ??t exactly figure out what it was and that bothered her more then people would think.

As a witch knowing people was a part of it. She could usually read people like reading a book. It was a skill that required a certain inborn magic but with no incantations, components or movement required it was the best way for a witch to get herself out of trouble. It had been this ability that had been the main factor of her getting through the trial and while it was so essential to a witchâ??s survival she heard that many witches were skipping it. It was a difficult skill to learn but a very important basic that Baba forced her to master before allowing her to move on to learning any real magic. It had been very hard and had taken a few years but she finally had it mastered Now that she had it she understood why Baba believed that it was so important that she learned it. She heard that witches live abnormally long lives but she also knew that they had to live to get that old first.

It was part of the reason she found madness so frightening, even harmless madness. There was something about the way it twisted the mind and the energy. It was as if there was too much of one person, so that not all of the person could ever be present at one time. Or even like there was too little of them so they were never truly all there. It made them hard to read, impossible to predict and highly dangerous to any witch. The insane were surprisingly perceptive to magic and any accusation caused problems. Her bad experience with insanity didnâ??t help much either.

She knew Landon had not gone crazy but she was still unable to read him. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind so that she could focus on what he was staying but it didnâ??t go away. It kept gnawing at her brain even as she listened to what he said about the rabbit. She was happy that it had worked. Even though it had been her spell she was still a little bit worried. He was holding onto her and practically pulling her back to the lab. She was happy he was open to her magic now, he seemed so eager to try it again and he even began to speak about trying the transfusion on humans. â??You? Landon I donâ??t think itâ??s smart to put someone elseâ??s blood in you...â? she told him as they walked down the hall. It was at the moment that she figured out what happened.

Landon had her blood in him! That was why she could not read him. Reading normal people was easy but witches were harder to read and required real focus. Of course with your focus they can tell what you are trying to do and witches donâ??t take it to kindly when you try and read them. Landon still had her blood in him and there was magic in her blood so for now... She stopped.

She looked at Landon as she realized what had happened. He didnâ??t even know it... But others would. The unbalanced would know something was different and any witch would be able to tell as well. She worried that Susy might detect something. Her mother was a witch after all. She couldnâ??t believe this had happened and her mind instantly began racing as she tried to figure out a way to fix this. Not only that but she had to find some way to tell him but she was not sure how. How would he take the news? How was she supposed to explain that... until her magic and blood was out of his system... he was a witch.

He seemed concerned by her momentary stopping and the look on her face but she smiled and told him it was nothing. She felt guilty for lying to him and was unsure of how to tell him. He went on speaking, so excited. She blushed at his words but they made her feel incredibly guilty. He loved her and her magic. She wondered if he would still love her when he found out he had some of her magic in him. It wouldnâ??t stay forever.... Unless it remained untouched. The blood was easy enough, it would wear away eventually but magic was a tricky thing. It stayed and stored well. Good for is someone was hiding but bad for getting rid of it. She would need to figure out some way to get it out of his system.... She realized he was still speaking and forced herself back into the conversation just in time for his attention to be drawn elsewhere.

There was a stranger in the manâ??s lab and she may have been worried if not for the fact that this stranger was just a boy. She looked at him for a few moments. Landon was talking but his words sounded muffled. It was as if she wasnâ??t there anymore. She just kept watching the boy. He looked so young, so innocent. He couldnâ??t have been more then...

â??Twelve years old.â? The little boy said as he gave her a cup of tea. Though it was not really tea. It was more like slightly flavored water. Slightly bitter slightly flavored water.

â??Only twelve? Youâ??re so young to be taking on so much responsibility.â? She told him as she clutched the blanket to her body. The night was cold and the abandoned barn seemed to do nothing more then keep the rain out.... In most places at least. It was a leaky roof and the smell of mold was undeniable. At least it was not toxic.

â??Well I have to. Iâ??m the oldest.â? He told her as he looked deeper into the barn.

She followed his gaze and saw four little bundles. Four other small children all younger then him. The youngest looked to be two and she was clutching a girl that looked like her, only older. They had to be siblings. There was a little boy that looked to be nine and the last child had pulled the blanket over his head. She could tell gender but the child had to be somewhere between five and eight.

â??But.... How?â? She asked, confused. She took a sip of the â??tea.â?? It wasnâ??t that good but it tasted wonderful. The warmth spread through her and she was happy to have something in her stomach again. For a moment she wondered how she had survived so long without food.

â??Stealing.â? The boy admitted, he seemed ashamed but he went on. â??I tried getting jobs but nothing provides enough to support us all. When the others get older we can all get jobs and then we wonâ??t have to steal anymore. Once you get better maybe you can help.â? The boy said with a hopeful smile but there was something about it... he already knew her answer.

â??I-I canâ??t.â? She shuttered. The boy nodded, he didnâ??t question why but she couldnâ??t stop herself. â??You took me away... but I canâ??t stay. Iâ??ll put you in danger. And Iâ??m still in danger. I need to get away... far away.â? She shivered again. That man. His face flashed through her mind. She remembered her screams and his laugh echoed through her mind. In seconds she could not stop herself from shivering. Violently shivering. It was not the cold. It was the fear.

The boy seemed to know what to do. He went up to her and took the tea form her hand, placing it down them going to her and wrapping his arms around her. He didnâ??t speak. He just held her and rocked her gently like one would do with a small child. He was experienced with caring for small children. He didnâ??t say anything until she finally stopped shaking.

â??Wolves run off to lick their wounds.â? The boy said. It was such a strange thought that it drastically turned the direction of her mind. Instead of flowing downwards and reliving the torment images of wolves filled her mind. The sound of their howl replaced the manâ??s laughter and things that Baba had taught her played back.

â??Yes... yes they do.â? She said, looking up at the boy, unsure of where he was going with this.

â??But then they come back.â?

She seemed even more confused now. She didnâ??t understand what the boy meant. What did wolves have anything to do with any of this? Were wolves bothering the children? Had Jeshua wounded a wolf only to have it come back and attack again? Where the children in serious danger? So many possibilities ran through her mind and just as she opened her mouth to ask him something she was cut off.

â??There is a caravan that comes through here.â? The boy explained. â??Once a year. One of the drivers knows me. He gathers supplies and gives them to us whenever he stops through. He says that he canâ??t take us with him. I know he wishes that he could. We wish he could to. But he canâ??t take us all. He says that he can only take one of us at a time and drop us off at another location. Last year he promised to take one of us when he returned.â?

â??I donâ??t understand...â? Dorelia said as she looked at the boy confused. Suddenly what he was saying wasnâ??t making any sense anymore and she just could not seem to follow it.

â??I am going to ask him to take you.â? The boy told her and she was shocked.

â??But the others-â?

â??Will be fine. I was going to send one of the girls but they wonâ??t be separated and Ezra refused to consider it. We have been together so long that we have become our own little family.â? The boy said with a warm smile.

His courage amazed her. Such a young boy taking care of four younger children and himself. He was working so hard and even after all of this he went out of his way to rescue her. Now he was giving her the ticket out of here.

â??I canâ??t possibly-â?

â??You have to. You said yourself you canâ??t stay here. The caravan goes very far away to other lands where he wonâ??t be able to follow you.â?

â??But you-â?

â??Canâ??t feed another mouth.â? The boy interrupted. He seemed to know why she was so insistent on not taking this from them. â??The others donâ??t have to eat much. They are still growing, still young. But you are a grown up. And a hurt one. We canâ??t heal you and feed you without one of us starving.â? The boy told her.

She felt a smile crack at her lips. The boy was so strong, not just in body but in heart and mind. She knew that he would grow up to be a fine young man but he had to make it to that age first. This was something that she wanted to see.

â??The caravan will be leaving in the morning. He will be waiting for one of us to show. Iâ??ll bring you there early before the others wake up. I donâ??t know where he will take you but he promised to take one of us very far away. He is a very good man. Trust him okay?â? The boy told her and she could only nod. â??Now get some rest. You will have to walk. I donâ??t want to carry you again.â? The boy cracked his own smile. â??For a lady youâ??re heavy.â? The boy said I lightheartedly and it made her smile.

He brought her over to a stack of hay where it would be soft then, when she laid down, he covered her with his blanket. â??But you-â?

â??Will be fine. These are warm nights. Now rest.â?

The boy was very insistent and she was too exhausted to argue. She watched the boy as he walked back to the small fire he had built and curled up close to it. With no one to feed it the fire would burn itself out eventually. It seemed like he had done this before. This was probable why the two girls shared a blanket. There were not enough to go around and she doubted that this was the first time he had given up his blanket for someone else.

As she drifted off to sleep the boyâ??s confusing words repeated through her mind:

â??Wolves run off to lick their wounds. But then they come back.â?

The boy was looking at her. Why was he looking at her? She realized that she was staring and she quickly looked away. The boy seemed to want to stay. He thought he could do something to help and Dorelia was sure that he could prove to be very useful and very competent but Landon did not give him that chance. He but to boy off at every turn until he finally sent him home.

She turned to Landon, not liking the way he had treated the boy. â??I thought smart men were always looking for a way to stroke their ego...â? she began, looking over the tea plant which was still sitting in the place she left it. â??That boy looks up to you. He seems almost envious of you.â? She said with a smile before turning back to Landon. â??You know it is not often that someone finds a young boy interested in alchemy. Not in small towns like this. You should think yourself lucky to have someone so willing to help.â? She told him, then she got to the point.

â??You should take him on as an apprentice.â? She told him, very bluntly. â??He is eager to work, eager to please and wager to learn.â? She explained to him but she didnâ??t think that would sway him so she went on. â??Surely being the only doctor here can be difficult and if you get sick there is no one to care for you and if you die then the town is left without a doctor. Sure there is Abigail but she is not an alchemist and isnâ??t a young woman anymore. One day you will need help and you will be happy to have someone around who shares your passion and can help you out. I have known people to have their apprentices do the more time consuming tasks. I remember a doctor in a town a visited had an apprentice who he mainly used to see the herbalist. He thought the herbalist was crazy and could not stand him so he sent the boy.â?

A thought crossed her mind that made her laugh. â??If you had that boy you might never need to leave this lab. After all, you could send him to fetch you food, clean cloths, herbs, just about anything you might need. Maybe you shouldnâ??t take him or else you would never leave this place.â? She said jokingly, knowing that sounded appealing to the man.

â??In the mean time I have something that I have to do. I might be able to make it so you could perform the experiment. For a short time anyways. But first I need to ask you a question.â? She told him as she opened up her book and wrote down a few words. Once she was finished she pushed it to him for him to see. The page was entirely blanket except for these words:

فÙ?ا Ù?Ù? اسÙ? اÙ?صبÙ??

They would look to confusing for him to copy but in the back of his mind somewhere he would know what the text was asking him.

What is the boyâ??s name?

â??If you can read it then tell me.â? She told him.

She was not sure if she wanted him to be able to read it or not. If he could read it that means that he did have a bit of magic in him and he would be able to do the experiments without her help but she was not sure that was a good thing. If he could that classified him as a witch until he got rid of the magic and the effects of her blood wore off. Even if he was on the lowest level it was dangerous. Having two witches in the same town never ended well. At the same time a part of her wanted him to be able to read it.

There was a part of her that longed for the companionship of another witch and if he did prove to be one, even if it was just until the effects of eh blood wore off, that short time would be worth it. For that short amount of time, however short it may be, she wouldnâ??t feel so alone.

He'd not really thought anything of her comments in the hallway and the way she'd stopped, so caught up in his excitement as he was. There was an energy about him when he was fixated on a particular theory or when an experiment was going well, and the fact that he knew this one would work--he didn't know how he knew, but he just KNEW that every time they got the leaf to point, that it would be a match to whomever's blood they tested. It was exhilarating and despite this deep certainty he felt, he just wanted to try it again and again to see it in action. Like a little kid with a new favorite toy--but at least his motives for recreating the experiment were more sophisticated than just amused curiosity...

Hearing what she said about the boy, Landon glanced at her and then at the back door to the lab where the boy had left. He seemed surprised that she'd said the boy looked up to him. He guessed he kind of always knew that, but had shrugged it off. He thought of himself as pretty smart and he liked it when other people put his grand amount of knowledge on a pedestal, but for some reason...he'd treated Joey with disdain and impatience. From what he knew of the boy, the lad had an interest in tales about adventure and liked playing outdoors a lot with the other boys of town. It made Landon remember his own childhood, spent indoors reading most of the time or when he was outside, sitting under a tree and scribbling away in a notebook or drawing pictures. All the other boys in his hometown growing up were like Joey, rough housing and getting dirty and causing mischief like young boys will. And since Lan was so completely different, they'd treated him badly and picked on him.

Even when Lan had grown up, they'd continued to berate him and make fun of him. At age 15 he'd left home to go to Kandelmar, the capital. Nicknamed the "City of Docimasy", Kandelmar was full of universities and academic institutions of every vein and dominated by scientists and those in the medical field. It was where all new students of scientific study and medicine went to learn and it was also where most scientists and alchemists set up their research labs to continue their studies and pursuits. After 4 long years of residency and under an apprenticeship of one of the brilliant men who worked and lived at the school he'd attended, Landon had come home to be the new doctor of his town.

He'd had hopes that now he'd made something of himself, people would treat him differently, and give him the respect he felt he'd earned through all his hard work. But it wasn't to be. The boys he'd grown up with had become men, some of them married and with their own businesses and crafts and such. They weren't willing to give Lan a chance to show them he'd changed, and had denounced his experiments and medical knowledge as something the town didn't need. One of the boys, who had been 5 years older than Lan and was now part of the town council, had told Landon that if he wanted to stay he'd have to take up a hoe or an axe or some labor pursuit or leave with his silly books and vials. But Landon had grown up too and had come into his own. He wasn't going to stand by and let these men who'd pushed him around all his life dictate what he chose to do now that he was an adult and finally had the means to be somebody. So, he'd left--his family and the few friends he'd had, and those pompous bastards who continued to mock him--he'd just picked up and left it all behind, never looking back.

He supposed, in a moment of insight, that Joey reminded him so much of the boys back home, with the boy's interests in rough housing and the way the girls seemed to like him, that he'd subconsciously tried to punish the boy for the way the children in his youth had treated him. But there was another layer to it, because besides the sporty tendency, the similarities Joey had with the boys from Lan's childhood ended there. Joey was sensitive and had a quiet side and an inquiring mind. The lad knew how to read and often settled into one of his father's few books in front of the fireplace at home in the evenings... so in a way, Joey also reminded Lan of himself. And that was why he let the boy hang around as much as he did, with that idol-worship in his eyes when he looked at the alchemist. He remembered that glow in his own gaze when he'd been surrounded by geniuses at his academy.

Hearing Dorelia suggest he take Joey as apprentice, Landon blinked at her, before shaking his head and smiling. "No, I don't think so," he said, scratching his chin. "I use to be an alchemist apprentice once and around a bunch of others as well and let me tell you," he laughed a little. "We're annoying. So excited to learn everything and trying everything too early, and thus ruining a lot of experiments and causing messes. Clumsy and naive and idealistic..." He again shook his head in remembering his first years at Kandelmar, with an amused grin on his face. "No. Right now, I can just tolerate Joseph. If he were my apprentice...he would be insufferable."

As she went on though, the more Lan started to consider the idea. It was pretty exhausting most of the time doing everything himself and he felt bad for constantly sending Abigail to run and do his errands. She never complained and was quick and did well with the tasks he asked her to do, but still...it was a bit shameful to send the old woman running about to and fro constantly. If she were to break a hip, or have a heart attack while out running an errand for him, it would be hard for Lan to live with himself after that, especially when Joey had been here all along. The lad was quick, smart, strong and energetic... Hmmm, maybe...

He gave Dorelia a level look when she said he'd never have to leave his lab, giving her a wry smile. "Ha-ha, very funny," he said dryly, even as the thought pleased him. Yes, I could get so much more work done if I never had to leave... he mused, while appearing disgruntled about her comment.

Landon seemed somewhat confused by what she said next--how was he suppose to be able to do the experiment without her? He needed her to do the magic thingy--and watched with curious interest as she wrote on a piece of paper and pushed it towards him. He glanced at her with quirked eyebrow when she asked if he could read it and looked down at the words with a thoughtful frown.

He recognized the writing as the type of words that filled Dorelia's book and at first when he looked at the lettering, it wasn't clear to him--just gibberish. But then there was an odd tingling in the back of his mind as he stared at the words and he could just make it out vaguely: What is the boy’s name? It popped into his head like a long buried memory and he shivered a little, his scowl deepening. How...how was he able to see that? No. It couldn't be. That didn't make sense. That probably wasn't what the thing said at all. But even as he tried to excuse it and shrug it off, he knew that was indeed what it said. And suddenly, seeing the flowing script so foreign and alien, and knowing it had something to do with Dorelia's book--which he assumed was a spell book of some kind--he felt a sudden jolt of fear.

But he shook his head, his face neutral and professional as he shoved the fear away and stamped it out. "No," he lied. "No, I can't read what it says." And when he looked at her, he kept his face normal and shrugged at her in question. "Dorelia, what's this about?" There was a sense of curiosity deep within him, but there was something just as strong that made him feel like he didn't want to know. A certain creeping dread that filled his gut.

Dorelia watched him very closely after she pushed the book to him. He seemed confused by the text. He didnâ??t get it. He didnâ??t understand it and he didnâ??t understand why she was doing this. She couldnâ??t detect everything that might be going through his mind because of the resistance that the magic put between them but she could watch him and after years of doing so she had gotten pretty good at being able to watch people. So far all the signs were good. If he only had enough magic to keep her form being able to read him fully then it would slowly go away. One needed to get up to a certain level of magic for it to be storable and the best way to tell would be to see if the person could read magic. So far everything pointed to no.

Then she saw it. Watching him so intently she was able to see his shiver and she noticed the change in his mood. First he was unhappy but then he was just scared. It was so sudden and he pushed it away so quickly that she might not have known it was ever there if she had not been paying attention. But she had been. The fear hit her hard. Landon was scared, but this time not of her. He seemed almost scared of himself. She knew he could read it and knew how good he was at calming himself and pushing away his emotions so it was likely the fear was still there, just covered up so he could lie to her.

â??Landon... Never lie to a witch. Any good witch will know you are lying and witches donâ??t like to be lied to any more then normal people do.â? She told him. Then she turned her back on him so that she could try ad think this out.

Why did he have to pass? Why did he have to have her blood in him? She felt terribly guilty for what had happened but she pushed it away. This was not her fault! She had not asked him to give her his blood. She hadnâ??t asked him to hook her up to him. She hadnâ??t asked him to do any of this. This was his decision! It was his hospital, his blood tubes, his decision! He did this to himself! This was his fault! He did this! ... But he did this to save her...

She knew that she could not blame Landon for what he had done. He had not known what would happen. He didnâ??t even believe that she was a witch. What was she supposed to do? Yell at him for saving her life? He could have let her die but that would have been even worse. Because of him she was able to live. She didnâ??t know how long he had them connected or how much of her blood was in him. Right now all she was worried about was the magic because it was the magic that was detectable. She couldnâ??t leave him like this in the dark about what had happened but she didnâ??t want to have to tell him everything. But she would have to tell him some parts of it at least.

She walked back over to him without a word; bringing him to a chair and having him sit on it. Once he was sitting on it she looked around for a second chair and pulled that one up in front of it. She sat across from him in this chair and looked at him, still not speaking. She took his hands in hers, looking at his palms then at the top, then she looked deeply into his eyes, almost like the look one would receive form a cat, like she was looking right past his flesh and straight into his soul. After a few seconds she broke the gaze and she sighed, but she kept a hold of his hands.

â??Landon I need you to listen to me. I need you to stay calm and not panic.â? She told him, her voice was calm but she didnâ??t lace it with magic. She needed him to have a clear head when he heard this. â??You save my life. Do you remember how you did it?â? She asked him. She knew that he remembered but she wanted him to think about what he had done before she went on.

â??Blood for a witch is different. Most magic required some amount of blood. Most of those only require a drop but still, there is blood involved. It is part of why people think magic is evil but it isnâ??t.â? she told him, giving him some background before moving on. â??As a doctor, you know that people canâ??t live without blood. Even if the rest of their body is in perfect health they still need the blood flowing through them. It carries their life.â? She explained, then her grip on his hands tightened slightly, â??For a witch it caries more. A witchâ??s blood carries magic.â? Then she paused, letting the last statement sink in.

