Struggle – Chapter 6 (Magic)

Magic

The pair walked through the forest without a single word spoken in between them. Despite their heartfelt and very welcome reunion, the direness and sombreness of the situation had blanketed over them. Miss Hobbs lead the much younger female servant through the forest. Rosaline was carrying the basket with enormous care, as is she felt that any wrong move would bring the world crashing down around her.

They continued on their trek through the forest on the roughly-marked path in silence for a long time. Divergence of the path was very common. So many were they, that Rosaline lost record of how many there were at one point after keeping count. Often times then path forked into two separate roads, and there was at times a more uncommon split in one of the splits itself. This thought made the weary servant shiver, as she couldn't dare think about what would happen if she were to get lost in the twisting forest: alone, frightened, vulnerable. All the predators that would hunt her down for her flesh, and to be possibly consumed alive... Rosaline quickly abandoned these thoughts to preserve her sanity in this dark time.

Miss Hobbs suddenly broke the thick silence, "We will be arriving shortly."

Rosaline searched the area ahead of them over the ancient woman's shoulder, but failed to see any distinct shapes. She could barely make out the outline of a noticeably larger tree in the distance.

"Is that it, Miss Hobbs?" Rosaline asked her companion. The older woman turned her head to give Rosaline a mysterious smile.

"It is indeed, my child," she confirmed. "Are thou not able to see it?"

Rosaline creased her brows, and shook her head. "No, Miss. Are you?"

"I am indeed able to see it from here. Very clearly, in fact."

This response startled Rosaline, as her own eyes – definitely much, much younger than those of Miss Hobbs – were not able to make out any other details of the large thing in the distance other than a vaguely tree-shaped outline. She puzzled over this for a little while longer before concluding with dissatisfaction that her ancient companion was most likely joking to keep the heavy air a little lighter.

However, a nagging thought kept gnawing at the back of her mind – what was the true nature behind that mysterious smile Miss Hobbs had just previously adorned?

As if sensing the younger female's deep thought and confusion over this very simple answer, the ancient woman gave a humoured chuckle, startling Rosaline. She only started to think about this even harder, over analyzing every detail – dissecting it into small and precise bits as if they were of any real importance.

Soon, the pair arrived at the base of the tree-shaped thing they had seen from a distance. It was indeed a very large tree; a grand one at that. Rosaline's eyes widened in awe as she stared up at the tree. It stood so tall and marvellous over them, that she failed to even perceive the top. Her mouth was hanging open, and she began keeling back as she saw how the tree stretched up into the dark Heavens; it seemed as if angels – or even God themself – could descend from the great Skies, and use the tree as a means to greet her down on this tainted land. However, this clashed with how magical the tree felt; as if a great sorceress or sorcerer had cast a magnificent spell that could call forth spirits of many kind.

"Careful you must be, for the child is almost toppling over with thee," Miss Hobbs called to her, jolting Rosaline out of her thoughts. She just barely caught herself from falling over, and quickly lurched forward to regain balance. This sudden movement somehow managed to draw laughter from the child: a loud, high-pitched and bubbling squeal. The child's first moment of happiness. The female servant's heart soared at the feeling of great accomplishment and joy after the realization that she had, in some way, made the poor newborn child happy for the first time ever.

"Come thither, and we shalt discuss what we shalt do about this unlucky babe," Miss Hobbs told Rosaline with a serious tone. This sudden change in mood quite badly dampened Rosaline's joy, but she quickly nodded in understanding. They went around the base of the tree's trunk, and arrived at the bottom of a wooden staircase. Rosaline, despite the millions of questions that swam around the inside of her head, kept quiet and silently followed her old, old guide up the stairs. The climb up was somewhat long, but could be explained by the tree's great height itself.

They finally reached a similarly wooden door, and Miss Hobbs produced a key before unlocking the door. She pushed the door in, stepped forward, and moved aside to let Rosaline shuffle in after she muttered a quick 'thank you'. Miss Hobbs placed the lamp on a small table by the door, and opened a drawer in the table. She took out a pack of matches before striking one alive, and lit a lantern that was hanging on the wall. She then turned, and locked the door once more.

