Tournament of Hearts

Chapter 13

Through a narrow ravine, and down a long downwards ramp they went. Stacie continued to hold her calm composure, she couldn't let this hag know that this entire checking system was flawed. She just couldn’t break the heart of an old woman today, but no matter what, if she wishes to keep her well paying job and her home in the capital; this is what's supposed to be done. 
At the end of the draft underground tunnel, they arrived at a garage. 
This must be the checking station. I hope this spell doesn't wear off. Not now, I just need a few more minutes. 
The elderly woman was getting anxious, she needed more time. 
“Okay, Madame. Please get off your cart, you can untie your donkey and hand it off to Grandeur here,” Stacie spoke to her, then gestured to Grandeur. He waved and walked over to the tall cart.
“He’ll take very good care of it, by the time you leave it’ll be well fed and bathed free of charge.” Stacie took the hand of the elderly woman and helped her off the cart. Seona then pulled her cane out of her sleeve, which amazed both Grandeur and Stacie. Stacie cleared her throat then asked,
“Madame, how do we get into your cart?” Seona put her other hand onto the blanket and felt for the entrance. She whispered something quietly, then a door popped out from a hole in the curtain which was smaller than a piece of sand. The door was an auburn colour with golden edges and swirls on the corners and a shiny golden handle. 
Stacie, again, was amazed at this. Seona put her hand on the knob, opened the door and getured for Stacie to enter. 
She nervously stepped one foot into the door and was met with a soft and fluffy ground. 
It feels safe enough.
She stepped her other foot inside and stood as close to the door as could. Stacie tried her best to not make it super obvious to Seona that she was kind of claustrophobic. 
The old lady then stepped through the door and closed it swiftly behind her. This made Stacie a bit anxious, but she tried her best to push it down. Stacie could hear the elderly woman walk and feel around for something else. The room sounded cluttered, she hated cluttered and cramped spaces. 
"Aha, here it is." Seona exclaimed, then a click sound followed and light filled up the room. Stacie could see this room had a rustic and wooden look to it, and that it was not at all cramped like she had first thought it to be. It had cute little mushroom furniture and the windows had curtains over them, but what looked to be sunlight shone through anyway. A fluffy moss carpet lined the floors everywhere. It smelled very fresh, like a forest after a long rain shower. 
On each side of her, there was a doorway. One to her left, another to her right and one in front of her, including the one behind her from which she came. The only one with a door on it was the one behind her. Cautiously, Stacie peered through each door frame. On her left sat a quaint little living room, and to her right sat a small kitchen. 
Beside the doorway in front of her, was a narrow and long staircase, the top was so far up that it was hard to see. She looked in front of her and saw a dining room. It had a circle table, made from a tree stump, and four small toadstool chairs around it. The walls had some paintings and embroidery of floral arrangements. She could see on some shelves, candles with burnt wicks and flowers in vases, shrubbery in pots and vine plants and painted pots. 
The house looked like nothing that Stacie would've expected that an elderly hag would ever live in. 
A sheer curtain was hanging at the top of the stairs, Stacie could barely see through it but she knew that there were things up there. 
She walked forward and picked up the little forks at the table. Stacie inspected them thoroughly and saw that they sparkled brightly.
These are some well polished silverware. 
She continued her inspection around the home and went into the kitchen, there she found cute tiles lining the walls. An array of pots, pans and other kitchen tools hung from a wooden rack which came from the ceiling.
Like a chandelier.
She took one down and inspected it closely. She found that the handle of each and every single one had the same engravement as the silverware; a flower. 
“It looks to be a daisy of sorts, cute.” Stacie whispered her thoughts aloud. She put each one back as she found it, and moved onto the next room; the living room. 
In that room, there was a large fireplace with a small pile of well cut logs. On top of the fireplace sat a large portrait of a younger woman and another woman holding hands at what looks to be a love ceremony. The mantel housed three large candles shaped like hearts, a few photo albums and some scrolls in wooden cases. 
Large wooden bookcases filled almost fully with books sat along a wall, each book spine looked so pretty and interesting that it was very hard for Stacie to not read each one. 
Along the same wall as the doorway to the entrance and across from the fireplace sat a large corner couch. It had tons of pillows that sat on it, a small table sat on each end of the couch. On top of those mini tables sat more books and small rocks, crystals and tiny candles. In front of the couch were 4 small circle chairs with no backing on them. 
Stacie was in awe at the house. The ceilings were pretty high and chandeliers hung in every room. She went back to the entrance expecting to see the old woman there, but to her disarray she was gone. 
“Seona?” Stacie called out to her. 
“Yes dear? Are you done inspecting my house yet?” She heard a small and crackly voice come from the kitchen. A sweet scent followed. 
Yummy, is she cooking something?
Stacie walked over to the kitchen to go see her. Seona was in the kitchen pouring hot water into two cups, the cups were small and looked like they were mugs. They had no handle on them, so Stacie wasn't sure what kind of cup they were. 
“Here sit there dear.” Seona motioned towards her dining table. Stacie was a bit concerned about how heavy the tray of cups is, but the old woman looked to be carrying the tray with ease so she didn't bother asking. 
“Do you want one darling?” Stacie nodded her head, and grabbed a cup of tea. The old woman sat down on a seat across from Stacie. Stacie grabbed the spoon which was placed delicately into the sugar bowl, and put some sugar into her tea and lightly put the spoon back. They both silently sipped their tea.
This is some good tea. 
After she was done with her tea, she politely helped clean up then quietly walked out of the old woman's house. When she went through the door, she helped Seona get onto the ground. 
The air outside was colder than she remembered but compared to the warm and welcoming air inside Seonas house; the air out here was freezing. Grandeur was finishing up hooking the donkey back to the cart, when he noticed the two ladys come back from inside the cart. He pulled Stace aside and spoke to her in an almost whisper, he didn't want the old hag to hear what they were discussing. 
“So? What was it like inside there? Cluttered? Disorganized? Really cramped?” He asked her in a nervous tone.
“No no, not anything like that.” Stacie replied honestly. Grandeur shot her a confused look as a response.
“Well, the best way to put the inside of the cart is..” It was hard for her to find a word to fully encapsulate the feelings she felt while she was in there.
“It was so cute, and cool, and calm, and spacious. If Sargent hadn't told me that we have to deny her access to selling at the capital, I seriously and wholeheartedly would’ve let her go sell right now.” She smiled at him.
“Really? Are you sure you weren’t drugged or cursed when you stepped into that hags mess of a cart?” Grandeur asked judgmentally. 
“Of course not, I did drink some tea, but I smuggled some out for you as well.” Stacie lifted her hand up and gave the tea to Grandeur, who slowly and cautiously drank the tea. 
“It's good, but good thing she’s not a tea shop.” He laughed to himself, then asked Stacie, “What did you see when you went in there exactly?”