Chapter X - Crafting A Confounding Charm

Chapter X 

Crafting A Confounding Spell 

by Faith McCann 

Catsandra and Sir Pip practically flew through the front door into the Rag and Bottle shop and just in time too!! 

She saw Abramelin on the counter and Balthazar on a soft upholstered chair near the sales counter and they were both conducting business with a couple of men who had a look about them that was not a kind one to cats or animals in general. Just as Catsandra came within earshot she heard one of the men say "It'll be the day I do business with a talking witch cat! Where's the money?" he was reaching out to grab hold of Abramelin's scruff . . .

"Hold!" Though Catsandra was still five or more paces behind both men and her hands were empty, she had her index finger pointed at them and they both could feel the cold, lethal point of a metal blade at the base of their necks. With their backs to her it was an effective ploy and it gave her plenty of space to avoid any foolish defensive reactions on their part. 

Catsandra added to the effect by throwing her voice and the men could not only hear her voice in their ears but they could swear they could feel her breath on their necks, as she said "As the owner and proprietress of this establishment, I do not take kindly to my staff and friends being mistreated, nor do I care for being robbed."

She continued, as she saw them stiffen. "Now kindly unhand my friend before he hurts you and please leave my place of business." 

The two men turned around slowly and looked surprised as they saw her standing several feet away. They quickly looked around but saw no one else and they each raised a hand to their necks to rub them as if to somehow verify there was no blade point still stuck into their flesh. As they felt a bit safer and their courage rose, one said "Ere now! we 'eard we could get some help if we came ere! We are down on our luck we are. Are you the Lady who helps those like us?" 

" You would have been treated kindly and would have left with more than you came with if you had walked in with honesty and good intentions. Now leave. I will .  .  .  not .  .  .  ask .  .  . again." Her voice became quieter with each word, yet somehow more forceful. In chorus her two familiars still behind the two evil doers hissed and started to caterwaul and the men quickly looked behind themselves and moved away from the cats, who suddenly seemed bigger and more vicious than before.  

When they looked back at Catsandra, she appeared to not have moved so much as a hair yet she held a shining, silver long blade in her hand crossed across her body, it's tip extending past her left shoulder and her left hand covering her right hand which had a strong grip on the hilt, easily resting against her midriff. 

"Trust, This blade is very real. Would you like to feel it again? I won't tell you to leave again. Be gone!" 

The two men didn't question her, they scurried and were careful to give her wide berth as they ran out of the shop. The door slammed behind them and the tinkle of the bells was a final sound as the two ruffians ran down the street. 

*** *** *** 

The silence covered the place and then with a flourish of her arms Catsandra flung her arms up and wide and the gleaming sword flew up and disappeared into the air! 

"Now my pets, we need to get to work! A confounding charm must be constructed! Quickly!! The days of a wizard reading my thoughts are a thing of the past!" she marched into the kitchen with her troupe following in her wake. She had already forgotten the two ruffians, as a witch could not spend any time on things which had not happened. 

"Help me, we need to melt down some silver." She quickly placed a crucible on the hot coals in the fireplace and placed some small chunks of silver in it. She asked Abramelin for the bellows and she took them from his furry paws. The air caused the fire to burn hotter and the silver to melt. She placed a wooden mold on the table and when the silver was melted, she poured it into the mold. 

While the charm was setting up in its mold, in the center of the table a curious assortment of items were placed in a specific arrangement around the silver disc. There were crystals, small bowls of powders, oils and various sticks and pieces of wood. Soon candles were put around and then a bell was rung several times. 

After the silver had hardened, she quickly popped it out of the mold and sat down and with an awl started carving very precisely a design onto the shiny, smooth disc. After the design was carved, she placed mirrors, tiny round mirrors on little stands surrounding the disc and the picked up a set of tingsha bells. She held them over the disc and while incanting a spell, rang the bells again and again. Soon the air surrounding the disc took on a cloudy look, almost like a tiny storm was brewing in the middle of the kitchen table! The clouds over the disc then changed color and the small group of magical beings watched as a tiny tableau played out in front of them. A full thunder and lightening storm with flashing, jagged lightening strikes and rumbles of thunder shook the table. The lightening strikes hit the silver disc and it jumped up from the table and after it fell back again the storm subsided and they watched as the disc glowed from blue to purple to green to gold to red to silver again. 