Rosaline took in her surroundings. Her dark eyes swept over the dimly-lit room that they were in, processing every little detail with great wonder. The first thing she noticed was how pleasantly warm it was, despite the cold season that was beginning to overtake them. They appeared to be in a mudroom of sorts, with cloaks and jackets of varying sizes and colours hung on other hooks nailed into the wall. There were only a few pairs of footwear neatly stashed away under the outer layers, separated by a wooden plank wedged in between two short posts.

Miss Hobbs leaned her knotted cane against a wall, and shed her cloak before hanging it up next to the surprisingly numerous overcoats. She kept her shoes on as she shuffled back to the lamp, and lifted in a hand while retaking her cane in the other. The ancient woman began wobbling into another room, leaving the younger female alone in the mud room.

Rosaline carefully set the basket down on the ground, catching a glimpse of the newborn's peaceful slumber while she undid the simple clasp on her cloak. She took it off, and hung it up next to Miss Hobbs' own cloak. Rosaline would have simply stomped the dirt off her boots, but she instead took them off, and stood on her toes while hitting them together to rid them of debris. Once satisfied, she stuck her freezing toes back into the slightly cleaner shoes, laced them up, and picked up the basket again before trailing after the much older woman.

Passing through a narrow hallway, she emerged in a much larger room. Miss Hobbs had lit another lantern within the room, but the lantern was quite big, and provided much more light than the other ones did due to its superiority in size. The said woman was currently bustling about, moving surprisingly fast for someone her age. She shuffled over to a pile of firewood that was stacked next to the fireplace.

"Ah, Miss Hobbs, please let me do the labour. You must rest," Rosaline offered, and stepped forward to help the much older woman. Miss Hobbs dismissively waved a hand at her.

"Thou must not strain thineself," Miss Hobbs told Rosaline in a firm voice. "I cannot fathom how much thou hath gone through during this grim night already. I would be a disgrace if I were to let such a worn soul do something as simple as this for me." Miss Hobbs turned her head to gaze at her younger companion's face, and nodded to herself. "Thine expression betrays much, Rosaline. Thou very obviously need much rest."

Rosaline was taken aback by the number of words Miss Hobbs had spoken to express her worry for her. She herself suddenly felt extremely tired, as if the adrenaline of the night's previous events had worn out as soon as someone else mentioned it. The weary female nodded very absentmindedly, and now practically dragged her feet as she approached a chair. She pulled the wooden seat out, and plopped down very heavily with the basket on her lap. Rosaline watched with extreme gratitude as Miss Hobbs picked up a few pieces of firewood, and stacked them in a neat square before repeating the process with more firewood. Soon, the small structure grew to stand quite tall. She then gathered some kindling from a box nearby, and packed them into the middle of the structure. Miss Hobbs produced the same box of matches from earlier, and pulled out a match. She struck it lit, and placed it into the pile of kindling. The two women of polar opposite ages watched the fire begin growing from the inside out, as the orange and yellow flames began overtaking the wood. Soon a healthy fire was snapping and crackling inside the fireplace. Miss Hobbs then began shuffling around the room, collecting various plants, and other ingredients for whatever she planned to make.

While the older woman was bustling about, Rosaline observed the various aspects of this much-more grand space, and was amazed by every detail it held. The wooden surfaces of the walls, tables, and chairs were a beautiful mahogany colour. They showed obvious age from the various nicks and scratches they harboured on their tops. Despite their wear and tear, they seemed strangely sturdy and reliable. Shrivelled plants and herbs of diverse shapes and colours were hanging on one wall off hooks. There were rows and rows of shelves containing jars containing odd substances and materials that Rosaline dared not identify. Ancient books that had dust collecting on the spines were neatly sorted in similarly built shelves. Not a single nook nor cranny in the room to be vacant. The center of the room had a large table with candles lined up, and taking up a great portion of the table. The candles were presently unlit. Before them sat an open book, and from a distance Rosaline could make up strange star-like shapes, and a multitude of words packed into each page. Leaves of some kind were neatly stacked next to the book, and small pebbles to stones were lined up on the other side of the leaves.