â??When you hooked me up to you it didnâ??t go as it should have. You gave me blood. It saved my life. It was what I needed to live.â? Then she sighed, â??But your tubes do more then that. You bled into me, and saved me, but once I had more blood in my system then you did I bled into you.â? She explained to him.

She didnâ??t look away from him. She kept her eyes on him, looking over his face for any hint of emotions. â??My blood carried my magic. It still carries my magic in me... But with my blood in you... it carries my magic in you as well.â? She said, looking down briefly. â??It gives us a connection but it gives you some level of magic. You body cannot produce its own magic but it can store mine.... And as long as it does that... well... It makes you a witch- but just barely.â? She added quickly, not wanting to freak him out.

â??You canâ??t think up your own spells but you can read easy magic... to an extent. It takes longer for you to read it then it would for me to read it. And once the magic is gone then it is gone. Your body does not produce magic so this is only temporary. But if we donâ??t do something to get the magic out of your system then it will sit there. I am not clear on what is supposed to happen. This hasnâ??t happened to me before. Iâ??m going to research it and fix this Landon, I promise I will.â? She told him, holding his hands tightly before she let them go.

â??In the mean time you will need something...â? She began as she looked around. She noticed a stick and she smiled, it was most likely a stirring tool for his alchemy but now it would have a different use. â??I wonâ??t teach you to focus it. You hopefully wonâ??t have it long enough to learn so instead I give you this.â? She told him, presenting to him the wooden stick.

She put the stick in his hands and then she stood him up. She went to work positioning him just right. He would be standing straight, the arm that was holding the stick would be outstretched towards a candle. â??Now listen to me. I need to se if this works otherwise I need to try other methods. I am going to tell you what to say and you will repeat it okay?â? She told him as she stood next to him.

â??Ze, as in zephyr. Fa, as in father. Lon, as in lone.â? She told him, speaking very clearly. â??I need you to focus on the candle and put the three sounds together.â? She told him before taking a step back. If this worked then the candle should light but considering it was his first try she hoped that he would not miss. If he did then whatever he pointed to would light. It would just but a little flame and it would not spread but she just didnâ??t want to deal with anything more right now. She already had an accidental witch, she didnâ??t need one with bad aim.

Landon's heart thundered in his chest and all he could do was stare when she called him on his lie. He glanced sideways down at the words she'd shown him, pursing his lips in thought. He hadn't meant to lie to her really, so much as he'd intended to lie to himself. Saying it aloud, that he couldn't read the thing, had made it real and solid and he was able to hide from the truth. But as she confronted him, the wall he'd built came down and he was forced to face it. The fear was there, niggling in the back of his mind, but he kept up the professional demeanor. "Sorry..." he murmured quietly, not looking at her.

There were so many questions running through his mind about this. Why did she want to know if he could read it? Why could he read it? What did it mean? And each one was laced with that feeling of dread. Something just out of sight that he could feel the presence of--an idea that wasn't clear. Something told him, when it finally did become clear, he wasn't going to like it. But he kept a steady hold on the urge to turn and walk away from this.

Lan watched as she got the chairs and he took a seat in the one offered him, his heart pounding in his ears as he looked at her. Whatever she was going to tell him, he knew it would reveal this vague thing he couldn't grasp and he was not eager to face it in the least. Hearing her tell him not to panic, he frowned a little impatiently and nodded his head. But inside, he thanked her. She'd questioned his ability to keep control over himself just enough that it distracted him from the anxiety that had been building. Now, in his desire not to panic in front of her, he put a great effort into composing himself and keeping calm. Being in a temporary alchemist mode helped him keep the fear safely away from him, but he could still feel it inside, ready and waiting to creep in and take him over if he let it.

When she asked if he could remember how he saved her life, the memory flashed in his head. Him hooked to her unconscious form, the blood flowing between them. Then him over top of her giving her chest compressions and breathing into her trying to resuscitate her. Then...his tears at having lost her and her sudden regaining of consciousness. Yes, he remembered. Very clearly. He'd been so scared that he'd killed another person by using the blood tubes and the agony that had filled him while it had been going on was only intensified by the fact that it was Dorelia that he thought he'd killed. Now, looking back, he realized his sorrow was influenced by the feelings he had for her, and for a moment, he wondered what he would have done if she had died...

Shaking from his morbid thoughts he continued to listen to her, the calm demeanor he had keeping a firm hold. It wavered briefly when she squeezed his hand and told him that a witch's blood carries magic, and suddenly he didn't want to hear any more. He just wanted her to stop! STOP TALKING! But she went on and Lan's breathing got heavier and his tenuous grip on remaining calm was pushed to the limit with every word. He was shaken when she said that he was a witch and he started to tremble a little bit. No! No! No! it was all he could think, coherent thought flung out the window. Why was she saying this? Why? Why was she saying this???

He tried not to listen to anymore but her words came through and despite himself he hung on every one. In his current state, his mind skipped over the word 'temporary' and her reassurance that she would fix this. Lingering instead on the parts where she described the magic inside him and what he could do with it. What he could do? No!No!No!No! He couldn't do anything! Lies! He didn't understand why, but for some reason she was trying to involve him in her witchy drama--she was trying to trick him!

By this point, the alchemist mode he'd been in was hanging by a thread around him and he was a little numb as he stood, holding the stick, pointing it in the way she directed. She instructed him on what to say and to focus on the candle and suddenly alchemist mode snapped and fell away as the realization of what she was asking him to do hit him like a sledge hammer to the head. Then the fear was there, filling him, seeping into him and he shook in his boots, his arm falling down from the position she'd put him in. He looked at her and suddenly, he knew it wasn't a trick...it was real... Everything she'd said and told him was real--the blood, the magic inside him now--and his eyes started to water as he gazed at her in hurt confusion.

"Wha...?" he asked breathlessly, his eyes shining wetly and his face drawn and sorrowful. "What have you done to me?"

The pressure of the fear continuing to fill him was too much and he had to get out of this room before it overflowed. He could not break down! He would not break down! Not in front of her at least. So, he did what he had to: he ran. He tried to keep himself steady and slow as he approached the lab door, but as soon as he started moving, the terror inside propelled him forward and gave him speed and he was actually running as he opened the door and went through. Blindly, he went down the hallway and out the hospital doors, and down the street to his house right next door to the lab. Slamming his door shut behind him he stood in the front room of his home, he was silent and still for a several moments, before the fear caught up and filled him again. Trembling he let out an agonized sob and sank to the floor, feeling dizzy and sick as he crouched against the wall by his front door.

He sat with his knees propped up against his chest and his hands held his head as his mind flew crazily with what had just happened. Realizing he still clutched the stick she'd given him, he tossed it aside angrily and continued to lament over what was inside him. Oh, God! He was a witch! Fucking hell! And of course, despite the blood tubes being his idea and despite it having saved her life--he blamed her and he was angry at her for doing this to him. It was her fault, infecting him with her magic blood! It was her fault for coming to this town and causing all of this trouble! It was her fault for making him love her!

As these thoughts ran through his mind, he laughed at the irony that he didn't even believe in this stuff. But how could he deny after all he'd seen? And it had to be true. He'd read the language on the paper she'd written, even though he'd not known what it had said when he'd looked through her book before. It wasn't proof enough to be conclusive but right now, it felt like it pointed directly to the conclusions she'd reached. Sitting on the floor, he glanced over at the stick he'd thrown. Well...there was one way to find out...

But he started to breath hard again as he looked away. No! That would be just like admitting it, wouldn't it? And what if whatever was suppose to happen happened? What then? But...he had to know for sure... He couldn't sit here in the dark, shivering because of vague shadows. And if he was...then that was something he couldn't run from either. Feeling somewhat calmer now and determined, Landon stood and picked up the stick, holding it in his hands as he contemplated his next actions.

It wasnâ??t as if she thought that he was lying to her just so that he could lie to her. She knew that there had to be some deeper reason to it. Maybe he didnâ??t want to admit what was happening. There was no way he didnâ??t feel anything. She knew that he had to feel something but up until now he would have been able to push it away as part of his imagination. He would push figuring out where she was to luck alone. It was simple. It was deniable. It was scientific... to an extent. At least it didnâ??t involve magic and as long as it didnâ??t involve magic it seemed to work out just fine for him.

Only now things did. He was scared and she could tell. He was doing his best to hide it but she could tell. Even frightened witches put off a certain feeling and this was all to weird, it was almost like feeling her own fear because it was her energy he was radiating. Holding his hands did more then keep his focus on her, it also let her feel his pulse and right now it was racing. She didnâ??t want to tell him. She wanted to let him live in ignorance forever but she couldnâ??t. She needed him to know so he could help her remove the magic.

But this wasnâ??t working. Everything she said his brain seemed to be rejecting, trying to find anything wrong with it to allow him to deny it. She had been hoping for something good, even a little bit of acceptance. All she needed was a chance to prove that this was real and then he could help her to fix it. All he had to do was focus and say the words... but things didnâ??t turn out as she thought they would.

He reacted to her news like a body reacts to bad blood, only much worse. The way he looked at her. Was he going to cry? He looked like it. God no. Please donâ??t cry. She thought. It wasnâ??t only directed towards him. It was for herself as well because she felt the tears welling up in her eyes. She was trying her best, stealing herself from the tears as she tried to keep herself together. She needed to keep herself together otherwise he wouldnâ??t be able to keep himself together.... But the look on his face... The look in his eyes...

Then those words. When those words reached her ears she breathed in sharply and for a while she could not let that breath out. All she could do was watch, as though she no longer had any control. He didnâ??t only leave her there. He ran. Even after he vanished from sight all she could do was watch the door. She could not believe that this had happened. He was the only one that was nice to her, the only one that believed in her. The tears build up and finally spilled over. Her legs suddenly felt weak and she sank to the floor.

She didnâ??t know what to do. For the first time in a very long time there was something that no amount of magic could put back together. All she could do was sit there and cry...

She didnâ??t know how long she sat there but when she had finally cried herself out she needed to put herself back together to find some way to fix it. There were several ways to wear away magic and she didnâ??t even have to worry about coming back. Using magic was the easiest way to get rid of it but it was not the only way....

She pulled herself to her feet and she walked over to Landonâ??s table and put her book in front of her. She needed to do this and she had to do it quickly. Search spells would help her but they required a circle. She looked around and began to search the lab for the tools that she would need. The table was big but she knew that the floor would be better. She finally found the best tools. Landon had chalk and candles, this would be all that she needed.

She cleared some space on the floor and drew her circle and she drew it big. The circle was five feet in diameter. Once this was done she put the book in the center and magically sealed the lab off. No one that was not a witch could enter through it but rather then simply have them run into a wall â??something that was very suspicious- it was a magical deterrent. The non magical person would walk into the spell and suddenly remember something else that they had to do that was very important and if there was nothing then the spell would have them suddenly loose all interest in entering the lab.

Once everything was set up she was fit to caste her spell. She clamed herself down, forcing herself to focus on the magic. This was one of the most complicated spells that she learned so it required absolute focus. She closed her eyes and a stream of magical words left her mouth. Suddenly the book flipped opened and began flipping through each and every one of its pages. When the book was closed there only appeared to be a few hundred but that was just a magical trick. There were really thousands. She would never be able to read it all and she didnâ??t know all of the languages so this was the best way to use the book.

The pages seemed to be flipping themselves at a pace far to fast for anyone to read but that was normal compared to what happened next. Pages began to rip themselves out of the book and float around her. Certain texts seemed to be highlighting themselves them presenting themselves to her for reading. As the spell advanced the number or words leaving her mouth reduced to a constant three. These three would keep the spell going for as long as she could keep the magic flowing.

An empty page presented itself to her and she nodded towards it, then she began to move. Her movements were strange. They seemed to flow in a constant movement. Constantly weaving in and out and as she danced inside of her circle she weaved through the pages, occasionally touching a word here and there only to have it appear on the previously blank page. The whole thing was so fluent that it could have brought even the most experienced dancers to tears. Then again it was magic so she dared not to put herself against normal people. Baba told her that she had learned how to dance like this on her own so she had ever right to but she just didnâ??t think it was fair. She had her magic, they could have their dancing.

The word stream never ceased and neither did her movements but just because these words were coming out of her mouth didnâ??t mean that she could not think.

Magic eaters? I heard of those. Dangerous things if not handled properly. They could work and they would remove the blood... but I donâ??t think Landon would appreciate being attacked by something that should not exist. Not to mention they were hard to control and if they get loose in the town It would be way to hard to explain.... Still the item showed up on her list minus the details. There turned out to be a lot of ways to remove magic .

Psychic vampirism... well Iâ??ll put it on my list but I donâ??t know how Iâ??m going to find myself a psychic vampire.... Oh! You can make one! ... What am I thinking! Iâ??m not going to turn someone into a psychic vampire... Though if I did it to Father Justin... No! Uagh! Damn my conscience. The idea went on the list anyways, she needed to keep all of the ways that this could be fixed, even if they were rejected.

Magical bleeding.... that sounds complicated... how does it work? Ew... OH.... Oh NO! No, no, no, no. I think he would rather stay a witch... Whatâ??s this? Sage bath? Well that sounds easy... Oh, never mind. Thatâ??ll keep him form using magic. That will just keep it trapped inside... oh; I canâ??t imagine the magical build up if used on a real witch. That must be torture! ... Oh.... oh wait.... never mind, thatâ??s the point of doing it.

She wanted to sigh but she couldnâ??t break her stream or something could go wrong. The spell seem complicated but it really was really easy, it was just keeping it going that was hard.

Let me see... whatâ??s on the list so far? Magic eaters, psychic vampires... let me put down regular vampires. They are good at removing blood. She thought, almost laughing at her own little joke. Magical bleeding, sage bath... Let me put down casual casting and time. They will go away if he sticks to that but I donâ??t know if he will.... She thought to herself as she continued to dance and chant the words.

Her spell inside the circle still going and her spell outside of the circle to keep others away were at full power. It needed to be. There was no chance that she could push this off as not being magical. This whole thing screamed magic. And she went on like this for hours. She didnâ??t realize the time was passing but she did feel herself growing more and more tired. As the exhaustion began to set in she pushed herself more. By now she had a list that nearly covered the page. Just one more... She thought, Come on, just find one more then Iâ??ll end the spell. Then Iâ??ll rest. She thought, determined to find one more and she did.

She found one that had a simple name and would do exactly what she needed it to do. But there were draw backs... serious draw backs. She was so happy but in her search to find something to help Landon get back to being just human she forgot Babaâ??s first rule of magic. â??Never push to hard.â?? And that was exactly what she had done. She pushed herself to keep both spells up for hours at a time. Her body was exhausted after dancing for so long and her clothing was heavy with sweat. The whole lab reeked of magic and now that Landon had magic in him he would be able to smell it. Magic did have certain smells and hers smelt like a clear skied meadow after a fresh rain. Doreliaâ??s magic was fueled by nature and life and it would show there was something wrong with her if her magic smelled any different.

But the scent was not the problem. The problem was now that she had pushed herself to hard she could not properly end the spell. The ended the spell around the lab to try and gain enough energy but it was not enough. She didnâ??t have enough energy to go back through the ending process that put all of the pages back in the book. She got a part of the way through it. The pages flew back to the book, her dancing quickening with the speed of the pages. She thought that if she could some how dance faster she could end the spell quicker and use less magic but that didnâ??t work. Her body was too tired.

Half way through the ending ritual of the she could not longer stand. The pages that had not yet entered back into the book began to fall, their movements becoming erratic. Still they flew towards the book, bonding back into it. From her knees she continued the chant, grabbing the paper that had her notes on it form the air so it would not return to the book. She did her best to go on until she could no longer support herself on her knees and she collapsed to the ground. More pages flew into the book. Even without her movements she was focused on the book and still saying the words. A light glowed form the book as the last few pages were finding their way in. Her pace slowed, before long she was gasping out the final words.

The last pages went onto the book and the spell was finished. She smiled, clutching the paper in her hand. Her book closed and sat proudly in its place in the center of the circle. Where Dorelia had collapsed she was half curled around it. With her last bit of strength she put her empty hand on the book, the other clutching the page in hr fingers. She didnâ??t have the energy to get up or even move anything after that and without having the chance to think about it her body forced her into sleep.

But this was a big event for witches. She had used a lot of magic. Any witch in the area would know and right now there was only one. He would be able to feel something was wrong. A sense of dread would fill him and because her magic and blood were in him they would pull him to where she was. Hopefully she would be okay when he got there.

Standing in the main room of his 3 room house, Landon looked down at the stick in his hands as he tried to remember what she'd told him. Normally, he prided himself in his ability to remember things, having needed to in school. When the master alchemist demanded a list of chores to be done, or supplies to be brought to him, he meant instantly. So there had been no time to write things down and if you forgot to do even one thing no matter how small or failed to bring him everything he needed upon first asking, the punishment was severe. If you forgot too many things too often, the master would send you home to the dorm and ignore you for days. If you were lucky, when you came back after 'suspension', he wouldn't have found someone to replace you.

Landon had been at the top of his class and had never been forced to leave his master's service. Not that he hadn't made mistakes at first, but he'd quickly corrected them and honed the skill needed to develop his memory. But for some reason, this was harder. It took him several minutes to bring what she said to mind--and he panicked briefly at the thought of getting the words wrong.

"Ze, as in zephyr. Fa, as in father. Lon, as in lone," he repeated aloud, his voice unsteady. God, he was really going to do this. Taking a deep breath, he went looking for a candle, his movements hurried and clumsy as he searched through his cabinets, making a mess as he left things open and contents moved around haphazardly.

Into his study he went next and let out a triumphant gasp as he spied what he was looking for on the desk. But as he neared he saw that the candle in it's brass holder was practically dead, the wax forming a frozen waterfall over the candle stick's lip and down onto the desk where it had dried. With a weary sigh he looked around the room as he cleared the wax away and made sure the candle stick was usable. Wiping sweat from his brow, he searched the room, this time his passage causing more destruction as papers and books piled already in precarious places, were tipped and everything fell over as he rooted through them looking for a fresh candle.

Eventually, he found one in a drawer where he kept several of them, and rolled his eyes at himself, that he hadn't remembered. Taking one out with a shaky hand, he set it in the candle stick, clearing the desk of the rubbish that cluttered it, so that now the candle was the only thing sitting there. Then he was running to the door of the room and shutting it and locking it and then darting over to the windows and pulling the shades most of the way down so that no one would see what he was doing. Goodness! That's all this town would need is for HIM to be accused of being a witch! Vaguely he wondered if he'd be able to successfully convince the townspeople otherwise if such were to happen.

Breathing deeply, he stared at the candle anxiously for several moments and then quickly got into the position Dorelia had put him in while in the lab, standing with his arm held out and the stick in his hand pointed directly at the candle. Cringing, he uttered the words aloud, "Ze Fa Lon," and held his breath, his hair practically standing on end as he stared at the candle. Nothing happened. He let out a heavy breath and practically slumped as he held onto the desk for support. Wiping sweat from his brow he realized how on edge he was, with his heart beating so fast he could feel it in his throat like something he should swallow, and his breathing coming in heavy gasps. No, of course it hadn't worked, he was fucking scared out of his mind and she'd said he'd needed to focus.

Setting the stick off to the side, he took off his lab coat and his tie and unbuttoned the first few buttons on his shirt. Then he left the study, and went to the main room, making an effort to walk slowly and calm his breathing. Looking through his cabinets once more, he dug out a kettle, filled it with water and set it on the hook over his fireplace. Then he lit the fire and started to clean the house, finding a sense of tranquil peace in not thinking about anything and just doing the work. It didn't take long for him to straighten the house--at least to his own satisfaction--and he sat at his kitchen table, watching the fire as the water heated. When the water had reached a boil, he used a cloth rag to remove it from the fire and finished making himself some tea. He needed to relax and this was the only sure fire way he knew how to get himself to do so.

