WITCH - The Queen

Chapter 10

Julia

It all happened terribly fast. She had just seen Finn and Marko with an unclothed stranger, then a wolf jumped towards her. Pain. That was all she felt afterward.

Her shoulder hurt, as did her arm. She tried to protect her face in panic. Pain. Snarling. Someone pulled the wolf away from her. More growls.

"Mom, leave her be!" That was Finn's voice, then everything went black around Julia.

Marko

Finn's mother growled as he pushed her to the ground in wolf form. Finn cried. Josefine and Fiete came running out of the tent, followed by Peter and Leopold.

"Julia!", cried Peter, startled, and knelt down next to her sister. Leopold ran back into the tent to get his parents. Fiete held Josefine, who growled angrily and showed them her more than threatening teeth.

"What happened? Why is Julia hurt?", asked Fiete, struggling to stop his niece from attacking Finn's mother.

"She suddenly attacked her!" Finn sobbed. "Mom saw Julia and then pounced on her!"

"That's your mother?" Fiete looked at the two wolves, which now turned back. Marko was still holding the werewolf, who looked back and forth between them, angry and confused. She had blond hair. Just like Finn. Marko noticed for the first time how similar Finn looked to his mother.

"What's going on here? Why are you defending the witch?", she snorted angrily.

"Firstly, because Julia is our friend, and secondly! What were you up to? To kill her? That would have cost me and Finn our lives!", hissed Marko angrily.

"Seriously hurting her is enough for me!" Finn's mother, Elodie, growled. "She's holding my baby captive!"

Marko watched as Hanno and Flora brought Julia back into the tent. Leopold hurried away. Presumably to get bandages and maybe help from the centaurs.

"My little sister doesn't hold anyone captive!" Peter was now standing next to Fiete. His face was red with anger. Finn knelt down next to his mother.

"Mom! You're can't do that", he whimpered softly.

"I don't understand that." Elodie looked at her son. "Why are you protecting the witch..."

Meanwhile, Josefine tore herself away from her uncle and ran into the tent. Fiete looked after her sadly and then put an arm around Peter's shoulders. Peter sighed and the two went into the tent as well.

"Mom. Julia is my best friend. My sister", Finn explained.

Julia

"Don't move. You bumped your head!", that was Leopold's voice. Julia blinked. She was lying on her mat. Leopold held her hand and Josefine sat next to him with her knees drawn. Tears shimmered in her yellow, eerie dragon eyes.

"What happened?", asked Julia, still a little dazed.

"You were attacked." Leopold smiled and brushed a few hairs from her forehead. "You have a concussion, a deep bite wound on your shoulder, and deep scratches on your left arm and abdomen. We were able to stop the bleeding, but that will give a few scars. The wounds had to be stitched. Luckily, one of the centaurs can do that. You have a fever, so you shouldn't try to heal the wounds."

"Oh... Why was I attacked?"

"Finn's mother is here. Elodie. She thought she had to defend Finn. She has certainly apologized a hundred times by now...", Leopold explained. Josefine growled but said nothing.

"Finn's mother? That's nice." Julia sighed. She had a terrible headache. "I bet Finn is delighted."

"Very. And Elodie is overjoyed to have her child back." Leopold kissed the hand he held. "But she attacked you. Are you thirsty?"