ã€ŠGinelle&#x27;s Dragonã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Her name was Ginelle, and she was born a witch. Now while I''m not trying the slander the poor girl, the title of witch at the time she was born meant something else entirely until Ginelle''s fifteenth birthday. That was back before the crown of the kingdom banned of all things that were considered witchcraft. Until that horrid day, witches were considered honorable and someone everyday common folk could turn to if you needed help with anything. Whether it was a remedy to help someone get over a common cold, or something special to help a romantic evening get off on the right foot, witches seemed to help out in any way they could and charge very little if anything for their services. While it was assumed that everything the witches did was a product of magic, the truth was many of their remedies were herbal and just carefully brewed medicines that anyone could make. While many witches could and did sometimes use magic to help people out, those instances were few and far between. It was, however, the rumor of their powers that scared the crown which caused those in power to fear them.

    Afraid that they were losing power and control over the masses, which wasn''t true at all, the crown passed down an order that all witches were to be rounded up and jailed, and that all their possessions and businesses to be torched. This was also an example of extreme sexism as the men who were known as wizards and sorcerers were immune to this royal decree, but only women were punished for practicing magic and trying to heal people outside of the medical community. The term witches were used rather loosely during these dark days, for someone used this as an opportunity to attack women who were daring to work above what the men considered to be their place. So, midwives, politicians and other kinds of successful women were all accused of witchcraft and were therefore unjustly imprisoned by the crown.

    When the order came down, the actual witches had to protect themselves first, and that proved to be more difficult that any could predict. Most of the witches in the kingdom were quite well known, as they never really hid from the public and were very open about their magic and what they did with it. This status made it quite tedious for most of the witches to flee the cities as the royal guards managed to nab most of them whilst attempted to escape. The people also aided the guards by ratting out the witches as they attempted to get out of the city, resulting in most witches being dragged off to the dreary dungeons of the high tower. Because of what seemed like impossible odds, Ginelle''s mother made a unique decision that she knew her daughter wouldn''t approve of. She surrendered her only child over to the care of her brother, who was a farmer. Her older brother happened to be in town to sell a very bountiful crop when the arrests had begun. Out of loyalty to his sister, the farmer agreed to take the young child out of town and get her away from the city. He even agreed to watch over Ginelle until his sister returned to get her, something even he himself was unsure she could achieve. Neither he nor his wife had any connection to witchcraft so they wouldn''t be questioned on their way out.

    Ginelle''s uncle also had four kids, so as he was leaving town with one extra kid no one questioned it. Most guards were dumb and could barely count their fingers, so Ginelle''s escape was easier than expected as she blended in with her uncle''s brood as just another one of his kids. One extra kid in the wagon wasn''t even noticed as the guards were on the lookout for real witches, so it never occurred to them to be on the lookout for their kids. Once they were out of the city and on their way back to the farm, Ginelle was able to finally breath normally, but she was still concerned about her mother. As her mother had said to Ginelle''s Uncle, it was planned that her mother would try to meet up with them later but that never came to pass. Ginelle would hear years later that most of the witches were either publicly executed in the town square or rotted in the dungeons of the high tower for the rest of their lives. She never knew what happened to her mother but was too concerned about her own life to inquire out of fear her questions would attract unwanted attention.

    Ginelle had assumed she would be welcome at her uncle''s home, but that didn''t appear to sit well with her cousins. During the long ride back to the farm, she could tell that some of her older cousins was looking at her strangely as if her mere presence was offensive to him.

    "What is it?" Ginelle asked him, as she could feel his gaze on her skin as if it were the blazing sun on a hot day.

    "What is it?" Her cousin repeated, "You''re a witch."

    "That''s not true," Ginelle lied, "Just because my mom is does not meant that I am. She was just afraid people would make dumb assumptions, like you are right now."

    "I don''t know why you''re even here," her cousin spat out, still upset.

    "We''re family," Ginelle said, feeling hurt by his venomous words. "Isn''t that what we''re supposed to do for one another?"

    "You''re not my family," The boy said, as he was flushing red to show his anger. "I do not associate with witches!"

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    Ginelle wanted to try to calm the anger boy down, but she was never given the chance. Without any warning, that angry cousin reached across and pushed the young witch out of the onto the ground. Ginelle wasn''t able to say anything as she hit her head when she landed and was knocked out. Unable to call out to her uncle for help, Ginelle laid there on the ground for hours. Her uncle didn''t even know he was a child short until they were at least an hour away. When asked her cousins said she jumped off the wagon and ran away. Angered that his niece repaid his generosity by running away left, the mean old uncle had no choice but to keep going and leave the young girl behind.

    Ginelle woke up a few hours later, and realized she was still in the middle of the road and surrounded by trees. She slowly got up off the ground just as the sun was going down; it would be dark soon and the young girl had nowhere to go. She didn''t even know where she was and that sacred her the most out of all the was already going on. She was lost, alone, and afraid that she might not make it through the night all alone in the forest. The wildlife howled around her; the moon hid behind the clouds which made things extra dark. It left Ginelle no choice but to use the magic she was taught to survive. She had promised she''d not cast magic too much but had no idea she''d be using her power so soon after leaving her mother.

    "Lightous," Ginelle whispered to herself, and a small glow began to emanate from her hand, mimicking a torch. She used the glowing hand to see where she was and look around the forest. The spell she was using would only work for a short time, so she used it to look for shelter.

    While she was wandering through the woods, she came upon a tree that had a hole in the bottom of the trunk. It looked big enough for her to squeeze in, so Ginelle grabbed a few branches from nearby bushes and used them to cover the hole she was going to rest in. She felt safe enough to close her eyes and rest until the sun came up the very next morning. The little nook she was resting in must have been comfortable, because she rested there for quite some time inside it. The sun was really high up in the sky when she woke up, but it was sounds she heard that stirred her from that slumber.

    There were men working in the area, and she remained hidden in her little cubby in the tree, but it wasn''t a very safe space for very long. The men were carrying axes, which meant they were lumberjacks that were looking for good trees to chop down. One of the lumberjacks was looking at the trees around the one Ginelle was hiding inside. The more the big, burly men looked around, the more they scared her. The young witch was afraid that her tree might be next. When one lumberjack looked like he was about to start swinging at her tree, Ginelle had no choice but to defend herself.

    "Bakarus!" She called out, and the spell sent a blue light shooting out of her cubby and into the man that was about the swing at the tree.

    The blue ball of light that shot out didn''t harm him, but instead flung the lumberjack back several feet and flat onto his back, which startled everyone else in the group. Several men backed away from the tree in fear.

    "Where the hell did that come from?" One of them asked.

    "It came from the tree," the other one answered. "It said something too."

    "What did it say?" The first lumberjack asked.

    "I didn''t catch it," The other answered, "But that blue ball came out afterwards and knocked Harrison off his feet."

    "Everyone back away," Harrison called out as he struggled to get back to his feet. By how the other lumberjacks responded to his order, it was clear to Ginelle that the man she had knocked over was in charge. Harrison slowly got back to his feet but didn''t pick up his axe. One of the other workers picked it up for him and even offered to hand it back, but Harrison waved him back.

    "Not yet," Harrison said, "Hold onto that for me. I''ll be right back."

    Harrison slowly walked back to the tree where Ginelle was hiding, and went down on one knee, which allowed him to look at the young witch in the eyes. He knelt there in front of her and looked into those blue eyes for a moment before smiling at her.

    "Hello, little darling." Harrison said, as he started to understand what was going on. "I''m guessing we look kind a scary to you, waving our axes around and chopping the trees."

    "Yes," Ginelle said, "I thought you were going to hit my tree."

    "This is your tree?" Harrison asked.

    "No," Ginelle corrected him, "I''m just using it for a place to sleep. I got lost and wanted to take shelter."

    "That''s a good idea," Harrison said, "There are wolves, bears and other fierce creatures roaming in these woods. You don''t want to bump into any of them around here, especially at night."

    "Where can I go then?" Ginelle asked.

    "For now, you shouldn''t stay here," Harrison answered, "We''ll take you back to camp with us."

    "Are you sure about that?" the other lumberjack asked.

    "I''m quite sure," Harrison said, "We don''t leave children to fend for themselves, and I don''t think Margorie would have a problem sharing her dorm with this young lady. She could never say no to a stray or to an extra pair of hands to help in the kitchen."

    "I can cook," Ginelle said, hoping that might help.

    "You can?" Harrison asked, intrigued.

    "My mother taught me," Ginelle confirmed, "I am willing to work for your help if that''s alright with Margorie."

    "I have a feeling she''ll really like you," Harrison admitted. "Let''s get back to camp and give her the good news."

    Ginelle was a little hesitant when Harrison reached out his hand to help her out of the tree, which the big man understood given how their large sizes would intimidate many people, especially small children.

    "Fear not little one," Harrison added, "I promise you''re safe with us. No harm to come to you while we are yet living."

    That was all Ginelle needed to hear as she reached out and took the man''s hand as he helped her out of the tree.

    "This way," Harrison said, "Let''s go tell Margorie the good news."

 Chapter 2

    As Harrison and his men led her away from the forest and back towards her camp, it had been the safest Ginelle had ever felt since she was forced to leave her mother and the city. As they were walking back, even the smallest sound would startle the young girl, as she was still rather scared from what had happened to her. Harrison had noticed her jump and responded by offering his hand to the young girl for her to hold and a smile to reassure her.

    ¡°You¡¯re safe with us, little one.¡± he told her, ¡°No one is going to mess with a group of lumberjacks, not with these axes either.¡±

    Ginelle returned the smile and took his hand, walking with him as they all returned home early for the day. It didn¡¯t take more than an hour for them to walk back from the forest to what the lumberjacks referred to as their camp, which was more like a cluster of cabins, with one of them bigger than the others. Most of the men scattered to their own cabins while Harrison lead Ginelle to the bigger one, and as they got closer an older woman came walking out and greeted them from the porch. This woman, Ginelle assumed, must have been the Margorie that Harrison was referring to the other men about.

    ¡°You¡¯re all back form work rather early,¡± she called out to him.

    ¡°Sorry, Marg. We had an issue that required out immediate attention,¡± Harries said, gesturing to the small child with him.

    ¡°I see,¡± Margorie said looking at the young girl, ¡°Where did you find her?¡±

    ¡°In the woods, obviously.¡± Harrison answered, ¡°She was hiding in a tree, and was rather scared when we found her.¡±

    ¡°And why bring her to me rather than the town?¡± Margorie asked.

    ¡°She has talents,¡± Harrison answered, ¡°She hit me with a rather nice magical shot that had blue lights. Given what¡¯s going on in the kingdom right now, I felt it was best to consult you first.¡±

    ¡°Your instincts served you well,¡± Margorie said, as she looked back at the young girl again. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Ginelle,¡± she replied, unsure why the young girl felt comfortable enough to tell her. For some reason she felt safe enough to do so.

    ¡°Can you cook, Ginelle?¡± Margorie asked her.

    ¡°I can,¡± Ginelle said, smiling. ¡°My mother was teaching me before¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to say anything more,¡± Margorie said, holding up her hand. ¡°That¡¯s all I needed to hear. She can stay with me, Harrison, and help me prepare meals for the boys to earn her keep.¡±

    ¡°I had a feeling you¡¯d say that,¡± Harrison said, with a smile. ¡°I thought you could use the extra hands.¡±

    ¡°Once again your instincts served you well,¡± Margorie concurred, ¡°The little girl and I will make an early lunch, but I expect you all to get your lazy arses back out there and make up for lost time afterwards. Are we clear on that?¡±

    ¡°Crystal clear,¡± Harrison said, as he let go of Ginelle¡¯s hand. ¡°You¡¯ll be safe here. Margorie is the best and will take very good care of you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank him yet,¡± Margorie called out to her, ¡°You¡¯re going to be put to work. Very hard work too.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind hard work,¡± Ginelle replied, as she walked closer to the older woman standing before her.

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    ¡°Is that so?¡± Margorie asked.

    ¡°It is,¡± Ginelle confirmed, ¡°I¡¯m eager to earn my keep as you put it, so let¡¯s get started so these guys can get their lazy arses back to work.¡±

    Margorie looked back down at the pretty young girl with a grin, ¡°Alright then. Follow me, young las.¡±

    Ginelle followed Margorie into the big house that she had been standing on the porch of while she spoke to her. Once she was inside, Ginelle realized the big house in front of them wasn¡¯t a home but instead was a cafeteria like setting. There was a large hall with several tables it with eight to ten chairs set at each table. She followed Margorie through the doors into a very large kitchen, which was surprising to the young girl. Ginelle had though her mom¡¯s kitchen in the city was huge, because that was where should would brew all her soups and potions for clients but Margorie¡¯s kitchen was three times as big. And yet despite all that space, there was no one else in the kitchen to help out. There was just the old lady and the little girl, and no one else to help out. Ginelle kept peeking around to find more workers but there were none but the two standing in there at that moment.

    ¡°Stop looking,¡± Margorie said, even chuckling a bit. ¡°Before you got here, it was just me cooking for all those hungry lads.¡±

    ¡°But how?¡± Ginelle asked, ¡°How can you make three meals a day for that many big men?¡±

    ¡°The same way your mom probably made all those potions,¡± Margorie said, ¡°With magic.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a witch?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I am, and so are you.¡± Margorie said, as she strolled over to a workstation and resumed dicing some vegetables that was already started. While she was working at that station, she started to sing a hymn. As she did so, Ginelle watched with awe as a spirit form parted from her body and started to walk around and do things around the kitchen. Two more also departed from the woman¡¯s body and there were a few of them working around the kitchen and busy making the next meal for the day.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, little one.¡± Margorie said, grinning at her. ¡°This is a very advanced spell that is hard for any witch to do. It¡¯s called mirror imaging. We project a mirror of ourselves and control them with our thoughts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Ginelle said, watching the projections work in the kitchen, making up for the lack of hands in the kitchen. ¡°Can they do anything?¡±

    ¡°No, there is a limit to what they can do.¡± The older lady replied, ¡°They can¡¯t come into contact with anyone, or speak. I like that cause that means I have a staff that can¡¯t backtalk me. This is where you will come in handy, because they can¡¯t serve the food, or set the tables¡­ but you can.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said, as she understood. ¡°I can help with prep and settings, but you have to agree to show me how to do that.¡±

    ¡°I can show you a lot more,¡± Margorie said, ¡°But I have to warn you, chaos magic is very difficult to learn.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a water witch,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I can cook as well, but chaos is not my specialization.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one thing you need to learn about chaos,¡± Margorie said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t like to follow the rules, so your specialization is irrelevant. Anyone can learn it regardless of what kind of witch they are.¡±

    ¡°I had no idea,¡± Ginelle confessed.

    ¡°No one advertises it,¡± Margorie said, ¡°So I have no doubt you were never told about it or its immense power. Considering what kind of world you live in, this magic just might be the only thing that keeps us alive. I hear our sisters in the cities are not faring well.¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re even alive,¡± Ginelle added, ¡°Mom was worried they¡¯d be executed without even a fair trial.¡±

    ¡°Her worries were justified,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°The cities have been ruthless, but it makes me feel good to see some made it out like yourself.¡±

    ¡°I got lucky,¡± Ginelle confessed, ¡°I was scared until I met them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re good boys,¡± Margorie agreed, ¡°Feed them and take care of them, and they¡¯ll take care of us. You won¡¯t have to worry about your safety here, little one. We¡¯ll be okay out here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, as she grabbed an apron and started to put it on. ¡°I will do my best to earn my place here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± Margorie said, ¡°It will also be nice to have the company, and I¡¯ll clear out one of the smaller storage rooms so you can have your own space here. It won¡¯t be much¡­¡±

    ¡°It will be just fine,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°After all that¡¯s happened, it¡¯s more than I hoped to ever have. Maybe even more than I deserve.¡±

    ¡°Oh, deary.¡± Margorie said as she walked over and hugged the young girl. ¡°I¡¯m happy to reach out and help a fellow witch. I will also enjoy having another lady around. There are far too many men around here so you are welcome to stay as long as you want.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, wiping away a tear. ¡°Where shall I start?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with lunch,¡± Margorie said, ¡°It¡¯s not that hard to keep a man happy. I¡¯ll give you a hint, it¡¯s through his stomach. I swear that thing is their second heart¡­¡±

 Chapter 3

    Ginelle was eager to learn from Margorie and listened carefully as she watched the witch make the second meal of the day. She and even felt that her mother would have been proud to have someone like her mentor the young girl after fleeing the city as abruptly as she did. While the chaos magic was vastly different from what she was used to, Ginelle expressed a desire to practice her original trait she was working on with her mother in the city, as it would be easier for her to use both to her advantage. When asked why she was doing that by Margorie, Ginelle has replied by saying she thought the rules didn¡¯t count anymore as chaos witches. Margorie loved her response and patted her on the head as she walked by.

    ¡°You are correct, dear.¡± She said, ¡°Rules are what got us into this mess and on the run from the authorities, so you do what you can to survive. If you want to learn every magic there is, I will not discourage it.¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stick with these two,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I want to use the water magic as a cover so I can hide my true strengths from people that I don¡¯t trust.¡±

    ¡°That is very wise,¡± Margorie said, as she agreed with her idea. ¡°Other witches are to be feared if they knew the truth, almost as bad as the kingdom and their fear of our powers.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Ginelle said, also thinking it was a good plan.

    ¡°Very good,¡± Margorie said, ¡°Now get into the dining room and start setting the tables for lunch. I¡¯ll be here in the kitchen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never set the table before,¡± Ginelle informed her.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± the older lady called out from the kitchen, ¡°Richard will show you how to do it.¡±

    ¡°Who is Richard?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± a voice called out, ¡°Welcome to the dining room.¡±

    Ginelle looked around to see where the voice was coming from, but she couldn¡¯t see anyone else in the room. It was if she were speaking with a ghost, something Ginelle didn¡¯t believe in until that very moment when she started to hear voices in the dining room.

    ¡°Who said that?¡± Ginelle called out.

    ¡°Down here, little one.¡± The voice called out.

    Ginelle looked and there was a small white mouse standing on his hind legs and looking back up at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m Richard,¡± The mouse said to her, ¡°Pleasure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Margorie!¡± Ginelle called out, ¡°How is this mouse talking to me?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Margorie said as she strolled into the dining room, ¡°Witches have the ability to communicate with animals, but not many of them actual do it. Those ignorant city witches act as if speaking to creatures is taboo or something. You can hear Richard because I¡¯ve got charms all around the building to make it easier for any witch to hear them, which prevents some awful creatures from sneaking up on me like bears or snakes.¡±

    ¡°I can see how that might be helpful,¡± Ginelle conceded.

    ¡°But the more you speak with animals, the more natural the ability will become to you.¡± Margorie explained, ¡°Soon you¡¯ll be able to hear them wherever you go after speaking to Richard here long enough. He¡¯s been helping out for several years, so he knows his way around. Show her how the set the tables, Richard. I¡¯ll toss in some extra snacks for your efforts.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, my dear.¡± Richard said, taking a bow. ¡°Come along, little one. We have tables to set.¡±

    ¡°I have a name, Richard.¡± Ginelle said, with her arms crossed. ¡°I am Ginelle, and I don¡¯t respond to any other calling.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ginelle,¡± Richard replied, ¡°But if we¡¯re going to be chummy; you may call me Dickie rather than Richard.¡±

    ¡°Very well, Dickie.¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Let¡¯s start setting some tables.¡±

    The mouse was indeed very helpful that afternoon, as he showed her where to find everything as well as the proper settings for the tables for when the men returned from working out in the forests. While they were setting the tables, Dickie was able to give Ginelle some background to how long the lumberjacks had been in the area, and even how long Margorie had been working for Harrison and his men. Turns out Harrison according to Dickie was the man in charge, the foreman as you would say. Yet for some reason, he always acted like Margorie was in charge and let her make all the decisions about what happened at camp while he took charge while the men were out and doing their work. Dickie believed that Harrison found his work easier to do if he left the witch in charge of what happened at camp. Delegating the matter made him and his crew better at chopping those trees down.

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    ¡°That is rather fascinating,¡± Ginelle noted, ¡°I realize why Margorie isn¡¯t in the cities, and that¡¯s to her credit considering what¡¯s going on there now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear about your mother,¡± Dickie said, trying to be sympathetic. ¡°I can assure you, both Margorie and Harrison will never allow anything to happen to you. They are a loyal bunch around here. Almost like a family if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Ginelle said, sighing in relief. ¡°I was afraid that I¡¯d be running for a while. It does feel good to be somewhere and not have to look over my shoulder for who might be coming after me.¡±

    ¡°If you help Margorie take good care of this men,¡± Dickie added, ¡°They will take good care of you. Many of them treat Margorie like the mum they never had and wouldn¡¯t respond kindly if those royal people came for her. Imagine having hundreds of men welding axes angry at you.¡±

    ¡°That is a good point,¡± Ginelle agreed. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work.¡±

    Ginelle spent the majority of the day, setting tables, serving the food, and then cleaning the tables while Margorie and her projections did most of the work in the kitchen. The older witch however loved having the extra hands around, like Harrison had predicted, and was even enjoying the new company despite how young she was. When the day was over, Margorie led her to a small room that was located at the back of her house. The room which was stuff full of supplies had been cleaned out by some of her projections during the day, and a small cot and desk was placed in there. There was a small window at the back of the room, but it was too high for Ginelle to look out of. She looked around the room and then back at the old witch.

    ¡°This is wonderful,¡± She said with a smile, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°It is I who should be thankful,¡± Margorie said, ¡°It was nice to have someone around that wasn¡¯t a projection or an animal. Keep working as well as you did today, and we¡¯ll look into expanding this room and sprucing it up a bit. For now, though, this should work.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, and greatly appreciated.¡± Ginelle insisted, ¡°It is a lot better than the tree I was sleeping in last night, I can assure you.¡±

    ¡°You are safe here, Ginelle.¡± Margorie reminded her, ¡°You have nothing to fear while myself and Harrison still breathe.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt this safe. Even with my mother in the city, we were afraid of people who harassed us, called us names and even tossed things at us. It was pretty bad long before the law came after us. For some reason witches were never well liked as far as I can remember.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t always that way,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°But the church has been able to promote their dislike for witches and women who do anything they don¡¯t approve of since a sympathetic royal ascended to the throne. That¡¯s why I left the city, I didn¡¯t feel like fighting them and my own witches at the same time.¡±

    ¡°So how did you get here?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Very similar to how you did, actually.¡± Margorie answered. ¡°I was traveling to another town and our wagon broke down and so we stopped her for the night. I met Harrison and actually helped cook supper that night. The men had enjoyed the food so much, Harrison offered me a job almost immediately. He knows I¡¯m a witch, and what I do in here. He¡¯s okay with it, and knows I even use it to his advantage.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I use witchcraft to make some meals extra energizing.¡± Margorie said, ¡°I¡¯ll teach you how to make normal food as refreshing as a healing potion. The only meal I do this for is lunch. In the morning, the men are naturally energized and good to go. I give them a boost after they work hard in the morning, and that boosts production until supper. I leave supper alone as well because the men need to settle down so they can have a proper rest. Magic can¡¯t be overused, but it used the right way it can be very helpful.¡±

    ¡°My mum used to say that too,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°You can¡¯t live off magic, you have to use the natural ways, or you could become addicted to things that are not good if used too much.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°You need to take your natural rest, and it cannot be substituted by anything we can make. Interfere with that process can affect the mind and cause people to go crazy. That¡¯s why I only fix things up with their lunches, so they are not given too much and are still more productive in the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite interesting,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I look forward to learning that.¡±

    ¡°Not tonight,¡± Margorie said, gesturing to the young girl¡¯s new room. ¡°Right now, it¡¯s time for you to get your natural rest. Tomorrow is your first full day as my assistant and pupil, and I can assure you that you will be very busy. Get as much rest as you can, little one. You¡¯re going to need it.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± Ginelle said, as she leaned over and gave Margorie a big hug. ¡°Thank you for this opportunity. I won¡¯t let you down!¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your enthusiasm,¡± Margorie noted, ¡°That will help you get through what isn¡¯t going to be an easy process.¡±

    ¡°I shall try my best,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Good night.¡±

    Margorie watched as Ginelle walked into her room and closed the door. She good a deep breath and started to walk to her own room. Halfway to her own quarters, Richard was standing by the door with his arms folded.

    ¡°Are you sure this is a wise idea?¡± the mouse asked her.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Margorie said, ¡°But I¡¯m no spring chicken, and Harrison seemed to really like her. She might make a very good replacement should I happen to abruptly leave this mortal world.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Richard conceded, ¡°But what if the royal guards come looking for her.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll burn that bridge when I get to it,¡± Margorie said, ¡°That¡¯s something we might not have to worry about for a while. The cities are keeping their hands full for the time being.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t last forever,¡± Richard retorted.

    ¡°I know that,¡± Margorie said, ¡°I¡¯ll think of something. You¡¯ll be the first to hear it when I do.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Richard said, ¡°Good night.¡±

    The mouse scattered off, and Margorie took another deep breath. She knew he was right, and her time was limited with Harrison and the men too. The last thing she wanted was for her boys to clash with armed soldiers. She would need to come up with a plan sooner rather than later. Her and Ginelle needed it just in case the King and his men came for them both.

 Chapter 4

    Ginelle had slept very well that night but was awakened by a voice that that she didn¡¯t recognize. He was calling out her name, over and over again, but she couldn¡¯t see anyone. It was high pitched sound, so she could tell it wasn¡¯t Dickie. Whatever it was, it kept calling out her name.

    ¡°Ginelle,¡± the voice called out, ¡°Time to get up, girl! The sun¡¯s up and the day is already passing you by!¡±

    ¡°Who said that?¡± Ginelle asked, sitting up in her bed and wiping the sleep from her eyes. She looked around the room and see anyone.

    ¡°Dickie?¡± she called out; despite her doubts it was the small mouse.

    ¡°No, my name is Marcus.¡± The voice called out, ¡°I ain¡¯t no rat.¡±

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Ginelle then asked as she still couldn¡¯t see where Marcus was. She started to think the voice talking to her could be coming from an insect like an ant or even a spider, thus making it too small for her to focus her eyes upon.

    ¡°I¡¯m up here,¡± Marcus said, ¡°At the window.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Ginelle said as she hopped out of bed. There was a small chair by the desk so she moved it over to the wall so she could stand on it and therefore be able to see out the window. The window was open, and standing on the windowsill was a lovely looking bird, a bird her mother told her was called a blue jay. Marcus had a lovely shade of blue with a nice white chest that Ginelle thought look absolutely marvelous.

    ¡°Hello there,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Pleased to meet you, Marcus.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is mine,¡± Marcus said, ¡°I was wondering if we could talk.¡±

    ¡°What about exactly?¡± Ginelle inquired.

    ¡°I was hoping I could get work,¡± Marcus asked, ¡°Do something for you in exchange for some food.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ginelle said, finding the request rather interesting. ¡°And why not speak with Margorie about this?¡±

    ¡°That old bag didn¡¯t seem interested when I asked her,¡± Marcus admitted, ¡°I think she¡¯s got a bigger bird working for her. Probably some dark things like an eagle or vulture. So, I thought I¡¯d ask you.¡±

    ¡°What kind of work are we talking about?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Marcus answered, ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°Well, you do fly, right?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Well, yeah.¡± Marcus answered, ¡°I am a bird.¡±

    ¡°How about a scout?¡± Ginelle offered, ¡°I could use someone to watch out for anything that might be a danger to me.¡±

    ¡°A scout, eh?¡± Marcus said thinking about it.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°You fly around here and keep an eye out for things that might be a danger to myself or the old bag.¡±

    ¡°What kind of dangers?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°I fled the city,¡± Ginelle told him, ¡°There were bad men working for the king that wanted to take me to a dungeon. I escaped but fear they might come out here after me.¡±

    ¡°So, you¡¯d like me to fly around and look for them,¡± Marcus said, as he appeared to get the idea. ¡°How often?¡±

    ¡°A few times a day,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°You could also keep an eye out for the men to let us know when they¡¯re coming back from the forest. We could use a heads up if they return early. Do that for me and I¡¯ll make sure you get feed very well.¡±

    ¡°And what if I see something dangerous?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to engage,¡± Ginelle said, as she could sense the worry in his voice, ¡°You simply come back here and warn us. That¡¯s what scouts do, they just look around and report; nothing more. If you fly high enough, that should be an easy task for you, and I will feed you for your efforts.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound so bad,¡± Marcus admitted, ¡°You have a deal!¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Time to get flying and scout around the camp for me, Marcus.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± The small blue jay said, even nodding to her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you around, Miss Ginelle.¡±

    ¡°Just Ginelle will do,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Now get flying.¡±

    Ginelle watched as the blue jay launched off her window ledge and fly into the sky with great effort. She could tell by how he was flying up that he was going to take his job rather seriously, and that it was time she got ready for the day to work as well. The sun was barely coming up as Ginelle started to set the tables for the morning meal. Dickie was in the dining hall to help her again, but this time out Ginelle remember the settings a bit more than the first time and required fewer corrections from the small mouse.

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    ¡°What did that annoying bird want?¡± Margorie asked as Ginelle entered the kitchen after finishing the tables.

