The Garden of Lir

The Magic Tent

Badger led the way on Welara horseback with Ihtizaz by her side, Green and his younger brother of eleven years, Grey held the rear as Olwën and Rahim were sandwiched between them.
"I wonder if there's pixies watching us." Grey asked.
"Don't be so fucking wet lad." Green snorted.
"He's just a kid." Olwën turned to Grey. "I bet there are and they're probably watching our every move."
Green laughed.
"You believe in pixies dontcha Rahim?" Grey asked.
"I believe in djinn, so of course I believe in your pixies."
"What about you Badger, Zaz?"
"Goblins and boggarts too, Badger here shape shifts on a full moon."
Grey looked at Badger in bewilderment. "No?"
Badger smirked.
"A werebadger."
"The lad doesn't need you lot making fun of him." Green put an end to the conversation for a while.
Up ahead Zaz noticed something strange amongst the forest.
"Look." He pointed to the structure, it was a blue and yellow tent, shaped like a miniature circus, a yellow flag with a blue rooster flew languidly from it.
Strange enough as there was no breeze for it to ride with.
Badger dismounted.
"Hey whatcha doing? It could be dangerous." Grey warned worriedly.
"I've seen this flag before Grey. You lot just hold guard, there could be more than pixies watching us."
"Aye, aye skipper." Grey saluted.
"Want any assistance?" Zaz asked.
"Sure, just stand outside."
Zaz dismounted, he was looking to give his scimitars something claret to drink.
Badger wielded throwing knives better than anyone she knew and made them herself, if there was going to be trouble she had easy access to them.
Entering the tent with Zaz peeking in she noticed a traveling woman, also known as a Demetae Nomad, an old Welsh woman who believed herself a fortune teller.
They were a running joke to non believers.
Badger was a non believer.
The old woman was wiping a green oil onto her lips, licking the pungent liquid for good measure.
She grinned at Badger, some of the oil spooled down her chin.
"Sit." She gestured at the chair opposite for Badger.
The old woman looked at Zaz. "Is the young pup afraid to enter?"
Zaz entered and stood by the entrance.
Badger was still standing.
"Ah you've perhaps heard tales of the cursed chair from our kind? This is not it, so sit, I dare thee."
"Don't dare me. What are you doing out here?"
"Waiting for a brave or clever traveler to come past and take me up on a fair trade."
"What is that garbage you put in your mouth?" Zaz asked.
"Crushed ferns for the colour and the innards of a starling young pup, it's how I see into the future."
Badger scoffed. "Yeah sure, okay this is a waste of time Zaz, let's go."
"Wait! What if I could give you one wish, anything with no strings attached?"
"I'd say I'll bite, how about a pixie."
The old woman didn't flinch.
"Did you hear me? I said give me a pixie to sit on my shoulder as me and my band travel through the country."
"Already done."
"Do I not get a wish?" Zaz asked.
"Pup your wish is to fuck this woman under the moonlight, hardly worth my time."
Zaz snorted and left the tent.
Badger grinned. "Enough of this crap, thanks for the laugh at least."
The woman shooed her away. "One with no imagination and one with no ambition, two overgrown children. I already knew before you entered."
"I know I could ransack this tent and you wouldn't do a thing."
The old woman flicked some of the green liquid at Badger, it hit her on the nose.
She wiped it off in disgust.
"Yeah well just be grateful I don't kick the asses of grotty old grannies."
"No kids lass, too much of a burden."
"Now that I can agree with." Badger grinned.
She exited, Zaz stood outside.
"Weird old rake, by the way..."
"Moonlight huh?"
"Yeah."
"Anyway let's get going because we have better things to do than waste time here."
"Can I go in?" Grey asked.
"No you can't!" Green told him sternly.
"Awww. Was it a witch? Did she grant wishes?" Grey asked.
"Apparently, all gibberish." Badger mounted her horse and they rode away.
Grey would have asked the old lady for a world full of peace where everyone got along, and the old woman would have granted it.
She cackled knowing the lad would never get his chance to wish for a better world, his types never did.
She only catered to the greedy ones who wished for avarice.