Saren was walking along the road with a donkey with bags on her shoulder. Saren was pulling the rope that tied to the donkey’s neck.

A child and cat started staring at her for a long time as Saren passed by. She stopped and looked at the cat.

“Don’t stare at me like that!” She said then gazed at the child. “You too, girl. Don’t stare at me like that.”

“I am a birl!” The child said, cleaning the shirt on her hands, sitting down with the cat. Then she screamed.

“Shh!” Saren rushed at the child and covered her mouth with her hand and looked into her eyes.

“Why are you screaming? Probably, you’ll keep screaming as soon as I leave your mouth, I have a solution.” Saren took out a coin out of her clothes. “See. If you don’t scream you’ll get this, Okay?”

The child nodded. Saren left her mouth and gave the coin to the child. Saren kept on walking along the road with the donkey coming after her. She made her way towards a harbor. Saren grimaced as she saw a seller behind a counter that vegetables were lined up on. She checked the price and sulked more.

“It seems the prices went up,” she said.

The seller fixed her eyes to Saren and then looked at the bags on the donkey.

“I hope you have brought something that can help the prices decrease. Are you a trader?”

“Sort of.” Saren said, kept walking on, pulling the rope. The donkey followed.

Saren didn’t look around at the crowd gathering behind the donkey and rippling with excitement. Saren didn’t care about them and walked on until she stopped in front of the mayor’s house.

Outside, the mayor’s shouts were hearable.

“It’s forbidden, I tell you that it is forbidden for a reason! Can’t you get what I'm saying!?”

Saren entered. In front of the mayor, a villager was standing, holding a goose by the neck.
“What! By the all goddess! What are you up to Saren!? Is that you?” The mayer said, then looked at the villager, “Walk away. Are you stupid?”

“This goose tells,” the villager mumbled, staring at the goose next to her, “that she needs to be back home somehow. Otherwise—”

“Who said this!?” The mayor yelled. “Who? I don’t accept bribes. I said I won’t accept your goose as a bribe. I say! Go away. Hello, Saren, How are you?”

“Good, Finley.”

Finley squeezed Saren’s hand and slapped her on the shoulder.

“It’s been two year since you left here. You can’ stay in the same place for long, I suppose. You always travel wherever your tasks lead you. In the end, you are going to be killed in the worst possibility. Anyway, where are you coming from this time?”

“I am coming—”

“Hey!” Finley yelled,” somebody bring us some coke! Sit down Saren, sit down. It’s chaotic here because we have the market tomorrow. How are things going with you, tell me!”

“Later, come outside first.”

The crowd was still around the donkey. Saren threw the bags on the donkey’s shoulder aside. The crowd walked off and Finley’s mouth fell open.

“What is that!? Whose dust is that!?”

“A kikimora. Is it a valuable thing here, can I sell it to your market!?”

Finley came closer to the dust splashed on the ground, out of the bag and touched the dust.

“Where did you get it from!?”

“On the nearest swamp, while I was coming from a friend’s manor. And with the same friend’s help, I could take the kikimora down. People must have disappeared there, I had seen lots of dust there. Children.”

“Well, yes we had such a problem for weeks. But, hey, who would have guessed you would kill her. Hey! Folks, go home and go get back to your work! This is none of your business. And Saren, please put them back into the bag. Please, people are gathering.”

Fanley poured some drink into two cups. She then remained silent and sighed.
“Saren, you can’t sell such a thing here. And no one thought that a kikimora was living there in the water of the dike. And it is true that some people have disappeared in those parts. And nobody even looked at the dyke… And why were there? Why weren't we using the main road?”

“My friend that I had told you was in need of more medicine because a bruxa had attacked her so I brought her to the dike, where I thought I would find some peppermint for the medicine. However, instead of the herb, a kikimora showed up.”

“Okay, Is she okay?”

“Fine, she is fine. But I need some money so I am selling the remaining kikimora to you.”

Finley stared down at her cup and drank. “I can’t. Thanks for helping my town be a safe place. But I can’t give you money since I am out of funds. This neighborhood used to be the safest place but now, a kikimora can live on our dike.”

“That’s bad. I need money. The winter is coming. I can’t get through winter with no money. I'll need food, you know.” Saren took the cup and sip from the coke. “I am making my way to the main city , but I don’t know if I can get there before the snow blocks the way. I might get stuck in a little town on any side roads.”

“Do you plan to stay here?”

“I can’t stay here, Finley. As I said, winter is coming.”

“Where are you going to stay? You can stay with me, maybe. There’s a room to be booked if you change your mind and want to stay here. In your rest, you can tell me what’s happening around the world.”

“I would if I could. And what about Libushe? Would she allow me to stay here? The last time she was not happy with me being here.”

“I am a birl. She is a woman. And women don’t decide what happens here in this house. Moreover, just don’t do what you did during breakfast the last time you were here.”

“You mean when I threw my sword at that fly.”

“Yes.”

“I thought it would be entertaining.”

“It was for me. But not for her. And don’t do such things in front of Libushe. And listen, what do you need kikimora for?”

“Why would I need a kikimora’s dust? You can throw it to the soil and let it disappear since there’s no payment for it.”

“No, don't throw her dust away. Amari, Kiya, Rae, come here!”

The guards came into the house.

“Amari,” Finley said. “Three of you, take the donkey outside that has bags on her back, that’s tied to the main door. And lead her to the warehouse. I’ll be there later.”

“The one with the bag that has the kikimora’s dust in it?”

“Yes. That donkey.”

“At your command… But sir, maybe we could first show it to Wizard Irana before we throw it away in the warehouse. Wizard Irana might be interested in the dust of a kikimora.”

Finlay slapped her face with her palm.

“How couldn’t I think of it! You are smarter than you look, Amira. Now, I offer you some cookies because of the grain of your smartness. Eat quickly and the three of you go do what I ordered. Listen, Saren, maybe the dust of the kikimora interests our local wizard.”

“Do you have a local wizard or she is just passing by the town?”

“She is our local wizard and as I said, may be interested in your dust. She might pay for it since I know she collects such species.”

“I doubt a wizard will pay for a kikimora,” Saren grimaced. “As far as I know, it is not needed for any elixirs, magic or potions. Your local wizard will only insult me, I have no doubt about it and we wizards and witchers don’t like each other.”

“Wizard Irina is a kind person and I have never seen or heard she insulted anyone. Just try your chance, there’s no harm in trying. Maybe, she might make up a mixture that gets rid of the other kikimoras, using the dust you brought. Just in case.”

Saren remained silent for a moment.

“Very well, Finley. What will I lose from a meeting with Wizard Irina. Let’s go?”

Finley drank the coke. “We are off. Amari, and you kids, bring the donkey.”