    ¡°He wanted something to do,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And some food.¡±

    ¡°Did he now?¡± Margorie said, amused she got a straight answer, ¡°And what did you tell him.¡±

    ¡°I said he could have some food if he kept an eye out for me and looked around the camps for me.¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Like a scout.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Margorie said, curious about it. ¡°To look out for Royal Soldiers?¡±

    ¡°And the men,¡± Ginelle added, ¡°To warn us if they return early.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Margorie said, rather impressed. ¡°That would be helpful.¡±

    ¡°And to also look out for Royal Soldiers.¡± Ginelle admitted, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just worry about them coming out here for us.¡±

    ¡°Given what you¡¯ve seen, that understandable.¡± Margorie replied, ¡°And at least if he¡¯s working for his keep, he won¡¯t be bothering either of us at our windows. So, there¡¯s that. Help me with breakfast, and afterwards we¡¯ll do some work with Chaos magic.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Ginelle said, as she was eager to help out. She had little trouble helping with the cooking as her mother was also a good cook and had been training her already for years before she had to flee the city. Being a water witch was also helpful because Ginelle didn¡¯t need to use or fetch any water to fill a pot to boil or even wash the dishes. He ability to make water on command was more helpful in the kitchen than Margorie could imagine, and she was even happier to have the little helper around. After the men ate their breakfast and took off for the forest to chop down some big trees, the women cleaned up after and then left the hall to spend a few hours in the woods themselves. IT was agreed that very morning the old witch would use the time before lunch preparation to show Ginelle the spells that many witches consider taboo, even too dark for them to use at all. Margorie considered them worry warts and left their company to keep doing her thing in private. Considering the danger she was in, Margorie considered it helpful for Ginelle to know some of these spells as they could one day save her life. Once they found a nice place in the hills with a bit of privacy, Margorie set down a bag and looked back at Ginelle.

    ¡°Now it¡¯s time to teach you something important.¡± Margorie said, ¡°I will show you how to cast a mirror.¡±

    ¡°Like the ones you had working in the kitchen?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Something like that,¡± Margorie said, ¡°There are several variations. The ones I use in the kitchen take up less magic and don¡¯t talk back, so they¡¯re my preferred choice. But there are stronger mirrors that can do more but they can be exhausting to cast. I will show you them all.¡±

    Margorie had Ginelle start by simply casting a few simple mirrors of herself, and the commanded them to gather wood for the kitchen. The old witch then showed her how to make a more powerful and dangerous mirror known as a shadow mirror. After she successful called her first one, it looked the same as the others. This confused the young girl a bit.

    ¡°This one looks the same to me,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°What¡¯s the difference.¡±

    ¡°This mirror can do more, such as touch others and act out,¡± Margorie said, ¡°Like all mirrors, they have to do as we tell them. They are not allowed to refuse anything we ask for. But shadow mirrors can and will do more if asked. They would even kill for us if we asked them too.¡±

    ¡°Can we make mirrors of just ourselves?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°We can mirror anyone,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°But it¡¯s a lot more difficult especially when the person isn¡¯t in the room when we cast it.¡±

    ¡°So, if the person we want to mirror is in our sights, we can do it?¡± Ginelle said, trying to understand.

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± Margorie said, ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t recommend it, as the person being mirrored has their soul projected as well so while they have to do as we say, many tend to whine about it while complying. Our own projections don¡¯t seem to fight us as much, maybe because they understand our thinking.¡±

    ¡°So, unless we want to argue, only mirror ourselves?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Margorie said with a laugh, ¡°That¡¯s sounds about right.¡±

    ¡°How long does a mirror last?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°They can last a while I suppose,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°But I prefer to dismiss them once their work is done. I find that the longer projections are kept the grumpier they get until they¡¯re dismissed. Even our own get rather restless after several hours so I tend to now work them beyond three hours. I find that seems to prevent and mutinies and aggravations.¡±

    ¡°So, a few hours, got it.¡± Ginelle said as she watched her own return with some decent wood to take back with them.

    ¡°How do I dismiss them?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Here,¡± the old lady replied, ¡°Let me show you.¡±

    Ginelle spent the better part of an hours summoning and dismissing mirrors to get the hang of it, and even Margorie was impressed with how well she was handling her first lesson in chaos magic. It made the old lady rather confident that she¡¯d be able to handle them all if given the right amount of time to train. As they were packing the wood to take back with them, it was at this point when a small blue jay came flying down to land on Ginelle¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°He there, Marcus.¡± Ginelle said, surprised to see him.

    ¡°I have news,¡± Marcus said, ¡°I spotted them men coming down early again today.¡±

    ¡°Already?¡± Margorie said, ¡°That¡¯s not like Harrison.¡±

    ¡°How far out are they?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Not to far,¡± Marcus said, ¡°but I can check again.¡±

    ¡°Do that,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And thank you, Marcus.¡±

    The bird took off back into the air and flew away.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Margorie said, ¡°That bird is rather handy to have around.¡±

    ¡°I like him too,¡± Ginelle admitted, ¡°He¡¯s a nice-looking bird.¡±

    ¡°He talks a bit though,¡± Margorie noted.

    ¡°Why are the men coming back early again?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Normally if they have problems, like someone being hurt.¡± Margorie said, ¡°We should get going, in case someone needs me to heal them.¡±

    ¡°You know healing magic?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Every witch should know it,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°So if you don¡¯t, I know what lesson we¡¯ll be doing tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I have to remember, rules don¡¯t matter.¡±

    ¡°They still matter,¡± Margorie corrected, ¡°But the key is you have to know what they are before you can bend or break them. Even chaos witches need to mind some rules, but not as many as everyone else. You did well today, Ginelle, so I have no doubt you¡¯ll be good at this too.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, as she followed the old witch back to the camp to meet up with the men. She knew chaos magic would be different, but she was happy to know they had some rules to follow even if they didn¡¯t respect the normal ones she was used to following. Despite her fear of the unknown, there was a bit of her that wanted to learn more and discover a magic that not many witches learned. The idea of being rare, even unique appealed to young Ginelle, which made her an eager student for the many lessons she would eventually take on her way to becoming a very powerful chaos witch.

 Chapter 5

    That summer flew by rather quicker that Ginelle thought it would, despite her fear that the royal guards might be coming at any time to take her away. The longer she stayed with Margorie, Harrison and the men at the camp the more secure she felt, and her anxiety waned. They were starting to become her new family, as the men also became rather attached to her as well. Serving their meals everyday was a welcome sight to men coming back from long days out in the forest everyday. Everyone liked the young lady, and that included Harrison who almost seemed like the father Ginelle never had. Every few months, Harrison would return to the hall with something for her, like a small piece of wood that was carved into something to decorate her room. For her birthday, Harrison used his wood working skills and made a bigger than usual figure that was majestic and more impressive than the others. Ginelle looked at the details of the scales, the wings and was amazed by the work that Harrison had put into it for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± Ginelle gushed, ¡°You did this yourself?¡±

    ¡°I had some help,¡± Harrison admitted, ¡°Some of the guys chipped in to help with the finer details that I couldn¡¯t do. I hope you like it.¡±

    ¡°I love it,¡± Ginelle said, smiling back. ¡°But what is it?¡±

    Some people were shocked to hear that question, while others laughed in amusement.

    ¡°Hang on,¡± Harrison said, holding up a hand to silence them. ¡°She¡¯s young and many people form the land don¡¯t speak of them very much.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± one of the other men called out.

    ¡°This is a dragon, my dear.¡± Margorie said, finally stepping in. ¡°A mythical creature that breaths fire and is quite deadly.¡±

    ¡°And it can fly?¡± Ginelle said, pointing to the large wings.

    ¡°Yes, it can fly.¡± Harrison confirmed, ¡°Rumor is that a fully grown dragon can cover over a hundred leagues in a single day.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Ginelle said, rather impressed, ¡°Are they dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Not really,¡± Harrison said, ¡°We don¡¯t see them in these parts. They¡¯re more frequent in the mountains because the cool airs sooth their scorched throats. Which is why our men stay away from mountains and cut only the trees in the valleys.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Ginelle said, before giving Harrison a hug. ¡°Thank you, it¡¯s very beautiful.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re very welcome,¡± Harrison said, ¡°Happy birthday, little one.¡±

    Ginelle took the new wooden sculpture back to her room and placed it on the desk with the others that Harrison had made for her. It looked so majestic and scary at the same time, Ginelle would lay on her bed every night and wonder if they looked like that or just in people¡¯s imaginations. She would look at it every night and imagine what it would be like to meet one. Would they be friendly or as scary as Harrison and the men portrayed them?

    After the holiday season and the first large snowfall of the season, many of the men went home to spend time with their families and loved ones, which left the camp rather empty and feeling like a ghost town. Harrison and a small handful of workers remained but did so to guard the camp from being attacked or ransacked, that and they had no families to visit. With not as many people to cook for during the winter, Margorie used the extra time to accelerate Ginelle¡¯s training, as she got her to focus on healing and chaos spells day in and day out until she knew them as well as the old woman teaching her. Never hurt to have more healers around, Margorie would tell her; you never know when you¡¯re going to need as many hands-on deck as possible. While the old woman didn¡¯t mean it, her training was more of a precaution. Margorie didn¡¯t like the idea of trying to heal herself, so to have an extra healer on hand would be rather convenient for her and the men as well. If Ginelle could take over the healing duties, it would free up a lot of time for Margorie in the kitchen. Nothing delayed lunch and supplier easier than having to heal a finger that got accidentally cut of or something worse.

    As the winter began to thaw, Ginelle took it upon herself to tale a walk every afternoon. She wanted to get to know the area a bit more so she wouldn¡¯t get lost as easily, and the young witch also wanted to practice talking to animals away from the main hall and the totems that aided her and Margorie. The old woman had told her that the more she practiced away from the house, the more natural the ability would become. Speaking to Marcus was nice, as the bird was rather funny and amusing to have around. He also took his duties as a scout very seriously and always kept a look out for Ginelle, which put her mind at ease knowing there was someone watching for royal soldiers for her. But she needed more practice so a few times a week, she would pack leftovers from lunch and take a hike into the wood. Whenever she came across an animal, she would try to speak to it and feed it some food for its troubles. One day she came across a wolf that was lying in the snow, even whining a bit. As she stepped closer to the furry creature, it bared its teeth at her and let her know she was to step no closer.

    ¡°Do not fret,¡± Ginelle told the wolf, ¡°I mean you no harm.¡±

    The wolf continued to growl, as if he didn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°Speak to me,¡± Ginelle requested, ¡°I¡¯m a witch, which means there¡¯s a chance I may be able to hear you. Are you alright?¡±

    The wolf paused for a moment and stopped baring his teeth. It took in a deep breath and the sighed deeply before responding.

    ¡°I am not,¡± the wolf finally answered, ¡°And it is your fault.¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± Ginelle replied, as she stepped closer. ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°This is your trap,¡± The wolf said, as he moved his tail aside to reveal a bloody leg that was caught in a bear trap. ¡°I didn¡¯t see it because it was hidden underneath the snow.¡±

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    ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Ginelle said as she put down her basket and started to take a look. ¡°How long have you been here?¡±

    ¡°Two nights,¡± the wolf said, ¡°I¡¯ve been licking the snow for water, but I am rather hungry.¡±

    Ginelle didn¡¯t even wait for the wolf to ask and went into her basket to get some of the leftover food she had brought. The wolf happily ate what she had given him, and his tail even wagged a bit.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± The wolf said, licking his lips. ¡°I feel more energized. How is that even possible?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s witch food,¡± Ginelle explained, ¡°We put special ingredients and even a spell on some foods to make them extra nourishing. But we need to take care of this, give me a moment.¡±

    Ginelle examined the trap and remembered from watching Harrison talk about them that there was a pin you pull out of them that releases the pressure and allows you to reopen it. She slowly pulled the decent sized pin out and then slowly opened the trap. Once it was open, the wolf shuffled his body enough to remove his left from the trap. Ginelle could tell from the blood and the bone sticking out that his left was fractured.

    ¡°Oh, that hurts.¡± The wolf cried, even whimpering a few times.

    ¡°I can take care of it,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I¡¯ve been learning how to heal for the past few months now. I¡¯ve repaired many broken fingers, but this will be my first leg. May I try to fix if for you?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± the wolf said, ¡°No harm in trying.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t make it worse,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Healing doesn¡¯t work that way.¡±

    Ginelle concentrated as she had the other times she healed people back at the camp. The wolf¡¯s wound was more severe, so she heeded the advice that was given to her by Margorie as she was teaching her. The larger the wound, the longer you would have to concentrate to heal it, so she was supposed to take it slowly and allow the magic to slowly repair the wound. It was also ideal to go slow because fast heals while just as effective were more painful. The slower you healed someone, the less painful it was for the patient. So Ginelle made herself comfortable in the snow, using her knees to secure herself so she wouldn¡¯t fall over or lose her balance while trying to heal. She put two hands over the would and took a deep breath before reciting the words to begin the spell. A light glow started to emanate from her hands, and she sat there patiently allowing the leg to slowly heal and while the wolf did whimper ever now and then, he wasn¡¯t very loud and appeared to be handling it well. After several minutes something else had started to occur. The fur on the Wolf had started to thicken a bit and even turn into a lighter color. She ignored the changes and kept concentrating on the would and then eventually stopped when she could take it no more. She tried to look at the wound to see if had been properly healed, but the wolf answered the question for her as he jumped off of the ground and started to run around. After jumping around a few times to test his healed leg, the wolf walked over to the young girl that had saved him.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± the wolf said to her, ¡°Your kindness shall not be forgotten.¡±

    ¡°I was happy to help,¡± Ginelle said, smiling back at him. ¡°I¡¯m Ginelle.¡±

    The wolf paused for a moment, ¡°I am Garrak. We usually do not speak with humans or other creatures for that matter, but your actions and compassion warrant an exception.¡±

    ¡°Can we talk some more?¡± Ginelle asked, ¡°I came out here to practice so that I can master speaking to animals. My teacher says the more I do it, the more natural the ability will become.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to, but my pack wouldn¡¯t allow it.¡± Garrak replied, ¡°And I must try to find them again. I¡¯m hoping they haven¡¯t wandered off without me.¡±

    ¡°It was nice to meet you,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And I live at that logging camp right over if you¡¯d like to speak again or get some more food.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ginelle.¡± The wolf said.

    Ginelle watched as the wolf ran off further into the woods and disappeared. She was happy to speak with him and even help him out of the trap, but it wasn¡¯t surprising that many animals try to keep their distance from humans. Even she was hiding from a lot of them, so she understood where that pack was coming from and couldn¡¯t blame them for being a bit paranoid. She took the time to dismantle the trap so that it wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone else before collecting her basket and walking further into the woods. She hadn¡¯t seen and talked to any other animals for a while and eventually decided to sit down and have a bite to eat before starting the long walk back to the logging camp. As she was eating some of the leftovers from lunch, Ginelle heard something. There was a rustling sound coming from the bushes not that far from her. She didn¡¯t know what it was, but she also wasn¡¯t the nervous about it as the young girl had been taught enough chaos magic to properly defend herself. Yet as she heard the rustling sound again, Ginelle spoke up as she was hoping the sound was coming from another creature she could speak with.

    ¡°Is someone there?¡± she called out.

    ¡°Maybe,¡± a voice replied from the bushes.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Ginelle asked, ¡°I can¡¯t see you.¡±

    ¡°That is on purpose,¡± The voice answered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to scare you.¡±

    ¡°I am not easily scared,¡± Ginelle said.

    ¡°They all say that,¡± The voice continued, ¡°But then they run away.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to hurt me?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I shall not,¡± the voice replied, ¡°On that you have my word, but I have a question for you: how did you help that wolf? His leg was broken.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a witch,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°One of powers I¡¯ve learned over the last year with Margorie was healing. She taught it to me so that I could help her heal the clumsy lumberjacks and give her more time to make meals without delay. I used my powers to heal his leg.¡±

    ¡°But why did you help him?¡± the voice asked.

    ¡°The trap was set by of our loggers,¡± Ginelle responded, ¡°I felt bad that the wolf had hurt himself on one of our traps. He looks better, and I hope that he¡¯s able to find his pack again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± The voice said, ¡°Would you be able to do it again?¡±

    ¡°I might,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Is there someone in need of healing?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the voice replied, ¡°I have broken a tooth and am in much pain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never dealt with teeth before,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But I¡¯d be willing to give it a try if you need my help.¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± The voice said, ¡°This tooth has hurt for a very long time.¡±

    ¡°I will do my best to help you with that,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But in order to do that, I must see you and your tooth in order to heal it.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± the voice called out, ¡°I shall reveal myself if you promise not to scream and run away.¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I shall not scream nor run away.¡±

    A few second later, there was a large rustling in the bushes and that was when the creature she had been speaking to emerged from the woods to reveal itself to Ginelle. The young girl sat there in a state of shock, unable to move from where she was sitting upon setting eyes on it. The creature was about a high as a house, twice as long as a crocodile, and had shiny scales that made it impossible not to stare at. Its scales were black as night, and it had a line of silver scales running down it¡¯s neck and belly, along with a line of white spikes running down its spine all the way to the end of its long, impressive tail. With each impressive step, the creature looked even more menacing to Ginelle, but she kept her promise as she remained quiet and still as the large dragon revealed itself to her. She was shaking just a little bit as it moved closer to her, but she was determined to keep her promise. She took a deep breath and spoke to the dragon for the first time since it emerged from the bushed.

    ¡°Hello,¡± she said to him, ¡°My name is Ginelle.¡±

    ¡°I was aware of that,¡± The dragon replied, ¡°I was listening to you and the wolf earlier. My name is Ruki.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you, Ruki.¡± Ginelle said, trying to be polite.

    ¡°The pleasure is mine, young witch.¡± Ruki replied, even bowing a little.

    Ginelle took a deep breath. ¡°So, you have a sore tooth?¡±

 Chapter 6

    The dragon looked down at Ginelle with its gold eyes and snorted for a second before responding to her question by slowly opening his mouth, which revealed a lot of teeth. As Ginelle slowly started to walk closely, she could count at least fifty sharp teeth within the dragon¡¯s mouth, all looking very sharp. As she got closer, the young witch started to examine the teeth and moments later found the culprit to the dragon¡¯s woes. There was a large tooth near the back of it¡¯s mouth that had cracked badly and was no doubt the source of the dragon¡¯s pain. Ginelle took a step back from the dragon¡¯s mouth so that she could look at Ruki in order to address him.

    ¡°I see the tooth,¡± She informed him, ¡°And that does look quite painful. How long has it been like that?¡±

    ¡°For quite some time,¡± The dragon replied, ¡°Is there anything you can do for me, like you did for that wolf?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never healed a tooth before,¡± Ginelle confessed, ¡°But I am willing to try, as long as you promise not to get upset if it doesn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± Ruki said, ¡°I am just relieved that you are going to try to help me. As I said before most people just scream and run away.¡±

    ¡°Alright, open your mouth and please try to stand still.¡± Ginelle said, as she watched the dragon open its rather large jaws again. She moved her hands over the broken tooth, like she had for the wolf¡¯s leg and started to speak the enchantment again. Her hands softly began to glow as the healing process had begun on the poor dragon¡¯s tooth.

    ¡°I can feel it,¡± Ruki said, without moving his jaw much. ¡°It hurts!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°Just bear with me for a little longer.¡±

    She continued to stand there with her arms inside the dragon¡¯s mouth as she continued to heal and concentrate so that the tooth would heal. After a few moments the dragon began to groan as something was happening, and second later there was a flash that knocked Ginelle backwards and onto her butt. The dragon was upset as it began to roar loudly and even blow flamed upwards into the sky. A few moments after blowing the fire, Ruki shook his head for a moment and then looked back at Ginelle.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone!¡± he said to her, ¡°The pain is gone!¡±

    ¡°It is?¡± Ginelle said, as she suddenly noticed something. She walked over to it and picked it up off the ground. Ruki¡¯s broken tooth was no longer in his mouth and was lying on the ground. The flash that had knocked her over was the dragon¡¯s tooth being pulled out by her spell.

    ¡°Your tooth fell out,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°My spell must have pulled it out. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± The dragon asked, ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel gone to me.¡±

    ¡°Open up,¡± Ginelle ordered, ¡°Let¡¯s take a look.¡±

    Ginelle looked inside Ruki¡¯s mouth, and the dragon wasn¡¯t lying. The reason the tooth had fallen out as because Ginelle¡¯s spell had caused a new tooth to grow out and take the broken tooth¡¯s place.¡±

    ¡°You have a new tooth,¡± Ginelle said.

    ¡°That¡¯s even better!¡± The dragon said, ¡°Now I can eat without feeling pain! Thank you so much, young witch!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Ruki.¡± Ginelle said, as she looked at the broken tooth in her hand. It was quite large, at least four inches long. ¡°Do you want this back?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary,¡± Ruki answered, ¡°Keep it as a memento of our encounter. I hear dragon teeth go for a lot on the market.¡±

    ¡°Are you going so soon?¡± Ginelle asked, ¡°I have food to share, and I could use some practice speaking to creatures like yourself.¡±

    ¡°I have time,¡± the dragon replied, ¡°And that food does smell rather nice.¡±

    ¡°There is plenty,¡± Ginelle said as she grabbed the left-over meats and tossed them into the dragon¡¯s mouth. She watched him chew his food and he seemed quite pleased with it. Not only from how it had tasted but probably the fact that he was chewing pain free for the first time in a while.

    ¡°That is delicious!¡± Ruki said as he licked his lips. ¡°Is there anymore?¡±

    Ginelle gave him another piece. ¡°I was told that dragons live in the mountains, so you¡¯re a long way from home.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an understatement,¡± Ruki said, ¡°I had to leave the mountains that I called home because of dragon hunters. They had attacked our nest and killed most of us. I managed to escape, but I don¡¯t know if anyone else made it. I¡¯m just looking for a new mountain to build a new nest and start over again.¡±

    ¡°What brought you here,¡± Ginelle asked, ¡°To this part of the woods?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, it was the wolf.¡± Ruki answered, ¡°I saw him in the trap and was going to eat him. I was just about to walk up to him when you came along first. I hid in the bushes and watched what you did for him and then followed you here.¡±

    ¡°Were you going to eat me?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not fond of human meat,¡± Ruki said, ¡°But I prefer other creatures. Your food is quite tasty, little witch. I like it very much. I haven¡¯t felt this energized after eating before. Where can I get more?¡±

    ¡°I make it at the camp,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°If you promise not to eat the wolf or any other creature out here, I can bring more if you like.¡±

    ¡°I would like that very much,¡± Ruki said, appearing to be excited.

    ¡°But I want something in return for my food,¡± Ginelle continued, ¡°In exchange for lunch, I want practice talking to creatures like yourself.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ruki asked, ¡°The woods can be dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried,¡± Ginelle said, smiling back at him. ¡°Do you think there¡¯s a single creature or man around here that would dare mess with a witch and a dragon?¡±

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Good point,¡± Ruki agreed, as he paused to think about her proposal.

    ¡°Do we have a deal?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°We do,¡± Ruki said, ¡°Meet me out here at the same time of day, and we shall practice talking while you feed me.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Ginelle said, happy to have a deal. ¡°But I must be off as I am expected to be back to camp very soon.¡±

    She proceeded to give the dragon the remainder of the food that was in her basket and then saluted the dragon.

    ¡°Thanks for the practice, and the tooth.¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I shell never sell it for it means too much to me.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to our next encounter,¡± Ruki said, ¡°Farewell, little witch.¡±

    As she was walking back to the camp, Marcus had flown over to make sure that Ginelle was on her way back as time had flown while hanging out with her new friend.

    ¡°You¡¯re in trouble, girl!¡± Marcus called out as he flew above her. ¡°Margorie expected you back a while ago.¡±

    When Ginelle arrived at the dining hall, she immediately started to set up the tables, which was easier to complete since there were less people eating out there for the time being. Margorie didn¡¯t say anything to her as the old witch concentrated on the meal at hand and serving the men that were there. It wasn¡¯t until after supper that she even asked her where she had been.

    ¡°I was talking to animals,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°I lost track of time. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    ¡°And what about the blood on your collar?¡± Margorie asked.

    ¡°The animal was hurt,¡± Ginelle confessed, ¡°He got himself trapped in one of Harrison¡¯s metal snares.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Margorie said, ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°I set it free,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°After I healed it¡¯s leg.¡±

    ¡°You used a healing spell on an animal?¡± Margorie asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Something weird,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°His leg was no longer broken, but his fur also changed color and became softer.¡±

    ¡°You did something very dangerous, little one.¡± Margorie said, ¡°Sometimes when healing an animal, we can accidently enhance it. Making it stronger and more dangerous than it was before. I should have told you that before letting you wander around for someone to speak with.¡±

    ¡°Why doesn¡¯t that happen when we heal the men?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Margorie said, thinking about it. ¡°Someone once told me that this kind of enhancement is rare and only happens when the healer and the patient have a connection, a special bond.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ginelle said, thinking about the wolf she had watched wander off. She didn¡¯t that connected to him and was content that he was going back to be with his own kind.

    ¡°So, are you going to keep doing that?¡± Margorie said, ¡°Letting our supper get away?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try not to,¡± Ginelle said, declining to reveal what kind of creature she healed. She didn¡¯t even show the old witch the dragon tooth, as she was unwilling to reveal that incident as well. She put the tooth in her drawer for safe keeping when she went to bed that night.

    The next morning as the men were eating breakfast, things were rather normal until there was sound that caught everyone¡¯s attention. There was a loud and piercing howl that filled the air. All the men stopped eating and looked at one another.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± one of the men asked.

    ¡°That sounded like a wolf.¡± Harrison said, ¡°And that sounded very close.¡±

    There was another howl and this time the men all jumped up to their feet, as it was much closer this time. The men grabbed their axes and rushed to the door. Ginelle was rushing behind them, but Harrison stopped and grabber her by the arm.

    ¡°It¡¯s not safe out there,¡± Harrison warned her, ¡°Wolves travel in packs, so where there¡¯s one, there are many more. Stay in here and keep the doors locked.¡±

    Harrison didn¡¯t wait for a reply and walked outside to see where the sound was coming from. All the other men were standing on the deck of the main hall, like statues. When Harrison emerged from the door, he suddenly realized why where were all so silent. The wolf was right in front of the hall, sitting as if he were a good doggie, even panting like one too.

    ¡°My god,¡± one of the men said, ¡°That thing is huge!¡±

    ¡°That has to be a dire wolf,¡± another of his men said, ¡°That thing¡¯s fur is going to fetch a nice price on the market.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Ginelle called out as she emerged through the door. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare hurt him.¡±

    ¡°Ginelle,¡± Harrison replied, ¡°That thing is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure about that,¡± Ginelle said, as she walked around Harrison and up to the guard rail of the hall¡¯s front deck. She looked at the wolf, and it was majestic. Its fur was a mixture of black and light brown and was twice as big as the wolf she had healed the day before. For some reason she felt something inside her that compelled her to reach out to the creature. She hopped over the rail and began to walk towards the big wolf, much to the surprise of the loggers. The wolf didn¡¯t respond as she walked right up to the big creature and started to pet its soft fur. The wolf remained calm and allowed Ginelle to stroke its fur for a few moments. That was all the young girl needed to do in order to understand who she was with again.

    ¡°Hello Garrak,¡± she said, and then waited for the wolf to respond.

    ¡°Hello, little witch.¡± The wolf answered. While Ginelle heard the words, all the loggers standing beside her was grunts and barks from the big wolf.

    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± She asked it.

    ¡°I was unable to find my pack,¡± the wolf answered, ¡°And I woke up this morning bigger and with softer fur, and an urge to come find you. Do you have an idea what is going on with me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± Ginelle called back, ¡°That might have been my fault. Sometimes when we use healing magic, it can have that effect on animals and people.¡±

    ¡°Ginelle, what is it saying?¡± Harrison asked her. He was aware that Margorie could talk to animals but was unaware that Ginelle had picked up the skill as well until that morning.

    ¡°He¡¯s alone,¡± she told him, ¡°He lost his pack, so he decided to come down here to visit me.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Harrison said, ¡°How do you know him?¡±

    ¡°She met this wolf yesterday.¡± Margorie said as she emerged from the dining hall herself. ¡°I take it this is the one you freed from the trap and healed?¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Ginelle confirmed, ¡°This is Garrak.¡±

    ¡°I take it he¡¯s grown since you last saw him too,¡± Margorie said, looking at the big creature. ¡°And that he was compelled to come here.¡±

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Garrak said, ¡°Why is that?¡±

    ¡°You are connected to her,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°For some reason you have been chosen to serve this witch. You will feel connected to her until your partnership comes to an end.¡±

    ¡°When will that be?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± Harrison echoed as he didn¡¯t like the idea of the big wolf hanging around.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but you¡¯ll both know when.¡± Margorie replied, ¡°Until then you will both be compelled to stay around one another.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that thing here!¡± Harrison called out.

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad,¡± Ginelle said, rather defiantly. ¡°You should have thought about that before you hurt him with one of your traps.¡±

    Harrison was more shocked that Ginelle was defying one of his orders. Yet at that moment the wolf licked the young girls face, much like a dog would show affection. Ginelle responded by giving the wolf a hug, which was rather enjoyable with Garrak¡¯s new soft fur.

    ¡°Looks like someone has a new pet,¡± one of the loggers noted.

