Starfell: Willow Moss and the Forgotten Tale

‘Pimpernell always knows, child … and wot she don’ know she finds out soon enough.’

Willow frowned, and the witch explained. ‘That’s me name. Blu-Scarly Pimpernell, ter be precise, though most call me by the latter. I’m a hedge witch round these parts.’

‘Oh noooooo!A hed witch?’ muttered Oswin from the bag, which begin to shake even more. ‘A brain scrambler? Let’s SKEDADDLE!’

The witch rolled her amber eyes at the bag. ‘A hedge witch, kobold. Not head. I’m a healer – use things that grow in these here hedges ter make people better in me healing tower in the woods, don’ yeh know.’

Willow’s mouth fell open in surprise.

The witch turned to give the village a dark look. ‘Them there don’ quite know wot they been missin’ all this time, as I got a knack fer colds and such-like. I don’ just fix magical people’s maladies … well, not by choice anyway.’

Willow frowned. Pimpernell … She’d heard that name before, hadn’t she? Hadn’t Granny said something about her? She racked her brain but nothing came to mind.

Pimpernell looked at Willow and said, ‘So tell me ’bout it, child. Wot’s been eatin’ yeh?’

Willow bit her lip, wondering if she could trust the witch, and decided perhaps not.

‘Um. Nothing. I’m absolutely, completely fine. I just need to find Moreg. I need her help with … something.’

The witch’s strange, fiery eyes raked over her. ‘Fine, yeh say?’ She shook her head. ‘I don’ buy it, child. Yeh don’ look well, if yeh don’ mind me sayin’ so – peaky-like. Somethin’ wrong with yer magic if yeh asks me …’

Willow blinked. ‘H-how did you know that?’ she gasped.

‘Pimpernell can always tell. ’Sides, I can help yeh with that, child – no need ter bother the witch … She’s away, last I heard, so yeh’d be wasting a journey anyway. ’Sides, I been missin’ me spectacles for ages, so yeh can repay me by findin’ them once I’ve helped yeh. Is that a deal?’

Willow nodded. That sounded fair.

It was only much later, when it was too late, that she realised she’d never told the witch what her power was …

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