“We have no way of knowing if Bohga is even alive.” She said. “And if he’s fled his home in the Stoneylands, we have no way of knowing where he’s gone. I would like to see him again, but I think it would be a dangerous gamble to venture so far to find someone who may or may not be there.”

  “I’m too tired to think.” Said Atticus, stretching his limbs. “I must have a nap or I will be useless. Decide amongst yourselves what needs to be done and I’ll agree with it when I wake.” said the man before stretching long and turning away on one side to get comfortable.

  “I believe he has the right idea.” Said Hoxley with a yawn. “I’m quite tired myself. Our nights are always interrupted.”

  “Then we’ll do nothing for now.” proclaimed Ignatius. “Let us all retire for a short period to recuperate. A moment to reflect could provide us with an unexpected epiphany to help us decide.”

  “Then that’s what we’ll do.” Said Hoxley. “Everyone, we’re setting a day camp here within the ruins. We’ll stay concealed within the confines so there’s less chance of being discovered by a passing patrol of scouts.”

  “What if they find us anyway?” asked Prince Damron. “They always find a way to track and follow us.”

  “I have no answer for that.” said Hoxley shaking her head. “We’ll all discuss this at great length when we’re less exhausted.” And with that, the companions all nodded their agreement and spread out to find shadowy nooks to find a moment’s peace.

  A welcome calmness spread itself over the ruins of Oldvale as the companions enjoyed a long absent pause to their escape. Hoxley and the witches took turns throughout the day watching the horizon for signs of soldiers of which there came none. While Atticus spent the entire time sleeping, Morell hunted the perimeter of the ruins in hopes of finding new shrooms to document in his tome. Robert spent his time on watch flitting through the trees and making wider sweeps around Oldvale to keep a closer eye on the greater area around the camp. Siouxsie had curled herself up in a corner and began emptying her pockets to take stock of all the things she kept beneath her cloak. Prince Damron noticed and sat down next to her as she opened every pouch and fold and laid the contents upon the ground around her. She’d just started before he arrived so he witnessed every item reveal itself.

  The final count came out to be the following: 1 full size lute, 1 large dagger, 4 pouches of grey ash for making smoke screens, and entire collection black bats with 1 white one, 2 trained snakes (both venomous), 1 bright blue frog (poisonous), 3 sprigs of sarsaparilla, 1 orange-tinted gel named “Pumpkin”, 3 pouches of varying “spell components”, 6 small sharp knives, a pouch of water (with corked top),1 pouch full of salt, 1 candle, 1 set of flint and steel to make fire, and 1 smooth rock about the size of a fist.

  “There.” She said with some satisfaction. “I think that’s everything.”

  “Why do you have so many knives?” he asked

  “For throwing.” She smiled. “You won’t always hit your target on the first try. Sometimes it takes two or three, or four or five or even six tries to hit a moving target.”

  “What’s the rock for?” he asked.

  “For people who run out of knives to throw.”

  “There’s so much here I’ve never seen before.” The prince said, looking it all over. “I have to say I’m quite ignorant about your culture and way of life, Siouxsie. I enjoy your songs. Could you teach me something?”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “I wouldn’t know where to start. Why don’t you choose something for me?” The witch thought it over for a moment with an inquisitive look upon her face  before blinking twice.

  “I have just the thing.” She nodded with confidence. She quickly set to work in putting all her things away before taking up her gel, Pumpkin, in her hand and holding out for Prince Damron to see. “How about a bit of gelcraft?”

  “Gelcraft?” he asked. “How does that work?”

  “I’ll show you. Gelcraft is a fun way to make an item you may need when all you have is a gel to work with. We all know that gels are helpful creatures that are eager to please. But what most people don’t know is that you can change them with a little bit of effort. All you really need is a witchle.”

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  “I don’t have a witchle.” He said.

  “Can you whistle at a high, high pitch?” she asked.

  “I can.” He said, puckering his lips and blasting a short but shrill tweet.

  “That will do nicely. A witchle isn’t required, just a high-pitched note to enchant the gel. Now then, pull out your gel and an item you’d like it to replicate. It can be anything really. Here, take my dagger.” She said, handing him the weapon.

  “What do I do with it?’ he asked.

  “Do as I do. It takes two times to make it work” She said, holding up Pumpkin in one hand and one of her throwing knives in the other. He mimicked her pose. “Now touch the gel to the item you want to replicate and whistle.” Siouxsie touched the throwing knife to Pumpkin and gave a puff on her witchle. Nothing happened. But when she did it a second time, Pumpkin began to shake and shimmy. And sure enough, the globule of orange began to magically shrink and conform until it became an exact copy of the knife. Everything from the color of the handle, to the length, to the sharpness of the blade. She showed it to him up close and he could not tell the difference between the real one and the enchanted gel. She put them behind her back and mixed them up before producing them again. “Which one is the real one?” she asked.

  “I cannot tell the difference.”

  “Quite right.” She said before pitting her witchle back in her mouth. With two sharp tweets of the instrument, one of the knives began to vibrate and change. The knife on the right lost its silver tone in the metal before it expanded and grew like a bubble to return to its original shape as a smiling translucent blob. “Now you try.” Prince Damron imitated her actions and just as she’d done. Whistling once then twice with the dagger touching his gel, it began to shake and shimmy before changing into an exact duplicate of the weapon.

  “Amazing! If I hadn’t done it myself, I wouldn’t believe my own eyes!” he confessed.

  “And back again?” she asked. He whistled again and the same thing that had happened to Siouxsie’s gel came alive in his hand. The imposter dagger shook and shimmied until it reformed into a see-through blob with a tiny set of eyes upon it. “There!” she said with a smile. “You’ve learned a bit of gel magic and are now a gel transmogrifying master!”

  “It’s that easy?” he asked. “How did witches learn such a skill?”

  “I’m sure it happened by accident, but witches learned how to replicate things like shovels and hoes and scythes for farming.”

  “It can make anything?” He asked.

  “Not anything.” She said with some thought. “It needs to be something of equal approximate size. The gel can imitate a shovel head or a scythe blade but not the whole thing. It could create a helmet or a buckler I suppose. But not a whole sword or shield like you have. However, they’re good for bowls and buckets for carrying water.”

  “Thank you, Siouxsie.” He said “I really think I’ve learned something.”

  “Then our time together has meant something and that’s what’s important, your highness. I would like to teach you more right now, but it will have to wait. I’m going to feed my bats and seek out my brother to make sure he’s not doing anything he shouldn’t be.” Just then, a shadow passed overhead. “Speaking of witch…” she punned. “There he is now.” Robert circled and spiraled down to land next to them. When his winklepickers touch the ground, He grunted and grimaced with one hand over his torso where his wound was.

  “Ow.” Robert winced. Before sitting down and lying flat on his back. “I may have overdone myself.”

  “Ignatius told you to be careful and you didn’t listen.” She said without a downcast glance.

  “I know. And now I’m paying dearly for it.” The pile of black clothes groaned. “ I should have listened but I didn’t. Ow

  “You’re lucky the arrow didn’t hit anything vital.” Offered the prince.

  “There’s no brain or heart to hit.” Replied Robert. “As long as it’s not the gut or the eye I’ll be fine.”

  “You two stay here.” Siouxsie said. “I’m going to check the outer parts of Oldvale.”

  “Stay hidden.” Said Robert.