A/N- Thanks so much for your reviews, everyone! Now, I think this one-shot will be a good deal shorter than the last one—maybe about the length of a decent drabble—but the one following this one will be longer. So, really, thanks everyone for your reviews, and I hope you enjoy this one!

Youth and Innocence: Scene Two

Magicks and Medicine

Lisa stood in the pathway of the bright sunlight pouring in from the kitchen window in Midwife Rochelle's home. She hummed happily, a dark, stone pestle in her hand as she ground away at a mixture of herbs in the pestle's matching mortar. She had her silky blonde locks tied back with a leather strap in place of her usual ribbon to better keep her hair out of her face. Once she had the herbs nice and ground, she poured them onto a square, thick parchment and tied it up into a small bundle with a string. Careful to get out of the mortar the bits that did not end up in the bundle, she added more herbs and began to grind again.

She was midway through humming a simple lullaby when she heard a knock on the front door of Rochelle's house. After a year and a half, Lisa knew that light knock.

"Come in, Imelda! I'm in the kitchen!" she shouted.

Imelda was grinning when she entered the room, her black hair always braided down her back, her hunter green dress sweeping the floor of the room. She carried with her a very small basket filled with flowers and herbs. She sat it down in front of Lisa and took a seat on a stool across the table from her.

"I was in the forest and thought you might need some of that," she said, propping her elbows on the table, and propping her head in her hands.

Lisa peered into the basket. Off-handedly she could identify most of the plants within, her midwifery skills having grown considerably with practice. She smiled at her friend.

"Yes, those are fantastic! I was actually going to have to fetch some of them when I had finished with this for Lora's mother. You've saved me some time, thank you."

"Never a problem, Lisa. I have to do my work in the forest, mostly. So, why not gather while I'm there?"

Lisa nodded, concentrating on her grinding. She knew well what Imelda's "work" was. Imelda was a healer of her own kind, a witch who used her powers for good. She had kept her friend's secret for over a year now. She looked up, sighing.

"This is the worst part of this healing process. These little plants are harder to grind than they appear," she said.

"I can imagine," Imelda responded, leaning back off the table.

Lisa stretched her hands for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she continued with her work. Imelda rocked a bit on her stool, watching. Finally, she grinned up at Lisa.

"You know…you don't have to be born with magic," she said.

Instinctually, Lisa shushed her. "Not so loud!"

Imelda shrugged. "There's no one here, Lisa. And the walls don't have ears. Hear me out."

Lisa's eyes darted back and forth before she finally nodded.

"What I meant was, you can be taught magic. Lisa, would you like me to teach you some of my healing magic?"

Her eyes widened. She stared at Imelda, who grinned at her. Then, shaking the shock from her, she smiled sheepishly.

"No, Imelda, thank you. I really don't think that magic is the path for me, my friend," she said.

She stared down at her mortar now, making sure that she had not over ground her work. She was startled when the sound of Imelda suddenly and roughly pushing her stool back reached her ears. She looked up, setting her work aside. Her friend's mouth was set somewhere between a grimace and a pout, and her eyes were narrowed, focused on Lisa.

"What is it?" Lisa asked, bewildered.

"You think what I do is evil, don't you?" Imelda hissed at her.

"No!" Lisa said, shaking her head.

"Then how I do it, then. The magic…you think I'm evil!"

Imelda whirled and moved to stride out of the house. Lisa threw herself around the table, catching her by the upper left arm.

"Let go!" Imelda yelled.

"Imelda, listen to me! I did not mean to offend you!"

"Then why won't you let me help you heal, to teach you some magic?"

Lisa sighed. "I love to heal people. It's true that learning healing spells would be terribly useful in my art. However, magic is secret, hated, and hunted. I wouldn't be able to heal in the open, like I do now. Oh, Lord help me, that sounds like vanity! I swear that is not how I mean it!"

She quickly made the sign of the cross over her body. She had let go of Imelda and found herself thankful that she had stayed to listen.

"What I meant by that was that I would not be able to heal as many, to help as many, as I do now. If magic should ever be looked upon kindly, then I will gladly take up your offer, should it still stand. Please, forgive my poor wording."

Imelda stared down at the floor, away from Lisa. Finally, she gave a small grin up at her friend.

"If I had not known you for as long as I have, I would think that you were lying. But I know you speak the truth to me. Please, forgive my quick temper."

Lisa hugged Imelda, grateful to have avoided a disastrous blow to their friendship. "There is nothing to forgive!"

When the girls had pulled away, Lisa moved back to her pestle. After a moment, Imelda announced that she had to leave, that her parents expected her. Lisa nodded, saying her goodbyes.

In the doorway, Imelda paused, glancing over her shoulder.

"Lisa?"

"Yes?"

"My offer will always stand, out of our friendship."

Lisa blinked, unable to reply before her odd friend swept from the house.

End Notes: Okay, so Lisa was about fifteen and a half in this one, if you didn't figure that out. But I'm sure everyone did, ha. Now, the next one-shot will be very interesting, be sure to read that one especially! As for the length…well, it wasn't bad, was it? Please review!