Last chapter! Thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it!
Wednesday passes her the gun as a test as much as anything, curious to see what she'll do with it.
They're standing in the graveyard against one of the ruined walls. Esther is leaning back on it with one elbow in a black shirt and pinstriped waistcoat, one eyebrow arched up as she inspects the pistol.
"Small. A bit dull really." The woman states, words crisp as she pouts at the device, testing the trigger, "I presume it's loaded?" She asks lazily, singing the words a little.
Wednesday is pulling her rifle from the bag she'd bought out with them carefully, relishing the coolness of it and the way it feels in her hands like her oldest friend. She breathes out before replying, eyes wide as she lets her attention drift from Esther.
"Yes- of course it-" She begins to say, cut off by two cracks from her left.
Wednesday turns her head slowly, standing and looking at the tall woman.
Esther is still propped up against the wall in almost the same position as she was when Wednesday had turned away except her arms are both pointing almost directly upwards and her nose is wrinkled in concentration. She lowers her arms, swinging them down to lie in front of her again, cold smirk growing on her face. The gun is still grasped firmly between her sure hands.
Then she blinks and turns to face Wednesday who can only raise an eyebrow.
"Dinner." She explains.
Moments later a large shape plummets from the sky. It impacts the ground with a crunch.
Both women tilt their heads.
"A vulture." Wednesday says, matter-of-factly, "We haven't had that for a while."
Then a second hits a tombstone, neck snapping over the top of it and body landing on the other side.
"Two." Esther corrects, tilting her chin up and smirking again, "No point wasting a bullet."
After briefly returning to give the birds to Grandmama the two return outside. Esther replaces the bullets she'd used and they set off into the swamp.
The Mistress disappears about half an hour in.
She's there one moment and the next she's nowhere to be found. Wednesday knows she doesn't need to worry and that the Time Lady is more than capable of protecting herself even in a human state. She probably saw something move and got distracted by the thrill of the pursuit.
Wednesday spends about half and hour more just wandering by herself.
The swamp is as quiet as it normally is, broken by the hoarse cries of birds and the occasional shot. After she's obliterated a few toads and taken out a rather persistent alligator she grows slightly concerned.
She takes the quickest route back to the house and goes straight to the kitchen to find Grandmama.
"Where's Esther?" Wednesday demands.
The old crone doesn't even look up from her cauldron. The younger woman can see a few dark feather floating on the surface.
"She went with you." Grandmama grumbles as she stirs.
Wednesday raises her chin, concern and irritation infringing slightly upon her. She goes back to the swamp and sniffs.
The Time Lady would get lost when she's meant to be keeping an eye on her.
It takes almost another hour for Wednesday to find Missy.
The woman almost shoots her, hair in disarray and covered in mud with an expression that fits better on a cornered, feral wolf.
Then it drops and she's shivering a little. The smile being rearranged from her snarl and the fear in her eyes make her look even more deranged than usual.
"I got lost." She explains as if Wednesday hadn't just narrowly avoided a bullet from the gun still raised between them.
Wednesday frowns.
Today- this was enough.
"You told me to give you a week. Seven days and the threat would be gone. I suggest that you open the pocketwatch." The woman says coldly, rifle hanging by her side as Esther lets her own gun fall to hers.
The Mistress' smile only widens, sickly.
"My dear cousin, I've told you already it's broken." She says, eyes like the moon as she stares at her.
"Open it." Wednesday insists, stepping forwards.
Esther laughs.
It's thready and mad but the ridicule is there as she regains a little colour and stops looking quite so waxy.
"I told you cousin- it's broken. There's no point- look." She says, chilled fingers stumbling over the button as she drops the gun into the thick mud in her haste.
As soon as she does as strange dust whispers from it, shining even in the dim light of the swamp as it rises up to Esther's nose and mouth and she breathes it in.
The woman gasps, reaching out for balance.
One hand sits heavily on Wednesday's shoulder, nails pinching slightly at the skin beneath her sleeves, the other pushes against a tree as she gasps.
She recovers almost immediately, standing taller than before somehow.
"Well, that was an interesting trip." She murmurs, eyes still wide as she adjusts to the change.
The Time Lady lets out another breath.
"That. Was severely unpleasant." Missy says, turning to Wednesday as she drops her hands, "Do remind me not to do that again."