Ildri's first stop was in the kitchen. "Ildri!" said chef as she bustled over to envelope the slight girl in a hug. Keziah shrieked her displeasure. "Tell me, how did everything go?" chef glanced at the parrot but still spoke in her calm voice.

Ildri sat at the counter and told chef everything. "Oh, I almost forgot. Here," Ildri said as she dug the spices for chef out of her bag. "We stopped at a fair."

"How interesting," chef said as she inspected the jars. "This is a fine gift Ildri. I thank you."

"You're welcome. I wanted to bring you something."

"And what about this bird?" chef asked.

"I guess... Well, I rather accidentally ended up with her. She became attached to me and I really did not have much choice. The merchant practically gave her to me."

"Buy a trinket," Keziah squacked.

"How odd that she has a voice. Is she intelligent?"

Ildri glanced at the bird on her shoulder. "I was told that she is. I've yet to see it. Do you have any vegetables that she can have? She likes them."

Chef nodded and fetched some for Keziah. "Pretty lady," Keziah whistled.

As chef set the vegetables on the counter the twins and Matt came bustling through the door.

"Ildri! You're back," Kallie said.

"I brought you three something, too," Ildri said. Keziah fluttered to the counter and occupied herself with eating vegetables from the dish chef offered.

Ildri handed the candy she had bought to the children.

"Thank you," Kallie said politely and Matt echoed her.

Damani shoved one in his mouth the moment that she handed him his bag.

"Damani! Where are your manners?" Kallie demanded.

"Mphankoo," Damani said with his mouth full. Kallie rolled her eyes and ate a piece of candy more slowly.

Damani swallowed the candy swiftly. "Is that your familiar?" he asked, pointing at Keziah.

"Maybe," Ildri allowed. "I don't know."

"W-what is it?" Matt asked.

"A familiar is an animal that is magically connected to a witch or wizard," Damani explained with a tone of bored superiority.

"He meant what sort of bird is it," Kallie said, shooting her brother a dirty look.

"It's called a parrot," Ildri explained, ignoring Damani and Kallie's twin glares at each other. "I was told that they are intelligent and from some foreign land. Honestly though, she was so busy acting up that the merchant practically threw her at me."

"Bloody mess," said Keziah in what Ildri imagined might be perfect agreement.

"It talks!" Damani exclaimed.

"Don't say bloody, Keziah," Ildri said. "Yeah, it seems they do."

"Is it magic?" Damani asked, moving towards the bird. Keziah gobbled down the rest of her food and flew across the room. She looked at the children with a very ominous stare.

Ildri sighed. "It's better if you leave her be. She doesn't seem to like anyone."

"I think she would make a great familiar," Damani said. "I think she seems bloody magical."

"Damani!" snapped Kallie.

"Bloody magical," whistled Keziah.

Ildri rolled her shoulders and rubbed her neck. "You know, I'm tired after my journey," she said. "I'm going to go lay down."

"Have a good sleep, Ildri," said chef amiably as Ildri left the room. It took only a moment before Keziah was taking a ride on her shoulder.

* * * * *

When Ildri awoke the next day rain was pounding on the castle stones and lightning and thunder crashed across the sky. Keziah was still sleeping in her cage, so Ildri decided that it would be a good time to give Lord Wildwood the potions she had decided to give him. He had went through a lot of expense for her to learn from Maxine and she wanted to repay him.

Ildri wrapped various labeled potions in cloth and made her way through the castle. Her stomach growled but she felt that breakfast could wait. She probably should have been in the kitchen helping chef already but she doubted that there was much to do. The castle was fairly quiet, not as quiet as it had been before Lady Theresa had married Lord Wildwood but still fairly calm and deserted.

But it was more important that Ildri go and talk to Lord Wildwood without a swearing bird on her shoulder. She wondered what other profanities the bird had learned from the merchant or perhaps from the sailors who had transported her across the seas. Ildri sighed as she turned the corridor and walked towards the doorway to the tower.

Ildri knocked but there was no answer. She tried the door to see if it was open. Lord Wildwood generally locked everything when he was not inside. It opened easily.

