the sanctuary of a witch

Prologue

She found him in a broken heap in the dirt.

bruised beyond recognition. She gave into the pull of her magic and saw glimpses of his past; she could not let this child stay here and suffer. Walking up to him she gave him her hand.

"Come with me little one "

The child looked at her outstretched hand, afraid that she too would strike him.

"there is no need to be afraid, I will not harm you. she soothed"

Crouching down, level with the boy; she removed her hood and smiled. The boy stared at her, she was beautiful. He watched as her green eyes crinkled at the edges. At the scars running down her face into the collar of her shirt. She reminded him of a ghost, quiet like the night.

"come little wolf, i will not let them touch you. Ever again."

He again looked at her hand and noticed the scars were there to.

"Were you hurt too?"

The ghost of a woman sighed.
"Yes little wolf. A very long time ago."

She brushed the matted hair out of his eyes, and cupped his face.

"I have a home. There are children there, like you. I take care of them. Will you let me take care of you too?"

She looked into the boys eyes and saw how much they truly hurt him.

"I will not force you."

The boy was scared. He didnt want his mom to hurt him anymore, he didnt want her to be upset at him.

"Momma will be mad at me she will hurt me."

The women cradled the boy to her chest, and started rocking him in the alley behind his house.

"come with me little wolf, I will make sure she never hurts you again."

The woman wanted to show him a life where he no longer has to be afraid. Where he can be himself with her other children.

She waited for his answer.

After a long pause the boy whispered I want to leave

With a sigh of relief the woman pressed her cheek to his and spelled him to sleep.

"Then I will look after you until you no longer need me."

She started to work on his mangled body. Healing what she could do at the moment. Until she could get him back to the house for a better healing session. Noticing how thin he was, the woman cursed the she-wolf that was his mother. The little wolf might not live if she tried to teleport them to the house.

As dawn approached the witch could no longer stay in the pack. Her magic was starting to waver, and before long the patrols would notice her scent. Now that it was no longer being suppressed by the herbs she took hours passed. If they found her with the child, they would kill her.

Quickly she picked up the boy and made her way out of the pack. Her progress was slow but sure. By the time she reached the woods it was already morning and she was confident that he was healed enough to survive a handmade teleportation portal.

The witch looked at the little boy in her arms, at his sleeping face and smiled. She would do right by this child. Make sure that the darkness of the world and of the home he left behind would not consume him.

Her thoughts were broken by a howl. The pack patrols had finally caught her scent, and they were furious. Without a thought she placed the child on the ground and started to work on a manual portal. She withdrew her dagger and sliced her arm open, using her blood to write the witch runes on a tree. The patrol had gotten closer, she finished the portal and quickly drew her hood. Gently picking up the boy; she mumbled a spell and the runes started to glow, until they became a swirling portal. Droplets of her blood trailed behind her from the wound. The witch held the boy tighter as she felt the presence of the patrol behind her, growling and vicious, Jaws snapping in warning. she paused her strides as she heard bones breaking and a deep voice.

"You are trespassing. "

The woman turned in the direction of the voice, unable to see them completely due to her hood.

"Sorry, I had not noticed"

The intensity of their growls increased as they saw her little wolf in her arms.

The man tensed. "GIVE BACK the pup."

The woman pressed the pups cheek to hers, earning her a snarl from the naked man.

"This little wolf belongs to me"

With one last smile she stepped through the portal, taking the little wolf from his former pack. Not once looking back at the scorched earth were the portal had been moments passed.