Medeia, The Witch of the Wood

Chapter 4

The sun was well on the way down, when I had finished all my chores except for the last one. The affects of the long day was already wearing on Dranios. He had begun to turn down the carrots I offered, so once we had reached Lady Niamh's home, I tied him to the post outside her cottage and enchanted his blanket. A quick sigil for warmth earned me a thankful nudge from the beast and I turned towards the squat house with a sack of firewood over my shoulder.

Immediately once I reached the door, it slammed open, revealing the two Gumi twins beaming up at me.

"Aunt Medeia! You're finally here!" They shouted, jumping around me in circles and almost sending me tumbling into the snow. "Careful, now. There's ice everywhere" I smiled and loosened one hand from the sack to ruffle little Arica's black hair. Meanwhile Acira clutched my thigh and was rubbing- I guess her snot, on my breeches. I limped into the warm entryway, carrying one 6 year old GUmi on each leg. From around the corner, a head popped out and I saw Elvira grinning at my predicament.

"Now twins, please let Aunty come inside. She needs to stock the firewood shed" She smiled with one hand on her hip and the other was clutching a bowl with a wooden spoon. The twins exchanged looks and after a moment, relinquished me. They scampered off, turning into their white fox counter parts before disappearing around the corner. Elvira checked to make sure they weren't tearing the house down and walked over to me. I dropped the sack onto the elm floor and rolled my shoulders from the strain.

"How was your day, hun? Is Beau still as crazy as ever?" She asked, pulling me close with a kiss on my nose and leaving me beaming back sat her.

"Getting better with every moment I'm in your arms, and you know Beau enough to need not ask that," I gave her a crooked grin and she laughed softly. "Before I forget... Here is a gift from Syri" I pulled out the small gift from my leather satchel and passed it over. Elvira grinned as she tore the wrapping and revealed the gift underneath. A puzzle box.

"Crafty harpy," She smiled to herself and placed it on the chair by the front door. She nodded her thanks, heading back to the kitchen to continue with her cooking and I carried on with my task.

The firewood shed was overflowing by the time I had finished restocking it. I kicked the door closed and clicked the bronze padlock shut. Snow had begun falling in the clearing of the backyard and the trees lining the space each held ornate lanterns. The Gumis were wrestling in the snow, shifting between child and fox, their white fur making them invisible to anyone else.

"Stay in the clearing, you two. All right?" I called out to the mound of snow they were buried underneath.

With preternatural speed, they were suddenly sitting next to each other calmly and spoke in unison, "Yes, Aunty Medeia!" But as soon as I nodded, they were gone once again into the snowy depths.

I trudged through the deep snow, leaving deep footsteps in my wake. A step going up to the back porch was loose, so I took it upon myself to hammer it into its wooden frame. The entire porch shook with my efforts, so I made a mental note to redo the entire structure in the spring. My feet had taken me halfway to the backdoor when a burning sensation started in my back. I looked behind me but found nothing, so I cast my gaze towards the woods and where the Gumis were playing. Their wrestling forms were slowly nearing the edge of the light. At first, my shoulders sank in relief when I saw the twins playing and throwing snow at each other, but their squeals of joy quickly quieted in my ears when my gaze traveled up and saw the nearly invisible figure standing in the shadows, playing with them.

I sprung into action, my body already primed for battle. Walls of darkness blocked my vision so that only my target could be seen. Every single sensation in my body quieted and honed in on the figure playfully tossing snow on the twins. This may have been the first time I saw it in the light, but there was no doubt in my clear head that the shadow that had plagued my thoughts all night, was one and the same as the man that was now watching the children intently. My feet hit the ground and shook, the impact sending electricity up my legs and propelling me forward.

The man- or shadow, looked up just in time to see my face twisted in a ferocious grimace and hear the battle cry wrench from my throat. My hands connected first, the thick calloused skin from years of hard labor scratched at his coat shoulders as I tackled him to the snowy earth below. Oh, how I wished there was only barren rock to catch his fall.

What felt like both a year and a moment passed and suddenly I was on top of him. I drove my fists into him, staying true to my motto: Hit first, ask later. My knuckles connected over and over again with his jaw and the finer bones of his face, but I didn't give myself the time to really observe the features I was bashing.

Our skin connected one more time and blood spilled from his burst lip. His shock had apparently begun to fade since he started writhing under me, but his arms were trapped underneath my legs. The stranger was stronger than I had expected, though to be honest, I hadn't given myself enough time to measure him. He pushed me off of his chest, sending me rolling out of the clearing and almost straight into a tree.

Not even a moment passed and we were both on our feet again, staring each other down. I didn't look away from him but from the corner of my eye, I could see the Gumis running inside Lady Niamh's house. Good, I thought, help would come soon and this stranger would be out of our lives forevermore.

Now that we faced each other, our chests heaving with the sudden activity, I had the time to take in his features. Eerily familiar with tanned skin and short curly black hair, he had the most penetrating eyes of yellow. Like the full moon sitting high in a cloudless sky. They darted around and I realized he was searching for an escape. Not if I could help it, godsdamn.

For a split second his eyes met mine before he lunged, with the speed of a mountain lion, at my left. Landing a powerful punch to my gut, he took advantage of the blow and made to escape on my right. But his shifting eyes had given him away and I kicked out a leg while still clutching at my bruised stomach. The stranger tripped, his face hitting the icy snow and I quickly pivoted to face him once more.

"Medeia!" A voice called from the back porch and I recognized it as Elvira's. Risking a quick glance at her, I saw her clutching the wooden railing with stark white knuckles. Her sage eyes were so wide that I saw white all around and her brows were knitted in concern. She stared down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them with their palms up to the sky. I saw tears begin to fall from her eyes.

"Don't!" I yelled, turning my full attention to the stranger, "It's ok, baby!"

I didn't see what she did next but judging from the lack of blood rain falling from the heavens, I supposed she had listened to me. The stranger rose from the dirt, taking his sweet time wiping the snow and mud from his dirty features. As if I wasn't a threat. Arrogant bastard.

When he finally stood and looked at me, I heard a gasp bloom from behind. Elvira's gaze bore into the man and her eyes shot rapidly between us both. My heartbeat so fast and adrenaline clouded my mind so I couldn't place his face. She must recognize him, I thought. Anger swelled in me like a cresting wave and fueled my next attack. This time I took a more calculated approach, signing with my hands and drawing a unique sigil in the air in front of the stranger.

With the blessing of the Four Winds, I shot at him, sending a weak punch that he blocked easily, before continuing with my real strike. It landed hard under his chin, his neck snapping back audibly. Time slowed as he began to fly backward and tendrils of vines and grass grew to restrain him.

As he fell between two trees, the vines shot out and wrapped around his limbs pulling him taut and keeping his body suspended in the air. Just like a fly caught in a spider's web. Blood streamed from his nose and mouth and he had all sorts of gashes on the rest of his face. I knew I was injured, but I barely felt anything with all the adrenaline coursing through my veins.

"You dare show your face here, Alistair? You son of a bitch!" I roared and the vines pulled tighter. The man whom I assumed was Alistair groaned in pain and his head lulled back and forth. I heard footsteps in the snow and turned, Elvira was running towards us. When she reached me, her hands flew all over me. Checking for any bad injuries but I would be damned if I left a wraith, like him, hurt me.

"Don't worry, Elvira. I caught him. We can send Alistair away now," I said panting, my heart still thundering through my chest like Dranios outrunning a storm. Elvira finally looked at the trapped figure and shook her head. Her sage eyes met my own.

"That's not Alistair," she said.