    ¡°You can¡¯t fight it,¡± Margorie whispered to Harrison, ¡°They¡¯ve been connected by magic, and this is a bond that will never break. This is a good thing actually.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Harrison asked, ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°That wolf is her companion,¡± Margorie explained, ¡°And her defender. He will guard her from anyone that tries to harm her. I hate to say it but we¡¯re kind of stuck with him.¡±

    ¡°Great,¡± Harrison said, ¡°Leave it to Ginelle to have a pet dire wolf.¡±

    ¡°You can also skip getting her that pony you were looking at for next year¡¯s birthday,¡± Margorie also noted, ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s done growing yet.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the warning,¡± Harrison said, turning back to look at the young girl happily petting the big wolf. ¡°I¡¯ll get the boys to create a custom saddle for her when it gets big enough to handle one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the spirit,¡± Margorie said, ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it being around. He¡¯ll also make a good guard of the stables when we eventually move him there. So, there¡¯s that.¡±

    ¡°Lovely,¡± Harrison said, grinning a bit. ¡°We¡¯re going to have to make that wolf its own pen or it will scare the horses.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Margorie concurred, ¡°But I¡¯ve been listening to you all whine about having nothing to do while waiting for spring, and now you do. So, I suggest you get started.¡±

    Harrison sighed. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

 Chapter 7

    The wolf slept with Ginelle in her room, as there was enough room for him to sleep on the floor beside her bed for the time being. Harrison and the men while grumbling about it did as they were ordered and started working on the wolf¡¯s pen which would be attached to the side of the stables that housed the horses. There would be no direct contact, but having a wolf nearby was almost like having a big guard dog to protect the steeds from horse thieves. After lunch, Ginelle came outside to take a look and was impression with how far the men had come in just a single morning. Garrak¡¯s pen was going to be twice the size of a normal space used for a horse, since they had no idea how big the wolf would grow so the added space would save them having to make another if he got too big for a regular sized pen. Garrak was sitting beside her as they both looked at the work being done.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Harrison called out, when he noticed they were both watching.

    ¡°It looks very nice,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I¡¯m sure Garrak will be very grateful for all your hard work.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going with that?¡± Harrison asked, referring to the basket that the young girl was holding.

    ¡°I¡¯m going for a hike,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°It¡¯s best to practice spells away from camp.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate the thought,¡± Harrison said, ¡°But are you sure that¡¯s safe out there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ginelle said, flattered he was concerned. ¡°Besides, Garrak is coming with me. He likes to go for walks.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m convinced.¡± Harrison said, waving to her. ¡°Enjoy your hike.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like walks,¡± Garrak said, as he started to follow her into the woods away from the camp.

    ¡°You have no choice,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°What we are doing is important and he wouldn¡¯t let me wander about by myself.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Garrak inquired.

    ¡°To see a new friend,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I think you¡¯ll like him.¡±

    ¡°What kind of friend?¡± Garrak asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s a creature like yourself,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°Just a bit bigger.¡±

    ¡°How much bigger?¡± the wolf asked.

    ¡°A lot bigger,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Come on, we¡¯re running late.¡±

    Ginelle and Garrak hiked for the better part of an hour, walking up to the same opening in the woods that was the location of her first encounter with the red beast. When she arrived there, something was different. There was a wooden bench sitting there, one that was handcrafted with care and looked rather fancy. There was also a very large burn mark in the ground near the new bench. Garrak walked up to the oval shaped burning in the ground and started to sniff around. He suddenly started to growl as the scent wasn¡¯t appealing, at all.

    ¡°We need to go,¡± Garrak told her, ¡°This is no ordinary burn.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± Ginelle said, sitting down on the bench. She also placed the basket on the ground beside it.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you are,¡± Garrak continued, ¡°This ground was burned by a dragon! Is that who we¡¯re hear to meet?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is.¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Ruki agreed to help me with my talking and I agreed to feed him in return for his help.¡±

    ¡°You befriended a dragon?¡± Garrak said, rather surprised. ¡°How do you know he won¡¯t just eat you when he tires of your practice?¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t,¡± Ginelle said, rather confident. ¡°He likes the food I bring him too much to care about eating us.¡±

    ¡°Wait, eating us?¡± Garrak replied.

    ¡°He was going to eat you first,¡± Ginelle explained, ¡°Apparently I saved your life twice when I came upon you. You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    ¡°What makes your food so good?¡± Garrak asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question,¡± a voice called out.

    Without warning Ruki came flying down and landed on the burned grounds as if it were a landing pad. He circled the spot a few times, using his heavy feet to soften it before laying down for a rest. Garrak responded to the dragon¡¯s arrival by walking closer to Ginelle to guard her, even though any efforts to do so against a dragon would be futile.

    ¡°No need to worry, wolf.¡± The dragon said, huffing some smoke out of his nose as he sighed. ¡°I¡¯m here for her food, not either of you. And I¡¯d like to know as well, what makes that stuff so special?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s magic.¡± Ginelle answered. ¡°How long did you go before you needed to eat again?¡±

    ¡°Quite a while,¡± Ruki answered. ¡°That¡¯s what it does, makes me feel full a lot longer?¡±

    ¡°Not feel, but actually be full.¡± Ginelle corrected, ¡°We enchant the food to be denser, so it actually is heavier and makes you feel more satisfied. I actually tripled the enchantment on these foods, just for you. If any human or wolf tried to eat these, the density could damage their insides and kill them. But I believe you¡¯ll be able to handle it.¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°You are correct,¡± The dragon confirmed, not trying to brag. ¡°I can consume up to tens times more than any man and still be hungry hours later.¡±

    ¡°Still,¡± Ginelle carried on, ¡°I suggest you eat slowly so you don¡¯t accidentally give yourself a tummy ache. Alright?¡±

    ¡°Alright, little one.¡± Ruki said rustling about, ¡°Let¡¯s eat already.¡±

    Ginelle had made him wait long enough, and she took out the foods for the big dragon to eat, and as instructed Ruki had taken his time to slowly eat the food to make sure its extra density didn¡¯t harm his bowels. Turns out the food wasn¡¯t that dense to the dragon who had no trouble consuming all of it with ease and great pleasure.

    ¡°That was so good,¡± Ruki said, as he laid down to rest. ¡°I can¡¯t remember the last time I felt so full. I¡¯m not a bear, but I feel like hibernating.¡±

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°You have to speak with me and let me practice.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ruki said, lifting his head off the ground. ¡°What should we speak about?¡±

    ¡°Where is your pack?¡± Garrak suddenly asked, as he was curious about a few things himself.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have packs,¡± the dragon answered, ¡°We fly and nest with our immediate family, but that¡¯s about it. We are all very territorial and stick to our own circles until it¡¯s time for the little ones to fly off and start their own nests. Dragons are too independent and stubborn to work together, and for those reasons it rarely happens.¡±

    ¡°But it has happened before?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Only once, but that was a long time ago.¡± Ruki said, ¡°Back before I was even born actually.¡±

    ¡°How old are you?¡± Garrak asked. Ginelle wasn¡¯t upset that the wolf was asking questions, because they were the same she wanted to ask as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that old,¡± Ruki said, as he laid down his head. ¡°I¡¯d say about a little over three hundred years.¡±

    ¡°Three hundred?¡± Ginelle repeated, rather shocked. ¡°How long can dragons live, naturally of course.¡±

    ¡°Dragons can live for thousands of years, if they take good care of themselves.¡± Ruki answered, ¡°That is why we are hunted so much. For some reason they believe our bodies have something magical quality in them that will make humans that take them live longer if they kill us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± Garrak said, ¡°Who would believe such lunacy?¡±

    ¡°Many of us are afraid of dying,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°And they are willing to believe anything if it will help them last a bit longer. I¡¯m sorry, Ruki. That my people have caused great pains amongst yourself and your kind.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ruki said, looking back at her with his greyish silver eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is, but I feel like I can trust you. I¡¯ve never trusted a human before, or any other creature for that matter.¡±

    ¡°I am flattered,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I will cherish that trust and do whatever I can to not break it.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of trust,¡± Garrak started, ¡°Be honest here; where did you get this nice-looking bench?¡±

    ¡°I took it,¡± Ruki said, ¡°There¡¯s an abandoned house on the other side of the mountains. I thought it looked nice so I snatched it so that the little witch could have a place to sit.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not nice to steal,¡± Ginelle said to the dragon, ¡°But if no one was using it, I suppose I can make an exception. It¡¯s very nice, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ginelle.¡± The dragon said, groaning again. ¡°I don¡¯t think I will need to eat again until we meet again tomorrow. Is there anything else I can do to earn these marvelous treats?¡±

    ¡°I was going ask if you could help me with my spells,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°I was told that dragons have a high resistance to magic, so I was hoping to use you for target practice.¡±

    ¡°Target practice?¡± Ruki said, thinking about it. ¡°For what kind of spells?¡±

    ¡°Battle spells,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°Like fireballs, frost winds, and stuff similar to that.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you can do that, but not today.¡± Ruki said, ¡°I¡¯m too full to be a target this afternoon. You can practice your spells on me before I eat but not after. It might upset my stomach.¡±

    ¡°Fair point,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°We can practice tomorrow.¡±

    True to his word, when Ginelle and Garrak returned to the forest to meet with Ruki everyday, and he allowed the young witch to practice her spells on him. Ginelle was just happy to have a live target to throw her spells at, as she wanted to have a target that didn¡¯t blow up and needed to be replaced after one shot. It was a great help to Ginelle as she was able to fire the spells harder and harder as she got used to casting them as well. It made walking up to feed the dragon worth while, that and the talks they had with the scaled creature. Yet despite firing her best shots at the red dragon, no harm was done as the dragon¡¯s resistance was far higher than she expected it to be. The most she could do was tickle him as Ruki let out some decent laughs with each cast.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it,¡± Garrak asked, as he watched the shots bounce off Ruki¡¯s scales with ease. ¡°How can you die if magic doesn¡¯t work?¡±

    ¡°Hunters use bladed weapons,¡± Ruki answered, ¡°We are susceptible to metals, but especially to anything made of truesilver. Regular metals take time and luck to kill us, but anything made of truesilver will cut through our scales like butter. Thankfully the stuff is very rare, and we don¡¯t see anyone welding it that often. That¡¯s enough for today, I¡¯m getting hungry.¡±

    Ginelle set out the meal for Ruki on a table that was now sitting in front of the bench. It was apparently also stolen from the abandoned house Ruki had mentioned the day before. After Ruki had eaten and talked to his guests for a while, he returned to the nearby burnt ground and made himself comfortable for a nice nap. The food made him feel lethargic and eager to snooze. Ginelle and Garrak started their walk back to the camp after the dragon fell asleep and usually managed to get back to the hall just in time to help Margorie as she¡¯d always be just starting to prepare it when she returned home.

    ¡°I could hear your shots from here,¡± Margorie said, as she was assigning mirrors to work on the simpler cooking tasks. ¡°Your spells are getting quite strong but try not to burn down the forest. Our boys wouldn¡¯t like it if there was no longer anything for them to cut down.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not firing them at the trees,¡± Ginelle assured her, ¡°There a big rock that I¡¯m using and it¡¯s quite dense. It has taken every hit I¡¯ve given it thus far. I¡¯ve barely chipped the thing.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Margorie said, pausing for a moment. ¡°Set the tables, and we¡¯ll talk more about this later.¡±

    The rest of the day went as it usually did. The men came in and ate their dinner, Ginelle helped the old lady clear the tables and clean up. Just as they were finishing up, Margorie walked up to Ginelle and pointed to a chair.

    ¡°We need to talk,¡± The old witch started, ¡°Please sit down.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Ginelle said, sitting exactly where she was asked. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±

    ¡°It might be, if you¡¯re honest with me.¡± Margorie said, ¡°And I need you to be honest with me because what you say may or may not endanger everyone here at the camp.¡±

    ¡°I will do my best,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°What do you need to know?¡±

    It was at this point where Margorie reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled something out.

    ¡°I found this in your room today while you were out,¡± Margorie started, ¡°I wasn¡¯t snooping around; I was taking the sheets off the bed to wash them like I do every week when I found it.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Ginelle said.

    ¡°Do you have any idea what this is?¡± Margorie asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°It¡¯s a dragon tooth.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Margorie was stunned Ginelle knew what item she was holding was, even more so than actually finding it in her room. The old witch was telling the truth about how she had found the tooth, for it was under Ginelle¡¯s pillow and had fallen to the floor when she removed the sheets to watch them. It was a very large tooth, but the old witch wasn¡¯t an expert on teeth, so she was unaware of what kind of tooth she had discovered. The answer came to her later that day while she was going about her chores. The old lady had used magic to clean the bed linings and found out that the sheets had come out much cleaner than they usually did. Then came the dinner service, and she noticed a stark uptick in productivity in the kitchen. Her mirrors were worker harder and more efficiently that evening, as if the spell was being magnified and casted at a higher level despite her usually efforts to cast said spell. Margorie suddenly realized what she had on here as only one creature could enhance someone¡¯s spells just by being in possession of any part of it: a dragon. To hear Ginelle confirm what she had suspected made the old witch very nervous. To even hear of a dragon being this close to the camp wasn¡¯t good as well and was bound to make Harrison very nervous if he heard or saw something like that so close to where the men might be working. All of this made Margorie very uneasy as well as dragons were known to be very unpredictable creatures.

    ¡°This is very troubling, Ginelle.¡± Margorie said, placing the tooth on the table. ¡°This is a very dangerous artifact. Some witches would even go as far as to call it a totem.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a totem?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°A totem is any piece that enhances a witch or wizard¡¯s magical abilities.¡± Margorie said as she gestured around the kitchen. ¡°Did you happen to notice how fast and efficient my mirrors were working this afternoon? They finished their work so swiftly I had to give them additional chores to do.¡±

    ¡°Wow, I had no idea.¡± Ginelle said, rather impressed by it.

    ¡°I need you to be straight with me, Ginelle,¡± Margorie asked, ¡°Where did you get the tooth?¡±

    ¡°It was given to me,¡± Ginelle answered. It was an honest answer that just happened to be missing a few key details.

    ¡°A dragon¡¯s tooth is not a toy!¡± Margorie called out, as it was clear she was trying to keep her composure. ¡°Dragons have been known to come after their property. You could endanger us all it comes here looking for it.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± Ginelle said, very sure of herself.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Margorie asked, curious about her casual response. ¡°Where did this person find the tooth?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t given to me by a person,¡± Ginelle said, sighing. ¡°It was given to me by the dragon, as a gift for helping him.¡±

    ¡°You spoke to a dragon?¡± Margorie inquired.

    ¡°I did,¡± Ginelle confirmed, ¡°His name is Ruki and he¡¯s quite nice. He¡¯s also a very big fan of your meatloaf.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve been feeding him?¡± Margorie said, almost ready to faint.

    ¡°I thought if he had something filling, he wouldn¡¯t want to eat the animals around here, or try to even consume one of our loggers.¡± Ginelle said, acting like it was no big deal.

    ¡°You said you helped him,¡± Margorie recalled, ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°He had a broken tooth,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°He saw me heal Garrak¡¯s leg and asked me to do the same for him. When I tried to heal the tooth, it popped out and a new tooth grew in its place. It was all so weird. Ruki was so happy to be free of pain that he said I could keep the tooth as a memento of our meeting.¡±

    ¡°So, it was a gift,¡± Margorie said, feeling a little relieved. She had heard tales of hunters that killed dragons and were cursed for stealing dragon parts from the big creatures. There were even stories of dragons that came after the hunters to fetch their missing scales or claws or whatever else was taken. To hear that the dragon consented to her taking the tooth meant there would be no curse or dragons coming after her to retrieve it. Still, the old witch was concerned about the matter and needed more information.

    ¡°What possessed you to speak to a dragon?¡± She asked the young girl.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± Ginelle reminded her, ¡°He approached me because he was in pain and asked for my help. What was I supposed to do, refuse and risk him getting angry at me?¡±

    Margorie paused for a moment and considered the girl¡¯s story.

    ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Margorie said, ¡°He wanted your help and you¡¯ve always been a kind soul. It took a lot of bravery to help him like that. It¡¯s also quite remarkable that you can speak to him at all. I¡¯ve never heard of any witch being able to speak with dragons. That¡¯s the first for me as well.¡±

    ¡°Wow, I had no idea.¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And I didn¡¯t know about the tooth being a totem. I kept it in my room and never attempted to cast any spells with it. Does it really work like that?¡±

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    ¡°I can assure you it does, my dear.¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°My mirrors have never worked so hard since I started using them. But let¡¯s do an experiment and see if this works for you as well.¡±

    Margorie handed the tooth to Ginelle, and then backed away from her.

    ¡°Tell me a spell that you¡¯re struggling with.¡± Margorie requested.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°That mirroring spell. I just can¡¯t seem to get any mirrors to come forward.¡±

    ¡°Try it again now,¡± Margorie suggested, ¡°And hold that tooth in your passive hand as you do it.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said as she held the tooth in her left hand and stood up from where she was sitting. She stood there and began to cast the spell and while this was a spell she usually struggled with, that wasn¡¯t the case this time. Almost immediately, a mirror emerged from Ginelle¡¯s body and stood there beside her ready to serve. Ginelle looked back at Margorie with a shocked look upon her face.

    ¡°I did it!¡± Ginelle said, beaming with pride. ¡°I made a mirror!¡±

    ¡°That is amazing,¡± Margorie said, ¡°You¡¯ve been given a great gift dear, so I suggest you be careful with it and only use it only when absolutely necessary. I would also be careful when handling it as they¡¯re quite sharp too.¡±

    ¡°I noticed that too,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Are you still mad at me for speaking to the dragon and feeding him?¡±

    ¡°I suppose not,¡± Margorie said, as she had time to think about it. ¡°Sometimes we don¡¯t get to pick who we consort with. Many witches believe that mother earth brings people or creatures into our lives only when we need them. For some reason, mother seems to believe you need a bird, a wolf, and even a dragon. Three companions that will be very hopeful should a crisis come to our doors.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But maybe we should keep Ruki between us. As long as we feed him, he¡¯ll have no reason to wander about or bother anyone.¡±

    ¡°What about your spell practice?¡± Margorie asked.

    ¡°Ruki¡¯s been helping with that actually,¡± Ginelle said, smiling back at the old witch. ¡°He let¡¯s me use him for target practice.¡±

    ¡°Ginelle!¡± Margorie said, shocked to hear it. ¡°You¡¯ve been shooting fireballs and god know what else at a poor dragon!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s fine,¡± Ginelle informed her, ¡°Ruki confirmed that dragons have great resistence to magic spells. No matter how hard I hit him, he laughs at me and says it tickles.¡±

    ¡°Fascinating,¡± Margorie said, unaware of what Ruki had taught her.

    It was at this point when Harrison came walking into the kitchen to speak with the two witches. Before anyone could say anything, Harrison first noticed that there was extra Ginelle in the kitchen, looking back at him as if she were a twin sister.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± he called out, ¡°Ginelle learned how to mirror!¡±

    ¡°I had some help,¡± Ginelle confessed. She was determined to learn how to do it on her own, but it was nice to know she could use the tooth to cast it and other difficult spells whenever it was needed.

    ¡°Some help?¡± Harrison repeated, ¡°From whom?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to love this.¡± Margorie said, as it was her turn to smile.

    ¡°Should we tell him?¡± Ginelle asked, a little worried.

    ¡°We can trust him,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°You can tell him.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°You are never going to believe what new pet our little Ginelle here has suddenly adopted.¡± The old witch said, sitting down to get ready for it.

    Harrison looked back at Ginelle and dreaded the idea.

    ¡°Are we going to have to build another pen?¡± he asked them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would work out,¡± Margorie said.

    ¡°Too small?¡± Harrison guessed.

    ¡°Other way,¡± Ginelle corrected him. ¡°He¡¯s too big. It would take you guys all summer to make a pen big enough to hold this creature.¡±

    ¡°Bigger than the wolf?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°Show her,¡± Margorie ordered.

    Ginelle took the dragon tooth out and showed it to Harrison.

    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°It most certainly is,¡± Margorie said, ¡°Our young witch here has befriended a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Witches can talk to dragons?¡± Harrison said, as he never heard of it before. He knew that Margorie could speak to mice and even eagles, and that Ginelle could speak to her wolf, but he had no idea witches were capable of consorting with mythical creatures as well. Harrison was even panicked for a moment as he suggested evacuating the logging camp, as he was afraid that the dragon might burn it all down.

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± Margorie said, ¡°As long as Ginelle keeps feeding it.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Harrison said, ¡°So dragons like your magic cooking too?¡±

    ¡°It appears so,¡± Margorie said, looking back at Ginelle. ¡°Is that why you were over enchanting the leftovers, little one? Making them denser and filling for our colourful friend?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ginelle admitted, ¡°But he¡¯s not colourful. Ruki is actually has black and white scales, with silver spikes. He looks very nice for a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Now that explains everything,¡± Margorie said, as she needed to sit down. ¡°Black dragons are known for being rebellious and even spontaneous. They don¡¯t seem to follow other dragons and do their own thing.¡±

    ¡°You mean like we do?¡± Ginelle countered, ¡°So Ruki is like a chaos witch, breaking the rules and doing his own thing.¡±

    ¡°It appears so,¡± Margorie said, ¡°No wonder you two get along so well. You¡¯re like kindred spirits.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s not dangerous?¡± Harrison asked, ¡°The last thing I need is a dragon torching the camp to ash.¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t do that,¡± Ginelle insisted, ¡°He¡¯s just as scared as you as you are of him. He fled the mountains because there were hunters after him. I actually told him to take things easy and not draw attention, so I doubt he¡¯d want to come near here out of fear the hunters will come looking for him.¡±

    ¡°So, he¡¯s hiding out just like you are.¡± Harrison noted, ¡°You two do have a lot more in common than we thought.¡±

    ¡°I really like him,¡± Ginelle added, ¡°He¡¯s very friendly.¡±

    ¡°Make him this offer,¡± Margorie started, ¡°If your dragon friend stays away from camp and keeps his distance from the loggers, then you may continue feeding him and I¡¯ll show you how to make some better meals that no doubt keep him very satisfied. If he does that, he¡¯ll also not draw attention to himself and that will keep the hunters away.¡±

    ¡°We can always keep a look out for hunters as well,¡± Harrison added, ¡°We can keep him safe as well if he behaves himself and doesn¡¯t light up the camp of the forest for that matter. We need these trees for logging.¡±

    ¡°I will convey that message to him tomorrow,¡± Ginelle offered, ¡°I have no doubt he will accept, especially since he already knows what a great cook Margorie is.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Harrison said, sighing deeply.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Ginelle asked, worried he was still upset.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Harrison assured her, ¡°I¡¯m just glad we don¡¯t have to make another pen.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Ginelle took the offer to Ruki the next day, and it didn¡¯t take any wing twisting to the dragon to accept Margorie and Harrison¡¯s terms. He had no intention of being a concern to the logging camp and agreed to lay low and not cause any problems afraid the attention would draw hunters closer to him. Margorie also cooked up a special lunches for Ruki, just to let him know the kind of foods she could make for him if he kept his side of their bargain. The dark dragon was impressed with her cooking and even more lethargic after eating it as it made him feel quite full and content. Ginelle told the dragon about the tooth and how it helped her with spells that she struggled with, and Ruki explained that the tooth was helpful to her only because it was given to her rather than stolen. If a dragon surrenders something to a human, that item becomes useful to that person and helps them with magic or provides good luck to those who don¡¯t. Ruki also confirmed that stealing something from a dragon provokes a curse like Margorie had suggested, yet when a dragon gives you a piece of themselves willingly, you are in turn blessed. Over the last few months of winter and the first month of spring, Ginelle and Garrak continued to visit with Ruki and keep him company and well fed. Garrak had also continued to grow at an alarming rate to the point where Harrison put a saddle on the wolf¡¯s back and that allowed Garrak to give Ginelle a ride to their meetings with Ruki rather than walk trail there. If felt weird at first, but Ginelle started to get used to riding on Garrak¡¯s back as if he were her steed, but just one that would bite your face off if you angered him. Harrison was worried that the pen might not be big enough to house the wolf, but he appeared to stop growing once he was big enough for little witch to ride. Life for Ginelle was going well at the logging camp, but that was usually when things went bad from the young witch and this situation was no different. It was early morning on a nice summer day, and Ginelle was still fast asleep when the alarm stated to go off.

    ¡°Ginelle!¡± Marcus cried to the top of his lung. ¡°Wake up right now!¡±

    The small blue jay even flew into the room and landed on her desk so that he could be right in her face as he continued to yell at her.

    ¡°Wake up, Ginelle!¡± the bird cried out. ¡°This isn¡¯t a drill!¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ginelle asked, as she started to awaken.

    ¡°We have movement, two miles south of here.¡± Marcus said, ¡°At least a hundred soldiers, marching here as we speak! Get out of bed, girl!¡±

    Ginelle suddenly popped up in bed and looked at the bird. ¡°Are you sure they¡¯re soldiers?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I am damn sure!¡± Marcus insisted. ¡°Pretty colors, flags waving about. That is an army marching towards our damn camp!¡±

    Ginelle immediately jumped out of bed and started to dress. Instead of her usual outfit she wore around camp, she dressed in the garbs she would often wear for hiking in the woods, because that is exactly where she intended to go. Away from the camp and through the woods. She started to pack only what she needed into a bag she had stashed away just for this situation. She packed extra clothing, a few small sculptures from Harrison, and the dragon tooth which she put in a secure pocket in her coat rather than in her bag.

    ¡°Get to the stable and warn Garrak.¡± Ginelle ordered the bird. ¡°Tell him to get into the forest and meet me at the river we pass by to meet with Ruki.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on it!¡± Marcus said as he flew out the window.

    Once she was packed up, Ginelle walked over to kitchen where Margorie and her mirrors were already starting breakfast. She looked over at Ginelle and how she was dressed and realized something was wrong.

    ¡°We need to leave,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Marcus spotted at least a hundred soldiers coming this way. Royal guards with banners flying. They¡¯re coming for us, Margorie. They¡¯re coming to take us to the dungeons just like my mom.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Margorie said as she grabbed a small basket and filled with goodies and then handed it over to the young girl. ¡°You¡¯ll need this to keep you feed while you and that wolf of yours make your trip.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not coming?¡± Ginelle asked, somewhat upset the old witch even suggest staying behind.

    ¡°I wish I could, I really do.¡± Margorie said, ¡°But if they¡¯re marching here on purpose, odds are these men know what they¡¯re looking for.¡±

    ¡°But how?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°It saddens me to say thing,¡± Margorie started, ¡°But it appears someone at the camp has ratted us out, probably for a reward. Follow me.¡±

    Margorie walked back to her bedroom and fished around there for a moment and then picked up a rather odd-looking book.

    ¡°This book is very rare,¡± Margorie told her, ¡°It contains half of what you need to know in order to be a pretty decent chaos witch.¡±

    ¡°What about the other half?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°If you practice everything in this book and master it,¡± Margorie explained, ¡°Someone will come to you to teach the other half. That is how it works with Chaos magic. I was going to tell you about that, but never found the right moment. Take this with you and continue your training.¡±

    Ginelle grabbed the book from her and put it into her bag. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Now get going,¡± Margorie ordered, ¡°Use your new friends and make as much distance from here as you can. You have eyes in the sky and a mount that can move quickly through the woods. Mother earth has prepared you for this day, so I suggest you get going.¡±

    Ginelle wanted to plead with the old witch but realized that time was not on her side, and she had to get going. The young girl stood there, unsure what she was to say next as she didn¡¯t know whether or not this was the last time that she and Margorie would ever see one another again.

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    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it,¡± Margorie said, as she knew what the girl was thinking. ¡°It was such a pleasure to have you here and be sure to keep working on your spells.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said as she walked up and hugged her mentor. ¡°I hope that we get to see each other again one day.¡±

    ¡°As do I,¡± Margorie agreed, ¡°But right now you need to run. Harrison and I will stall them as long as we can.¡±

    Ginelle had a tear in her eye, but she knew the old lady was right. She walked to the hall behind the kitchen and bolted out the back door to make her escape and meet up with the wolf at the river.

    Margorie stood there for a moment and wiped a tear from her cheek, as the moment touched her heart as well. Years ago, she never thought this moment would happen or that she¡¯d care for anyone the way she did about that young witch. The old woman wished she could have gone with her, but she was slow, and it could result in them both being caught. She would try to stall and buy her time, hopeful that at least one of them would escape.

    As Margorie returned to the kitchen she removed her apron, and with a snap of her fingers the mirrors all stopped what they were doing and vanished. Margorie proceeded to walk out the front door just in time to witness a lot of soldiers marching onto the grounds of their camp. There had to be almost two hundred of them as they rounded up all the loggers and lined them up for interrogation as the commander rode his horse to the front to address everyone at the camp.

    ¡°My name is General Zolstaus,¡± the leader called out as he turned to face one of his underlings. ¡°Is this everyone?¡±

    ¡°We think so, General.¡± One of the regiment commanders answered. ¡°Almost all of the barracks have been cleared out.¡±

    ¡°What about the kitchen?¡± the general asked. ¡°Our source said they both worked in the dining house.¡±

    It was at this time that Harrison was brought forth to speak with the General for what was going on in his camp.

    ¡°I demand to know the meaning of this intrusion!¡± He said, calling out with great anger.

    ¡°We¡¯ve heard of witches being harbored here.¡± The general answered, ¡°We know that you are hiding two witches in this camp, and by order of the king we are here to take them both away where they can do no harm to anyone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve met plenty of witches,¡± Harrison admitted, ¡°And none of them had ever harmed a single person in their whole life. Many of them are healers. The very same women that mended our troops when we were trying hold off the Veldarians from invading our home.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The general asked, ¡°And how do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Because I was there,¡± Harrison answered, ¡°I saw what things they did to save us with my own eyes. Their healing spells were the only reason many of our men were able to walk back onto the battlefield and claim victory for our people. And how do you repay them for their service? You lock them away in the dungeons and treat them like heretics. Their magic is the only reason why we won that damn war in the first place! Every single one of us would still be under the thumb of that fat northern tyrant, and yet you treat them all like garbage. You¡¯re a traitor and a coward for turning on our own people like that!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± the general called out as he let out a kick from his horse that knocked the defiant logger to the ground.

