Seven Witches

seventeen

Cythera woke the next day with an animal cradled against her. No, not just any animal, but a wolf. She staggered away from it, cringing at the cold that slapped her in the face.

The wolf looked up with its circular silver irises, silver just as Cythera's eyes. Just like me, she thought to herself, studying how its pupils dilated and constricted. The animal watched her for a while, then proceeded to nuzzle its head into her lap.

She was tense at first but then relaxed as she realised that it meant no harm. Hesitantly, she reached her hand and stroked its fur. So soft, nothing like Tetka Helen's fur drapery, or her coats.

Cythera took out some of the dried meat she kept in her bag and placed it on her hand, watching the wolf snap its head up and sniff wildly. "Here," she whispered, brushing its head. "I don't have plenty but I don't mind sharing." She didn't pack much meat because she didn't have time to. Instead she brought fruits and nuts.

The wolf devoured it in a single bite, its fangs as tall as her pointer finger. She stood then, brushing the ice off of her coat. As she walked away, the wolf followed. "I don't have food enough for two," she said through rattling teeth.

Despite that, it followed. She wasn't surprised, animals couldn't speak Russian. Cythera didn't mind the company, didn't mind that it wiggled its tail throughout the hours of walking, throughout the brief strong winds that blew by.

She didn't mind giving it the meat she had kept for herself, eating the fruits instead. There was still food to last for three more days, but not enough meat. All day, she tried to find mushrooms or damp trees, or any sign of life at all. She found some, but when she followed them she reached nowhere.

It all went by like that, Cythera walking until she tired, the wolf following her, then the two lying next to each other to sleep. For two days, this was how her day went by.

Her lips were numb, face red with cold. She began eating less, nothing left from the dried meat because she and the animal had eaten all of it. The bottles of water she kept close to her body to prevent from freezing were also running out and now she was starting to worry.

At one particular night, the wolf who she had named Alba started walking away from her. At first she thought that it had tired of her and was looking for food elsewhere, but then Alba would stop and look back at Cythera, howling.

She followed it, for a good portion of the night, she followed Alba. The wolf didn't stop, and seemed to be confident where she went, sniffing the snow and running then waiting for Cythera who was significantly slower.

It was a full moon, the snow was grey and the trees were dark and thin. Alba turned around a snow covered bush and disappeared.

And then, she emerged again, staring at Cythera with her glowing eyes. Rounding the bush, she saw where Alba led her.

A cave.

A warm, wet cave.

Vladimir;

"I don't mind Vladi," Iskra said softly, dressed in a pale lavender gown that he had bought for her before she completely lost her sight so she knew was beautiful. She said it was her favourite, not because it was lavender, but because the inside of it was warm enough.

Vladimir straightened her skirt which had become ruffled as she stood beside him in the balcony. "I do,"

She pressed her lips together, pretending to admire the view. "What Anne said was true, it is my choice after all, you wouldn't stop me from doing what I desire brother would you?"

Damn her, for using that card against him. And damn Anne, for putting him in this situation. He knew that she said it during lunch deliberately so that she'd plant guilt into his sister's heart.