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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 20h

The witch asks the Squire's daughter how her pain is. The Squire's daughter hesitates, then confesses - it has gone, entirely, for two days now. She is still weak, and cannot walk, but she no longer aches in every bone. The girl's eyes fill with tears of hope.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 1d

The Squire's daughter is unusually quiet today, as if something is puzzling her. She and the witch eat hot fried fish and chipped potatoes with plenty of salt and vinegar beside the harbour. The Squire's daughter cleans her plate at speed, and follows with a large icecream.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 2d

The fisherman strokes his beard, but he has seen stranger things. The witch chants a blessing for rest upon the mermaid's bones, and release upon the Squire's daughter.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 2d

The sea is dark, and the waves leap at them as soon as they pass the harbour wall. The witch stands up unsteadily in the rowboat and tips the contents of the sack over the side. As soon at the bones touch the water, they evaporate into sea foam.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 3d

The witch engages a fisherman to row her out to sea the following evening at midnight. The fisherman raises his bushy eyebrows, but takes her coin and agrees.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 4d

The witch returns to her bedroom at the Inn after shopping for more pain-relieving herbs. The room is locked, as are the windows, but a sack has been left at the end of her bed. She looks inside, and sees the grey, dusty bones of a mermaid jumbled within.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 5d

The sun is out, cold and clear above the harbour town. The witch sits with the Squire's daughter on the beach, telling her slightly scandalous stories until the girl's cheeks are red with laughter and sea air. By early afternoon she is looking tired, and confesses that her legs hurt again.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 6d

The witch suggests they stay indoors that day, and the Squire's daughter regretfully agrees. She embroiders her cushion again while the witch reads aloud from one of the books she purchased two days before, a daring tale of mice who live in an Abbey which they must defend from a rat Warlord.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 7d

The witch wheels the Squire's daughter down to the beach once more, and is relieved to see the girl's clear joy at being outside again. They spend a few hours watching the tide, and the witch buys them hot chocolates that stay warm, with a little enchantment.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 8d

The Squire's daughter is in less pain today, but still needs rest. The witch leaves her to sleep, and goes out into the seaside town. She finds a small, dark bookshop down a winding backstreet, and loses herself in books for a few hours.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 9d

The Squire's daughter wakes in the night, crying out with pain. The witch spends the next dozen hours brewing teas to ease her pain, and massaging the girl's legs, and silently berating herself for letting the poor child overexert herself.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 10d

The witch wheels the Squire's daughter down to the beach again, and this time hires a deckchair for herself. The little dog brings her owner a stick, and the girl throws it, the two of them playing fetch while the witch takes out her knitting and continues with her shawl.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 11d

The witch builds a sandcastle using an old flowerpot brought from home, and decorates it with shells. She digs a moat around it with a channel towards the water, and watches with pride as it fills neatly. The Squire's Daughter applauds her work, laughing.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 12d

The witch and the Squire's daughter eat a creamy fish pie studded with prawns at an Inn beside the harbour. The Squire's daughter picks at her food.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 13d

It is time to leave for the seaside. The witch arrives early at the manor and helps the Squire's daughter into the carriage, tucking the blankets in around her. The girl looks pale, but is smiling. Her little dog jumps into her lap and licks at her face.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 14d

The witch spends a happy morning rearranging her altar for the new season, with ears of wheat, acorns, and a little figure of a hedgehog made from a pinecone which she has had for many years.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 15d

The witch goes to the Old Weaver, and asks if he would be willing to check in on her cat while she is away. His daughter, the Young Weaver, suggests her own daughter for the task. The girl eagerly agrees.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 16d

It is the Autumn Equinox. The witch talks aloud as she bakes a small apple pie, hoping that all those who have sown, will reap as they deserve. She eats the pie still warm from the oven, and considers it a spell well cast.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 17d

The witch informs the Squire that his daughter requires a seaside rest cure. The Squire quibbles irritably about the time of year, but agrees, and arrangements are made for a trip to the coast.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 18d

The witch gazes out of the window at endless, torrential rain. She reminds herself it will be good for the garden, and goes to make herself another pot of coffee.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 19d

The witch visits her bees, and tells them the plan she has made. The bees buzz approvingly.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 20d

The witch takes a supper picnic to a small glade in the forest, and lays it out with two plates, and two cups. She watches the sun sink over the trees.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 20d

At midnight, the rogue appears from behind a tree. They eat, and talk, and he is gone again within the hour. The witch finishes off the rest of the picnic and heads home through the dark.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 21d

The witch picks up some shiny brown conkers to put in the corners of the cottage's second bedroom, to ward off spiders. She has nothing against spiders, but the room is seldom used, and cleaning it too often feels like a waste of her time.

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A witch's days @daysofthewitch.bsky.social · 22d

The witch's cat returns home, sore-pawed but very proud of his success. The witch poaches him a chunk of salmon in thanks, and he purrs so loud whilst eating that he almost gets hiccups.

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