With a cup of the brew he went back to the study and settled down into the only cushioned chair in the room--something he'd bought from a peddler passing through town. Then he picked up an old scientific journal about the elements. He glanced at the candle before he turned his attention fully to the pamphlet in his hand and the drink in the other. Drinking the warm mixture he let himself get lost for a while in the words on the page, a calm ease settling into his bones and stomach. He got up a few times to refill his cup, but every time, ignored the candle on his desk. An hour or two passed like this, when he finally grew tired of reading and set the pamphlet aside. Taking another sip from his cup he looked over at the candle on the desk.

There was a sense of uneasiness still, but it was dimmed drastically and he was able to look at the thing without feeling like he was going to pass out from fear. His mouth set in a determined line, Landon rose from the chair smoothly, setting the cup aside and walking towards the desk, slipping into alchemist mode with ease. It was easier now that he didn't have the internal struggle going on, the panic trying to shake him from his concentration, and he picked up the stick and got into position steadily, with a serene ease to his movements.

His eyes looked at the candle with a fixated gaze and he stood for the longest time, clearing his mind of everything else as he stared, concentrating on the thing. When he was ready, the words she'd instructed him to say, came to mind easily and his voice firm and unwavering, he said them aloud. "Ze Fa Lon."

He blinked in surprise as the room was suddenly filled with light, not too bright, but brighter than before, and he blinked again when he saw that the candle was lit. He wanted to drop the stick and run; he wanted to scream in terror, but he did neither of those things, seemingly unable to move as he stood transfixed by the small glowing flame on the candle. Oh. My. God. he thought to himself as he let his arm fall down to his side. I did that... I'm a... Instead of feeling fearful he was filled with a raging curiosity--this happened because of her blood? She said it was temporary...that we had to get it out somehow. How? And suddenly he was angry as well. What the hell? I didn't ask for this! And the desire to have this thing...this magic--her magic--out of him, outweighed everything else. Whatever she had to do, he was willing to do it, but he wanted no part of this mystical mess.

He started to take the candle from the brass stick it sat in, to show her what he'd done, what she'd made him do--and that was when he felt it. Something like a heavy foreboding chill that filled his stomach and limbs, and for some reason made him look in the direction of his lab. "Dorelia," he said wonderingly as the pieces fell together in his mind, and he hurried with candle and stick in hand to his lab, hoping that she was alright, that whatever had happened wouldn't kill her or her baby. Then a thought skittered across his mind of this Dwane guy returning for her and suddenly he was running down the hallway and to his lab.

Lots of things hit him as he came through the door. First the sense of having passed through something, and then the scene laid out before his eyes: Dorelia on the ground, curled around the book she always carried with her laying inside a circle drawn in chalk. Then there was the smell that assaulted him, a somewhat pleasant, natural scent yet overpowering in it's intensity. Was that...grass? There was something more to it, but he couldn't quite place his finger on it, and discarded it from his mind as he rushed forward. When he came to the circle, he stopped and hesitated, but entered it and knelt by her side, putting his fingers to her neck to feel her pulse. It was fast, and he wondered what had she been doing? Checking her for injury and finding none, he surmised that she was just exhausted, from what, he had no idea but he hazarded a guess it was magic related--just a hunch. For that reason he hoped it wasn't too serious and that she would recover from it, but if she didn't, he really didn't know how he'd medically treat her magic induced exhaustion.

Having nothing to do at the moment he sat back a little and took a deep breath, running his hands through his hair. After getting himself so relaxed before, the sudden increase to his heart rate and stress level made it seem like the last 2 hours hadn't happened at all and he smiled wryly at that. She was always keeping him on the edge of crises. Lan looked down at her slumbering form with a fond smile and just sat staring at her with adoration in his eyes. He'd never let her see the open look of attraction and love he was giving her as he gazed at her sweetly sleeping face. But for now, he let those walls down and let himself enjoy her beauty, without fear of being reprimanded or needing to explain himself. His hand drifted out of it's own accord and caressed her cheek lightly and he let out a small sigh.

Thinking he'd have to move her so that she wasn't left sleeping on his laboratory floor, his eyes caught sight of the paper in her hand. Curious, he pulled it easily from her fingers and looked it over.

magic eaters
psychic vampires
vampires
magical bleeding
sage bath
casual casting and time
xxxxxxxx

At first, the list made no sense to him, but then as he thought about each thing listed things started to come together--these were ways to get rid of the magic that was inside him. After that speech he'd given her in the hospital when he'd given her the flowers, about how he could deal with her magic and accepted her for who and what she was, he'd run out of this room like a child fleeing a troll. Lan had been so busy and wrapped up in his own struggle to come to terms with what she'd revealed to him, that he only realized now, how insulting and contradictory that must have seemed to her. But instead of being offended by his behavior, she'd continued to look for answers and ways to help him. Gazing down at her again, he felt himself fill with admiration and appreciation for her charitable heart and selflessness.

More and more it was beginning to seem like Dorelia didnâ??t have dreams. Instead, she dreamt memories that tried to tell her things or even sort out events. Now, as she lay there she was just vaguely aware that someone had crossed the circle. Had she crossed it? This was confusing, it felt like she had crossed it but she knew that she was laying down, clutching her book. But someone had crossed it. Who was it? Trying to think was like trying to walk through molasses. Everything dragged on so slowly and she could never exactly seem to get to where she wanted to go. She was always stuck or distracted.

She had used too much magic. She tried to remember what Baba had told her and was vaguely aware that witches could die form using too much magic, or it could leave them seriously impaired. There was a chance her mind would be stuck in this state. Constantly treading through the thick fog was no way to live, she wondered, just barely, if she got stuck like this could she drive one of the people to end her.

But then she thought of her baby. She didnâ??t know what happened to pregnant witches. Pregnancy among witches was rare. Usually a witch found a child with powers who was rejected by their family and took them in. Much like Baba had done with her. Or they find a child and turn them into a witch with blood and the right spell. It was said that the witches could take over this new body once theirs died but that was dark magic so Baba didnâ??t like to talk about it. The pregnancy was a whole new thing and she would have to search the book once she got a chance.

She was vaguely aware of someone touching her neck. Why were they touching her neck? Why was she touching her own neck? And why was she touching herself. She was relieved it was in a non sexual way but she seemed to be searching herself for some kind of injury. But how could she be doing this while she was lying on the ground. It took her a few minu7ets but when she got it she wanted to slap herself for being so slow. Landon must have come. The doctor could check her pulse and look her over for injuries. Then he took the paper form her hand and she groaned slightly in protest. She needed that paper. What if he thought it was more magic stuff and tore it up? He was already mad at her.

After that she wasnâ??t sure what happened. Later she would realize that she had fallen asleep because the memory dreams came. First she saw Landon. He was smiling broadly. He was so happy, so thrilled that he didnâ??t seem to know what to do with all this joy. "Do you know what this means?â? He asked her, he sounded out of breath. Had he been running? No... maybe... he had just given her flowers and he had been looking for her. "I cannot tell you how long I've been looking for this answer! How many nights I've stayed up agonizing over this? And you, you've found it for me!â? Yes, she did. She remembered what this was. This was earlier that day before everything went wrong, well, when it was slowly descending to the point where things went wrong.

â??That alone makes me love you and your...your magic!â? He sounded so sure if it then when he confessed his love but had he really meant it or was it the joy he had not been sure how to deal with. He said he loved her but he didnâ??t love her any more. Not after what she had done. Besides, she could not believe that he would love someone simply for the things that they could do. He claimed to love her magic so why did he hate it so much when he found out that it was inside of him? Why could he not continue to love her and his magic? Why did it have to change where it came form?

"You have done a great service, I cannot tell you how many lives you have saved with this discovery you have shared with me." He seemed so happy and so sure at the time but every statement seemed so wrong now. How many people would she be able to save? Was if more then the people she had accidently driven to madness? Would it make up for her driving her mother to stab her father or for murdering her when she tried to same on her daughter? Would it make up for all her wrongs? All her shortcomings? What if he never got to use it? What if no one was saved? Then this was simply for nothing. He couldnâ??t share it with anyone without them thinking he was crazy.

The memories changed abruptly form the happy event to the terrible one that followed. Once more she saw Landon, stricken with fear, his eyes brimming with tears. She saw him standing there with the stick she had given him. She heard those words again. "What have you done to me?" Only this time they seemed to echo. Landon was a man of logic and science. He truly earned his pseudo magic scent. But now it would start to mix with real magic and she would put him in danger. She wondered dif the priest would notice. She believed that he would and was worried but assured herself that the man didnâ??t know that the term witch extended genders.

When she awoke she found herself lying in the all too familiar hospital bed. How long had she spent in it? A week? Maybe more? How long had she spent in this town. She looked down at her stomach and rubbed it tenderly. She would need to leave soon if she wanted to leave because after her stomach got to big then she would no longer be able to go and she would be forced to stay until her baby turned child would be old enough to travel. She didnâ??t want her baby growing up here where there was so little life. What would her child become with so few elements around? She didnâ??t know. She didnâ??t want to think about it but she could not leave until two things were done. First she had to find a way to fix Landon and then she needed to find a way to get to the next closest town.

She noticed Landon sleeping in the chair by her hospital bed and she smiled at him. She noticed the note, it seemed he had looked at it. She wondered if he had been worried when he found her then she remembered how angry he had been at her. He had been so upset with her that she wondered why he helped her at all. Sadly she only came up with two reasons. The first one was that she was the only one who could fix him and the second was that he would not allow another person to die, no matter how much he hated them. It was a doctorâ??s pride thing. He must have sat with her to make sure that she lived. Despite the fact that only did this for selfish reasons she was grateful.

She got up and wobbled for a second, adjusting to her lack of energy. She took the blanket and draped it over him before kissing his fore head and wishing him pleasant dreams. After that she took her note and folded it up, she hid it in her book then carried her book back to Abigailâ??s house, looking at the ground the whole way. Some people greeted her, asking how she was and what she was up to but she insisted that she needed to get back to Abigail and that she was not in the mood to talk.

When she finally got to the womanâ??s house she saw her in the kitchen. She seemed to be cleaning up and Doreliaâ??s stomach whined in complaint of missing breakfast. The woman greeted her like she always did, in her kind, warm and motherly fashion and once more Dorelia was reminded of the mother who turned on her. Then she was reminded of the child inside of her and Abigail was there before she even realized she had begun to cry. The woman was so kind, so gentle. She wanted to know what was wrong, probably wishing to do something to help.

Abigail was kind that way. It was a shame that this woman had not had a child. She took Dorelia in her arms and suddenly the girl found everything spilling out of her.

â??Iâ??m pregnant.â? She sobbed the words, unsure of what else to do. â??Landon told me so.... I donâ??t know what to do... I donâ??t want it to do true... how am I supposed to care for it? Provide for my baby... I canâ??t even be a wife how can I be a mother?â? She sobbed into the woman, holding her close. She was so confused and lost that she didnâ??t know what to do. â??What if I hurt the baby like my mother tried to hurt me? What am I supposed to do? I donâ??t know.... I donâ??t know...â? She buried her face into the woman like a child would burry their face into their mother.

â??Abigail help me... I canâ??t handle this on my own.â? She pleaded with the woman. Surely she would know what to do. Surely she would help. Dorelia didnâ??t have the slightest clue and she needed some kind of guidance. If only Baba was here then she could help her. But Baba was dead. Abigail was there and if Abigail didnâ??t help her then she didnâ??t know what she was going to do.

Sitting in the chair next to the hospital bed, Lan had forgotten his jacket once again and this time his tie as well, so when the night chill came, he had no defense. Not wanting to leave her side for even a moment, he'd just continued to sit there, folding his arms tightly for warmth. And then he'd drifted off to sleep and Landon did dream.

He was walking home from the lab in the evening, the sun starting to set--why? He never went home at this time. But he continued to walk down the street arriving at his house and went through the door. In the kitchen there was a blonde woman with medium length hair and her back was to him as she prepared supper over the stove. A small child of about 3 came running up to him, a little girl with golden locks and bright blue eyes and she smiled giggling as he picked her up...like a father would. As he asked the little one about her day, the woman turned and smiled. Dorelia never looked so beautiful as she did then with pure affection in her eyes as Landon listened avidly and made excited comments about the young girl's day. When he looked over at the young woman, the look was returned ten fold and he approached her, with the child propped on one hip and kissed Dorelia on the lips lovingly. "Welcome home," she said as they drew apart with a calm smile on her face. "Dinner is almost ready."

Then the dream changed to one of less clear environment. The room was dark but there was moonlight coming in through the windows and from what he could see of the room it was his bedroom. Lan was lying on his back on the bed with Dorelia above him, straddling his hips, her smooth skin bare to the pale light. The room was filled with the sounds of heavy breathing as she moved upon him and the look in her eyes was one of utter desire and lust. His hands roamed her body with a sense of familiarity and tenderness to his touch. Pleasure coursed through him as they continued to make love, reaching a peak that made him tense and cry out in ecstasy.

The dream was enough to warm him in the night and in the morning he didn't stir, even when she did. The blanket draped over him and the kiss on his forehead registered in dream though. Her body close to him as he held her and told her that he loved her. She drew back to look in his face as if searching for something and looked away as she spoke. "I'm a witch--" she said, but he interrupted.

"I don't care. I've loved you since the first time I saw you and I always will. Nothing will change that."

Dorelia seemed not to have heard him speak. "Magic and science cannot go together. It's too much for you to handle and I won't burden you with that, lest I drive you mad. We are at odds and we always will be..." and she started to move away from him.

Starting to get anxious, he reached out for her to try and stop her. "We can make it work! I can learn to understand. I promise, I'll try harder. I'll try harder!" He started to grow more frantic as she drew further away from him and seemed to fade away into the blackness that surrounded them. And she was gone and Landon was left alone calling her name, his voice seemingly swallowed by the endless emptiness. And on his knees he fell and wept for his loss.

Sitting in the chair, his brow furrowed and he mumbled aloud, shifting uncomfortably. Dorelia had already left and was well on her way to Abigail's house, but still he did not waken, the dream holding him tightly in his misery at having lost the woman he loved. Shifting a little too much, his body leaning precariously, Landon fell from his chair, saying her name aloud as he hit the ground.

-------------------------------

Susy sat in her garden brooding bitterly, ranting and raving in her head. That stupid alchemist! How could he do this to her? It was that wench, Doreina or whatever the hell her name was! She had seduced him and clouded his mind so that he could no longer see clearly the love he most definitely felt for Susy! She had to do something to get him back. If he was gone, then her one reason for living would be snatched away and all by an outsider who would probably use him and discard him anyway! Susy had to protect him from this conniving little witch!

The roses she was pruning suffered from her internal dialogue, a few heads being snipped off needlessly, but she didn't really care, the aggression in her movements giving clue to her thoughts. Then she heard from the street, someone say that girl's name and it sounded like a few people were talking with her. Quickly, Susy got up and peeked around the corner of her house and looked towards the street. There she was, that little harlot passing by holding that big tome she'd arrived to town with. From the looks of things the woman had a lot on her mind, but to Susy's eyes it looked like she was scheming and planning something nasty. The direction she was going told her Dorelia was probably going to Abigail's house and she turned back to the garden of flowers in her yard. Maybe she'd pay Abigail a visit this morning as well...

-----------------------------

Abigail busied herself about her home, finding anything to do. Yesterday she'd been worried after Landon left, wondering what had happened. He'd been looking for Dorelia and that meant he'd probably chased the girl away again by being a stubborn woolheaded fool. But it hadn't seemed like they were fighting--he'd been so happy. The old woman didn't understand the situation because then he'd suddenly seemed concerned about the girl not being there and the way he'd demanded she keep Dorelia here if she arrived, made Abigail think something bad had happened and the girl might leave or something.

She'd tried to busy herself, baking bread and making tea, but her mind still agonized over the lack of information. Several times, she almost left to go find Lan and demand answers. But then she wondered if she left and Dorelia arrived, that she wouldn't be here for the girl if she was hurt or sad. So, she'd stayed, anxiously keeping herself busy and trying not to think of it. When a few hours had passed, and Lan hadn't returned, she had assumed he'd found the girl and Abigail had been a little calmed by that thought. When she'd finally gone to bed, the old woman laid down on her pallet on the floor, leaving her bed open, in case the girl returned, she'd have a place to sleep.

In the morning, seeing the bed untouched, Abigail had started to get worried again. When she'd noticed the large book was missing, she'd gotten even more scared, thinking that the girl had come in the night and taken it and possibly left town for good. Dorelia wouldn't leave without saying goodbye, would she? She might if Landon had made her mad enough--there was just so much uncertainty, that it drove Abigail crazy in thinking over it all. She was forced to admit that she didn't know the young woman very well and although she'd like to believe she wouldn't just hurry off in the night, it was hard not to consider it a possibility.

There was some comfort in the fact that her other things were still there and Abigail tried to calm herself by pretending the girl hadn't left. So, she played a game of denial with herself and wondered placidly where the girl had stayed last night and made a note to herself to give Dorelia a strong talking to when she returned. Worrying this old woman like that, so needlessly. How very rude of both her and Lan. That was how she thought this morning. Setting her worry aside, she acted like nothing was wrong and went about her morning chores, keeping herself busy, lest the worry come back in.

When Dorelia came through the door, there was instant relief blooming on Abigail's face, but she kept it low key. Of course her anxiety had been blown out of proportion by her own thoughts and it wasn't the girl's fault for not knowing what was going through Abigail's head this whole time--she hadn't intentionally worried the old woman. So, she put on her warmest smile and said, "I made fresh bread last night, if you would like some--have you had breakfast yet? I've also got butter and jam to put on it..." Then the warm smile fell away and she was rushing forward to the girl's side when she saw the tears streaming down her face. "Oh, dear. What happened?"

When Dorelia spoke everything came out in between sobs and as she listened, she cursed Landon and his lack of tact. He'd of course told the girl she was pregnant, but had obviously failed to ease her mind or comfort her about it, leaving her just to panic and be miserable. So Abigail held the girl as she cried, making soothing noises as she caressed Dorelia's back comfortingly. "It will be alright, dear," she said, her voice warm and empathetic. "You have plenty of time to learn domestic skills. And it's not like women are born mothers. I remember when Maggie Coplin had her first baby, she was only 16 years old and just newly married that year. The girl couldn't cook for anything still and had never been around babies before. She had so many doubts and worries. But then through trial and error, she learned and her eldest daughter Else is a fine young girl who helps her mother by caring for all her younger siblings. And Maggie practically runs the Bakery now with her husband and bakes the finest things you've ever tasted."

She frowned sadly at what Dorelia said about her own mother and chimed in with a determined look on her face. "Now, I sincerely doubt that," she said with absolute certainty. "You have such a sweet heart and disposition, I'm positive this baby will have nothing but a good, happy life with you as it's mother." The girl's last words made Abigail smile and she put her hand under Dorelia's chin and made her look up at her. "You are not alone. You are a strong young woman with a big heart. Resourceful and independent. We can take things slow, we've got plenty of time. First, we'l get yo a job, workingwith Beatrice the seamstress and you'll start making money. Then we'l get you learning how to cook and tend a house from the women in town, who are so eager to help it's not even funny. And then eventually, we'll see about getting you your own house where you can live and raise the child. You don't need to worry. You can do this, I know you can. And you have plenty of time." Then she hugged Dorelia tightly, rubbing the girl's back some more, before drawing away. "Now how about some breakfast?"

The woman seemed to believe that she had time. She sighed, unsure of what to do with the child. She heard what Abigail said about Maggie and was happy for the hope but the story made her blush slightly at her own incompetence. A wife and mother made at sixteen and there she was, nineteen years old and nothing more then a domestic nuisance. She couldnâ??t cook or clean. She used spells for small things but she could never do those things on her own. Magic was easy. Tell the spell to cook the food and it seemed to know all the rest but that did nothing to help her survive in a normal society.

She finally understood what Baba had told her about magic turning into a crutch that she couldnâ??t walk without. Well here was her perfect chance. Other then helping out Landon she would have to live her life normally. Magic had become too much of a crutch. Here she was, nineteen, and still without a family or a house. Well, she did have a family coming soon. The thought made her rub her belly again. She was not sure what to do with this child but Abigail believed that she would be a fine mother so she decided that she had to believe in herself.

