CHAPTER 1 Svartalf (part 2)

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Having quickly devoured my unexpected breakfast, I found out from one of the waitresses where the head of the village lived. Luckily for me, his huge estate is across a field sown with sunchoke, and there is also a large red barn in which uninvited imps settled.

Doubtlessly, they don't let me into the house. I am greeted by the head maid, an old woman in her seventies with gray hair pulled back into a tight bun. Giving me a quick appraising look, she leads me to the barn without further questions.

"When you're done, call the earthy farmerette. She is working in the garden now," she points with a crooked finger at the lone figure of a girl in a long gray dress who is picking gooseberries, putting each berry from a thick bush into a large wicker basket. "The girl will pay you, do not return to the house." Without saying goodbye, the old woman quickly left the barn.

"Goodbye, good woman! Kiss all the domestics for me," I loudly shout after her.

The old woman quickens her pace as if fleeing from me. She thinks that I can't hear her, that's why she's muttering under her breath, "Goddess forbid little Fillania sees this bestia in pants, a young girl of marriageable age should not look at terrible witches and their vile deeds."

I grunt, "Well, Crow, bestia in pants, it's time to perform vile witch rituals."

An hour was enough for me to 'talk' - enchant - the water in a wooden tub and sprinkle it into every corner of the barn. The imps, disheveled and grumpy, began to reluctantly crawl out of their holes. Ideally, I would have to 'speak' the barn door so that the imps would not come back, but the old woman's disgusting attitude towards me discouraged any desire to work more than necessary. A week later they will come back, but this time there will be twice as many (several female imps are pregnant). Good luck, you morons!

"Have you finished, lady witch? So fast! Were you scared?" chatters the earthy farmerette. Luckily, she is not afraid of me. The girl is very friendly and curious. She hands me a cloth in which two heavy silver coins are neatly tied.

"The critters were scary, but I took care of them," I tell the girl with a laugh.

"Miss witch, have you ever been to the capital?" she asks hopefully.

"Yeah, I used to live there... Do you want to travel to the capital?"

"Sure thing, I do want! But who will let me go... Did you know that a clothing merchant came to us two days ago? Are you familiar with him? He is also from the capital. Is it true that green is very fis-fishionable now?"

"I..." I look at her cute innocent face. The girl doesn't understand how big the capital is, and most likely this fabric seller is just trying to resell the cheap, low-quality rags that he bought from some foreign rag-and-bone-men. I don't want to disappoint her, "I think the green color is often worn by the ladies of the capital... listen, beauty, why are there so many people in your village? It seemed to me that the village of Birches is quite far from the Trade Route, and all the resorts for the rich are located much further, closer to the sea and hot gnome springs."

"Oh, yes, you probably don't know that today is a big event in our village: the head of the village, the main farmer, has an anniversary! They invited two bards from a capital, and his daughter Fillania bought such a beautiful green dress from a merchant, I saw it myself," the girl boasts as if she was given a dress. "Will you go to the party too?"

"Definitely! Listen, beaty, would you be a lamb, tell the old hag that I say hello and send my fiery kiss to your Fillania," I ask her in a liliaceous voice. Too bad I won't see the maid's expression. Let her think that I want to enchant her little Fillania, hehehehe!

"Certainly! I'm sure she'll be very pleased," the girl says naively.

"I don't even doubt it."

Having two silver coins, I decided to exchange them for twenty coppers and spend a few of them on a lunchtime snack. Having received enough information from the earthy farmerette, I considered it my duty to pay attention to the head of the village, or rather, drink free beer or take some food from the festive table on the sly.

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