The sound of the rooster in the yard drew Lucas out of sleep and he looked around for the little totem.

Gone.

He didn’t know how the dam bird did it but, summoning itself was getting old. Lucas rolled over in the bed his arm wrapping around the mass of pillows and soft smooth body that was his wife.

He smiled inside the feeling unable to translate to his face and gave her soft voluptuous chest a playful caress.

“Good morning Sunshine.” He whispered in her ear, brushing her silver hair back over her ear.

She curled into his arms sighing a happy sigh.

“Silence the bird…,” she whispered back, “Or I will…”

He nodded and removed his hand from her bosom finding his pants.

Lucas stepped outside closing the door behind him, the air was crisp and he didn’t want to let the warm air out.

It always got colder at night around here even in the summer, but it was common for this time of year to even find a thick layer of ice on the rain barrels.

He walked over to the chicken coops and found his familiar right away, he always liked to sit up on the peak of the east-facing building. The metal was already aglow under his sparkling gold plumage, Lucas was glad they had been able to find salamander leather to go between the tin and the timbers.

“Stupid bird, come here…”

He held up a handful of corn and the familiar stood up shaking his feathers out making sparks dance in the air in a cascade of steam.

He flapped over to Lucas and disappeared as soon as he touched down leaving only a bright green and red stone on a leather strip behind.

He pet the stone and snapped the clip around his wrist with a happy sigh.

He quickly fed their actual chickens but left the egg gathering for Rose, turning back to the house to see her at the window.

She had her nightgown on still, the soft cream shirt with the words coffee first in glitter across her chest making her sparkle in the sunshine. She leaned on the sill looking down at him so he struck a pose of manliness.

“Like what you see,” he said, he was a larger guy but had the arms of a farmer, and though she wore the same emotionless mask as him he knew she did.

She nodded and blew him a kiss before disappearing back inside, so he went to the door to head back up.

Inside their cozy home, Rose stoked the fire in the fireplace, then set the kettle on to boil. She enjoyed her morning coffee, and would have at least one cup before doing anything else.

Her long silver hair was a mess from sleep, and around her neck was a chain necklace with a carved onyx stone in the center, shaped like a cat. Brushing her fingers over the stone, a gift from her husband, a small shadow feline sprang to life and jumped up on the counter next to her.

“Morning Smokey.” The cat purred as it received pets from its master.

Lucas walked into the kitchen from the back porch and up behind Rose who was still preparing her morning brew. An herbal mix she made to make the coffee taste more like tea and less like coffee.

Ever since she had had a pinch of tea she had craved the stuff, but it was so expensive it was rare when they could find it.

He wrapped his arms around her and leaned over nuzzling her soft neck and kissing the crook slowly.

“How’d you sleep love?”

A sweet sigh fluttered from her lips and she leaned back into his arms. “Good. How about you?”

Rose had been sleeping better the day they started sharing a bed. She knew that her dreams would sometimes make her talk and move in her sleep, but Lucas didn’t seem to mind, and would often embrace her after particularly frightening dreams, making her forget all about them.

He bit her suddenly and playfully.

“I woke up hungry…”

He kissed the spot he bit and wiggled her about.

“Do we have any chicken from last night?”

He hadn’t been down into the cold storage yet.

Her voice squeaked and she wiggled in his arms playfully. “Yes, just enough for a few more meals.”

Work dress on, and coffee now drained from her cup, Rose braided her long silver hair back and went outside to gather eggs from the hens.

It was a lovely day, the sun was warming the earth and the fine layer of frost on the rain barrels was melting. Behind her followed her familiar, Smokey, who stuck close to its master’s shadow and footsteps.

The chickens clucked and cooed as she worked around them, occasionally Rose would scoop one up into her arms to pet their chests and inspect their feet for sores. All seemed healthy and happy, so she left the coop with a basket full of fresh eggs.

It was a simple life, one that she enjoyed deeply, especially with her husband Lucas by her side. Even if neither showed emotion on their faces, the words of love they shared put all doubts to rest. He was the best thing that had happened to her, and she adored him deeply.

The greenhouse was next on her daily chores, it was where she spent most of her time.

Lucas put on his apron and stepped into the forge, a request for warded horseshoes on his docket for the day.

He broke a seal on one of his scrolls and tossed a hex-bag that Rose had made for him into the fire and the two burst to life. His familiar hopped up and nestled into the flames, the proud rooster would keep the temperature perfect.

In minutes he was turning out a twist of iron billet into small lengths cutting them to length with a coldstone knife.

He looked up from his work sensing Rose’s familiar passing and gave her a nod as he struck the steel in a shower of sparks.

She had a large pot in her arms to make ready for some new sprouts, but stopped in the door frame of the forge to watch her husband. Though her face was a blank mask, she was enjoying the sight. His bare muscular arms, hard at work, the sweat and smell of iron… she felt so lucky to have him in her life.

The day was what it was, the usual thing.

He worked the forge till the the shadow of the windmill cast a flickering shadow on the window, and with that it was mid-day.

He called back his familiar, “Come on Drumstick… lunchtime.”

