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They emerged from the mycelium mere moments after they had entered. Sarah took it all in her stride; Tally, however, was disoriented and slightly nauseous. So long as there was a green space, no matter how small, the mycelium could transport Sarah through it but the location they were searching for was thick with ice and snow, meaning that the Mycelium couldn’t transport them directly to the cave. Instead they had come out in Wernigerode, Saxony-Anhalt on the northern slopes of the Harz Mountains. It was close to the witch’s ice cave, or at least where their scrying had indicated that the ice cave was, but as the town was at a slightly lower altitude than the cave, some areas of the town were free from the cover of snow meaning it was the logical choice for mycelium travel.
Wernigerode was a town full of history, its buildings older than even Sarah was and Tally was sure she had never seen anything so beautiful. To the young Californian, seeing the picturesque town really did feel like stepping into a fairytale. Tally was more used to the suburbs of the matrifocal compound and the brutalist architecture of the city. So walking through the town with the half timber houses was magical. As they walked through the town Sarah told Tally all the things she knew about it.
“I was based here for a time during the 80’s… the 1980’s before you ask, back before the fall of the Berlin wall. There used to be this amazing Vietnamese place that made the best mocha you had ever tasted. I’m not sure if it’s still here but, if it is, I’ll take you tomorrow before we leave.”
Tally laughed. “I’ll hold you to that. I can’t get through the day without at least 2 cups of coffee.”
“I swear I nearly had a mutiny on my hands over coffee once, during the world war. Coffee was rationed and one of our shipments was lost in transportation. We were out within the week and I had caffeine-withdrawn soldiers all over the base.” She looked genuinely shaken just remembering the event.
“Our class wouldn’t have survived… I swear Libba used to bring a thermos of coffee to class every single day and refilled it in the mess at every opportunity. Abs used to wear caffeine patches on long days, we literally couldn’t function without it.” Tally explained.
“Yes…it was an interesting couple of months. I don’t need caffeine to function but the Biddies sure did, the headache feedback that I got was hell.” Sarah gave a chuckle as she recalled the details of that time. “That was the only time that the Biddies ever kept something from me. Apparently they didn’t think I would approve of their coffee plant hidden at the back of my greenhouse.”
“And did you?” The knower asked, hanging on every word; she loved listening to Sarah's stories, especially if they included the Biddies being cheeky.
“Tally, I would have done anything to stop those caffeine withdrawal headaches!" Sarah dead panned. "And that is how Fort Salem’s coffee grove got planted. I never wanted the base to be without coffee ever again.”
“Fort Salem has a coffee grove?” Tally asked, astonished.
“It does, if you know where to look.” Sarah whispered conspiratorially.
They walked on for a while further into the center of the town. Tally took in everything she saw, her eyes darting around to catch each detail of the architecture, the people and the culture.
“It really is so pretty!” Tally said in wonderment. “I
think
the word I’m looking for is idyllic.”
“If it wasn’t so late I would take you up to see the castle, but it is at the top of a peak that I would rather we didn’t climb in the dark. It has been written about as far back as the 12th century but it's suspected to be older than that.” Sarah often did research on the places she had been stationed but it wasn’t often she got the opportunity, or a willing listener, to share that knowledge; she was greatly enjoying telling Tally all the things she knew about the town she loved.
As they rounded a corner into the town square Tally spun in a circle to get a full 360. She stopped, facing Sarah with a grin of childlike wonderment plastered across her face. “I keep thinking the child catcher is going to pop out of a corner, which is a bit creepy but it really is beautiful.”
“I promise you, no one is catching children around here. Well, no one except their mothers.”
“That’s good to know. That guy terrified me as a kid!” Tally shuddered as the image of Robert Helpman’s child catcher came unbidden into her mind.
“Children, where are you? I know you’re here somewhere.” Sarah gave a near perfect impression of the terrifying child catcher and a shudder ran down Tally’s spine.
“Oh goddess, no, Sarah don’t!” Tally said, only half serious. She felt in the moment the same way she did when they would visit California proper at Halloween; the fear and exhilaration of the horror houses, where the fear only made the enjoyment better.