All faces, small and furry looked towards their Lady and had inquisitive looks. She on the other hand looked decidedly pleased! The silver disc was still smoking slightly so while it cooled she fashioned a cord of thin strong material to hang it around her neck. Once it was in it's proper place, she thanked her attendants, held out her palm for Sir Pip to hop onto and the two headed out towards the Home for the Homeless.   

*** *** *** 

It was already late afternoon when she made her way to the Home. Sir Pip again accompanied her. This time he rode along in her side pocket of her cloak. It was warm and fuzzy inside the deep pocket and he decided to take a nap as they strolled along down the sidewalk towards their destination. 

The weather was warm and slightly breezy, and she saw flowers blooming along the tall grasses that lined the edges of the forest, but she was more interested in the goings on as she came closer to the Home. In the short time since she had been here, more improvements had happened! There were a number of able bodied men on the roof, weaving bundles of thatch in thinning places and a cheerful folk song could be heard upon the wind. 

At a distance of a couple of blocks away, Catsandra stood in the shade of a flowering crabapple tree. She simply stood, very, very still. She allowed the breeze to flow over and through her, swaying slightly, virtually disappearing into the shadow of the tree. She watched the work around the Home. There were people scurrying around, picking up broken branches and tending to new plantings around the big building. 

She saw a curious gathering in the grassy field next to the Home for the Homeless. There were raised beds with growing onions, turnips, cabbages, carrots, garlic, chard and various herbs and fruit trees throughout the field. But it was the group of men, farmers by their look, talking to Avi that held her rapt attention. 'My he was handsome.' Oh! what was she thinking! Pay attention she chastised herself, glad she had not verbalized her thoughts, unsure if her companion was sleeping or simply quiet in her pocket. 

"Are we there yet?" Right on cue, a little grey head popped out of her cloak pocket and looked about. "Why have we stopped? What's going on?" 

"Shh" She shushed her companion. 

"Eeek" Sir Pip responded! 

They both watched as a group of men spoke with Avi. He was introducing another group of men, many she knew from the Rag and Bottle shop as rag and bottle men, and those who were guests of the Home for the Homeless. She felt a smile cross her lips as she saw the men engage in serious conversation but then laugh and shake hands, as if some agreement had been made between two then another two, and that farmer seemed to make an agreement with a couple of men, and interestingly each farmer gave the other men a slip of paper. They all continued to chat, laugh a bit more cordially then the farmers all shook Avi's hand and broke off one by one and by foot, or by horse and cart they departed. The men from the home stood in small groups sharing information with one another and she could hear even from her distance the loud 'Avi' shouted by one or another of the group every now and then! 

Soon, with each man taking a moment to say something to Avi they went back into the Home as it was close to dinner time. Avi remained out in the yard by himself, slowly pacing as if deep in thought. She watched him and wondered what the gathering had been about. She noticed he had not received a slip of paper. She decided to stay in the shade of the kind tree, allowing her shelter, until he went indoors. It wouldn't do for him to see her spying on him. 

She then saw him stop his slow pacing and he looked up and straight at her. Ugh! Great! Just great! Why does he have a way of making her feel like a neophyte inside. Now caught watching him. Well, there's nothing to be done about it. "Come Pip." 

"Eeek" he burrowed deep in her pocket. She straightened her back, held her cloak around her throat and with her head held high, a slight smile on her lips she walked across the grass as if it were a grand ball room. 

'How does she do that?' He wondered. She can walk across a field and look as if she were ascending the dais in a royal throne room. As she came closer, he put his hands in his pockets and smiled slightly. Ah, clever witch indeed. She has been busy. 

"Lady Catsandra, it is good to see you again. It is a beautiful day, is it not?" He looked up into the sky at the azure canvas with white fluffy clouds floating by. He smiled at her. 