    ¡°For a man that claims to be on the side of the righteous,¡± a voice called out, ¡°You sure are a cruel little man.¡±

    Margorie stood even more defiant of the soldiers than Harrison had as she stood on the deck just outside the front door of the dining hall. She was standing there with her arms fold, unafraid of the general of all the soldiers he brought with him. She was not intimidated by them at all.

    ¡°You are under arrest, M¡¯lady.¡± The general called out, ¡°For witchcraft and crimes against the crown and church. Now where is the other one?¡±

    ¡°She died,¡± Margorie said, trying to spin a tale. ¡°She was overcome with a lung infection and didn¡¯t live through the night.¡±

    ¡°The woman¡¯s lying!¡± one of the loggers called out. ¡°She¡¯s heading north, because that where I saw her wolf running off in that direction after breaking out of his pen.¡±

    ¡°After her!¡± The general ordered. Upon his command, four men on horse back and about fifteen soldiers on foot ran in the direction the snitch said the wolf had ridden off.

    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± Harrison asked the snitch. ¡°We¡¯re suppose to be like a family up here.¡±

    ¡°The more witches they get, the bigger reward I get.¡± The snitch answered, grinning at his boss.

    Before the man got another word out a black fireball came out of nowhere and exploded into the snitch¡¯s chest. The ball itself didn¡¯t cause any physical damage like a normal fireball might, but it instead caused this grayish gas to envelope him and his body started to slowly rot. The Snitch started to wail and scream in great pain as his skin slowly peeled off while bones crackled from the pressure of his body slowly imploding upon itself. Eventually there was nothing left but a pile of ash when the spell was finished with the little rat that had betrayed them. After the traitorous man had collapsed into that pile of dust, everyone turned to look back towards the dining hall, and the witch that just cast the gruesome spell that murdered him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Margorie said, with her eyes suddenly turning black. ¡°Were you under the impression that I was going to co-operate?¡±

    Upon seeing her now darkened eyes, many of the soldiers slowly started to back away as none of them wanted to be the next to experience the horrific death they had all just witnessed.

    ¡°If you do not surrender,¡± the general said, not even looking concerned. ¡°I will order my men to kill every one of these loggers. Starting with this one.¡±

    She watched him point at Harrison, who was still laying on the ground after being kicked down. While she calculated how many she could take down on her own, it wouldn¡¯t be enough, and she cared too much about the loggers to let that happen. The old witch lowered her hands and her eyes changed back to their normal color as she no longer had the will to resist.

    ¡°I will surrender,¡± she called out, ¡°But you must promise not to harm any of these men if I go quietly.¡±

    ¡°I will leave them all here to continue to work for the crown,¡± The general said, as he then gestured to Harrison again. ¡°But not this one. He knew you were a witch and protected you from us. He¡¯s being charged with harboring witches and will return with us to the dungeons.¡±

    Margorie looked angered at the thought of Harrison being arrested, but he held up a hand to signal to Margorie that he was alright with it, and she was to stand down. It was at this point where a loud booming sound could be heard in the distance. The general turned around all he could see was smoke coming from the north of the camp, with fires rising high and fast as it spread.

    ¡°What the devil caused that?¡± the general asked.

    ¡°She made it,¡± Margorie said to herself, happy to see the fire and smoke, ¡°He will protect her.¡±

    ¡°By the gods!¡± one of the soldiers cried out, ¡°Look over there!¡±

    All the loggers and the soldiers watched in awe as a large black dragon started to rise into the sky above the smoke and flames. It appeared to be carrying something in its talons, but it was too far away to see. It roared very loudly in their direction before turning away from them and flying off, flapping his majestic wings and picking up speed as he sailed off into the skies and out of everyone¡¯s sights.

    ¡°Good luck, little one.¡± Margorie whispered under her breath. ¡°I hope you find the peace and solitude I failed to provide you here.¡±

 Chapter 10

    After speaking with Margorie, Ginelle scooted out the back door and made a mad dash for the woods to get as far away from the logging camp as she could. She could hear the sound of the soldiers marching in the distance but never turned back to even glance at them. She didn¡¯t want to get caught looking back and risk the soldiers catching up with her, so she just kept running and hoped that Marcus got her message to Garrak. The young witch jogged up to the river and was relieved to see the big wolf was already there, drinking from the waters when she arrived.

    ¡°Thank goodness you¡¯re here,¡± Garrak said as he noticed her arrive. ¡°I was becoming impatient and was about to start looking for you. Did anyone else come with you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Ginelle replied, and just as she said that there was a rustling coming from behind her. ¡°We have to go.¡±

    ¡°Which way?¡± the wolf asked her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stick to our usual path,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And head north.¡±

    Ginelle jumped onto the saddle on Garrak¡¯s back and he sprinted away from river and the oncoming the sounds of the soldiers looking for them. With the big wolf sprinting rather than his usual jog, it took them all far less time to move up to their usual meeting place with Ruki. Ginelle dismounted and started to look around but there was no sign of her the big dragon. She took a deep breath and sat down on her bench and tried to relax a little.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here!¡± Garrak informed her, ¡°I can smell them, men on horses are riding after us!¡±

    ¡°How much time do we have?¡± Ginelle asked, as she wanted to wait and see if Ruki would return to help them.

    That question was answered mere seconds later as three solders riding horses emerged from the bushes and stopped to look around at their surroundings. The man leading the group has a silver helmet and was no doubt the man in command.

    ¡°Your path was unwise,¡± the commander said, looking around. ¡°You¡¯ve cornered yourself in this remote spot. I suggest you surrender immediately.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere with you.¡±

    ¡°You are coming with us,¡± The commander repeated, ¡°There is no where else for you to flee.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t just fleeing from you,¡± Ginelle corrected him, ¡°I was running towards something. I didn¡¯t run myself into a corner, you ignorantly followed me into a trap.¡±

    Before the commander could respond or take any action, there was a loud, piercing roar that came from the skies. Second later, the large black dragon dropped out of the sky and landed right between Ginelle and the mounted guards. The commander and his men were stunned to see the mighty creature before them, unsure what to do next.

    ¡°Who are these men?¡± Ruki asked the young witch.

    ¡°They are my enemy,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°They¡¯re here to take me away from the camp and from you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ruki said, as he let out an aggressive growl to articulate his displeasure. ¡°What shall I do with them?¡±

    ¡°Kill them,¡± Ginelle ordered. These were the same men that had separated her from her mother, and now from the loggers and Margorie. She didn¡¯t care for them at all or for their well being.

    Ruki could tell by the tone of her voice that the young witch wasn¡¯t fooling around and that her order was legitimate. The dragon responded by taking in a very deep breath and blowing out a yellow and orange flame that sprayed out towards the three guards and their horses. The dragon was not pleased with the idea of losing Ginelle and didn¡¯t hesitate to roast all three men and their mounts until they were ash. Just as the dragon finished cooking them, at least twenty other soldiers had arrived just in time to witness their commander and his men get roasted but the fierce creature.

    ¡°Them too?¡± Ruki quickly asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ginelle confirmed, ¡°Kill them all.¡±

    ¡°What about the trees, and the forest?¡± Ruki asked, concerned about burning down the logger¡¯s livelihood.

    ¡°At the moment I don¡¯t care,¡± Ginelle said, with that same tone as before. ¡°Burn it all.¡±

    Ruki didn¡¯t wait for any other instruction as he spread his wings and lifted himself ten feet off the ground, which gave him an elevated advantage over the soldiers who had just spotted what the source of those flames were. The soldiers had originally thought the witch they were hunting had used a fire spell and had planned to swarm her and the wolf, but they were sadly mistaken. Ruki took another deep breath and this time sprayed as much fire out as he could and covered as much ground as he could, which pretty much setting the forest on fire. The flames he shot out this time had a greater range as he was spraying them forth without any concern for the soldiers or the other wildlife for that matter. More than half of the soldiers were immediately ingulfed in Ruki¡¯s flames while the others had already started to run the dragon was spotted. Many of them were lucky to get away unsinged. No one wanted to stick around and fight the dragon and continued to run back towards the camp where the other soldiers were stationed with the loggers. Ruki stopped breathing fire and floated back down to the ground.

    ¡°Are you alright, Ginelle?¡± the dragon asked her.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, thank you.¡± Ginelle said, looking at all the trees as they were burning. ¡°They¡¯re going to be back with more soldiers.¡±

    ¡°Then I suggest we make our exit then.¡± Ruki suggested.

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    ¡°Where would we go?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± the big dragon said, ¡°But it requires the both of you to trust me.¡±

    Ginelle didn¡¯t like the idea of fighting more soldiers, even if she had a dragon on their side. She put a hand on her wolf to reassure him they would both be alright.

    ¡°We do trust you, Ruki.¡± Ginelle said, ¡°What did you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°I will fly you both away from here,¡± The dragon informed her, ¡°I know a place far away that should be out of reach of those men. Very far away.¡±

    ¡°How will you carry us?¡± Garrak asked, rather concerned.

    ¡°I will ask the witch to climb onto my back and hang onto the spikes.¡± Ruki answered, ¡°You¡¯re too big to climb on, so I will carry you with my talons. I promise that no harm will come to you while in flight.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going to take us?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°To that house in the mountains.¡± Ruki answered, ¡°We will cross a few borders while traveling there so those evil men will not be able to follow. We shall all safe there.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said, as she had little choice. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    Ruki laid down on the ground to give Ginelle a chance to climb onboard without much trouble. Some of the spikes on his back were so big that Ginelle was able to slip between two of them and use one to support her back like a chair. She made herself as comfortable as she could and padded his back to let the dragon know she was ready. The dragon stood back up and used his wings to lift himself up in the air again, just high enough to reach down and pick up the big wolf with his talons. He used both legs to grab onto the wolf and once he had a good grip, Ruki began to flap his wings harder and elevate into the sky even faster. Ginelle held on tightly as the ground became to look smaller and smaller as Ruki kept rising. The red dragon also let out a loud roar as he rose above the black smoke from the fires, pretty much letting everyone know below who was responsible for them. Ginelle was able to see the logging camp from where she was and hoped that everyone was alright, but she couldn¡¯t tell from that distance. Without warning the dragon turned away and started to move at an incredible speed away from the camp and towards their new destination. The loggers had told her that dragons were able to cover great distances, but to watch Ruki move so fast was incredible. The wind was intense, but the spikes were helpful to aid Ginelle as she held on. They sailed past mountains, and even over a few lakes. After what was only a few hours the dragon decided to descend and make a landing. He softly put the wolf down first before landing on the ground himself.

    ¡°Are we here?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Ruki said, taking a few deep breathes. ¡°I need to take a short break. I¡¯m not using to carrying people or creatures this far.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s have lunch,¡± Ginelle said, gesturing to her basket. ¡°I have some food that will help fill you both up, and then we¡¯ll be off again after a short rest.¡±

    ¡°I like that idea.¡± Garrak agreed, as he was not eager to get going again so soon and wanted a break as well.

    ¡°I need a moment,¡± Ginelle said, as she removed some of the food from the basket and held them in her hands as she started to chant a spell. The food was just normal, and she knew Ruki would need as much energy as she could give him to carry that heavy wolf the rest of the way. After a few moments of energizing the food, she fed them to the dragon who happily accepted them. She ate some of the other normal foods with Garrak while they rested for a few moments. Ginelle knew they couldn¡¯t stay there long in case someone saw the dragon and could possibly cause a panic in any nearby town.

    ¡°Where are you taking us?¡± Ginelle asked as she ate.

    ¡°The abandoned house I told you about,¡± the dragon informed her. ¡°The same one I stole the bench from. It¡¯s not too far, but not too close either. There¡¯s even a small village not far from it that you can use to gather supplies and other things you might need. It¡¯s pretty elevated so I should be able to find a nearby spot to nest so I won¡¯t be far away this time. I remember resting there when I fled from my own kind, and it seemed like such a nice place. No one lives there so you should both be safe from the people that are hunting you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very nice idea,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°It will also provide me with a safe place to practice my magic.¡±

    ¡°Then its settled,¡± The wolf said, as he seemed excited as well. ¡°We¡¯ll all travel to this cabin together and make it our new home.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s abandoned?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°As sure as I can be,¡± Ruki answered, ¡°I had passed by it and even slept near it many times. There is no one else there.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said, packing away their leftovers. ¡°We should resume our travels and get to this house as soon as we can.¡±

    ¡°Climb aboard,¡± Ruki said, laying back down for her to board. ¡°I have more then enough energy to make the rest of the trip.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your help,¡± Ginelle said, as she climbed aboard.

    Ruki took Ginelle and Garrak back into the sky and managed to travel even further than they did the first time, as the dragon seemed very eager to get them to the house he was flying towards. By the time Ruki had reached the house he was looking for, the sun was going down and it was getting dark rather quickly. Ruki made a quick landing to a clear spot that appeared to be close to the house that he was looking for.

    ¡°We¡¯re very close, but it¡¯s getting dark.¡± Ruki sad as he laid back down and allowed both Ginelle and Garrak to get comfortable. Ruki waited for Ginelle to gather a few branches and the dragon provided the fire as they started to make a camp where they could rest for the night. The flame was a bright orange, but it was also very mellow as it sparkled away. Ginelle had a blanket in her bag, and Garrak insisted that she lay on him, using his soft fur as a bed for her to rest upon. It seemed to do the trick as Ginelle quickly faded to sleep and was out like a light.

    ¡°She looked rather tired,¡± Ruki said to the wolf.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long day,¡± Garak replied, ¡°This was the day she knew was coming but never wanted to see happen again.¡±

    ¡°Again?¡± the dragon repeated, ¡°When did this happen before?¡±

    ¡°I spoke to the blue bird about it,¡± Garrak answered, ¡°He¡¯s a bit of a gossip so he listened in on the loggers talking about it. She had to flea the city and because the crown and church have been arresting and locking up all the witches. Something about them being an abomination to nature and using divine providence to lock them all away. Ginelle managed to get out of the city, but it appears her mother didn¡¯t make it.¡±

    ¡°That is upsetting,¡± the dragon noted, ¡°It¡¯s no different than the humans coming after myself and my kindred dragons. Chasing us for our scales and whatever magical advantage they could steal from us. I detest these evil men who seem they can do and take whatever they want.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to us then,¡± Garrak declared, ¡°Ginelle saved my life, so I will spend the rest of it protecting her from these evil people who mean to take her away from us.¡±

    ¡°I will do what I can to assist you,¡± Ruki assured the dragon, ¡°But for now let¡¯s get some rest. We¡¯ll make it to the house tomorrow, and then we can all start over again.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Garrak said as he put his head on the ground. ¡°I shall try but I am a light sleeper. Good night, dragon.¡±

    ¡°Good night, fluffy wolf.¡± Ruki said before also laying his head down. He had been using his breath to keep the flame going but it was no longer needed so he let if fade out. He was confident that the blanket the young witch was using along with the body head from both himself and the wolf would be more than enough to keep her warm throughout the night. They would complete their journey in the morning, but for now it was time to rest as the dragon closed his eyes and faded to sleep.

 Chapter 11

    When Ginelle woke up the next morning, she enchanted what was left of the food and gave it to the wolf and dragon to fill them for the day. She left a few unenchanted bits for herself and that would do until they made it to the house, which only took the Ruki less than a few hours to fly the rest of the way. The house itself looked rather nice from above as they moved up towards it. It had two floors, a rather decent porch, and had a nice clear patch beside it that would be perfect for a garden. After Ruki softly put Garrak down first before making his landing, Ginelle was quick to hop off and take a look around. The house was indeed as deserted as Ruki had advertised, but it didn¡¯t seem in bad shape because it. She knew a little hard work would get the place look rather hospitable in no time. Ginelle was slow to walk inside, and Garrak even entered with her just in case someone or something was inside. There were some cobwebs and a lot of dust, but the place looked better than the young witch hoped it would. As she walked outside to take another look around, she noticed that Ruki wasn¡¯t around anymore. She didn¡¯t think much of it at the time and thought he was taking a look around to find a place for him to nest close by so she would no longer have to take a long hike just to visit him.

    ¡°This place looks great!¡± Ginelle said, looking over at Garrek. ¡°What do you think about it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no stable,¡± Garrek said, ¡°Where should I stay?¡±

    ¡°In the house with me obviously,¡± Ginelle said, rather amused by the question. ¡°If it¡¯s just the two of us, the large room on the first floor can be used for your space. I would make me feel safer knowing you¡¯ve got the bottom floor well guarded while I sleep upstairs.¡±

    ¡°It would be my honor to reside below,¡± Garrak said, as he was also well aware that he¡¯d be right beside the kitchen, which would allow him to smell anything the young witch would be able whip up there.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Let¡¯s get this taken care of before supper.¡±

    ¡°Before supper?¡± Garrak repeated, ¡°That¡¯s a little ambitious.¡±

    ¡°Not for me my furry friend,¡± Ginelle said as she took the dragon tooth out of her pocket. She held it tight and recited the same spell that had always used to cause her trouble. Moments later Ginelle was able to create half a dozen mirrors of herself. All the mirrors turned to Ginelle to await instructions.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Ginelle said, pointing to the mirror beside her, ¡°You¡¯ll clean the porch and the outside windows. You two handle the upper floor bedrooms, and you two are responsible for cleaning all the floors. I¡¯ll take care of the kitchen, so leave that to me.¡±

    All the mirrors nodded and walked off to perform their duties without question or complaint. With several Ginelles working on the house, it only took one whole day to clean the place up. There was already furniture inside the house, but it needed to be taken outside and cleaned up before anyone could use them. Ginelle herself worked on the kitchen because this was where she intended to spend most of her time, so she wanted to personally get acquainted with that room while the mirrors did their work throughout the house. About ten hours after they had started, the mirrors suddenly vanished, which was what Margorie said would happen after a certain amount of time. Ginelle wanted to know how long she¡¯d get so she pushed them until they faded away. They had done most of the needed work around the house and Ginelle was able to finish it up herself rather than regenerate new mirrors. It wasn¡¯t until it started to get dark that she realized neither of them had bothered to look for food.

    ¡°I can always search for something,¡± Garrak offered.

    ¡°No need,¡± a voice boomed out as Ruki arrived. As he came into land, there was another creature in his talons, but this one was already dead. It was a rather odd-looking creature that appeared to a cow but had a bit of fur.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Ginelle asked, inspecting it a bit.

    ¡°It¡¯s called a Wallbie,¡± Ruki answered as he seemed rather proud of himself. ¡°They¡¯re local to these parts but they¡¯re wild animals. I got it from the mountains, not some poor bloke¡¯s farm.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°We don¡¯t need the negative attention so no stealing livestock.¡±

    ¡°How do we cook it?¡± Garak asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s the easy part,¡± Ruki said, as he blew a burst of flames out of his mouth at it for a few seconds. He then used his claws to flip the carcass and then blow flames at it again. He repeated this process a few times and Ginelle was quite impressed with the dragon¡¯s cooking technique. The fur was burned right off, and the meat was cooked rather well considering how often it was flipped over.

    ¡°That looks and smells rather good,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Ruki said, ¡°I cooked it a bit more just to make sure it was good for you to consume as well.¡±

    After they ate, Ginelle let Ruki know what they were doing around the house and the progress they had made. They got a lot of work done but there was still much to do.

    ¡°I need some water,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°to really scrub down some parts and to also watch the sheets and mattresses that are in there.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a well close by,¡± Ruki told her, ¡°Very close as it¡¯s just a short walk to the house. If there isn¡¯t any water in it, we can always fetch some from the river at the bottom of the valley.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I can take care of the well.¡±

    After supper she walked over to the well, and there was no water in it as Ruki had feared. It didn¡¯t matter as Ginelle still had a water specialization, and with the help of the dragon tooth she had no problem filling it back up with fresh water. Once Ginelle had access to a water supply, she generated a few mirrors to take the water back to the house and clean it up even further. It took a few days with several mirrors working really hard, but the house looked almost brand new rather quickly. Yet Ginelle knew despite all the work being put in by herself and the mirrors, eventually she was going to have to do the one thing shew was afraid of which was visit the small town that was at the bottom of the valley. It was about a few leagues away, but if she took Garrak out there they could ride out there in about an hour. She dressed rather casually and mounted her wolf before looking back at Ruki.

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    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t come with us.¡± she told the dragon.

    ¡°I¡¯m aware,¡± the dragon said, ¡°I will use my time here for find a nice place to nest. That should keep me occupied while you¡¯re gone, but just promise to be careful down there.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be alright,¡± Garrak said, ¡°We should be back before supper.¡±

    Garrak didn¡¯t want to be away from the house that long, so he carried Ginelle down to the town at a very decent pace, making good time. He slowed down however as he started to get closer to the town. This was something that Ginelle was worried about as well, as a young red headed woman riding a dire wolf into town was sure to catch everyone¡¯s attention. Men and women started to watch as the young witch rode the wolf into town and was watched by many as the big wolf walked over to the center of town.

    ¡°It¡¯s a nice-looking town,¡± Garrak said to Ginelle. The young witch heard what the wolf was saying, but to the townfolk all they heard was snarls and growls from the big wolf. Only Ginelle could understand what he was saying.

    ¡°I like it,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°But don¡¯t cause trouble for us. The ability to trade with this town might be vital to our survival. We just need to find a way to generate income and supplies for the house.¡±

    It was at this point where a man walked up to Ginelle and her wolf, but before the man could get any closer the wolf turned to face the man and gave him a rather harsh snarl.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t sneak up like that,¡± Ginelle called out to him, ¡°Unless you want to lose your arm to my furry friend here.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the man asked, ¡°I don¡¯t mean to bother you, but I must ask you something.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to be blunt,¡± The man started, ¡°but are you a witch?¡±

    Ginelle sat there on top of her wolf and thought long and hard about what her answer might be. She had to remember that Ruki had flown them a great distance and they were far away from the kingdom that meant to imprison her. That also means their persecution was far away as well, and there was a chance the people here might be a little more accepting. She had to take that chance and hoped the town people would be alright with it. Ginelle took a deep breath before answering.

    ¡°I am,¡± Ginelle replied.

    ¡°What kind of magic can you do?¡± he asked him.

    ¡°That¡¯s kind of personal,¡± Ginelle answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± The man continued, ¡°I am desperate for help.¡±

    ¡°What kind of help to you require?¡± Ginelle inquired.

    ¡°Healing,¡± the man informed her, ¡°My child is sick and has been for a while. Can you help her?¡±

    ¡°You are in luck, kind sir.¡± Ginelle said, smiling to him. ¡°Healing happens to be one of my specialties. I will do what I can to help your child.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± the man said, happy to hear that. ¡°Please follow me!¡±

    The man led the way as Ginelle continued to ride her wolf, which continued to get stared at by the many townsfolk that happened to be around. When they arrived to the house he was leading them towards, Ginelle dismounted her wolf and followed the man inside. Inside the house was a young child, no more than eight being tended to by her mother. Upon being told what the witch was there to do, the mother stepped aside and watched as Ginelle inspected the kid to see how ill he was. He was sweating, had a burning fever and even spots all over his body. It was a fowl illness, but it didn¡¯t seem too much for Ginelle as she knelt by his bedside and placed a hand on his chest. Without revealing it to child¡¯s parents, Ginelle reached into her pocket and held the dragon tooth tightly to ensure that her healing spell had a little extra kick to help bring this boy back to health. As she began to heal the boy, her parents watched in awe as the spots slowly began to vanish and his skin return to its normal pigment. Seconds later after she had completed her work, the young boy let out a loud gasp and slowly opened his eyes. Thanks to the help of the dragon tooth, the healing had completely wiped away any sign of sickness, as the boy looked like he was never sick in the first place. His mother was ecstatic as she came over and hugged the now healthy boy.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± The father said, looking back at Ginelle. ¡°What can we ever do to repay you?¡±

    ¡°I came into town for supplies,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°If you could help me with that, I would appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°I know the man who runs the supply shop,¡± the father answered, ¡°Let me take you there.¡±

    Rather than ride her wolf around again, Ginelle walked beside the big wolf as they strolled over to the supply shop. She left the wolf outside again as she and the father walked into speak with the shop owner.

    ¡°Get this woman anything she wants,¡± the father told him, ¡°And put it on my account.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± The shop keeper said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t take too much,¡± Ginelle assured the father, ¡°Just what I need to take back to my camp.¡±

    She grabbed some basic supplies, stuff that Garrak would have no trouble carrying back to the house with her. While she was browsing the store to pick her items, the shopkeeper and the father were talking off in the corner. Moments later the shopkeeper walked up to her and stopped her.

    ¡°He said you healed his boy,¡± The shopkeeper said, ¡°Is this true?¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Ginelle said.

    ¡°My kids have the same illness,¡± the keeper informed her, ¡°If you can heal them too, you can anything you want in her for free.¡±

    Ginelle didn¡¯t like the idea of doing more healing, but she liked the idea of not burdening the father of the last child she healed with a large tab. She followed the shopkeeper upstairs to discover a son and daughter that both were ill with the same spotted fever. Using the dragon tooth to aid her spells, Ginelle had no issue healing both children who were perfectly healthy again. The keeper¡¯s son even had a scar on his leg from a fracture he had the year before, but the scar and the limp had also healed! The dragon tooth had taken her healing skills to the next level, as it healed anything the boy had rather than just the illness that was nagging him. The shopkeeper was beside himself and true to his word, he allowed her to pick anything she wanted and none of it was left on the previous father¡¯s tab. Ginelle didn¡¯t abuse the keeper¡¯s generosity and took only what she needed for her kitchen plus a few extras. She grabbed some fresh linens for her bed, and even a few tools and seeds to start a garden with.

    ¡°I hope I didn¡¯t take too much,¡± Ginelle said as she packed her bag with the supplies.

    ¡°Nonsense,¡± the keeper said, ¡°I am forever indebted to you, my dear. If you need anything else, please let me know.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°If there are other children sick with this illness, please let me know and I will take care of them as well.¡±

    ¡°I will let the townsfolk know,¡± The keeper said as he shook her hand. ¡°I am grateful for your help, as is my family. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I was happy to help,¡± Ginelle said as put all supplies onto her wolf¡¯s back. ¡°That¡¯s not too much, is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± the wolf answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you to ease your burden,¡± Ginelle whispered to him before turning back to face the two fathers looking at her. ¡°Farewell and thank you for the supplies.¡±

    As Ginelle and Garrak started to walk out of town, word had already gotten around town that a witch had been healing children stricken with the deadly illness that was going around town. Many of the town folk had gathered at the town square, and when they spotted Ginelle and her wolf they walked over to speak with her. There were at least a dozen parents that also had children stricken with this illness. She looked at them and listened to their pleas for help before taking a deep breath.

    ¡°It appears we¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± she informed the wolf.

    ¡°Apparently not,¡± Garrak agreed.

    ¡°Will you help us?¡± one of the mothers called out.

    ¡°Of course, I will,¡± Ginelle said, smiling at her. ¡°Can someone lead me to a place where I can rent a room for the night?¡±

 Chapter 12

    Ginelle could see through the desperation in the town people¡¯s eyes that whatever was ailing their children that to make them wait until her next visit might be a death sentence, so she decided to remain in town for the night. She left the supplies gathered from the shop in the room she rented at the local inn, and then walked around town with Garrak. The big wolf escorting her from house to house as she healed every child that was sick with this ailment. Usually, Ginelle would be spent after one or two heals but the dragon tooth was amplifying her powers so much, she was barely breaking a sweat and was able to heal every child that needed her help that night. As the night went on, Ginelle couldn¡¯t help but make a startling discovery; only the kids were falling ill. Not a single parent, teacher, or any adult had come down with this disease: just the children. After healing everyone that needed her help, Ginelle started to wonder how this could happen, and discovered that all of the ill children attended the same school on the other side of town. She asked the townsfolk to show her to the school so she that could look around. When the arrived at the school the door was still locked.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the teacher?¡± the shopkeeper asked.

    ¡°We can¡¯t find her.¡± Other townsfolk called out.

    ¡°I can handle this,¡± Ginelle said, as she used a fire spell to shatter the door handle and break into the school without their help. She slowly walked into the school and started to look around. The moment Ginelle had stepped inside, she felt something she was sure only a witch could sense. She walked around in search of the source and eventually found it underneath one of the desks. There was a totem, a rather odd looking one lying on the floor. Ginelle picked it up and proceeded to walked back outside.

    ¡°I believe that I¡¯ve found the source of your problem,¡± Ginelle said, holding up the totem.

    ¡°What is that?¡± one of the mothers asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a totem,¡± Ginelle answered.

    ¡°What¡¯s a totem?¡± Another of the mothers asked.

    ¡°A magical item,¡± Ginelle explained, ¡°There are good and bad totems. Some totems protect people from bad things while others are the source of someone¡¯s pain, like a curse. Considering that all the kids were getting sick, it¡¯s clear we¡¯re working with a totem that is cursed.¡±

    ¡°Who put that in there?¡± the shopkeeper asked, ¡°Another witch?¡±

    ¡°Possibly,¡± Ginelle conceded, ¡°But wizards, and even shamans have been known to use totems as well. We can¡¯t assume it was a witch.¡±

    ¡°How do we get rid of it?¡± another concerned parent asked.