â??Thank you so much Abigail. I really donâ??t know what I would do without you here.â? She said with a smile, giving her another hug before releasing her. â??No, I havenâ??t had a thing to eat. I stayed up with Landon working on those blood tubes he used with me.â? She told the woman. â??I got very tired and ended up falling asleep in one of the hospital rooms.â? She told the woman, then she smiled, â??Landon was sitting next to the bed when I awoke. He must have been worried, he watched me all night. I wrapped the blanket around him before I left. I wonder if he is still there...â? She said thoughtfully, hoping that he would be okay out there all on his own.

She watched the woman go to work at the stove and stood close by, watching what she did and hoping to learn. She wasnâ??t sure who she would be staying with but the people in town did seem to be acting slightly strange. â??Do you think we should invite Landon to breakfast?â? she asked the woman, then she thought for a bit and she shook her head. â??No. If he stayed up to keep and eye on me he is probably tired. Oh! Maybe you can help me make something and I can bring it to him later.â? She said, hopeful that the woman would help her out. She would likely need a lot of help and she would have to be extra careful not to cut herself. The last thing she needed was to accidently slip him more witches blood.

Then she remembered the events of the previous night and the list. Abigail told her to go sit down and no matter how much she protested Abigail eventually got her to sit and wait at the table. While there Dorelia began to think of the list in her head. She didnâ??t have enough magic to do anything on it. She sighed, she had spent so much time finding the items on the list that she hadnâ??t even saved enough magic to do any of them. Of course she could if she drained from others but that was a darker skill and to be used for emergencies only. She tried to remember what she had done before that got her magic to build up and when she remembered she wanted to yell.

Many people didnâ??t know this but there was a difference between witches. They had different colors that represented their different affiliations. Dorelia was classes as a green witch. That meant that her powers were mainly field by plant life. And she was in a desert... But there was one place. Suzyâ??s house was full of plants and if she spent enough time there then she should be back to full in no time and maybe even begin expanding like she had been doing when she was surrounded by plants at all times. She realized that she needed to get a few for around where she slept.

But there was something wrong with that woman and she couldnâ??t put her finger on it. Then again there seemed to be something wrong with everyone, even Dorelia. Right now the thing most wrong with her was that she was carrying her rapistâ??s child. His face, cruel and smiling, flashed through her mind. She shuttered then she looked down. By this time Abigail was almost done with their breakfast. â??Abigail....â? she began, her voice was quiet and shaky. â??Abigail Iâ??m scared...â? she admitted, hating the fear that resided inside of her.

â??I remember him... the man that did this.... what if.... what if...â? she swallowed, forcing herself to go on. â??What if the child turns out to be like him? What if the baby is more like him then like me? What if itâ??s a boy and looks just like him....â? she kept her head down, ashamed of the thoughts but needing to voice him. â??I donâ??t know if I could do that... If I could take care of a child that looked so much like him...â? she confessed. She looked back at the woman, teary eyed. She wasnâ??t sure what to do now. There were so many possibilities. So much uncertainty. Abigail would be there for her and so would Landon but would she be able to be there for herself? She was reminded again of her motherâ??s madness. The fear for her sanity did nothing to calm her already mounting fears of how she was going to raise the child.

Falling from the chair woke him him up of course, and Landon sat on the ground groggily looking around for a moment. Seeing the empty hospital bed he didn't even bat an eye--that certainty from before that Dorelia was still here in town filled him and he didn't panic about her absence. He sat for several moments on the floor gathering himself and finally stood with a slight groan. That was the problem with having slept in a bed--when you started sleeping sitting up in chairs again you woke up with all sorts of kinks and aches.

Supporting himself with the chair he'd fallen from, he stood up holding his back, straightening up with several cracks and pops from the bones in his spine and shoulders. He groaned a little then let out a heavy breath as he continued to stretch, massaging his neck with one hand as he walked from the room. Maybe he'd be able to get some work done today. And start studying how the blood of the rabbits differed scientifically so he could find a way to do the experiment without Dorelia's help. Not that he wasn't grateful to her and everything, but he did want to eventually write about this and publish it in a medical journal.

Despite the magic used to find it out, the fact remained: There were different types of blood. This was an important discovery and people--scientists and doctors--had to know about it. It was crucial for the future of blood transfusion which was an important medical tool. If people kept dying from it because they were getting the wrong type of blood and nobody knew why, then they might abandon the practice as harmful. It wouldn't be a total loss--even if the medical community rejected the use of blood tubes and labeled it as harmful, Lan could still convince them otherwise when he had the proof. But it would just be harder to fight the stigma once it was established, is all.

Entering his lab he looked at the ground where the chalk circle was and sighed as he remembered her sleeping there and how sweet she'd looked. Shaking himself from his thoughts he cleaned up the candles she'd set up around it and put them away, then set about cleaning the floor of the chalk. When that was done, he walked over to the washbasin and started to clean himself, washing his face and hands. Looking in the mirror above the washbasin, he felt at his scruffy chin as he inspected himself. Normally, Landon only kept the mustache and the rest of his face smooth, but the past several weeks he'd forgotten to shave and now had quite a little beard on his chin that was starting to overtake his cheeks. It was a bit scraggly looking and he felt the need to shave it off. He'd also need to trim his mustache too.

Picking up the straight razor that rested next to the soap he contemplated how he was going to go about doing this. Normally Abigail helped him out with this chore but she was probably busy doing womanly things with Dorelia right now--how odd that he assumed the two of them were together... Then he heard a noise from out back and he walked over to the back door of the lab opening it and standing on the step. Joey was outside, filling the rabbits water bottles. The boy seemed somewhat morose today and merely glanced up at Lan as he continued to do his chore.

"Da says it's going to get really hot today, so I'm giving them extra water right now," he said plainly, the affect gone from his voice.

Lan noticed the child's mood and was about to ask what was wrong, before he remembered yesterday. Yet again he was faced with how much of a jerk he could be sometimes and felt a little guilty at the way he'd treated the boy. He saw that the lad was almost done with tending the rabbits and would probably leave, and he felt bad for having mistreated him. But he hesitated before he asked.

"Uh, Joseph," he said as the boy closed the last cage up and started to turn away. "How would you like to help me with something?"

From the boy's expression when he looked at the alchemist, he knew it would take more than just a little positive attention to get the boy's spirits up this time. He must have really hurt his feelings yesterday. But Joey seemed open and looked interestedly at him, nodding his head and shrugging.

Landon held up the razor. "Do you know how to use one of these?" he asked as the boy walked over to him.

"Sure I do!" Joey said brightly. "Can't you tell?" And the boy patted his chin, smiling as if pointing out the lack of facial hair as a sign of his experience shaving.

Landon chuckled at that, then bit his lip and looked away. No, maybe it wouldn't be a good idea to have the boy do it afterall. Joey saw his doubt and jumped in to cover the alchemist's hesitance. "I've helped me da shave a bunch of times," he said confidently. "I know how to do it." And he held his hand out for the razor.

Landon looked at him and shook his head. "No, it's alright, Joe," he said trying to say it in a way that wouldn't make the boy feel rejected, even as he tried to think of who else might be able to help him. Maybe he'd just have to get Abigail to do it for him sometime later. "I think I'll just get an adult to--"

"I can do it," Joey said quietly, almost pleading with the man. Why wouldn't he trust him? He was a smart kid and he was very responsible. He could do a lot of things if he'd just give him a chance.

Lan saw the look in the boy's eyes and sighed. Well, worse case scenario, the boy would cut him on the neck and he'd have to patch himself up before he bled to death. And the least bad thing that would happen would be that Lan would come out with patches of facial hair still on his chin from an incomplete job. On a whim, he finally decided to have some faith in the lad.

"Alright, but if you cut me then we're not friends anymore," he said completely straight faced. The boy stood staring at him, somewhat concerned, until Lan smirked and he knew he was joking. What the boy focused on the most, besides the alchemist teasing him good-naturedly was the fact that he'd said they were 'friends'. It was only then that Joey got a bit nervous, hoping he didn't screw this up.

As they walked into the lab together, Lan handed the razor to the boy and got everything set up. He sent the boy to get a sheet from the hospital wings and Joey ran quick as lightning and was back within 1 minute with what he'd asked for. Lan made note of it as he sat in the chair and Joey covered him up to the neck with the cloth he'd gotten. Then he instructed the boy as he prepared the shaving cream, Joey making a bit of a mess with it despite Lan being careful in his explanations.

He'd already washed his face so the next thing was Joey lathering up his face and that made a mess as well. But the boy seemed determined and focused and generally ignored Landon's exclamations and telling him to be careful. Then they got to the actual shaving part, and Joey was fixated on the task at hand, holding himself steady as he brought the razor down smoothly again and again, wiping what came off onto the hem of the sheet draped over Lan's body. At first Landon was tense and his heart beat rapidly in his chest. But then he watched Joey closely and saw the concentration the boy had and how at ease he seemed under pressure and it calmed him down.

He was so calm in fact, he let his mind wander and didn't even realize what was happening when the boy got to his upper lip. He finally became alert when Joey sighed and stood back with a pleased smile. "Done?" Lan asked and gave the boy an appraising nod as he stood, taking the sheet off and wiping the excess cream from his face as he walked over to the mirror. Immediately, he noticed what was missing. Turning from the mirror slowly, Lan looked at Joey with wide eyes.

"What did you do???" he asked in a disbelieving voice and the smile Joey had on instantly faded and he looked at the alchemist uncertainly and confused.

---------------------

Susy stood in her front room, flipping through her mother's notebook. As she'd thought more and more about Dorelia and her seduction of the alchemist, the more she realized that if the woman had seduced him, then there was only one way to fix the problem. Lan wasn't going to listen to her, and would probably think she was just being a jealous fool if she tried to convince him to stay away from the woman. So the only way was to get rid of Dorelia herself. Susanne was so driven by her possessiveness, that she was willing to do whatever it took to get rid of her rival. Finding what she sought in the book, she went and found the plant that matched the picture, plucking from it a few leaves and preparing them in a tea bag.

The name of the plant was Deadly Nightshade and she would present the leaves to Dorelia as a remedy of some kind. A gift for giving her enough money to make her dreams come true. Hopefully when she died and everybody figured out she'd been poisoned, they would all excuse it away as Susy not knowing her plants again--she knew what they thought and it was true. Normally it hurt, the townspeople's lack of faith in her abilities as an herbalist, but this time, it would work to her advantage to act innocent and stupid.

After the leaves were prepared, she stuck them in a pocket on her dress and grabbed her shawl and went out the door.

---------------------

Hearing the girl mention staying up all night with Lan and what they had been doing, Abigail grew concerned. It was her belief that the blood tubes were dangerous. Even though they had worked for Dorelia, didn't mean that the risk wasn't there and she shuddered whenever she thought of the doctor mixing his blood with someone else. But Dorelia had said she'd been helping him; maybe they were finding out why they had worked for Dorelia and not that little girl Lan had last used them on. The girl who'd died.

She smiled at what the girl said about Landon sitting up and watching over her, and although Abigail knew he acted this way with most of his patients who were in extreme crises, she doubted Dorelia had suffered much from being exhausted. That was another reason she'd started to suspect Landon had feelings for the girl and she smiled to herself at that thought. She wasn't a matchmaker or anything like that, but in her opinion the two would make a perfect match. Dorelia was just strong enough to keep him in line and just soft enough to open the man's heart.

Hearing the young woman's idea to make something for Lan, Abigail smiled. "I think he would really enjoy that," she said, her heart bursting with excitement at the opportunity to help the girl grow in something. "I would love to help you, just you go sit down while I finish making breakfast." When Dorelia protested, Abigail insisted again firmly, returning to her work only after the girl sat down at the table. The bread she'd baked the night before was almost completely cut into slices when Dorelia started talking again. What the girl said, made Abigail turn from what she was doing to look at the girl.

Her concerns were very good ones and it was definitely something to consider. Abigail looked at Dorelia long and hard, her gaze sober and considering what to say. It would be wrong to make Dorelia suffer through that memory every day of her life every time she looked at the child as he grew up--if it was a he. But what was the alternative? "If you find you cannot bear it," she said calmly, choosing her words carefully. "There is always giving him to a family who would not know the pain you have suffered and thus would not be burdened by it. And there are always men and women who cannot conceive on their own who would be praying for the chance to have someone to love. If things did turn out that way, I do not think anyone would blame you..."

She turned back to the counter where she'd been cutting the bread and brought it to the table, setting down a jar of red jelly and a knife next to it. Abigail felt the need to say something more, but couldn't think of anything--the situation was complicated and difficult. So when there was a knock at the door, Abigail was somewhat relieved to go answer it. Seeing Susy on her doorstep, she smiled politely.

"Oh, Susy," she said pleasantly. "What brings you here this fine morning?"

"Hello, Abigail," Susy said giving the older woman a bright cheerful smile. "I'm looking for Dorelia. Is she here?"

"Yes, of course. Won't you come in?" Abigail stepped out of the way for the young red head and closed the door behind her when she'd passed the threshold. She let the young woman in, hoping to help get Dorelia's mind off of her troubles and she knew the two women had reached a connection before...or had seemed to.

Susy gave Dorelia a smile as she walked into the room, bright and sunny as ever. "I wanted to thank you," she began in humble tones, getting somewhat serious, but still happy. "For what you did for me yesterday. I acted rather foolish and I'm sorry. But you've really helped me a lot. Given me the opportunity to pursue my dream finally."

As Abigail walked back into the room, she smiled at Susy warmly. "Would you like to join us for breakfast?" she asked and Susy accepted joyfully.

"Oh! And I brought you some tea," she said. "As a gift to thank you and also I thought, since you got the tea plant from me, you might like some of a different blend that I have growing. Maybe we could make some to go with breakfast?"

"Excellent idea," Abigail said. As she set about putting a kettle of water on the fire, Susy sat at the table and got some bread for herself, breaking off small pieces of it and nibbling them as she spoke.

"You know Landon visited me yesterday," she said, smiling at Dorelia as if reporting a fact that made her proud. "We were engaged, but he got caught up with work and fighting with Father Justin. Slowly we grew a part, but he still has feelings for me and one day he's going to ask me to marry him." There was a wondering in her tone but also a slight possessive lilt, as if the man had already said yes and the future was set.

Then she changed gears dramatically, not seeming to notice her abrupt shift in conversation. "I helped him pick out the flowers yesterday. He has no idea what they mean and I couldn't decipher my mother's notes enough to help him figure it out. I hope you guys made up alright, anyway." But in actuality there was something in her tone that said she didn't care either way.

Then she shifted the topic again her face opening like a blooming flower as she smiled excitedly. "I cannot wait for you to help me with my plants. Everything will be so much better and people will respect me so much more once I have everything organized and can actually figure out what things are and what they do." The excitement in her eyes and voice was genuine and her smile was big and bright. Abigail sat at the table with the other two women and began eating her own piece of bread as they talked.

"Tell me about your greenhouse, Susy," Abigail said. She remembered the rumors in town that Susy had caused, but felt it best not to say anything about it at the moment. The girl was still very innocent and hadn't known the chain of events she'd set in motion by spending that money.

Hearing what Abigail said, Susy's eyes shined with an inner light and her cheeks glowed as she spoke. "Well," she began, smiling. "It's going to be long and thin and very tall with a peaked roof and glass windows on all sides. And inside there are going to be rows of planters where the herbs and flowers will be kept all neat and together. Paitr is going to install pipes for me to be able to water them all as well. And it'll be big enough that anyone passing by on either side of the street and even several houses away will be able to see it. The windows glistening brightly in the sun." There was a dreamy look on the young woman's face as she described it as if she were visualizing it right then.

The water in the kettle reached a boil then and Susy jumped up from her seat and took it off the fire. Then she set about making the tea for Dorelia, pulling the small packet of leaves from her pocket. "Could you make a cup for me as well?" Abigail asked and Susy paused a moment before answering.

"Sorry, I didn't know if Dorelia would like this so I only brought enough for one sample." She let the leaves steep in the water for several minutes before taking them out and bringing the kettle over to the table with a cup in hand. Smiling, she filled the cup for the girl and said, “I hope you like it. If you do, then I could always sell you that plant as well. From the money you’ve already given me of course.” There wasn’t a hint of nervousness to her and she was completely at ease as she handed Dorelia the cup.

Abigail supported her idea but she really had no idea what she was going to make for him. She didnâ??t want to impose by using up more of Abigailâ??s food. The woman was already letting her stay here out of the kindness of her heart and fed her while she gave the woman nothing. She tried thinking of how to explain how she had what she had and she decided that maybe she would some time in the future and reward her with some item or another. Until then she was effectible mooching off the woman and felt horrible about it.

She was already feeling bad enough about the idea that it might be a boy and look like the man that did this to her. Abigail was so nice about it. She was all too kind. When the idea of giving up the child came up she was shocked. The thought had not crossed her mind and the more she thought about it the more she hated it even being in there. Giving the child away? Abigail was right. There were woman who would do anything to have a child and couple who, for some reason or another, were unable to have children and adoption was their only choice. Abigail seemed sure that no one would blame her but she couldnâ??t.

â??I would blame me.â? She said very quietly. She wasnâ??t sure she would be able to live with knowing the child that came form her body was in someone elseâ??s arms. Not only that, but suppose the child turned out to be a witch. What would happen when the powers showed? Would they welcome it? Would they shun it? Would they turn on her baby like her mother had turned on her? She could not bare the idea of it. No matter what happened she would have to stick with the child.

She was happy that she didnâ??t have to think on it further because their conversation was interrupted. There was a knock at the door and she wondered who it could be. Had some people come to visit her when she would not talk to them on the way here? She hoped that was not the case. She didnâ??t think it was Father Justin. He could not come here just to visit her after the trial would he? She hadnâ??t heard form him since the trial, she wondered how he was doing and then realized that she would have to go to his morning sermons. She nearly groaned at the thought of it. She doubted that man would be any happier to see her then she would be to see him.

It wasnâ??t Landon, she was sure of that. So who was it? She finally got the answer when she heard the voice on the other side of the door. It was a girlâ??s voice and she instantly knew who it was. It was the mixed up herbalist and Dorelia was not sure if she was happy to see her. She was always happy to see someone else that was interested in plants but she wasnâ??t so sure about this woman. Her mental stability seemed shaky and that always put Dorelia on edge. But she seemed happy, even asking for Dorelia. The woman was smiling at her and she seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood so Dorelia thought that things would be okay, this time at least.

The woman seemed to want to thank her and apologize. She was being so reasonable now that Dorelia was beginning to wonder if she even had to worry about this womanâ??s mental state. It seemed like she didnâ??t and that cheered her up a bit. She decided that she was happy to see her and was glad that Abigail had decided to invite the girl to breakfast. She was surprised to hear that the woman brought her some tea. She was curious to know what she had blended together for this tea but she decided to let it be a surprise, she was sure she would recognize the taste.

The women went on speaking and she was surprised to hear what the woman said. They had been engaged? The idea struck her hard and she wondered what had happened. The woman explained it and it sounded like Landon but this woman clearly believed that he still loved her. Did he still love her? Dorelia didnâ??t know and not knowing irritated her. Landon would not lead a girl on like this. At least she didnâ??t think he would... but then why would she saw this?

She said that she had helped him pick out the flowers and the girl admitted that she could not read her motherâ??s notes. She smiled, remembering the meaningâ??s and hop wren Landonâ??s face had gotten. She felt slightly bad for the girl. Why would her mother leave the girl book written in magic when she had to know that her daughter was not a witch? Perhaps she had known that they would find their way into the hands of a witch. Maybe she had not wanted her daughter to follow her profession so she wrote the notes in this language to try and prevent her daughter from following in her footsteps. Whatever the reason had been it didnâ??t change the fact that the girl had decided to follow her mother anyways and without the books she could not do what her mother had done very well.

The girl mentioned her getting help on the plants and Dorelia was pulled back to the conversation. â??I look forward to it to.â? Dorelia told her. She meant it too. This would be the perfect way to hang around the plants and get her magic back up to where it was before she overly pushed herself. Dorelia finally took a piece of bread for herself but she ate the first piece plain. The bread was delicious but Susy was talking about her green house so She didnâ??t interrupt. It sounded wonderful but glass reflected and she realized it would hurt the eyes of most people that looked at it. Then again the light on the horizon might draw more people to the small town so it could be either bad or good.