"Good afternoon, Mr. Avigdor. Please, call me Catsandra." 

"No." 

She gasped. She frankly was not accustomed to being told no. "Excuse me?" He really was insufferable. 

"Not unless you call me Avi" he smiled, just slightly at the edges of his mouth.

"Oh!" she giggled suddenly, then spun away and clapped a hand over her mouth in shock!  She took a moment to compose herself, it wasn't as if they were friends. She still needed to find out if he were sincere. She turned back to him, a smile on her face. 

"Okay, Avi. Yes, it's a beautiful day." She felt at a loss for words, then impulsively asked "May I ask? What was the gathering about? It looked like a serious yet happy event also!" 

"I had several of the area farmers meet with the men here at the home to see what kind of work they might do on the farms for various pay. Either room and board, or true payment. Each man makes his own contract with the farmer. It's done in many lands and an able bodied man needs a job to keep him in good spirits mentally, spiritually as well as physically. 

"I noticed each man was given a slip of paper?" 

"Yes, that was the directions to each farm and the farmer's name and amount each man negotiated with their farmer. I helped with the negotiating part."

"You? Arranged all this? What was the negotiating about?" She wondered aloud, while watching him carefully. He appeared relaxed, at ease and happy with the currents situation. 

"Ah, well, some men. . . " he wiped his brow,  "find it easy to forget that other men are human beings, deserving of the same respect, consideration and equal treatment, regardless of social status, personal wealth or poverty. I was here to assure each man received a fair contract and would be properly compensated for a hard day's work. These men may be poor but they are not slaves, nor should they be treated as such."

"The Home for the homeless does not simply assist the men in our community that have fallen upon hard times, but the women and children also. How would they benefit from your new ideas?" She asked as they started to walk slowly back to the Home. 

"Women are being compensated for tending and maintaining the gardens, helping to cook in the kitchen and along with the children, helping to clean the sleeping quarters. Those able to help stay here for free since they are helping in so many areas." 

She stopped walking to look at Avi in surprise. She reached out to touch his arm, overcome. "You would allow those to stay here without pay?" She had never encountered someone in a position of power to show such consideration for others, with no thought of repayment for themselves. 

"The work the women and children do, is equal in every way to any real job and their room and board is their payment. Just as any job. Some children are too young so some of the older children watch them and an adult woman supervises, each gaining experience and skills they may very well use in their lives again one day." 

As they proceeded into the Home, they entered the great hall and she followed him up the side staircase to his now typical post, leaning on the second floor railing overlooking the happy chaos going on below. Behind them were the doors to the fancy rooms rented by the day. For those a bit more affluent, mostly travelers as they came through Castlewick. 

As they stood on the second floor landing overlooking the great room below, Catsandra stood silently watching the people below, sweeping, setting out the plates and bowls for the dinner shift on the long tables. A happy chatter floated up from below, children laughing, a pleasant murmur amongst the people below. 

"I see you have managed to put us both on an even keel." Avi said quietly, without looking away from the ongoing activity below. 

"An even keel?" She queried

"Yes, where we are both now equal with our thoughts protected and each on an equal footing. An 'even keel' is a nautical term, one learns on the high seas." 

"I see, yes, an even keel. I agree." She did not choose to elaborate, but knew he had sensed her protection from his intrusion into her thoughts. 

He smiled and chose to forgo any further details as to how she had blocked his entry into her thoughts. And he knew she could not read his thoughts, so good! He thought 'Well, we will just have to find out about each other the old fashioned way'. He liked a challenge. 

They were comfortable in their silence, as they watched the goings on below. 

"Are you finding yourself settled in, since you've come to the village?" She steeled herself from looking at him. 

"Yes, people have been very welcoming, .  .  .  for the most part." She felt his eyes on her but she ignored his pointed tone, as she continued to look over the railing. The hardwood floors positively gleamed. The many rows of wooden framed cots, were well made up with a sheet, a pillow and a thin blanket per each one. Enough cots to accommodate more than they have ever needed. It made her happy and sad at the same time. That there was a need for a place such as this. That there were people in this world without a home to call their own. 

