About a certain return

Part 9

There I met an old man, a very old man, "a dwarf of the land", who didn't know how old was he (didn't understand what "age" means), he didn't remember why and since when was he abandoned in that place, he didn't know whether he belonged to the dariels' clan or not and in fact wasn't able to speak. He was thin, bold, with a long beard, covered with a mantel and leaning upon a wall, he was watching the fire burning on the floor next to him. But I didn't understand what kept that fire burning. Apparently nothing... but I seemed that... it wasn't my business after all. The old man was quiet, absent, maybe in agony; he was there, he was not. So I found myself a place to sleep and where to stretch my legs as I couldn't stand up without touching the ceiling. I asked Diana which was the way to the "old lady's" den and she told me that it might not be easy to get there due to the very narrow corridor, so my will to get out of here faded and I was waiting for I don't know what to happen to urge me out of there. I could hear the rhythm heard by the whole community, the sound made by a water mill spinning wheel, a rhythm that you could dance on, so I started to tap my feet.

– Stop tapping your feet as you are rocking the devils! I heard a woman's voice and noticed there was someone else in the gorge's very small place.

I couldn't see her from the start as she had a very pale image and it seemed to disappear completely now and then. She was young and very pretty.

– Who are you?

– I am... and I have a brund road... to me...

– I don't understand. Do you mind repeating for me?

– ...fina. Abr nest prdiba cr...trn...

– Thank you for the information.

She couldn't have made it more understandable. I could see the woman any more. I was asking myself if she was really there or it was just an apparition...

– It's only an apparition, suddenly said the old man. The old witch can't make it any more. I'm telling you, she's not going to make it for much longer.

"Old"? But she looked wonderful that woman!

– Granddad, I have been advised to go and see the witch but I'm afraid I might get blocked on the way and not be able to get back. Do you happen to know a larger passage, large enough for me to pass through, because I'm a bit big?

– I see you're stout which isn't in your favor. Even the beast can get through but for you it won't be easy. What can I say...? I would gladly come with you but I walk in a different way... And then ... I haven't got a friendly relationship with the hot-tempered one... When I was... What a woman she has been... What a woman... When I was in my hay days...

– Hold on granddad, please. I understand you have been her lover... I think all of you have been her lovers...

– Husband.

– Ah!

– And I didn't believe she was a witch...

I politely listen to his story. What else could I do?

– All the neighbours knew about her dark powers, as she was practicing the black magic and one after the other left the area, then we have been sent out of the village. I thought it was my enemies plot. Defina, who has been unobtrusive, didn't give me any reason to be suspicious. Even when I heard the accusation I believed it to be an unreasonable abuse. I was working hard, came home after days of continuous work and the leisure I needed was generously offered by my wife, the witch. I met her terrifying power one day, when she wanted me to know it. I came back from work and found out there was nothing to eat, I was starving and lost my temper, I said I'll kill her if she doesn't cook something for me, and as fast as possible. I wanted a piece of meat, but we didn't have any. "If you want, I can make some meat from a piece of rock", she said. How could I believe such nonsense! I asked her, threatening her with death, to rush to the village and bring me a piece of meat. We were living here already, there was a long way to the community place, the time she needed was long enough for half of the tallow candle to burn, but I hardly had the time to say a prey to the Mother Goddess when she got back. I might have suspected it was a joke, that she had hidden the meat nearby, but I had the flash of inspiration to follow her. And I saw how, at the cross roads, she turned into a small animal, with horns or long ears that scampered away so fast that it vanished and I hardly had the time to get back to my shelter that she came back with a fresh chunk of meat. So, from that day onwards, my life with the witch hasn't been easy. However, the distance from the camp's Living Fire, aged our bodies. I already lost the material wrap, but Defina still keeps it.