Fan Fiction ❯ The Adventures of Amanda Kerris ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

In the kingdom of Urial, there lies the city of Cabu. And on the
outskirts of this city lives Amanda Kerris owner of Kerris Gardens, a
mage shop given to her upon her father's death. Amanda keeps pretty
much to herself, save for the occasional appearance in town of her
farm hand Timothy Rockmorth. However, it seems that lately Amanda has
been a little more edgy than usual...and anyone who knows her knows
that when Amanda gets edgy, something is definitely about to happen...

Timothy cut his shovel deep into the hard, dry earth. Grunting with
the effort, he turned the soil over into the hole he'd been digging.

"Finally, I'm done!" He said cheerfully. Then reaching into his pants
pocket he produced a handkerchief and wiped his forehead with it.

"Gods, it takes forever to plant trees! And especially in this
weather...it's never good to plant during a drought, but I've got no
choice." He patted the leaves of the tree and looked down the line at
the rows of fig trees next to it; their leaves wilted and dry in the
extreme heat.

"Darn it all...hopefully it'll rain soon, otherwise I don't know how
Amanda plans to keep this place going. We were doing ok before, but
now..."

He trailed off and shook his head.

"No point in worrying myself about such things. When Mother Nature
sees fit to make it rain, it'll rain. In the meantime, I suppose I'll
go wash my face and help Amanda close up shop."

The `shop' as Timothy put it, was really nothing more than a storeroom
in the back of the house that he shared with his employer, Amanda
Kerris. It was a small cramped place, covered wall to wall with herbs,
potions, and ingredients vital to the craft of magery. For unlike most
people in that part of the country, instead of wasting her time
picking, weeding, growing and all the other work that was associated
with farming, Amanda was a witch. So, to help raise money for her own
personal needs, she'd opened up the shop to sell overstocks of greds,
the name used among mages to address ingredients.

"Timothy, hello! Glad to see you my boy; you were working so hard out
in that field you looked like you were about to faint!" A stout woman
called as Timothy came through the cabin door.

"Oh naw, Mrs. Kut! Just a little tired is all; what with the heat and
everything it's difficult to push that shovel like I used to."

She frowned. Mrs. Kut was the wife of the innkeeper, and by nature a
gossip monger and extremely generous woman. Sadly though, she had a
nasty streak to her, and most of it was geared toward Amanda and her
treatment of her farm hand.

"Nonsense! You poor boy...having to work out there in this awful
drought, the sun bearing down on you all day like that. I tell you
what Timmy; you go have a seat and I'll run down to my house and bring
you back a meat pie and some lemonade."

"Aw, but Mrs. Kut you really don't-"

"Not another word Timothy! I won't take no for an answer! And as for
YOU." She whirled around and pointed a chubby finger at a slim, bony
girl with elbows resting on a table.

"How dare you treat that poor boy in such a way! He'll get sun
sickness if you keep working him like you do! I tell you, one of these
days Amanda I'll call the authorities on you for abusing that child."

"Well then do it already and quit annoying me about it. Are you buying
something or not Mrs. Kut?"

"Why how dare you address me in such a manner! The only reason I even
buy from this awful store is to make sure this poor boy is treated
properly; otherwise I have no use for silly little herbs and things.
Witchcraft is for freaks and weirdos just like you!"

Amanda stared at her for a few seconds. Then she pointed a slender
finger toward the door.

"That's it. Get out of my store."

"Make me!"

She shrugged. "Fine. Evom tuo."

Mrs. Kut blinked her eyes as she suddenly found herself on the road
outside the house. "What? But how did I..."

Amanda smirked and waved. "The shop is closed. Have a nice day Mrs.
Kut!"

"Well I never!" Mrs. Kut's cheeks flushed and she stomped angrily down
the road back to the inn.

"Thank the gods THAT'S over..." Timothy muttered. He looked over at
Amanda who'd begun counting the money they'd earned for the day.

"She IS a bit of a pain sometimes isn't she? I just wish I could have
gotten a bit of meat pie..."

He trailed off as he noticed Amanda glaring at him from beneath her
blanched blonde hair.

"Eh...never mind."

She snorted and pushed her hair behind her ear. "Child." She muttered.

"Aw come on Mandy, cut me some slack! You know how good her pies are!
I can't help myself, I'm addicted!"

