Twisted Thorns

Chapter Nineteen: The Village

She was roused from her sleep by a knock at her door. She felt the bed next to her, and it was empty. Alucard had long since vacated the bed, leaving the sheets cool.
"Hold on!" She called. Before she could move at all, the High Priestess opened the door to her room, clothes in hand.
"Put these on," she said, as she threw them at her. A large , dark cloak, a long black dress and a pair of black boots where in her arms. Obeying, she put on the clothing. As she began to get her clothing together, she was stopped.
"You have no need for those where we are going." She stroked the top of her head, an affectionate gesture that reminded Lizzie of when her mother would soothe her to sleep when she was a child.
"Surely I need clothes?" Lizzie asked, bewildered.
"Not these kinds of clothes." The High Priestess said, running her fingers over the jeans laid out on the bed. She withdrew her hand, almost cringing. "We'll provide you with clothing." She smiled at Lizzie. As quick as she could, Lizzie clothed herself in the unusual garments. They fit her just fine. "Alright. Shall we be off then?" Again with the smile. This lady sure smiled a lot. "Now, come." she motioned to Lizzie to follow her through the door, which she did gingerly.
"Well, if I am to go with you to Germany, High Priestess, will you at least tell me your name?" she asked quietly, trying to keep pace with the lady's long legs. She stopped, as if considering.
"My name, for as long as I can remember, is Evelyn Windsong. This is not my birth name, it is the name I was given by the coven the day I was brought to them, as a young girl." and with that, she began walking once again, and Lizzie decided not to press the matter any further.

Outside in the cold, snow laden grounds, Evelyn stopped in her tracks ones again. She turned to Lizzie, her red cloak contrasting with the pure white snow. She took a long stick, from where, Lizzie did not see, and drew a circle in the snow around them.
"Stand in the circle," she said quietly, which Lizzie obeyed. "Now, please stay in the circle. Hold my hands. And keep your eyes closed." she held out her hands, and Lizzie noticed the length of her nails. Long, sharp, almost deadly. Taking her hands gingerly, she asked;
"Why do I need to keep my eyes closed?"
"More powerful witches than yourself have been driven to madness by witnessing the teleportation spell. No matter what you hear, no matter what you feel, keep your eyes closed." The cold wind began to whistle through them, making their cloaks billow. Snapping her eyes closed, Lizzie wanted to clasp the cloak shut around her, but she knew breaking the circle could be dangerous.
"Father, accept my offering of power and take me to my sisters. Mother, accept my offering of heart and take me to my coven. Divines, accept my offering of energy and take me to my home." Lizzie squeezed her eyes closed even tighter, feeling herself begging to move. But not in the normal sense of movement. As if her atoms fizzed and popped, and she had turned to water. She felt a flow within her. A flurry surrounded her, ice cold and blustery, like a snow storm.
"Lizzie." She heard her mothers voice, but distorted and... different. Almost snapping her eyes open, she forced herself to keep them closed. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she began to shake. 'No matter what you hear, no matter what you feel.' She whispered to herself, a tear rolling from her closed lids. Mum... she thought wistfully. As suddenly as it started, the flurry settled.
"Lizzie, it's safe. You can open your eyes now." She heard Evelyn's voice, clear and undistorted. Opening her eyes carefully, she felt herself settling onto soft ground, and she took in the vibrant green that surrounded her. Trees as far as the eye could see.
"I- I heard my mum's voice." Lizzie's voice trembled, tears pricking her eyes. She seldom thought of her parents, choosing to push it to the back of her mind as a form of self preservation.
"I'm not surprised." she said simply. "Come, the coven is waiting." she motioned with her hand.

After walking through the unfamiliar woodland, they came to a wooden arch. Walking through the arch, Lizzie stopped in her tracks. As if a veil had been lifted, she suddenly saw a bustling little village made up of small, wooden shacks in a row, dominated by a larger building at the end of the makeshift street. There was a well, and a few stalls and a chopping block for wood.
"What is this place?" Lizzie asked in wonder.
"We call this The Village." Evelyn said, smiling slightly at the sight of the place. "I haven't been here for years, too busy holding down the witches in London." she said, rolling her eyes slightly. As they advanced on the village, Lizzie glanced around. Women of all ages, elder women and little girls and every age in between, milled about. They all dressed the same; long skirts, laced shirts, long sleeves and cloaks. Mostly in earthy tones and dark colours. It was truly like stepping back in time.
"Why does everyone dress this way?" Lizzie asked.
"Fashion is just a distraction from what matters. The younger witches would become influenced by outside societies, and we can't have that." Evelyn responded quietly.
"I see," Lizzie said, noticing the women stopping and staring. Some whispered to each other. One brazen woman pointed. "Why are they staring at you?"
"They aren't staring at me dear. They're staring at you." Evelyn laughed a small laugh. She spoke as if she wanted no one but Lizzie to hear; softly and quietly, never raising her voice once, keeping it monotonous.
"Why?"
"Because you will be their saviour." With that, Lizzie went quiet. Their saviour? She wasn't sure what to expect, but it wasn't this.
"Saviour? What exactly am I saving them from? I thought I was coming here to hone skills as a witch." Evelyn turned to Lizzie, causing her to nearly bump into her.
"You're here to hone your skills as a witch, yes. But we must complete the Harvest, or the entire witch population as we know it will die out. Hundreds of years we have used our magic with great scarcity, in fear that it might one day run out. With you, our magic will become infinite." she smiled sweetly at her, patting her on the shoulder. "Come Lizzie, it's time we meet the other Elders."