Spellbound: COMPLETE

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Peter

            Sir Eccles sighed and I could tell he was disappointed. "I'll need your answer before the week's out."

            I nodded and walked out after he paid me for doing that day's chores. Way to go, if you don't marry her then you can be sure Sir Eccles won't let you earn any more extra coins.

            I walked through the woods on a small dirt path, the only way to get to the shack I called home.

            "What be troublin ye today?" I heard a voice say to my right. I turned to see the green-eyed man leaning against a tree.

            "Nothing that should concern you," I said and kept walking, knowing that he would follow.

            "But ye forget. Yer part of me band now. And that makes us friends of sorts," he said, easily matching my stride.

            "I haven't seen you for more than a week. What makes you think I still want to help you?" I snapped.

            He shook his head. "Someone must'a banged yer head good. I don't care if ye want to help me, you owe me," he said and I thought I heard his voice change a little on that last phrase.

            "What is your name, friend?" I asked.

            His scarf rose a little, and I could tell he was grinning again. "Me name? Ye haven't even helped me yet, what makes ye think ye get the privilege of knowing me name?"

            "I didn't know it was a privilege to know a friend's name," I retorted, trying to lighten the mood.

            He laughed. "If ye do good today, then I be tellin ya my name."

            "Fine," I said and held out my hand. He took it in his gloved one, and we shook.

            "What do you want me to do?" I asked.

            His scarf raised more in a huge grin. "First, ye have to look like one of us."

                                    *                                  *                                  *

            "Is this really necessary?" I asked looking at my grubby reflection in a broken mirror.

            "Don't ye worry yer head," he told me laughing. "Half of the dirt ye see is from that there mirror."

            "I don't care about the dirt. It's these clothes, they don't fit."

            I looked at the huge pants that could have been mistaken for a skirt, and the overly-sized shirt that made me look like a little kid wearing his father's clothes.

            "Put this 'round yer waist," he said handing me a rope.

            I did so, and it did little to help my situation. Then he held out a long cloak, similar to his and I tied it around my neck. It helped everything except the pants, which I told green-eyes.

            "Hmm... We don't want ye to look like a girl when yer with us," he said trying to hold back his laughter. "I'll be back."

            And with that he slipped away, leaving me alone in a wooden shack with only the clothes trunk and mirror to keep me company. When he returned he had a long boot in each hand.

            "Try these, me friend," he said throwing them at me.

            I caught them and slid them over the huge pants.