return."
Herling gave no time for her words to sink in. She beckoned to the first child at the left
end of the line. "Ye, there. Step forward and lets the cats take a final look."
The girl nearly jumped out of her skin, but before she could take two steps, a pretty gray
tabby mewed sweetly and leapt into her arms. Grinning from ear-to-ear, the witchling returned to
the line, accompanied by hearty applause and table thumping from around the hall. The second girl
steeled herself and stepped forward. A jet-black kitten slipped to the ground and wound itself
around her ankles.
Each of the witchlings were accepted in turn, until there was only one girl left. This
witchling stood nervously watching and waiting. The kitten, a miniature version of Brutus, sat
licking itself, neither accepting nor dismissing the girl. Time ticked on and Carole could see tears in
the girl's eyes.
Finally Herling barked, "Enough of yer vanity ways, cat. Ye might look like Brutus, but
that don't mean ye get to act like him. Choose or not. We be done waiting."
Cringing under the barrage of words, the kitten slunk from the table and lay placidly
across girl's feet. The girl hefted the cat in her arms, and looking as though she were about to faint
from relief, turned to face the hall.
"Good." Herling growled over the raucous applause. "That be done with. As Head Witch I
welcome all ye witchlings to the Westhill Coven. In honor of yer acceptance ye get to sit up front
here, near the head table. Enjoy, fer it'll be long time 'til ye gets to eat up here again."
The witchlings and their cats sat down to another round of applause.
"Now then to the other business that be at hand," Herling said, once the noise had died
down. "Lucreta, stand yerself up, girl. Lucreta, myself and the other head crones feel that ye be
ready fer life as a full-fledged witch. Jest this day past ye done show us how expert a healer ye be, in
helping to save young Mariat's life, and likewise in patching up young Sylphwood, here. Yer training
be more than complete, so no longer a witchling ye be." Again the hall burst into thunderous cheer,
and this time it was Lucreta's cheeks that turned dark crimson.
"As such ye can take yer place with us at the coven, or ye can live in a village with
non-witch folk. This be a tough decision that all new witches must make, but whilst ye be thinking on it
ye get to move into yer own cottage... except maybe with one slight hitch."
Herling rubbed her chin. "Young Mariat be also graduating to the next level and by
rights she gets to move to the first floor with the other senior witchlings, but it might be better fer
Mariat to room with a more mature witch to help keep her out of trouble."
Chuckles were heard around the hall.
"Not to mention to keep her from spoiling this new batch of witchlings with her wild
ways," Herling added, so only Carole and Lucreta could hear. "So I be thinking that Lucreta might be
a good choice fer Mariat's roommate. This be totally yer choice, Lucreta. Certainly none of us would
think ye a stinker fer saying no to that rascal. Course if ye say yes, ye can have a bigger cottage.
There be one or two that'll fix up nice."
Lucreta cleared her throat. "It be no problem to put up with Mariat. We get along pretty
fine, now."
"Good! That be all the formal coven business we have fer tonight," Herling decreed. "Ye
all get to partying again."
With a scraping of chairs and a rustling of skirts, the witches crowded onto the floor.
Many came over to congratulate Lucreta, and many more came over to welcome the new arrivals,
who were beginning to look more at ease. Carole felt a soft touch against her calf and looked down
to see Mariat's cat, Cleopatra. The cat meowed something before bolting towards the door. Needing
no further prompting, Carole followed her.
--7--
Cleopatra was running towards the outskirts of the village. Carole kicked into a fast
glide and pulled even just as the cat came to a stop outside the brew
Herling gave no time for her words to sink in. She beckoned to the first child at the left
end of the line. "Ye, there. Step forward and lets the cats take a final look."
The girl nearly jumped out of her skin, but before she could take two steps, a pretty gray
tabby mewed sweetly and leapt into her arms. Grinning from ear-to-ear, the witchling returned to
the line, accompanied by hearty applause and table thumping from around the hall. The second girl
steeled herself and stepped forward. A jet-black kitten slipped to the ground and wound itself
around her ankles.
Each of the witchlings were accepted in turn, until there was only one girl left. This
witchling stood nervously watching and waiting. The kitten, a miniature version of Brutus, sat
licking itself, neither accepting nor dismissing the girl. Time ticked on and Carole could see tears in
the girl's eyes.
Finally Herling barked, "Enough of yer vanity ways, cat. Ye might look like Brutus, but
that don't mean ye get to act like him. Choose or not. We be done waiting."
Cringing under the barrage of words, the kitten slunk from the table and lay placidly
across girl's feet. The girl hefted the cat in her arms, and looking as though she were about to faint
from relief, turned to face the hall.
"Good." Herling growled over the raucous applause. "That be done with. As Head Witch I
welcome all ye witchlings to the Westhill Coven. In honor of yer acceptance ye get to sit up front
here, near the head table. Enjoy, fer it'll be long time 'til ye gets to eat up here again."
The witchlings and their cats sat down to another round of applause.
"Now then to the other business that be at hand," Herling said, once the noise had died
down. "Lucreta, stand yerself up, girl. Lucreta, myself and the other head crones feel that ye be
ready fer life as a full-fledged witch. Jest this day past ye done show us how expert a healer ye be, in
helping to save young Mariat's life, and likewise in patching up young Sylphwood, here. Yer training
be more than complete, so no longer a witchling ye be." Again the hall burst into thunderous cheer,
and this time it was Lucreta's cheeks that turned dark crimson.
"As such ye can take yer place with us at the coven, or ye can live in a village with
non-witch folk. This be a tough decision that all new witches must make, but whilst ye be thinking on it
ye get to move into yer own cottage... except maybe with one slight hitch."
Herling rubbed her chin. "Young Mariat be also graduating to the next level and by
rights she gets to move to the first floor with the other senior witchlings, but it might be better fer
Mariat to room with a more mature witch to help keep her out of trouble."
Chuckles were heard around the hall.
"Not to mention to keep her from spoiling this new batch of witchlings with her wild
ways," Herling added, so only Carole and Lucreta could hear. "So I be thinking that Lucreta might be
a good choice fer Mariat's roommate. This be totally yer choice, Lucreta. Certainly none of us would
think ye a stinker fer saying no to that rascal. Course if ye say yes, ye can have a bigger cottage.
There be one or two that'll fix up nice."
Lucreta cleared her throat. "It be no problem to put up with Mariat. We get along pretty
fine, now."
"Good! That be all the formal coven business we have fer tonight," Herling decreed. "Ye
all get to partying again."
With a scraping of chairs and a rustling of skirts, the witches crowded onto the floor.
Many came over to congratulate Lucreta, and many more came over to welcome the new arrivals,
who were beginning to look more at ease. Carole felt a soft touch against her calf and looked down
to see Mariat's cat, Cleopatra. The cat meowed something before bolting towards the door. Needing
no further prompting, Carole followed her.
--7--
Cleopatra was running towards the outskirts of the village. Carole kicked into a fast
glide and pulled even just as the cat came to a stop outside the brew
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