WITCH - The Queen

Chapter 43

Marko

The sandstorm reached them faster than expected. They had managed to set up and secure the second tent just in time.

Strong winds shook the tents. The horses neighed. They were tied to one of the two tents. So that they were shielded from the wind and the sand. Finn pressed himself to Marko, startled.

"Are sandstorms very dangerous?", he murmured softly.

Marko nodded. "I think so."

The wind howled like a wolf and Marko wondered if he should howl along. Maybe that would brighten the mood? He ran his fingers through Finn's hair. Josefine had laid her head in Julia's lap while Julia snuggled up to Leopold. The three seemed nervous.

"Hopefully the tent will hold", the elf shouted against the roaring wind. He had put his arm around Julia. "I don't want to have to hold on to it..."

"Rather, we are buried by the sand." Julia sighed. "Do you think the others are fine?"

The wind was so loud that they could hardly hear anything else.

"The tent will hold." Josefine yawned. Then she turned into a big lion and nudged Julia with a large, soft paw.

"Oh! Are you a big cat this time?" Julia grinned and ran her fingers through Josef's dark mane. "A very big cat."

Leopold grinned as Julia escaped his embrace to snuggle up to Josef. She laid her feet on Leopold's lap. "Oh? So Josef is a better pillow than me?", he asked with raised eyebrows.

Julia yawned. "No. But bigger. And fluffy!"

Josef growled contentedly.

"Be careful, or Josef snatches Julia away from you!" Marko stuck out his tongue at the laughing elf.

"Leopold generally has to share with Josef and Fiete!", said Finn. His whole body trembled. "I also want something soft to cuddle!"

"How about a wolf?", Marko suggested, to which Finn nodded.

"Well then!" Marko kissed Finn's forehead and stood up to undress.

"Marko! We don't want to see your butt!" Leopold snorted in amusement. "You two are not alone in this tent!"

Marko rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue. "Then don't look!"

A little later, Finn snuggled up to a big black wolf.

" Great... Now I'm the only one without a fluffy animal." Leopold grimaced.

"You have my feet!" Julia grinned.

"Great!" The elf looked as if he was considering tickling Julia's feet. But he decided against it. Of course, he did. She looked so contented as she snuggled up to the dark lion. And Leopold probably didn't want to be kicked. Marko had experienced firsthand that it was a painful idea to tickle Julia under her feet.

The wind howled again, and Marko decided that it was time to answer.

Agathe

Agathe was furious. More than just angry. The vampires refused her the rope and her own people couldn't figure out how it was made. Annoyed, she wrote another letter to the vampires. First of all, she thanked them for the promised weapons. Then she asked for the rope again. Snorting, she pointed out the urgency of her dragon problem.

Then she wrote a second letter. This one was for Marlon.

In this letter, she formulated her ideas for taking power. After all, the stupid boy didn't have enough sense to plan all this on his own. She also addressed the topic of the wedding. They shouldn't marry too early so that it did not become conspicuous. She did not want to provoke any further uprisings. No. She wanted to comfortably bring the marshland under her rule. Well, under Marlon's rule first. For a while.