The Alarming Scent of Cinnamon

XV

Hansel chugged his drink as fast as he could and left the mark for his drink on the table. He speedwalked to the outskirts of the village and stowed the clogs in his bag, then transformed into a great horned owl and flew as fast as he could to Maghia Pass. 

The noble could be there soon, he thought, I have to get Gretel and Baba Yaga ready!

Soon he landed in the cave and transformed into a boy again.

"Hansel?" Gretel looked up from the grimoire.

"The noble left immediately after I told him where you were," he said, gasping for breath, "He might be here any minute,"

"Gretel can start preparing her spells, and Hansel can keep a watch outside." Baba Yaga said. "I'll get back to the house,"

"How are you going to get back to the house in time?" Gretel asked while Hansel sat outside the cave to keep watch.

"I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Yaga said, pulling a mortar and pestle out of the cooking bag, which she typically carried.

"How's that going to-" Gretel was cut off by Hansel.

"Get going on the spells!" he shouted. "He could be here any minute!"

Gretel began arranging her components in neat little piles and rehearsing the incantations.

Baba Yaga muttered a spell that sounded very similar to the un-sealing spell, and the mortar and pestle grew much larger. She jumped inside, grabbing the pestle and muttering another spell. The mortar lifted itself into the air and took off at an alarming speed. Yaga seemed to be using the pestle to steer.

"That's... new," Hansel said, watching her fade into the woods.

"You all ready?" he asked Gretel.

"Yeah," she said.

They both fell silent and waited for the noble to come. Time passed, until, an hour later, the noble still wasn't there.

"I thought you said he'd be here soon," Gretel said irritably.

"I thought he would," Hansel said, confused.

"Well, he's ob-" Gretel was cut off by Hansel.

"Shhhh!" he hissed. "Do you hear that?"

Gretel was silent for a few moments. "No,"

"Someone's coming. Something. It has hooves,"

Gretel sighed. "It's probably a mountain goat," she said.

"No, it's coming towards us," Hansel said.

"So?"

"Cast the shield spell on me!" Hansel said. "It might be a horse!"

Gretel waited as Hansel turned into a dragon, then muttered the spell and moved all her components for the fake blood behind a rock.

The smell of cinnamon grew stronger as the hoof steps grew louder.

Then, they stopped for a second. Hansel looked towards the entrance and saw none other than a mountain goat.

"I told you so," Gretel said.

Just then, the goat transformed into a girl.

The girl from the tavern! The shapeshifter! Hansel thought.

Almost instantaneously, she launched herself into action, pulling a bow from her sash and firing an arrow at Hansel with expert aim. Although Hansel was shielded, he exercised his lightning fast reflexes and leapt out of the way while transforming into a boy again, tucking into a roll to absorb the impact when he hit the ground.