Hilda - The Challenge

know. Because you are with me."

  "No. Because you are with me," Hilda countered.

  William turned to the witch. "No way. You are here, you have been here before, and that makes it better for me."

  She stared at him. "Come on, don't make jokes, okay?"

  "I am not making jokes, Hilda."

  "Hmmf. Don't count on me being the hero, okay? I am just as scared here as you are."

  William looked at her again and then pulled her into a hug. "I guess we're both not too thrilled about this place then."

  Hilda nodded inside his hug, slipping her arms around him. "I'm glad you can hold me, William."

  They just stood there for a while, but somehow it made a world of difference. Once they let go, they locked hands and fingers and walked along the endless wall. For some reason they both knew deep inside, the environment was less frightening.

  The couple reached an opening in the wall to their left. The outer wall, on their right side, was as rough and grey as ever. They looked into the corridor that lay on the left side. It seemed to end after a mere thirty yards, but as they were watching, the back of the corridor came towards them. This did not happen in silence. A loud grinding and croaking sound accompanied the huge mass of stone and rock on its journey forward. The wall stopped just three yards from them.

  The sound of the wall moving was still ringing in their ears as Hilda and William walked on. William had the feeling that he now understood how an ant would feel in a shoebox. Or perhaps in a box of a more impressive size.

  As they walked on again, William noticed that the floor under his shoes was not straight and even, even if it looked like it. It felt as if he was walking on pebbles. When he mentioned that to Hilda, she frowned.

  "The floor is flat and stable, William. Is there something wrong with your shoes?"

  They checked, but his shoes were in perfect condition. And yet, walking felt to him as if he was moving over something that was next door to a slippery surface. Hilda didn't understand it, and even when she tried to adjust the feeling for him by adding to his magic, it did not make a difference.

  "Maybe you are affected in a different way because you are not from here, William. We could go back and fetch the brooms. Perhaps that is easier."

  "Uhm, you know, when we go back then it is to go away from here, Hilda. This place is getting under my skin in entirely the wrong way. As long as we're on the move, I'm fine, but...phew..." He let out a sigh that told the rest.

  Hilda nodded. "That's okay. I think we're doing well, though. It was a good idea to come here. Maybe...", she swallowed hard and made sure she was willing to say what she was about to say, "maybe we should come back here a few more times before the challenge."

  William nodded. "Yes. Perhaps that helps to make the place feel less daunting. That would be a good thing, and really, I am sure that Lamador does that also. If he can go in here and not feel affected just like that, then he is really someone to be extremely scared of."

  Hilda wrapped her arm around his and held herself close to William. "He is anyway, William."

  "But we have the scrolls about the magician who designed this place," he smiled, showing more confidence than was inside him. Hilda knew that also, but said nothing.

  They had been standing still. They did not know if that was the reason, but suddenly they both felt that it was time to leave. Not really in a hurry but definitely motivated to get out of the looming corridor, they made their way back to the giant double doors. Without waiting or stopping they grabbed their brooms, mounted them and lifted off. As they sped up, they did not look back. Without anyone seeing it, the large door slowly and in silence closed itself.

  38. Solo rounds

  The moment they saw that the colours of the landscape were changing, they both felt less pressured. Even as there were only dull brown and yellow streaks in the grey, it was a sign they were leaving the oppressive area of the labyrinth. They passed through the magical barrier, which again left them with a sickening feeling, but that was no more a problem. Things could only get better again from there on, and once they had reached the point where they felt safe and able to really breathe deeply, Hilda suggested they'd land and eat the food they had brought along.

  The packs from their brooms also held simple fold-up chairs and table that William had conjured up before they left, these to Hilda's surprise.

  The spot they were in was quite the desert, but the air was clear and not pregnant with daunting magic. The chairs and the little table came in handy, the food and water (which was quickly transformed into tea) tasted fantastic.

  Hilda had even magicked up a little fire. "I know it looks a bit silly, but I like to have a fire going already," she had grinned as William was wondering why on Earth she would do that. "Also, in the desert, I know that, it gets cold very quickly."

