Chapter Text
The summer season had been unbearably hot and unusually dry. And this morning in the village everything was exactly like it always was. Everything was exactly as it should be for the three hours past noon. The dogs barked, the bugs hummed, a few babies cried. The air smelt of cabbage and mud and waste. But shortly after the third bell had struck from the church tower the sounds of life died, not abruptly but over the course of a few minutes and the cloudless sky lost its brilliance. The air seemed to still. Not even the birds rustled as the wind moved gently through the forest. Everyone stopped their work and looked up as the sun went completely dark.
Elvie stopped sweeping as the room lost its light, she, with the entire village, looked out her window and couldn’t find a cloud. She ran to the village. This was a bad omen, a very bad omen. Only the strongest demons could blot out the sun, and where there were demons there was a witch.
The sun did not return for almost ten minutes and when it did it only returned at half strength, still blocked by some unseen force. Terrified the village women gathered in the square, their housework forgotten.
The women were still whispering about the strange happenings as the sun reappeared. The birds and bugs began chirping and humming as light returned and the men returned to the town, breathless from their sprints from the fields. As the square became crowded the priest appeared on the steps of the church.
He began to speak about omens and demons and the evils that would befall a village that harbored witches and allowed them to practice their evil. He assured the people he would write the Bishop in Constance to send inquisitors. They would help cleanse the village of this impurity. The priest urged the people to examine their faith and confess their sins. He dismissed the village as he went to write to the Bishop.
Elvie woke as the church bell struck the half hour of five. The sun had not risen yet but Josiah needed breakfast before he left for the fields. They had been married for just over a year and they lived together in a house a little ways outside from the village. Elvie stoked the fire and boiled water for the barley pottage. And she dressed in her day wear, lacing her kirtle under her arms.
Josiah started stirring as the pottage cooked. “Morning love!” He slipped his hand onto her ass as he walked past.
“Morning, Josiah” Elive beamed at him. They ate their pottage quietly and Josiah left the house for the fields.
The morning passed as Elvie did housework and tended the small garden plot. She walked to the village square for water and watched as a carriage and six riders rode up the road to the church. The inquisitors had arrived. They had three pack horses and a wagon in their procession carrying all the tools and ceremonial instruments they would need to cleanse the village. Elvie smiled as she recognised their crest, they would protect the village and root out the evil hiding there.
Ever since the sun went dark three days ago, the whole village had been on edge. Elvie returned to her house with the water to prepare the evening meal and the food Josiah would bring with him on his journey to the next town market tomorrow, he would be taking pigs.
Market day came and went and Josiah was able to sell the three gilts he took with him and he brought back four chickens and a handful of coins. The other man Josiah had gone with was not nearly so successful, he returned with most of the wares he had left with.
Sunday arrived and all the villagers gathered at the church for mass, greatly anticipating the mass led by the inquisitor.
The grand inquisitor was a powerful looking man with a clean face and red robes. He had a strong voice and spoke with conviction. He preached about the dangers of complacency and the evils of heresy, the heresy of witchcraft. After the mass he encouraged the people to come forward with their suspicions as the Lord would punish those who hid the witches and he offered the witches a chance to turn themselves in and pay penance without fear of imprisonment or execution.
On Monday, the inquisitors began to make their way around the village, asking the men about the goings on and talking with the women about what they saw. When they arrived, the inquisitors entered and Elvie set a pot of herbal tea on the table, as was the custom when guests arrived.
“Hello Lord Inquisitor," Elvie bowed.
“Hello, Mistress, this is my apprentice,” the inquisitor replied. The man he indicated was a youth about sixteen. He was totally bald and he wore the same red robes as the inquisitor though less ornate.
“Hello, Master Interigator,” Elvie replied, addressing the boy who was barely a year her junior, “May I offer you both tea?” They both rejected her offer though the inquisitor sat at her table, his apprentice standing behind him.
“We do not eat or drink anything that has not been prepared and blessed in the church during these turbulent times. As you know we are here due to the astounding number of demonic events in the area. We have been looking into the events and we have grown certain that there is a coven meeting in the woods between the villages. I would like you to tell me what you know about this coven.” The inquisitor watched Elvie though his apprentice started to take notes.
“Of course Lord Inquisitor. I would be happy to assist you in any way. I have been so frightened, living outside the village and all. I have seen many odd things in this last season and a few things before. I’m sure you are aware we have had very little rain to the village and the sun was blotted out yestern-tuesday.”
“Has anything else happened? A family with very good or especially bad fortune? Odd deaths? Maybe a woman that always seems to know everything before anyone else?” The inquisitor’s eyes did not leave Elvie’s face as he spoke.
“There have been a number of cattle deaths but I think they have all been from different families. The baker and his wife had their fifth child about a year ago, a healthy baby girl but just about a month later the little one died with no sickness. I don’t know of anyone who had any grudges though.” Elvie’s nervousness was starting to eat at her, to talk of witches so openly made her uneasy, she began to look around the room suspiciously almost as though a witch would appear if they said enough about her. Spirits never liked to be talked about.
“There is no need to be nervous,” the inquisitor said, seeming to read her thoughts, “I have a few more questions and then we will leave. We merely need to see the entire picture. Tonight, after we have spoken to each household, we will pray and discuss and tomorrow we will arrest the witches. They will have no time to hurt the people who spoke to us, and they are not able to hear these conversations as my apprentice and I wear the symbols blessed by the Holy Pope himself. Now, I heard that your husband and Timote visited the market this week. Was your husband successful in his ventures? And do you have any children?”
“Yes, the Lord blessed him with profitable trades. He sold the three gilts he took with him and returned with coin and chickens. No, my husband and I were married last year and we have yet to be blessed with a child,” Elvie looked at the Inquisitor, still nervous and a little confused.
“Wonderful. That is all that I needed to know. Before my apprentice and I leave, may we look over your house? We would like to determine that no witch has left any mark here.”
“Of course! You are welcome to search the home” Elvie and the Inquisitor stood and the two red clad men began to inspect her dwelling. As they went through the rooms the apprentice continued to make notes. They left after a cursory tour through each room.