The Familiars of the Lost Witch (ONC 2024)

12. Teen

As the voice echoed over the clearing, his heart wanted to jump out of his chest. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, it was loud and like a warning. He was scared that if he took one more step, he would be attacked.

But then Asha seemed to be amused and he surpressed the instinct to flee. Instead he followed her.

At first the light blinded him after the darkness of the forest, but then his eyes adjusted and he could make out what seemed like a camp side. Some huts and tree logs surrounding a fire place and infront of that stood an old woman.

There was no doubt that she was a witch. No normally elderly would live this deep in a forest.

She seemed to recognise Asha and greeted her friendly, ignoring him, the intrudor. It was very clear, that he didn't belong here.

The woman had a strong aura surrounding her, he didn't dare to say anything and even Kyrell stayed silent. As she adressed the crow he could feel him straightening up on his shoulder and fluffing up his feathers a little. It tickled on his cheek.

Cybele wasn't here. They traveled all this way for nothing. Surely she would be home by now and wonder where her familiars had gone and she would think that he had kidnapped them. At least she would think that he was responsible for their missing.

As the old witch finally acknowlegded him, Kyrell took away his chance to say something, but that wasn't so bad because he didn't even know how he should answer.

"Oh, a nameless one. A cursed one too, very interesting."

What was it with witches immediately knowing that he was cursed? Did he have it written on his face? Was that just a witch thing? He didn't know, but it was very shocking, that being the first thing someone finding about and straight up saying to him.

He couldn't stop himself from staring at the witch and examining her further. Her black hair fell straight above her shoulders, she was wearing a white cloak and her face was full of wrinkles. There was no doubt that she was old and even though he wasn't sure what a white witch was, she must be a powerful one.

Maybe he didn't need Cybele to lift his curse, maybe she could do that. But why would she, he had nothing to offer her. He was simply a human trespasser that didn't even belong here.

And he had promised Asha and Kyrell to find Cybele and he would keep his promises. They would go back and if she wasn't home, they would keep searching even though he had no idea were they should look for her.

Her familiars could know something more, Cybele could have made a detour to a village where she was needed, who knows.

"You three can stay the night here, it is dangerous at night in this part of the forest", offered the white witch. Night? A look above revealed that the sun had already set and the moon had risen.

He wasn't exactly exited to stay at another witch's home, but going back during the night wasn't something he wanted either, so he just nodded.

It turned out that Dhana was the only witch permanently living there. The other huts where only for witch meetings and when other witches stayed here temporarily.

The clearing was the center of a magical forest where some rare herbs grew you could only find here and in other hidden places. The boy would stay with Asha and Kyrell in the hut Cybele had slept during her stay here.

He could see that her familiars felt more at ease at a place their witch had stayed before. Dhana gave them some roots they grilled over the fireplace. They didn't even taste that bad.

They talked a while about what they would do next, before going to sleep. Asha was sure that Cybele would have arrived home before they left if she traveled straight home and that something must have happened on the way.

On the way here they hadn't come upon any clues of the witch, but that didn't mean anything because they hadn't really looked for any. They all had hoped to find Cybele here or on the way.

Where could the witch have gone, leaving him with her familiars alone for so long? There was a possibility that she had anticipated that she would be gone for longer than usual and that was why she had tasked him to take care of them.

As he slept the dream of his parents returned. It was clearer than it had ever been and he could finally see them, hear them clearly.

He heared them calling his name. It was...

___

Wordcount:
chapter: 802 words
in total: 13.045 words

Yes, I wont reveal his name yet xD

This chapter was a little bit longer...

What do you think happened with Cybele?

How do you like the story so far?