She could have gone on and on about describing the room in great precision, but it was so overwhelming that Rosaline eventually let it be for her own sake. She saw Miss Hobbs take a seat in one of the very few chairs that surrounded the round table. The ancient woman let out a long breath, very obviously relieved to be able to sit and rest her creaking bones after being out in the cold for quite some time. The pair sat in silence for a while, simply buried very deep in their thoughts for some time.

It was Rosaline who broke the silence with quiet question.

"What are we to do from here, madam?" Rosaline asked in a quiet voice that was just above a whisper.

"We are to follow the plan that hath been laid out by thine fallen lady and comrades," Miss Hobbs answered fairly quickly. The rapidness of the answer could be explained by the fact that she was simply stating the obvious. The ancient woman leaned back in her chair, and folded her hands in her lap. She adopted a very thoughtful expression, reflecting her deep thinking. "Although I am to raise the child, I believe the unexpected intervention from the soldiers hath very much twisted the tangled web of destiny. While the Prophecized Child's fate is still very much the same, thine fate is very murky now. While thou wouldst have continued to serve thine lady, and ensure her safety, here thou art carrying the very fate of this desolate land. We must decide what to do with thine own life and the child's life carefully, as any foul move could possibly doom this land for good."

Miss Hobbs' speech troubled the young servant. Her grip on the basket tightened, her brows creased, and her frown only deepened. The female servant had not expected to see herself spiriting the child to this safe haven. She knew that the eventual outcome could not be avoided. Rosaline would have to leave the child in the older woman's care and protection, while Rosaline herself would have to leave as soon as possible. She lacked a single clue as to where she would go – where could she go? The commotion back at the main bridge wouldn't go unnoticed by the rest of the staff in the castle; especially the sudden disappearance of the 9-months-pregnant lady of the castle. If Rosaline were to return anywhere near the city the castle resided over, she would surely be apprehended. Even within the city she was fairly well known, as she was somehow very popular with the peasants. If Rosaline were spotted, and her presence was reported to the castle, she would surely be forced to go to the castle and explain what had happened. She had very little desire to do so, as the night's previous events were a dark matter that she struggled to control her emotions when reflecting on.

Rosaline stared at the child's peaceful expression with her own deeply troubled one for a while before she looked back up, and met eyes with Miss Hobbs. The said woman had a very wise expression, and this somehow calmed Rosaline's distressed mind.

"Do you know of any safe places I could go to?" she asked with immense hope. Miss Hobbs sighed deeply through her nose, and she closed her eyes in deep thought again. She finally opened them again and looked at the weary soul seated before her.

"This is where thine situation becomes very bleak," Miss Hobbs began. Rosaline seemed to become visibly depressed by this beginning. "True, thou could stay here with me, and aid me in the rearing of the Prophecized Child. However, thine presence could very well threaten the Prophecized Child's rise in some way."

"But why?!" Rosaline suddenly shouted out of frustration. Her hands flew to her mouth, and she quickly apologized before her eyes became even more downcast. Miss Hobbs seemed unaffected by the other's outburst.

"I can understand thine frustration. But the reason being for why thou cannot stay, thou should know very well thineself," Miss Hobbs continued in an even tone. "The demonic forces of the Black Eagle can – and will – track you down before slaughtering all 3 of us."

Rosaline's eyes widened, and she leaned back while dragging a hand down her face. She fully understood her stupidity. Somehow, she had managed to completely overlook the fact that the Impalers of the Black Eagle (she remembered the name of the battalion that had apprehended her own group) would obviously have some survivors. She highly doubted that all of them had perished in the explosion – God bless her lady for that sacrifice. The survivors would most likely track her down with some means: whether it be with hunting dogs, scouts, what have you.