“Come along kiddywinkies! I’ve lots of lovely goodies for you and all free today. Lollipops, cherry pie, cream puffs, ice cream, treacle tarts.”
Sarah circled Tally as she spoke, coming nearer with every rotation. Tally tried to turn her head to follow the General, a smile so wide across her face that her cheeks ached. When Sarah got too far over one shoulder, Tally would whip her head around the other way, not letting the older witch out of her sight for a moment.
Finally, Sarah came behind Tally again. Just as the knower began to flick her head, she pounced, grasping Tally around the waist and making a strange, almost barking sound. Tally herself let out a shriek, half of delight and half of fear, each half making the other more intense.
Sarah rested her chin on Tally’s shoulder and whispered. “I’ve got you now.”
“I guess you do and what are you going to do with me now you’ve got me?” Tally replied, blanching as she realized exactly what she had said.
Sarah laughed, a melodic sound that echoed slightly from the cobblestone paving they were walking on and Tally’s heart swelled, feeling like it could very well burst from how full it was. But instead Tally kept walking in step with Sarah, who had now begun to move through the street once more. The knower let only the merest hint of a smile play across her features.
They were quiet for a long time, both simply enjoying being in each other’s company. The pressure of war was somehow less important within the ancient town, laughing and talking through the cobbled streets. It was simply too beautiful here for anything untoward to happen; at least that was how it felt.
“There’s a blacksmith around here somewhere.” Sarah spoke after what felt like an eternity of silence. “Their stuff is amazing, the forge is still fully functioning. They make scourge tips that rival that of our own smithies. In fact, if you can keep a secret, my favorite scourge has a tip from Krellsche schmiede; that’s the name of the forge.”
Tally nodded but before she could speak a yawn worked its way from her throat, one of those yawns where your whole body starts to stretch, muscles rippling like waves; it ended with a small wriggle of her head as she shook it off.
“I guess we should head to the pension then.” Sarah said with an amused smile.
“The what?” Tally asked, brow furrowed in confusion.
“It’s the German word for guest house. We’re going to one I’ve stayed in before actually but it’s been many years since I was last here. It’s called Zur roten Forelle, which means ‘to the red trout’, named after the town's coat of arms. It’s only about a five minute walk from here.”
They arrived at the guesthouse, as Sarah had promised, about five minutes later. It was covered in a dark wood shingle and Tally thought it had a sort of eerie elegance to it. Sarah walked straight up to the counter and spoke to the portly but friendly looking woman who sat behind the desk.
The woman said, nodding her head in greeting.
Sarah looked back at Tally, about to suggest they look for somewhere else when Tally gave another large yawn. Clearly she was simply too tired to find somewhere else.
Whilst Sarah and the owner were sorting payment and the like, Tally began to wander around the small reception. The walls were painted white but the lower half was elegantly paneled in dark wood. Suspecting that Sarah would be a moment of two she allowed herself time to look at the paintings that lined the wall.
There was a beautiful oil painting of what Tally assumed was the castle that Sarah had been talking about earlier. Next was what looked like a water color of the mountains in winter, then a field of Edelweiss. And finally, at the end, she looked up in shock as she was met by the stuffed head of a buck. She stared open mouthed at the thing before retreating quickly to Sarah’s side.
Sarah looked over her shoulder to Tally. “Shall we?”
Sarah walked up the stairs with Tally close on her heels. There was more artwork on the walls here, including more than one artist's version of the guest house itself.
"I was not expecting her to speak High German that effortlessly.” Sarah commented as they were out of sight.
“Well I’d think so… she is the German one after all.” Tally laughed.
“I didn’t mean it like that. But Mothertongue translates closer to High German than to the German dialect of this region yet she made the switch nearly flawlessly.”
“Oh, I didn’t even know that the German language had more than just… German.” Tally said with a shrug.
“Most people don’t. But it's the same as English. Every area has its own slang and turn of phrase. Its own colloquialisms and idiosyncrasies.” Sarah replied.
As they reached the top of the stairs Tally couldn’t help but sniff the air, smelling something she faintly recognised but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Sarah clocked the sound from behind her instantly and spoke over her shoulder to the knower.
