The trees rustled overhead as Granny and Nanny walked down the forest track.
"You know I can't be having with that kind of thing! Especially at my time of age!" Granny protested.
Nanny said nothing. It was the best way of getting Granny to do what you wanted. But sometimes you had to nudge her a little...
"Of course you can't be expected to look after baby Esme, Esme. Not with all you've got to do. And especially at your age. Me, I've got experience, 15 of my own, and I'm always baby sitting my grandchildren." Nanny said happily. Baby sitting for Nanny Ogg was watching them make a happy mess, happy in the knowledge that she would not be cleaning it up afterwards.
"But you've got no experience in baby sitting, only a bit about children, what with Esk and all." she continued. Glancing at Granny's face she nodded to herself. It was getting to her. She added more oil to the fire.
"It's just that young Magrat wanted baby Esme to get to know her Godmother while she was little. Oh well, she'll just have to go without." Granny muttered under her breath. "Of course, I never expected to live to see Granny Weatherwax giving up without a fight." Nanny said happily. She had Granny now.
"All right, I'll look after her. All it is is putting food in one end and cleaning the other, right? Nothing to it." Granny stamped up the path to her cottage. Nanny nodded happily. This was going to be fun. She turned down the path to Lancre. She'd let Magrat know.
Magrat grabbed the baby bag. "Thank you very much Granny, it's been so long since Verence and I have had some time alone." she said, piling toys and nappies into the bag.
"Nanny would love to look after her." Granny protested.
"Yes" Magrat muttered darkly. "And her first words wouldn't be 'Da da'."
Granny found herself in agreement.
"What about young Agnes?" she suggested
"Perdita doesn't like babies. And you know she's getting stronger." Magrat grabbed a rubber Elephant and tossed it into the bag.
"I'm going to have to do something about that" Granny muttered. "Where is little Esme anyway?'
Magrat opened the nursery door. "Here." Little Esme was standing in the cot. Granny was struck by her sapphire blue gaze.
"My she's growing fast. How old is she now?"
"She'll be 2 in a month."
"Talking yet?"
"Not really. Be careful?" Magrat looked up at Granny's face. Her gaze was still locked with little Esme's. Little Esme started to laugh. Granny was nonplussed. That had never happened to someone on the other end of one of her stares before.
"Of course" Granny fought an urge to blink.
Magrat broke the spell by scooping up Esme.
"Now you be a good girl for Granny." Magrat kissed Esme and passed her over. Esme leaned over and burbled into Granny's ear, then laughed. Magrat stifled a grin.
"We'll be going up to Copperhead to see King Ironfoundersson to get the Crown taken in a little. We should be back tomorrow. I'll go and find Verence." Magrat closed the door behind her.
Granny looked at Esme, who stared back.
The screams shook the cottage. The owl decided that a daytime life may be preferable. Plaster rained down from the ceiling, and spiders headed for new fresh, and above all quiet pastures.
Granny was perplexed. Esme was dry, didn't seem to be hungry and wasn't tired. She was just screaming. She couldn't stare her down cause her eyes were closed with effort of screaming. Granny had enough.
Laying Esme on the table, she concentrated a little. Treading a little of herself into Esme's mind she looked around.
High above her was a wrinkled face, it's eyes closed. Everything was strange, nothing was familiar.
Granny opened her eyes. Picking up Esme she sat in her rocking chair. "Now little Esme. Let me tell you about a girl I knew, must almost 20 years ago now..."Esme stopped screaming.
Keeping her voice at a soothing level, she slipped back inside Esme's mind.
Esme was calmer now, and the sensation as familiar. She reached out...
Granny jerked in shock. Esme's mind touched hers.
Granny stared at Esme's.
Mummy? The thought was not hers but Esme's. Granny blinked. She 'touched' Esme's mind and thought:
Mummy's not here
Esme thought about this for a moment, and reached out again.
Daddy? she thought hopefully.
No, Daddy's not here either.
Esme gave this some thought.
Who you?
Granny.
Esme's face split open in a huge grin, and she burbled laughter.
Granny!
With that her mind retreated, and Esme fell asleep.
