The Honey Witch

A will-o’-the-wisp flickers in the forest, maintaining Versa’s heart while she waits to return to Innisfree. With the weak, new Honey Witch, the time draws near.

As the group leaves Innisfree, Marigold is anxious. She fears what might happen to Innisfree in her absence, with the landvættirs’ strange transformations. She’s also worried about seeing her mother again after all this time. Still, she feels she owes it to her family to visit, and she doesn’t want to let Aster and Frankie down. Marigold is happy to have August and Lottie accompanying her.

When the group disembarks from the boat and moves their things to Mr. Benny’s carriage, Lottie realizes she left behind a special book of nursery rhymes that her parents left her. It’s all she has of them. Lottie is distraught, knowing she left it in Marigold’s cottage, but she chooses to proceed to Bardshire without it.

When transferring from Mr. Benny’s carriage to the ship that will take them to Bardshire, Marigold’s foot catches on the dock. She thinks this is a sign she should not go, but she presses on. The ship has separated men’s and women’s quarters, so Marigold and Lottie room together. Lottie undresses in front of Marigold, which catches Marigold off-guard.