    ¡°First we have to remove this totem from town,¡± Ginelle suggested, ¡°I will take it away from here and try to destroy it. It would be best to do that away from town because I have no idea how it might react and to avoid anyone else being harmed by its destruction.¡±

    Ginelle returned to her room at the inn to rest for the night. Garrak helped himself to the bed and laid down as the young witch placed the totem on the desk in the corner of the room and looked at it for a while.

    ¡°Do you know how to take care of it?¡± Garrak asked.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Ginelle honestly replied, ¡°Margorie showed me how to increase or decrease a totem¡¯s power, but we never covered how destroy it. I¡¯ll decrease its energy for now and when we get back, I¡¯ll try to find something in the spell book. There should be something in there that can help me destroy this pesky little thing. And I¡¯ll make sure we do it from a safe distance from both the town and our new house as a precaution.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea,¡± Garrak said, laying his head down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get sick like those kids did.¡±

    ¡°The totem was instructed to target children,¡± Ginelle said, thinking about it. ¡°Whoever did that is cruel person that I do not want to cross paths with anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry if we do,¡± Garrak said, with a bit of a snarl, ¡°I will rip his arms off for you and for harming the children.¡±

    Ginelle used a spell to lessen the totem¡¯s power and decrease its ability to harm people or make the kids sick. Lowering the totem¡¯s ability would be enough to buy the young witch enough time to take the totem back to the mountains where she could try to destroy it. With the totem powered down, Ginelle crawled into bed beside the big wolf, and fell asleep. She awoken several hours later to the sound of a rather large crowd gathered outside the inn where Ginelle was staying. She looked out and there were at least a hundred people gathered and all talking amongst themselves. Ginelle was worried there was something wrong and she quickly gathered her things and went downstairs to see what the commotion was.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± she asked as she came out of the main door.

    ¡°My gosh, yes!¡± a nicely dressed man said, as he even gave out a rousing chuckle. ¡°My name is Randor, and I¡¯m the mayor of this fair town. Are you the witch that has been healing our sick children?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I¡¯m Ginelle. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    ¡°The pleasure is all mine; I can assure you.¡± Randor said as he gave the young witch a respectful bow. ¡°We are all here to see you off to wherever you¡¯re going next.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not far actually,¡± Ginelle honestly admitted. ¡°I took residence at an old, abandoned house at the top of the valley. I was hoping to stay there a while and maybe settle in if I could.¡±

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°The house up on the hill,¡± Randor said, ¡°You mean old Bradson home! That place is a little run down.¡±

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± Ginelle corrected him, ¡°I took care of it. I just came down for supplies and then intend to return there.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Randor said, ¡°Well we might be able to help you with that.¡±

    The mayor moved out of the way and behind him was a wagon, and inside the wagon was a trove if supplies. It looked as if they had emptied a few shops to fill it up. Ginelle looked at the wagon and was in state of disbelief.

    ¡°Is this for me?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It is,¡± Randor confirmed, ¡°This was donated by everyone here in town and it didn¡¯t cost anyone too much. Everyone just chipped in with what they could, and it all just added up. The shopkeeper said you need supplies, so this was the least we could do to thank you for saving our children.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it for a reward,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But I am grateful.¡±

    ¡°We were wondering if you needed a horse to pull this for you,¡± Randor offered as he didn¡¯t know what her mount could do.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°My companion should have no issues pulling this up the valley.¡±

    The townsfolk waved and even clapped as Ginelle and Garrak walked out of town, showing their appreciation for her efforts. While she was confident Garrak could pull the wagon full of supplies, about halfway up the valley, the big wolf needed to take a break.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± The wolf apologized, ¡°I have failed you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done your best, but I have the power to help you.¡± Ginelle said as she dug into some of the supplies and pulled out a small cake. She enchanted the small cake to make it energize the wolf and give him all the energy he needed to pull the wagon the rest of the trip up the hill.

    Yet there was another surprise waiting for them when the reached the house sometime around high noon based on where the sun was. Not only was there a horse waiting outside the house, but there was a pony pulling another wagon parked beside the horse. I appeared someone was occupying the house that Ginelle and her friends had rightfully stolen. Ginelle dismounted from her wagon and started to walk up to the front door when a young man only a few years older than Ginelle emerged from the house. He stopped walking and looked right at the young witch.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± the young man asked.

    ¡°I live here,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°You live here?¡± The young man repeated.

    ¡°This house didn¡¯t clean itself,¡± Ginelle snapped back, her voice as sharp as a whip. ¡°And unless you want my wolf to rip your arms off¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait, you have a wolf?¡± The young man asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s pulling the cart,¡± Ginelle told him, ¡°We just went into town to fetch supplies and here you are taking over the place.¡±

    ¡°My uncle built this house,¡± the man countered, ¡°He was the man that deserted it for various reasons. My name is Angus Bradson, and I inherited it from him when he died, which makes this my house!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°That is so,¡± Angus said, ¡°So let¡¯s try this again; who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a witch,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Would you like me to prove it by hitting you with a fireball?¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Angus said, holding his hands up. ¡°Are you the same witch that healed all the children in the village below?¡±

    ¡°I might be,¡± Ginelle said, as her tone went down a bit. ¡°How do you know about that?¡±

    ¡°I was in town to visit my little sister and my niece before coming up here.¡± Angus answered, ¡°My sister told me her daughter has fallen ill, so I brought medicine from the city to help her. But when I arrived early this morning she was doing alright. They said a witch had healed her, and while normally I wouldn¡¯t believe such nonsense, I couldn¡¯t deny what was right in front of me. My niece wasn¡¯t sick anymore and neither was every child in town thanks to you. That was an amazing thing you did last night.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, as she extended an open hand to him. ¡°My name is Ginelle.¡±

    ¡°A pleasure to meet you Ginelle,¡± Angus said, shaking her hand. ¡°So how long have you been living in my house?¡±

    ¡°I arrived only a few days ago,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°I was running away from the royal army of Herrshira.¡±

    ¡°Herrshira?¡± Angus said, thinking about it. ¡°How did you get past the highly guarded check points and borders to get here?¡±

    ¡°I had a ride,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I was able to avoid them.¡±

    ¡°How did you know this house was abandoned?¡± Angus asked.

    ¡°A friend noticed it,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And since it was deserted, he thought it would be a nice place to hide away from those looking for me.¡±

    ¡°Did he now,¡± Angus replied, thinking about it. ¡°Do you cook?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Ginelle said, even smiling. ¡°Before I came here, I worked at a logging camp dining hall, feeding over a hundred men three times a day.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± Angus said, ¡°So if we share this place, since there are plenty of rooms to share¡­ you do the cooking, and I could do the hunting and other manly chores?¡±

    ¡°That sounds fair,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°but you can¡¯t use the living room.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Angus asked.

    ¡°Cause that¡¯s his room,¡± Ginelle said pointing at the big wolf that had pulled the wagon right up to the porch at this point.

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Angus said, as he had never laid eyes on a wolf that big before and here was Garrak, who was as big as a horse and pulling a wagon.

    ¡°Who is this fool?¡± Garrak asked.

    ¡°Be nice,¡± Ginelle said, smoothing the wolf¡¯s fur. ¡°He apparently owns this place and is nice enough to allow us to stay.¡±

    ¡°Hang on,¡± Angus said, ¡°You can talk to him?¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°My mentor taught me how to speak to all sorts of animals. They can come in handy if you¡¯re nice to them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable.¡± Angus said, ¡°I never knew witches could do that.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of things we can do that we don¡¯t let outsiders know about,¡± Ginelle said as she gestured to the wagon. ¡°If you help me unload these supplies, then the sooner I can start making supper.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Angus said as he walked over to the wagon and started to pick stuff up out of it. ¡°Where should I put them?¡±

    ¡°Leave them in the kitchen and I¡¯ll sort through them,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°These were all donated by the town as a token of their appreciation.¡±

    ¡°They are a nice bunch down there,¡± Angus as he walked the first arm full of stuff into the house.

    ¡°I got that impression,¡± Ginelle said, as she started bringing boxes into the house as well.

    ¡°What are we going to have for dinner?¡± Angus asked as he kept working.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But we might have to wait until Ruki returns to see if he caught any fresh meat in the wild.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Ruki?¡± Angus asked.

    It was at this point where a loud roar filled the air, and the red dragon swooped over the house and sailed off in another direction.

    ¡°That¡¯s him right there,¡± Ginelle said, smiling at him. ¡°He¡¯s my dragon.¡±

    ¡°You also have a dragon,¡± Angus said, as he watched the thing fly away. ¡°He¡¯s not staying in the house too, is he?¡±

    ¡°Heavens, no!¡± Ginelle said with a laugh, ¡°But he is nesting close to here in case I needed his help. You¡¯re lucky I got here first, because he might have thought you were an intruder.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s how you got here,¡± Angus said as he was putting it together. ¡°You rode that dragon across the borders to avoid the blockades!¡±

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And I¡¯ll introduce you to him later, but right now we have a wagon to unload. So, back to work!¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡± Angus said, as he forgot about the wagon for a second. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±

 Chapter 13

    With Angus¡¯ help, it didn¡¯t take very long to unload the wagon and get everything stashed away. Ginelle used the extra time to make something for supper but made sure that only the wolf¡¯s portion was enchanted to fill his larger gut. Angus ate his portion rather quickly and was actually shocked by how amazing her food was. After the meal was finished, the young man helped her clean up which was rather nice as Ginelle was used to doing that by herself. To be fair, she was tempted to summon a mirror but didn¡¯t want to scare the man with her advanced magic so she did the cleaning with him herself. After supper was taken care of, Angus wanted to get settled in himself, so he needed to know how accommodations were going to be made.

    ¡°What room are you residing in?¡± he openly asked her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ginelle said, as she could tell what he was really trying to ask. ¡°I already took the main room upstairs. I took it because the windows were facing the front yard. Is that alright?¡±

    Angus had paused for a moment to ponder what might be the right answer. There was a part of him that wanted to remind her that this was his house, something that was handed down to him. Yet he also understood that exerting that kind of authority might be counterproductive and even make him look like an ungrateful jerk. The room she was also occupying was also the room that his uncle used to reside in, so he wasn¡¯t exactly that eager to claim it because he wasn¡¯t that close to the old man. So, to Angus, his hesitation could also be seen as generosity, and he could win a few brownie points while also avoiding something he never wanted in the first place.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he told her, ¡°I prefer to stay in the room I used to sleep in when I visited as a child. It¡¯s all good.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡± Ginelle said, impressed by his maturity. She had honestly expected a fight for the bigger room but was surprised to see that Angus had no interest in it whatsoever. Rather than question it, she decided to make it up to him by doing something nice in return at a later time. Before she could say anything else, there was a loud roar and a swooshing sound as Ruki had returned from his hunt.

    ¡°Is that what I think it is?¡± Angus asked.

    ¡°It is,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Let¡¯s go out and introduce you to him now so that he won¡¯t think you¡¯re something he needs to protect me from.¡±

    ¡°Is he that possessive?¡± Angus asked.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°But it might be wise to avoid any potential confusion as he¡¯s been rather protective of me over the last few days. Last thing we want is for him to attack you accidentally.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer to avoid that,¡± Angus agreed, ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with.¡±

    Ginelle took Angus¡¯ arm and walked him outside of the cabin, and the red dragon was sitting there, looking rather proud of himself as he seemed to have had a rather good day hunting. There were two large carcasses on the ground before him this time, which was a pretty good haul. Ginelle could tell the dragon was a little confused when he noticed the young witch wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°Ginelle,¡± Ruki called out, ¡°Who is this you fellow beside you?¡±

    ¡°Did he just say something?¡± Angus asked, as all he could hear from the large creature was a rattling growl.

    ¡°He did,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Just let me do the talking.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Angus replied.

    ¡°He¡¯s a friend,¡± Ginelle called out, ¡°Turn out this house wasn¡¯t as deserted as we first assumed. Angus is the new owner, but he¡¯s letting my stay here as long as I want which is very generous of him.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it is very kind,¡± the dragon agreed, ¡°Please give him my thanks, and he can keep one of the creatures I have captured this day.¡±

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Angus asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s thanking you for being nice,¡± Ginelle whispered back to him, ¡°And he said you get to keep one of his catches as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s actually very nice of him,¡± Angus admitted, ¡°Can you ask him if he could let me skin the animals before he tries to cook or eat them. The furs from these animals actually make very warm blankets that we could both use in our respective bedrooms of course.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea,¡± the dragon answered, ¡°I don¡¯t need them myself, but I can see how you could benefit from that.¡±

    ¡°He agrees with you,¡± Ginelle translated for Angus, ¡°He agrees to your terms. I can actually butcher and salt the meats so they can last longer too.¡±

    ¡°You know how to do that?¡± Angus asked.

    ¡°I was taught how at the logging camp,¡± Ginelle explained, ¡°It would also be wise to build a supply of foods for the winter, when it will be harder for any of us to find food after the snow falls. I can only assume it will be worse up here in the mountains.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Angus agreed, ¡°I remember the snow can tend to fall quite a lot during the winters here.¡±

    ¡°No need to worry, little ones.¡± Ruki assured then, ¡°I can melt the snow rather quickly to prevent the house from collapsing under its weight. I can also burn away snowbanks up at the top of the mountain to prevent any avalanches from coming down. Dragons are good at doing that to protect our nests from being ruined and lives being lost under the snow.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± Ginelle admitted, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Did you use the well yet?¡± Angus asked her.

    ¡°As a matter of fact,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°I found it very helpful when I was cleaning up the house. I like that it¡¯s also not that far from the house.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m surprised there¡¯s anything in it.¡± Angus confessed, ¡°Usually my uncle had to get his water from the streams below because the well would often dry up. It wasn¡¯t very reliable whenever I visited with my family.¡±

    ¡°Let me show you something,¡± Ginelle said, before turning to Ruki, ¡°Ask Garrak to bring the carcases into the kitchen and we¡¯ll take care of them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, little one.¡± Ruki replied making a small bow.

    ¡°And thank you,¡± she said again, ¡°Your efforts are appreciated. There are leftovers from supper waiting for you at the house.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Ruki said, even licking his chops. ¡°I am a little peckish.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back to get it for you,¡± Ginelle said as she grabbed Angus¡¯ hand and led him to the well which was so close to the house, less than fifty yards from the front door.

    ¡°You see?¡± Angus told her as he looked inside, ¡°Dry as a damn bone.¡±

    ¡°For now,¡± Ginelle said, as she started to wave her hands above the opening of the well. There was a blue light emanating from her hands and that light slowly descended into the well and then in a flash was the sound of water splashing about. A few moments later, Ginelle opened her arms up and backed away from the well to complete her spell. The blue lights finally faded away and whatever magic she was conjuring up had expired.

    ¡°What the hell did you do?¡± Angus called out.

    ¡°Just a little conjuring,¡± Ginelle admitted, ¡°Water happens to be my major element. Every time the well goes dry, I can fill it back up at any time.¡±

    ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Angus asked, pulling up a bucket of full water. He quickly scooped his hand in and tasted it. ¡°We¡¯ll never have to go to the stream at the bottom of the hill to fetch any water. This is amazing!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear you say that,¡± Ginelle confessed, ¡°Usually people I¡¯ve encountered were scared of witches and even wanted them to be banished. It¡¯s an attitude I¡¯ve had to tolerate most of my life.¡±

    ¡°Where I come from,¡± Angus countered, ¡°Witches are treated with respect and cherished for the contributions they made in the great wars as healers. My dad wouldn¡¯t have survived without their aid. Not everyone is as scared as the royals that hunt you down where you came from. As long as we help each other out and treat each other with respect, you¡¯re welcome to stay here as long as you need to. I for one will actually enjoy the company. I thought I was going to be out here at the house, cleaning and fixing it up all fall and winter on my own. I will actually appreciate the company as you three will actually be the saviors of my sanity.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice thing to say,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And I appreciate your hospitality, especially considering how we arrived uninvited.¡±

    ¡°While you were unwanted,¡± Angus countered, ¡°I can assure you that you are not unwelcome. It will be nice to have someone to talk to and even share the chores with. My sister will like you even more knowing that I won¡¯t be up here talking to myself and doing all this work on my own.¡±

    ¡°You mean the sister that lives in town?¡± Ginelle recalled.

    ¡°Yes, the very one.¡± Angus confirmed, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to meet her again the next time we go to town for supplies.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t have much money for that,¡± Ginelle said, feeling rather ashamed about that.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem,¡± Angus assured her, ¡°I have some money, and that will hold over until we can get some more revenue coming in here. I have a few ideas that might help us out.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Ginelle said, curious about that. ¡°Such as?¡±

    ¡°Well, the skins from the animals your dragon is catching are a good commodity.¡± Angus told her, ¡°Once we have our own blankets, we can sell the extra skins to people in town. As long as your dragon can keep bringing them in, it can generate a lot of income for us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a great idea!¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Is there anything else we could do to make some extra money?¡±

    ¡°Your cooking might be an option,¡± Angus said as he put the bucket back into the well. ¡°The town will be a great clientele if you can make something they cannot make themselves. Considering that you traveled from a far-off land, I¡¯d think you know a few recipes that are unknown in these parts.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just full of good ideas,¡± Ginelle said, rather impressed.

    ¡°I have my moments,¡± Angus said, looking back at the house as they started to walk back. ¡°But what I really wanted to do when I came back here was expand the house and upgrade the property for that matter.¡±

    ¡°In what way?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Well, I was thinking of putting up a wall.¡± Angus answered, ¡°To keep people out and secure things within it, like the well for example. Since a lot of the land up here is owned by myself, I was hoping to make it a keep rather than just a house in the hills.¡±

    ¡°I like that idea,¡± Ginelle said, thinking about it herself. ¡°And you planned do that by yourself?¡±

    ¡°I have the skills,¡± Angus informed her, ¡°My father was a carpenter and a hard worker. I inherited both of those traits from him. I can do the work; it¡¯s just going to take a lot of time for one man to get it finished. We¡¯re talking more than a few years here.¡±

    ¡°Maybe not,¡± Ginelle said, grinning at the young man. ¡°I might be able to help with that.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Angus said, looking at the grinning witch. ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later,¡± Ginelle teased him, ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the house. You have some carcases to skin, remember?¡±

    ¡°As yes,¡± Angus said, ¡°That I do.¡±

    As the two young people walked into the house together, Garrak was sitting outside watching them as Ruki slowly walked up behind the big wolf. The dragon was also watching the two of them interact.

    ¡°What say you, wolf?¡± Ruki asked him.

    ¡°I like him,¡± Garrak confessed, ¡°He¡¯s a nice young man, and if he¡¯s telling the truth we no longer have to worry about someone coming here to kick us out of this house. I was a little worried about that.¡±

    ¡°As was I,¡± Ruki confessed, ¡°I am thankful I didn¡¯t have to burn that little man to a crisp. I don¡¯t like doing that unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± the wolf said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him for now, and make sure he doesn¡¯t do anything to harm the girl.¡±

    ¡°Good, but if he does, I want a piece of him too.¡± Ruki added.

    ¡°Deal,¡± the wolf agreed, ¡°Good hunting today, I see.¡±

    ¡°I found a lot of them in a mountain several leagues from here,¡± Ruki admitted, ¡°I will have no trouble suppling them with furs to help them raise money to use in town. I also have something else to donate at a later time.¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡± Garrak asked.

    ¡°That is private,¡± Ruki replied, ¡°A secret dragons often do not reveal to any creatures not our own. You will see in time, but for now I¡¯ll keep that to myself, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± the wolf said, ¡°Good night, dragon.¡±

    ¡°Good evening, wolf.¡± Ruki said before opening his wings and making the very short flight back to his cave which was the same distance to the house as the well was, just behind the house rather than in front of it.

    It wasn¡¯t a very big cave, but Ruki like it because it was just right for a dragon his size living on his own. He also liked how close it was to Ginelle and the house, which he wanted to remain within reach to help the young witch whenever she might need him again. Seeing those troops try to take her away from him was very upsetting, and Ruki never wanted something like that to come close to happening again. So, he preferred to live in the smaller, cozier cave so that he could be close enough to help whenever a dragon might be needed. He nestled into his cave, used his fire breath to heat the area up before curling up into a ball and falling asleep rather quickly. Ruki was very eager to rest as he wanted to hunt again the next day in order to gather more carcasses and skins for the humans.

 Chapter 14

    It had been a few weeks since he was taken away from the logging camp, but it was easy for anyone to lose track of time when tossed into a cage. Yet when Harrison and Margorie were both arrested, they never went straight back to the city. Instead, they followed the battalion that took them to other towns as they took more suspected witches into custody. Out of the four additional women that were tossed into their cage, Margorie could only sense that only one of them was an actual witch. The Crown and the church had been using their rules to pretty much discriminate against any woman that was being too independent for their liking, such as mid-wives and caretakers that were gaining too much authority. One night when they were camped for the night, Margorie did her best to eavesdrop on the men as they were talking. One of them mentioned that there was wording coming from a nation far away of a witch that was riding a wolf that healed every sick child in a town.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be the same girl,¡± the other guard said, ¡°That country is over two hundred leagues from here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very possible,¡± Margorie said, ¡°Dragons can travel over a hundred leagues in a single day.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, witch!¡± the first guard said, as he punched the bars to get her to back away from them.

    ¡°Better to no upset them,¡± Harrison said from his corner of the cage. ¡°Or they might not feed us their scraps as punishment.¡±

    ¡°Then I would just conjure up some food like I have before,¡± Margorie said, as she preferred her own creations than the crap the soldiers were cooking at their various camps.

    ¡°Then by all means,¡± Harrison encouraged, ¡°Keep talking.¡±

    ¡°If the rumors are true,¡± Margorie said, ¡°Our little witch has traveled across three borders and is far out of reach. She¡¯ll be safe over there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Harrison confessed, as he was worried about her. ¡°That dragon sure did cover a lot of ground.¡±

    ¡°He did,¡± Margorie concurred, ¡°Now if someone would only come to our rescue.¡±

    As if almost on cue, a small blue jay landed on the lip of their cage and walked through the bars of and into the cage with them. He started to strut a bit and even show off before looking over a Margorie.

    ¡°You followed us all the way here?¡± She asked him.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t follow the other witch,¡± the bird told her, ¡°That dragon was moving too fast for me to keep up.¡±

    ¡°So, you decided to follow us,¡± The older witch said, ¡°And why would you do that, Marcus?¡±

    ¡°I thought I could help,¡± Marcus said, ¡°I¡¯ve been sitting in the trees and overhearing everyone talking at camp.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Margorie said, slightly intrigued. ¡°Report.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re going to hit one more town,¡± Marcus started, ¡°After that they plan to return to the kingdom and take you all to the dungeons. If you plan to use your magic to break out, I¡¯d do it sooner than later.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s too many of them,¡± Margorie told the bird, ¡°Even if I managed to get out, I can¡¯t take on an army. We¡¯d be overwhelmed and killed.¡±

    ¡°Well, things won¡¯t get any easier at the dungeons.¡± Marcus reminded her.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that,¡± Margorie disagreed, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wise to have so many witches in one place. We might have a better chance if I can organize the witches and then the numbers might be a little more even.¡±

    ¡°That seems like a good plan,¡± Marcus said, nodding. ¡°But I doubt the guards would let that happen.¡±

    ¡°I thought not,¡± Margorie concurred, ¡°I have time to sit here and think about it. You fly off and gather more gossip for us, and I¡¯ll save some food for you the next time I conjure a batch up.¡±

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°You got a deal, lady!¡± Marcus said, as he waddled back out of the cage and flew off.

    ¡°What did he say?¡± Harrison asked as he didn¡¯t understand a think it said.

    ¡°He¡¯s been listening to the men at the camp,¡± She told him, ¡°We¡¯re going to raid one more town and then head back to the palace and the dungeons.¡±

    ¡°I heard what you said, and I agree,¡± Harrison said, ¡°It¡¯s better to wait till we get to the dungeon and try to recruit more witches to fight.¡±

    ¡°We might need outside help,¡± Margorie added, ¡°But I have no idea if there¡¯s anyone out there powerful enough to do it.¡±

    ¡°At least Ginelle is safe,¡± Harrison said, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯d like these accommodations.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Margorie said, ¡°At least she¡¯s out of their reaches.¡±

    The next day the bird¡¯s Intel turned out to be correct as the soldiers marched into a small town and questioned people and interrogated women before making a few arrests even though they were ridiculous to say the least. Margorie could feel the presence of other witches, but they were well hidden and never discovered by the general and his men. Margorie had also sent Marcus ahead to warn them that the soldiers were coming, so they could hide or evacuate the town before they were discovered. The lack of arrests upset the general, but that led them to decide to head back to the palace rather than ride into another town. He felt content with the band of ¡°witches¡± that they had already collected. It was a rather long and boring ride back to the kingdom, and it took the better part of a week to make the trek all the way back to the massive kingdom.

    ¡°There it is,¡± Harrison said, looking at the large walls and the buildings behind them. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen them in many, many years.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been here for even longer,¡± Margorie said, ¡°I left when I was a teen and never wanted to come back to this horrid place.¡±

    ¡°Never looked back kind of story?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°You could say that,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°I was being persecuted by more than just the crown and church, but also my own people. The witches didn¡¯t like the fact that I chose to do a specialty that wasn¡¯t very popular. They failed to understand that we don¡¯t pick our paths, Mother chooses them for us. I left the city to get away from small-minded people of all kinds: men, clergy, and witches. What¡¯s your excuse?¡±

    ¡°A woman,¡± Harrison confessed. ¡°I got hung up over a woman.¡±

    ¡°Shocking,¡± Margorie replied, trying to hide her sarcasm.

    ¡°I asked her to marry me,¡± Harrison told her, ¡°And she turned me down, saying that her duty was more important than being a wife. I never planned to ask her to chose between the two.¡±

    ¡°Most men never do,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°But they end up doing it anyway. Men over time become possessive of people they assume are theirs.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that,¡± Harrison said, ¡°I wanted to be hers.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Margorie said, ¡°And you still think about her?¡±

    ¡°Everyday,¡± Harrison replied.

    ¡°So, all those times in the food cabin,¡± Margorie started, ¡°When I saw you looking up at the ceiling and into space, you were thinking about her?¡±

    ¡°I was,¡± Harrison confirmed, ¡°She left a rather large impression.¡±

    ¡°I can see that,¡± Margorie noted, ¡°And it just wasn¡¯t meant to be?¡±

    ¡°She was dedicated to her work,¡± Harrison explained, ¡°She also didn¡¯t want to leave the city, whereas I wanted to get away from the elite and their stupid politics. And now here I am, back in this damn city. The very same where she broke my heart. I actually left this place to get away from her, and the constant reminders of what I had lost.¡±

    ¡°And for whatever reason, you just can¡¯t seem to get away,¡± Margorie said, as she couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Maybe someone is trying to tell you something.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t want to listen,¡± Harrison replied rather defiantly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you get a choice here,¡± Margorie informed him, ¡°Mother tends to do whatever she pleases, regardless of what we think or want.¡±

    ¡°Duly noted,¡± Harrison said, sighing deeply. ¡°If you figure out what she wants, be a dear and let me in on it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can but make no promises,¡± Margorie said, ¡°But as long as we have a window, we should be able to plan something with the other witches.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°Our little feathered friend can pass along messages for us,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°He¡¯s a good little gossip and can spread the word to everyone in the dungeon whose cell has access to a window.¡±

    ¡°I like that idea,¡± Harrison said, ¡°Now all we need is a plan.¡±

    ¡°I have a feeling they¡¯ll be plenty of time to think of one,¡± Margorie said as she watched the people cuss and throw things at their cage as they rode through the streets towards the dungeon.

    ¡°Monsters!¡± one woman called out before tossing a tomato at them.

    ¡°Burn in hell!¡± Another called out.

    ¡°The city hasn¡¯t lost its charm,¡± Harrison observed.

    ¡°It appears not,¡± Margorie said, chuckling at his humor.

    The abuse continued to the point where some of the people in the cage were actually happy to make it to the main doors of the dungeon where they''d would be imprisoned. The anger and hostility they faced seemed so savage and unfair considering they were the very people who defended them during the war, as Harrison had said. Their lack of gratitude was sickening to him, and even made him wish they had lost the war, which was something he never imagined thinking to himself.

    ¡°One day they¡¯ll regret this injustice,¡± Harrison said, as they walked out of cage.

    ¡°Unfortunately,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°Today is not that day, and we¡¯re going to be here for quite a while. Maybe even until we take our last breath.¡±

 Chapter 15

    When Angus opened his eyes that morning, he jumped up and wondered if it all had been a dream. Was there really a witch living in his house with a big wolf and a near by dragon, or was that all his imagination? Yet as he looked around his room, he soon got his answer as it was tidy and nearly spotless. The last time he had examined this room there was many layers of dust and spider webs everywhere. She was not exaggerating about the house being cleaned up, and he hadn¡¯t imagined the witch or her creatures. Angus soon got another confirmation as a loud howling sound came from the bottom of the stairs. It was a very loud howl and caused the young man to leap out of bed. Angus had no idea what was causing the massive creature to howl so damn loud, but he decided to get down there and find out. He quickly dressed, cleaned up his hair and then descended to the bottom of the staircase where the massive wolf was waiting for him in what was clearly his room.

    ¡°Hello wolf,¡± Angus said, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Ginelle called out from the kitchen. ¡°He was calling on my behalf. I thought you might want some breakfast.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I would.¡± Angus said walking into the kitchen, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°And the wolf has a name,¡± Ginelle said, as she placed a plate of food at the table for him. ¡°I¡¯d both appreciate it if you used it, and Garrak would as well.¡±

    ¡°Apologies,¡± Angus said, as he took a seat and examined his plate. Ginelle had fixed him a breakfast that consisted of warm eggs, toast and even some fruit on the side.