â??I sounds like it will be beautiful. But are you sure? More shelves would be just fine; the plants seem to be doing so well in your home.â? She told the girl. She wasnâ??t lying either, they seemed very happy in there.

When Susy brought her the tea she could almost feel that someone was wrong. She didnâ??t know what it was. The woman was smiling and didnâ??t seem upset or nervous and nothing about her was off in any way that required worry. She brushed it aside, telling herself that she was just thinking of how she believed that Landon still wanted her. The woman was offering her tea that she made herself and she had no reason other then that to suspect that anything was wrong. She took a sip of the tea and she smiled at the woman, â??It is lovely.â? She told the girl. It wasnâ??t really all that good but it was just fine. Yet was she sipped it she got a feeling that she had tasted it somewhere before and she thought back, trying to remember where.

â??Baba what are you doing?â? A twelve year old Dorelia asked the old woman who looked as though she had not aged past thirty. The woman had found a way to keep looking young and would not tell Dorelia what it was.

â??I am making tea.â? The woman said calmly, focusing and measuring out the plants very carefully.

â??But itâ??s time for my lesson.â? The girl protested, not wanting to wait for tea to start her lesson. Baba was teaching her all kinds of cool things about nature that would make her a better witch so she was always excited for her next lesson.

â??This tea is your lesson.â? The woman said, speaking very calmly and not looking away from what she was doing.

Dorelia was left very confused. Baba was making so many different kinds of tea. Why was she making so many? She never made this many before. Dorelia asked what plants they came form but Baba would not tell her. She asked what their lesson would be about but Baba would not tell her that either. Baba was strange at times but that was part of what Dorelia loved so much about her. When the child realized that she would not get anything form the woman she went outside to play with her baby goat. Baba said it was only temporary but she was happy to have the baby there.

When Baba brought out the different tea they were each in a different colored cup. Dorelia realized that this was to tell them apart. First the woman handed her a white cup and after she drank that she handed her a red cup. As Dorelia was drinking the red cup Baba began talking.

â??Many good things come from plants. Food, medicine, shelter. But bad things come form them as well. Bad things like poison.â?

When the woman said that Dorelia suddenly got a very bad feeling about where this lesson was going.

â??Bad people will use plants for bad things and they will use them to do bad things to other people and maybe to us so it is important to know the taste and what to do if someone has slipped you a poison.â? The woman told her, remaining very calm.

Doreliaâ??s eyes went wide and she dropped the near empty red cup onto the grass. â??You.... you...â?

â??Yes. Dor, you must listen. This is an important test and you have a time limit on it.â? All through this the woman kept a calm appearance as if nothing was wrong. â??You have been poisoned. The red cup was full of a poison form the plant called Deadly Nightshade. What you must do now if get the poison out of your system.â?

â??HOW!â? Dorelia cried, terrified. She trusted this woman! How could she poison her? What if she died? She didnâ??t want to die! She wasnâ??t even a full witch yet! She couldnâ??t die before becoming a full witch! Baba would not let her! But Baba had poisoned her.... As her confusion grew so did her panic.

The woman stood up and put her hands on the childâ??s shoulders. â??You have to make yourself sick. You canâ??t use magic this time; you have to do it without magic.â?

â??But-â?

â??The more you argue the less time you have.â?

This made the child silent and the woman was allowed to continue.

â??You have to take you finger and touch the back of your throat with it.â?

The girl was quick to act. She ripped herself from the grasp of the woman and ran to a bush. She did as instructed but she had some trouble at first. When she finally got it she was already feeling some effects. She was dizzy and she couldnâ??t get back up. She ended up falling over to the side. Her heat pounded in her chest and her head hurt. She was scared, sure that she was going to die now, and sure that Baba had killed her.

But death never came. After some time she was able to get back up and look at the woman. The moment she was able to get to her feet she attempted to run and Baba let her. She ran as far as her legs would take her sand stayed out there for three days. Baba did not come looking for her and she stayed in a cave through storms. When she finally decided to come back Baba welcomed her back.

â??Why didnâ??t you come looking for me? Donâ??t you care?â? Dorelia asked the woman accusingly and she just smiled. â??I course I do. I had the trees watching you for me. I knew you would come back when you were ready.â?

â??I shouldnâ??t have come back at all! You tried to poison me!â?

â??I did poison you but I knew you would get through it. I am making you stronger. If you learn the flavor of poisons then you wonâ??t have to worry about someone else poisoning you and you can even build up a tolerance to poisons. You are at the perfect age to start.â?

Dorelia was so confused that she could not even be mad anymore. The woman opened her arms and Dorelia felt tears brimmed her eyes and she ran to the woman. Despite everything she was so happy to be in her arms again.

â??Dor I would never do anything to hurt you. Everything I do is to help you and keep you safe and teach you about the world.â? The woman said, smiling kindly at the child. â??Now, we need to finish our lesson.â?

â??Does that mean...â?

â??Yes. More poison. But you will remember the tastes and afterwards I will teach you the effects incase something covers up the flavor.â?

â??But I donâ??t want to!â? the girl protested.

â??This could save your life one day.â?

â??But Baba Iâ??m scared.â? The little girl admitted as she was lead back to the table that was waiting for her with fresh cups of poison.

â??Itâ??s okay to be scared.â? She told the girl as she handed her a blue cup, â??Now drink up.â?

The conversation had gone on. Abigail and Susy were talking about something and she realized she had already drunk half of the tea that had been offered to her by this woman. She had no idea what the new topic was and did not care to learn. Her work with Baba had helped her to build up a tolerance but she had also learned never to chance it.

Realizing that she didnâ??t have much time she practically jumped from her seat. The chair fell backwards but she did not stop to pick it up. With the cup in hand she ran form the house and out the back door. A quick glance showed no one so she tossed the cup of tea form the door and fell to her knees on the ground before performing a skill that the lessons had made her very good at. Making herself throw up.

She never liked it. It was an unpleasant feeling but she had to do it. She couldnâ??t risk her life. She pushed her fingers to the back of her throat and pulled them out just as she got ill. She stayed like that on three of her four limbs before she remembered something. She was pregnant. Even if she was protected form small amounts of poison she didnâ??t know what it would do to the child she was carrying so she made her self sick again. Then she did it a third time. She continued until she could not bring herself to throw up anything else and then she sat back, gasping for breath.

She began to burry the regurgitated poison in the sand, covering it so that it would no longer be seen but she knew that Abigail was there behind her. The woman would have worried after seeing her run form her chair like that and there had been plenty of time for bother Abigail and Susy to get there and watch her be sick. â??That was no tea.â? She said, gasping out the words and she still tried to catch her breath. â??It was poison.â?

"What?" Joey asked worriedly. What had he done wrong? He hadn't cut the alchemist, NOT ONCE and he'd given the man a clean shave. Why was he suddenly angry?

Landon stood, still looking at the boy, outrage and surprise battling over his features. "Do you notice anything missing, Joe???" he asked making a motion with his hand above his lip and speaking in barely restrained tones.

Joey just shrugged and scratched the back of his head. "Um....hair?"

Lan almost lost it right then but let out a frustrated sigh as he looked away. "Yes, hair!!!" he yelled angrily. "You stole my mustache, Joseph! Look! It's completely gone! What did you do???" There was an agonized note in his voice as he said the last sentence, looking in the mirror again and touching the bare flesh with tentative fingers.

"You..." Joey licked his lips nervously, feeling suddenly sick to his stomach. "You said you wanted a shave..." His voice was quiet and he thought he was either going to puke or cry. The man hadn't said anything about the mustache...had he? His mind was so full of panic that he couldn't remember if Lan had mentioned it at all.

It was then that Landon realized he HADN'T specifically told the boy not to touch his mustache. He'd never had to tell Abigail so he had just forgotten. But that was besides the point! The boy should have known! Or at least that's how Lan reasoned it in his anger. "When have I ever gone without a mustache?" he asked in heated tones. "When have you ever seen me without facial hair?" His gaze was penetrating and full of rage as he stared the boy down, interrogating him like it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

"I...I'm...sorry..." Joey said sadly, fiddling with the razor in his hands still, anxious and wondering if he'd completely ruined his chances with the alchemist.

Seeing the look on the lad's face, the fire that raged inside him wilted and Lan turned away, leaning over the washbasin with his hands on the edge, standing and thinking for a while. Finally when he spoke, he'd calmed down a lot and sighed as he realized this situation was his own damned fault. Of course, the boy wasn't a mind-reader. "It's alright, Joe," Lan said, still leaning and turned away from the boy. "I should have said something and been paying better attention to what you were doing. I'll have to remember next time."

Without even realizing it, he'd already accepted that there was going to be a next time and he was surprised by how the decision was made: after accepting the boy to help him with shaving, Lan had in a sense started to get use to the idea of the boy being his apprentice. Spending more time with the boy in the future, no doubt guarenteed that all the chores previously done by Abigail would now be Joey's responsibility. Thinking this, Lan realized he should probably have a talk with the boy's father about it soon if he wanted to teach Joey anything.

Hearing what Landon said about "next time" Joey relaxed and knew that the alchemist had forgiven him at least enough to keep him around. But the man still seemed torn up about it so Joey walked forward and stood by him at the wash basin. "It doesn't look that bad," he said, trying to reassure the alchemist.

Lan drew away from Joey a bit and gave him an annoyed look. "I don't care how it looks!" he said, his voice a tad angry again. "It just...makes me feel naked..." His voice got a little soft as he said that and he let out a heavy breath. "Alright, listen, I've got some things I need to do right now. I'll talk to you later." His tone was distracted and dismissive, but not in the same way as before. This time it was merely that Lan was in a hurry and there was a promise of seeing the boy later in his voice. That kept Joey's spirits up as he said goodbye and as he reached the back door, Lan said, "And Joe...thank you for your help." Joey had stopped at the door and nodded and smiled at the alchemist's words before leaving the room.

Then Lan was leaving the lab as well, after cleaning himself up. Looking back at the tables of chemicals and the tea plant sitting there, he growled frustratedly as he left the room. No, he wasn't able to concentrate on work. Not right now. Damn that woman and how she dominated his thoughts! Even as he was irritated by it, he couldn't wait to see her again. He used the excuse that they still hadn't finished what they were doing last night and he had to know what the things on that list were and how she was going to help him get the magic that was inside him out--but really he just had the strong desire to be around her. Alright, he'd just go see her and say good morning and see how she was doing and THEN he'd get to his work.

Satisfied with that but knowing deep down that he probably wouldn't hold true to it, he left the building walking tall and confidently. That is, until he passed a few people on the street. Their stares and a few who made comments made him remember his missing mustache and he was overcome with a certain bashfulness, blushing and hurrying along giving curt responses and keeping his head down as he passed by. He had the urge to put his hands in his pockets and almost cursed aloud when he realized he'd misplaced his lab jacket again.

Susy watched discreetly with a sense of satisfaction filling her as Dorelia drank the tea. In her head she giggled and practiced her surprised response when the young woman would fall over dead in her seat. Oh, no! What happened? *snicker* Oh, dear! Is she alright? Oh my goodness, did I give her the wrong plant? Ooooops! She was startled from her thoughts by the sound of the chair banging on the ground as Dorelia stood up suddenly and fled the room. Abigail rose as well concern painting her features as she went after the young woman. Susy merely sat at the table continuing to eat her bread placidly, trying to hide the smile that spread on her face. From inside she could hear the woman being sick outside and cursed angrily under her breath, standing up from her seat. No matter. She could still play the innocently stupid card and get away with it. As she walked towards the doorway where Abigail stood, she smoothed her angry expression to one of curious concern, the perfect little actress.

Landon arrived just as Dorelia had heaved for the last time, before covering the poison in the sand. He stood off to the side, not yet approaching the front door, wondering what was going on. At first he thought it was probably morning sickness, but when Dorelia turned to the two women standing in the doorway and said that she'd been poisoned, he became concerned. Abby put her hand to her mouth with a gasp and Susy spoke up, putting on her humbly guilty mask. "Oh, my gosh!" she said mortified. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea. I...must have gotten the plants mixed up... I'm so sorry..." She definitely did well at seeming shocked and abhorred at her 'mistake' and showed a great deal of concern for the young woman.

Landon walked forward then, and knelt by Dorelia's side, his hand going to her back and rubbing, looking at her face and inspecting her worriedly, fully in doctor mode. "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Seeing Landon was a surprise for Susy, she hadn't known he was there, but it was an even bigger shock seeing him clean shaven. Now she was really worried about the relationship between him and Dorelia--many times, Susy had tried to get the man to shave off his mustache while they'd been dating and he'd always stubbornly refused. Now after he'd rejected her the way he had and seeing him like this, she could only think the worst and assume that the alchemist was seriously in love with the other young woman. Her heart beat quickly in her chest at that thought, but she covered her distress easily. "Will she be alright?" she asked plaintively.

Landon stopped and got a dark look on his face as he turned to the woman. Having heard what she'd said as an explanation about the poison, he suddenly grew furious. "Do you know what you could have done?" he asked quietly, glaring at Susy with pure hate in his eyes. He stood and walked towards her and the herbalist, suddenly fearful of him backed away into the house where he followed after her. "What did you give her? What could you possibly mistake for tea leaves?" he demanded in a loud voice,, striding towards her until she had her back against a wall.
As soon as Lan had passed by her, Abigail had rushed forward to Dorelia's side to comfort her, but Lan's voice could still be heard from inside the house.

"What the fuck are you doing, Susanne?" he asked with a piercing look at the woman cowering in front of him. "Always! you're always making mistakes always mixing up the plants, aren't you? It's been 5 years since you started! You'd think you would have learned somethings by now, but you haven't! Maybe you should find something else to do, because in the meantime, you're just going to end up hurting people. The people of this town are not animals to test things on!" Then he scowled at her disgustedly and started to turn away.

By this time, Susy's eyes were brimming with tears and she reached for him to stop him from leaving. "Please, Lanny, I'm sorry! It was an accident. I only wanted to do something nice for her..." She'd never seen him so angry before and when he turned back to her, she flinched and puled away from him, the look in his eyes making it almost certain he was going to hit her.

"An accident???" he asked, trembling with rage. "You were trying to do something nice for her? You almost fucking killed her! And for your sake, I pray to god that nothing is wrong with the baby or I will hold you responsible. You're not going to get away with being naive in this profession, Susy." And as he turned fully away from her walking back to the door he said, "And stop fucking calling me that! It's been over for 3 years; get over it!"

She didn't try to stop him this time and merely stood staring, shocked at what he'd said. There...there was a child? Dorelia was pregnant? Feeling ill and overcome with hopelessness, her mind flew with the possibilities. Of course! That's why--the flowers, the shaved face, the anger! Things were much more serious between the two than she'd originally thought and moving so quickly! No doubt he was going to marry her from getting the girl pregnant and he would forget all about Susy and her silly little herb shop. Dorelia knew plants much better than she did and would probably be able to provide him with everything he'd need, leaving Susy behind and all alone. Oh, God! What was she going to do?

As Lan stepped back outside, he walked over to Dorelia and Abigail calmly, back in doctor mode. "Alright, let's get her inside," he said to Abigail. "I'll do a more thorough inspection and maybe find out what she gave you." He merely glanced up when Susy fled from the house quietly, bowing her head shamefully as she ran down the street then focused back on Dorelia.

There wasnâ??t much to do when there was nothing to gossip about. Her husband always brought home money so there was never any need for her to work. Occasionally she wished that he would take her with him but those thoughts always vanished very quickly the moment she spotted one of the more handsome men in town. This town was not without its sins. There were liars, cheaters, thieves, and all of the other problems but on such a smaller scale that there was never any need for an actual police force. Catherine was one of those cheaters.

She was very beautiful, it was a wonder someone hadnâ??t snatched her up sooner. But it didnâ??t bother her. She liked having a husband that traveled a lot. It meant that she had plenty of free time and with her beauty she had plenty of people interested in helping her find ways to spend it. But at the moment she was bored with those ones. Right now she had her attention set on another man. Cain. He was, without a match, the hottest man in town. His hair was longer then most men. Currently it was longer then Doreliaâ??s, by just an inch or so. His skin was tan form being out in the sun and his muscles were toned form the manual labor that he did. He could have any woman that he wanted but he just seemed to prefer to toy with them all.

She was busy flirting with him while he took a break form work when he turned his head away. She hated when he did this. Guys loved to have her attention but she didnâ??t understand this man. No matter what she did she just couldnâ??t seem to keep him. She was about ready to start a rumor about him being gay but she needed someone to pair him up with to be sure of that. It was only when she saw what had caught his attention that she decided to forgive him this once.

It was Landon, he didnâ??t have his lab coat. That would have been a monumental thing, seeing him out of the hospital even more unbelievable but all of that had changed since Dorelia had arrived. He was going to visit her a lot and he kept forgetting that pesky coat of his. But none of them as absolutely unbelievable as this one was. He was missing his mustache! Her jaw dropped and Cain cocked a smile.

â??Whatâ??s a matter Lan? First you forget your coat now you forget to be fuzzy?â? Cain mocked, a sly grin on his lips.

â??It looks good Doctor, will you be keeping it off?â? She asked him. She always called him doctor, especially when she flirted with him.

But he seemed to blush and hurry along. Where was he going? She had to know. She turned to Cain, if she couldnâ??t keep his attention then for today she was done with him. â??Cain I have to see what this is all about. I will talk to you later... maybe.â? She said with a playful smile as she hurried off to trail Landon. He seemed to have something on his mind so he didnâ??t see her but she saw everything else. Dorelia was sick. Why was she sick. She soon got her answer. Susy had poisoned her and she managed to throw it up. Susy seemed to act like it was an accident but Catharine had an interesting ay to twist the story, but not yet, she had to let the original circulate first.

She was about to leave when she heard Landon yelling at the woman. She wondered what had him so steamed but then she heard it. Dorelia was pregnant! Catherine could not believe her ears. All of this in such a short time? It was just too good.

Once she had learned everything she needed to learn for several juicy rumors she went to see Maggie, the bakerâ??s wife, deciding that she needed to find some bread.

â??Hey there Maggie, what you got cooking today?â? Catherine asked her, totally hiding the fact that she had some excellent gossip to tell

â??I got some muffins in the oven, they should be ready soon.â? Maggie said in almost a whisper. This told Catherine that she was cooking something bigger and did not want it to fall.

â??Well guess what I got?â?

Maggie rolled her eyes, â??Oh what could it be? More gossip?â?

Catherine frowned, â??Fine, then I guess you donâ??t want to hear that Landon shaved his mustache finally.â?

â??His did what!â? Maggie gasped, then she quickly covered her mouth ands checked the oven. It seemed fine since she didnâ??t freak out. She did however grab the girl by the arm and drag her out the back door where their conversation would not disturb the object baking. â??Why would he do that?â?

â??Well I followed him and I found him going to visit that new girl. Dorelia. I think he is taken with her.â?

â??Really? Thatâ??s wonderful. They both deserve someone nice and perhaps they can he each otherâ??s someone.â?

â??Not if Susy has anything to do with it.â? Catherine said slyly and Maggie was confused.

â??What do you mean?â?

â??Well when I arrived Dorelia was outside the back door, she seemed to have forced herself to vomit quite a few times.â? Maggie gave her a look as if to ask how she knew, â??There was a pool below her and her hand was dirty.â? The woman nodded and allowed her to continue. â??She told the two of them that Susy had given her poison instead of tea. I donâ??t know how Dorelia knew but she saved her own life by puking it up.â?

â??Oh my god! She could have killed her! Thatâ??s horrible!â? Maggie gasped, covering her mouth with her hands out of the sheer shock of it all. Catherine smiled, she loved to have their attention like this.

â??She could have killed them both.â? Catherine said very calmly.

Maggie was now very confused. â??Both?â? she asked, wondering what the woman meant.

â??Well I stuck around and heard Landon yelling at Susy. He was not only worried about Dorelia, he was worried about her baby.â?

Maggie nearly fell over at the news. â??You... you mean...â?

â??Yup, the bastard that raped her left her with child. Itâ??s sad isnâ??t it? And now she has to worry about Landonâ??s jealous ex girlfriend trying to kill her.â? She said it very casually.

