The Witches Hunt

5

Asteria woke in the warm cave,with the morning sun's rays only starting to show through the trees, the air was moist and the snow on the ground had mostly defrosted since the night before but it still left a thin layer over the soft grass. The boy noticed Asta start to stir from her slumber and glanced over at her

"Finally, I've been waiting for you to get up for ages"he then returned his gaze to fire, Asta rubbed her eyes and mumbled

"Good morning to you too".

She stood up and stumbled over to the fire, thanks to their little skirmish yesterday everything hurt. She sat down on the floor next to the fire, across from the boy, who didn't look up from it's glow as it reflected off his face . She stared at him, his features were defined and his dark hair barely reached his shoulders. The boy looked up at her with his bright blue eyes and Asta felt like she could drown in them

She sighed

"I never told you my name did I?"she reached her hand out, slightly leaning to reach around the fire

"Asteria Cliff"

The boy hesitated "That's because I never asked"

Asteria retracted her hand "It was simple manners"

"And since when did that matter to us?"

After a while the boy huffed and said

"Phoenix Crawfield"

Asta smiled warmly "Pleasure to make your acquaintance"

Phoenix didn't return the kind gesture. Asta pulled out a piece of parchment and a pen, she placed them on the floor and began to write

"Who are you writing to?" Phoenix asked, looking at the parchment
Asteria covered the letter up

"None of your business"

"It was just a question" he mocked her sentence from earlier

They sat for a second, Asta thought of the risks of telling him about Leanndra

"It's to my sister"

"Is she younger than you?"

"Yes"

Phoenix nodded slowly and stared back into the fire, a certain distance in his eyes, almost like he was scheming some sort of plan. Asteria finished the letter and stood up

"How do you plan on getting that to her?" he asked her

"When we get to Estergend, I will post it"

"Your asking for her death"he stated

Asta looked at him with fury

"Excuse me"

"The witch hunters could read it and notice the name, they would then go to where it was addressed and take the witch"he finished his explanation

"How would they know she's a witch, she hasn't show any magical abilities" Asta asked

"We choose not to risk the option of letting a witch live, so we take people if they come from a magical family"

"So you take children?" she asked, her voice raised

"Sometimes, but only if they are about ten years old or older"

Asta fell silent and became even more horrified, Ann was fourteen.

"If I were you, I wouldn't send it, but do what you want" he suggested

Asteria slowly crumpled the letter and put it in her pocket.

They packed up and walked through the cold forest, along the journey Phoenix explained the plan to sneak Asteria into Palisea's capital city Estergend as Asta silently listened, sometimes giving input. She watched him while he explained a crucial part of the plan "we can go in as witch hunters''