Witch Hunt

The Strangers

Enya walked along the perimeter of the mansion's property. A black elegant fence, laced with vines and protective runes, outlined the property and she found herself admiring its magical beauty. The contrast of the black fence and the bright green plants entranced her. Peace and quietness surrounded Enya and her thoughts wandered to the picture of the queen holding a goat. Enya felt she understood the symbolism a little more after all the information Greg shared with her. Perhaps, the goat was representation of the devilish son she would have brought into this world.

The overcast sky and cool breeze caused Enya to shiver ever so slightly. The atmosphere was a tad eerie and Enya found herself getting lost in the rolling hills and patches of woods beyond the fence. She stopped walking and looked at them longingly. The raven squawked beside her and flew up into the sky and was circling her from above as though guarding her.

"Hmm...What's your name?" Enya gazed up at the black bird. She realized and accepted being stuck with the runty creature and had grown fond of its company. It deserved a name. Just what to name it.

"Oh, my name is Vali, but you can just call me Val." A masculine voice shattered Enya's thoughts and she jumped startled by the sudden presence. On the other side of the fence in front of her stood a tall man with a grin on his pale face.

"Wh-who are you?" she stuttered.

"I just told you! I'm Val, we met before but not formally." Suddenly, Enya recognized the mysterious man across the fence.

"You're the guy from the market place I saw the other day!" Enya casted him a confused look. How did he find her and why was he at Greg's mansion? It wasn't like Greg's property was particularly close to the village.

"I see you questioning me, no worries; I enjoy taking strolls in the forest and noticed you over here pacing the fence. Figured I would stop by and see how you were doing today." He was a lot less menacing today than he had been when she ran into him in town. He seemed chipper and friendly, completely different than his harsh attitude before.

The raven squawked above and dove onto Enya's shoulder. Enya scratched behind the bird's head and it chirruped happily at the attention. Val eyed the bird and then looked Enya from head to toe as though evaluating her. His over analytical gaze caused her to feel nervous and she glanced back at the distance between her and the mansion.

"What kind of magic do you practice?" Val asked bluntly. Enya's heart stopped in her chest and she felt her face blush.

"I don't know what you are talking about!" she could feel her panic rising and in response her eyes began to faintly glow. She rubbed them trying to calm down.

"It's not like I am going to report you, I could use your help. Also, it's not hard to piece it together: bright copper hair, golden eyes, and a familiar. Pretty obvious." Val chuckled. The raven squawked and took back to the sky and Enya's eyes followed it. Familiar? Had the raven been her familiar and her not even realize it?

"Well," She looked back at the mansion, "I still don't know what you are talking about. I need to head back." Enya looked to the ground and turned from the strange man and began walking toward the mansion.

Suddenly, she bumped into someone. Rubbing her nose, she looked up and yelped when she noticed it was Val. He smirked at her and rose an eyebrow. Startled she looked behind her and realized she was now looking back at the mansion and was on the wrong side of the fence. Quickly, she brought her attention to the man and began breathing rapidly as she tried figuring out how she ended up where she was.