"Timothy, Mrs. Kut is loud, obnoxious, rude, and gossipy. People like
that are the reason why I don't go to town anymore; I have so many
better things to be doing with my life than wasting time with those
people. And my name is AMANDA. A-M-A-N-D-A. You should learn to show
me the respect I deserve."

"You know AMANDA, it would be better for you if you went out once in a
while. People are forever whispering about you; the weird lights late
at night and the odd smells of potions cooking. Did you know it's
illegal to cast spells within three miles of the city? If you aren't
careful, you're likely to get yourself arrested."

"Hn. There's not a jail in that city that can keep me. And as for the
people in town, well they can kiss my arse. If I wanted their
opinions, I'd ask for them. But enough of that. Go fetch some potatoes
from the shed and I'll start the stew. There's no point in arguing on
an empty stomach. "

************

Timothy sighed heavily and poked at the food on his plate. Pigeon
stew, sweet potatoes, white wine, plain bread and cheese. He made a
face and instead tried to imagine sinking his teeth into a juicy meat
pie.

"Timothy."

He sat up hurriedly and looked over at Amanda, almost spilling his
wineglass in the process.

"Yes Amanda?"

She pushed her bread crust around on her plate, tilting her head down
so low her hair fell across her face.

"I'm worried about the store Timothy. With the new laws against magic
in town, it's becoming harder and harder to advertise without drawing
negative attention. Not only that, but the drought is making it hard
for some of the herbs to grow. If things keep going this way, and it
doesn't rain soon..." She trailed off.

"That's why I've decided it's time for me to go out into the world.
This town, this shop, it's just too much for me to deal with right
now. Ever since papa died this place has been going into shambles, and
I dare not disgrace the name of Kerris Gardens anymore. I'm going to
close the store, maybe sell the farm...I haven't decided yet. But I
simply MUST get away from this town. This country. It's too much."

"Mandy, are you crazy? You can't close the store! What would be more
shameful; giving up or fighting to the bitter end? Not to mention all
the debt you owe! Why just today I had to go and beg the Mr. Barthen
the banker for an extension on that loan you took out for seven bags
of pea seeds!

"All the more reason for me to leave! Debts can easily be paid later.
Anyways, I haven't enough to pay anyone back right now. The best I can
do is withdrawing everything we have in the bank and dividing it among
our most outstanding debts, and even then it wouldn't be enough. Admit
it Timothy, either way we go bankrupt."

"Oh yeah? And what will I be doing while you're on this little
walkabout? Sitting here twiddling my thumbs while the world falls down
around my ears?"

"Who said you'd be staying here? You're a strong young man. What are
you now, 15, 16? Surely you'd be able to find work somewhere. Maybe
with Mrs. Kut, since you seem to like her so much. She can stuff you
so full of those damn meat pies your head explodes."

"Well, her pies aren't THAT great Mandy."

"IT'S AMANDA!"

"Amanda, Mandy, WHATEVER! I've worked on this farm since I was ten,
even before your father died. Not to mention I haven't been getting
paid since he died either. I have NOTHING outside this farm Amanda.
Work is scarce nowadays, in the city and in the country. With the
drought on the figs and olives haven't been growing, and without those
the city's two main exports are gone! The economies down, people are
losing their jobs, and there's no way to fill the positions! If the
farm goes I'd be lost, no better than those grubby little beggar
children you see in the streets." His face flushed red, causing the
freckles on his cheeks to stand out.

"Well you'll just have to come with me then won't you?"

He raised both his eyebrows and stared in at her . "Come with you? Out
into the world? And leave the farm?"

"No, come with me around the corner. Yes out into the world you ninny!
There's nothing this place has left to offer you! I mean, look around
you Timothy what do you see? Four wooden walls and a storeroom we've
converted into a shop? Let go of the farm Timothy. Just think, with
the money you can make out there you can buy TEN farms and people to
work them for you! Give it a chance; if worse comes to worse you can
always go back to Cabu and become a farm hand again." She sneered.

Timothy leaned back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully between his thumb
and forefinger. Finally he sat up and groaned.

"Alright, I'll go with you. Just don't make us go through Mataoe if we
have to cross the mountains. I used to live there and I've made some
enemies..."

Amanda clapped her hands and grinned. "Excellent! Welcome to the team
Timothy! Now go gather your things, we leave tomorrow morning."