“The scent you can smell is resin, the pine resin from the shingling. It smells like the log cabins at Fort Salem.”
“That’s what it is!” Taly said, happy to have the little niggly thing in her brain quietened. “Thank you.”
“I knew it would bug you otherwise.” She shrugged. “I think we’re at the end of this hall, do you want to do the honors?” She said, holding the key out to Tally, dangling it between two lithe fingers. She knew Tally would want to be first into the room, always eager to experience new things.
Tally snatched the key and raced to the end of the corridor, jamming the key into the lock and turning the handle. She walked into the bedroom and stopped short; while Johanna had told them there was only one room…she had failed to mention it was a double bed.
Sarah followed behind and nearly crashed into Tally’s back, stopping just in time to not send them both sprawling on the floor.
“What’s the hold up?” She asked, before she peeked over Tally’s shoulder and into the room. “Oh.”
“I didn’t realize it would be a double when she checked us in.” Tally admitted in a small voice.
“I was not aware of that myself. I am sorry Tally.” She closed the door behind her, clicking the lock into place out of habit.
“I just… I should have thought to ask…” Tally looked away from the bed, focusing on anything other than the crisp white sheets of the double bed.
“You didn’t even speak with Johanna, you were not to know. Tally, it’s fine.” Sarah sidestepped and squeezed around Tally, placing the knower's bag onto the double bed and then took herself over to the worn armchair in the corner of the room. “I’ve spent thousands of nights in trenches, one night in a hotel armchair will do me no harm. Plus after so many years without sleeping I often just forget about it, so I can simply stay awake.” She shrugged.
Tally was still standing just within the doorway. “I can’t let you just stay awake because of me.”
“Nonsense, of course you can. You’re helping me on this mission so you take the bed. It is simple manners. Plus I booked the room and didn’t check the bed situation, it is my mistake. ” She pulled off her shiny jacket, the color of moss, and placed it on the back of the chair before opening her own bag. She pulled out a well word navy blue Fort Salem hoody and some black shorts.
Tally was still standing in the doorway, but now she was frozen for a different reason. By removing her jacket, Sarah now had her arms on display and Tally realized she had never seen so much of the ex-general's skin before. It was honey bronzed and almost glowed in the light, Tally was instantly aware of a spattering of freckles across her forearms. But the sight of Sarah's arms themselves was almost more of a distraction, they were long but muscular. Tally traced the slight shadow of definition between the muscles with her eyes; drinking in the new sight on display.
It was only when suddenly Sarah was in front of her, presenting her back to the redhead, that Tally snapped back to reality.
“Unzip me?” Sarah asked.
Tally swallowed, trying to bring some moisture to her suddenly very dry mouth. “Uh huh… yep, I can…I can do that.” She stuttered out, sliding down the long zip at the back of the jumpsuit. She tried to avert her eyes so as to not stare at the new expanse of flesh slowly being revealed to her but when she spotted the witch mark shining faintly she gave up trying.
Sarah’s witch mark was located on her spine, perfectly positioned between her shoulder blades and Tally had a nearly undeniable urge to lean forward and kiss it. She managed to catch herself just as she was swaying forward on her toes. She took a step back to create some distance between them, gave her head a shake and then spoke.
“You’re done.”
“Thank you.” Sarah turned around, holding the now very loose material to her chest. “I’ll just be a minute. Get changed while I’m in there, no point being uncomfortable in your jeans.” She snagged her toothbrush out of the top of her bag, grabbed the clothes and headed into the bathroom.
Tally allowed herself a moment to clear her head before rifling through her bag for the pj’s she had packed; a set of fleecy sweats with a tank top. She slipped her coat off, pulled the cardigan from her shoulders and divested herself of her top and bra. She slipped the new top over her head and quickly redonned the cardigan, even in the warmth of the hotel, it was still chilly.
Next came her jeans and socks, swapping into a pair of fluffy socks and the fleece bottoms. She sorted the dirty clothes into her case, then settled herself onto the edge of the bed. Part of her wanted to snuggle under the covers because she was so cold, used to the californian weather and then the climate controlled Fort Salem. Being in the snowy town nearly set her teeth chattering but she really didn’t want to just take the bed from Sarah without at least trying one more time.
