Hopefully.
I returned to my largest cauldron, planting my hands on my hips in contemplation.
It would take alotof work to clean the horrendous sludge out of the bowl, and I wasnotin the mood for that kind of manual labor at the moment. I shoved the cauldron into the corner, out of the way, so I could deal with it another day.
I was huffing and puffing and glistening with sweat by the time I got the massive bowl far enough out of the way to avoid impacting my workflow. I could have sworn it was much heavier than it should have been. Like it was filled with rocks instead of slimy potion.
I dusted my hands off, proud of myself for such an impressive physical feat, and returned to my lists of daily tasks. I would have to brew my potions in my smaller cauldrons now that my favorite cauldron was temporarily out of commission, but that wasn’t a problem. Only a minor inconvenience.
I refastened my green wavy hair back into a tighter bun, pulled a fresh apron over my tunic, and got to work.
I paid extra attention to my ingredients, triple checking everything and watching the cauldrons like a hawk to ensure no surprises were added.
Damned sprites.
My biceps were aching and my back was straining from the effort by the time I finished the day’s brews; a new batch of energizing tonics for Mayor Tommins, ten sachets of healing poultice for the healing clinic, a pain reducing potion for the coven leader and oldest witch in town, Ani, a pouch of sobering dust for Ginger’s Pub, and a bucket of magical blue dye for the clothing shop.
I set off to make my delivery rounds.
Some folk in Moonvale chose to come by the shop to retrieve their orders, but if I had the chance, I preferred to deliver them. Especially these days, when every extra moment they lingered in my shop was an extra opportunity for those damned sprites to get their grubby mitts on them.
I strapped my heavily laden satchel onto my back, glared at the cauldron in the corner one more time for good measure, and slipped out the front door of my apothecary shop, locking it behind me.
I had named the shop after myself, of course; Kizzi’s. It was entirely practical. It was short and simple and got the job done. Everyone in Moonvale knew exactly who I was, and they knew to come to me for all their witchy or pharmaceutical needs.
My first stop was to the healing clinic, Moonvale Medical. It was in town square, close to my own shop, only a short walk away.
“Velline!” I called as I pushed the door open with a rusty squeak of hinges. “Are you in?”
The gorgeous angel flitted over to me, ridding herself of a mask and gloves and tossing them into a waste bin. Her glimmering wings flared gracefully behind her. “Perfect timing! Thank you!”
Velline’s shoulder-length white hair was smooth and straight, framing her face perfectly. Her skin glinted with a healthy silver glow. It was nice to see her looking so bright, especially after the hardships Moonvale endured during the freeze season.
I dropped my satchel onto the floor and knelt to retrieve her order. I pulled all ten sachets of healing poultice out one by one, inspecting them and subtly sniffing their contents before setting them in Velline’s waiting hands.
I couldn’t risk any more mishaps. They were bad for business.
Damned sprites.
The sachets smelled how they should, like licorice root and lavender, and they appeared to be tied exactly how I had left them. Thank the gods.
I stood, brushing the dust off my knees and pulling my bag back onto my shoulder. “Alright, there you go! You should be covered for a while. If you need any more, you know where to find me.”
“Thanks, Kizzi. You really are a gem to this town; I hope you know that.” Velline stated matter-of-factly. My cheeks warmed at the kind words.
“It’s nothing, just a little mixing and brewing.” I coughed awkwardly. “Anyways! How have things been here? Any crazy illnesses recently? Old Man Wilbur still driving you up the wall?”
Old Man Wilbur was an elf, somewhere around seven hundred years old, and he was an absolute piece of work. He was once the primary healer in Moonvale, but he was slowly passingthat responsibility onto Velline so he could have more time to himself. What he did with that time, nobody knew for sure.
“You know what, it’s been calm, actually. I shouldn’t say that too loudly, lest the fates hear me, but things have settled into a pretty normal rhythm.” She tossed one of the sachets idly back and forth. Her silver fingernails caught the light and sparkled prettily. “Old Man Wilbur is exactly how you’d expect him to be.” She glanced at me conspiratorially. “But I shouldn’t speak ill of him. He has been an excellent mentor.”
I snorted. Velline was always so polite, so sickeninglynice. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body.
It was baffling. I adored her for it.
A hacking cough from the back of the room interrupted the conversation.
“Duty calls—my patient is awake. I better go tend to him. I’ll see you around!” Velline flitted away before I could respond, wings trailing in her wake.
