Our next stop is Urszula's place. It is lively as usual. Well, for the better part anyway. The older kids are busy minding the animals. We arrive just in time to watch them herd geese and pigs out and away. The younger ones are clustered up around the workshop of Krysztof.

The old man waves as he notices us.

“Sorry, dear. I'm not quite done with those sandals you ordered yet.”

I nod, but it is Agnieszka who answers in my stead.

“Actually we are here to see Urszula. Is she in?”

The old man takes a little break from his work and bites his lower lips lightly as he thinks about Agnieszka's question.

“Depends. It's still pretty early. She might still be busy with the sheep. If not you'll likely find her in the kitchen.”

My neighbor nods and pulls me along, away from the workshop and around the farmhouse, as the old man resumes his work, the children crowding in close to get a good look. It seems Agnieszka knows her way around the house, as she heads directly to the backdoor, leading to the kitchen.

I'm a little confused at first.

“Shouldn't we try the barn first? If she could still be busy with the sheep?”

The older woman promptly shakes her head.

“No need. If she were still busy milking the sheep we would hear it.”

She is right, as it turns out. Urszula is indeed sitting in the kitchen, by the fireplace. She isn't cooking though. It would be a little early for that anyway. No, she is nursing her youngest one right now. She greets us with a careful wave, as not to disturb the child.

“What brings you here?”

Our visit must come as a surprise to her and she doesn't even try to hide her curiosity. At the same time she keeps her voice low and calm though, again not to disturb the infant greedily suckling on her left breast.

I blush a little at the sight. At the same time though my own breasts ache. I let out a sigh.

“I have been working on the enchantment you asked about …”

The young mother perks up considerably as I mention this particular piece of information.

“Oh! Are you done already?”

I blush and stutter for a moment.

“I … uh … yes, well …”

Eventually Agnieszka can't hold back anymore. She slaps my back and starts snickering, fighting hard not to break into full blown laughter.

“She put the enchantment on a bandanna and decided to try it on herself. A good thing too, since it turned out to be cursed.”

Urszula looks from Agnieszka to me, mouth agape, but the older woman quickly waves her concerns away and continues with her explanation.

“Don't worry we visited Wislawa at the temple right away. She took care of the curse.”

I sigh once more and let my head hang.

“I'm sorry, it will be another while before I'll be able to deliver the enchantment you asked of me.”

I bow my head for emphasis.

Then Agnieszka pats my back again.

“She already asked me to get her some more reading material and runes on the topic the next time I make the trip to Barter Town. But never mind. That isn't the reason for our visit. Well, not exactly anyway.”

The child finally lets go of her mother's breast. She obviously isn't done with her meal yet though, as she soon starts to reach for her mother's other breast. Urszula switches her over, without taking her eyes off us.

“If that isn't it, then why?”

Agnieszka snickers again.

“Well you see, the enchanted bandanna might have been cursed, but it still worked.”

The older woman looks over at me.

“In fact it might even have worked a little too well.”

Urszula tilts her head slightly and eyes me a little more closely.

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“You are right. It certainly worked.”

She points at another stool.

“Come and sit down with us. Let me show you how its done while little Milena still has an appetite.”

I do as she bid me. At the same time I'm curious how she can tell that the enchantment worked.

“How …”

That is as far as I get, as I sit down, before Agnieszka starts to snicker again. Urszula joins her too, but in the end she takes mercy on me and elaborates.

“How can we tell? Easy. For one you are noticeable larger than the last time we met. More importantly though, you have started leaking while you watched me feed Milena.”

For a moment I'm left speechless. There really are wet spots showing on my blouse. Eventually I manage to regain at least a little of my composure.

“That really happens?”

The two eventually give up and break into laughter, which startles the little girl still nursing at her mother's bosom a little.

I in turn blush fiercely as Agnieszka loosens the strings of my blouse enough for it to slip down from my shoulder. Urszula in turn doesn't miss a beat either. Before her daughter can resume drinking she shifts her over to me.

The little girl emits a cry of protest at first, but as soon as she is faced with a new source of milk she latches back on.

A shiver goes down my spine and my eyes widen. I barely manage to preserve enough presence of mind to follow the instructions of Urszula and Agnieszka.

“Right, hold her like that. Like Urszula did it.”

“Good. Don't forget to support her head. Yes, just like that.”

This isn't an unpleasant feeling, despite the fact that the little girl is suckling quite aggressively. I can certainly feel the pressure ease a little. At least in that breast. At the same time I can feel another kind of pressure build deep within my body. This one feels a little ominous. And it gets even worse when Urszula helps me shift the infant to my other breast. It is unlike anything I have ever felt before.

Eventually the tension become too much. My body releases it all at once and my abdomen cramps up in ways that are well beyond just uncomfortable.

It is a good thing that Urszula and Agnieszka spent the time to make sure I have a grip on the little Melina that is both good and gentle. I shudder. At least a divine whisper provides a little distraction.

[You nurtured a child not your own! The Sun Mother is your witness and gifts you 4 points for the Temperance Arcana as a reward.]

Even the little girl looks up at me at this point with big eyes. Did she receive a divine message as well? Well, there is no way of telling. Urszula takes her off my hands at this point, so that the child can finish its meal at her mother's breast.

Agnieszka in turn pats my back.

“Birthing pains. That can happen, especially early on, even if you haven't given birth yourself. It doesn't happen to every wet nurse, but it can. Anyway, do you feel better now?”

Even as she talks she runs a finger along the curve of my breast, scooping up a drop of milk, only to lick it off her finger herself before I can answer.

“Not too bad. Virgin milk usually tends to be thinner and less nourishing. I almost expected Melina to make a fuss and want back to her mother. Curious. No wonder though, that the little one drank without protest if it is like this.”

Her casual approach makes me blush even more now. I can feel my ears burning up as I readjust my clothes. There is an important question I have to ask though.

“The effect of the enchantment should last several days. Will I have to do this every day?”

At my naive question both women break into laughter again. This time Urszula answers instead of Agnieszka.

“More like three or four times a day.”

I blanch, but she isn't quite done yet.

“And there is always the possibility that you will keep producing milk even if the effect of the enchantment wears off. Your body might just get used to it, you know? And you might have to look into other ways of relieving the pressure too. Melina certainly didn't mind the extra helping this time around, but it might get a little too much for just her in the long run.”

Agnieska waves good bye, as she leads me out. I'm still too numb to do more than wave myself.

“I'm sure she'll figure something out! See you!”

We are already halfway back to my place by the time I find words again.

“What do you mean I'll figure something out? And why did you call it virgin milk? I'm not exactly a virgin, you know? Not in the strictest sense at least.”

She snorts in amusement.

“It just means the milk of a woman who hasn't given birth herself yet. It usually is a lot thinner. And as to figuring something out … you could ask Elzbieta? By the way you still need to take care of guild business don't you? Or you could use it as an alchemical ingredient? I'm not sure. I'm not the alchemist after all. Anyway, I have to get back to work too. Danuta's dress won't tailor itself, you know.”

And with these words she leaves me standing at the front door of my house, my thoughts whirling out of control. She is long gone by the time I manage to order them again.

“What do you mean, I could ask Elzbieta?”

Of course there is no one around to provide an answer.