The rules of combat 4/10

One of the senior witches came to meet her as she walked across the lawn from the paddle steamer.

"I'm afraid we've got some rather bad news," she said, "Abigail has lost her memory and forgotten her witchcraft. Now she's just like an ordinary person."

"However did that happen?" asked Jennifer Jane.

"Well I don't know if you'd understand but she had an argument with a wicked witch in the other world and lost."

"Rules of Engagement paragraph seven, clauses two and three," replied Jennifer Jane.

"Oh you've done that bit have you! You are getting on. Well done! Then you'll know that there's nothing we can do about curing Abigail until we can call a full meeting of the Grand Order of Wizardry Council and that won't be for ages yet."

Jennifer Jane told the senior witch about her recent encounter with a witch from an alternate world.

"I wonder if it's the same one? There is a rumour that a wicked witch is trying to get the dragons to eat peasants again. Bringing back the good old days she says. The trouble is there's nothing any of us can do about it now she's defeated Abigail."

"Can I talk to Abigail please?" asked Jennifer Jane.

"Yes of course, that's her sitting in the deck chair over there doing some knitting”.

Jennifer Jane went over. Abigail looked up as she approached.

"Hello my dear, I haven't seen you before, do you live here?"

Jennifer Jane produced a chocolate swiss roll out of thin air and gave it to Abigail.

"I'm your apprentice Jennifer Jane, don't you remember me?"

"I'm afraid I don't Jane dear, but I do remember liking chocolate swiss rolls, they're my favourite."

Jennifer Jane decided to try the question she'd been going to ask, before she knew that Abigail had lost her memory. After all she had nothing to lose.

"How would you go about defeating a wicked witch if you had to?"

"That's easy; just find a knight in shining armour with an amulet to protect him against evil. Surely you must know that, it's in all the story books."

Abigail finished eating her chocolate swiss roll, screwed up the silver paper, put it in the bag with her wool and went back to her knitting.

Jennifer Jane walked off thoughtfully. It was only in the storybooks, but there was a possibility that a knight might succeed and she knew where she could find one. She went through the Witches' Home and asked the witch on duty in the guard room if she knew where she could find Sir George.

"I think he's staying at the George and Dragons again. He's making a small fortune telling those stories of his."

Jennifer Jane thanked her, went over the drawbridge and turned left towards the village. She was taken completely by surprise as she crossed Lurgin's bridge.

"Stop, who dares cross the bridge of insert name of resident troll....drat that can't be right," said a rather shaky voice from under the bridge.