Another young lady—this one a little older than the first girl, seventeen, perhaps—strolled around the trees. This young lady appeared very different—she had wild red hair and mischievous green eyes—though she carried a wooden bucket aswell.
When she saw Angelique, she smiled broadly. “Hello there,” she greetedher.
Angelique sniffled and stared in thewater.
“Is everything all right, young one?” the red-haired girl asked as she drew a bucket of water from thewell.
“I’m thirsty, and I can’t find my Mamma,” Angelique whimperedconvincingly.
The girl’s face transformed from cheerful to full of worry. “Got separated from her, did you?” She drew water from the well with her bucket and set it on the edge of thewell.
Angeliquenodded.
“We can fix that. Here, take a drink, then we’ll go look for your Mam. Where did you lose her?” She passed Angelique a familiar-looking ladle and soothingly patted Angelique’shead.
“Around the lake,” Angelique pointed in the direction of the oasis before she took the ladle and drank.Again.
At least I’ll be well hydrated, Iguess.
She drank the ladleful and went to place it back in thebucket.
“Drink some more, cherub,” the red-haired girl urged. “You’re hot and upset—it will make you feelbetter.”
What is it with this village that has these overly-conscientious peasants worried aboutdehydration?
Angelique pretended to sip at the second ladleful as she studied the older girl—who folded her arms across her chest and squinted out at the lagoon. “We’ll check the village square first—if your Mam realizes she’s lost you, she’s likely raising a crythere.”
Angelique tried to return the ladle to the bucket again, but the girl shook herfinger.
“No, no, little miss. You need to drink. We can’t go running around and finding your mother just to collapse because you didn’t drink enough water.” Shesmiled.
Angelique stared at her, feeling the pinch of a gutful of water.Okay, I can’t drink any more. Time to blow my cover.She smiled as she dumped the ladle of water and offered it back to the girl. “Because of your kindness and willingness to help those inneed…”
She paused as she threw off the illusion of a child and let her true self (accented with magic that made her eyes a deep blue and her hair glimmer like starlight) shine through. “I will grant you aboon.”
The red-haired girl gaped at her a moment, then straightened and smiled. “Oh—you must be the Lady Enchantress who granted a boon to my sister—thank you on her behalf as well as myself and my mother!” Her button nose scrunched with the wideness of her smile, and she bent over in abow.
Angelique blinked. “Sister?”
The girl laughed. “Yes, we get that a lot. We’re step-sisters, really. But my step-father—that is, her father—died, and now it’s just the three ofus.”
Angelique almost whistled.Now that’s sheer luck, to give a boon to a family of two girls and a widow. They are the sort who deserve a bit of happiness. Though to give a second one to the second daughter is a bit much. Oh well! Evariste said I would need practiceanyhow.
“I see. Then you know the gift I gave your sister?” Angeliqueasked.
The red-haired girl nodded. “Indeed, Ido!”
“Good. I’m going to modify this boon so it is somethingyoufind useful,” Angelique said. “It will also be temporary—just as your sister’s boon is.” She tilted her head as shethought.
Perhaps I really ought to give her the opportunity to choose what shewants.
“Think of a thing—asmallthing, no people, currency, horses, or the like—which you would like to receive a lot of,” Angeliqueinstructed.
The red-haired girl thought for a moment, then smiled. “I haveit!”
Angelique started gathering her magic and twisting it like thread. “Very good. Then, whenever you speak, not only will a word drop from your lips, but an array of the thing you most desire. This boon shall last until the sun sets thisevening.”
Angelique watched this new boon with a greater amount of attention.Leaving it vague and open ended is a bit of a risk, but Evariste said I should experiment.She smiled when the spell seamlessly settled onto the red-hairedgirl.
