Jojin's lesson
A young witch is taught by her mother and offers a lesson in return.
One and a half pefre.
Two jurvis.
Six horvie flowers.
and ten stalks of guien plant.
Jojin was getting stung with pesky insects and still hadn’t gotten half of the list. The bark of keri wouldn’t give. Her hands were already scratched up and bleeding from the stings of logve. Her favorite. Useless according to her mama.
Mori had ordered everything to be plucked through the night when the garden would be bathed in moonlight. “Just before they bloom” she had said. Perfect for eternal youth.
Jojin’s basket only got full at dawn. She marched to the parlor, done with her work.
“Sit with me and learn.” The old witch barely looked up from her cauldron. Stirring the ladle continuously while adding dried shredded meat.
Sleep vanished from Jojin’s eyes, “May I prepare the ingredients too?”
At that, Mori looked up at her with narrowed eyes and muttered something. Jojin took the opportunity and started grinding the paste. She kept adding it to the pot as her mother moved around the room, putting out all the candles except one. Sunlight didn’t make it to the room.
Mori came over to her daughter and took the ladle before smelling it, “Hmm. Just a bit off. Did you grate the horvies well?”. She kept stirring, chanting her spells over the cauldron, making it glow.
Jojin could only nod as her mother added a few more ingredients to the mix. She let it boil seven times. Then she took the bowl and filled it to brim. She didn’t stop till some spilled on the ground.
She gulped it down greedily. Thick liquid escaped from the sides and ran down her chin to the neck till she began choking.
Her veins started to pop red against her pale skin as blood poured down her nose. A sharp contrast to the blue liquid in her hands. Her eyes widened in shock as she sputtered, “What…what did you do?” She lost her balance and had to hold on to the table.
Jojin didn’t look guilty when she presented her open hand with crushed logve.