Ildri climbed the stairs. She decided that she would leave her bundle at the top if he was not there. They were labeled, it would be fine. She had no desire to carry them all the way back to her room.

She knocked quietly on the door. It swung open.

"Ildri!" said Lady Theresa. "How was your trip?" she asked pleasantly.

"It was good, my lady," Ildri replied.

"Did you learn much?"

"Yes, a lot."

"I'm glad for that," Lady Theresa said with a smile. She was so beautiful and composed she made Ildri feel small and clumsy, although she was always nice to Ildri. In that way she seemed very much like Maxine. Strong and decisive and gorgeous. Ildri could not help but feel envious.

Lady Theresa nodded again. "I'll let you talk to him. I'm starving," she explained as she walked by.

"Good morning, Ildri," said Lord Wildwood from a chair. "Have a seat," he said.

"Thank you," Ildri said.

"You've shaken up the castle since you got back. Or more specifically, your bird has," he said with an amused half smile.

"I have?" she asked.

"Apparently you've brought back a magically enhanced monstrous and unnatural beast. I've also heard it is an omen of death due to its blood dipped tail. Apparently it also speaks, and when it does it only utters profanities. Missus White is near to having a breakdown, I fear."

Ildri nodded. "I'm sorry. I'll get rid of her," she said immediately. She was unprepared for the sense of sadness the thought provoked.

"Oh, no need for that. Missus White is just not fond of animals in the castle. Or anywhere. They interrupt her perfect order. She'll adjust."

Ildri nodded a bit at that. He seemed to understand the housekeeper well.

"Is it your familiar?" he asked.

Ildri shook her head. "I wasn't sure I'd be allowed to keep her. She's pretty possessive of me already. And she really does have terrible language. I don't know where she learned it."

"Do you think there's a spell on her to make her speak?"

Ildri shook her head. "I can't tell if there is. I don't think so."

"I once read of birds that could mimic humans. I think that she probably can make sounds like words. It's very interesting."

Ildri smiled. "I was surprised when she did, my lord. I had no idea such creatures existed."

"The world is full of wonders," he said and looked at Ildri calmly. "Did you come here just to get permission to keep your bird?"

"No, I also brought you some potions I made. As a sort of a sign of my gratitude, my lord." She pushed forward the bundle.

"Most interesting," he said as he looked at each of the labels on the potions. "These will be very useful, I believe."

"I'm glad."

"I'm also glad that you came to talk to me today. I was going to summon you, but this is so much easier," he said.

"Really, my lord?"

He smiled kindly, if a bit sadly. "You've had many unhappy things happen in your life, Ildri."

"A lot of happy and good things, too, my lord," she agreed.

"I know that it is unpleasant to think about and perhaps you prefer not to. Yet, have you ever wondered why you were brought to Wildwood?" he asked gently.

Ildri shrugged her shoulders slightly. "I suppose, but I just feel really grateful."

"That's part of what made you special to my father, I believe. You have the strength to forgive other people, and to trust in spite of all the bad that someone else might have coming from your difficult past."

Ildri felt her cheeks get hot and she hoped that they weren't too red. "Your father was just a wonderful man. He was so kind to me, my lord." Her cheeks were so hot that she thought they might just begin to smoke.

Lord Wildwood smiled. "I agree with you. I loved him greatly. Yet there was always more to it than that. My father knew your father. He owed him a great debt. It was just natural for him to take care of you when you were orphaned so young."

"Really? I never knew that. What did he do?" What had he been like? She could barely remember him.

"My father was wounded in battle and your father carried him to a healer at great risk to himself. He was a good man, Ildri."

Ildri smiled a bit. Her father had been a hero. "I'm glad. I don't remember them well."

"I did not know your parents well, either. My father told me I met them once when I was very small, but I can't remember. He said you reminded him of your mother."

Ildri felt happy and sad and a terrible sense of longing that she sensed could not be fulfilled. There was no way to bring them back.

