Read Hilda - The Challenge for Free Online

crucial in her returning home so many years
ago.
    "Lamador is a powerful sorcerer. Powerhungry
even. And he's spending far too much time on becoming even more
powerful. I don't know what drives him. It can't be king Herald,
that guy's powerful and wealthy enough." Hilda filled their glasses
again.
    William rubbed his chin. As he moved, Hilda's
eyes were glued to his hand for a moment, then she watched her
glass again. "Has it appeared to you that perhaps this Labrador has
gained power over king Herald, and that this king is only a puppet
in the sorcerer's play?"
    "Lamador. Not Labrador," Hilda said. She
thought of what William had said. "You might have a point there,"
she nodded, "it would not be beyond Lamador to cast a spell over
his king in order to expand his power even more."
    She looked at William. "Is it warm in here or
what?" The wicked witch touched her cheeks. "Ooh, very warm... I
should go open a window or so..."
    As she tried to get up, it was as if suddenly
lead was delivered into her legs. She had to grab hold of the table
so she could remain on her feet. "Oh, crappedy crap," she groaned.
She had forgotten to dilute her last couple of glasses of wine and
now she was paying for the price.
    Hilda fell back in her chair and groaned some
more. "All your fault," she said accusingly to William. "Without
you I would not have drunk so much and talked so much and maybe
found a problem to my solution- oh wait... that should be the other
way round. I think."
    The witch had for certain hit the bottle in
the right way, which to her was the worst way imaginable: she was
drunk.
    Hilda shook her hand, hoping for a wand to
appear. That could get the alcohol out of her. Alas, the alcohol
had temporarily disabled her ability to summon the wand, so she was
facing the ultimate catch-22.
    "No... no... I don't want this..." She stared
at William. "I don't want to feel like this, William. Make it go
away, yes?" Again she struggled herself up from the chair, and this
time she appeared to succeed, but attempting a step forward proved
too daunting a task. Hilda stumbled and fell over the table,
grabbing at anything that could give her some hold before she would
slide down to the floor.
    William had quickly reached out and caught
her hand in his, holding her onto the table that way. He got up,
holding her hand, and then wrapped an arm around her. He lifted the
skinny witch up from the table and held her so she could stand up.
It was obvious that without help she was not going anywhere but to
the floor.
    "No, William, you cannot hold me like that,"
Hilda muttered as she tried to pluck his arm away from her. She
could just as well attempt to lift a mountain; her strength had
left her completely. "I am a witch, you know, a very wicked
witch."
    "I think you are a very drunk witch at the
moment, Hilda, and I should get you to bed," William calmly said.
"So if you tell me where to take you, I'll make sure you get there
safe and well."
    "No! You cannot go into my bedroom!", she
shouted, once more trying to free herself from the arm.
    As the attempt failed again, she turned
around in his arm, so she faced him. She put her hands on his
shoulders. "Now listen- Oh... strong shoulders. Did you know you
have strong shoulders, William?" She started giggling as she
squeezed the man's arms. "You are strong, William, but you cannot
carry a witch to her bed. No no no, you cannot- whoops!"
    William had lifted her up in his arms and was
walking towards the stairs. This was a tricky thing as there were
no candles anywhere. Nor a lightswitch.
    "Hello, house, can you supply some light
here?", William gave it a try.
    The house remained silent, and the book
salesman took that as a no.
    "Oh, lights," Hilda giggled as she let
herself hang loose , sprawled in his arms. "Wheeee!"
    She moved her hands a bit and suddenly
colourful sparkles floated around them. It was not exactly the
light William had hoped for but it would suffice to get the witch
up the stairs.
    "Hilda,