    ¡°I hope that will be enough,¡± Ginelle said, trying to impress.

    ¡°It will be more than enough,¡± Angus said, smiling back. ¡°Thank you very much!¡±

    ¡°Best way to start the day,¡± Ginelle said, which was something Margorie would always say whenever making breakfast for Harrison and the men. She knew that starting the day off led to great production and happy fellows. ¡°Speaking of which, what were you planning on doing today?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Angus confessed, ¡°I had planned to clean up and settle in, but the cleaning part has already been taken care of, quite nicely I might add.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, accepting the compliment.

    ¡°But I guess I could look around,¡± Angus said, ¡°Start making plans to upgrade. I was thinking of making a barn, as well as a wall to secure the grounds.¡±

    ¡°I remember you saying something about that,¡± Ginelle recalled, ¡°How big were you thinking of making this wall?¡±

    ¡°At least ten feel tall,¡± Angus said, thinking about it. ¡°I was still split between what material I was going to use, wood or stone.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer stone,¡± Ginelle said.

    ¡°That will take longer to build,¡± Angus countered.

    ¡°True,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But if it¡¯s stone, the dragon can¡¯t burn it down accidentally.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Angus confessed, ¡°That¡¯s not something I had considered. I guess we¡¯re going to make it out of stone.¡±

    ¡°Like I said before,¡± Ginelle said, sitting down to join him to eat, ¡°I have ways to speed up the process, and we¡¯ll have that wall build in no time. I¡¯m also sure Ruki could be talked into fetching us some rather nice stones to help out, especially if I bribe him with extra treats.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± Angus said, ¡°I was also thinking of expanding the house as well in addition to a barn.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to do that,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind a bigger kitchen to work with as well as a decent sized pantry to safely store our supplies.¡±

    ¡°I can do that,¡± Angus said, as he was enjoying her food immensely. ¡°But how is magic going to help us work faster?¡±

    ¡°Mirrors,¡± Ginelle answered.

    ¡°Mirrors?¡± Angus repeated, ¡°I don¡¯t get how a mirror can help with labor. They just hang on a wall and reflect our image.¡±

    ¡°Not that kind of mirror, you fool,¡± Ginelle said with a laugh, ¡°Witches can cast a spell that creates a temporary duplicate of themselves to have an extra pair of hands. I can create several mirrors of yourself to help you speed things up.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡± Angus said, thinking about it, ¡°So, I¡¯d have a crew to help rather than just myself. Are you sure that can work?¡±

    ¡°How do you think I cleaned this place up so quickly?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Angus said, thoroughly convinced. ¡°How long do they last?¡±

    ¡°For several hours,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°So you can get a full day¡¯s work done with each spell, and this place will get built up in no time at all. Watch here.¡±

    Ginelle stood up form the table and slowly enchanted the spell that caused a mirror to emerge from herself. Angus watched in awe as the glowing mirror of Ginelle stood there and awaited begin given instructions.

    ¡°Clean up the kitchen please,¡± Ginelle politely requested.

    The mirror did as she was told and made a slight bow before going to the kitchen to clean up the mess Ginelle had made while preparing breakfast. Angus watched with a stunned look on his face as he was again impressed with her abilities.

    ¡°That is amazing!¡± Angus said, watching the mirror stroll into the kitchen. ¡°And you can make these of me, to help with the stuff I want to build around here?¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Ginelle said, confident that she could. Despite the fact that she had never created mirrors of someone else besides herself, Ginelle seemed to do alright creating one mirror of Angus. This was a first for herself and she watched as Angus and the mirror went outside to do some yard work and clean up around the house. She was glad that Angus didn¡¯t push his mirror too hard and just get the hang of having it around. With practice she could expand how many mirrors are used, as Margorie used to have several in her kitchen at a time and things seemed to work out alright.

    The wolf was lying in the living room and was uncharacteristically quiet. Something that didn¡¯t go unnoticed with the young witch. She walked into the living room and gave the big fluffy creature a snack.

    ¡°Are you alright, Garrak?¡± she asked him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Garrak said, munching on his snack. ¡°I¡¯m just cautious after all that¡¯s happened so far.¡±

    ¡°Angus seems genuine,¡± Ginelle said, as she petted his mane. ¡°I find that he¡¯ll be very useful when it comes to protecting me from the people we should really be worried about. He wants to build a wall and make this place safer for us all, especially if those soldiers try to come after us.¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    ¡°True, he could be a good ally,¡± Garrak replied, ¡°But I am naturally cautious about anyone new. The pack was always untrusting until given reason to trust.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fair policy,¡± Ginelle said, nodding. ¡°Go ahead and take that stance but remember this is his house and he¡¯s being very nice to us in letting us stay here.¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Garrak said, ¡°But I will still keep an eye on him.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I was going to take a walk, did you want to join me or keep spying on our new friend?¡±

    The wolf paused for a moment and gave a low growl.

    ¡°I¡¯ll come along,¡± Garrek conceded, ¡°But only to provide security.¡±

    ¡°Much appreciated,¡± Ginelle said, smiling as she walked away.

    Ginelle and her wolf wandered into the woods, exploring the territory around their new home. She was looking at the trees to see what if any fruits they offered, as well as inspecting the herbs on the ground to see if there was any she could use for her cooking. She also wanted to see if there was a fresh supply nearby so she wouldn¡¯t have to conjure them up or have to pay for some seeds to grow her own. Ginelle did like the idea of actually having a garden to attend to, as it was something Margorie was always talking about doing herself but never found the time to get around to. Ginelle thought it would be nice to start such a garden, even if she had to get the seeds from town in the hopes that maybe if she would see her elder witch again, Margorie would approve of it and how well she was doing out there far from the logging camp. She was thinking about the camp and everyone she missed when Ginelle and her wolf came along a rather nice patch of open ground. It was near the stream that Angus has referred to, but it was just what the young witch was looking for.

    ¡°This is perfect,¡± Ginelle said as she walked close to a large boulder that was about shoulder high in height.

    ¡°What are you up to?¡± the wolf asked, sensing something was up.

    ¡°We came here to get away from the house,¡± Ginelle confessed, ¡°I don¡¯t want to cause any accidental damage in case the spell doesn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°What kind of spell?¡± Garrak asked.

    ¡°The kind that will destroy this,¡± Ginelle said as she took the totem that was found at the school. It was the very same totem that had been making the kids in town ill, and she has spent most of the previous night studying the book Margorie gave here and finally found a spell that allowed her to destroy the totem. She was carrying the dragon tooth Ruki had given her as well but would only use it if the totem was too strong and her power alone wasn¡¯t enough to destroy it.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Garrak asked.

    ¡°I am,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°This thing was made with malice, to hurt people. Keeping it anywhere could be dangerous and cause more harm. No, we need to destroy it. Back up to the edge of the woods, please.¡±

    After the wolf had moved to a safe distance, she put her hands together and started to recite the spell that she found in the book and a small purple glow started to form around her and around the totem standing on the rock. After a few moments the glow faded from around Ginelle but started to intensify around the totem as it started to degrade. It looked like things were going according to plan, when suddenly the totem it itself started to hum and glow as if it knew what Ginelle was trying to do. Ginelle noticed this and then stopped reciting her spell and started to back away. Even though her spell was over, the totem still continued to glow and then finally it started to project an image above it. The image was of a man, who was wearing a robe and had a white beard. Ginelle didn¡¯t know what to think of it, as she had never heard of a totem doing something like that, and then the projection began to speak.

    ¡°Who are you!¡± the old man said, looking at Ginelle. ¡°What are you doing to my totem?¡±

    ¡°Your totem,¡± Ginelle said, folding her arms. ¡°This totem caused many children to become ill. Why would you want to do that?¡±

    ¡°Children you say?¡± the old man said, thinking about it. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the totem¡¯s purpose. This was supposed to be placed in a farmer¡¯s field, to kill rodents and protect his harvest. Where did you find this?¡±

    ¡°It was in a school,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Someone was using it to exterminate students instead of rodents.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry,¡± the old man replied.

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s a start,¡± Ginelle said, feeling at little at ease. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡±

    ¡°I am Gandalus,¡± the man replied, ¡°The Grand Mage of the high crown.¡±

    ¡°What was a totem of a grand mage doing at a farm?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°The crown asked me to assist the farmers,¡± Gandalus replied, ¡°It was in the crown¡¯s best interest to make sure crops are good, so prices don¡¯t get out of hand.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°That makes sense, I suppose.¡±

    ¡°And you, young lady.¡± The mage said, ¡°Who might you be?¡±

    ¡°My name is Ginelle,¡± she answered, giving him a slight bow. ¡°I found the totem and healed the children before things got out of hand.¡±

    ¡°My thanks for your efforts,¡± Gandalus said as he bowed back to her. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any sorceress of your name in these lands, let along one strong enough to damage my totem and almost destroying it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m not a sorceress,¡± Ginelle said, choosing to be honest. ¡°I¡¯m a witch.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± the mage said, suddenly sounding rather cold. ¡°What kind of witch are you, my dear?¡±

    ¡°If you must know,¡± Ginelle started, ¡°I¡¯m a chaos witch.¡±

    ¡°You are just full of surprises,¡± The mage said, ¡°I have not consorted with a chaos witch is quite a while, as those kinds are rare even in your ranks.¡±

    ¡°I was given special training,¡± Ginelle informed him, ¡°Training that not even other witches approve of.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your honesty, young witch.¡± The mage said, sounding rather threatened by her very presence. ¡°What are your intents?¡±

    ¡°To be honest,¡± Ginelle said, as she thought about it, ¡°I just want to live in peace and be left alone. I have no quests or wars to wage and do not want to make enemies.¡±

    ¡°To hear you say that surprises me,¡± Gandalus said, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard such talk from a witch before, as they usually have some plot of rouse on the go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But I still have to destroy this totem to protect not only myself but the town that it was plaguing.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you do that,¡± Gandalus said, ¡°This totem is protected by my magic. That spell you have is not strong enough to break its shielding.¡±

    ¡°Maybe if I was doing it myself,¡± Ginelle said, as she pulled the dragon¡¯s tooth out of her pocket. ¡°But what if I amplified the spell with this?¡±

    ¡°Where did you get that?¡± the mage said, stunned to see the tooth.

    ¡°It was a gift from a grateful friend,¡± Ginelle said.

    ¡°Dragon teeth are not to be used that way!¡± Gandalus called out, ¡°Every time you use something that was taken from the beast, the dragon it came from will sense it and come after you!¡±

    ¡°That may be true, but it doesn¡¯t apply here.¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Considering that the friend who gave it to me is the dragon it came from.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± the mage said, ¡°this is most alarming.¡±

    Ginelle didn¡¯t feel like consorting with the mage anymore and started to chant the spell from the book again, this time using the tooth and enhancing the spell tenfold. The glow around her this time was darker, as there was a purple glow also coming from her eyes as well as her magic was now far more powerful than the totem and the spell that was protecting it as the totem began to crack, and the projection of the mage disappeared as the item broke up until there was nothing left but dust. The big wolf walked back up to her as the glow around her finally dissipated.

    ¡°Are you alright, Ginelle?¡± he asked her.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m alright,¡± She replied, taking a deep breath.

    ¡°Who was that man?¡± Garrak inquired, ¡°I didn¡¯t like him very much.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a grand mage from the kingdom that we fled from,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I think I told him too much about myself and about Ruki.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say too much,¡± Garrak countered, ¡°All he knows is that you know a dragon and he gave you a gift. He has no idea that Ruki is still around and pretty much is our neighbour. You should have said you were a water witch. He tensed right up when you told him about your chaos power. The fact that you destroyed his totem tells him how powerful you¡¯re becoming. There was much fear in his eyes.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Do you think he knows where we are?¡±

    ¡°Doubtful,¡± Garrak said, ¡°His farmlands are in the kingdom we fled, so how that totem got all the way out here is fascinating. Maybe the farmer sold to the person who wanted to use it to poison this town. Totems could fetch a handsome price from those who wish to use it like it was here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good point,¡± Ginelle agreed, ¡°But it¡¯s gone now. We¡¯ll have to keep an eye out for more of them. If someone was willing to go to that much trouble to attack them there¡¯s no telling what they might do next.¡±

    ¡°Something to think about later,¡± Garrak said, ¡°But we should head back.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we should.¡± Ginelle concurred, ¡°You¡¯re getting hungry again, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°A little bit,¡± the wolf confessed, ¡°But I¡¯m sure Angus has spent all day working up an appetite as well. We should head back and start supper so hop on and I¡¯ll get us back there very quickly¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said, as she put the tooth away before mounting the wolf and letting him run her back to the house.

 Chapter 16

    When Ginelle and Garrak returned to the house after destroying the totem, Angus¡¯ mirrors were still hard at work, as they had already finished the frame for the barn he wanted to build, and it was coming along nicely. Angus himself was standing apart and actually doing a survey to where he was going to put the walls when he spotted the young witch and her wolf returning. He stopped what he was doing, and slowly walked over to met them both halfway.

    ¡°These mirrors are amazing!¡± Angus said, smiling at them. ¡°They never take breaks and have been working non-stop since you made them.¡±

    ¡°Glad to hear,¡± Ginelle said, returning the smile. ¡°The barn is looking nice too!¡±

    ¡°At this pace,¡± Angus continued, ¡°It should be done by the end of the week, and then we can start purchasing livestock from town. After all the help you did for them and their children, the local farmers will not hesitate to give you a discount.¡±

    ¡°Having animals here would be nice,¡± Ginelle confessed, ¡°And the town has nothing more to worry about. I just came back from destroying the totem.¡±

    ¡°You did?¡± Angus said, rather shocked. ¡°That¡¯s good news. The town will be pleased to hear they never have to worry about that cursed thing ever again.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to sound pushy,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But how soon can we build that wall we were talking about earlier?¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± Angus said, as he thought hard about it, ¡°If we start right after the barn is done, your mirrors could have something build within a few months. As long as your dragon can find some nice boulders, we can get started very soon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him about it,¡± Ginelle said, eager to get started.

    ¡°Ginelle,¡± Angus said, as he noticed some concern on the witch¡¯s face, ¡°What are you not tell me? Is there something wrong?¡±

    Ginelle went on to tell him about the mage, and the discussion they had before she eventually destroyed the man¡¯s totem. Angus stood there and didn¡¯t interrupt as he allowed her to tell him everything before coming up with a response.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Angus said, ¡°I think you did tell him a bit too much, but not enough. He probably has no idea what town his totem was used in, and even if word of your good deed spreads, it will still take time for anyone to travel this far. We have time, but I will make the wall a priority right after the barn is finished. I don¡¯t think whatever I create will be able to fend off assassins or armies, but I¡¯ll make sure your wall is ready should any of them make the trip to visit us.¡±

    ¡°That should be enough,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°We can make plans if we think an attack is coming,¡± Angus added, ¡°We could make a tower, maybe a moat if your dragon was willing to help out.¡±

    ¡°We can discuss that over dinner,¡± Ginelle interrupted him, ¡°Which I should get to soon because Garak is getting hungry.¡±

    Before Angus could respond, the big wolf gave him a low mumbling growl to remind him of his impatience and that the young man stepped aside which allowed Ginelle return to the house. The young witch walked back into the house, and while she was starting dinner, she could help but think about her conversation with the mage whose totem she destroyed. Angus was right about her saying too much about herself, but there was something that just made compelled her to say more than she wanted to. Was the mage doing something to cause that or what that the totem at work before she destroyed it? She had no idea but would probably look for answers in the books that Margorie made her carry with her when she left the logging camp. She couldn¡¯t help but stop what she was doing to take a moment and think about the old witch the helped her out. She was worried that the old lady was taken by the soldiers that came that day, or worse was killed by them. She had already lost one mother to the crown and their hateful ways, and the thought of having lost another caused her to cry for a moment.

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    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Garrak asked as he noticed her tears.

    ¡°I will be fine,¡± Ginelle replied.

    ¡°That isn¡¯t what I asked,¡± the big wolf countered.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ginelle apologized, ¡°I was just thinking about Margorie.¡±

    ¡°She was a good woman,¡± Garrak said, as he sat down on the kitchen floor. ¡°She was a better cook too. No offense.¡±

    ¡°None taken,¡± Ginelle said with a laugh, ¡°She was better than me, but I¡¯m not bad either as I¡¯ve gained some skills from both of my mothers.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that stupid mage,¡± Garrak also added, ¡°We shall take care of whomever tried to take you away from our new home. I will eat every one of those royal guards try to take you away again. So will that dragon, and he didn¡¯t play around last time. Ruki would burn down that entire kingdom if he saw you crying right now.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Ginelle agreed, ¡°Which is why I hide them whenever he¡¯s around.¡±

    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Garrak said, as he understood, ¡°I shall keep them secret too.¡±

    ¡°I just hope I didn¡¯t put everyone here in danger,¡± Ginelle said, as she was concerned about what she told the mage.

    ¡°That nosy mage is the one who will be in danger if he or anyone else tried to come her to cause trouble,¡± Garrak informed her, ¡°Ruki and I will not allow anything to happen to you, or anyone else here or in that town.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Ginelle said, as his words made her feel better. She also know that the more she practiced her chaos magic, the more capable she would be in defending herself and those she cared about. She had no intention of letting everyone else do the hard work without her. Ginelle had every right to participate in her own defense.

    When Angus¡¯ mirrors finally disappeared, a lot of work on the barn had been completed and he had a smile on his face as he came in for dinner. The meal itself was rather quiet as they two ate while Garrak had his in the other room. Angus looked back at Ginelle and could tell what they talked about was still bothering her.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re worried,¡± he repeated, ¡°But that mage is very far away.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just worried because I represent their reason for attacking every witch that¡¯s out there,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And they might make the extra effort to come here.¡±

    ¡°It would have to be a very bold action,¡± Angus argued, ¡°Because we¡¯re not in their kingdom, and they don¡¯t know that you still have a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Both valid points,¡± Ginelle said, as she felt a little bit better.

    ¡°You look stressed,¡± Angus observed, ¡°Let me clean up after supper, the least I could do since I was more a supervisor than a worker today.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I think I need to rest.¡±

    Ginelle retired to her room upstairs, and Garrak stayed with Angus because he liked helping Angus with the dishes by linking the leftovers off them for than extra snack. Angus still washed the dishes afterwards, but Garrak¡¯s help made scrubbing them less laborious.

    Ginelle put her head down and fell asleep rather quickly and had a good sleep as no one wanted to wake her up and get her energy back. Yet she was still restless as dreams about the mage and his threats haunted her sleep. She was worried that they would come after her like they did to her mother, and even Margorie. Witches all over the world were being hunted, and it was this fear that was causing her to wake up throughout the night. She would often calm herself down and then rest again, until the sun finally came back up the next morning. While Garrak and Angus had no intention to bother her and let her sleep in, someone didn¡¯t get the memo, as there was a someone yelling at her to wake up which finally worked.

    Ginelle slowly sat up in bed and was stiff but feeling a bit refreshed.

    ¡°Get up girl!¡± the voice called out.

    ¡°I know that voice,¡± Ginelle said as she looking around, and sitting in the open window was her answer. ¡°Marcus! Is that really you?¡±

    ¡°You bet it is,¡± Marcus said, shaking a little bit in the cold, ¡°Leave it to you to pick these cold mountains to seek refuge!¡±

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°This was Ruki¡¯s idea. You want to tell him that?¡±

    ¡°Oh, forget it,¡± Marcus said, as he wasn¡¯t in the mood to argue with a dragon. ¡°I came here because there¡¯s some bad stuff happening back home.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Ginelle said as she hopped out of bed. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I followed Margorie and Harrison,¡± Marcus informed her, ¡°They took them to the kingdom¡¯s infamous tower dungeon. They are locked up there with a lot of other witches that were captured.¡±

    ¡°So, they¡¯re still alive?¡± Ginelle asked, as she had been fearing the worst.

    ¡°For now,¡± Marcus replied, ¡°I started to fly here the moment I heard they were going to be executed!¡±

    ¡°When?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°I heard something about all of the witches being executed for the King¡¯s birthday,¡± Marcus said, ¡°Some sick present from some evil magical dude.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ginelle said, as she instantly suspected that mage she spoke with. ¡°When is the king¡¯s birthday?¡±

    ¡°The said it was in a few months time,¡± Marcus said, ¡°But it took me a while to get here so it¡¯s not too far off.¡±

    ¡°Well done, Marcus!¡± She said, patting the bird on the head.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Marcus asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°What do you know about what¡¯s going on there.¡±

    ¡°Well,¡± Marcus started, ¡°Their fates were sealed when I tried to help them escape.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Tell me what happened¡­¡±

 Chapter 17

    Harrison and Margorie were sent to different cells, as men and women were segregated and kept on different floors for obvious reasons. Once led to her cell, Margorie was chained to the wall, which was done to all witches to make sure they didn¡¯t roam around and find ways to cause trouble. Her chains allowed her walk up to the door to accept meals but no further, and she sat down on the unpleasant cot next to the wall and deeply sighed. This was going to be a very uncomfortable stay for her, and she already knew better than to try to cast magic. She could sense the anti-hex spells and noticed a few symbols in the walls the told her the royal mages made sure this place made using their power next to useless. Even if she wanted to give it a try, knowing that Chaos magic was far more powerful than anyone could imagine, the old witch decided to be patient. It depressed her to see the people who had no patience for witches, despite the fact that they had all helped the royal family defend the kingdom from people who meant to do them all harm. Their reward for all those dedicated hours was to turn their backs on them. A gesture that was about as cold and uncaring as the monarchs themselves. Margorie sat there in silence and barely said a word, aware that the guards were listening and made sure that the witches never consorted nor conspired amongst one another. To keep them from getting too chummy with one another, the prisoners were rotated so that they could get comfortable or too casual with their cell mates. Margorie was actually along for her first few days, but that soon changed as another witched was dragged into her cell and chained to the cot that was across from the older women. Her newest arrival, which was Margorie¡¯s fourth cell mate since arriving, was a little younger than her. The new lady had red hair and looked like she had been living in the dungeon a little longer then she had. She had been sitting there for hours, before either of them would bother to speak.

    ¡°Where did they find you?¡± the woman asked Margorie.

    ¡°At a logging camps in the woods,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°I was helping the men there serve the crown but that still didn¡¯t matter. So, here I am.¡±

    ¡°Here we are,¡± the woman said, smiling back. ¡°I¡¯m Alyssa.¡±

    ¡°Margorie,¡± the old woman said, ¡°A pleasure to meet a fellow witch.¡±

    ¡°Nothing but witches here,¡± Alyssa confirmed, ¡°Except for a few stragglers.¡±

    ¡°My boss was brought here too,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°Accused of harboring witches or some other nonsense.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a very long time,¡± Alyssa continued, ¡°I was one of the first they arrested here in the city.¡±

    ¡°That is a very long time to be in here, dear.¡± Margorie said as she looked around to make sure no one else was watching. She whispered a few words and started to conjure up some fresh food for them both to eat. Alyssa¡¯s eyes were wide with shock as she took half of the food from the old lady.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Alyssa asked, ¡°The mages put up totems and other things to prevent us from being able to use magic!¡±

    ¡°Your magic, perhaps,¡± Margorie explained, ¡°But not mine.¡±

    ¡°Damn,¡± Alyssa said, as she started to eat her food, ¡°You¡¯re a witch of chaos.¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°Totems and other tricks are too weak for my power.¡±

    ¡°Good to know,¡± Alyssa replied, ¡°I wish I could do that.¡±

    ¡°You can,¡± Margorie informed her, ¡°All witches can do chaos magic.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Alyssa said, shocked. ¡°You can teach us?¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± Margorie said, grinning. ¡°And every time they rotate you out, all they¡¯re doing is giving me another witch to teach my craft to. After enough of you come through here, we should have enough witches to fight back in a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°That is the best idea I¡¯ve heard since I got here,¡± Alyssa admitted, ¡°Count me in!¡±

    ¡°Finish your food, dear.¡± Margorie said, ¡°I sense someone powerful approaching.¡±

    Alyssa did as she was told and consumed the rest of her food before the guards showed up to their cell. Even if Margorie couldn¡¯t sense the power of the person who was coming closer, the added guards would have given away that someone of importance was about to come into the hallway. Her instincts were fulfilled as a mage wearing a white robe with golden trims came storming into the hallway and strolled up to the cell where Margorie was sitting with her new cellmate.

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    ¡°You, the old one.¡± The mage called out, ¡°Are you the witch that the soldiers captured at the logging camp?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Margorie said, as she stood up to address the mage. ¡°I am Margorie, and I was actually serving the crown by feeding his lumberjacks when you took me in. Is this how you reward women who work hard to help the kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Apologies,¡± The mage replied, which appeared to sound sincere, ¡°The crown made a decision that was in conflict with my own recommendations. Like all citizens of our great kingdom, witches deserved to be considered innocent until proven of wrongdoing.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Margorie admitted, ¡°but it appears your influence over the crown isn¡¯t as impactful as you would prefer.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s there,¡± the mage resisted, ¡°But there are times when wise words are ignored.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Margorie asked him, ¡°I assume you¡¯re a royal mage, based on your fine threads¡­ but you¡¯ve failed to formally introduce yourself.¡±

    ¡°I am Gandalus,¡± the man replied, ¡°The king¡¯s mage, and I need to speak to you about the young witch who escaped your logging camp.¡±

    ¡°What about her?¡± Margorie asked.

    ¡°I spoke with her before she destroyed one of my totems,¡± The mage replied, ¡°But not before I had a chance to speak with her. Is it true that young Ginelle has befriended a dragon?¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Alyssa said, as she stood up.

    Margorie held her hand up and basically asked without saying a word for the younger witch to be quiet and return to her cot, which she did.

    ¡°With training, witches are capable of speaking with and befriending any creature,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°I myself recruited a few critters at the logging camp, and they were quite helpful when I was performing my duties.¡±

    ¡°And this Ginelle was given such training,¡± Gandalus inquired.

    ¡°Ginelle had a talent for it,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°And she befriended quite a few creatures when she was living with at the logging camp with me. And yes, she did befriend a dragon that took a liking to her. You know that¡¯s how she escaped your men as she rode it out of your territory. She¡¯s no longer in your kingdom anymore and is far from your reaches.¡±

    ¡°We shall see about that,¡± Gandalus said, appearing defiant of her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t recommend going after her,¡± Margorie said, as she stepped closer to the bars of her cell. ¡°She has my books and has continued training in my absence. She has also taken to my specialization quite naturally.¡±

    ¡°You mean chaos magic?¡± Gandalus asked, ¡°She told me about that, but I¡¯m not worried about it. She will not be the first chaos witch I ever faced.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, she might be your last.¡± Margorie warned him.

    ¡°She¡¯s that powerful?¡± the mage asked her.

    ¡°Ginelle has potential,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°And she¡¯s got a good heart, which is what could make her stronger than you can ever imagine. This is why her creatures are quite loyal to her and would slaughter legions of your men to protect her.¡±

    ¡°We shall see,¡± Gandalus repeated, as Margorie¡¯s words appeared to anger him. ¡°There is no way we can allow a witch that powerful to remain at large.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just a child!¡± Alyssa finally called out, angered by his words. ¡°What kind of man are you to chase and bully a child?

    ¡°She didn¡¯t appear that young to me,¡± the mage confessed.

    ¡°Life has forced her to mature,¡± Margorie added, ¡°But that was your king¡¯s doing.¡±

    ¡°Explain,¡± Gandalus asked, as he didn¡¯t believe her.

    ¡°Ginelle used to live in this city,¡± Margorie explained to the mage, ¡°And if you never went after the witches, she¡¯d still be in school with the other kids. She would be a normal, harmless child if you just left her alone. You created this problem, and that is why I recommend leaving her be wherever she is. Do not give her a reason to become your adversary.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting theory,¡± Gandalus conceded, ¡°And one I regret if it¡¯s true. I never approved of this act against the witches nor recommended it, but I am compelled to support my king¡¯s will.¡±

    ¡°That is unfortunate,¡± Margorie said, ¡°Because you should be allowed to ignore his will if the decision he¡¯s making is wrong.¡±

    ¡°We were on your side!¡± Alyssa added, as her anger was evident. ¡°The next time a war breaks out, we won¡¯t be there to heal your soldiers. You and your pompous mages can go out to the frontlines and do it yourself!¡±

    ¡°Not the reaction I anticipated,¡± Gandalus confessed, ¡°But I will pass along your threats to those above me to remind of them of what we could lose in the long run.¡±

    ¡°You do that,¡± Margorie said, shuffling closer to him, ¡°And heed my words.¡±

    The mage didn¡¯t respond to her and instead turned and left the cell block, returning to his own plush living space to think about what she said and what to do about it. Margorie took a deep breath herself and shuffled back to her own cot and took a seat. She looked at her new cell mate who looked more distraught then ever before.

    ¡°What is it dear?¡± she asked.

    Alyssa looked back up at Margorie with tears in her eyes.