She had only been settled for a moment or two when Sarah walked back into the room. She had her small pile of clothes held up over her eyes, just in case. “Decent?” She asked.
Tally stifled a giggle. “You’re safe.”
It was only when Sarah dropped her things back into her case that Tally had a moment to take in Sarah’s appearance.
She was in the oversized hoodie that made her slight frame look even smaller, her long dark hair pulled up into a messy bun, but what stole all of Tally’s focus were Sarah’s legs. They were long and tanned with strong thighs and toned calves. The barest glimpse of her bum was visible from the bottom of the shorts when she bent over her bag and Tally wasn’t sure how she was going to survive the night looking at Sarah dressed like that. The knower mused that Sarah must run hot as she herself was bundled up but the General had only tiny shorts on.
The brunette stood with her back to the armchair for a moment before she curled one leg up under herself and sat down, pulling her other leg up to her chest and resting her chin on her knee.
Tally thought she looked surprisingly relaxed, and seeing the normally straight laced general slouched in a hoodie was so unusual for the soldier that she almost forgot that they were going on a dangerous mission tomorrow.
“Are you really not gonna sleep?” Tally asked, hoping that Sarah would relent.
“Like I said, I’ve slept in worse places than this. Just get yourself settled and try to sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow and a lot of it on foot. You are going to need your rest.” Sarah said softly, a warm smile on her face.
“There is plenty of space, you can get in with me.” Tally said shyly.
“Don’t worry about me. I’m a big girl, I can cope with a night in an armchair.” Sarah insisted.
“But I just don’t want you to-” Tally protested.
“Tally.” Sarah interrupted her. “I will be fine. Sleep now and for goddess sake get under the blankets.” She chastised playfully.
Tally sighed softly. “You’re not going to let me convince you are you?”
“Nope. 300 years have made me stubborn.” She said with a smirk.
“Okay, I’ll try. Just promise me if you get too uncomfortable that you’ll get in with me?” Tally asked, hopefully.
“If it becomes unbearably uncomfortable I will consider it.” Sarah said; there was a finality to her voice that Tally knew not to argue with, at least she had agreed to consider it…maybe.
Tally quickly headed into the bathroom to brush her teeth. Upon seeing her reflection in the mirror she ran her wrists under the cold tap for a moment. She hoped the water would calm the full body blush that she was sporting, but who could blame her after seeing Sarah in what could be considered a state of undress.
She stared herself in the eyes in the mirror, putting on a stern expression and whispered to herself. “You will not ruin your friendship with Sarah Alder just because she’s got nice legs. You will not ruin your super important first song mission just because she makes you blush. You will be professional and friendly and no more. No gay panic, Tally! None!” She nodded to herself and then set about brushing her teeth.
When she headed back into the room a few minutes later she was feeling much more in control of herself. She shook off her cardigan, slipped under the covers and flicked the light off, leaving just a sliver of light shining through the gap in the curtains that just wouldn’t close. It looked like Sarah had already tried to close them as they were considerably closer together than when Tally had left the room.
The light illuminated Sarah’s face clearly even in the darkness of the room. The brunette was staring intently at Tally, a small furrow visible between her brows in the dim light. Tally watched the furrow deepen as the minutes ticked by, Sarah somehow not realizing the knower was staring right back at her.
“What are you thinking about so hard?” Tally asked when she finally couldn’t take not knowing anymore.
“The mission, the witchbomb… you.” Sarah admitted, the furrow smoothing for a moment before deepening once more.
“Me?” Tally squeaked.
“Yes.” She shifted slightly in her chair, sitting up a little more than she had been previously. “How much you’ve changed over the past few months, how the distance my death afforded us has allowed us both to grow and yet… somehow we’ve ended up back together.”
“Erm… Yeah, life does keep throwing us together, even back when you were actively trying to avoid me; Kalida is a headstrong little one when she wants to be.”
