Happy Hogswatch!

That did it for Catrin. She's been slapped, she's been hit, beaten, raped, she's even had her son taken away... It Ends Today. "THIEF!" she shrieked, "THIEF!!!" she pointed at Ergi and screamed, "HE STOLE OUR PAY ON HOGSWATCH EVE!!!" The crowded platform suddenly stopped and everyone turned to look at the ruckus, the little matron that they fell in love with was in trouble! The crowd started to close in and demand answers.

A railroad cop in breastplate and helmet and carrying a truncheon along with a not very intelligent-looking partner struggled through the crowd and said, "Now how may I help ye ma'am? I'm Sergeant Carl and this is me partner Bobby Bones. We're with the Railway Watch."

Catrin was fuming, "We were promised thirty-seven dollars each to work as train matrons... we did the work and we worked the brakes all the way from Ankh-Morpork. We were promised thirty-seven dollars, but he only gave us ten dollars. He stole twenty-seven dollars from each of us." The crowd started to rumble in anger. Calls for a public caning rose, this was going to get ugly.

Turning to Jutta he asked, "Is this true, ma'am?"

Jutta, usually the strong one when women gathered, merely whimpered "yes sir." The angry crowd terrified her, even though they were on her side.

The sergeant glared at the conductor with hatred in his eyes. He hated lazy slobs that preyed on the weak. "Pay the women, Stoat, before I let me truncheon do the talkin' this Hogswatch Eve."

Grumbling, the conductor dug out fifty-four dollars for the women to split between them. "Are you happy now?" demanded Ergi.

"Maybe..."

"What does a brakeman make?" Bobby asked out of the blue, "Probably more than a matron." He's actually a lot smarter than he looks.

"If it pleases your curiosity, dey make de exact same amount!" shouted Stoat with a smirk. Railway Watch cops think they're so smart...

"Thank you for mentioning that" said Sergeant Carl with a nod. He slapped his truncheon into his hand with a resounding crack. "Ma'am, at any time did anyone on this railroad instruct you to actuate the brake wheel during normal operations of the train, IE not in an emergency."

"Yes, almost every stop, every steep downgrade," said Jutta.

Carl poked Ergi Stoat in the gut with his truncheon. "You put these sweet women travelin' on a holiday out on those icy vestibules turning the brake wheels... where's your son and your no-good son-in-law, the real brakemen?"

"I don't have to..." Ergi was about to storm away, but Sgt. Carl and Patrolman Bones both placed the tips of their truncheons under Ergi's chin.

"I DO have to mention to the Brakemen's Guild that persons were employed to operate the brakes but were not compensated for their work as a Brakeman," hissed Sgt. Carl. "It's not me. It's the Brakeman's Guild that you're going to have to worry about."

Ergi groaned, he's not caught like this very often. The Brakeman's Guild was repeatedly, and honestly called the Break Man's Guild for their swift and energetic enforcement of guild rules. Defeated, Ergi began plucking coins out of his purse with trembling fingers then Patrolman Bones said cheerfully, "it would be nice if you rounded it up. It's Hogswatch after all."

The crooked conductor handed Jutta Aldana and Catrin Lenz forty dollars each, and with a trembling goodbye, the women dashed over to the day coach. "How much to Lancre Town?"

The driver looked a bit sad and said, "I apologize. I have seats available from Hot Dang to Creel Springs the halfway point. There are four to pick up at Creel Springs, all paid up, so I can take you as far as Creel Springs and catch you tomorrow." Seeing the disappointment in their eyes he hurried to add, "maybe you can get a ride from a local at Creel Springs. Almost everyone goes to Lancre Town for the Hogswatch Festival."

"We need to find the duke," said Catrin in a tiny voice.

"We got money now, we can get a room," said Jutta. "we're almost there!" She looked at the coachman and opened her purse, "How much to Creel Springs, Sir?"

The coachman looked at the women; it was a seven dollar ticket, but Creel Springs in the winter on Hogswatch eve? The place is a ghost town. "Hop in Ma'am, keep your money, it's Hogswatch."

The women climbed into the coach with a couple that was already making merry and was passing around a flask. "Where are you off to, this snowy afternoon, young ladies?" said the jovial man with the flask. He wore a black suit with a gray waistcoat and a matching gray top hat garnished with holly for the season.

"Lancre town, we need to see the Duke of Wægn, we have business with him," said Jutta as the coach started moving.

