Mysterious Cassandra Maces

Dear Readers,

you all wondered about mysterious Cassandra Maces... So today you will find out a bit more about her :). Enjoy!

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Worried Akane Bamboo looked at her youngest son. Little Chiko was coughing since a few days and now his temperature had rised.

"We should bring him to a doctor, he needs medicine!", she said to her husband, who laid down a cold washcloth on his son's forehead.

Shinichi nodded, "Of course, but we don't have a car and the bus won't drive while it's raining that hard!"
Akane followed his sight through the window. The sky was grey, it was stormy and it rained since hours.
"But he needs medicine!", she said desperatly, "He's getting worse!"
"Wait!", Shinichi suddenly got an idea, "Didn't Mortimer said something about a pharmacy in the forest?"

His wife turned pale, "You mean the witch house?"
Shinichi waved aside, "Cassandra Maces is not a witch, my darling! She's the mother of Cecil Maces - and he's totally normal!"
"But haven't you heard the rumours? She has cursed the hedge of Pete Petite. For sure because she didn't get her post in the right time! And what about the incident last week at the Snow-Warrens house? One window cracked! And Lettuce told me, that she couldn't gave some strawberries to Cassandra,  because they weren't fresh anymore. Don't you think that Cassandra wants to take revenge?"

For a second Shinichi was quiet, then he burst out into laughing, "Are you sure? That's just superstition!"
Akane sighed, "Maybe..." 
At this moment Chiko coughed again loudly.

Shinichi carefully took his son in his arms, "I don't mind those rumours. I will take Chiko and walk to the pharmacy now! I'm sure Cassandra will help us!"
His wife wasn't very enthusiastic, but she knew that Chiko needed help and Cassandra was the only opportunity.

Together the pair walked to their neighbours and asked Mortimer von Stachel, where they could find Cassandra Maces.
The hedgehog man described it very well and promised to take care on the other Bamboo children, who were looking forward to play with Franz and Greta.

It was very cold outside and the wind made Chiko shiver. "I'm cold, daddy." 
"Soon it will be better, I promise.", caring he pulled the blanket closer around Chiko's neck.

With soaking clothes (the umbrellas were useless after the wind came from the side), the Bamboos finally arrived at a little hidden house in the forest. 

Mysterious plants and mushrooms were growing beside the building. 

"It's scary!", Akane said and looked distrustful to the front door, "What if she really is..."

She suddenly got interrupted by a warm voice, "...a witch?" The door opened with a loud squeal. For a moment the Bamboos couldn't see anything in the dark behind the door, then a friendly looking mouse lady showed her face.

"Of course I'm a witch!", she nodded seriously, "But not one of those who enjoys eating little children."
Akane flashed Shinichi a glance. Could they really trust this woman?

Cassandra Maces looked at little Chiko, "You should come in, I have the right medicine for him. Also it's warmer inside." She walked in the house, "I've just made some tea. May I offer you a cup?"

The Bamboos took a deep breath, then they followed Cassandra into the house.
It smelled of herbs and fire, but it was a nice and cozy smell.

Cassandra walked to Chiko and carefully laid her hand on his forehead, "My poor thing! You really got a bad flu." 

She smiled at the little panda, who watched her with big eyes. "I will make you feel better in a few seconds." 
"Will you perform some magic?", Akane asked worried, "I don't know if some magic spell can cure a flu..."
"Darling.", Shinichi said, "I'm sure Mrs. Maces knows what to do."
The mouse laughed silently, "I won't cast a spell on him. I will give him some medicine." 

She walked to the huge cupboard, which was filled with all kinds of herbs and little potion bottles. She took two bottles, one's was marked with "Against fever" the other with "Against cold".
"You can trust me, Akane.", she spoke with a soft voice, "I'm really no weird old witch, who curses everybody."
"Didn't I told you so?", Shinichi said triumphant, "She just wants to help. We're in a pharmacy and not in the hell." 
Cassandra giggled, "Right!" 

She carefully took Chiko in her arms and gave him one of the potions, "Here, my dear, drink!"
Chiko grimaced, "It's bitter!"
"I know, it's because of the herbs. But I promise that they will make you healthy again!"
Brave Chiko took a few mouthful of the first potion, then some of the second potion.
"This is better! It's sweet!", he smiled, "It tastes like strawberries!"

"You have a good taste!", complimented Cassandra, "There are strawberries in the potion." She run her hand over the soft fur on his cheek, "Do you feel a bit better?"
The boy nodded fastly, "Much better."

"How is that possible?", Akane asked surprised. Her son looked a lot better than before. His eyes weren't glancing of the fever anymore and the temperature was falling slowly.
"He isn't completely cured, you need to give him the medicine twice a day. But in two days he will be running around again.", Cassandra said, "The herbes I'm using are very effective, that's all."

"That's... amazing!", Akane suddenly walked over to the mouse and hugged her tightly, "Thank you so much! I feel so bad that I didn't trust you first!"

"Don't worry, dear. All people are used to think bad about witches. But I'm a healing witch. I have no evil intents.", with those words she handed Chiko over to his mum and took some tea cups, "I'm sure you will all drink some fresh lavender tea." 
Shinichi nodded, "Thank you very much. We really appreciate that."

(Sorry for the horrible quality of that photo)

Fastly she filled the cups and gave them to the Bamboos
"Lavender always refreshes the senses.", Cassandra explained, "You will feel great after it."
The Bamboos took a sip and immediately agreed, "It's fantastic! And so delicious!"
"Really, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Maces.", Akane had a bad conscience.

Cassandra waved aside, "Everything is okay. I know that some of the villagers think I'm cursing spells, but I promise that I don't do such things. Maybe I should tell them again. Cecil told me that poor Pete thinks, I cursed his hedge!"
"Yes... We have heard that too.", Shinichi scratched his head.
The mouse lady started to laugh again, "I will visit him these days and tell him that it wasn't me."
"Oh... Then you maybe should visit Lettuce Snow-Warren too...", Akane spoke quietly, "She thinks you cursed her window, after she couldn't give you the strawberries..."

"Really?", wondering Cassandra looked to the pandas, "Oh my... That was my fault. After I heard about the strawberries I was running away..."
"Why that?"
"I suddenly remembered that I had let my cauldron unattended over the fire.", the mouse blushed, "I'm a bit scatty sometimes."
"Oh that was the cause!", Akane couldn't suppress her grin.
"Yes...", Cassandra scratched her head, "Well, I will visit her these days and clarify my behaviour."

After the tea the Bamboos got up and walked home. Cassandra had given them more of the medicine for Chiko and some instructions, but she also promised to come by the other day. 

Shinichi was still amused about Cassandra. She wasn't scary at all, she was a nice old lady, who cared about the people. And her medicine was phenomenal.

"Do you think Cassanda is a real witch?", his wife softly pulled the blanket over Chiko.
"I don't know. Maybe... Maybe not... The main thing is she helped our son!"

"You're right.", Akane walked into the dining room and took place, "I'm so glad she helped."

"Me too...", he smiled, "And you know... There's magic in the world of Sylvania, so why shouldn't Cassandra be a witch?"

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:D I hope you liked the story. I'm sure Cassandra will appear in more stories, I really like her character.

Again I'm so sorry that it took so long to show you this story, I had a long fight with the daylight here -.-''. 

Read and write you hopefully soon,

yours Kyra