chapter 6 - part 2: chapter 3

A warm breeze rustled the leaves around the glade, and the shadows were lengthening in the soft light. Hansel, feeling surprisingly comfortable and at home, was sitting in an old wooden chair, listening to the woman chat companionably about her animals, her garden and the other people she knew who lived in the forest. He still did not know her name. There was a little round table between them, with their mugs of ale, and a plate of golden, buttery pastries on a clean white cloth - enticing, and entirely untouched. Hansel felt at ease in her presence, and he was certainly getting hungry, but whenever he thought of eating the food she had offered to him, his skin prickled uncomfortably, and his heart thudded alarmingly in his chest.

The woman was telling him about how she came to live in the house, and he realised he'd been staring at the pastries and had completely lost track of what she had been saying.

"...I was afraid myself at first, but then I realised that everyone else in the forest was afraid of the cottage and thought it was bewitched, and that I'd be left alone here. So I cleaned it out and made it my own, and here I am."
"So... you haven't always lived here?" Hansel said, frowning.
The woman put her head on one side and smiled at him.
"No," she said. "When I was a little girl. I ran away from my stepmother. She beat me. I was just saying."
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry. Your stepmother." Hansel said thoughtfully.
"Are you sure you won't eat something?"
"Oh - yes. Thank you".
"You're so funny, most people would be afraid of offending me."
Hansel blushed.
"Oh, Im sorry, I didn't mean-"
"No, it's alright, I'm not easily offended! Although I'm sure you must be hungry". The woman casually reached for a pastry, leaned back in her chair and took a bite from it.

Seeing her eat the food herself, Hansel felt a pang of hunger in his stomach, and felt foolish for having refused them before. He picked up one for himself and brought it to his lips...

The pastry was crisp, flaky, and somehow wonderfully warm as if just freshly baked, even though it had been sitting outside for some time. It was soft and buttery in the middle, slightly sweet and sticky with honey. It was beautiful. Hansel only ever ate very simple food these days, and hadn't tasted anything this sweet or delicious since...

He opened his eyes, and only then realised that he'd been chewing blissfully, with his eyes closed. He glanced nervously at his companion, who was beaming at him and looking very pleased.

"Ah so you do like it! I have been told my baking isn't bad", she said.
"How is it still so warm? When did you make them...?"
"Oh, I baked them this morning. It's my magic oven!" She said, and laughed.
"Magic oven?"
"Yes, it's quite a strange oven, it's impossible to make anything in it that isn't delicious. I was scared to use it for so long too, it was such a horrible mess in there before I cleaned it."

Hansel felt his blood run cold. He felt sick. Seeing his expression, the woman said
"Oh but don't worry, that was a long time ago. I cleaned everything top to bottom. You wouldn't think you had to clean an enchanted house, but I found the strangest things everywhere..."

Hansel smiled politely, although he could feel his anxious heartbeat throughout his body. The oven. The oven. But... she had eaten the food herself, and she was fine, if a little strange. He was sure she wasn't a witch. Even so...

Hansel got up from his chair.

"Thank you, you've been very kind, but I should be getting back."
The woman frowned.
"Are you sure? It's getting late, it will be dark in some parts of the forest already"

"I'm sure, yes, I know the way now, I don't want to trouble you any longer"

"You've been no trouble! It's nice to have company. Will you at least take some food for the journey?" She started to wrap the pastries in the white cloth. Hansel accepted the bundle uncertainly, unsure how to protest.

"You really don't have to - I really don't need all of these"

"Ah well whoever needs pastries at all! I can see you like them though, take them. They're a gift. And if you'd ever like more, you can always come back."