Lord Wildwood looked regretful. "I'm sorry that I can't tell you more, Ildri. But I know that my father held yours in highest esteem and that indeed is evidence of the sort of man he was. My father did not suffer fools gladly and he would not tolerate evil when there was something he could do about it. However, there is more to the story of why you were brought here."

Ildri did not know what to say. She simply listened as Lord Wildwood continued.

"I was still a boy when your parents died. I was away at school when my father received the news and began to investigate what happened to your family. It seems it was pure good fortune that he found you and brought you here. I was at home for the holiday. I recall that I had arrived the day before to find that he was not at home. I was angry at him."

Lord Wildwood's expression became a bit scornful at himself, but his half smile remained in place. "I was quite the cocky young lord at the time and convinced of my own brilliance. I argued with him that you should not be given to Missus Allendale to raise; that he should find a good family that you could be a part of. He disagreed and said that being in Wildwood was the best place for you."

"Why did he want me here?"

"That's the question, isn't it? I believe that he looked upon you fondly as a granddaughter and wanted to be at hand if he was needed. The second reason he explained to me later. Your parents didn't die by fire."

Ildri stared at him. She could almost remember the flames burning down her home and killing her parents. "There was a fire," she insisted. The image was such a part of her.

"There was," he agreed. "But they were already dead, run through with a sword. We never knew who killed them for certain. Was it simple thieves or was it a plot more sinister? Like most people who won't give way to wrong, your father had some unpleasant enemies. It is impossible to know for certain."

Ildri breathed out. All her life she had believed... "I was lied to," she said, feeling betrayed.

Lord Wildwood shook his head. "You were allowed to believe what you wished. I don't think he had the heart to tell you even when you were older."

"So he brought me here to keep me safe," she guessed.

"That was part of it," Lord Wildwood agreed.

And suddenly it was obvious. "The fire. Was it me who started it?" She already could guess the answer.

Again he nodded. "We don't know exactly what happened, but I suspect when your parents were killed you lost control of your power and lit your home ablaze."

Ildri smiled grimly. "That's not really surprising."

"You have a curious affinity for fire."

"So the other reason I was brought here was to keep other people safe from me."

"No. You were brought here to learn to use that power. That is why I readily agreed to let you try learning with the Witch Maxine when other ways had already failed. You have power. Why not learn to use it? Did you succeed?"

"I guess so," she agreed. "It was really frustrating. But now I can make some potions. Maxine said I did well."

Lord Wildwood was observing her with obvious interest. "What kind?"

"Maxine taught me how to make a lot of things. I can make beauty potions and disguise potions, and ignition potions and a potion to tell if other potions will be fatal. And others, I suppose. And I guess anything that I have a recipe for, with practice. It's a bit like cooking."

"That sounds intriguing, Ildri. It amazes me how long I was ignorant of external magic. Perhaps wizards, as a group, have been too dismissive and arrogant. Now tell me, do you like working in the kitchens?"

"Yes," Ildri agreed. It was satisfying creating meals for people to enjoy. "I finally figured out how to draw out flavours magically like chef does."

Lord Wildwood chuckled. "Would you like to try a different task?"

"Yes," Ildri agreed although she really did not want to. But he was her lord and she would do as he requested.

"Your expression says something different. But I think that you won't find a new job unpleasant. I've decided that you are to be Wildwood's witch."

"What? There's no such thing," Ildri protested without thinking. She did not know what was getting into her, disagreeing with her lord so many times in one day.

"There is now," Lord Wildwood said simply.

"But everyone thinks that witches are evil! Everyone will think that you are, too, if you let me! You can't!"

Lord Wildwood smiled like the arrogant boy he claimed he had once been. "You'll find that when you're ranked as high as I am, you certainly can. Excellent cook that you are, I believe your new skills will be far more useful to me. War is coming and we need every advantage we can muster. I will protect my people and my family, and you can help me with that."

Ildri remembered that the whole reason she had wanted to learn magic was because she had wanted to help with that very task. "I want to protect everyone too. I'll do it," she agreed.

"Thank you," Lord Wildwood smiled. "Just make whatever you feel will be useful. I'll give you further instructions later once I see what you can do."