"You're going to love him," said the jovial man's wife. "Don't let his age fool you. He's as sharp as a tack!"

"Same with his wife!" laughed the man. "She's quite the looker!"

"Willbert, you stop it."

"I apologize if I drift off," said Jutta, "We worked as matrons on the train and," she chuckled exhausted, "we walked all the way from Ankh-Morpork." Now both Catrin and Jutta had a mental picture of the Duke of Wægn as a smart, happy old man with a smiling elderly wife in fashionable dress. He has to know something about Jutta's daughter... he just has to.

"We saw you on the train. Please relax," said the woman, and that's the last thing Catrin heard as she fell asleep.

Jutta was awoke by a hand gently shaking her shoulder. "This is Creel Springs, you have to get off, ma'am," said the coachman. "I have a full coach from here." Jutta looked around her drowsily and realized that they were stopped in a winter wonderland. The snow was knee deep, and it was still falling. As the new passengers boarded the coach, Jutta and Catrin found themselves standing in front of a closed blacksmith shop looking around at a tiny, closed town as the coach trotted off.

The little village was deadly silent, the falling snow muffled all sound. "Oh no," Catrin groaned, "oh no..." they knocked on the door of the house attached to the blacksmith shop but there was no answer. They walked across the street to the mill but that was closed, then over to the Emporium, a small store, that was closed too, both businesses wished them a Happy Hogswatch with cheerful pasteboard signs. They walked back across the street to the bookstore next to the blacksmith shop, which was closed up as well. The snow was falling so heavily they didn't see the Highway Watch House up the road where they could have gotten a hot cuppa, a warm cot, and an introduction to the Duke. Sadly, they sagged down to the bench in front of the bookstore, ignored the free spring water and wept. "I'm so tired," gasped Catrin.

"I'm so cold," whispered Jutta...

<><><><><>

Back in a corner of the bookstore, the proprietor emerged from his office area where he had been reviewing the finances of the duchy for the past day. "I think that's done," grinned Nick. "This ol' duchy came out better this year than last." He stepped out of his corner where he performed his calligraphy, bookbinding, and bookkeeping and noticed that there were two people sitting on the bench out front. He popped open the door and said, "We're closed, but you can come in and warm up if you'd like. It's not real warm but..." He realized they were women and only one woman looked at him and made a feeble attempt to rise.

Trying to keep the panic out of his voice, Nick sprung outside and said, "don't worry, I know I don't look it but I'm a witch, here in the mountains us witches are nurses so this is my forte." He gently lifted the woman that was moving and carried her into the bookstore and put her in an overstuffed chair near the potbelly stove, then dashed out and brought the second woman in. There was nothing to them, they were skin and bones! He found some old robes and cloth to cover them up with and tried to turn up the crystal heater inside the potbelly stove higher, but it was all the way up. "Fairies? Any fairies here?" Silence. They were all at the cottage. Oh shit, oh shit, Oh SHIT!

The women were pale, shivering, and their heartbeats were weak and fast, a barely noticeable flutter. Nick began to check the women's extremities for signs of frostbite, luckily there was no sign of frostbite, but they were so cold, their body temperature had fallen. The tiny woman with glasses was just at the verge of consciousness she was drifting in and out, the other one slowly opened her eyes and looked at the painting of the infant Octavia in the arms of her orangutan stepfather and said, "a monkey is holding my Corina," then she slipped away again.

In the cottage, Octavia was starting to prepare dinner when her head was hit with a mind bursting shout.

"OCTAVIA!!! YOU AND MARLON HOOK TRIXIE UP TO SOMETHING, I HAVE A PAIR OF WOMEN HERE DYING! I'M ON MY WAY."

It was Nick and he sounded terrified. She's never seen him scared except when a patient is in serious condition, she put down everything and dashed out to the barn.

Marlon heard it, too. In terror, he pulled on his boots and dashed out to the barn without pulling on a coat. The snow was falling faster now, up past his knees as he ran into the barn and eased Trixie out of her stall. "Come on girl, daddy's coming."

"You heard that too?" asked Octavia, as they got Trixie, the sweet horse they got right after Marlon was born. They led her over to the old single bench sleigh and backed her between the traces.

"It was weird. I heard Dad say my name and..." The sound of thundering hoofbeats made them turn and in a cloud of snow a stallion raced up to the barn and just as it stopped, it became Nick.

