The Sound of a Siren's Call

27.) A Witch's Delight

I woke up with a start. Leland tapped my shoulder.

"We're leaving."

I nodded and sat up. He looked like he'd been crying.

"I'm sorry, Leland."

He just nodded and walked away from me. I pushed myself to my feet and followed everyone out of the door. I didn't know where to go, and I was in the sight of a soldier every step I took, so I went back to where I'd been yesterday.

Ryan stood there like nothing had happened. She smiled when she saw me. "Last night was awesome, right?"

"Sure."

"I mean, did you see that? I beat that centaur fair and square. No doubt he's somewhere sulking this very moment."

A soldier walked up to us, looking nervous. He spoke and Ryan replied, this dismissiveness showing on her face. She put her hand up, and I saw a metal wristlet there. It started to smoke, and the soldier backed away. Ryan turned back to me.

"Do you know how to spin or anything?"

I nodded weekly. "I think I know how to spin."

In my defense, I did know how to spin. For about a month. When I was six. My father's getaway had left us with his spinster sister who taught me how to be an old spinstress.

Ryan nodded towards a spinner.

"What happened to magic?"

She tapped the band around her wrist. "We weren't technically supposed to be using it in the first place. After last night, they decided to stop overlooking our normal activity."

Ryan sat down, brushing the wool out with metal brushes. I sat uneasily at the machine she'd directed me to. I put my foot on the pedal and took a piece of wool from Ryan. I closed my eyes and prayed that I was doing the right thing.

I ended up producing a string, threading Ryan's wool into the machine. The methodic pedal presses and the simple movement of the spinner kept me occupied. I kept going and I barely noticed anything else.

My aunt had done her job remarkably well.

The soldiers watched us with interest. Occasionally, I glanced at the centaurs, but they seemed to be more occupied in their own work.

"We're not going to finish," the old woman that usually supervised the assembling of the clothes signed, looking at me and Ryan.

"We can use the stash," Ryan signed back, putting her wool brushes aside.

"Not for two weeks," The old woman signed back.

They didn't seem to care that I was there, so they weren't signing for me. I looked at the guards around us. It made sense they'd use it to talk secretively.

They kept talking as though their lives depended on it, and I ran out of wool. I reached down for the brushes, making myself a pile. Ryan never noticed.

I made more, and no one paid me any attention. The witches in charge of weaving took the thread from me without giving me a sideways glance. I needed to get to Juniper.

"We should use the stash," Ryan was signing.

"We'll need it more later."

"We need it now too. Why do we even have it if we're just going to leave it sit? Huh?"

"We're not going to leave it sit. We're going to leave it for when we really need it." The old woman reasoned.

Ryan was losing the argument and she looked furious. I kept spinning, pretending I wasn't paying attention to the conversation.

I caught movement out of the side of my argument.

"Hey!"

Ryan didn't even glance at me.

"Ryan!"

"What? What the hell do you want from me?"

I pointed to the centaur.

"Well, crap."

Ryan was on her feet in an instant. Her fury and distress washed away in a moment.

She looked cocky, maybe even playful now. A guard stepped in front of the centaur. Ryan was saying something to the horseman. The guard turned back and snapped at her. She snapped back. 

The centaur reared, and Ryan was yelling. More soldiers sprung from the woodwork, all of them focused on Ryan.

It was my chance. I got up from the spinner. No one noticed or cared. I slipped into an alley and made my way to Juniper.

I sprinted as hard as I could, staying in back allies, trying to stay as out of sight as I could. I collapsed, each breath ripping through me, on the bank of the lake. Juniper's arms wrapped around me before I could register what was happening.

"You came!"

"Careful. Don't want to get the letter wet."

"You have a letter?" Her eyes glowed with excitement. Her hand movements were quick and short.

"Yes."

I pulled it out of my pocket.

"What does it say?"

I unfolded it.

Juniper,

I don't know when I'll be able to see you. They have a pretty tight watch on us here.

Is it pathetic that I miss you after less than a day? You know what, don't waste your time answering that one. I know it is.

Juniper was beaming and it felt like I'd walked in on a private conversation. I'd put it on the bank between us. Between the signed English and the love letter, I felt awkward. But the SEE would help her learn better than me sticking to true sign language.

I'll try to come see you. Promise. At the very least, I'll get these letters to you.

We'll talk more in person.

Lovingly completely and utterly yours,

Castor

I marveled at the carefulness of the "C" in his name. It looked careful and intricate. Juniper marveled at it too.

"Can we write a letter back?"

"Of course," I said before I considered the fact I didn't have a writing utensil or surface.

Juniper held up a quill and ink. I stared at her.

"How did you get that?"

"Seduction," she raised her eyebrows.

"Alright. Regret asking."

"I'm joking. I mildly enchanted an officer."

"Alright."

I took it from her, positioned the paper on a rock and prepared to write. I needed to get back as soon as possible.

"Dearest Castor," she dictated. My stomach crawled. I was intruding on something private and both people had thanked me profusely for it.

I blew on the paper to get the ink to dry. Then, even as dread built up in my stomach, I pointed to each word and signed it.

I ran back to my spinner, and my stomach dropped as I realized the action had died down and it'd been that way for a while. I snuck back in, taking Ryan's old spot as she spun wool into a fine yarn.

She smiled down at me conspiratorially and I waited to be discovered. It took me about an hour to finally relax.