The Green Witch

Chapter Eight

     "Dougal does nothing but talk about you," said Drisco as the small carriage clattered down the road towards the edge of town. "Ever since he met you that day on the road."

     "Does he?" said Tala. She suddenly regretted not going to see him more than she had after he'd broken his arm. She'd done everything she could to make him forget about her and now she had to be glad that she'd failed. "I've been so busy," she said. "Having to do everything for myself takes a lot of time. Took a lot of time."

     Drisco gathered the reins into one hand, freeing the other to reach over to pat the back of Tala's hand. "You'll find things are a lot different when you're a family of farmers," he said. "We can share the work, and there's a lot of time left over. Another pair of hands will be even better, and you already know how to grow your own food."

     "On a small scale," Tala replied. "Just carrots and onions really."

     "But enough to last you a whole year," said Drisco, looking across at her. "That's a whole different barrel of ale from some little herb garden. You have to till the earth at the end of the year, right? You have to weed and irrigate. Know how to deal with pests and diseases. That's a lot of work. You need to have a strong back and be ready to get your hands dirty. You're ready made to be a farmer's wife."

     "Sounds like you're ready to marry us already."

     "If you don't choose him it'll be some other young lad, and Dougal said he saw the way you were looking at his bare chest."

     Tala flushed crimson with embarrassment. "I were looking for bruises, injuries..."

     Drisco laughed. "Aye, lass. Course you were." He suddenly grew more serious, though, and turned to look at her again. "Seriously, though. Could you see yourself marrying him? Maybe you've already set your cap on some other young man."

     "No, there's no other young man. And yes, I can see myself marrying him, unless he finds another young lady he likes better."

     Drisco laughed. Laughter came easily to him, it seemed, and it made Tala warm to him. These were good people. She was lucky to have found them, but she would have to be so, so careful or she could end up being nothing but a curse to them.

     "Nay, lass," said Drisco. "He's set his cap on you alright. He'd already made up his mind to ask you to the dance again. He's not the kind to take just one no for an answer."

     A starling landed on the rump of the horse pulling the cart. <Mother!> it cried joyfully. <Your nest has gone. We thought a monster had gotten you.>

     <I can't talk to you,> Tala replied. <I'm sorry, but I can't talk to you ever again.>

     The starling stared in confusion. <Why not? Are you angry with us?>

     <No, of course not.>

     <Did we do something wrong? We keep eating the seed you put in the ground. Is that what we did wrong?>

     "Look at that bird!" said Drisco in amusement. "Looks like it's trying to talk to you."

     Tala felt a spike of fear. <No, you've done nothing wrong,> she told the starling. She tried to think of an explanation the bird would understand. <There's a monster hunting me...>

     <Monster!> cried the bird in alarm. It's tiny head turned this way and that, trying to look in all directions at once. <Monster!>

     <Yes, and If it hears us talking it'll find me. I have to hide.>

     <But you're the one who keeps the monsters away. The monsters do as you say.>