The father and husband panted from his dash up the mountain, a look of terror on his face. "I stepped out of my corner and I saw two women sitting on the bench outside, unconscious, freezing to death. Get the new room ready, love." His voice caught in his throat and he gasped, "they're dying..."

"You can save them," Octavia said as Nick gave her a nervous kiss. "I know you can."

Marlon finished with the last buckle and stepped back, and Nick shouted, "Come on Trixie, let's go!" he snapped the reins and the sled started to move, but Trixie was not happy being interrupted from a nice dream and didn't put much effort into her pull. Nick smacked Trixie on the rump with the buggy whip and they were off. Stunned that daddy would hit her, Trixie jumped and broke into a gallop. Nick held on tight as Trixie raced down the hill, every leaping step ate up the distance. They covered the mile between the cottage and the bookstore in Trixie's wild flight, her collar of bells jingling madly. Then it was over in a matter of minutes. They slid to a stop at the bookstore door and Nick leaped from the sleigh.

Now the woman with the glasses was conscious. She touched his cheek and whispered "Pommy?" as he scooped her up and he was horrified that she weighed almost nothing. He carefully set her in the sleigh, then dashed back in and brought out the other woman who was a larger woman but in the same shape. He covered the women with a heavy quilt, pulled on his coat and locked the door then he dug the women's meager baggage out of the snow by the bench out front and put that in the sleigh, then cracking the whip they were on the road back to Nana Partridges cottage.

After turning the sleigh around and started heading back home Nick stood up and slapped the reins on Trixie. "Let's go Trixie! Let's ride!" Trixie liked this game and dashed up the hill with all the speed and grace that she had. "Fly Trixie, FLY!" shouted a terrified Nick who trusted Trixie to navigate the hill that she spent her entire life climbing and he checked the woman. They were both unconscious now. "FLY Trixie!"

Finally nearing the cottage he pulled back on the reins and pulled on the drag brake lever. Stopping at the cottage porch, Nick lifted the first woman, the one that called him Pommy, out of the sleigh and carried her into the house back to the new room and laid her on the bed. Both Marlon and Hollie were amazed that there was a new room back behind the stairs. "Wow! Can I have this room when they go?"

"Hush you, go sweep up the snow we tracked in. Hollie, you're supposed to be watching Lou and Loo-Loo."

"They don't even talk!" pouted Hollie. "They're booooring!"

"GO!"

Nick now arrived with the second woman and laid her down on the other bed, worried sick that he didn't get to them in time. "I'll get them tucked in. You go put the horse and sleigh away," said Octavia.

"I'm the witch..." Nick protested.

"GO!"

Nick went outside, released the drag brake, grasped Trixie's bridle and clucked his tongue. Trixie followed his lead, and they parked the sleigh. Then he unbuckled her from the traces and led her back to her warm stable, and fed her an extra scoop of grain, then went back inside to check on his mystery patients. He found that Octavia was caring for both women who were changed into Octavia's warm flannel nightgowns and tucked in under extra quilts. He placed a pan of water with handfuls of dried herbs on the little parlor stove then closed the curtain which closed off the room from the rest of the house and knelt and checked the women, their breathing stabilized and their pulses which were weak and rapid were becoming regular and stronger.

"Leave daddy alone," Octavia had to remind the children, "he's the witch, he's got to keep an eye on the ladies."

"Are they going to be ok mommy? Who are they?"

"They're travelers that almost froze in the snow. We'll find out who they are later. Now let daddy work."

<><><><><>

It was the saddest Hogswatch Eve that Marlon could remember. Hogswatch Eve is for singing and laughter, dad plays his dulcimer and mom plays the autoharp. Instead, he and Hollie spent the afternoon walking on eggshells, trying to be quiet for the ladies. Occasionally Nick would come out and look sad and sit down on the couch and hold Hollie, who was so confused. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but these ladies need help. They spent too much time in the cold and... maybe you can ask the Hogfather to make them better so you can show them your presents tomorrow. That would be fun, wouldn't it?" Hollie nodded her head vigorously. "Get to the table. It's dinnertime."

Nick herded Hollie and Marlon to the table. The twins were already in their chairs and banging their spoons on the table. Soon Octavia and Nick set out bowls of hot ham and bean soup, their traditional Hogswatch Eve dinner, while Gaspode appeared in time to claim rights to the hambone from the soup. A few times during the meal, Nick got up to check on the women and always came back with a concerned look on his face.

