The Market Thief

Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

I can’t pick up my feet, what will it be like going into an invisible house? Will my arm tingle like the frozen spell? Will it freeze me, what if I can’t ever move again.

“Gracious child, get a move on it. You smell bad, don’t you want some food?”

“Yes ma’am it’s just that.” I don’t want to seem silly.

“Let me guess, you’ve never been in a wizards house before.” Hulda ask.

“No ma’am never had much need for a wizard.” I try to explain.

Hulda sighs. “That Alfred, he intentionally went and got someone with no magical ability, just to be a pain. Did he test you for magical ability?”

I shrug my shoulders.

“I don’t have time for this right now. We’ll talk about it later. First thing is to get you into the bath.” She practically picks me up and carries me through the door.

As I enter, a tingle goes up my arm. I stumble my feet are barely toughing the ground as she pulls me along. How can someone so big move so fast?

“Keep moving I don’t want my house smelling like garbage. What was Alfred thinking? I know I told him to go and get himself an apprentice but to not even test for magical ability what was he thinking. Oh I know, he thinks I’ll let him get an apprentice from the Wizard School after this one fails. Well, he has another guess coming.”

“Apprentice, I don’t know anything about magic.” I try to interrupt Hulda but she isn’t listening.

The hallway ends at a big wooden door that doesn’t stop Hulda, she keeps talking as she pulls open the door. In the middle of the room is a large platform, the center is sunk in and filled with water, I can see the steam rising.

“No, instead he brings home a stinky, dirty, scrawny child to help with the cleaning.” She continues as takes off my first layer of clothes. I’m wearing two shirts and an undershirt, two breeches, and underclothes; she keeps pulling things off. “He did this just to make me change my mind, guess again Alfred, this child is going to work just fine, you wait and see. “ With that she gives a big yank and my last pair of breeches join the burn pile.

“Take off your underclothes and get in the tub.” She stands there waiting.

“Aren’t you going to leave?” I ask.

“No, your hair needs a good scrub. In fact, it looks like it could use a good cutting.” Hulda picks up a section of my hair and lets it fall back to my shoulders.

I turn away from her to take off my underclothes. Maybe if I jump into the tub really fast she won’t notice.

“Hurry up, I don’t have all night,” gripes Hulda. “Don’t worry, you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before.”

I take a deep breath, close my eyes and quickly remove my underclothes and jump into the tub, but not quick enough. Hulda lets loose a blood-curling scream, the towels she just took out of the closet flies into the air and lands in the tub.

“Alfred T. Neble, get in here right now!” Shrills Hulda.

You know what it means when someone yells your full name; you’re in trouble and better move fast. Alfred burst into the room, robe flying behind him. He comes to a screeching halt; he grabs the doorframe and tries to catch his breath, Impi right behind him.

“What’s wrong?” puffs Alfred. He straightens up, turns bright red and spins around. Impi lands on his shoulder.

I sink low into the water. Busted! I didn’t even get a good meal before they found out. Guess I’ll be out on my ear.

“Alfred T. Neble how could you?” sputters Hulda

“I don’t know how this happened,” mumbles Alfred.

“You did this on purpose so you could have an apprentice from the School of Wizards. Guess what, it won’t work.”

“But Hulda”

“Don’t but Hulda me, this is your apprentice.” Hulda points at me.

“It’s a girl, it’s a girl,” squawks Impi.

“Shut up!” Alfred and Hulda yell together, Impi flies from the room.

“I can’t have a girl as an apprentice. I can’t!” mutters Alfred as he hastily leaves the room.

“That man!” fumes Hulda as she turns her attention to me. “Let’s get you cleaned up and ready for bed, we can talk about this tomorrow. Come here child and let me wash your hair.”

I move over and tilt my head back. “Hulda, is he really mad that I’m a girl? Are you going to send me back? I don’t want to go I’ll do anything you want. I’ll clean your whole house just don’t make me leave. It’s been a long time since I’ve had my hair washed.”

“There, there, don’t you worry about anything, Hulda will take care of everything. You just wait here and let me go get some special sand to wash your hair, a girl needs a little pampering now and then.” Hulda grunts as she gets up from the floor. “My old bones are what they use to be.”

“Why don’t you use magic?” I ask.

“I can’t. Not an ounce of magic in me.” She rummages through drawers. “Found it!” She brings a bottle of red sand over and begins scrubbing my hair.

At the smell of baked apples, my stomach lets out a loud, long rumble. “Excuse me.”

“My lands child, was that you?” Hulda asks.

“Yes Ma’am. I’m so hungry I think my stomach is going to eat itself.” I rub my stomach.

“You finish up while I go and get you a snack.” Hulda orders as she limps out of the room.

I slip down into the water so only my head is showing the warm water is so relaxing. My eyelids get heavy and I jerk away when my face hits the water. I better get out before I fall asleep and drown. I step out of the tub only to realize that I don’t have any clothes to put on so I wrap up in a towel and wait for Hulda.

I almost fall off the chair when the door opens.

“Sorry I took so long,” Hulda apologizes, “I had to find you some clothes. I think this old undershirt of mine will do for tonight.”

Hulda sets a tray of bread with a jar of jelly next to me. I have to roll up the sleeve of the undershirt so I can eat. I don’t even try to eat like a high lady; I cram as much bread into my mouth as will fit. When I finish washing it all down with cold milk, Hulda leads me to my room.

I have no idea where we are going; I put one foot in front of the other and just follow Hulda. “This is it,” announces Hulda. At the end of the hallway is a purple door. “You’ll sleep in here.”

I look around and back at Hulda. “You’re going to let me sleep in a real bed?”

“Where did you think you’d sleep? In the barn?” Hulda turns down the blankets.

“Straws not that bad,” a mumble sleepily as I crawl into the bed, “but this is much softer and I won’t argue with you.” I snuggle in and drift off to sleep.

“Good night,” whispers Hulda as she tiptoes out of the room.