Plurk paste

A soft but sickening, slimy sound echoed in the kitchen, disturbingly audible while a young girl sang a hymn to call on the spirits.

Marion writhed in discomfort. "Hey, hey, ow! Can't you do it a bit more gently? That bit always hurts."

"No, that's how it really feels when your skin sews itself together. Painful, isn't it," huffed Blair, annoyed that her friend had once again picked a fight with bullies twice her size. "You really should learn to control your temper. This is the last time I'm patching you up," she said as she tried to focus on healing the ugly gash on her friend's temple, caused by a rock she hit when she got shoved by one of the bullies.

"Those tossers deserved a good seeing to after they called you a hag and said all those lies about you and your folks! And you say 'this is the last time' all the time and yet here you are."

Blair sighed and rolled her eyes. Her friend was such a whinger sometimes. "I'm not kidding anymore. I'm only doing this because Ms. Mardling will ground you if she sees you all beat-up. Next time you get into a fight, I'm stuffing you up with foxglove."

The young blonde girl eyed her suspiciously. "Isn't that poisonous?"

"Exactly," said Blair as she poked her friend's newly healed temple. "Besides, they weren't worth the trouble. You should have just ignored them. They can call us whatever, it doesn't matter."

Marion scowled. "Pft, I don't get you. Why you don't you use your magic more often? Your life would be so much easier. And aren't you supposed to be a ban faza or something? If I were you, I would put a curse on all the baddies out there."

"Nípa deoladacht acht bid fiach," murmured Blair, her face grim.

"Oi, oi, did you just hex me?"

The little redhead giggled despite herself. "No, silly. It's something my mom always said. It means that 'there are no favors without debts'. Nature always finds a balance, and the spirits don't always answer our songs. Also, it's bhean feasa."

"Oh," Marion exclaimed, suddenly interested. "So what was the price for this?"

"I have to hit my head in return for healing yours," Blair said, deadpan. Marion turned pale, her mouth agape in shock. Blair's eyes were dark and she could feel her friend squirm in her seat. She held her gaze for what seemed like forever before bursting in a fit of laughter.

"I kid, I kid! No way I'm ever gonna risk myself for a duffer like you! And you fell for it," she said in between giggles. Marion blushed in embarrassment and tackled Blair to the floor and resorted to tickling her as revenge. The torture continued until the young blonde had her fill of vengeance.

That night, Blair went out into their backyard and basked in the light of the full moon. She closed her eyes and sang, a rock held tight in her hand.