She let out a heavy sigh, and sat back up but with a visibly dejected and slumped posture.

"Unfortunately, I am also quite unable to properly advise thee on how thou should proceed from here," Miss Hobbs admitted with sadness showing in her voice. "It is highly likely that the Black Eagle has gotten a whiff of thine scent. Though it is difficult to track one with only their scent in possession, the Black Eagle hath thus forth defied all of our expectations with countless feats of sorcery. No doubt the Black Eagle will find a way – if a way hath not been discovered yet – to track thee to the ends of this world."

The very old woman suddenly stopped speaking, and this caused Rosaline feel somewhat confused Initially she thought that the other had stopped to think about what to say, but upon lifting her head to look at the other, Rosaline discovered an expression of great reluctance and hesitation on the older woman's face.

"What is it, Miss Hobbs?" the younger female asked with worry. Her brows were now creased in curiosity and concern. Miss Hobbs remained silent for a while longer, staring off into the distance as if in more deep thought. She finally heaved a great sigh, and shifted uncomfortably in her seat before picking up where she left.

"I have very little desire to reveal this to thee," she began after some additional – by now frustrating – hesitation, "but it seems that a revelation and entrustment of sorts is necessary in a situation like thine own."

Rosaline tilted her head, and her confusion only deepened. Miss Hobbs took a hold of her cane once more, lifted herself off her seat, and walked over to a cabinet that sat in the room. Rosaline watched as the other woman opened the one of the cupboards, rummage through the space behind the doors, and pull out a strange, medium sized, circle-shaped object. Miss Hobbs came wobbling back to her seat before lowering herself onto the chair again. After setting her cane against the arm of her chair, she took the object that she had carried over in both hands.

Rosaline could now see that it was in fact a necklace – large enough to fit around one's neck, but much too small to be considered a circlet. It was a dull gold in colour, and had two pieces that twisted around each. Both ends were laced with leather string, and was held together with more string of the same material before being tied together completely with a simple knot. The necklace had engravings in a completely different language that was very foreign to Rosaline etched on its surface. The runes struck Rosaline as being very archaic, as she had never seen anything like them before – they were very angular and sharp in shape, with many triangles in their individual lettering. Other than that, there were odd symbols mixed in with the writing. The younger female was strangely entranced by the necklace.

"This necklace is a talisman designed to hide one's presence from demonic eyes," Miss Hobbs told Rosaline. "So long thou keep this necklace bound around thine neck at all times, thou art safe from the searching eyes of the Black Eagle and forces associated with the Eagle." She extended her hands to Rosaline, presenting the peculiar artifact to her. Rosaline looked up at Miss Hobbs, and Miss Hobbs nodded at her as if to give Rosaline permission to receive the object.

Carefully, Rosaline took the necklace from Miss Hobbs' outstretched hands, and into her own. She untied the simple knot, and brought the talisman around her neck. She tried tying the knot again, but had much difficulty as she could not see it, and because her actions were being perceived backwards. Miss Hobbs saw this struggle of hers, and rose from the seat once again. She lifted a hand before Rosaline could protest.

"Do not attempt to waste precious time by trying to tie a simple knot," Miss Hobbs seemed to chide. "Not only would thou make our demise a quicker approach, but if I were not able to make sure that the talisman is properly secured, I fear it will slip, therefore sealing your bleak fate."

Rosaline felt her cheeks go red in embarrassment, but nonetheless stayed silent as the older woman approached her from behind. She felt Miss Hobbs take the two ends of the string from her, and so let her arms fall around the basket. Miss Hobbs made quick work of tying the knot, unlike Rosaline, and Rosaline soon felt the cold material of the leather knot rest on the back of her neck.

"Thou may want to consider practising the tying of knots, Rosaline," Miss Hobbs joked as she shuffled back to her seat. The insulted party felt her cheeks burn even brighter, thus causing her to lower her face, but still catch a glimpse of Miss Hobbs' amused smile.

