A creak of the door, the smell of smoke and the sting in her eyes once again hit Ellen as she entered the stiflingly hot, dry hut. An ominous red glow warmed the features of Eva, chiseled by the shadows. Her eyes were hidden by the dark but Ellen felt their malice penetrating her. 

It was strange that Eva didn’t sit next to her sick child where he lay in the bed along the wall. His body was still next to the crouching figure of Elijah, who had sat up to stare at Ellen where she stood just beyond the door frame. Gently she closed the door avoiding any sound.

Harald sat by the table where an empty bowl stood next to him, no doubt it had been filled with the same disgusting gruel she had seen them try to feed Sebastian earlier. He sat up a bit straighter and stared. She felt a twinge of guilt at the fact that she had suggested that she should try and get him some fish. She had failed miserably at that task, ending up nearly as wet as she was now. This time she had something to show for her effort. It might take some convincing to let her try and give it to him. The thought of food made her stomach grumble. It was possible that even if she found something appetizing nothing would go down, her tongue was swollen and sore, giving off the metallic taste of blood. The rest of her was in a bad state as well, though she was mostly numb from the pain, the rain having chilled her to the bone. 

“Are you alright?” Harald asked. It was that same question again.

“Yes, I’m fine. I just needed to think about how to help Sebastian.” 

His body looked as if it was withdrawing into itself and Eva hissed from where she sat as if she was trying to scare away an unwanted cat.

“I think it may already be…” he trailed away, holding a hand in front of his eyes.

Ellen took the few steps towards the bed where Sebastian lay and felt his still scorching brow. 

“I’ve got something that might help. I need boiling water.”

They stared at her as if she was stupid. Eva was the first to speak.

“Didn’t you understand what he said, it’s too late. The fever has been going on for too long, if fevers don’t break by the end of the third day it is over. Everyone knows that.”

Ellen was dumbfounded by this answer, how could they be so ignorant. As long as there is life there is hope.

Harald came to her defense, “everyone also knows that Witches are blessed with knowledge beyond that which we have. Their ways are mysterious. I also believe that since we have received the blessing of a witch we should let her do all she can.” His eyes pleaded with his wife.

Eva turned away from him, stood and took down a small pot from the mantle piece. She scooped some water from a bucket next to her into the pot and hung it above the red and black coals. She reached over to where a pile of wood lay and set two logs on the fire, poking at the burning coals with them and leaned over to blow. Flames sprang to life and soon the water was boiling.

Eva handed Ellen a bowl filled with the hot liquid and Ellen set it down on the table. From her pocket she drew the bark. Borrowing Harrald's knife she shaved pieces of bark into the liquid. When she could feel the sharp smell of the willow tea she let it cool.

“I will give this to him. If it works his fever should go away within an hour. Tomorrow we can give him another bowl if his fever comes back.”

She sat down in the hard sofa bed next to where Elijah sat. Next to him Sebastian sat up when prompted. He seemed better than before when he had lain limply on the ground on a blanket, but it would probably do him no harm to drink it, especially considering the meager food that they ate, hardly nutritious.

Sebastian took a sip of the tea that Ellen offered him. His face contorted and he shook his head, turning away to lie down. Harald came to her aid.

“Sebastian, you must drink. Sit up and be a good boy. She is our witch and we must do what she tells us.”

He went to the head end of the bed and pulled the small boy upright.

“If you’re a good boy and get better soon I will save money to buy you a knife from the smith. A growing boy needs his own knife.” he whispered as he held on to Sebastian.

Ellen heard Eva make a throaty sound of what might be disgust.

Her behavior was strange, as if she had no feelings for the boy. On the other hand Harrald seemed to be welling over with his emotions for him.

He coaxed some more before Sebastian took a few more sips.

“I think it is enough.” Ellen said. Deciding that there was also the risk that he might overdose, though that risk was probably not very high considering that it was bark. Still he was only a boy.

Sebastian settled down into his bed, his father pulled the woolen blanket over him. He stroked the boy’s hair before turning to Ellen.

“You must stay here tonight. Eva, you will lend her some clothes and you can sleep next to her, I will lie between the boys.”

Ellen thought that Eva might not obey, she could hear her own heart thumping in the long pause before Eva stood. She walked over to the pull out sofa bed that she and Harrald must share, by the foot end there was an unadorned wooden chest. The dress or possibly nightgown that she handed over to the now shivering Ellen was plain white cotton with no sleeves.

“It is shameful to walk about in man’s clothes as you do.” She scolded Ellen, compared to her previous demeanor this seemed almost friendly. She held up a blanket so that Ellen could change in relative privacy. 

Ellen’s body was shaking as she climbed into the hard bed. Her thoughts traveled briefly over the strange day, settling on the boy and her hopes for him. Her eyes still stung from the smoke that seemed to lie constantly in the small house, small tears forming in the corners of her eyes before she closed them and the dark red glow from the fireplace was extinguished.