After dinner, the family relaxed in front of the fireplace. Nick got out his strumming dulcimer and Octavia got out her autoharp and they began to play Hogswatch carols. Not the newer ones about presents and romance like Gimme You for Hogswatch or Happy, Happy, Hogswatch Time, but the beautiful old ones like The Ivy in the Forest and Let All The Disc Rejoice. With the fairies all singing along and flickering in time with the music, it became a magical evening that drew the family closer together.

Of course they did some "kids" songs, what's Hogswatch without all the family singing along with Tusker The Hogswatch Boar and sharing a bowl of banged grains? {for you round worlders, that's the proper name for what you call popcorn} As they sang The Little Hogswatch Tree Hollie produced the long garland of banged grains that she, her mother and Marlon {begrudgingly} worked on, and hung it on the tree.

It was long past the kid's usual bedtime when Hollie climbed on Nick's lap with the traditional children's book, The Hogfather's First Ride. Octavia propped the twins up with him on the couch and Nick began to read the story of how a lonely farmer/hunter/gatherer became the Hogfather and why he hitches six wild boars to a sleigh and delivers presents to the good boys and girls around the world. When they were done with the book, Marlon and Hollie set out the traditional cup of sherry for the Hogfather and two turnips for his sleigh team, putting their notes to the Hogfather in their stockings above the fire and it was time to go to bed.

<><><><><>֎<><><><><>

2:00 AM, Partridge Cottage, Creel Springs, Lancre

Jutta woke up and found herself in a warm room that smelled of herbs that reminded her of sunlit summer fields. A lamp on a nightstand showed that Catrin was sleeping in a bed next to her and breathing normally. Jutta needed to use the bathroom but didn't know if one was around, so she got up, stumbled across the room, finding herself dressed in a blue flannel nightgown. She opened a curtain and found herself in a Hogswatch Eve dream. From behind the staircase she saw a small cottage that was decorated with glittering tinsel and garland, glitter covered tree branches and glass ornaments all reflecting the light of several candles. A beautiful dark-haired woman knelt on the floor next to a trapdoor and someone below was passing gifts up to her through the trapdoor. Occasionally she would carry a stack of gifts across the room to a small evergreen decorated with shining ornaments where fairies flittered and glowed, lighting up the tree.

Jutta leaned against the wall and watched a man climb out of the hatch and help arrange presents under the tree. Then he looked up at her and his concerned look broke into a huge grin. Nick dashed over to Jutta and said, "You shouldn't be up. Let's get you back to bed."

"I have to..." she looked like she didn't want to say, but Octavia saved her.

"Come on, it's an outhouse, but it's warm." And she led Jutta to the back door. "What's your name?" Octavia asked. If she couldn't remember her name, she had some problems.

"Jutta," the lady said pronouncing it 'Utah.' "I'm Jutta Aldana and my partner is Catrin Stein."

"Stein?"

While they were out, Nick grabbed two mugs and brought a pitcher of water to the back room where the other woman was waking up.

"I brought water if you're thirsty. We have some wine and we can also make tea or a hot toddy if you would like."

Catrin found her glasses and put them on then she looked at Nick and whispered, "Water would be nice, thank you..." Nick handed her a mug of water and she took a long cool drink, "My dear, I haven't had a drink of water since four this morning." She held the mug out for more.

Nick topped her off and said, "We only have one outhouse. When Octavia gets back, she can take you."

"Thank you," she gasped, "Thank you so much." She took another drink and said, "I'm sorry to be a burden."

"This is my job," grinned Nick. "I'm the local witch," and she looked at him strangely. "In the mountains, the witches are healers. I found you and your friend sitting at our bookstore freezing and brought you home for Hogswatch."

"We were looking for the Duke..."

"Why would you be looking for the Duke?"

Just then Octavia returned with Jutta and sat her down in the bed and gave her a mug of water when she answered Nick's question, "Because the archchancellor told us the Librarian may have told the duke about a child."

The room went silent. Nick and Octavia looked at each other. Like every other couple in the universe, their thinking went in multiple directions, men think of bits and pieces, women think of people and feelings, but on occasion they are in complete mental harmony, as are Nick and Octavia. "Corina?" asked Nick, remembering what she said in the bookstore. When Jutta nodded, Nick led her back to bed and said, "Tell us about Corina."