"Now, returning to more pressing matters," Miss Hobbs reinstated in a much more serious tone. "As I have said earlier, I am afraid I cannot advise thee very well in terms of thine future. However, I do have knowledge of a few locations that will keep you safe. These places were once inhabited by elves, and so are blessed by their magic. This very magic wards off evil spirits and demons, and will effectively protect thee from these forces that may attempt to hunt thee."

Miss Hobbs' expression suddenly darkened: her brows drew close together, and her lips became thinned into a line. Rosaline felt an ominous sense of dread.

"There are abhorrent beasts – horrible, blood-letting creatures of the Dark – known as 'Apostles'."

This naming of these horrid monsters greatly confused Rosaline. Aren't apostles the messengers of God, and not a pack of savage killers? However, she remained silent and listened to Miss Hobbs' explanation of Rosaline's dark future.

"These Apostles are horrendous beings who have sacrificed people who were near and dear to them for the sake of power. They have no sense of right or wrong, and hunger for the flesh of those who are living. I believe the Black Eagle has somehow managed to control, and recruit Apostles – hundreds, if not thousands of them. Their hunger for human flesh will be their drive to find thee, and eventually devour thine body. Their noses never fail them, and they are able to track prey for miles upon end. No doubt that the Black Eagle has found some sort of object that carries thy scent, and will toss it to the Apostles serving under the Eagle so that they may come find thee.

"However, this is is also where some hope can be found for thee." Miss Hobbs paused, and watched as Rosaline's bleak eyes lit up with some hope. "These locations where the elves once inhabited provide a sanctuary those who are haunted by restless spirits. The elves' remaining presence will barricade thee from these Apostles, no matter how they may try to enter the location.

"I have knowledge of where some of these locations preside. However, we must choose which of these places thou will travel to wisely. One of them is closer than the others, but is still quite close to Sanguinneg. Thy scent will surely be masked, and the Apostles will be unable to find thee. But the Black Eagle would then post a bounty on thee, and ensure that thou be brought back alive by the Apostles at all costs. Surely then, men, and even women, who are severely deprived of any money during this dire age will go out and attempt to locate you. These men would be able to employ hunting dogs, who could trace thy scent to your dwelling, before you are effectively captured, and brought back to the Black Eagle."

Rosaline rose a hand, as if to ask a question. This sight led Miss Hobbs to stop speaking, and patiently wait for the younger female to try and re-collect her thoughts. Rosaline lowered her hand, and remained silent for a few moments with a focused expression before beginning her slow barrage of questions.

"First, and foremost, Miss Hobbs," Rosaline began, "are you a witch?"

This incredibly silly, and juvenile caught the wise woman off-guard. She stared at Rosaline in shock before holding back a laugh. "Is... that thy first question?" Miss Hobbs queried, her eyes widened out of disbelief. Despite the obvious mockery coming from her, Rosaline kept a serious face on, and nodded in affirmation. Miss Hobbs' smile of dubiety suddenly dropped, and she frowned in discomfort. The two women stared at each other for a while longer, before Miss Hobbs saw how truly determined Rosaline was to find an answer. Heaving a great sigh, Miss Hobbs finally gave a very hesitant answer.

"Indeed I am, Rosaline," Miss Hobbs confirmed Rosaline's suspicions. Now it was Rosaline's turn to look shocked. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth hung open. Her expression remained the same until she managed to stutter a reaction.

"T-Truly, Miss Hobbs?" she asked. Miss Hobbs gave a wary nod and smile, anticipating how Rosaline may react on this newly discovered news.

"...Are thou not upset, or unsettled by this knowledge that I am a witch?" Miss Hobbs asked after Rosaline's continual silence. This seemed to snap Rosaline out of her trance, and she shook her head in response. A bright and excited smile split her cheeks, and caused her to look many years younger than she was.

"Unsettled or upset is the last thing I would be feeling right now, Miss Hobbs!" Rosaline assured her older companion. This seemed to visibly relax the other by a great deal, and her previously tense posture slumped, and she leaned back in her seat with a neutral expression.

