Rampion - Chapter 2

It was mid morning the next day when the woman appeared, a basket over her arm, a goat and the dark-haired boy in tow. Heinrich was on the far side of the garden wall chopping wood, and Gertrud was in the chicken coop collecting eggs. When she saw the woman she let out a pleased shout of greeting and waved as she did her best to hurry over. "Calm down, love," Heinrich called. "You'll hurt yourself." Gertrud flapped her hands at him as though to shoo him away. Over Gertrud's shoulder Heinrich saw the old woman smirk in amusement. He lay down his axe and followed his wife.

"I want to thank you for your kindness and generosity last night, "Gertrud said, taking the woman's hand in her own. "My husband told me about it this morning. I am sorry for our attempted crime. I also apologize for his rudeness, as he tells me he did not think to ask your name." Gertrud's cheeks dimpled as she glared teasingly at her husband.

"Are you always this cheerful?" the old woman asked, looking to Heinrich for an answer. He nodded silently, pretending frustration. "My name is Thela, dear. And this is Elias, and Ziggy." She motioned at the boy and the goat in turn, then turned back to Gertrud. "Did you eat this morning?"

"Yes, thank you. I had some of the leaves with honey, and one ... Ouff!" Gertrud grimaced and clutched her stomach. "One egg."

"Are you in pain?" Heinrich asked, concern clearly visible in his face.

"No, no. The babe's just kicking," Gertrud said with a small, pained smile.

"Let's go inside," Thela suggested, motioned towards the cabin. "I would like to examine you and the babe and ask some more questions. Elias," her tone changed sharply, and the boy, who had appeared to be daydreaming, jumped. "Explain to Heinrich what to do with the goat." Elias nodded, and the woman ushered Gertrud inside.

Heinrich raised an eyebrow at the boy. "I know how to milk a goat, if that's what she means."

Elias smirked. "No sir, that's not what she meant. But you might already know this trick too if you come from a farming village." The boy had a quiet, musical voice, and large, round, deep blue eyes. Making clicking noises with his tongue, he tugged the goat into the middle of the garden. "She had a large breakfast this morning, so she should be ready anytime." Elias caught Heinrich's confused look and explained. "Thela mixes goat manure into her garden soil. It makes the plants grow faster and bigger."

Heinrich chuckled. "Ah, yes, of course. Fertilizer. We would do the same with our pigs and sheep."

Elias motioned towards the axe and logs that Heinrich had dragged from the forest. "I can help, if you like. I can tie Ziggy to the fence here."

Heinrich nodded, impressed by the boy's kindness. "I'll cut, you pile them along the side of the house."

By the time Thela and Gertrud emerged from the cabin, they had finished chopping and piling two large logs, and were gulping rain water while watching Ziggy roam around the yard. They had untied her to give her a chance to reach the grass, and she bleated softly in greeting through a mouthful of dandelion leaves.

"Well done men!" Gertrud commented cheerfully. "That's a fine beginning to our winter stockpile."

Heinrich stood to greet his wife, and noticed something large and gray in her arms. It turned bright green eyes towards him and mewed loudly.

"What is that thing?"

"That 'thing'", Thela scoffed, "is Katze. She's very helpful; keeps all the mice and rats under control."

"She climbed in through the window while we were talking," Gertrud piped. "How she jumped up that high, I've no idea. She's very friendly though. She curled up on my stomach, purring away."

"Yes, she is full of surprises, that one," Thela agreed. "But now she must be gone to see to other things." The cat gave the old woman a narrow-eyed glance, seemed to understand, and jumped down from Gertrud's arms. Looking back over its shoulder, it walked solemnly around the house.

Heinrich chuckled as the cat sauntered away, then turned to Thela. "The babe is well, then?"

Thela didn't answer right away. She too was watching the beast walk away, with a strange, far-away look in her eyes. Then she turned towards Heinrich, and he noticed that her eyes were large, round and deep blue, like Elias's. "Oh, yes, the babe seems well."

"Thela and I have started a stew for dinner as well," Gertrud said. "She brought us some bone broth, cabbage, turnip, and mushrooms."

"That was very kind. You've already helped so much."

"My kindness is note entirely without motivation," Thela said, giving them a sly look. "I have somewhat of a proposition for you both. In return for helping with your garden, checking on the babe, and whatever other small household things I can help with, I ask that you, Heinrich, complete some repairs to my cottage. There's a leak in my roof, for one thing. Elias is an excellent help, but he is still young and there are many things he does not know how to do. I will also need wood cut for the upcoming winter. I am beyond an age where physical work like that is tolerable." She turned to Gertrud with a wry smile. "And you, my dear, can help with my garden and with foraging in the woods. In truth, I think all our lives will be easier if we choose to help each other."