The bird flapped and jumped up to him disappearing into his amulet. Lucas tossed a hex-bag into the flames, it popped, and the flames went out in a puff.

Rose was in the kitchen, her hair now adorned with fresh cuts of many plants, She had mixed some herbs into medicinal potions, sealed and labelled them with runes. A small-town doctor had put in an order, to treat some of his patients, and she would be mailing them after lunch.

Smokey sat on her shoulder, playing with a small sprig of spruce in her hair, its needles still soft from the new growth. “Hi, honey. How is order coming along?”

She was chewing some leaves, extra growth from her garden. Rose was very good at working with plants, sometimes too good and she was left with too much. Luckily she enjoyed the flavor of some of them and would nibble as she worked.

Lucas leaned in to kiss her then smelt her breath and stopped.

“Belladonna again,” he kissed her cheek instead of her lips not looking to end up with numb lips since the last time.

If she could have smirked she would have, instead she got that twinkle in her eye and grabbed his shirt collar, pulling him in to kiss the side of his neck. It wouldn’t hurt him, but it would make his neck tingle for the next several hours. A little reminder.

“Gotcha.”

He felt her little nibble, the warmth of her saliva on his neck making a numb spot already.

He pet her head, “oh sure, but when I bite your butt it’s odd.”

He hugged her close, “so… what’s for lunch.”

“Omelets with cheese and fresh greens.” She produced two warm plates with their meal, having used some of the eggs from this morning and vegetables from her garden. The cheese was from town.

He took his plate and gave it a sniff, “smells great.”

He took his seat and buttoned up his shirt.

She sat with him and enjoyed the meal, as well as another cup of coffee. Rose watched him as they ate, loving his long white hair, the way he tied it back and little strands seemed to cling to his cheeks as he worked. Her hand reached out and brushed a little strand back behind his ear. “I love you so much.”

He could almost smile when he heard her say that.

“I love you too Rosebud.”

He kissed her lips, his tongue going numb.

He worked his jaw, “Wow, how much belladonna did you have…?”

She gave a smile, the muscles in her face relaxed under the effects.

“If I could make a rune to match your immunities to poisons I would… I love seeing you smile.” And though his face couldn’t match her he knew she knew he meant it.

When their meal was finished, and the dishes were cleaned. Rose gathered up her potions for delivery and carefully wrapped them. “How is your order coming along?” When he was done they could go to town together.

Both were very capable when it came to their craft and their chosen weapons, but it was still dangerous to go anywhere alone… especially for Witches.

“The steel will need an hour or so to cool, I finished the rest up, it’s just a few extras for our horses that are waiting to cool.” He stepped back outside and gave a big stretch, Drumstick suddenly jumped up from his amulet and flew out into the yard chasing after a mote of dust.

Her face was still relaxed from the belladonna and Rose chuckled a little at the sight.

He followed his familiar out and reached down catching up the little beast in the middle of the dust whirl.

A tiny imp, or something it had already changed, its skin black and warty like a toad, gnashing teeth as it tried to get free.

“Stupid dust imps, they’re out late this season…”

“It’s been a bit odd this year… less rain and the cold sticks around longer in the mornings.” It was a bit unusual, but every few years things like this happened ever since the mists had all but retreated into the lowlands around the old sunken portals to Tartarus. “I’ll double-check the wards on the coop… can’t have them getting into the chickens.”

He nodded and went to the forge to finish packing the horseshoes he had made.

As he walked past the forge and tossed the little beast onto the coals, the iron grate holding it in with the still-hot coals.

He busied himself about only stopping when the creature’s hissing scream came to an abrupt pop!

He found the horse tacks and bridles he had already readied for their own horses and made his way out to the barn to change them out.

Rose found all her wards to be in good shape, she touched up a few lines on more of the well-worn ones and when she was satisfied brought her parcel to the barn.

Lucas was already there, getting their horses ready. She pet her mare’s nose and cooed softly to her, placing sweet herbs into her mouth to chew. Then did the same to her husband’s stallion. It was soothing to them, and served another purpose… to act as kind of a bug repellent. As they walked and worked up a sweat it would come out of their pores, keeping them safe. Many seasons of this had given them both shiny coats and good health.

He belted on his long irons and checked his extra rounds. He slid his knives into their sheaths and handed a belt of extra rounds to Rose giving her a kiss too.

“Don’t forget your rounds today, imps are one thing but I don’t care to run into raiders on the highway, or something worse.”

She took off her work apron and was geared up underneath, her dress now riding pants. She also had a short sword sheathed on her hip.

“Got them all loaded,” she said, kissing him back and dabbing a little ointment behind each of his ears. It smelled almost like mint, but with darker earth tones, “Got to keep the corpsewasps off of you too.” She winked, and then put some on herself though she didn’t need it really.

Lucas grabbed his long coat from inside and tossed it on, he drew Drumstick back into his amulet and hopped up onto his horse.

“We don’t wanna stay overnight so let’s head out, it’ll be about three hours there and back.”

Rose saddled up, making sure her package was secure, and then trotted her mare out of the barn. She waited for her husband to join her, and then the two of them began the three-hour trip.