"In fact, I would say that I am feeling quite excited by this discovery!" Rosaline added. She looked around the room in wonder while continuing to speak. "I know the Holy See Religious Order's spreading of their beliefs have caused the retreat and hiding of people who use sorcery, but I never expected a witch to have been hiding here, so close to Sanguinneg. Especially since Sanguinneg is one of the most important cities in Remurrant!"

She paused and looked at Miss Hobbs with a sudden look of curiosity. "Did my lady know that you are a witch?"

Miss Hobbs shook her head. "Nay. Though I am fairly certain that thy lady hath never even suspected a witch to be residing so close to her castle, she may have had a slight suspicion that there was indeed one dwelling somewhere close by. However, I highly doubt that she would have thought that the witch is me. If she even had the slightest belief of this truth, you most likely would not even be here with the Prophecized Child."

Rosaline looked down at the sleeping child resting in the basket that sat on her lap with an expression of deep thought. She wondered where the child possibly could have gone to, if her lady had decided to send the child elsewhere. She looked back up to Miss Hobbs.

"But how are you even able to stand the Holy See if their beliefs drove you out?" she asked with heavy questioning. "You are the head of the most powerful convent in Sanguinneg! How can you tolerate the very beliefs that forced you to go into hiding?"

Miss Hobbs smiled at the comment. "I saw it necessary to hold such a position if I were to ensure mine own survival. Besides, I do not harbour hate towards the Holy See Religious Order for the teaching of their beliefs. Their concepts on this world simply differ from mine, and therefore I find it hard to hate those who drove me out for doing so. This matter is still a strange one, and I believe it will waste more time if we are to discuss why I do not hate the Holy See."

Aren't you already wasting time by letting me ask these questions? Rosaline pondered incredulously, sweating a bit. Though that would make me a hypocrite for thinking that, since I am the one asking all these miscellaneous questions. Still, I might as well bring it up if Miss Hobbs is so willing to answer all of them.

"Speaking of time, is it safe for me to be asking these questions?" Rosaline voiced her thoughts. This caused Miss Hobbs to chuckle.

"Worry not. Though we are still pressed, this dwelling of mine is heavily protected by various talismans, all quite similar to the one thou art wearing at the moment. Even if the remaining forces of those who apprehended you do report to their master in due time, the Black Eagle will still have trouble sending out any Apostles to hunt thee down."

Miss Hobbs' answer led Rosaline to feel a little dumb, but she kept a neutral face to try and hide this humiliation she felt.

"Well, I don't think I have any other questions," Rosaline pondered aloud. "Should I leave now, or will you let me rest for the night?" Despite Rosaline's brave offer to be on the move at any given moment, any could clearly see that Rosaline was definitely hoping for some sort of reprise after the tiring events of the night. Still, the weary servant did her best to keep a courageous face one.

Miss Hobbs gave a reassuring smile. "Worry not, my child. The Black Eagle will be quite focused on the discovery of the meaning behind the explosion that killed off a good portion of her forces, and will most likely be quite busied by Apostles begging to be let on the loose. No matter how skilled of a commander the Black Eagle may be, I highly doubt that the Eagle will be able to assign any hunting roles tonight."

Rosaline very visibly relaxed. She let out a huge, pent up sigh, and slid down in her seat. She still kept a vice grip on the basket, though, showing how unwilling she was to let the then-sleeping newborn wake and cause another uproar of wailing, screaming, and crying. Miss Hobbs began standing up, and Rosaline was about to shoot up from her seat to offer assistance before remembering what the older woman had told her. Rosaline remained seated, and watched as Miss Hobbs rose to her full height – which wasn't much.

"For now, I will ask thee for thine assistance in settling the child down in their room," Miss Hobbs told Rosaline. "Unfortunately, I have only prepared the room for the child to stay in. I have not had guests stay here in many years, and so all the other guest rooms are filled with my belongings. However, if thou art fine with making space in one of these rooms for thineself to sleep in, then thou art welcome to choose a guest room to settle down in for the night."