    ¡°You said the child¡¯s name was Ginelle,¡± Alyssa started, ¡°But that can¡¯t be her. She¡¯s supposed to be in Luxburg with my sister and her husband!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to tell you,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°but my lumberjacks found her in the woods, hiding in a tree scared and alone. They brought her back to the camp and she lodged with me for a little over a year. I continued her training and added chaos magic to her arsenal. Apologies if you don¡¯t approve, but I also taught her healing magic and how to converse with animals. Those two appear to be what saved her life.¡±

    ¡°And all this about a dragon,¡± Alyssa inquired, ¡°Is that true as well?¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°His name is Ruki, and he appears to like her very much since she helped heal his broken tooth. She rode Ruki away from this kingdom and is living far away from their reaches.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy to hear that,¡± Alyssa said, sitting back down on her cot.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking,¡± Margorie said, ¡°But how do you know Ginelle?¡±

    ¡°I know her well,¡± Alyssa confessed, ¡°I¡¯m her mother.¡±

 Chapter 18

    Ginelle sat there with a shocked look on her face, after hearing what the blue bird has just told her. Unbeknownst to the king¡¯s mage, Marcus had been sitting at the window and had witnessed the entire conversation he had with Margorie. She sat there and let the words the bird had told her sink in. Her mother was still alive, but she was also imprisoned with Margorie in the capital. This upset her a great deal, but there was still nothing she could do about it since there was a small army standing between her and the women she cared about the most. She looked back up at the bird.

    ¡°Were my mother and Margorie still alive when you left them?¡± she asked.

    ¡°They were,¡± Marcus answered, ¡°But I¡¯m not sure how long that is going to last.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ginelle asked the bird.

    ¡°Margorie was using me like a secret messenger,¡± Marcus explained, ¡°I was passing plans from one window to another and allowing the witches in the other cells to speak to one another undetected.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s clever,¡± Ginelle admitted, ¡°What were they talking about?¡±

    ¡°They were making plans to escape,¡± Marcus replied, ¡°And the plan was to break out of their own cells, and then free the men that were a few floors down and fight their way out. It was a pretty ambitious plan if you ask me.¡±

    ¡°Why did they need the men?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°That nasty wizard has totems placed around and inside the building,¡± Marcus explained, ¡°Margorie can still do a few spells, but nothing big. So, if she can free Harrison and the guys then they can take out the rest of totems and then the witches can take it from there.¡±

    ¡°When were they planning to try this?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°When I left they were making plans to do it in a two weeks,¡± Marcus informed her, ¡°Margorie was thinking of doing it a two days before the King¡¯s birthday, hoping that the celebration would cause the guards to be spread out. That would mean less guards at the prison and the plan could actually work.¡±

    ¡°How long did it take for you to get here?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°At least a week,¡± Marcus answered, ¡°So, if my math is right they¡¯re going to try something within the six or seven days.¡±

    Ginelle sat there and thought about it.

    ¡°I need to do something to help them,¡± she declared as she stood up and started to pace the room. The thought of losing everyone she cared about all in the same day was more than enough to prompt her to want to act on their behalf.

    ¡°The breakout is going to happen,¡± Marcus reminded her, ¡°Since they¡¯re all scheduled to be executed, there was no point for them to wait to die. Margorie told me to fly away so that I wouldn¡¯t be caught. Margorie put some kind of spell on me that made it easier for me to get her. She really wanted me to get to pass along what was happening.¡±

    ¡°I wish there was something I could do,¡± Ginelle said, as she continued to pace.

    Ginelle was upset to hear the news that the witches were going to be killed, but she let that anger fester as she went downstairs to make breakfast for Angus and Garrak. While she was preparing the food, the big wolf could tell something was wrong. After making an inquiry, Ginelle spent the majority of breakfast telling both men what happened to Margorie and that she was now sharing a cell in the tower with her mother.

    ¡°I wish there was something we could do to help,¡± Angus also said, as he didn¡¯t want to see Ginelle upset like this. ¡°It¡¯s a shame we couldn¡¯t use your mirror spell to create an army and invade the Capital.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Ginelle replied, as she appreciated the thought. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t make more than a dozen mirrors at once and that is not enough to¡­¡±

    Angus watched as the young witch stopped mid-sentence and he knew that that meant. Ginelle had thought of something, and it must have been a good idea as she was not starting to grin like a cat that just managed to capture the mouse.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Angus asked, eager to know what she was thinking.

    ¡°I have an idea,¡± Ginelle said as she excused herself from the table. ¡°I need to speak to Ruki. I¡¯ll be back in a few hours. You¡¯ll be okay here holding up the fort, right?.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Angus replied, ¡°But what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to try to learn something,¡± Ginelle said as she went into the kitchen to fetch something for her friend.

    After packing a small basket, she left the house and started to walk upwards towards a cave that was located higher than the house but not too far off. Ruki had chosen to reside in this cave as it not only had enough space for the dragon to fit into, but it was close enough for him to be there for Ginelle if she ever needed his help once again. Thankfully for Ginelle the big dragon was in the cave when she came inside to visit. He was just lounging out and even had some fires burning in the corners of the cave to keep it warm.

    ¡°Good morning, Ruki,¡± Ginelle called out as she entered the cave.

    ¡°Good morning, little witch,¡± Ruki replied, ¡°I smell something.¡±

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    ¡°I brought you something to eat,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I also need to speak with you about something I need your help with.¡±

    ¡°I will do what I can to assist,¡± Ruki said as he finally opened his eyes, ¡°And thank you for the food.¡±

    ¡°I have a question about the tooth,¡± Ginelle started, ¡°What if I had more than one, would additional items help increase the power of my spells?¡±

    ¡°In theory it should,¡± Ruki replied, ¡°Are you asking for more teeth?¡±

    ¡°No, I am not,¡± Ginelle replied, as she set up her basket to feed her dragon. ¡°I¡¯m wondering if there were other parts of you that I could use to enhance my powers. Can I use more than just teeth to charge my spell?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ruki answered, ¡°You can use other parts of a dragon as additional totems, not just my teeth.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Cause I need your help to save Margorie and my mother.¡±

    ¡°Tell me more,¡± Ruki said without hesitation, ¡°Where is the old witch?¡±

    Ginelle went on to tell the dragon everything she learned that morning from Marcus about the witches that were being held prisoner in the tower and the Kingdom¡¯s intention to execute them all on the King¡¯s birthday. The dragon sat there and listened in silence as all the details were revealed to him while he ate the food Ginelle had prepared for him.

    ¡°This is unacceptable,¡± Ruki finally replied, angered by the news he was given. ¡°We need to help your friends and family.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Because I have a plan which is why I need your help to enhance my spell casting ability.¡±

    The dragon remained quiet as he listened to the idea that Ginelle had swirling in her head all morning. Once Ginelle was finished giving him the plane, the dragon seemed not only comfortable with the idea, but was eager to offer any help he could.

    ¡°This is a sound plan, little witch,¡± Ruki replied, as he sounded impressed. ¡°I do have an idea that might help, but you need to keep this secret between the two of us.¡±

    ¡°I shall tell no one,¡± Ginelle promised, ¡°You have my word, Ruki.¡±

    ¡°That is good enough for me,¡± Ruki replied as he slowly sat up. ¡°Listen carefully little witch as I am only going to share this once.¡±

    Ginelle sat there in the cave and listened carefully as Ruki told her in great detail certain dragon parts just like his teeth could be used to generate more power for witches like the totems that wizards use. Ruki went on to tell her about certain parts of him that generated more power for the witch to use.

    ¡°This could work,¡± Ginelle said, as she was stunned by the revelations that was made to her by her winged friend.

    ¡°Make preparations,¡± Ruki suddenly declared, ¡°We will leave in a few days, and hopefully get there before the King¡¯s birthday.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer to get there the day before,¡± Ginelle corrected him, ¡°The day that the witches are planning to break out. If our plan works, our attack will draw almost all the guards away from their tower, and that will assist their escape.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Ruki agreed, ¡°We must make quick preparations then so that we make it in time for their planned breakout.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll start packing right now,¡± Ginelle said, as she stood to leave, ¡°Thank you for your help Ruki. Without us, I don¡¯t think those witches are going to make it.¡±

    ¡°I like the old woman,¡± Ruki confessed, ¡°And if it means I get to have her cooking again, I am more than eager to get them out.¡±

    ¡°My mother is a better cook than Margorie,¡± Ginelle informed the dragon.

    ¡°She is?¡± the dragon said, his head turning sideways with interest.

    Ginelle had a good laugh for herself as she exited the cave and ran back to the house to gather the supplies that Ruki asked for. Angus was still in the house when she returned and was eager to speak to her.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Angus asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving,¡± Ginelle said, looking at him, ¡°Ruki and I are going to the castle to aid the witches and my mother¡¯s attempt to breakout.¡±

    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± Angus asked, eager to do anything.

    ¡°Stay here with the wolf and hold up the fort,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Keep working on the wall as much as you can, and when I return we¡¯ll have more people to help us out.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Angus said, as he wasn¡¯t that worried about it. The house had a lot of spare rooms that were not being used.

    ¡°I also need some of the dragon scales,¡± Ginelle informed him, ¡°I know we want to use them for the roof, but I need at least four of them for a project.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get them,¡± Angus said, as he left the room.

    He returned moments later with four of the dark scales, all of them about the size of a large dinner plate. She took them from him and went upstairs to change into a different set of clothing. Without asking, she took one of Angus¡¯ tunics because it had pockets in it that was used specifically to hold plates of armor. She removed the few sheets of metal that was inside the chest and back panels and replaced them with the dark plates that came from Ruki. She used the strings on the tunic to tighten the shirt up and in essence strap the dragon scales to her body. She took the last two plates, placed them on her front thighs, and wrapped them tightly to secure them to the top halves of her legs. After that she quickly packed a few bags with extra food and even other supplies she thought she might need. It took her less than a few hours to get fully prepared for her trip.

    Ruki had emerged from his cave and walked down to the house, doing his best not to knock over anything or cause any damage as he did so. Ginelle emerged from the house dressed up in her light armor and noticed the look on Angus¡¯ face.

    ¡°Yes, I burrowed your armor.¡± She confirmed to him.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright,¡± Angus said, ¡°If we have more time, I¡¯ll get someone in town to make you some that will fit properly next time.¡±

    ¡°Next time we¡¯ll have a smith build the armor directly from my scales,¡± Ruki added, ¡°I will shed more than enough over the next few years to cover everything you need.¡±

    ¡°If all goes well,¡± Ginelle started, ¡°Ruki and I will return in several days. If we¡¯re not back by then, please take care of my wolf.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of everyone you leave behind,¡± Angus replied, ¡°Even that annoying little bird.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for leaving like this, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your mother,¡± Angus said, ¡°Go get her.¡±

    Ginelle gave him one more smile before turning away to walk over to Ruki who was patiently waiting for her. The young witch crawled over to the big dragon and started to crawl on his back. One her bags were tied to the saddle she had made, Ginelle made herself as comfortable as possible. She checked to make sure she still had Ruki¡¯s tooth and everything else she needed to put forth their plan.

    ¡°That''s interesting,¡± Ruki said, as Ginelle made herself comfortable.

    ¡°What is?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°You like him,¡± the dragon observed.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ginelle said, relived to know Angus couldn¡¯t understand a single thing the big dragon was saying.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Ruki said, almost laughing, ¡°I¡¯m starting to like him too.¡±

    ¡°How about we concentrate on our mission,¡± Ginelle suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long trip,¡± Ruki reminded her, ¡°We¡¯ll continue this talk later.¡±

    ¡°No, we won¡¯t!¡± Ginelle said, as it was subject she wasn¡¯t interested in.

    ¡°Hang on,¡± Ruki said, as he launched into the sky. Ginelle felt a little more comfortable this time with the new saddle she had made in town. She was able to hold on easier as the dragon climbed high into the skies and started to flap its massive wings as their journey back to the capital was just beginning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, little witch,¡± Ruki said, sensing her fear, ¡°We''ll get there in time.¡±

    ¡°I hope so,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°This is going to be close.¡±

 Chapter 19

    Ginelle and Ruki spent most of the day flying back to the country they fled from a while back, but it was still too soon for the young witch¡¯s liking. After speaking with that rude sorcerer and feeling his aggression, she never wanted to set foot back into the kingdom that rejected her kind and tried to imprison them all. Now her mother and the other witches were condemned to die on the king¡¯s birthday, as if there were all a cheap party favor. The whole idea of their deaths being celebrated was all Ginelle could take, and she was committed to doing whatever she could to save them all. While riding on the big dragon¡¯s back, the young witch had a lot of time to think of a plan. Ruki found a nice mountain they could park on for the night, so that he could rest after a long day of flying. While it was cold that high up, Ruki would light fires with his breath and that combined with the shelter provided by his wings would be enough to keep Ginelle safe and warm. She had brought food with her, and it was enchanted to fill them up, so a day¡¯s worth of grub would be enough to last a week if necessary. After they ate, Ginelle felt the need to let the big dragon in on her plan. The dragon laid there and said nothing as she told him what she had thought of, allowing her to finish before making any comment.

    ¡°So,¡± Ginelle said, after going through it all, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ambitious,¡± Ruki confessed, as he was quite surprised by the idea. ¡°It is going to require a lot of magic to pull it off. I¡¯m not sure that tooth is a strong enough totem to pull off what you have planned, little one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done it before with the tooth,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°But you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have the power to really make a big difference.¡±

    ¡°I might have an idea for that, little one.¡± Ruki said.

    ¡°You do?¡± Ginelle said, sitting up from where she was laying down. ¡°What is it?¡±

    The dragon remained silent as all he did was lay his head down and sigh deeply.

    ¡°Ruki,¡± Ginelle said, as she could sense his hesitation. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ruki said, ¡°But this is a well kept secret. Something that dragons do not want anyone discovering, especially humans.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Ginelle said, as she understood. ¡°You¡¯re saying that this secret could be dangerous in the wrong hands, especially someone like that awful sorcerer.¡±

    ¡°Especially if someone that corrupt found out,¡± Ruki confirmed.

    ¡°I understand your hesitation,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask you to do this if it wasn¡¯t a dire situation. My mother and Margorie need our help, or they¡¯re going to be sacrifice for some fat fool¡¯s pleasure.¡±

    Ruki still said nothing and sighed again. This time his breath was hot, and the flame reignited a fire they were using to keep their camp warm. He could even be heard growling as the thought still irked him a great deal. The young girl could tell that the dragon wanted to help her, but what she asked might have been a bit too much.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ruki,¡± Ginelle said, sitting back into him. ¡°It¡¯s not fair.¡±

    ¡°It is I who am sorry,¡± Ruki said, lifting his head back up. ¡°You have been nothing but kind and true to me since our first meeting. I need your word that what I am about to tell you will remain a secret between us. That you will tell no one what I am about to tell you unless I approve it first.¡±

    ¡°I swear it,¡± Ginelle replied without hesitation, ¡°I will tell no one else unless you approve first. I would never even ask you to do this if it wasn¡¯t such dire circumstances. This will remain between us until my dying breath.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ruki said, as he believed her. ¡°As you already know, pieces of a dragon can be used as totems, such as the tooth in your pocket.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Go on.¡±

    ¡°Well, every piece of a dragon can be used as a totem,¡± Ruki explained to her. ¡°Every tooth, every claw, and even every scale on my back. As long as you have permission from the dragon it originated from, every piece of us is a totem.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Ginelle said, as she started to think about it. ¡°So, if I was wearing armor that was made of dragon scales, ever single scale that was on me would be a separate totem and thus increase my power higher than just using one?¡±

    ¡°Infinitely higher,¡± Ruki confirmed, ¡°The more pieces of us you have on you increases your power, and there is no limit to that increase.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no limit?¡± Ginelle said, surprised by that revelation.

    ¡°That¡¯s not even the secret,¡± Ruki said, taking another deep breath. ¡°The totem in question doesn¡¯t have to be separated from the dragon to work. The dragon also doesn¡¯t have to be dead for them to work as well.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Ginelle said, processing the statement. ¡°Are you telling me that you are one big totem?¡±

    ¡°Think of it this way,¡± Ruki continued, ¡°Combine everything that is on me. Every scale on my body, every tooth in my mouth, and every other piece of me. Each one is a totem, so there are at least a hundred of them that you can use at the same time when touching me.¡±

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    ¡°Holy crap,¡± Ginelle said, as she realized what the dragon was telling her. ¡°So, if I use you as my totem instead of the tooth, the spells that I use with be at least a hundred times more powerful while riding you?¡±

    ¡°That is correct,¡± Ruki replied, ¡°If you have my permission, I can enhance whatever spell you want and that could help your plan.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± Ginelle said, smiling back at the dragon. ¡°Are you saying that this plan of mine might actually work?¡±

    ¡°If I agree to let you use me as a totem,¡± Ruki explained, ¡°Then that plan of yours has a much better chance of working. But if we are successful, I want you to tell them that it was the tooth I gave you and a lot of practice that did it rather than tell our secret.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I will let our friends, and especially our enemies believe that I am just a very powerful witch, and I¡¯m sure that will be enough.¡±

    ¡°It is a sound plan,¡± the dragon concurred, ¡°If the enemy believes to be that powerful, they would be very hesitant to retaliate to our attack. They would fear you too much to do anything.¡±

    ¡°That would work in my favor,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And they¡¯d leave us all alone.¡±

    ¡°I am placing a lot of trust in you, little one,¡± Ruki reminded her, ¡°But I am confident that it well placed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°I am touched that you would risk so much of yourself and your species to help me and my mother. I will never tell anyone what you have said, but it is useful information that I plan to use going forward.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± Ruki asked, curious by what she meant.

    ¡°Think about it,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°If I want to be safe, I could have a smith make custom armor for myself with scales. You also forge that Angus planned to install the scales you shed to our roof, to make the house magic resistant. If anyone ever attacked our home, I could just climb up on the roof and channel every scale to defend our home.¡±

    ¡°Those are impressive ideas,¡± Ruki said, as he was surprised by her suggestions, ¡°And you have my permission to do that as long as you keep this secret.¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°No one shall learn of it, ever.¡±

    ¡°I thank you for your discretion,¡± Ruki said, as he didn¡¯t appear worried anymore.

    Ruki put his head back down and things became quiet rather quickly. Both of them went to sleep and didn¡¯t want up until the sun came up the next morning. After having a quick bite to eat to get their energy up before taking off, their trip back to the kingdom resumed as Ginelle and Ruki launched back into the sky and started to whip through the sky like an arrow. The were in the air for several hours when something familiar came into sight; the logging camp where Ginelle used to live with Marjorie and the men. She was tempted to land there, but decided against it as she could see there were people far below working and there was no telling who was running the camp now. Instead, this let her know how much closer she was getting as the dragon continued to flap and soar them closer and closer to the capital where all the witches were being held captive. As the palace slowly came into sight, Ginelle could feel her chest get a little tighter as she became a little nervous as she and her dragon were basically on their way to what could be a battle. She had a sound plan, as Ruki had approved of it, but there was no guarantee it would work. When discussing the plan with Ruki, they had come up with a second plan, and Ginelle thought it was a good idea, so that was going to be their first strategy. As the approached the outskirts of the massive city that surrounded the palace, Ginelle could bear horns being blown on the ground.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°The horns are an alarm,¡± Ruki answered, ¡°I¡¯ve seen them used like that before. They warn the palace that a dragon is approaching, and it gives the castle time to get battle ready and evacuate the royals.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t matter,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°We want them to know we¡¯re coming. Let¡¯s stick to the plan and get their attention.¡±

    ¡°Where do you want me to land?¡± Ruki asked.

    Ginelle scanned the ground, and she could the perfect spot.

    ¡°Right over there,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°That cathedral is tall, but too far away for the castle to fire anything at us.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Ruki said as he flew around to make his approach for landing. ¡°Here¡¯s hoping it¡¯s sturdy enough to hold our weight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very expensive,¡± Ginelle informed the dragon, ¡°It should be strong enough.¡±

    ¡°Very well,¡± Ruki said as he kept flying over.

    At the last moment Ruki widened his wings and slowed down their descent enough to make the landing very softly and that preventing the roof from caving in underneath them. The big black dragon stood there on top of the cathedral and let out a massive roar that send people running in the streets, screaming in fear. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the dragon then let out a burst of fire, but shot the flames up into the air. It was a display of power that sent a very strong message to the those watching in the palace.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got their attention,¡± Ruki said, looking back at the young witch. ¡°It¡¯s your turn now, Ginelle.¡±

    It was at this point when Ruki took a very guarding position, and Ginelle stood up on the dragon¡¯s back. The angle she chose to use let everyone below and in the castle that the dragon wasn¡¯t there of its own accord; someone was riding it, and their intent was not peaceful based on their show of force. While standing there and over the many onlookers who refused to run for cover, Ginelle stood there and took a parchment out of her coat. She stood there, whispered a spell under her breath, and then watched as the message she was holding started to float away. It slowly made its way to the palace, and then disappeared through a window. Moments later Ginelle let out her breath as she sensed something.

    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± she informed the dragon, ¡°Our message has been delivered.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it will work?¡± Ruki asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Ginelle honestly answered, ¡°But this is the right thing to do. We need to give them a chance to resolve this peacefully before using force. For now, we¡¯ll have to back off and give them time to consider our offer.¡±

    ¡°Who did you send the letter to?¡± Ruki asked.

    ¡°To the only person in there who knows who I am,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°That grumpy old sorcerer who knows I¡¯m at least powerful enough to destroy his totem. Hopefully he¡¯ll take our message to the king and make our intentions clear enough for him to see reason.¡±

    ¡°And what if the king refuses to our demands?¡± Ruki asked.

    ¡°Then we go with my plan,¡± Ginelle replied, as she walked back to her saddle and strapped herself in. ¡°And we¡¯ll free my mother and the others by force.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ruki said as he started to lift off the cathedral, ¡°I saw a small hill not far from here, and that will be the best place to wait them out. It will give you a chance to practice your spell.¡±

    ¡°Alright, sounds good,¡± Ginelle said, as she sat back down on her saddle. ¡°Let¡¯s go over there. Don¡¯t forget to roar a few times to scare them a bit more.¡±

 Chapter 20

    The king¡¯s grand wizard, Gandalus the Great, was sitting in his private laboratory where he conducted experiments and honed his magical arts. He had been working on some of his totems, trying to find out how that little witch managed to destroy it. He put charms and protections on them to prevent someone from being able to destroy them, and he couldn¡¯t figure it out. He was also looking into the claim that this witch made about someone else tampering with the totem and using it to harm children. Regardless of what the old wizard thought about the witch, if her claim was true it was something he would have to look into. The last thing he wanted was for his magical items to be used to harm people, and in response to the witch¡¯s allegations, he sent out his most trusted knights to check on every totem that he had out there to find out if any of them were missing. Despite his doubts, the knights came back to report that several of the wizard¡¯s totems were missing, and that the witch wasn¡¯t making it up. The captain of the knights took it upon himself to harshly interrogate some of the farmers who were supposed to be using the totems to protect their crops, and a few of them confirmed that they sold the totems after their crops were harvested to make a few extra bucks. Their plan was to come back to the kingdom and claim that the totem was stolen so Gandalus would replace them before the next season. The old wizard found this quite troubling, and while he didn¡¯t like the idea of a chaos witch destroying his property the missing totems was too dire to be ignored, and he had the young witch to thank for exposing this problem to him.

    He was sitting at his desk, looking over some books for answers to how to locate his missing totems when he heard a sound that caught his attention. There were screams of men and women coming from outside the castle. It wasn¡¯t a single person, but a lot of people all shouting at once and the sound was difficult to ignore. The wizard stood up from his desk, wondering what they were responding to when another sound caught his attention that answered his curiosity. There was a loud roar, from a beast that he hasn¡¯t heard in a very, very long time. It was a dragon. Seconds later, a solider burst through the door to get the old wizard¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Dragon!¡± he called out, ¡°There is a dragon circling the palace!¡±

    ¡°Lead me to the roof!¡± Gandalus ordered, as he was eager to see it for himself.

    They both scrambled to the roof of their part of the palace, and as the wizard emerged through the door, the massive black dragon was sailing past. It was pretty big, and Gandalus hadn¡¯t seen one that large in decades and the people below were still screaming and running for cover. After flying by, the massive dragon stopped flying and slowly landed on the roof of a large cathedral. The old wizard walked up to the edge of his roof, and never took his eyes off the massive beast. It was at that moment when he finally noticed there was someone on the dragon¡¯s back, and he recognized her immediately. It was the very same chaos witch that had destroyed his totem, and she now was before him on the back of a dragon. He turned to face the soldier the that escorted him to the roof.

    ¡°Where is the king?¡± the old wizard asked him.

    ¡°He¡¯s in the throne room,¡± the soldier answered.

    Gandalus removed himself from the roof and descended back into the belly of the palace and made his way to the throne room. When the old wizard opened the big doors and entered the massive room the king was sitting on his throne, and he looked just as scared as the people who were running around outside.

    ¡°Is it true?¡± the king called out. ¡°Are we under attack by someone riding a dragon?¡±

    ¡°There is someone out there riding a dragon,¡± Gandalus confirmed, as he strolled closer. ¡°But she we do not appear to be under attack.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure, Gandalus?¡± the king demanded.

    Gandalus could tell by the king¡¯s tone that he was scared, and didn¡¯t like his power being threatened so publicly. There was no immediate danger, but Gandalus had to make sure that his king was pushed into making decisions he could regret later.

    ¡°Your highness,¡± Gandalus started, with a calm tone, ¡°The dragon is perched upon a tall building and yet to fire a single puff of smoke. If this dragon and its rider wanted to attack us, they would have already. I have a feeling that is not why she¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°She?¡± the king repeated, ¡°You know this rider?¡±

    ¡°I recognized her,¡± Gandalus confessed, ¡°She¡¯s a witch.¡±

    ¡°So, we are under attack!¡± the king roared, his fear heightened again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± Gandalus replied, trying to calm the man down. ¡°All she has done is fly around the palace with her dragon. Neither of them have made any action that would suggest this is an attack. Let¡¯s wait for her to tell us why she¡¯s here rather an assume it.¡±

    ¡°How are you sure she¡¯s here to talk?¡± the king asked.

    Before the old wizard could respond, there was someone yelling from the door leading into the throne room.

    ¡°There¡¯s something approaching!¡± another solider called out.

    The parchment that Ginelle has sent into the castle floated past the big doors and softly soared into the big room. The king stood up as he thought it might be a threat, but the old wizard recognized what it was and started to walk towards it. He snatched the parchment the moment he was close enough to reach it and the spell carrying it faded out.

    ¡°What is that?¡± the king called out.

    ¡°It¡¯s a message, your highness.¡± Gandalus replied, ¡°Our young witch sent it specifically to me to make her demands heard.¡±

    ¡°What does it say?¡± the king asked.

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    Gandalus opened the parchment and read the message, which was brief but was clear about what she wanted.

    ¡°She is asking for the witches in the tower to be released,¡± Gandalus replied, ¡°And says that if you refuse to do that, there will be dire consequences.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s threatening us?¡± the king asked, angered by the witch¡¯s audacity, ¡°How dare she! Who does she think she is?¡±

    ¡°It could be an empty threat,¡± Gandalus suggested, ¡°And she could be merely using the dragon to scare us into giving her what she wants.¡±

    ¡°Well, it will not work!¡± the king replied, ¡°I will not release anyone!¡±

    ¡°A wise choice, my lord,¡± Gandalus replied, ¡°I would also recommend calling her bluff. There is only so much damage a single dragon can do. We can also have billistas mounted on every towers to defend the palace.¡±

    ¡°How soon can we get them up there?¡± the king inquired.

    ¡°I believe we can have them set up and loaded to fire by dawn,¡± Gandalus answered, ¡°Which is when I believe she will return. She¡¯s going to give us the night to consider her demands, and we¡¯ll use that time to set up our defenses.¡±

    ¡°An excellent suggestion, Gandalus,¡± the king agreed, ¡°Make it so.¡±

    ¡°At once, your highness,¡± the wizard said, making a respectful bow. ¡°And with that I shall take my leave.¡±

    The wizard removed himself form the throne room and got his knights to assemble all the men then needed to set up the ballistas. He ordered them to work around the clock and get them up to each tower and assembled immediately. He also emphasized that the tower above the throne room was the highest priority to be set up first. Once the knights and their men were put to work, Gandalus felt it was time to get some more information about who he was dealing with. He immediately walked over to the tower when all the witches were imprisoned and spoke with the warden of the guard. After getting most of his questions answered, Gandalus knew who he wanted to speak with as he walked up to specific cell and located the witch in question. There were two women in her cell, but he didn¡¯t care about the other who was laying down quietly in her cot. The other witch was sitting upright and appeared to be doing some king of meditation. Since she was the older of the two, the wizard knew she was the one he was looking for.

    ¡°You there,¡± Gandalus called out, ¡°You¡¯re the witch they captured at the logging camp, aren¡¯t you? The one they call Margorie?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°But I was not captured.¡±

    ¡°You were not,¡± Gandalus replied, ¡°Then how did you get here?¡±

    ¡°I surrendered,¡± the old witch replied.

    ¡°I see,¡± Gandalus said, processing her answer, ¡°And what of the young girl that flew away with her dragon. What kind of danger does she present?¡±

    ¡°None that I¡¯m aware of,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°She is far away from your clutches.¡±

    ¡°I find that hard to believe,¡± the old wizard countered, ¡°She was here about an hour ago, riding that big black dragon.¡±

    ¡°She was,¡± the other lady in the cell said, sitting up. ¡°What was she doing here?¡±

    ¡°Making threats,¡± Gandalus said, as he held up the parchment Ginelle send him.

    ¡°What did she ask for?¡± Margorie asked.

    ¡°For your release,¡± the old wizard informed her, ¡°And she threatened to attack if her demands were not met.¡±

    ¡°With what army?¡± the younger witch in the cell asked.