â??You mean she did it on purpose! Susy really tried to kill her?â? Maggie asked, unable to believe what she heard.

â??Oops. Did I say that out loud?â? She asked as though it was an accident. â??Well she seemed sorry about it but you never know. Well I have things to do so Iâ??m going to run home okay? See you later Maggie!â? she said kindly before running off, knowing that news like this would spread itself.

. : ~ : . : ~ : . : ~ : . : ~ : . : ~ : . : ~ : . : ~ : . : ~ : .

Dorelia had not been expecting to see Landon, especially not like this. She hated the fact that he had to come at this moment but she supposed that it was better then it coming earlier. When he began to rub her back she could not help but smile. She didnâ??t tell anyone this because it was far too embarrassing and she had never had anyone close enough to tell since Baba died but she loved to have her back rubbed and scratched. There was just a certain warm tenderness about it that she could not resist.

â??Iâ??m fine, I got it out of my system before it could do any harm.â? She told him. Abigail came to help her up. That was when she heard him yelling at Susy. He really was really mad at her. â??Landon itâ??s-â? she began the moment that there was a break but he seemed so furious with Susy that he didnâ??t even realize she said anything. The two had gone inside but she could still hear them. He kept yelling at her and he even mentioned her child. She winced slightly, she had not been ready for anyone else to know about that yet.

When he chased the woman off with his rage she decided that it was okay to go inside. Though she did cast a glance outward to where she threw the cup. She felt slightly bad but didnâ??t think the woman would have still wanted it after there had been poison in it. She heard what Landon said and she nodded but she already knew what it was. She could not tell Abigail, she was just happy that the woman had not asked how she knew that she had been poisoned. She realized that had it not been for Baba then she would be dead right now. She would not have recognized the taste. She could not help but smile. That woman continued to rescue her even from beyond.

â??Alright, lets go to my room, er, the guest room.â? She corrected herself. It was not exactly her room yet. â??Abigail if you donâ??t mind, could you give us some time? Try and talk to Susy, maybe you can find out what she mixed. All I need is a full leave and I should be able to identify it.â? She told her and that seemed to be enough to get her to go. It was an urgent need, or it would have been if he had not already known what it was. She lead him to the room she was staying in and then she closed her eyes. She felt for Abigail and she waited until she felt the woman leaving. Sensing when someone was near was another witch trait. Usually constant but she shut it off to save magical energy.

â??I already know what she gave me. I should be fine. I donâ??t know how she screwed this up this badly though. Either she is just horrible at what she does or...â? she trailed off, not even wanting to consider the second part. If this had not been an accident then she really did wish to kill her. But that couldnâ??t be true. Could it? She realized she had paused and quickly continued.

â??The plant is called Deadly Nightshade. It kills you by making you brain forget to tell your heart to beat or tell your lungs to breath. I know its name, its side effects, the way it kills you and the way it tastes.â? She told him, very plainly, as if it was normal to know the way a poison tastes. â??Landon donâ??t worry. I can tell the taste and scent of over fifty different poisons. You donâ??t have to worry about me.â? She told him. Then a small laugh escaped her. â??It will snow in the desert before poison kills an established green.â? She told him, not realizing that he didnâ??t know what she meant by â??an established green.â?? Right now she was just trying to think of the possibility it would affect her child.

“Cain I have to see what this is all about. I will talk to you later... maybe.”

The man looked at Catherine and nodded with a knowing look. Of course. The town gossip needed to dig up dirt and this situation was full of potential. Cain merely shrugged as she turned away. It wasn't any of his business what Catherine did and he knew she liked him, so he pretended not to care. Sometimes they flirted, but mostly he just played with her, showing just enough interest to keep her coming back, but brushing her off occasionally to mess with her head. He did it mostly because it amused him to see women frustrated in their pursuit of him--which a lot of them did; he had tons of admirers in town--but also because he was preoccupied with interest in someone else.

Ever since he'd first seen the pretty girl stumble into town, he'd had an interest in her, but it really peaked around the trial. She was a strong young woman, articulate and intelligent--a great stride away from the women he normally surrounded himself with--and she was beautiful to boot. It would be good sport to win her over and possibly eventually get what was promised to her future husband on their wedding night. It would be a challenge but one that he was willing to pursue, but he had no intention to marry the girl. It was like a game for him and one that he played with strategic ease and confidence. He hoped the alchemist's clean-shaven state didn't mean he was in love, because Cain would hate to break the fella's heart when he swept Dorelia off her feet.

Smirking to himself, Cain finished with his break and went back to work.

------------------------------

Like a wildfire the news spread through town, passing from mouth to ear of just about everyone. Within just an hour there wasn't a man, woman or child who hadn't heard something of the story, some knowing more than others but most knowing about Dorelia's pregnancy. Those who knew the part about Susy's "accidental" poisoning of the young woman coupled the knowledge with suspicions of her intent. They'd always known there was something wrong with that girl and that she would try and poison someone--a pregnant woman even!--on purpose did not seem implausible. Her motives for doing such were debated though because not everyone knew of Landon's shaved mustache. But those who did also knew of his peculiar behavior towards the new girl in town and there were whispers of a love triangle between the three.

This was by far the most popular theory as to why the herbalist may have intentionally poisoned Dorelia, that Susy had been jealous and tried to eliminate her rival for Lan's affection. Even though everyone knew the woman sucked at identifying plants, they were still suspicious of her since the witch accusations 3 years ago and it was much easier to place direct blame on the woman's shoulders. Another theory that wasn't accepted as much involved the heiress rumors already flittering about and that either Susy had tried to kill Dorelia to steal more of her money or that the herbalist was working for the men who were no doubt looking for the runaway heiress--someone made up an elaborate story about her father, a Lord of some kind, sending out Dorelia's brothers to bring the girl back and that there was a large reward for anyone who helped them. The story was accepted as far-fetched, mostly because there wasn't a lick of evidence to prove it, but it was also the most popular tale about the girl's origins that people passed around.

When Dag Coplin heard the news, he gathered as much information as he could about the situation, having been instructed by Father Justin to keep an eye on the witch. When he'd heard just about every version of the story as was circulating, he ran off to tell the priest. Father Justin was in the church, getting things ready for morning Mass and as Dag entered the building, he piously knelt at the altar, crossing himself before approaching the holy man. He stood silently for a long time, as Father Justin prepared the vestments, donning them in a ritualistic order, waiting submissively for the man to give him permission to speak.

"What is it, Dag?" Father Justin asked, without looking at the thin, scraggly man, readjusting his stole. "You know I am busy, so I'm assuming this is important. What news have you?"

"It...it's about the witch, Father," Dag said hesitantly. The priest looked at him then and nodded his head for the man to continue. "They say she's pregnant..." As Dag went on, Father Justin felt a sense of triumph come over him. Now he would have her right where he wanted her.

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Susy fled from the house, tears streaming down her face, barely restraining the sobs that broke through her as she ran, not even caring who saw her. Arriving at her house, she burst trough the door, leaning upon it letting the tears flow freely as she wept aloud. Oh God! How could she have been so stupid! She should have seen it from the very beginning--the flowers should have been a big clue--but she'd tried so hard to convince herself that Lan still had eyes for her. She still believed that, whole-heartedly, but his vision of her was obscured by the other woman.

"Fucking witch!" she said angrily to the room full of plants. "He would love me if it weren't for you! Why couldn't you just die? You and your bastard child!" She walked into the room and found a rag and started to blow her nose. No doubt Landon would marry this girl, because like the fool she was, Susy assumed the baby Dorelia carried was his. She had completely forgotten--or was ignoring it--the fact that the young woman had been raped and beaten before coming to town and had been put on trial for being a witch, just like Susy had almost been. But she refused to see the woman as a victim or relate to her in any way. Susy had plans for a happy future--Lan would come around eventually and ask her to marry him and they would settle down together and raise a family, while Susy sold herbs and he helped the people of this town with their medical needs.

But Dorelia was screwing all of that up! Not only was she trying to steal the man Susy loved, but the girl was also making her look bad in front of him! What with all her knowledge of plants and getting the man to shave his facial hair--after Susy had failed multiple times in her attempts to do so. And now he was mad at her because of Dorelia! She had to figure out some way to get rid of her once and for all. She had to find some way to win back Landon's heart...

But right now, she just wanted to cry and she sat at her kitchen table, weeping and holding her head. When the knock came at the door, she looked up and sniffled, staring at it for a long while. "Susy, it's Abigail," said the familiar voice on the other side. "Please, let me in, sweetheart."

She wasn't feeling up to having company right now, but she knew the old woman just wanted to help and would probably make her feel better anyways. So, sniffling and trying to calm her breathing and smooth her features, she wiped her cheeks and took a deep breath before answering the door.

Abigail didn't want to take sides in this, especially since she believed it was just an accident, but she was angry with Susy. Landon was somewhat right, from what she'd overheard of him yelling at the herbalist. Susy should not have offered the tea if she didn't really know what it was. The girl probably thought she'd identified it correctly, but it wasn't like she was stupid--she knew that she had difficulty in identifying plants. Why would she offer something like that with that level of uncertainty weighed against her? It was not the behavior of a responsible person and Abigail found it very foolish and dangerous for Susy to do things like that.

But when the girl, with her tear stained cheeks and red puffy eyes answered the door, Abigail kept her face calm from the anger she felt and her voice held that matronly warmth it always had, albeit a stern tone. "Why?" she asked in a firm voice, her eyes searching the other woman's face. "Why did you do that? You know you're not very good at--"

"I'm sorry okay?" Susy said sorrowfully and her face crumpled as she started to weep again. The tears were real, but the guilt was not. From outside view, no one would be able to tell the difference between her tears of remorse and tears of bitter lamentation.

Abigail saw the girl break down and quickly glancing left and right, she stepped forward and gentle herded Susy back inside her home. "Shhh, it's okay, it's okay, " she said. She hadn't meant to upset the girl, just find out some answers about what had been going through her pretty little head. This wasn't the time to blame anyone. It had been an unfortunate accident afterall. Abigail rubbed Susy's shoulders with her hands gently, making more soothing noises before speaking. "I need you to show me the plant you used." Her voice was calm and gentle but firm, so the girl wouldn't feel like she was being reprimanded, but that she would know Abigail was serious right now.

Sniffling some more and trying to calm her gasping sobs, Susy nodded solemnly and took several deep breaths before leading the way to a shelf in the bedroom. On it, in a dark corner of the room rested the plant in it's pot. It wasn't blooming right now, so it definitely looked like it could be mistaken for another plant but definitely not a tea plant. When Susy indicated that one with the dark green leaves, Abigail didn't think anything untoward about it, having no experience identifying plants herself and she plucked a few leaves from it. There were a few small black berries on it and she snapped a few off still attached to their stalks, to show Dorelia.

Sighing, she turned to Susy with a small, distant smile. "Thank you, dear," she said and started to turn away.

"What are they for?" Susy asked, suddenly nervous. "The leaves, and the berries, I mean..."

Abigail turned back to her at the doorway to the bedroom and said kindly, "Dorelia asked me to gather them, so she could identify what you gave her." Still, the woman did not seem to think anything suspicious about the question or even the worried look Susy had on her face now. The herbalist suddenly wondered if she should have lied and shown her a different plant. What if Dorelia knew what plant it was? Would it be obvious what she'd done or tried to do to her? Abigail left the room and house hurriedly, hoping that whatever the plant was that it wouldn't have too bad of an effect on the young woman.

----------------------------

Following Dorelia to the bedroom, Lan looked at her back as she lead the way, watching her closely for any signs that might indicate she still had some poison in her system. Seeing her back, an image flashed in his mind, of a woman standing in his kitchen, making dinner and he stopped for a moment caught off guard. What was that? Somehow he knew it had been Dorelia in the memory but she'd had longer hair and there was something else...he couldn't quite put his finger on. The domestic setting had been unnerving enough, but the way she'd been standing at the stove in his house, seemed like...she fit, like she belonged there. Shaking his head he started walking again, having only stopped for a split second, and shoved the odd memory away. He'd deal with that--whatever the hell it was--later; right now he needed to focus.

Listening to what the young woman said, he wondered what she'd been about to say about Susy. "She's a foolish girl," he said a bit of frustration entering his tone. "I think I'm going to take her herbs away. It'll be a loss to not have her collecting them anymore, but it's too dangerous for her to continue to do things like this. First, the flowers and now this. She's not good at identifying the plants under her care and although it's only been two mistakes, one of them was potentially lethal. I'm not going to let it happen again to ANYONE else. She'll be providing me with patients with the direction she's going." And Landon shook his head in irritation.

Hearing her describe the plant that Susy had used, his brow furrowed in consternation and he went to smooth his mustache with his fingers but stopped when he touched the bare flesh on his upper lip, glaring at his hand vexatiously. "Atropine," he said, settling for just folding his arms instead of his normal nervous gesture. "A muscle relaxant. Used in high dosage it can paralyze your heart and lungs." He nodded his head thinking to himself recognizing the plant for the chemical it possessed. He wondered how she knew it from taste and wanted to ask her why she knew so many poisons that way, but all words died in Landon's throat as he looked at her.

In his head another memory flashed before his eyes: Dorelia's face contorted and open in orgasm above him, her naked form swaying above him, His hands cupping her supple breasts. He froze and felt heat rise to his face, his eyes suddenly wide as he remembered the dream he'd had about her. There was a stirring in his groin and he closed his eyes briefly in hopes of dispelling the erotic image. It did nothing but enhance the scene behind his eyelids and when he opened his eyes and looked at her again, he continued to see the images superimposed over what his eyes actually saw in front of him. Suddenly feeling lightheaded and weak in the knees, he turned away from her, his face bright red and his heart thundering in his chest.

He tried to shove the thoughts away and cleared his throat nervously several times, trying to smooth the mustache that was no longer on his face, repeatedly. When Lan realized he'd suddenly fallen silent, he glanced at her, quickly looking away again and spoke in uneven tones. "What...?" he licked his lips and swallowed thickly, feeling flush, despite the lack of his jacket and tie. "What is a 'green'?" He'd take her word for it that she was alright; it was too uncomfortable to try to inspect her right now.

She let the man speak, seeing it at the fastest way to get him to think clearly again but she did not like what he said and had to interrupt him. â??Landon if you take away her herbs she will surely loose her mind. I will not be responsible for more madness!â? She said firmly in a way that made it very clear to Landon that she wouldnâ??t allow the man to take the herbs form the womanâ??s possession. Madness had a way of following her wherever she went no matter how hard she tried to avoid it. If there was something she could do to prevent it then she would. Even if the woman was a danger to others, even if others mind get sick, she had witnessed someone fall into madness once and she refused to watch it again.

She was happy he seemed to know the plant. â??Iâ??ll be fine, even if I never had any before I doubt there could have been a high enough dosage in the tea to kill me. Even if there was I puked it up so the worst that could happen is me not being able to move for a bit.â? She told him, seeming confident in her assessment of things, even though her confidence was hollow. She had no idea what this kind of thing could do to her baby. She was sure that she puke it up but she wondered if even the smallest amount would do any harm and she could only pray that it would not. Her attention was shifted when she felt something strange form Landon.

She cocked her head slightly to the side, much like a cat does when something peaks their interest, and stared at him curiously. She wasnâ??t paying much attention to his appearance. With so many different things on her mind she didnâ??t notice his mustache yet, or, rather, the lack there of. Something was wrong, something on his mind. She could feel her blood racing in his veins. He seemed uncomfortable, maybe even embarrassed though she could not imagine why. She was about to ask him about it when he cut her off with his own question.

He seemed irritated about something with the way he stared at his hand after he smoothed his mustache. That was when she realized it, he didnâ??t have a mustache! She stood up form where she had been sitting and smiled broadly. â??Your mustache is gone!â? She explained, then she walked up to him to get a closer look, she totally forgot how uncomfortable he seemed, too wrapped up in her amusement at this development. She put her hands on his shoulders and swiftly pushed him down so he was sitting on her bed. He was taller then she was so this let her get a better look at his face.

The smile clung tightly to her lips and her eyes sparked with delight. â??Landon! Canâ??t believe it!â? She said happily, almost laughing. â??Donâ??t tell me one of your exploding experiments finally lit the thing on fire and burnt it off!â? This time she laughed. She didnâ??t notice his discomfort anymore. She really needed something to perk her up form worry about the child so this was just perfect.

Now that she had him where she could see his face better she put a hand beneath his chin to lift it towards her. Her hands were soft and smooth but most of all her touch was so warm and gentle one could just melt into it. She kept her hand gently under his chin so that he would not turn away. The smile had not gone form her face, nor the twinkle gone form her eyes, but now they gazed intently over his faze. Her other hand gently brushed one of his cheeks and then the other as she marveled at the smoothness. Finally she felt where her mustache had once been, her fingers running over his upper lip and accidently grazing his lips.

After this she released him and took a step back, satisfied with her examination. â??That had to be fire. Iâ??ve never seen anyone with this close a shave. Itâ??s like hair never grew there. Impressive.â? She said with an approving smile. â??It looks very handsome Landon.â? She said with a smile before she remembered his question.

â??Oh yeah! You donâ??t know! Well â??a greenâ?? is sort of a shorter way of saying forest witch, or green witch. You see I grew up in the forest and my teacher taught me the element. Thatâ??s why Iâ??m so good with herbs. I had to learn them all and what they were capable of. Baba really surprised me with one lesson.â? She said, laughing slightly as she remembered.

â??You see, when I was ten I passed a sort of test that moved me up form magician to witch. Magicians do the most minor forms of magic, usually for entertainment only. To have any real abilities one needs to be able to move up to the class of witch. Even once you get there then there are more things to learn.â? She said with a smile, enjoying her chance to explain this.

â??Anyways, I trained to be a green witch but there are others. There are red, blue, yellow, brown, purple, grey, even lesser fractions like pinks. But never trust a pink, they tend to like causing trouble. Pinks mess with people emotions, usually acting as cupid, they like to instigate love. Thus the reason they got the color pink.â? She told him. The tone in which she spoke was very â??as a matter a fact.â?? To her this was common knowledge but she realized that so few people knew this.

â??Each color is an element; usually the witchâ??s color matches the environment they grew up in. I am not sure what a desert witch would be. Iâ??ll need to figure that out soon.â? She decided. Landon might figure out that if her child was going to be a witch she would need to know the babyâ??s color for his element. â??A sand witch.â? She said, and then she giggled slightly. â??Anyways. In order to advance to the next level one must master everything. In order for me to be a green I had to know how to handle myself around plants.â? She told him.

Then she sat next to him and looked outward as if she was watching the past that Landon could not see. â??Baba was preparing tea, lots of different kinds of tea and I was confused. I was twelve and had already decided on what my favorite tea was so it was the only tea Baba really ever made.â? She explained to him. â??she put each tea in a different cup and we ate and chatted. First she gave me a white cup and we ate and we chatted then she gave me a red cup and as we ate, drank and chatted she told me that this lesson was about poison. After I had finished the red cup she told me that she had just poisoned me.â? She said this with a slight laugh, remembering how frightened she had been.

â??Well I was just terrified. Baba had not taught me spell yet to cure poison so she, instead, told me how to make myself vomit. Since I had poison in my belly I did not have much of a choice but to do it.â? She smiled, remembering the woman fondly. â??After I had learned how to do that she told me that I would be trying other poisons and I had to remember the flavor then puke them up. Slowly I built up immunities to certain poisons. Some immunities are stronger then others but it will take more then a lethal dose to kill me.â? She told him. She very proud of her ability to survive.

â??As a green witch there would be no greater shame then to die of a plantâ??s poison.â? She told him confidently. She seemed so sure of herself, so brave. She managed to push away her worries for now. She would worry about the child later, she still had a little bit of time before it became a big concern and she was hoping for a chance to enjoy it.

When she protested him taking Susy's herbs away, he gave her a level look. He heard the note in her voice that said she wasn't going to let up, but he decided to fight her anyways. "Susy's not going to go mad," he said with a shake of his head and looking away, practically scoffing at the idea. "Even if she did, I'd rather only one person suffer than the potential others she might harm. I'm not taking chances, and since I'm responsible for the health of these people, it is my duty to protect them from hazards like that wayward herbalist. If I can do something to prevent more poisonings, then I'm not gonna stand by and say, 'Well, I don't want the poor woman to lose her mind...' Sorry, not gonna happen."