Rosaline was unable to answer because of the level of hospitality and kindness Miss Hobbs had showed – no, treated – her to in such a short amount of time. Her lips flapped for a little before she managed to give a stuttering answer. "I am very much fine with that, Miss Hobbs. Thank you kindly for this. You have my deepest gratitude." Rosaline curtsied, and bowed her head very low. She improvised a curtsy by wrapping one arm around the basket, and stretched one arm out. It was quite close to the traditional curtsy that was performed by women in Remurrant, with only the other arm being held in front of a woman's chest, and the kneeling missing.

Miss Hobbs gave a warm chuckle at the sight of this action, and held a hand to her face in a show of modesty. "My, I am quite warmed by thy display of thy deep gratitude." Rosaline quickly went back to a standing position, and began following walking to catch up to Miss Hobbs. Miss Hobbs herself turned around to walk through one of the several doorways that connected this large room to the rest of the dwelling. She opened the door, and walked through the dark hallway. She struck another match from her box, and lit a lamp that adorned the wall near the door. Rosaline suddenly had a thought as she watched the clear glass of the lamp light up as the fire inside of it sprung to life.

"Miss Hobbs, if you are able to employ magic, why do you not simply cast a spell to light your house at all times?" Rosaline asked out of curiosity. Though she was a bit dumbfounded as to why the witch didn't do so, she was sure there was some sort of rational explanation as to why Miss Hobbs didn't use any magic as a source of light.

Miss Hobbs paused in her action of retreating her hand from the lamp. Rosaline was a bit taken aback to see that she was actually putting some thought into this simple question.

"Why, that is actually a good question," Miss Hobbs mused aloud. Rosaline blinked in surprise at this answer. "Despite my extended use of magic, my habits prior to learning such spells have seemingly stuck with me." Miss Hobbs tucked the dead match into a pocket of her jacket. "Additionally, my late mistress had not taught me any spells as simple as creating a source of light until much later into my education of magic, as she had focused on more defensive and offensive ones at first. By then, I was already quite used to manually lighting lamps." Miss Hobbs continued down the hallway after answering Rosaline's question. Rosaline herself remained rooted to her spot for a bit, seemingly confused by this answer. She shook her head to free herself from this, and followed Miss Hobbs.

The witch stopped at the first door that dotted the short hallway. The door looked very plain, and had a completely normal feeling to it. However, Miss Hobbs lifted her cane, muttered a few incomprehensible words, knocked the top of her knotted cane on the centre of the door, before the unlocking of a lock resounded in the hallway. Miss Hobbs then turned the doorknob, and pushed the door inwards before stepping into the dark room.

Rosaline stared at this scene in bewilderment. She didn't even need a key! Rosaline quickly stepped after Miss Hobbs so that she was not left behind. She saw Miss Hobbs light another lamp, and the room was instantaneously brightened by the only source of light in the vicinity (in spite of the size of the lamp itself). Rosaline's brows creased at this sight, and concluded that this was most likely the work of Miss Hobbs' magic.

The room itself was very tidy, as Miss Hobbs had prepared it some time ago. It lacked any defining features: there was a single window on the far wall, with its curtains drawn closed. There was a plain crib sitting parallel to the wall in the far corner, with a pure white pillow, and blankets resting on it. The crib looked as if it was originally a bed, but had tall, wooden railings installed into its sides. There was a wooden desk with a similarly wooden chair situated next to the bed, which currently sat very empty. A large, wooden closet sat on the other side of the bed. Other than that, there were no decorations. Everything was extremely pristine and unblemished, contrasting the rest of the house the room existed in. However, in spite of its extreme cleanliness and neatness, it felt very empty and lacking of any warm – if any – emotions.

"Set the basket on the chair for now," Miss Hobbs instructed. "I do not wish for the blanket to be dirtied, for the child is only a newborn, and is therefore extremely vulnerable to even the simplest form of disease." Rosaline did as told, and approached the chair before carefully resting the extremely precious basket on the chair. She turned around, and faced the older woman, awaiting further instructions.

