Talking to Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede

moving.
    â€œI was about ready for another rest,” I said fuzzily. “Is the cat still around?”
    â€œThis isn’t a rest,” Shiara said. “We’re here.”
    I looked up. We were standing in front of a neat gray house with a wide porch and a red roof. A wisp of smoke was coming out of the chimney, and whatever was cooking smelled delicious. Over the door was a black-and-gold sign in block letters that read, “NONE OF THIS NONSENSE, PLEASE.”
    I’m going to like whoever lives here,
I thought.
    The door of the house was closed, but the black-and-white cat jumped up on the porch and scratched at it. A moment later, the door swung partway open and the cat disappeared inside.

5
In Which They Meet a Witch
    W E STAYED WHERE WE WERE for a minute, waiting. I don’t think either one of us really knew what to do next. A few seconds after the cat vanished, the door opened the rest of the way and the owner of the house appeared.
    She wore a very loose black robe with long sleeves and a small pair of glasses with rectangular lenses. She was considerably shorter than I was, though she obviously wasn’t a dwarf; she managed to look down her nose at both of us anyway. Standing on the porch helped, I think. “It’s about time you got here,” she said.
    â€œDo you know anything about healing?” Shiara demanded.
    â€œOf course I do, or I wouldn’t have sent Quiz out to get you,” said the woman.
    â€œQuiz?”
    â€œThe cat. Do you plan to stand there all day? I certainly can’t do anything for you while you’re outside.”
    So we went inside. The porch steps didn’t creak. Neither did the porch, and the hinges of the door didn’t squeak at all. I didn’t think they would dare.
    The inside of the house seemed to consist of a single large, airy room full of cats. I counted five before I stopped. Several of the cats had furniture under them, and there was a table in the middle of the room and another door next to the stove in the corner.
    The woman in the black robe shooed two cats off of chairs, and Shiara and I sat down at the table. Shiara looked at me. “You can put that stupid sword down now. No one’s going to take it.”
    â€œNo.” I didn’t know why I wanted to hold on to the sword, and I didn’t have enough energy to explain it if I had known. I just knew I wanted it in my hand.
    â€œSword?” said the woman in black. “Oh,
that
sword. It’s quite proper of you to keep it for now. If I may see your hand?” She came over next to me and examined my right arm while I carefully didn’t watch. Oddly enough, it didn’t hurt when she touched it. After a minute or so, she nodded.
    â€œJust as I thought. This could have been very bad, but you got here in plenty of time.” She went over to a cupboard by the stove and took out a piece of something that looked like dried vine. She brought it back to me and tied it around my arm, muttering something as she did. Suddenly my head wasn’t fuzzy anymore.
    â€œThat should take care of things for the time being,” she said, “and in a little while I can take care of the magic. Then we can pack the burns with salve. Would you like some cider while you wait?”
    I nodded.
    Shiara frowned. “Can’t you do anything right away?”
    â€œI have done something,” the woman said. She set three mugs on the table, all different. “Several things, in fact. I sent Quiz out to bring you here, and I have stopped the damage from spreading. I have also made gingerbread, which should finish baking any minute now.”
    â€œGingerbread?” Shiara blinked. “Daystar is hurt! Why are you baking gingerbread?”
    â€œFor you to eat,” the woman said. “Why, were you expecting me to make a house out of it?”
    â€œWell, no, but—Oh, never mind the gingerbread! How did you know to send a cat out for