"Besides," he said, putting his hands in his pants pockets and frowning slightly that he didn't have his lab coat. "It won't be your fault. Susy poisoned YOU. If she goes crazy because I take away her plants, then she was already headed that way anyway. Better to confront the situation in a controlled environment than wait for her to snap at some random time in the future. Don't feel guilty. You can't win with her. I've tried. She doesn't see things the way they are and rejects efforts to improve herself. This will happen again, if I don't stop it now. I'm done coddling her." He stopped and took a deep breath, realizing that he'd started to go into a little rant there and he realized that his motives weren't as pure as he was making them out to be. Lan wanted to punish Susy for what she'd done to Dorelia, the woman he loved and he was also influenced by the relationship they'd had in the past and his opinion of the woman now. He was bias in his decision, but that didn't stop him from thinking this was the right route to go. Even if it was done for the wrong reasons the end result would far outweigh the original motive. At least, he hoped it would...

Hearing her assessment of the drug and it's effects on her, he was willing to take her word for it at the moment, still nervous and not able to look at her for more than two seconds at a time. "If you feel anything out of the ordinary, I want you to tell Abby or me right away. I'm not sure how it'll affect the baby this early," he said, glancing at her and looking away continuously to help dispel the image in his head. "If you regurgitated it soon enough after ingestion, then it's less likely it'll cause any real harm."

Landon looked at her surprised when she suddenly said something about his missing facial hair and got up from the bed excited. "Yes, it was an unfortunate accid--" his voice faded as she came in close to him looking at him with those gorgeous bright eyes and then pushed him over to the bed, sitting him down. Her mentioning a lab accident as being the cause he scowled briefly, and blushed. Gosh, she sure was close... Feeling his heart beat frantically in his chest at how near she was, and his body warmed at the beautiful smile on her face, he wanted to look away but couldn't tear his gaze from her. Also, his face was practically level with her chest now and he didn't dare look down, lest he couldn't look away from her bosom. Thinking that made him blush and her hand was on him, lifting his chin, fingers warm and her skin like silk. That made him remember the dream, when he'd had her plush breasts in his hands and he shifted in place uncomfortably.

But things didn't get better, they got worse. As she held his chin with one hand, her other felt at his cheeks, gently caressing them each in turn. Landon sat rigidly on the bed, his eyes fixated on her face, mesmerized by the look she had on and feeling a tingling up his spine at her touch. His eyes fluttered briefly and he had difficulty swallowing, heat filling his body and making his head swim. When her fingers felt at his bare upper lip he held very still, pleasure coursing through him as her fingers brushed against his lip and his pants suddenly growing tighter. He blushed as she stepped away, and could barely concentrate on her words for the hard-on he now had. Being in a seated position, she wouldn't be able to see it as clearly, but he put his hands in his lap anyway, blushing in embarrassment.

Her compliment did not go unnoticed, but he couldn't say anything at the moment, his tongue feeling dry as he tried to look away from her and concentrate on what she was saying, praying to God she didn't happen to glance down at his lap.

As she started to explain what she'd meant by referring to herself as a green, he was able to listen, merely from being enraptured by her presence, despite the uncomfortable predicament he was in. Lan understood her explanation about the different colors being different elements and he supposed it was a bit like the different pursuits of science that an alchemist had to master before considering himself an alchemist. The joke about the 'sand witch' was not lost on him, but when he laughed it was forced and a little louder than it should have been.

God! What was wrong with him? This had never happened before--not around other people anyway--and he was suddenly worried that he was the one going crazy here. He wasn't one to lose control of himself like this so why was it happening now? Taking deep breaths, he tried to focus and will his erection away, but it stubbornly refused, even starting to throb when she sat on the bed next to him. Fuck! Why did she have to be so close?

He listened half-heartedly as she described the lesson she'd gone through with her tutor, staring at the floor between his feet and sweating a little bit. What he did hear and was able to focus on was that the woman had been a great teacher, smart in her choice of lessons. Silently, he thanked her for training the young woman this way, for if she'd not been quick enough in dealing with the situation this afternoon, Dorelia might have died. That she'd known how to identify the poison and knew what to do had saved her life. If she hadn't known she'd been poisoned, then even though Lan had arrived, there would have been no way to save her. She would have died in ignorance.

"She sounds like a smart woman," he said, then remembered what the journal entry had said. "I would have loved to meet her." I would have loved to thank her personally for today, he thought to himself.

The pride and confidence in her voice made him look at her and he felt a bursting of love for her at that moment. He wanted to tell her, to say something, but seeing her pretty face and sitting close to her, only exacerbated the dilemma he was currently faced with. The problem wasn't going away and he had to get out of this situation before she noticed. Taking a deep breath he stood and turned away from her, stifling a groan as he rose, his dick outlined plainly in his trousers. Feeling like a hormonal young lad again, he spoke to her from over his shoulder, keeping the front of his body turned away from her.

"I really need to get back to the lab," he said unevenly, clearing his throat several times before continuing in a somewhat clearer voice. "I...just came by to see if you were alright...Maybe later you could come by and help me redo the experiment a few times and possibly...do something about the magic still in my blood..." He had to get out of there before she said something or saw him like this. "But right now, I have to get back to my work. Important things to work out..." He let his voice fade at that and despite the rudeness, he didn't wait for her to say anything before hurrying out the door.

Lan cursed himself for not having his lab jacket which might have helped to conceal his 'third leg', but he walked somewhat hunched over and with his hand hovering over the front of his pants, not inconspicuously. As he left Abigail's front door, he ran into the old woman outside in such a blind rush he hadn't seen her. She made a minor exclamation and dropped the things she carried, a few leaves falling to the sandy ground. "Oh, excuse me Lan," she said with a polite smile, bending down to pick up the things she'd dropped. He made a move to help her, but was relieved when she waved him off, not wanting to bend down with the constriction in his pants. He would have walked on and left her, but she spoke and out of common courtesy--and also knowing she wouldn't stand for him being rude--he stayed to listen. "Are you done talking with her? Will Dorelia be alright--?"

Abigail looked up at him as she spoke and her eyes immediately noticed the weird stance and they widened as she also noticed the bulge in his trouser leg. As she stood, with the leaves she'd gotten from Susy's house in hand, she glanced around worriedly, making sure no one was around. There were a few people about but none close enough to hear...or see. When she turned back to him, he was shifting nervously and looking away, blushing redly. "What...happened?" she asked quietly, unsure that she wanted to know, but unbelievably curious despite that. If something had happened to them while they'd been alone...had he inspected the girl and...lost control of himself? It was completely alien for her to see him so out of sorts. He was usually so composed and well-grounded. Although she suspected the reasons for his odd behavior lately, it was still a wonder to watch it happen.

Landon blushed even more and looked at her with wide eyes and a scowl. "Nothing!" he said defensively. He knew she had seen it and was extremely anxious about what she was thinking. Did she think he'd made a move on Dorelia? Did she suspect he'd been inappropriate with the young woman? "I didn't do anything!" He shifted from one foot to the next, the hardness in his pants not going down even a little bit since he'd left the house. Why was God so cruel?

"Then why are you...why do you have...?" she said pointedly, her tone serious and quiet.

Lan looked up and down the street, unable to face her as he spoke. "She...she touched my face..." He looked back at the old woman, giving her a sulky look, shrugging irritably.

Understanding and realization together bloomed on her face. Oh! He...he had no mustache! Despite herself, the shock overwhelmed her and imagining the situation and how it must have been, she burst out laughing, her thin voice ringing out jovially. He growled frustratedly and walked past her stalking along uncomfortably. Still chuckling to herself, she cast a tender look after him, then made her way to her front door and went inside. The situation was indeed amusing and she didn't blame the man for his bodily urges. The fact that he was having them so openly now meant he was faced with being like everyone else--and after so long acting like he was above everyone else in intelligence and normal everyday function--it was nice seeing him brought down a peg or two.

Entering the house, she made her way over to Dorelia holding out the leaves and berries she'd collected. "Susy is really torn up about this," she said seriously. "I hope you know she didn't mean you any harm at all. I assume since Landon...left that everything is alright?" She only hesitated a little, smiling to herself as she thought of the way the young man had left.

She heard what he said, every word of it. He seemed insistent on taking her herbs away but no matter how much he wanted to she would not let it happen. She would magically restrain him from taking the womanâ??s herbs away if she had to but she would not let him succeed in this task. He seemed so sure that it was the best thing but he had not seen someone loose their mind. He hadnâ??t seen what it was like to descend into madness and no matter what a person did or would do nothing was worth that kind of punishment. She just wished that she could make him see that.

But now was not the time to argue this. She wanted to wait until she had more power to back her words. She needed to get some plants into her room so that they could help her get her magic back. Once her power was back up then she would have plenty of power to back her words. She hated throwing magic around but if it was the difference between someone keeping or loosing their sanity then it would not matter what she had to do. Landon didnâ??t know how right he was with his words. Dorelia had a suspicion that the girl was headed towards insanity and she didnâ??t want to be there when the girl made it.

Why was he so worried about her yet not the slightest bit worried about Susy. It was his job to help people yet he didnâ??t seem to care if something bad happened to Susy. Then he mentioned her baby and she looked down, holding her stomach. She had only just found out about it and the child was already causing a lot more trouble then Dorelia thought a baby could. She realized again that she knew nothing about having a child let alone caring for one. What if she could not keep it safe when she was inside of her? The thought was too frightening and she was forced to push it away to focus on the current situation.

She needed a distraction and his missing facial hair was the perfect thing. Once she was done examining his face it was time to explain what a green was. He seemed to understand what she was saying and that was a relief. It was so much easier to explain things when the person you were explaining it to understood. If she tried explaining this to anyone else here she wasnâ??t sure they would be so understanding. How even got her â??sand witchâ?? joke but from his laugh it was clear that something was wrong.

Dorelia nodded at what he said about Baba. â??She was supposed to stick around, help me progress through the other colors... but she died a few days, um, weeks ago.â? She said, correction herself to make up for the time difference. She shuttered slightly. Two weeks had been spent with that monster doing all kinds of unspeakable things to her. She took in a deep breath then breathed it out. She would have to move on form this if she wanted to move forward in her life. Baba would not have wanted her living in the past and there would be no future if she could not move on.

She was glad that he had turned away form her so he would not see her so conflicted. She didnâ??t mind that he had to go right now, she had her own things to attend to. â??Go get your work done.â? She encouraged him, listening to him leave but not looking after him as he went. It was not long after he left that Abigail came in and she smiled at the woman, doing her best to push away the thoughts of the past. Despite her best efforts the woman would likely see her worry. She decided to change the subject before the woman brought it up.

â??Is that the plants that she used for the tea?â? she asked the woman as she picked them up and looked them over. She acted as though she didnâ??t already know what it was and what it did. â??Itâ??s called Deadly Nightshade. It makes your brain forget to tell your lungs to breath or your heart to beat. It is sort of a muscle relaxant.â? She told her, remembering what Landon had said about it.

â??I should be fine since I threw it all up... but Landon is worried...â? her hand unconsciously went to her stomach. Landon was not the only one worried. Maybe this woman knew what to do.

â??Abigail Iâ??m worried. I donâ??t know how to be a mother or how to be pregnant. What if I do something wrong? What if I mess up some how?â? she asked the woman as she sat back on the bed and put the leaves on the bed side table. She was nervous and even a bit scared. This woman had helped pregnant people before, maybe she knew something that could help Dorelia. The young witch could only hope so. She wasnâ??t sure what she would do if this woman could not help her.

There was worry in the young woman's eyes, but she was quickly speaking before Abigail could say anything about it. The older woman thought it was probably deliberate, the change of subject, so she didn't mention it and focused on what Dorelia was saying now. "Yes, it is," Abigail nodded, in answer to her question. Listening to what Dorelia said about it, Abigail frowned in concern. "Goodness. What could she have gotten it mixed up with? That might have been a tragic accident if you hadn't acted so quickly." Then that brought up a curious question: Abigail had watched the girl as she'd made herself throw up outside. Most people who found out they were poisoned had no clue what to do and usually didn't regurgitate what they'd ingested unless it made them sick. She wished she could just brush it off as Dorelia's knowledge of plants, but it didn't quite add up. "How did you know what to do?"

Hearing the girl mention that Landon was worried, Abigail smiled. Of course he was. "If he's worried, then I'll just have to keep a close eye on you for a while, to make sure nothing is wrong," she said and gave her a small smile.

When Dorelia asked questions about being a mother, Abigail was about to answer when the faint sound of the church bells rang in the distance, interrupting her thoughts. "It's time for morning Mass," she said. "I haven't been to church in a few days and I think it would be good if we went this morning." There was a slight question in her words, but also a certainty that they would go. Not only was it important to Abigail to attend the church meetings, but also she was thinking logically about it too: it would be better for everyone if Dorelia attended Mass at least every once in a while and every Sunday. But there was still the concern that bringing her into Father Justin's world might cause a bit of friction, he would have one less thing to complain about if Dorelia acted like a God fearing Christian. Not that the girl would need to act, but Abigail was only thinking about how things would appear and although appearances were only skin deep, they meant everything in this town. How people saw you could mean either life or death in some cases. "Let's get ready and go, hm?"

------------------

Cain had set aside his work for the day and wiped the dust from his face and hands, combed his hair and he was ready for church. Very few in town had more than one or two sets of clothes and most reserved wearing their best for Sundays or festivals. Walking down the street languidly, as the bells in the church chimed, he spied Dorelia walking alongside Abby, the old nurse, and he smirked to himself as he sidled up beside them.

"Good morning, ladies," he said suavely, giving the women a charming grin. "Beautiful day, is it not?"

"Yes, it is," Abigail said nodding her head, merely glancing at him politely before continuing to walk with Dorelia. There were people on the street all walking in the same direction they were going, a few walking in groups and others walking alone, everyone making their way to the white steepled building near the center of town.

Cain gave the old woman a shocked look and a crooked smile as he caught up and touched her shoulder to stop her. "Now, don't be rude, Abby," he said in his rugged voice, his tone amused. "Aren't ya gonna introduce me to your friend?" He gestured at Dorelia as they all came to a stop in the middle of the street, but his attention was mostly focused on the old woman at the moment. She seemed bothered at having been stopped by him and he had no doubt that it was his reputation that she was annoyed by. Completely understandable, but nothing was concrete. Rumors were just rumors and she had nothing to confront him directly with. So, it was only common courtesy to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even if he didn't deserve it...

He gestured again at Dorelia as Abigail gave him a tight-lipped stare, prompting the woman to sigh and roll her eyes discreetly. "Dorelia, I would like you to meet Cain," Abigail said in a show of being proper. "Cain this is Dorelia, no doubt you have heard..." She faded off in the introduction as Cain stepped forward, eyes fixated on the young woman now, taking her hand up and kissing the knuckles lightly.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance," he said and smiled as he released her hand. "I attended the trial and was rootin' for ya, but I gotta say, I still think you might be a witch." He leaned in a little close, eyes flashing brightly. "You definitely cast a spell on me." And he winked at her, smiling charmingly. It was a small joke, to break the ice and he was pleased to see he'd gotten her to blush.

Abigail folded her hands neatly in front of herself and gave Cain an impatient look. "We're going to be late," the old woman said, smiling irritatedly. Then without another word, she was walking forward, pushing Dorelia along beside her leaving the young man behind. Cain chuckled to himself as the two women walked away and made his way to the church at his own languid pace. Abigail glanced back once and looked over at Dorelia. Cain was definitely not the type of man Abigail wanted Dorelia to know. The man was heartbreak on legs, which he usually used to run from the girls he deflowered. It was well known that he bedded women for sport, charming them, laying with them and then leaving them, and Abby felt a sense of protectiveness come over her, thinking that he was interested in Dorelia. It was of course the girl's decision, but Abigail couldn't help but think he would have to go through her before she let him near the young woman she cared about.

The church stood tall in the morning sunlight, the sun rising beside the steeple. It wasn't the prettiest or biggest church, but it was definitely the most well-kept and largest building in town. The outside walls were white-washed and the roof was tiled, the windows unadorned and plain-glass. People made their way slowly into the building, a low murmur filling the air as neighbors greeted neighbors and shuffled into the pews together. The inside was long and wide, the large windows letting in sunlight that reflected off of the white walls and gave everything a serene brightness. Pews were laid out in straight lines across the stone floor and the altar up at the front was raised up on a dais. A large wooden cross hung on the wall behind the podium above the altar, where Father Justin stood watching placidly as people entered and took their seats.

Dressed in white robes with purple stole over his shoulders, he made an imposing figure, shoulders drawn back and head held high. His eyes widened briefly when he saw Dorelia enter with Abigail, and his lips curved in a secretive smile, but that was the only expression on his face. Inside, he was surprised that she had come to Mass but it didn't make things harder in his mind, to convince people that she was evil. Even now, he felt it coming off of her in waves, and it only strengthened his resolve to have her right here, in the Lord's house, under his grasp.

Abigail chose a pew somewhat in the back a little bit, sitting next to Maggie and her large family, and everyone who sat around them offered smiles and greetings to Dorelia. It pleased her to see everyone so kind towards the young woman, but there was also that hint of reverence in their eyes and voices and Abby was forced to remember the rumors that were currently going around and she cringed. It wasn't too bad for everyone to think Dorelia was an heiress, but it was one of those things; rumors had a tendency to grow and take on lives of their own. Who knew how big it would get when it was finally revealed to be completely untrue? And there was always the possibility something like this could come and bite them. That after being revealed as a falsehood and in trying to find blame for the lie everyone was forced to believe for however long it went for, that they'd turn and point the finger at the woman at the heart of it. Dorelia had never misrepresented herself or lied, but there would come a time when someone would confront her and demand real explanations for everything. Abigail had no doubt that Dorelia would have such, but she worried that people might choose not to listen to the truth when it finally came.

The service started smoothly, with hymns being sung without music accompanying it, the voices of the faithful filling the building with harmonious melody. Then as the last verse to the second song came to an end, everyone sat and Father Justin stood at the pulpit, hands holding the podium in front of him. The tall man looked over the congregation and when he spoke, his deep voice reached the back of the room, loud and confident.

"Present day versions of the plagues that rained down on Egypt," he said calmly, gaze sweeping over the crowd. "The fires that consumed Sodom and Gomorrah. Scourges of the Old-Testament, yes, but even now, brothers and sisters...even now, drought and pestilence stir in the heart of this very great land. Gigantic sand storms the likes of which man has not seen since the days of the prophets! And I ask myself, 'What are these things?' What are they if not evidence of God's fury? What are they if not harbingers of the apocalypse? And yet..." His voice had gotten very impassioned as he spoke and suddenly his face smoothed and his voice softened. "And yet, as I walked to church today, these troubled thoughts were soothed by a balmy wind. And as I looked out upon the endless acres of rich untilled earth, I realized, brothers and sisters, that this is truly the promised land. And that we are indeed blessed. But let us not forget the less fortunate. Let us not forget that they too were once blessed. And let us not forget, that the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." His gaze seemed to fall on Dorelia at that last part and his eyes met hers for a split moment before he looked away and continued with his sermon.

"Evil exists, brothers and sisters," he said his deep voice echoing against the walls and filling everyone's hearts and minds. "It is written in the book of Man with blood drawn from Lucifer's veins. We cannot escape it. We cannot hide from it. We cannot deny it. It is a part of who we are, who I am, who you are; the evil in you is the root of your sin. And you have sinned great sins." Father Justin looked at the people in front of him, their attention held raptly in the palm of his hands. Then he looked pointedly at one man in particular, his eyes for that man alone. "You have laid down with the sister of your wife..." Then his eyes moved to someone else, an old man in the crowd in the other side of the room. "Stolen from the cash box at your place of work..." His eyes found Paitr, the architect, sitting with his wife in the first row. "Cheated long time friends in business..." Then he shifted his gaze to Else Coplin. "Lied to your mother and father..." Then he looked at another man in the crowd, sitting with his family. "You have lusted for the loins of a man..." From an outside point of view, it would look like he was just listing off random sins and not singling anybody out, but those who he'd looked at knew in their hearts that their sin had been named.

