While Alex calmed down, I started making planks. I could use the entire tree, since I was going to use potion to fill in the gaps, and the planks didn't need to all be the same size, as long as they were close to the same thickness. I had so much practice making them that I had a dozen logs cut up by the time Alex stopped cursing.

“I can't believe you're doing that so quickly.” Alex said.

“I just keep my knife charged with magic.” I said and made another slice.

“You what?” Alex asked. “I thought you just... the sharp knife...”

I chuckled. “Oh, it's real sharp and if I charge it up with magic to help, it'll cut through nearly everything. So far. I haven't tried it on rock or stone, though. The Hag said it dulls even magic sharpened knives and I won't risk it.”

“Do you always do what the Hag says?” Alex asked.

I nodded several times. “She's harsh, and cruel, and mean, and she knows how to survive. She taught me everything I needed to know to live in the marsh. She also gave me potions to toughen me up and...” I stopped there, because even if I was going to trust him with some of the secrets I knew, I didn't want him to know the real reason that the Hag liked eating my flesh. To make herself beautiful.

“...make you tastier to eat. I know.” Alex said and put a hand on my shoulder. “I'm sorry we didn't show up here years ago.”

“There were a few army people that came through here and the Hag told me to avoid them.”

Alex sighed and let my shoulder go. “Probably because if we knew she owned you, we would have arrested her and rescued you.”

“But the army men did know.” I said. “One was even at the inn when I was a kid and the Hag almost killed me. He didn't do anything and neither did the inn owner, Becky.”

“That's... not possible.” Alex said.

“The whole village knew I was sold to the Hag.”

Alex shook his head. “They might have known; but, it was a secret that everyone was hiding from us.” He said. “The army people here now, I mean. I'll have someone look into the other army representatives that have been sent out here over the years.”

I shrugged, since it didn't really matter to me, either way. It wasn't like they could go back and fix it. Plus, I had learned a lot from the Hag over the years. I could do so many things now because of her.

Donna came jogging down the small road towards us. “The CO... is sending the order... to the mayor.” She said and stopped beside us to catch her breath. “Whew. I need to start jogging again. I shouldn't be winded from running.”

“You need to take a general health potion.” I said. “It helps with every day energy and keeps you healthy. We'll also need them for the people coming to help.”

“We need to stop at the store your lady friend opened.” Alex said and looked at Donna with a smile. “Do you feel like going for another run?”

“No, you ass.” Donna said with a laugh.

“Just so you know, the harder you work, the quicker the potion goes through your system.” I said and handed her a general health potion. “Kids can take one a year and be fine. Adults need two, sometimes three, depending on what they are doing.”

“How often do you take them?” Alex asked as Donna drank the potion.

“Every week when I was a kid.” I said and they both looked at me with sad faces. “I don't need it at all now.”

Donna handed me the empty vial. “That actually tasted pretty goo... ohhhh my god.” She said and her whole body shivered. Her face flushed red for a second, then she took in a deep breath and let it out. “Oh, my god.” She said and placed her hands on her cheeks and slapped them. “That was a rush.”

“You were probably sick and didn't know it.” I said and handed one to Alex. “You better get over to the shop and get enough for the group, otherwise it'll just be us going. That's my last one.”

“Thank you, David.” Alex said and drank it. He had nearly the same reaction as Donna, except he didn't slap his cheeks. He grabbed Donna and kissed her instead.

“Hmm hum mmm!” Donna mumbled and then Alex broke the kiss. “We're on duty!” She said and swatted at his head.

“That felt like too good of an opportunity to pass up.” Alex said with a grin and didn't dodge. “I haven't felt this energized in years.” He nodded to me. “Keep working and we'll be back as soon as we can.”

I nodded back and the two of them took off jogging. I kept working and making planks, because I had long ago memorized the plans for the boat I wanted made. I knew how long it was, how wide, the shapes, the positions of the posts for the canvas, and the large half oval things on the sides.

When I thought I had enough planks for the bottom, I laid them out into the right spots and started using some number ten potion sparingly to attach them together. I would need to make up a batch to finish off the boat, both the inside and underside. I didn't have anywhere near enough to fill the bottom with a small layer to let it set and make it a solid mass.

“I really need a cooking pot and a good fire to work with.” I said with a sigh as I bent down to start attaching the three foot high side onto the boat.

“How big of a pot?” A girl's voice asked from right behind me.

“AHH!” I jumped nearly a foot in the air and toppled over onto my butt. I whirled around to stare at the little girl that was laughing really hard and pointing at me.

“That... so... funny!” She said and held her sides.

_______________

You have a choice to make.

A) Freak out. B) Yell at her. C) Laugh. D) Pretend that it didn't happen. E) Ignore her. F) Run.

That was too embarrassing to acknowledge and I don't even have to think about it. I choose D.