  "Well, that is something we share then, in my old world that is the same thing. But only when the sun is setting."

  Hilda nodded. "Same here."

  It was only then that William looked around and noticed that the sun was already well on its way to the rim of the Earth. Only an hour at best before it would disappear. "HolyBejeebus," he muttered. "Where did time go?"

  Hilda, tossing some more wood on the fire, said: "When you're inside the labyrinth you never know what happens outside. Today time decided to make a run for it. We can't possibly fly all the way back home now."

  "Okay... so we are sleeping here. In the desert." William bit his sandwich and looked at the surroundings. There was a lot of nothing.

  "Yes. Isn't that cute?" Hilda poured them some more tea, and then whipped up her wand. "Now, let's see..." She made some moves with her wand that were too fast for William to trace. It reminded him of a Zorro movie he had once seen. The difference was that Zorro just left a rough Z in clothing and Hilda's action made a funny little tent appear. There were no lines to hold it up, no visible sticks or poles that held up the canvas of the tent, but hey, who needs those things when you pack magic?

  "Now that is convenient," William said. "Not sure if it is large enough for two people, though."

  Hilda grinned, blue sparkles in her eyes. "I am sure we can work something out, sweet man."

  When night fell, they worked something out.

  The next morning, the tent had collapsed on them. Hilda and William had been exerting their energy and focus on things other than keeping their sleeping space intact, so they had to laugh about it when they woke up, and getting the tent back in shape was simple.

  They didn't hurry getting up, so when they finally were on their way home, a good chunk of the morning was already behind them. The air was still fresh, and as they were going in the right direction their moods were a lot better and lighter than the day before, when they were heading towards the labyrinth ofGurthreyn.

  They crossed over the queendom of Raghuna and finally made it to the kingdom of Walt again. From there to the house in the forest seemed a mere jump.

  "Oh, William!", Hilda cried out all of a sudden.

  "What's up?"

  "I have a most shiny idea!" Hilda smiled from ear to ear. "When we come home, I am going to take a long hot bath, and you are going to fly the rounds! Alone! How does that sound?"

  "You are serious about this, aren't you?", William asked.

  "Of course! And you can take as long as you want, doing the rounds. It will give me time to become all warm and pink and wrinkly."

  William grinned at the thought. "You got yourself a deal. I want to see that when I come back."

  Hilda let out her famous shrieking laughter, scaring some farmers beneath them.

  The wizard-to-be felt amazing however. The fact that Hilda entrusted him with doing the rounds meant something. "I will change into my blue best though, before I leave again," he said. "People know that by now, I think that is a good thing to keep up for now."

  Hilda nodded. "Good thinking. They'll know it is you that way. I can't wait to get h
ome..."

 

  The last leg of the journey was a short one, and they were glad to get off the brooms. Hilda and William together took care of the luggage they had stashed onto the broomsticks. William made the most of his time by stretching himself as much as he could before he was off again.

  Hilda had dashed off to the hot tub when he had changed his clothes.

  "Hey, witch," he said, knocking on the door, "behave, okay, while I'm gone."

  "I will! And William?"

  He opened the door, finding Hilda surrounded by purple bubbles and steam from the hot water. "Yes, sweetie?"

  "I think we did well back there. And I love you. For doing the rounds after this long ride home."

  "Only for that?" William faked a moue.

  "Of course! Now get going or you have to make dinner too!" She splashed a handful of pink water at him, that he easily warded off magically and threw back at her.

  Grinning, William walked down the stairs, while he heard Hilda laugh in her tub.

  As the man in blue walked out the door, Hilda relaxed her knees. The yellow toy dragon she had been holding out of sight for William popped up, covered in purple bubbles. She picked it up. "Ah, there you are. Naughty dragon, hiding where you did!"

  She closed her eyes and let the feeling of William in through the link. Doing it that way, she was very aware of him. A smile appeared on her face. "He's proud, my sweet man," she told the dragon without looking at it. "He is so proud that he is allowed to fly alone now."

  His exhilaration