Come rain or shine, every day I carry Eva across the fields and through the woodlands to classes, or to her fieldwork, or to her apprenticeship. We get to see the changing trees and the growing crops and all the comings and goings of the birds.

Though the little witches’ school is only a few miles away, the other two girls from our village moved out, to live on school grounds. Eva didn’t want to, at least not yet. She’d only just been given her magic, then, and I did not yet know that I was her familiar, but it just made sense that I should take her. Her little feet are spared the hours of traipsing, and I enjoy a little jaunt every day.

Sometimes we wander off, or look for things for her homework, or just enjoy the sunny days in the open fields. And sometimes we get drenched in the downpours, but you win some, you lose some.