"Unfortunately, as thou can tell, I lack the necessary means to provide the right food for the child," Miss Hobbs admitted. Rosaline nodded in understanding, with a faint blush resting on her cheeks at this thought. "However, I do have some... assistants, as one could call them, who have been able to provide me with a substitute. I have this substitute ready, but I must ask you to retrieve it from the kitchen. The kitchen is right next to this hallway, and thou must simply go in, and find the food on the table."

Rosaline nodded, and began walking towards the kitchen. She wondered what – or who these 'assistants' Miss Hobbs referred to could be, but she decided to leave that matter for another time. Rosaline quickly made her way through the main room, and into the kitchen. She found the very food that Miss Hobbs was talking about. It wasn't food at all, but rather milk in a bottle, as one would expect. Rosaline's disappeared blush returned at an even more intense burn as she thought about how Miss Hobbs could have gotten a hold of this milk at such an age, before remembering the existence of cows, and letting out a noise of frustration again. The flustered female picked the bottle up in both hands, before returning to the child's room.

Once there, Rosaline found Miss Hobbs carrying the newborn in her arms, and rocking the child in a soothing manner. Miss Hobbs noticed Rosaline's arrival, and took the bottle from her. Miss Hobbs began to feed the milk to the child in an experienced manner.

"I can take care of the child in from here," Miss Hobbs told Rosaline while still focused on the child. "Thou art very weary, I can tell, and thou must get as much rest possible before the day arrives so that you may be fully recovered for a tiresome journey." Rosaline was about to protest, but she restrained herself to nodding, and was about to pass Miss Hobbs before she began speaking again.

"The guest rooms are all in the next hallway over," Miss Hobbs described to Rosaline. "Enter the main room, go to the hallway with the shelf full of herbs next to it, and choose one of the rooms from there. From what I can remember, the room at the very end has the most space for thee to sleep in. There are some blankets, and possibly a pillow in the closet. There is also a lamp next to the door. Take the matches from my right pocket." Rosaline reached into the aforementioned pocket, and pulled out the pack of matches that Miss Hobbs had been repeatedly using.

Rosaline took a step back, and curtsied once more – this time properly – and professed her deep gratitude before standing to her full height, and making her way to the guest room she would be staying in.

Rosaline passed through the main room once more before reaching the designated room. She inspected the door, suspicious that it was locked by some strange contraption like the child's room was, before testing the doorknob. It turned like any other one would, and relief filled Rosaline's mind as she stepped into the dark room. The tired woman struck a match, and lit the only lamp in the room before observing the state of condition the room was in.

As expected, there was a mess of items stacked to the brim in the room. However, it only took up half the room, and Rosaline located the closet before opening it up. She pulled out the folded-up blankets, and was pleased to find that there was indeed a pillow. The items Rosaline held were in surprisingly good condition. Rosaline then placed the blankets and pillow down on a box that sat near her, and picked up one of the blankets. She spread it out on the ground, smoothed it out, before placing the pillow at the top. She momentarily paused to decide whether or not she should return the matches. However, for once in her lifetime, she decided she would put her own needs before anything else. Rosaline took the box of matches out from the pocket on her apron, and set it on the same box she had left the rest of the blankets on.

Rosaline then proceeded to take the lamp off the wall, and sat it next to where her head would soon be resting. The thought of sleep enticed the worn out woman, and she made quick work of unfolding the blankets, holding them together, and laying them over herself as she stretched out on the makeshift bed. Despite the fact that she was sleeping on the ground, Rosaline didn't seem to care at all, as she was used to sleeping on the floor. Having a blanket to separate herself from the floor was a luxury that Rosaline welcomed.

As sleep tugged on her eyelids, Rosaline rolled over and blew the light in the lamp off, before nestling into her blankets. It wasn't long before the even breathing of Rosaline was the only sound heard in the now-dark room as she fell fast asleep.