Witch Hunt #Wattys2018

Chapter 11

The book closed with a thump. In the two weeks we had been having training sessions in the church, I had finished three books and found no answers to my questions.

"When will we start fighting again?" I asked putting the book back on the self.

"I thought you didn't like fighting?" Seraphina teased

"It's better than staying in here all day." I retorted

Since the first day in the church, we had stayed all day, Seraphina making me analyze every paragraph. I was to come straight to the church after breakfast, we would stop for lunch, do chores, then come back the the church to pick up where we left off. I was actually excited for the week we were in charge of cooking, as that meant I would be inside the kitchens instead of the church.

"Can't we at least go practice throwing knives?" I begged, "Anything but this!"

Seraphina witched me and thought for a moment, "Very well. After lunch we'll go throw knives."

With a new spring in my step, we walked to the dining hall where Aliza was waiting for us.

"Have you seen Michael?" She asked, "He seemed nervous this morning."

"No." I said as we walked inside the building, in truth he had started avoiding me since Seraphina told me about their mother. Walking into the building a gust of warm air greeted us.

"It got cold fast." Seraphina said changing the subject, I knew she wasn't happy talking about Michael as he was avoiding her as well.

"The first snow will be here soon." Predicted Aliza

"I don't think it'll be here for another few weeks." I countered, sitting down

"Oh really?" Aliza asked raising an eyebrow, "I'll have you know I always make correct weather predictions!"

"She does." Seraphina said, slipping of her shawl and placing it in her lap. Aliza and I did the same.

"I don't think it's possible for you to be right every time!" I argued

"It is! Because I am!" She teased

The two of us went back and forth with this for a couple minutes, until Seraphina got tired of it.

"There's only one way to find out." She cut me off as I was telling Aliza how it wasn't possible, "Wait to find out."

With this solid piece of advice, we got our food and ate.

After we finished cleaning the dining hall, Seraphina and I walked to the clearing, where I hadn't actually been since my freak out with Michael.

As we walked I wrapped my shawl tighter around me, "What's witch activity like in the winter?" I asked

Seraphina shrugged, "It changes every year. Last year there was a lot over in Salem. We never really know what the activity is going to be like. That's the problem with witches, most of them have gone so mad, you don't know what they're ever going to do." She stopped talking for a moment as she had to step over a large fallen branch, "We learn to adapt around them," She continued, "not knowing what they're up to is something you get used to."

We entered the clearing and I pulled my knife out of my boot. Just as Seraphina had told me, I always had it on me. Even at night I slept with it under my pillow. During the first few nights, I found the thought of sleeping with a knife under my pillow slightly barbaric, by then I had become accustomed to it.

We took turns throwing, by then I hit the center of the old oak every time, so we worked with moving targets. One of us would throw a piece of bark, while the other threw their knife. At first, the cold made it hard, but the longer we were out there, the less I let the cold affect me. The moving targets were harder to hit than the oak, but by the time we were walking back to the village, I had hit three pieces of bark.

We greeted Aliza at the dining hall, and waited for Eliana.

"How was training?" Aliza asked a justing her bonnet.

I told her about the targets, and by the time I had finished my story, Eliana had approached us.

We entered the warm dining hall, and sat as we waited for the food to be brought it us. The three cabins who were in charge of it this week, were gathered around the giant black pot that most of the food it cooked in.

"What do you suppose is taking so long?" Eliana asked Aliza
"Something fell in the stew." Aliza mused "It was a necklace." She added with certainty

"My guess is a ring." Seraphina reckoned smiling as she did so

"I think it was a bonnet." Eliana guessed, while slipping her hair back into her bonnet.

I had seen them partake in this game before, whoever won got the others bread. I rarely joined in, that night not being an occasion I didn't.

"Eliana, what took so long for you to get here?" I asked while we waited to find out

Her cheeks turned pink, "I'll tell you later, after dinner." The three of us shared a look, and said nothing.

We waited in silence to find out what had happened to the stew. As it turned out, it was a ring. Seraphina laughed at the others and happily took their bread.

___________

The moment we entered the cabin all three of us turned to Eliana, "What is it?" Seraphina asked excitedly.

Eliana's cheeks turned pink again, "I was with Michael." She admitted

The three of us burst in a flurry of gasps and giggles. 

"Nothing happened." She assured, "We were simply talking."

We continued to press for details, joking and laughing. Little did I know what was to happen a mere eight months later.