"You used a nautical term, earlier. Have you spent much time at sea?" 

Avi was silent for a long while, so long she finally glanced over to see if he had heard her. 

"Aye, I've spent too much time at sea. I much prefer the land." She remained silent as he spoke, hoping he would offer more of his past. 

She looked below and saw Mother Shermona moving amongst the crowds of people. She smiled and patted the heads of the children, bent down for an encouraging word to a young woman setting out the platters and trenchers for dinner. She moved over to a pregnant woman who was resting on one of the cots. She felt her forehead and soon had a hot cup of water brought. She took out a small packet of herbs and mixed them into the cup making a brew for the lady to sip. 

Mother Shermona often helped as a midwife and she knew herbology and was a pharmacutea, one trained in the old ways of the natural world, in her own right. 

At that moment a bit of a loud commotion was heard at the doorway to the home. They looked over and saw a small group of very rough looking men pushing their way into the hall. Catsandra narrowed her eyes as she recognized the tall ruffian who had tried to accost her and Pip on the trail in the woods to Mother Shermona's cottage. She also saw the two trouble makers who had run out of the Rag and Bottle shop earlier this very day. The three had picked up a couple additional ne'er-do-wells. They stumbled in, pushing, coarsely laughing and shoving each other, one taking his cap off and swatting another with it. 

Regular clients of the Home looked nervously at them as a troublesome group like this lot posed nothing but trouble and mayhem. A few heads quickly swiveled up to search out Avi and looked earnestly in his direction. Catsandra noticed more and more people stopped their discussions and chatter and the room grew quiet and fearful glances were cast at the rude men by the door. The men scanned the room and the tall one, the hard looking man that had held the long, sharpened stick in the wood before the great tree grabbed him up took a step forward and it was clear he was the self appointed leader of this motley gang. 

He reached out as a younger woman was hurrying by with a platter of baskets filled with freshly baked dinner rolls meant to be placed upon the food tables along the back wall. He grabbed her arm and stopped her and as he jerked her arm she let out a short cry and a few rolls fell to the floor. The young woman looked upset as she saw the precious food fall to the floor, and her face turned red as tears welled in her eyes. 

The tall man had no remorse as he laughed crudely and grabbed a basket of rolls and threw them to his mates. There was a loud murmur of concern amongst the regulars and Catsandra thought no more of the fact that it was not her place, or that Avi was now technically in charge, she simply would not abide a bully, not one, not five, she turned to glance at Avi, while moving towards the stairs. Not that she was looking for permission, but rather to see if he was inclined to accompany her to aid those below. 

As she looked at Avi, she saw him take his hand out of his pocket, raise it in the air and held it out over the railing from where they stood. Suddenly he opened his hand and she saw a small round object fall quickly towards the floor below. Momentarily distracted from the nasty men being mean to the young woman below. . . 

'BANG!' Catsandra could feel Sir Pip jump inside her deep cloak pocket. She herself gasped and clutched her hand to her throat. What had that loud sound come from? What could have made a sound as if a lightening bolt had let loose within the hall? Wait! Could it have been that tiny ball? But .  .  .  how?

The entire great hall below was shocked into silence! Catsandra, feeling more than a little impressed with such a show of magic, took a step back, bit back the words she had been about to utter and decided to follow the first rule of a well trained priestess, listen and observe. Yes, this was very much Avi's situation and she had a good idea he would handle it just fine without her help. 

Avi leaned, just slightly, over the edge of the upper floor railing, holding lightly onto the railing as if he hadn't a care in the world. 

"Greetings Gentlemen! Welcome to the Home for the Homeless!"  He spread his arms wide as if welcoming royalty. "You are new to these parts. My name is Mr. Avigdor. Most call me Avi. I am the .  .  .  one who cares for those in this place. These people are my responsibility." His voice, though not loud at all, seemed to carry through the entire building. Strong, confident, self assured and powerful. One would be a fool to test the mettle of a man with such a voice. One did not gain such a voice by simply going through puberty, but with much hard life experience and knowing one's abilities.