Heinrich and Gertrud glanced at each other, and he could immediately tell how eager she was to accept the proposal. "Seems sensible to me," Heinrich said. "We accept."

Gertrud let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, I'm so glad! It will be so nice to have a woman to talk to again. And to have a young man around to help." Gertrud winked at Elias, who blushed deeply.

"Wonderful," Thela said. She picked up her now empty basket from near the door, and hooked her arm around Gertrud's elbow. "And now, I think, you, me, and the babe could use a walk through the woods while the men have a look at my roof. It looks like it may rain later." Thela pointed at the sky, which had started to cloud over. "I need some more raspberry leaves for tea. There are some bushes nearby. And we can see if we can find any wild fennel or garlic." With the older leaning heavily on the younger, the two women disappeared into the forest, a sleek grey shadow following close behind.

***

That night, after lingering with Gertrud and Heinrich for dinner and a calming tea, Thela and Elias sat before a high fire in their own small cabin. Though the middle of May, the nights still held a deep chill. Thela sat at the table, crushing dried herbs in a clay bowl, their fresh, earthy aroma filling up the room. Elias was huddled in a blanket by the fire, gently combing Katze, who was sprawled across his lap. With the backs of his hands he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. It was getting very late; he could see the full moon high in the sky through the gap in the open window. He glanced shyly up at Thela, wondering if he should voice the thoughts that were running through his mind. He let the question come slowly, so she could stop him if she wanted to. "Why was Katze around Gertrud so much today? I even saw her follow you into the forest. Katze usually stays away from other people."

Thela did not look up, but her hand paused its grinding action. "Katze could sense something. Something about the baby." Her voice sounded thoughtful, but also a little worried. "I felt it too."

"What do you mean? Is the baby ok?"

"Oh, yes, I think so." Thela continued pulverizing the herbs. "I think this baby will be special. Like me. Like you."

"Oh." Elias got up and went over to the table, the cat still in his arms. "Well, then shouldn't we be happy? You seem concerned."

"There is something, but I'm not sure what it is." Thela paused to tip her crushed herbs into a small brown satchel. "Something is not quite right."

Katze jumped from the boy's arms onto the table, sniffing at the herbs, and started to claw at the small bag. The cat padded softly over to Thela and stuck her nose into the woman's ear. As though she were listening to the cat whispering, Thela nodded slowly. "Yes Katze, we will need to stay close to them. Keep an eye on Gertrud and the babe. You understand Elias?" She glanced up at the boy to see him nodding an acknowledgement. "Good." Thela laid a hand on Katze's head, scratching softly behind the ears. "Now, I think it is time for - AUSTCH! Katze!"

Thela yelped and quickly pulled away her hand. Bright spots of blood glistened on the table, slowly soaking into the wood. The creature had dug its claws deep into Thela's hand, and was now hissing in the direction of the door, its back arched and hair standing straight up. Then Elias and Thela both heard it.

A low moaning was coming from the other side of the door. Louder, and then louder - an animal in pain. Suddenly, it stopped. Then a sound as though something was running its claws from the very top of the door to the very bottom. The air began to feel hot and dense, pushing in around them.

"Shut the window," Thela whispered urgently.

Elias dashed over to close the shutters, and caught a glimpse of something lurking in the garden. It was huge, and such a deep black it almost looked as though it was an empty void of space. "I think there are two," he breathed, slowly backing away from the now-latched window.

"Bring me the mistletoe," Thela ordered. Elias grabbed an overflowing basket from beside the fireplace. Thela examined its contents, making small, unhappy noises. Its berries were still white, but the leaves had started to brown around the edges. "Its started to dry, but it should still work. Lay it along the bottom of the door. That, plus the ruins around the doors and windows should keep it out."

Elias quickly knelt, unloading the contents of the basket onto the floor. As he worked to lay the branches out evenly along the door, there was a knock. And another. The boy froze, slowly lifting his head. Though the door was between them, Elias could feel the creature's eyes looking straight into his own. It chuckled, a deep, reverberating sound. Elias felt a hand on his elbow as Thela knelt to help him up. "Be more careful boy," She whispered.

"What about Heinrich and Gertrud?"

"They should be fine. I carved some small ruins around their cabin while they were not looking. And these creatures are more attracted to people who can actually see them."

"But the baby. You said she was like us."

Thela glance sharply at the boy. "Why do you say 'she'?"

"I don't know," he shrugged. "It just came out. Does it matter right now?"

"Like I said, they should be fine." Thela continued to watch the boy. Suddenly, the pressure in the air lifted. "They must be gone. Tomorrow, you will go to the stream, near the waterfall, and look for pebbles. You know what to look for?" Elias nodded. "Good. Take Heinrich with you. Perhaps he can catch us some fish."