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 home..."

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 when he took off came through to her also, and her smile deepened. "I'm proud of you too, William," she whispered.

William had for himself decided where he would go. He was able to find the castle and the village without a problem, as those were the fixed stops on the rounds. He also wanted to visit Mirror Lake once more, the strange silver lake that never seemed disturbed. It had made a profound impression on him, and the memories of the silly splashing were too good not to follow up again.

His approach of the castle was not as bold as Hilda would have done. Not as fast either. He did make the complicated slalom through the forest of towers though and was thrilled that he managed that flawlessly. There was no one in the garden or near the fountain. Of course, he was later than usual, so the king was probably busy with kingly affairs.

Still, William hovered near the top of the fountain, just for the thrill of it, challenging the fates on his own. He let his mind drift, deciding he would entirely trust the magic in and around him to make him respond.

Hilda sat upright in her bathtub, with baited breath and sparkling eyes.

Something happened. The door of the castle moved. William knew. His magical instinct had expanded and grown. As the first inches of water were coming up from the highest point of the fountain, his broom was already moving upwards. The water touched the end of the broomstick, lapped at the tip of his cloak, but he was up and away, out of the reach of the water. He laughed. And he let his magic enhance his laughter, making it boom over the area. It was so loud that he was almost shocked by it himself.

"Squeeeee!", yelled Hilda. She threw the dragon in the air. For a moment it wore something blue.

William knew he had outrun the water and spiraled down to the king who had run out and was gazing upwards.

"Wizard William," he said, "where is Grimhilda?"

William dropped his hood back, using magic. "The witch had other things to do, so she asked me to make sure that things are well. Are things well, king Walt?"

Walt grinned and nodded. "Things are well, William. More than well, as I almost had you!"

"That you did, king," William admitted. "You are improving every time."

"One day, William, one day I will have both of you, dripping wet!" Walt's face showed his joy with the mere thought of it.

"We will celebrate that day, king Walt. And for now, I wish you a good day." William put the hood over his head and flew his broom off, at the highest speed he dared. Not as fast as Hilda could do, but still considerable for someone who was in training for about a month.

"He loved that," Hilda told the dragon and kissed it on its snout. Then she lay back in the water, heated it up again and waited.

William felt good. The first stop had gone well, very well. His adrenalin level had risen on the ride straight up from the fountain chase, and it refused to come down. With wide swoops, as if he was testing the handling of a car, he made his way to the village, keeping an eye on the area in case there was something that required attention, or even intervention. Nothing of the kind was there though, so he reached the village that lay calm and peaceful in the mild afternoon sun. He hovered over the market square for a while, remembering the first action he had participated in while Hilda had wielded her magic with the vegetable thieves. The smile on his face was hidden from the people walking by beneath him.

"Oh, he still remembers that," Hilda said to the dragon. "I didn't know it made him feel so good about knowing me. Do you feel good about knowing me too? Hmm?"

William set course to the more busy streets in the village, where lots of people were now engaged in their shopping and selling. He thought for a moment about floating through one of the streets so people could see him, but he was not certain if that was a good idea at this point.

"Do it, William, do it," Hilda whispered, hoping she could encourage him through the link, even if he did not sense her through it. "Just go to the street, show yourself."

William slowly glided downwards, dropping into a calm spot in the street. What had given him the push, he didn't know. He did enjoy having done it, slowly flying through the street on his broom. He looked left and right, taking in the sights of the people and the stores, the goods in the stalls, the smells and the sounds. People looked at him and nodded, greeted him and made sure he could pass through everywhere.

At the end of the street he looked left and right. Left was very busy, right was relatively calm. His first impulse was to go right and avoid the bustle, but then, if something were to happen it would be in the busy part. So he turned his broom to the left.

"Good boy," Hilda nodded, her head against the cushion that she had stuck between the tub and the wall, her eyes closed, and the dragon floating snout down among the purple bubbles.

A man who was trying to lift the lid off a large barrel was pushed by his mate who did lookout. "Stop. Bad news."

"What? The witch?" The question came in a whisper.

"No. The wizard," the lookout said.

"What's worse," the thief whispered, "witch or wizard?"

"What the hell do I care," said the lookout, "I'm out of here, you wait and find out if you want." He disappeared in the crowd.

William floated up to the man who apparently had a problem lifting the lid from a barrel and for a moment was tempted to help him with some magic. Then he rethought and decided that the man had to handle his own.

The thief, his hand still on the lid, saw the hooded figure on the broom hover in front of him. He knew that the eyes of the magical person were on him and he did not dare to move. The thief knew that the man's gaze could burn right through him. He had heard of things like that happen, and now he was facing a similar fate.

"Next time," William said with a magically enhanced voice, "you will be dealt with." Then he flew on through the busy street.

The thief wet himself.

William left the street and then the village. He raised his broom up high into the air, content with how he had done in the village and found his way to Mirror Lake. He slowly soared over it, looking down at his reflection. There were a few people sitting near the waterline. He decided not make any sudden moves, there was no reason to upset them, he thought. Or was there...

"Spoilsport," Hilda muttered.

Something inside him stirred, rummaged in the box with wicked streaks and served up a grin to his face. In a wide circle he reached the grass and then the broom with the hooded figure jumped forward. William raced his broom over the people, at a height he could certainly not touch anyone. The screams and shouts made him laugh his booming laugh and then he shot up over the trees, heading for the by now certainly pink and wrinkly witch. The people would not forget him.

Hilda had a big grin on her face as she climbed out of the tub and tapped the 'empty' plaque.