It was Mid-afternoon as Magrat ran up the forest path. Running into the clearing, she skirted the herbs, and stopped to compose herself. She could hear bangs and crashes coming from inside. Granny's voice rose from inside.
"Come in, Magrat."
Opening the door, Magrat saw Esme sitting on the table, Granny's hat on her head, almost totally covering it. She was hitting several pots and pans with a wooden spoon. Granny was sitting in her rocking chair watching her.
"Hello Magrat. Good trip?" Granny inquired, her eyes never leaving Esme.
Esme twisted around.
"Mummy!" she called. Magrat scooped her from the table. Esme twisted around, looking over Magrat's shoulder.
"Daddy?" she asked.
"Err. Daddy's at home."
Granny came over and took Esme from Magrat's arms. Setting her on the ground, she said.
"Go and get your bag from the bedroom. Can you do that?"
"Yes Granny!" Esme chirped. Granny opened the hall door for her. Magrat turned on Granny.
"What did you do?" she demanded.
"Nothing." Granny said peacefully.
"She wasn't talking when we left yesterday." Magrat aid accusingly.
"She was fussing, so I 'touched' her mind to see what was worrying her." Granny shrugged.
"And?" Magrat demanded.
"And she 'touched' back. She was missing you." From the stairs came the sound of thumps. Magrat went to move but Granny restrained her.
"She's just pulling the bag down the stairs."
"What do you mean, 'touched'." Magrat was confused.
"I 'touched' her mind, she 'touched' mine. She's a powerful one." The door swung open to reveal Esme, hauling the bag in.
"Home now, Mummy?" Esme asked, holding her arms up to Magrat.
"Err. Yes" Magrat picked up the bag.
"Bye Granny!" Esme chirped, and waved as Magrat left.
Granny sat in her rocking chair staring at the fire. Nanny entered, moving quietly.
"Don't you think that I didn't hear you coming, Gytha."
"I heard about what happened. Did she really..."
"Yes she did. She's powerful. We'll have to watch her."
Nanny looked at Granny. Sometimes you are forced to see what you had given up.
"How's about a cuppa then?"
"You know I can't be having with that kind of thing! Especially at my time of age!" Granny protested.
Nanny said nothing. It was the best way of getting Granny to do what you wanted. But sometimes you had to nudge her a little...
"Of course you can't be expected to look after baby Esme, Esme. Not with all you've got to do. And especially at your age. Me, I've got experience, 15 of my own, and I'm always baby sitting my grandchildren." Nanny said happily. Baby sitting for Nanny Ogg was watching them make a happy mess, happy in the knowledge that she would not be cleaning it up afterwards.
"But you've got no experience in baby sitting, only a bit about children, what with Esk and all." she continued. Glancing at Granny's face she nodded to herself. It was getting to her. She added more oil to the fire.
"It's just that young Magrat wanted baby Esme to get to know her Godmother while she was little. Oh well, she'll just have to go without." Granny muttered under her breath. "Of course, I never expected to live to see Granny Weatherwax giving up without a fight." Nanny said happily. She had Granny now.
"All right, I'll look after her. All it is is putting food in one end and cleaning the other, right? Nothing to it." Granny stamped up the path to her cottage. Nanny nodded happily. This was going to be fun. She turned down the path to Lancre. She'd let Magrat know.
Magrat grabbed the baby bag. "Thank you very much Granny, it's been so long since Verence and I have had some time alone." she said, piling toys and nappies into the bag.
"Nanny would love to look after her." Granny protested.
"Yes" Magrat muttered darkly. "And her first words wouldn't be 'Da da'."
Granny found herself in agreement.
"What about young Agnes?" she suggested
"Perdita doesn't like babies. And you know she's getting stronger." Magrat grabbed a rubber Elephant and tossed it into the bag.
"I'm going to have to do something about that" Granny muttered. "Where is little Esme anyway?'
Magrat opened the nursery door. "Here." Little Esme was standing in the cot. Granny was struck by her sapphire blue gaze.
"My she's growing fast. How old is she now?"
"She'll be 2 in a month."
"Talking yet?"
