They entered the small cottage and a pervasive scent of chicken soup filled Janine's nose with delight. She sat down in an okay-ish, carved, spindly wooden chair made from spruce around a coffee table of cedar. The center of the table was hollow to make way for an enormous pine through the center of it.

The tree was covered in intricate carvings and all around were delicately placed assortments of flowers. There were stunning oil paintings with earthy tones dotted with bright pops of colour just like the flowers in the meadow outside. Janine was so busy taking in her new surroundings that she hadn't noticed Holly had disappeared into the kitchen until she brought out a steaming pot of broth and set it on the kitchen table across from the one Janine was at.

The house looked lopsided and whimsical, but Janine liked it for what it was, especially the magic that resided in that place. "That smells wonderful!" Janine exclaimed, but then noticed there was more than they could eat. "Excuse me?" Janine looked at Holly with her emerald green eyes. Holly glanced down with her brown-doey eyes. "Yes?" she replied in the voice that was smooth as silk.

"There's an awful lot of soup for just the two of us."

"Oh!" Holly exclaimed once more, that nasty habbit of letting things get way from her coming back, "I forgot to say we're having visitors!" Janine looked quizically at Holly. Holly only winked again and whispered, "It's a surprise who it is."

Janine was toured around the house that was suspiciously spacious due to the exterior proportion. Janine was in love with her room. It had glossy wooden floors and walls painted to look like a forest scene. It didn't even look like a painting, it looked like a frozen snippet of time trapped on the wall.

Suddenly two sharp taps came from the front door, muffled by the wall. "The visitor!" Holly whispered excitedly, "You must meet her!" Holly grabbed Janine wrist as she pulled her out of the door into the hall. She let go and straightened her toga with a crisp tug. She fiddled with the lush grape vine around her waist acting as a belt. "Coming Madame Nos!" she shouted down the hall.

She made a gesture for Janine to follow her and rushed out of the room. Whoever this visitor was, she didn't want to be kept waiting. Wither that, or Holly was just eager to see this woman. When they reached the door it flew open to reveal a wiry old lady with a brown robe on to hide her frail figure. She had a long, hooked nose and her steel gray hair poked out from on top of her head nearly touching her shoulders, but not quite making it.

There was a very distinct feature that made her curious; she had only one eye. The other space was just an empty socket. Her eye was like that of a cat or a dragon. It was yellow with a slit down the center for a pupil. It appeared to glow from the darkness underneath the hood.

"Hello Holly." Madame Nos said in a raspy voice. She smiled, revealing many yellowed teeth, and a few that weren't there at all. "Madame Nescio and Madame Omnes will be here shortly." Madame Nos said, still paying no heed to Janine who was, once again, fascinated.

Holly beamed, "Lovely to be having you all." She stepped aside as a gesture to let the old woman in. As she stepped over the threshold her eye traveled down to Janine. Her eye lit up with a joy only a mother would know. "Well hello there little one!" She said, smiling once more.

Holly slipped into the kitchen to get the table ready for visitors. She smelled ancient and musty and earthy-she smelled homey, too. Janine liked her instantly. "Hello!" Janine echoed back, "I'm Janine!"

"I'm Madame Nos." she said, formally introducing herself. She held out a hand with skin that had a gray-ish tone, and spindly fingers with calloused tips. Janine put her signifigantly smaller hand, with smooth, soft, young skin inside the old one and they shook.

Letting her hand drop to her side, Janine spoke in a sweet voice, "Nice to meet you, let's go have some soup!"

"I am rather hungry myself." Madame Nos said with a contented sigh. She led Janine into the kitchen and plopped into her chair. Janine seated herself opposite her. Holly brought out the pot of soup with mismatched glass bowls. She set a blue one in front of Janine. It had an image of a lily hand painted on the bottom.

Two sharp raps on the door broke the relaxed silence. "That'll be them." Holly said matter-of-factly. She slipped out of the room leaving Janine with Madame Nos and her own grumbling stomach. Moments later she strode back into the room with two figures following in tow.

One of them was short and stout with rounded features. She was barrel-chested and her jaw protruded slightly, giving her a proud appearance. On her features a toothy grin that made her look slightly like a smiling dolphin. Long white hair came down in bunches to her shoulders. "Holly, this smells lovely!" she said in a booming voice. "Thank you Madame Omnes!" Holly replied happily. "Yes, it really does smell wonderful." came a quiet voice from the doorway.

Behind Madame Omnes was an average sized woman. She was old, but looked slightly muscular. Her muscles were taut and an everlasting, sheepish grin was on her face. Her tawny hair was nearly overlapped totally by the gray and it came to her waist. All three of the old women were wearing robes. Madame Nos was wearing a faded brown cloak, Madame Omnes a mossy green with patches all over.

The last old woman, Janine guessed, was Madame Nescio. She was wearing a frayed and torn blue robe with mud around the hem. They were all wearing golden belts around their waists. There was something about Madame Nescio and Omnes that made Janine draw back slightly: they had no eyes.

There were merely empty sockets where they should've been. They seemed to navigate their way to their seats just fine, however. They plopped down and began talking amongst themselves. Later that evening Holly brought out some fresh garlic bread to enjoy with the soup.

They all sat in silence with a stray compliment flying here and there. All throughout dinner the Fates had been passing the eye periodically, as if they were taking turns. Madame Omnes currently held possesion of it. Suddenly Madame Omnes, who was sitting at the head of the table, slammed down her silverware with a mischievous glint in her eye, "I," she said triumphantly, pausing for a moment to add dramatic effect, "have a story."