Ellen felt that there was something wrong as soon as they came near the cottage. While she had been trying to catch fish the day had shifted, clouds had formed stacked towers in menacing blues. The heat was pressing down, making pearls of sweat form. Her hair had turned to a frizzy mess around her head. In front of the house three figures kneeled by the shape that she knew was the little boy. The woman with the black headscarf reached a hand down towards him. She couldn’t hear the words that the woman spoke but the pitch was shrill, which sent a shiver down her spine, lodging within her belly. The boy wasn’t allowed to die, not like this, she hadn’t even had time to help him. She leapt off in a run towards them feeling her feet hammering against the ground, her still wet jeans clutched at her legs making her slower than she wanted. 

Her breath caught in her throat from the effort as she came up beside them. All three of them looked up at her, the woman’s face was the one that spoke loudest, the accusing eyes. She stood and glared down at Ellen.

“You’re not to come here any more. You’ve done enough damage, Witch.”

Ellen blanched at the glare and tone of voice, at the same time she wanted to see the boy. Maybe it wasn’t too late, something could be done.

“What’s happened to him?”

“I’ll tell you, you’ve killed him with your strange ways. Taking him outside, my husband should never have listened to you for a moment. I knew it, but yet he listened to you rather than to old wisdom.”

Her husband stood up and pulled her aside.

“Step aside, Eva. As long as there is life in him I have entrusted him in Gods hands, and God has given us this Witch. If you spurn God's gift we will lose the boy.”

She struggled against his firm grasp around her upper arms as he steered her away from Ellen. His eyes were glued on her, trust shining within. He turned to his wife and led her inside.

“I’ll be with her, if you need me.” He said before pushing her into the house.

Ellen threw herself forward, kneeling on the hard ground next to the boy. This time his blue eyes were open, staring at her. If she had paid attention before she would surely have heard the chattering of his teeth, he shivered as cascades of sweat seemed to be running down his forehead. They had covered him in several layers of blankets to keep him warm, which had not been according to her instructions. She hoped once again that this was just some common virus that would heal on its own.

“How are you feeling?” She asked him.

“Cold.” He said in between chattering.

She put a hand to his forehead, he was still burning, they needed to get the fever down.

She heard the clip clop of hooves as Sir Ivan drew up behind her.

“You claim that this boy will be a good worker?” He asked.

“He will be, won’t you?” She said.

“One day. I’ll be big and strong. Just like pa.” He was shivering so violently that the words came out in short bursts from between his lips.

“I’m sure you’re right.” She smiled down at him reassuringly. “Now, I’m going to do something strange, even though you are feeling cold you are actually hot. So I’m going to remove some of these blankets.”

She removed them all, except one, she felt it was best to let him have something to protect him from the elements. His incessant shivering continued. If only there was something more that she could do against the fever.

“How long does it take until he gets better?” Sir Ivan asked. “If this will take long I believe that I will have to leave you to it.”

“It takes more than minutes to get better.” She snapped at him, she found him horrible, his disregard for other humans, his unwillingness to help.

“That tone of voice will not do for any of my underlings. And you will look at me when you speak.” His tone of voice commanded her, she felt as she had before unable to do anything but what he wanted.

She turned towards him. “It will take a while longer, maybe until tomorrow. Sir.”

“Then I will expect you at my house once you have finished with these peasants. You will be given a house to live in as well as a yearly income from your work.”

“Thank you sir.” She bowed her head to him, feeling defeat.

There was nothing that she could do right. The boy would die and then no one would trust her. The ridiculousness of this thought struck her. Only hours ago she had been in her world and now she was deeply embroiled in this world and its strangeness. This boy was everything she was focusing on even though she should be grieving her parents and the life that she seemed to have left. The footfalls of Sir Ivan’s horse told her of his departure and she craned her neck to look after him, his cape flitted upwards in the wind. The clouds opened to release the downpour.

Over the sound of the rain she shouted at Elijah that they needed to get Sebastian inside. Harald came running out of the house and clasped the small frame of Sebastian in his arms, running inside for cover, Elijah followed. Ellen could not go in there again, not without a solution, that woman Eva would have her hide if she didn’t do anything useful. Anyway, her jeans were already wet. Instead she just stood there staring at the dreary house that was the home of this family. Her family had had a house more than twice as large with big windows and a veranda where they would sit in summer.

When she had been young her father would sit with her and tell her of the different scientists and their discoveries. Many of them had been daydreaming or taking a walk when they came up with some of their greatest discoveries. Though admittedly some of the stories might have been made up.

Elijah stuck out his head and asked if she wasn’t coming in.

“Later.” She answered. “Take care of him until I come back.” 

She turned on her heel and walked towards the ravine where she had met Sir Ivan. There was something niggling in her mind. It had been a silly idea to go fishing, but maybe there was something else that she could do for the boy.