"Not really. Be careful?" Magrat looked up at Granny's face. Her gaze was still locked with little Esme's. Little Esme started to laugh. Granny was nonplussed. That had never happened to someone on the other end of one of her stares before.
"Of course" Granny fought an urge to blink.
Magrat broke the spell by scooping up Esme.
"Now you be a good girl for Granny." Magrat kissed Esme and passed her over. Esme leaned over and burbled into Granny's ear, then laughed. Magrat stifled a grin.
"We'll be going up to Copperhead to see King Ironfoundersson to get the Crown taken in a little. We should be back tomorrow. I'll go and find Verence." Magrat closed the door behind her.
Granny looked at Esme, who stared back.
The screams shook the cottage. The owl decided that a daytime life may be preferable. Plaster rained down from the ceiling, and spiders headed for new fresh, and above all quiet pastures.
Granny was perplexed. Esme was dry, didn't seem to be hungry and wasn't tired. She was just screaming. She couldn't stare her down cause her eyes were closed with effort of screaming. Granny had enough.
Laying Esme on the table, she concentrated a little. Treading a little of herself into Esme's mind she looked around.
High above her was a wrinkled face, it's eyes closed. Everything was strange, nothing was familiar.
Granny opened her eyes. Picking up Esme she sat in her rocking chair. "Now little Esme. Let me tell you about a girl I knew, must almost 20 years ago now..."Esme stopped screaming.
Keeping her voice at a soothing level, she slipped back inside Esme's mind.
Esme was calmer now, and the sensation as familiar. She reached out...
Granny jerked in shock. Esme's mind touched hers.
Granny stared at Esme's.
Mummy? The thought was not hers but Esme's. Granny blinked. She 'touched' Esme's mind and thought:
Mummy's not here
Esme thought about this for a moment, and reached out again.
Daddy? she thought hopefully.
No, Daddy's not here either.
Esme gave this some thought.
Who you?
Granny.
Esme's face split open in a huge grin, and she burbled laughter.
Granny!
With that her mind retreated, and Esme fell asleep.
It was Mid-afternoon as Magrat ran up the forest path. Running into the clearing, she skirted the herbs, and stopped to compose herself. She could hear bangs and crashes coming from inside. Granny's voice rose from inside.
"Come in, Magrat."
Opening the door, Magrat saw Esme sitting on the table, Granny's hat on her head, almost totally covering it. She was hitting several pots and pans with a wooden spoon. Granny was sitting in her rocking chair watching her.
"Hello Magrat. Good trip?" Granny inquired, her eyes never leaving Esme.
Esme twisted around.
"Mummy!" she called. Magrat scooped her from the table. Esme twisted around, looking over Magrat's shoulder.
"Daddy?" she asked.
"Err. Daddy's at home."
Granny came over and took Esme from Magrat's arms. Setting her on the ground, she said.
"Go and get your bag from the bedroom. Can you do that?"
"Yes Granny!" Esme chirped. Granny opened the hall door for her. Magrat turned on Granny.
"What did you do?" she demanded.
"Nothing." Granny said peacefully.
"She wasn't talking when we left yesterday." Magrat aid accusingly.
"She was fussing, so I 'touched' her mind to see what was worrying her." Granny shrugged.
"And?" Magrat demanded.
"And she 'touched' back. She was missing you." From the stairs came the sound of thumps. Magrat went to move but Granny restrained her.
"She's just pulling the bag down the stairs."
"What do you mean, 'touched'." Magrat was confused.
"I 'touched' her mind, she 'touched' mine. She's a powerful one." The door swung open to reveal Esme, hauling the bag in.
"Home now, Mummy?" Esme asked, holding her arms up to Magrat.
"Err. Yes" Magrat picked up the bag.
"Bye Granny!" Esme chirped, and waved as Magrat left.
Granny sat in her rocking chair staring at the fire. Nanny entered, moving quietly.
"Don't you think that I didn't hear you coming, Gytha."
"I heard about what happened. Did she really..."
"Yes she did. She's powerful. We'll have to watch her."
Nanny looked at Granny. Sometimes you are forced to see what you had given up.
"How's about a cuppa then?"