APPLE WITCH (girlxgirlxgirl)

8: The winter mark

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⚠️ abuse, physical and mental abuse, violence, kidnapping, mentions of death, non censored swearing ⚠️

The old witch watches the four supernaturals leave her cottage.

Three of them are busy looking down at the map she has just redrawn for them, while the fourth looks downright angry and disappointed. The vampires were immediately taken by interest once they realized that she knew where he was. The winter witch, the one they are looking for. Their original map would've lead them way off, to a different mountain eastward from here. But they don't have to go that far. She knows where he lives, and it's just a days trip up the west mountain of the woods.

It's a very tall mountain though, hopefully they won't have any problems climbing it.

The woman thinks back to the spring witch, as she watches her leave the cottage. The open wooden door is a sudden source of light, that illuminates the otherwise dark shop. Spring is always sunny like this, the new grass leaning inside, the shadows from the trees above dancing on the ground below and the sun casting its dust and light onto the floor. A wind of warmth spreads inside, and the older witch can't take her eyes of it. She sees Melora, the spring witch, look back at her one last time.

Strawberry blond hair, small freckles grown from the sun, blue eyes that don't seem real, and a mark on her forehead that doesn't seem to suit. Still dressed in her old tower dress, the witch concludes. She watches her leave with a smile still on her face. The witch recognises that dress far too well. It hits her like a brick wall. The look on the young Melora's face, and the dress that she wears, the blonde hair. Most of all, the mark on her forehead. Melora is like a splitting image of the witch's sister. It gives her great pain to see her be so disappointed. She feels almost as if she has betrayed her.

But she did what had to be done. Telling these vampires of the winter witch's location... it was not what she wanted to do at heart. She doesn't trust them fully, she doesn't know what they will use him for or how they will treat him. But at the end of the day, he will be better off. She might be gambling with his life but...

If anyone needs change right now, it's him.

This time, Melora gets to sit in front of Astra while they ride down the road.

Or maybe "gets" is not the right word, considering how uncomfortable she feels. Considering how this was definitely not her choice of partner. Her back is pressed up against the taller's chest, the other's shoulders practically engulfing her whole. At least, that's what it feels like. Sitting in front of her is like being forced to look forwards while the shadow of a monster looms behind you. It makes her shiver at the mere thought.

She can feel the vampire's breath against her neck sometimes, since she still hasn't gotten time to undo her two braids. She can feel her arms against hers, as they stretch over her to hold onto the saddle strings. The rumble of her chest as she speaks, it feels like a storm is on the way every single time, and Melora can't help but startle. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but still. The witch isn't really in a good mood right now, so whether she finds the other woman annoying or not is entirely up to her emotional state of mind.

"I bet you feel quite betrayed right now, don't you?"

Melora is startled out of her thoughts, as a silent whisper enters her left ear. Astra teases her quietly, holding back a laugh as she speaks. It's not the fun kind of teasing that friends do among friends, it's the half-cruel kind of teasing that makes Melora want to roll her eyes and punch her at the same time. Still, the whisper and the hot breath against her neck makes her blush and shiver, slightly pushing away from the other's grip.