Manon's Child

Part 11

A week passes. Every night, I have the same, strange dream, and every night it ends before the matron slaughters Rhiannon.

On the evening of the last day of the first week, Bronwen, Petrah, Glennis and I sit around a brightly blazing fire. The city is clear of old rubble and debris, our progress much quicker than expected, to everyone's relief. Today, we were clearing away the last point still covered in rubble - Rhiannon's grave.

Every single witch had been silent while working there. Not one word as uttered. At the end, we each lay a single purple flower down on her grave, a silent thank you to her and everyone else who died in the Witch-Wars, and a prayer for a better life.

Tomorrow, we'll be able to reassess the damage on the Witch-City, and decide how and where to start rebuilding first.

The moon is high in the sky, and only four of us remain awake, talking quietly around the fire. I am in a surprisingly good mood, despite my backache from moving do much stuff today. I am optimistic, for the first time, about the future of my kingdom.

"Tomorrow," I say, placing my empty bowl on the ground, "I will take a few covens into the the Witch-City to see how many of the ruins are repairable."

The others nod in agreement, recommending their own covens and others to help me. As the night grows later still, Bronwen and Petrah get up and leave. As they depart, I can see a spark of what humans and fae call excitement in their eyes, and wonder if the same spark lies within my own. Glennis and I are left alone around the fire.

We sit in contented silence for  a moment, then Glennis says out of the blue, "You are doing an admirable job, Manon. Not many other witch's would be able to handle this scenario as well as you."

I look up and nod my thanks, not sure of what to say. I rise to retire, but a wave of dizziness hits me and I am forced to sit back down. Glennis is regarding me strangely, like she has been the past week.

"Just remember, Manon," Glennis continues, "It is alright to feel differently about things than others around you, and it is alright to ask for help. If you need it. Don't be afraid to put more pressure on other people's shoulders. Bronwen and Petrah are dying for more responsibility." She pauses, and I stare at her in shock. I open my mouth to say something needlessly snarky, but Glennis continues, "I know you are grieving your coven, Manon, and I know it's hard to trust us when you know barely anything about us, just as it was hard for us to trust you. I just beg that you will."

I sit in shocked silence, all words dead on my tongue as I stare at my great grandmother. Before I can say anything, she rises. "I am going to retire now," she says. "I suggest you do the same. You have a long day tomorrow." She pauses, glancing down at my scraped-clean bowl. "You are eating a lot lately. It's almost as if you're eating for two." Without another word, she turns and leaves.

I sit at the fire for a while after that, turning her words over in my head, but eventually it gets late even for me, and I rise going back to my tent.

When I strip off my clothes, I notice my stomach is very slightly raised. Maybe Glennis is right, I am eating too much.

I lay down on my bed. I fall asleep immediately, and dream.