Witch Hunt #Wattys2018

Chapter 6

I barely tasted my food at dinner. I vaguely remembered it being stew, though I had no clue what was in it. 

I sat with the three girls. The girl in red introduced herself as Seraphina, and the other girl said her name was Aliza. That was all I remembered from the conversation.

The entire time I was trying to wrap my head around it. I couldn't go back. I would never see Jane again, I would never hug my mother again. The conversation I had with my father would be our last.

Michael had told me I had a choice. For something that should have been so easy, I was having a hard time deciding.

I knew if I went back the town would probably kill be on the spot. If I stayed they would make me a Witch Hunter. For most, they wouldn't have to think about it, stay.

The problem was if I stayed, they would expect me to kill. I knew this from hearing Michael tell Seraphina about an old witch he had killed in our escape. I didn't want to kill anyone. I couldn't bear the thought of taking another life, even if they were witches.

I followed the three girls to a cabin not far from the dining hall. On either side of the cabin were two that looked nearly exactly alike, aside from the curtains in the windows. One's brown, the others blue. Ours was red.

Inside the cabin were four beds. Two on one side, two on the other. At the foot of the beds, trunks, much like the ones at home. The cabin was small, just enough for the four of us.

On one side Eliana and Aliza sat on their beds. On the other Seraphina sat on the one farthest from the wooden door.

I sat in the only empty one, the bed closest to the door. Across the room Eliza smiled at me.

"So," Seraphina said slyly, "Eliana. How are you and Michael?"

Aliza giggled on her bed.

While opening her trunk Eliana huffed, "You know very well how things are."

Aliza giggled again. Eliana pulled out a clean white night gown and placed it on my bed, "That'll due until we can get you some more."

I thanked her and began to undress.

"Oh please Eliana." Seraphina said rolling her eyes, "I want you tell us more."

"Does your brother not tell you anything?" Eliana asked, beginning to undress as well.

As they continued, I took off my bonnet, and let down my hair. I grimaced at how disgusting it was.

"Please Eliana?" Aliza begged

"I think it's time for the two of you to get ready for bed." Eliana replied

Seraphina and Aliza broke into a fit of giggles.

I sat on my bed and wondered what exactly was going on between Michael and Eliana. I was reminded of when I would beg my sister to tell me about the boy she was courting. She was much more willing to give me answers than Eliana.

I found myself being roped into the conversation and finally asking "What's going on with her and Michael?"

This caused Aliza and Seraphina to break into another fit of giggles.

"I'm courting him." Eliana explained folding her dress. "And these two think there's more going on."

"Which there is!" Aliza added

"Don't you think I would tell you?" Eliana teased

"Maybe not!" Aliza laughed

"You're my sister!" Eliana laughed back

Seraphina joined in on the laughter and I found myself laughing too. That when I decided to stay. Even if I would never see my family again, I would have a new one here.

The next morning I told Michael, "I'm happy to hear that." He told me placing a hand on my shoulder. The second his hand landed on my shoulder, I was filled with the sense of terror once again. I wrenched my self away. Michael stared at me in shock, and I back at him.

"What was that?" He asked quietly

"I- I don't know." I answered truthfully

He narrowed his eyes, "Are you sure Mira didn't do anything to you?"

I shook my head, "It's happened before twice."

I told him about how the same thing happened to me when Brusco grabbed me, and again when Daimhin kidnapped me.

Michael's face grew stoic as he considered this. "This is odd." He finally said, "I'm going to look into it, but for now, I don't want you to act as if anything is wrong. You'll train as any other who joins us." He told me seriously

"Train?" I asked

He nodded, "If you're to join us I can't have you not knowing what you're doing." He explained, "I'll have Seraphina train you." He told me

_____________

"I'm so happy I get to train you!" Seraphina squealed after breakfast, "And that you're staying" She added hastily

She explained how every week chores would alternate to different cabins. "This week we're on laundry. Next week we'll be food." She then explained how three cabins had food at a time, "The men get such easier chores!" She complained as we cleaned some sheets at a small creek a short walk from the village, "Plus, since Eliana's a nurse, there's more work for us."

"Why doesn't everyone do one chore all the time?" I asked

"I don't know." She admitted, "It's been like this since before Michael and I ended up here."

"How did you end up here?" I wondered allowed

"That's a story for another day." She said hastily, "How about we talk about your training?" She asked changing the topic, "Do you have any experience?"

"I killed one on accident."

She dropped her side of the sheets, "No way!" She gasped

So for the third time I told my story, still leaving out my conversation with my father.

"Wow." Seraphina said after my story was complete, "That must have been awful."

I simply nodded my head. She put the freshly clean sheets in the basket we had brought them down in, and stood up, "Anything else?" She asked, "There was a lot of witch activity going on in that area a couple of months ago."

"In Salem." I said, "My village was a couple miles north." I explained thinking about Salem led my thoughts to Eris. She had moved there with her husband just a few months before the witch stuff started to happen.

"Are you alright?" Seraphina asked noticing my demeanor

"Yes." I lied

She gave me a concerned look, before walking ahead of me back into the village. I shook my head clear of thought about my sister and followed Seraphina.

---------------

After the laundry was out up to dry I followed Seraphina to a small quiet clearing not far from the clearing.

"This is where I was trained." She told me. She then bent over and pulled a small knife out of her boot. She handed it to me, "For now, this is your weapon. Don't lose it. Always have it with you." She said seriously, sounding more like Michael than she probably intended.

I nodded ind took the knife in my hand. The hilt was warm, made out of the same metal the blade was made out of.

"We'll start simple." She told me, "Throw the knife at that tree," She pointed at a large oak several meters away

I positioned myself the way I saw boys throw rocks, and throw the knife. It flew to the left of the oak.

"Go get it." She instructed

I picked up the knife, now wet from the ground, and planted myself in the same spot I had previously stood.

"Get in the position you think you need to be in." She told me, and I did. "You're too stiff." She said. "Relax your muscles. Stand strait. Try again."