“She’s headstrong all the time, believe me. She choked me out one of the first times we ever met. She is wise, and powerful beyond her years but that is what being the historian of your coven will do. So long as Kalida survives, so will the stories of the Tarim.”
“She choked you?” Tally asked, a little flabbergasted that tiny Kalida could do that to the great Sarah Alder.
“Yes, not my finest moment I’ll admit. I know now of course that she is also a steward of the first song, she has generations of magic behind her and it has only gotten stronger over the years.”
“It’s kinda mad to think that her matraline has been going since the first witches.” Tally said, genuinely unable to conceptualize that many years in her head.
Sarah’s only reply was a non committal hum, it was much easier for her to imagine the vast amount of years, as afterall, she had lived a much longer life than the redhead.
They settled into a comfortable silence for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. Until Tally once more broke the silence. “Sarah…” She started shyly.
“Yes?”
“I really can’t sleep knowing you’re just gonna sit there all night, and especially not if you’re going to just…stare at me. Will you please just come get in bed with me?” Tally couldn’t believe she had even managed to get the words out of her mouth, but now that she had she didn’t want to take them back for anything.
“You’re not going to take no for an answer are you?” Sarah asked, echoing Tally’s earlier comment.
“Nope, 19 years have made me stubborn. So it’ll be easier if you just walk your ass over here and get in bed.” Tally said, a sense of self satisfied smugness in her voice.
“Walk my ass over there? I didn’t know it was only my posterior you wanted me for, Craven.” Sarah said, with a smirk of her own across her face.
Tally sat up like a shot and blushed scarlett, feeling all the blood rush to her face as she realized that she had spoken to Alder the way she would to her unit and how that sort of familiarity with the ex-general probably wasn’t ok.
She stuttered and stammered through her reply. “I, Oh Goddess, I didn’t mean… not like that, I…. Eugh.” She finally gave in and rested her face in her hands.
Sarah got to her feet, twisted to look over her shoulder at her own ass. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t want me for my ass… it’s rather a good one if I say so myself.” She said nonchalantly before walking across the room and climbing into the bed.
The bed itself wasn’t particularly big, smaller than a standard double Tally was certain, and both witches became quickly aware of how close they were actually lying. They both shuffled so they were half hanging off the edge of the mattress but they could still feel the heat from each other's bodies. The air was electrified, a tension settling around them that wasn’t completely unpleasant, buzzing like the static from an old tv.
It was Sarah who realized first that neither of them were going to sleep in their current orientation. She shuffled herself closer to the middle and wrapped an arm around Tally’s waist, pulling the knower back against her.
Tally squeaked in protest and tried to shimmy away. “Shh, Tally, it’s ok. Calm down.”
“But, your… and I’m. We’ll get in trouble.” She managed, not making much sense but Sarah still managed to understand her.
The brunette tucked her head onto Tally’s shoulder so that her words were spoken against her neck.
“Tally, I’m not in the army any longer. There is no one to get me in trouble. We need rest, this is the only way that either of us is going to get any. You can either sleep in my arms or I can go sleep back on the armchair… which will it be?” Her tone made it clear that Sarah would accept whatever option Tally picked and it gave the knower the permission to take the time she needed to weigh up her choices.
On the one hand she wasn’t sure she could sleep while in such close proximity with the General, on the other the idea of sending Sarah back to the armchair was honestly unthinkable. She made her choice clear by shuffling back against Sarah and pulling long arm tighter around her own stomach. Sarah tangled their legs together, pulling them as close as possible. Although Tally’s many layers meant that besides their conjoined hands not a fraction of their skin was touching.
“Good choice, Craven.” Sarah muttered. “Sleep well, my Tally. Maybe this time when life throws us together we’ll listen.”
“And if not, I’m sure the Mother will be more than happy to do it again.” Tally spoke back sleepily, suddenly aware of how bone tired she was. Lying with Sarah wrapped protectively around her was making her feel relaxed in ways she hadn’t felt in years, not since before her mum had learnt that Tally would join the army.
“I really hope she doesn’t have to keep trying.” Sarah whispered, nearly silently but it was the last thing that Tally heard before she succumbed to sleep with a smile on her face, and Sarah’s kiss pressed to her cheek.