“Are you going to tell me what is happening?” Ayla asked the question with a calm intensity as she ushered Vix into her cottage.

“Nothing is happening,” Vix said. “We are waiting for you to be ready to travel.”

Ayla’s lips thinned. “Do not play verbal games with me. You know perfectly well what I am asking. I know there is something amiss.”

“She doesn’t know what’s going on!” The traveler exclaimed, appearing all of a sudden from under the table. She proceeded to dance all about Ayla, kicking her legs out at the knee in a stiff-legged jig. “She doesn’t know nothing at all!”

Ayla’s eyes were locked on Vix’s, so it was a great surprise to all concerned when she reached out and seemingly plucked the uninvited visitor out of mid-air, grasping her by the lobe of her ear.

“Ow!” The visitor shrieked, more out of indignation than pain. “You’re not supposed to be able to see me! I drank ten gallons of invisibility potion! Ten gallons! I was drinking potion from sun up to sun down.”

“I could see your reflection in Vix’s eyes,” Ayla informed her prisoner. “In future, if you want to stay invisible, don’t talk to anyone immune to the potions.”

“I’m immune to the potion?” Vix asked the question.

Ayla’s eyes settled on her. “You’re immune to potions other people have taken.”

“Aren’t we all?” Vix was skeptical, but Ayla did not give any further explanation.

“Are you going to let me go?” The visitor was standing awkwardly, her ear still trapped in Ayla’s pinch fingered grip.

“That depends on your answer to two questions. Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“I’m Liz,” she said. “And I’m here to keep an eye on things. For Ariadne.”

“So you are a spy.”

“That’s what I said.” Liz folded her arms over her chest, her head still cocked at that uncomfortable angle.

“A spy in my home,” Ayla purred, her green eyes flashing. “An interloper with ill-intentions.”

“I’m just doing the goddesses’ bidding,” Liz shrugged. “As we all must do.”

“Well, if you must do what you must do, then I must also do what I must do.” Saying so, Ayla struck Liz firmly upon her buttocks with a swatting spank hard enough to echo around the cottage and make one of the smaller ornaments upon a little shelf tinkle against its neighbor.

“Oh by the goddess that smarts!” Liz’s exclamation was surprisingly lucid given the force with which she had been swatted.

Ayla repeated the treatment, her palm meeting the round of Liz’s cheek with a loud slap which elicited a squeal of irritation.

“Stop hitting me this instant!”

“If you didn’t want to be hit, you shouldn’t have broken in where you didn’t belong,” Ayla said implacably. She kept her hold on Liz’s ear without any trouble whatsoever, letting the spy squirm around.

“I am the envoy of Ariadne,” Liz declared. “Show me respect.”

“I will show you all the respect Ariadne deserves,” Ayla said, slapping Liz’s bottom several more times with resounding swats which made Liz cry out plaintively. The witch’s lips were very thin, her expression focused as she unleashed her ire on the rounded rump of her unfortunate captive.

Vix shrank away, most concerned by what she was seeing. Liz’s poor rear must have been burning intensely, given the energy being imparted by the witch’s palm which was still striking true and firm.

Over and over Ayla spanked, treating the intruder to a session which made Vix quite determined not to ever cross her. The woman was quite merciless, her long arm creating a great deal of torque, all of which was directed into Liz’s round bouncing bottom. Her cheeks could be quite clearly seen jiggling hither and thither beneath the hem of her rough tunic each time Ayla’s large palm landed.