Page 189 of Castings & Curses

“Everything goes missing, just like my thoughts,” grumbled Bellatrix. Lately she felt a strong agitation throughout her body as if her soul were trying to tell her something, but the message could not get through. “Ugh! Hairbrush! Where are you? Come here!”

Her eyes flicked upward to look at herself in the mirror and she gasped. Her missing hairbrush floated behind her. With graceful movements, the brush glided through the air and landed on the table in front of her. Bellatrix’s heart thumped wildly within her chest. She rubbed her eyes and tried to make sense of what she had just seen. The runaway brush lay in waiting for her hand to embrace it and maneuver the bristles through her hair.

“Bellatrix, come on dear, we have a long day of jam making ahead of us.” Iris’ voice danced in her eardrums. The amber-eyed maiden told herself what she had seen was a hallucination and headed to the kitchen.

* * *

Sweat beadedon Bellatrix’s forehead and matted her hair against the back of her neck as she stirred the jam in the pot on the fire. The sun was high in the sky and the young guest along with Iris had spent most of the day creating different exquisite flavors and packaging them in glass jars with their signature green ribbon.

Iris tied a bow around a jar of elderberry jam. “Bellatrix, it is time for tea. You have been working hard,” she called.

Wiping her face, Bellatrix looked at the crates of jam stacked next to the table. “I think we need another combination to entice the village folk to buy our wares.”

“Your peach and blueberry jam was most favorably received,” noted Iris. “Do you think we need another new one?”

Nodding, Bellatrix looked around the messy kitchen. “The more coins we can bring into our coffers each week, the more security will ensure that we may purchase items needed to run the farm. Once our profits increase, we could acquire cows and sheep and use their milk and wool to bring to the market.

“Ay, Bellatrix, I do not know what I would do without you. Your brilliant ideas for fruit preserves have helped me more than you know.”

Smiling, Bellatrix reached for a basket on a hook by the door. “I am going into the woods to gather some boysenberries for our next batch.”

“And I am sure a handsome young man will be waiting for you by the waterfall,” Iris gave her a wink.

Bellatrix bit back a smile, “I will be back.” Twirling her basket in her hand, she waltzed out the door.

Autumn breezes played merrily with the locks of the pretty berry maid as she entered the woods. The forest held secrets hidden in its mighty branches. Lingonberry bushes grew beside a small pond, a sanctuary that held a place dear to Bellatrix’s heart. A section where love sang on the wind and safety was felt through the mist came from a majestic waterfall, a breathtaking oasis where her soul felt at peace.

Bellatrix stepped off the path and sat on a giant log that faced the cascading waves.

Clacking of hooves sounded behind her and a voice called, “Hello, Beautiful!”

A grin spread across her face as she turned to see a magnificent white horse trot to the pond. On top of the horse was a marvelously well-formed young man with a lace-up blue shirt and dark pants. A sword hung at his waist.

Jumping to her feet, the young woman ran over to the fellow who scooped her up in his arms.

“Eryx!” she cried as his lips touched hers and his warm embrace housed the comfort she needed while her brain remained in a fog.

Eryx was an armorer who made and supplied weapons for the castle where the royal family lived. He resided alone in a cabin at the edge of the woods.

For almost a year, the two had been courting. She had met Eryx shortly after she had been found by Iris in the woods. Through the subsequent months, while picking berries, she suffered the sense that she had been running from something frightening, but she was never sure what that was. Her dreams often found her afraid of a dark shadow, and she experienced the oddest feeling that she knew who that shadow was. But she could not quite see the face to identify the person who filled her with such terror. When she found Eryx, kindness sent the shadow away. She was happy in his company.

“How are you feeling, my love?” asked Eryx as he brushed his hand gently against her face.

“Alas, my memory has still not returned. I do not know what I am going to do if I cannot regain my identity.”

Eryx’s deep green irises rested on her furrowed brow. “Have faith, my love. The world works wonders even when we do not believe so. After all, it has brought us together.”

Bellatrix gave him a smile. She thought back to the first time they had met. It had been a week after Iris had found her unconscious in the woods and taken her in. Feeling confused and full of anxiety, she decided to take a stroll to the forest to see if she could jog her memory. She had been standing near the waterfall, trying to remember what had happened before her accident when a beautiful white horse came crashing through the bushes. The horse was visibly upset and began rearing up on hind legs. Using patience and kindness, the lovely berrypicker tried to calm the beast and succeeded as if by magic. A few moments later, exhausted, Eryx came through the woods in search of his horse. He had no idea what had frightened his stalwart steed, but the minute his eyes had fallen upon the dark-haired beauty, he knew he loved her. After a few meetings in the woods, the two had fallen hopelessly in love with one another.

“For that, I am grateful, my dearest,” replied Bellatrix. “However, I cannot abandon the fact that there is trouble in my past. I need to know who I am. I know my name, but I do not know when I was born or where I come from. I have no idea who I am.”

“I know you are the love of my life, and I wish for us to be together always.” Eryx reached into his pocket. His eyes widened as he began to pat all of his pockets in an urgent manner. “I thought I had brought it with me,” he muttered to himself.

“Have you lost something?” asked Bellatrix.

“I - oh, never mind. I am sure it is at home. I am so sorry. I thought I had it where it was safe.” Eryx scratched his head. “I wanted to ask you something, but now I cannot. Without the treasure, I do not wish to be disrespectful.”

Bellatrix’s heart fluttered in her chest. She believed she knew what her beau wanted to ask her, and even without the desired object, she wanted to hear him say it. “Go ahead,” she begged. “It is alright, my love. Please say what is on your mind.”

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