Avi moved to the staircase along the sidewall and soon was on the ground floor and he was in front of the group of rowdy men. She felt a sense of frustration as she was now out of earshot and found she desperately wanted to hear what he had to say to these troublemakers. She waited for him to throw the group out and was even more surprised when she saw the men listen to Avi, then take their hats off, and with a submissive bent to their stances, bend down to pick up the rolls that had fallen to the floor. One man gently brushed the dust off the roll and looking awkwardly around stuck the roll in his pocket. 

People started to murmur amongst themselves and a sense of calm and order seemed restored to the great room as chatter resumed and the clanking of platters and tankards being placed continued. Seeing as Avi seemed to have the trouble under control Catsandra looked about for Mother Shermona. She had really wanted to catch up with her as they had to finish their earlier conversation. 

Catsandra scanned the crowd as she finished descending the steps to the bottom floor. Wait, .  .  .  she was just here. "Ada!" She saw the girl who had been sweeping out front before. The young woman stopped and stared at Catsandra with a bit of awe and admiration. Cat smiled at her. "Have you seen where Mother Shermona has gone to? I wanted to see her for a moment." 

Ada smiled and looked earnestly and upon not finding Mother Shermona said "I'll take a look in the back if you'd like. Perhaps she went to the back area where we prepare the stew and biscuits? She is often helping with the food prep . . .  " 

A high pitched scream reverberated through the entire building! Everyone was shocked into silence. 

Catsandra immediately looked towards Avi and he was looking towards her, their eyes met. She was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of dread. Something was very wrong. 

People were suddenly running, it seemed from all directions. Motion took over. Everyone was in movement. Everyone but Catsandra who was utterly stock still with an utter knowing that there was nothing she could do to change events as they were. Avi, she looked at his face and her heart sank as she knew he also knew that events had passed by their intervention. He had a look of great sadness in his eyes, sorrow as he looked at her. 

"MOTHER SHERMONA!! Oh No! No! Someone has done her in the worse way! Mr. Avignor, please Sir, help us!" A woman came running to Avi and she was crying, her hands wringing and she reached out and grasped his hands and pulled him desperately after her. 

He started to go with the woman and Catsandra followed. She heard a muffled squeak and felt Pip moving up her pocket and poke his head out. She went into the back and was behind Avi's tall back when he stopped. He turned and took hold of her shoulders. 

"Catsandra, don't look. I know you are friends." his voice was low, kind and very sorrowful. 

"Stop! I must see. Is it? No! Not Shermona." She pushed by him and took a step and stopped. 

There laying on the stone threshold of the backdoor leading out into the back courtyard was the body of Mother Shermona. She was laying on the floor. Her body suddenly seeming small, crumpled and blood was pooling around her head. 

Next to her body lay a large mallet, covered with blood and strands of her hair. 

It was obvious she had been murdered. A most foul deed. But why? Who could have wanted to kill such a wonderful, giving woman? 

Catsandra sank to her knees next to her dear friend. She felt tears course down her face and she felt Sir Pip slowly crawl along her dress until he was settled next to her neck and he sniffled as he wrapped some of her hair around his little body as he tucked in and tried to comfort his Lady. Such a wonderful soul, gone. What has this world come to? 

* * * * * * * * * 

To be Continued . . . 

Are We Ever Really Gone? 

*** *** *** 

From the Author:  I hope you are enjoying the story of the Rag and Bottle Shop. If so, please follow my page! I am enjoying sharing the adventures of Catsandra and her familiars and the community of Castlewick with you. Please feel free to share this blog link to other fans of magical, fantasy fiction. 

I write my stories using the inspiration of the incomparable Charles Dickens who wrote and published his work during the 1800's in Great Britain in installments. Mr. Dickens was a strong social critic of industrialization and capitalism, as well as bringing to the public attention the need for social reform. Thank You for reading my work, Faith M. McCann