The Witch's Familiar

Entry One- 1520

They say that gaining a familiar is the greatest joy a witch can experience, that no witch has truly earned their title until they have a loyal, magical companion at their side. Though through my hundreds of years of being a witch, I had yet to find one. Far across the land I had searched, helping any stray animal I came across and honing my skills as I did so. With every town I passed and every townsperson helped, I spent hours sneaking through alleyways and trekking along forest trails in the hopes of finding myself a magical creature with which to spend my time.
And that's when I found her.
Tired from a recent encounter with a stray dog and huddled behind an old house in the back alley of some dull British city was a black cat with sleek fur and sage-green eyes. She meowed warily as I approached, pressing herself against the wall farthest from me, and that's when I felt it. A spark, a flicker of spare energy with universes' worth of potential.
Magic.
And perhaps she felt that same magic within me because she lifted her ears, her tail flicking behind her in utter curiosity. She tilted her head to the side, creeping towards me with apprehension. The cat blinked slowly and carefully, keeping her eyes trained solely on me.
The magic I felt from this creature was unlike any I'd ever experienced before. I'd heard many explanations of it, though, both from my own teacher and other witches I'd crossed paths with in the past. This creature had to be a shapeshifter of some sort; I could sense it in the way the air seemed to flicker and ripple around her, the strange sensation that befell me from looking upon this feline form.
I tilted my head right back at her, my eyes affixed on hers. She gave a small meow of acknowledgement, pausing in her approach to meet my gaze.
"I know what you are," I told her, keeping my voice gentle as the morning dew on a rose's petals.
A fog started to gather around her, and my heart leapt into my throat. The very first thought that ran into my head was that she was casting some form of curse, or perhaps an invisibility spell to make her escape easier. The fog was definitely of a magical type: pale green in coloration, almost the same shade as her eyes. But as the fog cleared and the pounding of my anxious heart slowed, I saw she was still there.
Or at the very least, a singular form of her was.
Before me stood the most gorgeous woman I'd ever seen. Long, black hair fell loose around her shoulders, her eyes sparkling that entracing sage-green. Her skin was a dark brown, and her ears were pointed in a way I'd never seen on a person before. The clothes she wore were tattered and clearly old: a dark green dress with the hem strategically cut in a way that it wouldn't brush against the ground as she walked. Even still, her outfit was caked in a fine layer of dust, likely from her time as a cat wandering through these filthy backroads.
As she drew herself up to her full height, I noticed that she was much taller than I. It was almost intimidating, seeing the sharpness of her nails and the way she seemed to examine me, walking loose circles around me the entire time. Then she gave me a timid, fanged smile, and the pieces clicked into place.
Perhaps a familiar did not have to be strictly animalistic... maybe all that mattered was that a bond was formed. And, truthfully, when I first saw this dazzling woman, all of my thoughts had drifted away from my search. In that moment, I had been purely enamored by this unusual, curious shapeshifter, the type of magic she possessed that was entirely foreign to me. Perhaps- and this thought occurred to me as I noticed the hopeful look in her eyes- I wouldn't be lonely anymore.
"Can you help me..?" she asked slowly. Something flicked behind her, and I had to do a double take to notice the black-furred tail- her tail, a remnant of her shifted form. "It's my first time in the city, and I haven't the slightest idea how to navigate it..."
I nodded, offering my hand to her. I plastered an expression onto my face that I hoped portrayed just how willing I was to help. Not only was I drawn to the magic running through her (it was nearly tantalizing in its nature, a bright hum amongst the otherwise dull background noise of the world), but she seemed like a good soul. I'd gotten so used to watching my step as I went through life, careful to avoid those who might harm me. Seeing a genuinely kind face was refreshing... a reason to keep my hope about me.
She took my hand, and it was as if a spark had been ignited. Hundreds of possibilities spanned out before us, all of them new and exciting. An eternity's worth of adventure, if only we reached for it. Her eyes widened and my smile only grew, and we reached a sort of understanding. A bond exclusively for two.
"You're a witch..." she breathed, her voice laced with pure awe.
"Of course I am," I confirmed. "I assume you probably sensed my magic when you first saw me?"
She shook her head. "I'd sensed some form of magic, but I'd assumed it was my own... but to think there's another magic user around-! It's incredible!"
I gave a small laugh, delighted as she smiled softly. "Well, how about I take you back to my home, and we can discuss it more there? I just picked some elderberries earlier today, so I'm sure I can make you something to drink. Besides, these streets aren't fit for magic users such as ourselves. We're entitled to... finer luxuries."
It was nearly adorable, the way her fangs poked out from behind her lips as she grinned. She still had a cat-like intelligence glittering behind her eyes, one that I could tell would be easy to admire.
"Oh, I can't wait to see what your home looks like-!" she exclaimed in utter glee, her tail practically wagging. "I heard that some witches live in adorable little cottages! But, some have these huge towers!"
I continued to hold her hand as I led her down the street. Gently, I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles, earning a soft purr every once in a while. Her disheveled clothes and general appearance made a few passerby glance at her with rather nasty looks, but I returned their glares tenfold, tightening my grip on her hand. I would not let the harshness of this place destroy the lovely demeanor she had. It would try to break her, whittle her down to nothing but a loathsome husk, but I'd do my best to keep her whole.
As we finally broke the threshold of the bustling English city, making our way into the thick forest just beyond its borders, her eyes met mine. We walked hand-in-hand through the forest, neither of us hindered by the brambles that tried to snag the hems of our dresses or the twigs that would attempt to trip us. Instead, we walked in a comfortable harmony. It was a rhythm that felt so natural, like some long-buried instinct we'd only just rediscovered.
"I never got your name," she said unexpectedly, drawing my attention away from the path and fixing it on her.
If she could tell how taken aback I was, she didn't comment on it.
"My name is Cassandra," I answered. "But you can call me Cassie."
"Cassie..." she repeated, testing the way the name felt passing her lips. I enjoyed the way her slight accent altered its pronunciation, making it sound more unique than I thought it was. It was nice to have felt special, even just for that small moment. "It's a good name."
"Thank you. And yours is..?"
"Cynthia."
It was an uncommon name around these parts, one I wasn't too familiar with. I had to admit, however, it sounded gorgeous, especially in the airy, gentle way she said it. It was spoken as softly as puffy white clouds rolling across a perfect blue sky.
As we continued through the forest, I found it impossible to keep my thoughts away from her and her magic. And so, I figured, why try to stop it? My mind wandered freely, painting scenarios across my cerebral that I found so wonderfully appealing.
A picnic under the sun. The laughter of a gentle woman beside me. A flurry of sparks cast into the air by some unseen arcane force.
This woman- Cynthia- was clearly meant to be my familiar. But she would not be any simple companion, I could tell- she'd be extraordinary. Loyal to no end... and I'd be the same way.
Finding my other half was only the first step of my journey, though. There were big things brewing in the back of my mind, thoughts I'd believed I had successfully kept hidden from myself.
But seeing Cynthia's smile beside me, I knew I could keep the darkness away for just a bit longer. If only for her.