"And I..." he continued in grave tones. "I have committed murder." He paused and let that seep in, a few murmurs rising as people whispered to one another. "In my heart, I have killed men again and again, wishing for their deaths with loathsome desire born of malice and spite. I am an evil man. I am a sinful man. I am a MAN. But we can be saved, brothers and sisters. Yes, we can. Not through prayer. Not through Bible study. But through blood and fire! The blood of atonement and the fire of resurrection. For only through death and rebirth can salvation be had by mortal man. And once we are reborn, we will wield the mighty sword of our Father, in holy battle! And we will strike down all those who stand against us, into the depths of Hell!" He bellowed loudly, his words seeping into those whose ears they fell upon, filling minds and twisting hearts. When the people of town had first arrived this morning, they'd been ready to listen, but now they were, hanging on every word that came from the priest's mouth.

------------

Landon didn't know what he was doing there. He never went to church, EVER. But suddenly, he felt the need for atonement, especially with the way his thoughts had been running away from him lately. Having recovered from the incident earlier, he stood in front of the white double doors and hesitated. It wouldn't be admitting anything. He hadn't seen the priest since the trial and it did well to keep ahead of whatever crazy stories the man made up. He could go to church for spiritual uplift if he wanted to, and just because Father Justin was the preacher, wouldn't stop him. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, wondering what the hell he was doing, he stepped forward and entered.

------------

Adjusting his stole, Father Justin took a calming breath and spoke in leveler tones. Now was where the sermon went off course and became what he wanted, standing upon his very own soapbox. "A week ago, my brothers and sisters," he said hands resting on the podium and back straight, head held high. "A stranger came to this town. Wandering the desert alone, by the grace of the Almighty, she made it here, where she could be given food and shelter. And like a sheep returned to the flock, she was taken into our hearts and given a new home. A fresh start. Arriving here, broken and beaten, through our love and charity, her wounds were healed and her heart mended." He smiled calmly and looked directly at Dorelia, outwardly seeming pleased, but his eyes somewhat menacing. "She comes to us, without a past, trying to make a future for herself and we offer it up willingly, every resource we have available. And resources she will definitely need, even more so now with a child on the way." There was a murmur in the crowd at that, people whispering briefly to one another before he continued on. "No knowledge of womanly tasks and no man to speak for her, she will have a hard time of it. Tainted by the foul crime that was done to her, whichever man did take her now would have to live with another man's child as his own. Altara is a wonderful place to raise a family, but hard on even the most supported women. It would be unseemly to expect this bright young woman to carry such responsibility on her back alone and it would be unseemly to allow her to do so."

"Adam and Eve were made as a pair," he said still looking straight at Dorelia and not having noticed Lan standing in the back of the room. "And it was God's divine plan that men and women be partners in life, supporting and taking care of one another. I am concerned, brothers and sisters that this young woman, with such potential will falter and fail because she did not have the right support underneath her. So much to learn yet and she hasn't even begun. And failure is almost guaranteed without a man to be the guiding force. There are plenty of eligible men in this town to provide such a framework for her new life. Still a stranger, a past unknown, tainted and undesirable; who would step forward to take that responsibility? Who would be the one to sacrifice his own future to tend and care for this woman and her bastard child?" His tone was one of concern and sympathy but the words were twisted. It wasn't unheard by the people sitting in the pews, and when he fell silent, obviously waiting for an answer, for someone to step forward and offer themselves up, silence filled the building instead. Even Cain scratched his nose and looked away. Without it being obvious, everyone's attention was focused on the young woman in their midst, holding baited breath, waiting. "Will no man take her?" Father Justin asked, sympathy still in his voice, but his eyes penetrating and cold. If no one would step forward--and he knew no one would, not with the way he'd phrased things--he'd launch part 2 of his plan...

Dorelia smiled. Abigail was right, well, maybe half right. Part of her was not so sure that this was an accident but the young witch was trying as hard as she could to ignore this part. Whether it was on purpose or and accident, it did not change anything. Either way, it would have ended tragically had she not managed to throw it up and Susy would be charged with murder. The girl vaguely wondered if the girl had thought of that. Someone could still charge her for attempted murder but Dorelia did not want to cause any trouble for the poor girl. Abigail was not the only one glad that she acted quickly but she was the first one to ask how she knew what to do.

Dorelia fumbled for a brief second before she went on to tell the woman what Landon had said, continuing as if she had not heard the question then temporarily forgetting it was asked as a more pressing question, one that did not have an answer, came to mind. However, it seemed like neither question would get the answer it asked for. She heard the bells ringing and for a moment she was confused then she realized what it was. Morning Mass, no doubt led by the man convinced she was a stain upon this earth. And Abigail wanted her to go.

She was not entirely fond of the idea of going to a place lead by a man that wished her dead, especially not in this condition, but she did not have much of a choice. Abigail had not been in a while so she could not stay home and staying home without Abigail seemed suspicious. Skipping church to go see the doctor just sounded scandalous so, without another option, she was forced to go.

Since she was still dressed in the clothing that she had worn yesterday and been on her knees earlier when she had to make herself sick. It was about time that she changed her cloths. Abigail went to fetch her something to wear and came back with a decent looking dress. It was a rather poor town. Dorelia found herself thinking that it needed something to export but then she decided that it was nice the way it was. People were not as concerned over money issues because if they needed something a neighbor would be happy to help.

After Dorelia changed into the dress given she left with Abigail to go to church. She noticed all of the people going and felt a bit nervous. She barely knew most of these people and they all knew of her. They were all being friendly with her and with each other but she still felt out of place here. (Being that she was a witch going to church one would think she would expect to feel out of place.) Then she spied the man she had seen a day or two before and he saw her as well. He even made his way over to the two of them and greeted them.

He grinned at them and Dorelia looked away. He was very handsome but Dorelia was not in the best of moods right now. She had a lot on her mind and was trying to work it out, half hoping that going to church would give God a chance to lend her a hand that she truly felt she needed right now. He was very charming but Abigail completely brushed him off, practically pushing the man away. But he was persistent and would not go. He drew her attention when he seemed to want to be introduced to her. They all stopped and Abigail introduced her. Dorelia wondered why he was so insistent until he took her hand in his and kissed it.

She blushed slightly but did her best not to look flustered. She was happy he was rooting for her but was confused when he said he thought she might be a witch. A second later it became clear. It was a come on, his wink and charming smile made her blush deepen. She was surprised that this man just came out of the blue and began to flirt with her but she was not ungrateful. Despite everything it was nice to get attention, it assured her that even with her hair short like this she could still be considered pretty and that cheered her up greatly. She had not even realized how much her hair bothered her until she went to brush it and found there was practically nothing there to brush.

Abigail did not seem happy that this man was giving her attention. She could not help but wonder why. She did not have the chance to ask as the woman hurried them into church where this kind of flirting would be far too inappropriate to continue. It was a very plain looking church but a church all the same. Once they were inside she saw everyone getting together and saying hello. Everyone was trying to find a seat and Abigail brought her towards the back and sat her next to a woman who introduced herself as Maggie. She remembered Abigail speaking about her and she smiled at her and greeted her kindly. Then she looked towards the front and she saw him.

Father Justin was standing there. There was a large wooden cross behind him, it seemed to emphasize that this was his domain and right now he was above every one of them. She was sure he took a large amount of pride in that but was able to do nothing about it nor would she if she could. She thought she felt his eyes on her but he seemed to look away right as she looked to see if it was true. He must have that trait. Dorelia thought to herself, not paying close enough attention to see the reverence in the eyes of those around her or how Abigail had cringed.

Baba had told her of a trait that some people had that allowed them to sense magic but not perform it. Baba told her the story behind it. Apparently there had been a witch, a very evil one who used her magic to hurt people and stole magic away form any magical person she could grasp. The woman traveled to world, stealing the magic form these people until she came across a very old woman. The witch had thought this woman to feeble to put up a fight but it turned out she was at the highest known level in her witchcraft and she wove a curse around the woman that locked away her magic and the magic of any of her descendents but they would still be able to feel the magic of those around them. The woman would not be able to caste magic nor would she be able to steal magic and her won greed for the magic she felt would torture her.

There was supposed to be some morale to it but at the moment Dorelia didnâ??tâ?? really remember what it was. Then the service started and Dorelia turned her attention back to the present. Dorelia sung with everyone, she was rather good at singing though she got very few chances to do so. For a while she believed that this morning mass would go well even with Father Justin leading it. She listened to him, allowing his words to fill her as everyone else did the same. He was the shepherd to them the flock and here they were supposed to follow. She did not even think twice when his eyes fell on her. Surely he could do nothing to her right now, not speaking in front of the town in Godâ??s name.

Then he said that he murdered, and that made her a bit worry. If he had murdered someone would be do it again? When he continued with â??in my heartâ?? she relaxed again. Many have done that in fits of rage so it was not uncommon. How ever, after that his speech took a strange turn that did not sit right with her. His speech of blood and fire and holy battle was very violent for a church. When he spoke of striking down those that stood against them and wondered if he could be implying killing witches, indirectly, killing her. But he couldnâ??t mean that, could he?

This his speech turned and the moment he mentioned a stranger she knew it had become about her and she shifted uncomfortable in her seat. This did not stop the triumphant smile that came to her lips when his speech included a small part of what she said at the trial. It was very hard to deny that God had led her here. Had she turned just slightly before starting out she would have ended up miles away form this town. He was smiling as well but his eyes were not. It was then that she knew he had something up his sleeve but she would have never guessed that he knew she was pregnant. Though people only whispered they may as well have been screaming form the way she felt right now.

She was completely put on the spot, ousted on something she would have wished to keep under wraps for at least another week. Her eyes were wide and panicked. She looked towards Abigail, confusion covering her face and her eyes practically screaming the question on her mind. How did he know? Abigailâ??s hand was close and she reached for it and clutched at it tightly. Not hard thought to hurt the woman, just enough to assure her she was not as alone as she suddenly felt. She knew this was what Father Justin wanted. He wanted to make her uncomfortable, maybe even humiliate her. Dorelia suddenly felt more exposed then she had been at the trial in a blood soaked nightgown. Not only did he announce her pregnancy but he pointed out her inadequacies before everyone in town!

Dorelia looked down at her hand, the one that was holding Abigailâ??s. Exposing her pregnancy, announcing her inadequacies, and then calling her tainted because of crimes committed against her that she had no choice in. Her mind flashed back to past events and she shuttered slightly, wishing she could forget the monsterâ??s face so it would stop haunting her. Everyone he said sounded nice but every word was a dagger thrust in her direction. He was complimenting her and hanging her at the same time. She could still feel his eyes on her and though she did not want to she met his gaze. Her eyes showed hurt and anger but only Father Justin would see it before she turned her head away once more.

I can speak for myself just fine. I seem to do well enough at the trial when I beat you. she thought bitterly. Why was he doing this? What did he have to gain form displaying her like this? He was practically announcing that she would fail without a man to help her. Then she realized it. He was painting her in an ugly light before the entire town! Calling her â??taintedâ?? and â??undesirable,â?? making her out to be â??a strangerâ?? with a strange past and then calling her a â??responsibility.â?? He may as well have just called her a burden. He didnâ??t, though he did say something worse. He asked who would â??sacrifice his own futureâ?? to care for her and her baby, even daring to call it a bastard child.

Here he was painting her so poorly then attempting to marry her off to anyone who said they would? Not only was he giving her no choice in the matter, he was publicly humiliating her! He may as well have tarred and feathered her and sent her running through town. No man would step up after what he had said. Despite how much she wanted to show he was not going to hurt her, that he was not going to win, she could not help herself. She felt as though she was going to cry and could not stop wishing for the service to end. But knowing Father Justin, even as little as she knew him, he would drag this out for as long as he possibly could.

Abigail sat rooted to her seat, shock painting her features as the priest spoke of the young woman sitting next to her. She had really been willing to give the man a chance to be civil, but apparently, he was dead set on making life hard for Dorelia. It made the old woman sick as she looked around and saw the sideways glances from those seated nearby, people looking from the corners of their eyes and quickly looking away. So easily manipulated by this man, it made her angry that none would stand up for her. With how supportive they were and how much they had taken to loving Dorelia that when it came down to it, they'd rather not get involved as the young woman was torn to shreds publicly. They'd all rather watch the show and follow Father Justin's lead when he told them what the girl should do or how she should live her life. What better man to decide than a man of God, right?

Feeling Dorelia's hand clasp her own, Abigail looked at the girl and saw the question in her eyes and the humiliation that was spreading over her face. All Abby could do was shake her head helplessly. She didn't know how the priest knew, and again, she felt a burst of anger fill her. The only time she hadn't been careful when speaking about the pregnancy had been in the hospital and her own home. Even though Lan had yelled at Susy about it, he'd been inside and it was the same as if Abigail had been discussing it quietly with someone in her house--someone in this town had the nerve to eavesdrop on them and to run with the information to the one man in town who held a grudge. She doubted it had come from Susy, the herbalist having been too upset after she'd left her home to do much gossiping--and there was NO way she would have gone to the priest, having her own troubles with the man. There was just so little time between what had happened this morning to now that it seemed impossible to decipher how word would have gotten to the priest. And she couldn't think of it getting out at any time earlier.

Sitting there listening to the man offer Dorelia up on the block, Abigail looked around and wondered what to do. It was her personal belief that Dorelia didn't need a man to take care of her, that she could do just fine on her own two feet, but it wouldn't do to argue points with the man across the church building, in front of everyone. She thought about taking Dorelia and just leaving, but it would draw even more attention and Father Justin might not let them go--if he told them to stay, it would look bad to refuse if she didn't have a good reason and right now all she could think was how he was embarrassing the girl. But she wouldn't sit here and let him do this. This was not a proper way to direct a church meeting, to put people on the spot and humiliate them publicly. He had no right!

So, giving Dorelia's hand one last comforting squeeze, Abigail stood, looking up at the man on the pulpit with a determined stare. "Forgive me, Father," she said in her thin voice, unwavering despite how nervous she was. "But I must protest."

Father Justin looked at the old woman passively. He hadn't expected this, but it wasn't too hard to get her to shut up, if he said the right things. "Protest against what, Abigail?" he asked smiling calmly. "Protest against offered help that is sorely needed?"

She shook her head, undaunted by the man's imposing presence. "Church is no place for--"

"What better place to ask for help then when we have everyone gathered in one place?" he asked, interrupting the old woman. "Really, Abigail. Please, sit down." He smiled at her mockingly as if the old woman were a child who just didn't understand.

Abigail frowned frustratedly. Her reedy voice wasn't as strong as his deeper one, and she didn't like that he took advantage of that and stepped all over her words. "You're not being fair--!"

"Fair?" he asked, his baritone voice reverberating off the walls as his tone got angry. "I'll tell you what's not fair: That an unwed mother should have to raise a child all by herself with no knowledge on how to care for either herself or the babe and no income or house of her own! THAT is unfair! To make the young one suffer so for his mother's shortcomings and growing up without a father figure in the home! I'm looking out for everyone's interests here! And if no man will step in and provide for her, then the church will gladly take the place, watching over the child while the mother works to better herself and learn what she needs to know." It was obvious to everyone what he was saying: that he would step in and take the child from her as soon as it was born because Dorelia(according to him) would be unfit to care for the babe on her own. The congregation buzzed with whispers and people talking lowly to one another, and Abigail sank to her seat, looking helplessly at Dorelia. There was nothing she could do, if the man wouldn't even let her speak a full sentence, and if he said he intended to do something, then there was no one to stop him. He was the highest moral authority in town and if he said it was right or wrong, then that was how it was.

"Now," Father Justin said, clearing his throat and waiting for the noise to quiet down before he continued speaking. "Since no man is willing to take on this righteous task, then it is up to me--"

"I will."

The priest stopped mid-sentence and everyone's eyes went to the back of the room to the man standing in front of the double doors still. Landon had his hands in his lab coat pockets and stared straight at Father Justin, seeming at ease yet steadfast in his demeanor. He'd come in right at the point in the sermon when the priest had started going after Dorelia and had grown angrier and angrier with every word the man spewed. Now, he'd had enough, especially with the way the man had trampled over Abby like that.

Father Justin swallowed thickly, his eyes darting around uncertainly. "I'm sorry, Landon, but you will what?" there was just the barest hint of innocence in his voice and a mocking amusement. It was plainly clear what Lan had meant when he'd said that, but by calling it into question Father Justin was basically saying that the man wouldn't be able to do what he suggested. That the priest doubted the man's words would cause others to doubt as well.

But Landon was nonplussed about the question and it's implications. "What you said," he said pointedly. "About her needing a man. I don't think she needs a man as much as you say she does, after all she's not going to be isolated. The town is full of people ready and willing to lend a hand and what mother is perfect when she first starts out? But if you insist on it, then fine, I'll be there for her. To look after her and tend to her. Alright?"

Father Justin quirked an eyebrow and smiled crookedly. "You intend to marry her?" he asked and Lan was about to speak again but the preacher continued. "Because it would be quite unseemly and improper for you to provide as a husband would without any relation and outside the sanctity of marriage." Seeing the slightly hesitant look Lan gave him, the priest smiled again haughtily.

Lan looked around briefly. He'd known what Father Justin had been suggesting when he'd asked for a man to step forward, but he'd hoped his introductory statements about Dorelia being capable without a man would be enough to sway away from the subject of marriage. Apparently not. Everyone looked at him expectantly and his eyes drifted over to Dorelia and he thought about it for a moment. "Yes," he said confidently, turning back to the priest standing upon his raised dais. "If that's what she wants and what she needs. Then, yes."

Eyes widening a little at that, Father Justin's face grew serious. From the way Lan was acting, this wasn't just an attempt to better him in verbal battle like they usually did; the man was...serious? Either way, Father Justin would hold him to it and swoop in the moment it looked like Lan was backing out. "Of course it's what she needs and what she wants is irrelevant," he said severely. "We're talking of the child here, because that's the most important thing--"

"Yes, most definitely," Lan said angrily, interrupting the man like he'd done to Abigail. "And the best thing is for the child to grow up with her mother and for Dorelia to be happy and safe." The priest wanted to play suggestion games? Well Lan could do that too. Not only did he imply that Father Justin's plan to take the child from her was hypocritical to his own stated goals, but also the emphasis on the last part of his sentence, brought up exactly who they were talking about--naming her gave her a face and made her a person, not just some random 'she' or 'mother', but Dorelia--and also a slight hint of Father Justin's previous intentions. The man had attempted to have her killed by court just a week ago, and although he seemed to have changed his tune, Lan made sure not to let people forget with the comment he'd made.

Glaring slightly down at the man standing at the back of the building, Father Justin was silent for a long time, as Lan met him stare for stare. Then he pursed his lips and looked away with a sigh through his nose. "Amen," he said solemnly and the word was repeated by those in the congregation. As the last hymn was sung, Lan visibly relaxed, having won this battle with the man, but knowing that he'd just complicated things unintentionally. Glancing at Dorelia where she sat, he waited for the closing hymn to be over and for people to start to rise and leave the building before going back outside. Standing by the doors he waited for Dorelia and Abigail, leaning against the wall of the church. People's reactions seemed divided, for it was unsure how exactly to approach him; were congratulations in order? Was it even a sure thing? How to move forward...

He ignored everyone, lost in his thoughts, trying to reason everything out in his head and how he would explain. It would appear that Father Justin wasn't giving them much of a choice, but he also would understand and support her decision...if she said 'no'. Seeing Abigail as she came out the doors leading Dorelia, he perked up and looked at them both expectantly. "Let's go home," Abigail said tight-lipped, looking around at the people still within ear-shot and he nodded his head in response. The walk back to her house was long and quiet and everyone they passed seemed to be involved in a conversation while looking at the three of them. He noticed that Abigail held Dorelia's hand as she led the way and he wondered how the young woman was feeling and what she could be thinking. Once inside Abigail's house, Landon stood uncomfortably by the kitchen table, even though Abby told him it was okay to sit. He went to smooth the mustache that was no longer there, but dropped his hand and let out a heavy breath.

"I won't let him take your child," he said finally, looking at the young woman soberly. "Whatever you want to do, I will stand behind you no matter what." Abigail looked from one to the other where she stood by the fireplace, with arms crossed under busom, a worried look on her face.