_______________

I was about to yell at her, then realized that it was my own fault. I hadn't used the vigilance technique when Alex and Donna left and that had left me completely unprepared for someone else showing up.

“Hi, Gloria.” I said and ignored what just happened. “How long have you been here?”

“I followed you up the road.” Gloria said and looked smug. “Whatcha doin'?”

“Making a boat, only I need more magic potion.” I said and pat the ground in front of me.

“I can't get my dress dirty.” Gloria said.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” I said and picked up a plank, cut it up into pieces to make a chair for her size, then used drops of the number ten potion to meld it into one piece. I used a bit of the combo potion of waterproofing and fortifying potion to age it and make it stronger, which also sealed it. “There you go.”

Gloria sat down on the chair as if she was at home and not in someone else's yard.

“I need a cooking pot about this big.” I said and held my hands out to two feet.

“That's a large stewing pot.” Gloria said and her face broke into a huge smile. “Did you catch that near-beaver again?”

I chuckled. “Naw, he fought me off and went back to his den. I got some of his really stinky mud, though.”

“Ooo! Show me!” Gloria said excitedly.

I took off my pack and pulled out the canvas bag. “This is gonna smell like the potion tastes.”

“Eww!” Gloria said and leaned in closer instead of leaning away.

I did a quick slice to open the seal and the smell instantly hit our noses and we both squinted at how strong it was.

“That's really, really awful!” Gloria said and laughed as she tried to wave it away from her face.

“I told you.” I said with a laugh as I closed it and sealed it up. “I'll be using it when I go back home.”

“You're leaving?” Gloria asked.

“Only for a bit. I have to get some things for Diane's new store and then I'll be back. I'll be going off to army training soon...” I stopped for a moment and remembered what the blacksmith had said. “...for three months, I think. I might be back then or I might be sent somewhere else.”

“I hope you come back.” Gloria said, her face sad.

_______________

You have a choice to make concerning the Hansen Family.

A) Give her a gift. B) Tell her you're sorry. C) Hug and comfort her. D) Stay silent. E) Choose two.

I think I know exactly what I can give to her as a gift. I thought with a smile. I choose C and then A.

_______________

I eased close and put my arms around her for a second and then let go. “It's all right, Gloria. I know you're scared of spiders now, so I'm going to give you something that keeps them away.”

“R-r-r-really?!?” Gloria stammered.

“Yep.” I said and pulled out one of the already engraved square plaques. I took out the special potion I used for enchanting and poured it into the grooves. I let it settle for a few seconds and then infused my magic into it. The whole thing glowed for ten seconds and then it stopped.

There were several telltale squeaks from under one of the piles of logs nearby, then several spiders about eight inches across took off running and disappeared into the nearby forest.

“There, you see? It works.” I said.

A very wide eyed girl looked at me with shock on her face, probably because she had been so close to spiders and hadn't known it. I attached a short bit of rope to the ward with number ten potion, applied the fortifying waterproof potion to it to seal and protect it, then hung it on her neck.

“You take that home and hang it in your bedroom. For the next seven months or so, you won't have to worry about spiders, snakes, frogs, marsh lizards, or anything else that creeps and crawls.”

Gloria stared at me with an open mouth and didn't say anything.

“I don't think you should say where you got it or what it does to anyone. They might take it on you if you do.”

Gloria nodded as she closed her mouth and hugged it tightly.

“I think you better go home before Alex and Donna come back.” I said.

Gloria nodded again and stood up, then she started to walk away. As she approached the edge of the trees where the small road to the main road was, there were a few more different creature sounds. She turned around to look at me, her face surprised, and I gave her the thumbs up gesture. Her face broke into a huge smile and then she turned and hurriedly walked away.

“I should have told her to take the chair, too.” I said and moved it back out of the way to continue building the parts of the boat that I could. It was mostly just a large rectangle, so it was pretty simple to put together. It was the scale and the walls that would give me the most trouble. Small vials of the number ten potion would only do so much. I needed a lot more of it to make the boat be able to go in the water without sinking.

Alex and Donna came back to John's place a short while later and they were quite sad.

“She only had two general health and one healing potion left.” Donna said and showed me the wrapped packages.

“Then only two others can come, assuming I can get this finished.” I said and waved at the large box behind me.

“How the hell did you get it all together so quickly?” Alex asked. “You were cutting up planks when I left not long ago!”

I shrugged and didn't want to tell him that I had finished a bit ago. I even had the two main poles and the four support poles ready to be added. I didn't have any canvas or hooks for it, though. The four push poles were ready and off to the side and were just waiting for me to figure out how to make more potion.

“Excuse me.” A woman's voice said.

The three of us turned around to look at the road and saw a woman walking towards us. She wore a nice dress and she carried a huge cooking pot in her hands.

“My daughter said you needed a large stewing pot.” Mrs. Hansen said and smiled at us.