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Cedric added two adder tongues into the mixture and blinked in surprise as there was a puff of thick green smoke. “I hope that means it’s working…” he murmured. He took a tooth from a buffalo and crushed it up in his mortar and pestle, adding the powdered tongue to the mixture. It turned a deep red color for a brief moment before settling on violet.
“Perhaps this one will work,” Baileywick hummed. He sat watching as Cedric brewed his latest attempt at a speaking potion. The sorcerer’s magpie sat on his shoulder, watching too. “I mean...it seems to be reacting favorably, yes?”
“It does seem that way,” Cedric agreed. He took a handful of grains of paradise from a bowl and threw them whole into the cauldron. The mixture started to change color once again, settling on a burnt orange color. “This should be it,” he said with a nod.
“Oh?”
“I mean...it’s the same color as the one that fell on Wormwood,” he said with a shrug.
Baileywick and Rosemary shared a look between each other. The steward raised an eyebrow and the magpie just shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?” Baileywick asked.
“Well I almost gave her a crocodile mouth the last time…”
Rosemary made an annoyed noise at that, clacking her beak at him.
“I fixed it!” Cedric cried.
Baileywick stroked Rosemary’s chest with a finger. “I shall make sure your Will is carried out,” he said.
“She doesn’t have a Will!”
“How do you know?”
Cedric pouted, using a bowl to collect some of the potion. “You two better watch yourselves. You keep teasing me and I shall turn you both into sheep and leave you in the royal zoo!”
“We only do it because we both love you,” he said. He smiled as Cedric walked over, kissing him when he bent down. “Our wonderful sorcerer,” he hummed.
“I shall remember this the next time you ask me for anything,” Cedric sniffed.
“Is that a promise?”
“Yes.” He turned to his familiar and held the bowl out to her. “Just a quick splash about in here should be enough,” he said.
Rosemary looked from the bowl to Cedric. She took a small sidestep down Baileywick’s shoulder and then leapt onto the rim of the bowl. She looked down at her reflection as Cedric set the bowl down. Finally she hopped down into the water and she started to bathe.
“Why are birds always so messy when getting clean?” Baileywick asked, watching as Rosemary splashed everywhere, pushing his chair back to avoid getting hit with any of the potion.
“Well it’s not as if they have hands,” Cedric reminded him. He picked up a towel and held it readily for the magpie. She fluttered over to him when she was finished and he caught her in the towel to help dry her off. “There we are! Such a beautiful girl! Anything to say?” he asked.
The magpie looked from one human to the other and back again. They were watching her intently. She ruffled her feathers and took a moment to preen herself before fluttering onto Cedric’s shoulder.
“Rosemary?” Cedric asked, watching her nervously. Had something gone wrong? Was she hurt in some way?
“Yes?” she asked. Her human erupted into a loud cheer, bouncing up and down in excitement. She laughed, fluttering over to his desk to avoid falling off. “You’re so excited over something so small!” she giggled.
“Small?! Being able to understand my familiar isn’t small!” Cedric cried. “This is a wonderful moment of progress between us! Not even my father has managed to do such a thing!”
Baileywick laughed, hugging Cedric. “This calls for a celebration!” he said. “Come, all three of us can go into Dunwiddie and enjoy ourselves at a cafe there,” he offered.
“I want a chocolate croissant!” Rosemary announced as she flew over to sit on his shoulder. “And a nice herbal tea!”
“One chocolate croissant with herbal tea for a clever magpie,” Cedric agreed with a nod.
“And lots of sweet pastries for a sensational sorcerer,” Baileywick added, making Cedric blush. He offered him his arm with a bow, leading him out once Cedric hugged onto it.