The room had grown completely dark. Wind had picked up and was mercilessly battering the frail walls. Inside, there was silence. Utter silence. The old man stared out the window, where raindrops flicked and danced across the smeared glass panes.
Esme stared at him in shock. She was trying to process everything she had just heard. Confused, shaken, she felt a cold emptiness of fear spreading from her stomach. She opened her mouth to speak, but at that moment, the door burst open.
"Uhhh, what a downpour," Mnou grumbled. "I got soaked even through my magical barrier. And it was so nice outside when we came here. But at least you've got firewood for a while, Coris. Let's warm the place up, shall we?"
It was only after she stopped speaking that she noticed the gloomy silence hanging in the room. Her eyes darted between the little girl and the old man. Slowly, she walked over to the fireplace and began stacking a small pile of logs.
"Esme, would you give me a hand?"
"Yes, master," the girl replied meekly, dragging herself over to the hearth with a vacant look on her face.
Mnou swiftly grabbed her by the sleeve and tugged, pulling the girl close. She leaned in and hissed sharply into her ear:
"You've done something again, haven't you? Teased Coris? Broke something?"
"No!" Esme objected indignantly. "I didn't do anything! Why are you accusing me like this? We were just… talking."
The older witch narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing her closely. She drew Esme even closer.
"I'd really like to know what that conversation was about," she muttered. "Fine, I'll let it slide for now. But we'll talk about this later, though." She released her grip, and the little girl jerked away, annoyed. She stood and returned to clearing the table, sulking. Mnou sighed, shook her head, and lit the fire.
The witches stayed at Coris's cottage for several more hours, until the rain finally stopped. Not much was said during that time, and the little conversation that did happen was mostly between Mnou and the old man.
She kept fluttering around him, helping with wherever she could — offering food, throwing a blanket over his shoulders, anything and everything.
Esme sat quietly at the table, fiddling with something, though Mnou couldn't tell what it was in the dim light. She let the girl sulk and kept her focus on Coris.
At last, a shy ray of sunshine peeked out from behind the heavy storm clouds and brushed gently against their faces. A clear sign — it was time to go.
"I'll come visit again soon," Mnou mumbled as they left. "Now that winter's coming, you'll need more chopped wood and food. I'll stop by more often."
The old man stood in the doorway, his nearly toothless mouth curling into a smile.
"That would be kind of you. I'm always happy to see you here. And your apprentice," he added with a nod toward Esme.
She returned the nod shyly.
The two witches had just turned to leave when Coris called after them: "Mnou! You've changed. Maybe my eyes aren't what they used to be, but I can still see that much. Makes me wonder if you've finally found what you were looking for."
Mnou froze in her tracks, watching him from the doorway. Her brows furrowed, but she didn't say a word — she simply waved goodbye once more.
Four boots splashed through puddles and potholes on the muddy path. The girls had to tread carefully to avoid slipping. It was a bit of a challenge. Luckily, the dark clouds had already drifted westward, away from the island. The storm now raged over the sea.
"Master?" the little girl asked halfway down the path, gently tugging on Mnou's skirt to stop her.
"Yes?"
"Here," Esme mumbled, barely audible. She was clenching something small in her fist and holding it out toward her mentor.
Mnou looked at her in surprise and, almost absentmindedly, straightened her hat — a habit of hers whenever something caught her off guard.
"What is it?"
Esme didn't reply, just extended her little hand further, urging Mnou to see for herself. She lowered her gaze toward a muddy puddle, where a murky reflection of herself stared back.
Mnou reached out, and Esme dropped something into her palm. It was so light and delicate; she could barely feel it. She looked down curiously.
"A… bracelet?" the witch examined the item from all angles. It was a thin circle, braided from three simple woollen threads — one orange, one brown, and one dark green.
Esme nodded and shuffled nervously from foot to foot. "Do you like it?"
"Y… yes, I do, very much," Mnou stammered. Not because she didn't like the bracelet — but because she was honestly surprised by the gesture. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had given her anything. "Thank you," she added.
"I'm glad you like it."
"Yes, I do," the witch repeated, to emphasize it. "Um, may I ask why you gave it to me? I thought you were a bit mad at me."
"Well, I was a little mad," Esme admitted, "because you started accusing me of all sorts of things. B… but I didn't do anything wrong," she insisted. "We were just talking, and Mr. Coris told me a very… sad story. And I got scared… scared it might happen again." She paused and looked at her mistress, whose face still held a puzzled expression. The girl hesitated, realizing she hadn't yet explained why she had made the bracelet. She had kind of lost track of what she wanted to say. She hurriedly started again.
"So, when I found some old, tangled yarn in the drawer, I thought I'd make you something. So that… so that you'd know how much I… care about you."
Her voice cracked on the last word, showing just how close she was to breaking into tears.
Mnou glanced between the bracelet and the little girl. Her mind raced, trying to understand why Esme was giving her this now. And then it hit her — wide-eyed, she finally realized what it all meant. Coris had told her a sad story…
The witch knelt, not caring about the wet, dirty ground. Now her eyes met Esme's directly. She gently placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"He told you about that night he came to visit me, didn't he?" she asked.
Esme nodded, tears welling up. Her chin began to tremble.
"Listen, Esme… What he told you happened a very long time ago. Back then… I was a very different person. I've changed — and that's thanks in large part to Coris and what he said to me that night. At the time, I felt like I really had nothing left to live for… I wanted to end it all. But that changed. I don't feel that way anymore. Not for a long time."
"So… you won't leave me all alone, right?" the girl asked in a trembling voice, starting to sob.
"No, I won't. You have nothing to be afraid of. I promise," Mnou assured her, feeling tears start to sting her own eyes. She tried to fight them back. Then suddenly, she lifted the bracelet still in her hand.
"Look, this will be our promise. If you ever start doubting me — and I wouldn't blame you if you did — look at this bracelet, I'll be wearing. Let it remind you that I won't abandon you. Deal?"
Instead of answering, Esme threw herself into Mnou's arms, wrapping her little hands around her warmly. Her whole body radiated a comforting warmth. Her hair smelled sweetly of wet grass.
Mnou inhaled the scent and warmth, her vision blurring from an unexpected rush of tears. She held the girl tightly, and they stayed that way for several minutes — though to both witches, it felt like an eternity.