    ¡°That is a very good question,¡± Gandalus said, turning to face Margorie, offering her the letter for her to read for herself. ¡°Do you think she¡¯s bluffing?¡±

    Margorie walked over and took the parchment from the wizard and carefully read it. It was definitely a threat, as she promised great consequences if the witches were not released as soon as possible.

    ¡°I cannot answer that question,¡± Margorie answered, handing the message back.

    ¡°And why not?¡± the wizard asked.

    ¡°Because I haven¡¯t seen her in a while,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°I¡¯ve been stuck her for months since you arrested me, so I cannot say how strong she may have become in my absence or if she resumed her training at all.¡±

    ¡°Are you the one that was teaching her chaos magic?¡± Gandalus asked, curious to see how she would respond.

    ¡°I think you already know the answer to that,¡± Margorie asked, not in the mood to play games with him.

    ¡°I suppose I do,¡± Gandalus said, ¡°But it matters not. After we kill he dragon, the young chaos witch will be brought here and executed along with you on the King¡¯s birthday as scheduled.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s just a child!¡± the other young woman yelled, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t dare!¡±

    ¡°I will dare,¡± Gandalus countered, ¡°Especially if she attempts to attack us!¡±

    ¡°I would suggest you not underestimate the young girl,¡± Margorie recommended, ¡°She is quite powerful and very creative.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± the old wizard said, ¡°I will make preparations for that as well.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to seeing what happens,¡± Margorie said, as a small smile crept across her face. ¡°I suggest you get started on those preparations, because I doubt you have a much time to prepare as you believe you do.¡±

    Gandalus was tempted to respond to the snarky witch, but he didn¡¯t want to tip his hand and reveal too much. Instead, he left the dungeon and the tower and returned to his own chambers to hit the books and start to look up things he could to do assist his king and defense of his palace. The old wizard was reading through various spell books looking for something that might assist his defense of the palace, but despite his best efforts he wasn¡¯t able to find any. There were plenty of spells to use if he wanted to defend the walls from elephants or mounted bears, but nothing to assist with taking out a dragon. The problem was dragons were immune to magic, and that made the ballistas their only hope. After looking through books all night, Gandalus decided to climb the towers and inspect the ballistas and make sure they were all properly assembled and loaded. There were as many as ten of them set up on various towers around the palace, and the old wizard made his way around to each tower to check on them and make sure they were ready to use. He had checked over half a dozen of them and thus far the knights had done a fine job. He was in the middle of inspecting one when the Captain of the Knight¡¯s came up to speak with him.

    ¡°Are you checking each one?¡± the captain asked him.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you do the same if you were in my shoes?¡± the wizard replied.

    ¡°I suppose so,¡± the captain conceded, as he understood. ¡°There are three more that are still being assembled, but they should be finished and ready for inspection very soon.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Gandalus said, as he stood back up. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we¡¯re going to need them, but I guess there¡¯s nothing wrong with a little practice setting them up.¡±

    ¡°Nothing at all,¡± the captain concurred, but at that moment a loud piercing roar filled the sky that was just starting to light up.

    ¡°Where did that come from?¡± Gandalus called out as he stated to look around for the source of the sound that had just startled him.

    ¡°Over there!¡± the captain called out, and pointing in its direction. ¡°Rising up from the forest!¡±

    Gandalus turned to look over where the captain was pointing, and he was right. That black dragon was emerging from the treeline of the forest that was beyond the gates of their kingdom. He was unsure if the dragon had been hiding out there all along or if they just crept up before dawn to get the element of surprise.

    ¡°I guess seven ballistas will have to do,¡± Gandalus said, as he turned back to face the captain ¡°We¡¯re going to have to make do with what¡¯s already assembled.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s going to be enough?¡± the captain then asked.

    Gandalus turned back to see what the captain was referring to, and the site before him was something that he did not expect. There was no longer one dragon emerging from the forest but over a hundred black dragons rising up out of the trees. The sky was filled with dragons, and it was at this point where the old wizard realized that the young chaos witch was not bluffing as were about to suffer Ginelle¡¯s consequences.

 Chapter 21

    After scaring the crap out of a lot of people in the capital, Ginelle and Ruki flew back to a decent hill that was far away from any town that appeared to be the most secure place to hold out for the night. There was a lot of trees, and a clear patch big enough for the black dragon to land on and settle in for the night. As long as the young witch slept under one of the dragon¡¯s wings, they would be impossible to spot a night. It would give them both time to get ready for what was to come next. Once they were back on the ground, Ginelle fed the massive creature enough enchanted food to fill him up for the night. She had a little regular food herself, but she wasn¡¯t too hungry and chose to save the rest for later. Ginelle found somewhere comfy to sit so she could spend a little time reading something she had brought with her. She had scribbled down some notes of the spells she wanted to use to enact their plan. Ginelle was tempted to bring the spell book Margorie gave her, but decided against it as she didn¡¯t want to risk losing it. The notes she brought were enough, as she only had a few spells to work over just to make sure she recited them perfectly. The dragon watched from where he was laying down as the young witch kept going over her notes again and again, slowly became aware of how nervous she was.

    ¡°Are you well, young witch?¡± Ruki softly asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°Just need to get ready for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it will be necessary?¡± Ruki inquired.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard back from them yet,¡± Ginelle reminded him, ¡°That spell is easy for any witch or wizard to use to send a response back to us. I think if we were going to get a reply, it would have returned to us already. The longer we wait, the more confident I am that we are going to have to attack tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want this fight anymore than you do,¡± Ruki replied, his voice deep with regret, ¡°But if that is our only option, I will do what I can to ensure our victory.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Ruki,¡± Ginelle said, as she stopped reading the spells to look back at her massive companion. ¡°I hate dragging you into this but appreciate that you want to fight by my side.¡±

    ¡°Think nothing of it,¡± the dragon insisted, ¡°They have your mother, and that nice lady who made the very tasty foods. We will free all of those witches, or make that kingdom pay for their insolence.¡±

    ¡°I also wish that wasn¡¯t necessary,¡± Ginelle said, taking a deep breath, ¡°But it appears the choice is already being made for us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time to get some rest, little one,¡± Ruki ordered, ¡°You need to your strength so that ready for what must be done.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle conceded, ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest.¡±

    Ginelle slept well under the dragon¡¯s wing, and they were both well hidden for the remainder of the night. Much to their disappointment they never received a counter spell to Ginelle¡¯s initial message. Their lack of response was the response, and the message was coming across to them loud and clear: they would have to attack. Ginelle was a little scared, but the other option was to do nothing and allow the king to execute them all which she was not going to accept. She was going to fight for those she loved and hoped that the plan she and the dragon had concocted would work well enough that damage to the kingdom into submission. If the king and his arrogant grand wizard still refused to surrender, the young witch and Ruki had planned to concentrate their attack on the palace and try to keep civilian injuries to a minimum. The Dragon was watching the young witch as she dug into her bag to get some enchanted food for her winged companion.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much,¡± Ginelle warned him, ¡°While I agree we shouldn¡¯t fight a kingdom on an empty stomach, I would not recommend filling up because our spells might make both of us a little woozy. We should save a little for the ride back too.¡±

    ¡°Good advice, little one,¡± The dragon concurred as he ate his food slowly and ground it up more than usual to aid digestion.

    Ginelle didn¡¯t eat too much but had her fill as she was still quite nervous about what was going to happen that morning. She strolled over to Ruki and slowly climbed upon his back. Ruki flew walked closer to the edge of the grassy area and launched into the sky. They flew low to the ground to hide their approach, but as the started to reach the end of the forest, Ruki dipped down and made a soft landing without being noticed, which Ginelle thought was rather impressive. They had a decent view of the kingdom, but Ginelle tried to look but had no idea what to find.

    ¡°They don¡¯t look ready to surrender,¡± Ruki said to her.

    ¡°How can you tell?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°They are setting up ballistas,¡± the dragon replied, ¡°They are large harpoon weapons that are fired from those large looking crossbows. They are made specifically to take out dragons. They are clearly preparing to fight back.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s not disappoint them,¡± Ginelle said, taking a deep breath. ¡°So, what should we do first?¡±

    ¡°I would recommend powering all our totems,¡± Ruki suggested, ¡°Once they are all active, then you¡¯ll be able to cast your spell stronger than any witch ever has before. Grab onto two of my spikes and I will try to relax while we power up.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said, reaching out for two of his spikes. ¡°Get ready.¡±

    She held onto the spikes tightly, closed her eyes and started to concentrate. Ruki relaxed as well as he could and could feel every spike, scale, tooth, and bone is his body started to glow and power up. Every piece of the big black dragon was a totem that was helping the witch grow stronger with each passing second. The dragon was starting to shine almost as bright as the sun, and a second later the light died down.

    ¡°There you go,¡± Ruki informed her, ¡°You¡¯re powered up with every single totem that is on my person. Now cast your spell.¡±

    Ginelle was still holding onto the spikes and held onto them to keep herself steady as she cast the spell she wanted to use. It was a spell she had used often, but it was the scale in which she was casting the spell that made it so difficult. This was also the first time that she was using her mirror spell on more than one person and also on something that wasn¡¯t human. She cast a mirror of not only herself, but a mirror of the dragon she was sitting on. About a minute later, there were close to a hundred Ginelle mirrors sitting on just as many mirrors of Ruki. Ginelle took a deep breath and exhaled loudly and happily when she realized that the spell she had casted worked.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Very impressive, little one,¡± Ruki said, ¡°That worked a lot better than I had thought it would.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said, taking a deep breath. ¡°Now that we have the numbers, it¡¯s time to free with witches,¡±

    Ginelle turned to face the mirrors she could see, as Marjorie taught her that speaking to one of them was the same as speaking to them all. So, giving a command to one of them was the same as giving it to them all no matter how close or far away they were.

    ¡°Attack the towers and take out those crossbow things,¡± She commanded, ¡°Do not attack the town below and concentrate all fire on the palace. Take out their defenses and draw them inside the castle. We need to force them to barricade inside.¡±

    The other mirrors nodded, as they understood their instructions.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ginelle said again, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Ruki expanded his wings, and he was the first dragon to lift up into the air. When he was about fifty feet up that was when the other mirrors all launched into the sky. The sight of almost a hundred dragons lifting up into the sky had to have been a very scary sight for anyone who could see all these dragons raising into the sky. Despite her eagerness to fly first and lead the way, Ruki held back and allowed the mirrors to fly ahead first as he was aware that the ballistas would fire at them first which was a waste of their spears. The mirror dragons started to breathe fire at the palace, taking out a few of the ballistas before they even got a chance to fire. Archers were firing arrows, and wizards were trying to fling fireballs as the dragons above, but neither had any effect. The dragons continued to pound the palace, hitting it with fire over and over again, knocking down walls and towers with ease. Many of the archers and wizards ran for cover and Ginelle could tell they were barricading themselves inside the palace, which is exactly what she wanted them to do. The bird had informed her which tower the witches were being held in, and once the palace had sealed up to protect themselves from the dragons, Ginelle and Ruki flew down to the front gate of the tower where the witches where being imprisoned. Standing at that front tower¡¯s gate were a few soldiers who were quite scared as they watched the big dragon land before them. Ruki snarled and growled at them very menacingly.

    ¡°If you wish to survive,¡± Ginelle called out, ¡°Vacate the area, and seek shelter in the town with the civilians. Remain there and none of you shall be harmed.¡±

    The guards looked up at Ginelle and thought about her offer. Ruki growled again and that seemed to convince them.

    ¡°Your keys!¡± Ginelle demanded, ¡°Hand them over!¡±

    Ruki emphasized her request with a roar that freaked the guards out thoroughly.

    One of the guards tossed is keys up to Ginelle and screamed as he ran away. Ginelle hopped off the dragon¡¯s back and quickly unlocked the gate. She strolled into the dungeon and went up a few flights of stairs and thankfully for her, there were no guards at the next gate. The king had clearly moved the guards into the palace to protect him from her, which is what Ginelle was hoping for. She unlocked that gate and strolled up to the first set of cells that were holding the witches. One of the older ladies noticed her and walked up to the bars of her cell.

    ¡°Young lady,¡± she called out, ¡°What is going on out there?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a witch,¡± Ginelle corrected her as she walked over to unlock her cage. ¡°And this is a rescue.¡±

    ¡°It is now?¡± the old woman replied, ¡°How did you get in here, and what is causing all those explosions going on outside?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe me if I told you,¡± Ginelle said as she was unlocking all the cells on that floor. Once they were all open she walked over to the old lady and handed her the keys, ¡°Release the rest of the witches and bring them down to the courtyard.¡±

    ¡°What good will that do?¡± the old lady asked.

    ¡°Your ride will be waiting there to take you far away from here,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Now hurry up before the fools in the palace realize what I¡¯m up to!¡±

    The other witches took the keys up to the next floor and started unlocking all the cages. Ginelle went back down to the front gate where Ruki was standing guard. She walked back over and retook her spot on the dragon¡¯s back.

    ¡°How are things going?¡± She asked him.

    ¡°The palace is still locked up, and the other dragons have been blowing fire to keep them inside but are doing no more damage.¡± Ruki reported, ¡°And the town below has been unharmed thus far.¡±

    ¡°Excellent,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°The witches are being released and should be down here soon. Once they¡¯re all here, we¡¯ll make our exit.¡±

    ¡°Here they come,¡± Ruki said, as he noticed some of the ladies emerging from the front gate.

    The witches slowly emerged from the gate and once enough of them were there, she called out to one of the mirrors that was flying above and gave it instructions, which was heard by all the mirrors that were flying around the palace. One by one, the Ginelle mirrors all flew their dragon mirrors down to the courtyard and landed. Once about a dozen of them were down, Ginelle turned to the witches to instruct them.

    ¡°Board the dragons!¡± She called out, ¡°Three witches for each dragon. We¡¯re getting out of here!¡±

    The witches started to board the dragons without question and once they were seated, the dragons lifted off and started to fly away to allow more dragons to land and pick up more witches. Ginelle watched as more witches boarded the mirror dragons and were being quickly evacuated from their prison, and that is when Margorie emerged from the front gate. Margorie was the first to speak as she was surprised to see the young witch standing there before them.

    ¡°Ginelle!¡± Margorie called out, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Ginelle responded, ¡°Ruki and I are getting you all out of here.¡±

    Margorie noticed all the mirror Ginelle and dragons landing.

    ¡°How long are those going to last?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Long enough,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Well get you out of the kingdom and across the border long before they expire.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure about that?¡± Margorie demanded.

    ¡°I am,¡± Ginelle assured her, ¡°Climb on.¡±

    Margorie took a deep breath and mounted one of the mirror dragons, and while she looking uncomfortable, she would rather be there than go back to her cell. That¡¯s when Ginelle saw her mother come out onto the courtyard.

    ¡°Mother!¡± Ginelle called out, as she never thought she¡¯d see her ever again.

    ¡°Ginelle!¡± her mother said, running over to where she was. ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Which I¡¯ll be happy to tell you once we fly back somewhere a little safer than here. Climb on.¡±

    Her mother looked hesitant but trusted her daughter enough to conquer that fear and climbed onboard behind her girl. Once her mother was onboard with Ginelle, Ruki started to flap his wings and fly up off the ground. Right after Ginelle and Ruki took off, Harrison emerged from the front gate as well with the last few witches. He watched as the last few witches mounted onto the last few mirror dragons and took off with them. He noticed that Margorie was still sitting there on a dragon with a Ginelle mirror.

    ¡°That¡¯s all of them!¡± he called out to her, shaking the keys.

    ¡°Lock the gate,¡± Margorie ordered, ¡°And then climb on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Harrison replied without hesitation, as he locked the gate and climbed onboard the dragon.

    Once all the dragons were mounted they all took off and immediately vacated the area, flying off as their mission was complete. With all the witches on their backs, the mirror dragons flew off and looked like a flock of geese in the distance and they kept flapping moving as fast as they could as Ginelle had no idea how long they would last. She was hoping that Ruki¡¯s super charge was enough to make them to fly all the witches across the border and take them far out of the king¡¯s reach. With her mother and Margorie back with her, Ginelle considered her raid and rescue a great success.

 Chapter 22

    Ginelle had instructed the mirrors to land if they felt themselves starting to expire, because the last thing she wanted was witches falling out of the sky because their ride had suddenly vanished. Yet despite that fear, the dragon mirrors lasted quite a while as they flew for over an hour which was more than enough time for them all to cross the border and enter a territory where the witches could be safe from the persecution of the crown. As they flew closer to a town that Ginelle knew would protect them, she flew down to a patch of land which was clear enough for all the dragon mirrors to land. Once they were all on the ground, some of the mirrors had started to vanish. A few witches were still mounted, but they only fell a few feet off the back to the ground rather than miles above. Margorie walked over to Ginelle and appeared to be very impressed with her young pupil.

    ¡°How do you manage to make that many mirrors?¡± she called out as she walked over to where Ruki had landed. ¡°I¡¯ve never been able to ever summon more than ten, and I¡¯ve never heard of animals being mirrored, especially dragons!¡±

    ¡°I kind of cheated,¡± Ginelle replied, smiling back at the old witch.

    ¡°Your totem is not that powerful,¡± Margorie said, arms folded.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but I had access to more than one totem,¡± Ginelle explained, ¡°It¡¯s the combination of those totems that allowed me to create so many mirrors.¡±

    ¡°That is very impressive,¡± Ginelle¡¯s mom said, as she also dismounted herself from the dragon¡¯s back. She stood there for a moment, waiting for something.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°This dragon,¡± her mother inquired, ¡°Why is it still here?¡±

    ¡°Because he¡¯s the original,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°This is my friend, Ruki.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± her mother said, taking a step back. ¡°Makes sense I suppose. How long has this dragon been your companion?¡±

    ¡°A while now,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°We¡¯re good friends, and he¡¯s the reason you are all free now.¡±

    ¡°And we¡¯re quite thankful for it,¡± Margorie said, stepping back in. ¡°Do you know where we are?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we crossed the border into the territory to the east,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°There is a town up ahead that the other witches can seek help at. I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s the best I could do given the situation.¡±

    ¡°And where are you going, dear?¡± her mother asked her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back to the house I¡¯ve been staying at since I left the logging camp,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°You are both welcome to come with me if you like.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice,¡± her mother said, happy to be with her child again. ¡°You definitely had to do some growing up since I last saw you.¡±

    ¡°She was a good pupil,¡± Margorie said, walking closer to the dragon. ¡°Thank you for your help. Someone has earned himself a hearty supper.¡±

    ¡°Hmmmm,¡± Ruki replied, as he liked the thought of that.

    ¡°Is there room for one more?¡± Harrison called out as he walked closer to the dragon as he also didn¡¯t have anywhere to go. ¡°I¡¯m sure your home could use an extra pair of hands for the day to day chores.¡±

    ¡°We could,¡± Ginelle replied, smiling as she was happy to see him again.

    Her mother turned around and was shocked to see the man standing there.

    ¡°Harrison?¡± she called out to him, ¡°How do you know my daughter?¡±

    ¡°Alyssa,¡± Harrison said, his face one of absolute shock.

    ¡°Uh oh,¡± Margorie said, as she was starting to quickly put it all together.

    ¡°You two know each other?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°We do,¡± her mother answered, ¡°How do you know him?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s with me,¡± Margorie replied for him, ¡°But only in a professional capacity. Harrison was in charge of that logging camp that took Ginelle in. He and the other lumberjacks found her hiding in the woods alone and rescued her. She lived with us for several months until the royal army came to arrest us.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay,¡± her mother said, looking back at Harrison. ¡°So, you have no idea who she really is?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°It all makes sense now, honestly,¡± Margorie said, ¡°It was no fluke that you two found each other that day. After falling off that wagon, she wandered close to our logging camp because your auras were probably drawn to one another.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Harrison inquired, as he was very confused.

    ¡°You¡¯re her kin,¡± Margorie answered, ¡°Ginelle is your child, Harrison, and you¡¯re her father.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Harrison said, looking back at the women he once knew.

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Alyssa replied, show sincere sadness. ¡°I wanted to tell you, but you had left the kingdom before I discovered what was going on. I¡¯m sorry I never had the chance to tell you.¡±

    ¡°That explains why they get along so well,¡± Margorie added, amused by this little revelation ¡°Kindred spirits.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Harrison¡¯s my dad?¡± Ginelle said, as couldn¡¯t¡¯ believe the words she was stating. She couldn¡¯t help but grow a smile to learn this detail.

    ¡°Yes, Ginelle,¡± Her mother confirmed, ¡°He is.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± Ginelle said, as she could hardly believe it. ¡°I guess we¡¯re going to have to make room for one more after all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of that dear,¡± Margorie said as she cast a spell that made another saddle exactly like the one Ginelle was sitting on. ¡°Harrison and I can share that one, while you two take the original. Sounds good?¡±

    ¡°That will work,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°But we need to feed Ruki first before making him fly again. I have some food leftover in my bag.¡±

    ¡°Very good dear,¡± Margorie said, ¡°I will take the time to explain to the other witches about the town and what they should do from here. It might sound a little less patronizing come from an older witch and not the young one on the dragon.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Ginelle said, as she didn¡¯t want that to do it anyway. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Ginelle dismounted from her dragon, and offered Ruki some food which he happily ate, and there was more than enough to give him enough energy to carry everyone back to the house where Angus and Garrak were waiting for them. Ginelle¡¯s mother walked over to her daughter and put a hand on her shoulder as she watched her child feed the big dragon.

    ¡°How long have you been talking to dragons?¡± she inquired.

    ¡°Ever since I joined Margorie and the loggers,¡± Ginelle informed her, ¡°And I actually started speaking to birds and wolves before I met Ruki.¡±

    ¡°Wolves are dangerous,¡± her mother told her, ¡°You need to be more careful.¡±

    ¡°I saved Garrak from a trap,¡± Ginelle explained, ¡°He lost his pack and when I healed him we made a connection, so we¡¯ve been rather close ever since.¡±

    ¡°You have a pet wolf as well?¡± her mother said, rather surprised. ¡°You do realize that speaking to animals of any kind isn¡¯t very common among witches.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I was unaware of that,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°The way Margorie taught me, I was under the impression we could do anything as long as we were willing to put the work in. If it wasn¡¯t for Maurice, I would have been sent to the dungeons with Margorie and Harrison.¡±

    ¡°Who is Maurice?¡± her mother asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s right over there,¡± Ginelle said, pointing to a tree behind her.

    When her mother turned around, the small blue jay was sitting on a branch and he gave her mother a nod, almost as if he was bowing.

    ¡°That¡¯s the same bird that talked to Margorie at the dungeon!¡± her mother recalled, ¡°He was quite helpful.¡±

    ¡°He warned me that the troops were coming to our camp,¡± Ginelle explained, ¡°He¡¯s the only reason I was able to escape, and he also warned me that you were all going to be executed. That¡¯s why Ruki and came to rescue you.¡±

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you did that,¡± Her mother said, beaming with pride. ¡°All these witches owe you their very lives. None of them will ever forget what you did for them.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could do more,¡± Ginelle confessed, ¡°I feel bad for leaving them here to fend for themselves.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them,¡± her mother insisted, ¡°These witches are quite resourceful. They¡¯d rather be left here than still sitting in that awful, grungy dungeon.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± Ginelle said, cause she barely had enough room for them at the house Angus was likely still working on while they were gone.

    ¡°So, where have you been hiding since you left the camp?¡± her mother inquired, ¡°In a town like the one not far from here?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°Ruki had found a deserted house in the mountains and thought it would be a great place to hideout. Turns out it wasn¡¯t as deserted as we thought but the new owner was nice enough to let us stay as long as we earned our keep. He was also grateful because I healed his niece from an illness that had struck a nearby town.¡±

    ¡°Wow,¡± her mother replied, ¡°You¡¯ve had quite the adventure.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you more about that incident when we get home,¡± Ginelle said, as she watched most of the witches Margorie was talking to start to walk away as they had begun to make the trek to the town that was close by.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be alright,¡± Margorie said, as she was walking over. ¡°They can conjure up some food and resources when necessary and use those to travel to wherever their journey shall take them next. They¡¯ll be alright. They have strength in numbers.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Ginelle said, as she climbed back onboard her dragon. ¡°Everyone climb aboard. The next leg of our journey isn¡¯t short. We might have to camp out halfway home.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that far away?¡± Harrison asked as he returned to the conversation. As much as he wanted to say something, he felt it was wise to keep his thoughts to himself while he was still processing what he had just learned.

    ¡°It is, but we¡¯ll be alright,¡± Ginelle said with a reassuring tone, ¡°Ruki can set a fire for us and keep us safe with his wings. We¡¯ll be alright.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sold,¡± Harrison said, ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Margorie said, stepping in, ¡°To make thins less awkward, Ginelle¡¯s mom can sit with her, and you¡¯re riding with me Harrison. We clear?¡±

    ¡°Crystal,¡± Harrison said, as he knew better than the back talk the old witch.

    While Ruki found the extra passengers a little heavy, it was about the same as carrying Garrak when the first fled the logging camp. It would be tiring, but this was likely the only time he¡¯d have to carry this many people at once. He also knew his efforts would be rewarded by the old witch with some delicious foods, so the dragon was properly motivated to do a good job and carry them all safely to the house. When the black dragon launched into the sky, the three new passengers were nervous but held on tight until they reached a certain height as the winds calmed down the ride became a little less bumpy.

    ¡°I have to admit,¡± her mother said, rather amazed, ¡°This is an ideal way to travel, especially since you cover so much ground so fast!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite fun,¡± Ginelle admitted, ¡°But I only use Ruki for travel in rare emergencies. I try not to push my luck.¡±

    ¡°I do not mind,¡± Ruki confessed, ¡°I think it would be nice to take a leisurely flight with you every now and then. I¡¯ve gotten used to having you tag along.¡±

    ¡°Duly noted, my friend,¡± Ginelle replied.

    They were in the air for a few hours before Ruki landed at a familiar spot which was the same area they landed before when they first fled from the lumber camp after it was attacked by the soldiers meant to arrest her. Ginelle waited patiently for everyone to get off the big dragon before getting off herself. Once dismounted from Ruki¡¯s back, the young witch did something unexpected and ran over to hug Harrison. There was a double meaning I that hug, as she had missed him ever since she left the camp, but it was also her first hug since learning that he was her father. They held each other tight, and seemed to never want to let go but eventually did. They both looked back at the other two witches that were staring at them and while they both appeared to be speechless, it was Margorie who eventually found her words first.

    ¡°Understandable,¡± She said, trying not to react to it. ¡°You cared about each other well enough before this detail was revealed, and while you have some catching up to do, let¡¯s look forward into what appears to be a brighter future rather than the past.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Alyssa said, finally able to speak. ¡°We¡¯ll have time to make things right once we make some more distance and resettle.¡±

    ¡°That will not be a problem,¡± Ginelle said, rather excitedly, ¡°I¡¯ve been working on a house with someone and there is enough room for you all. Your help getting this place up to speed would be greatly appreciated.¡±

    ¡°You can count on us, dear,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°We are all just happy to be out of the dungeon and free from tyranny again. Any accommodations would look quite nice compared to the hole we just left behind.¡±

    ¡°And we have you to thank for it,¡± Alyssa said, walking over to hug her child. ¡°But how did you manage to make so many mirrors? I have only heard of half a dozen being the most a witch or wizard could cast at once.¡±

    ¡°Totems,¡± Margorie answered for her, ¡°And that is quite a trick your friend here was able to do to amplify your spell like that. The kind of power would also explain how they were able to last as long as they did. That was quite impressive, my dear.¡±

    ¡°We will have time to sort things out later,¡± Harrison concurred, ¡°The goal is to get to our new home and make the best of the new life we¡¯ve been blessed with.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Ginelle¡¯s mom called out, eager to be cooperative.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s settled,¡± Margorie said, ¡°I¡¯ll conjure up some new foods, and get some rest, and then I assume tomorrow will be the last day of travel?¡±

    ¡°It will be,¡± Ginelle confirmed, ¡°The house we¡¯re working on is not far from here.¡±

    ¡°We?¡± Harrison repeated but it was easy to see he wasn¡¯t the only one to notice she had said that.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± Ginelle said, being a little shy about it. ¡°But it¡¯s a good one. I¡¯ll give you all the details while we eat.¡±

    ¡°That sounds fair,¡± Alyssa replied, ¡°I¡¯m just glad you were able to find your place in this world away from those terrible men.¡±

    ¡°Wait till you meet the wolf,¡± Harrison told her.

    ¡°The wolf?¡± Alyssa repeated with a confused face.

    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Harrison said, amused by her reaction. ¡°She¡¯s been riding that thing as long as the dragon. Both of those creatures appear to be quite loyal to her too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± her mother replied, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that talking to animals was common for witches, let alone talking to more than one.¡±

    ¡°Any witch can do it,¡± Margorie informed her with a tone that sounded like she was her mother. ¡°All it takes is hard work and practice. You¡¯re going to realize when I resume Ginelle¡¯s training that a lot of what you were told about witches growing up was inaccurate and grossly undervalued. We are capable of doing anything we want as long as we¡¯re willing to work hard enough to learn it.¡±

    ¡°It appears so,¡± Alyssa replied, as what she was her daughter do that day was clear evidence of that. ¡°I look forward to learning more about that.¡±

    ¡°Very good,¡± Margorie said, eager to know she was open minded.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean to interrupt,¡± Harrison said, ¡°But it¡¯s going to be dark soon and we need to set up a camp and a fire for the night.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got food covered,¡± Margorie reminded him. ¡°You take care of the fire.¡±

    Without warning, Ruki let out a slow and very deep growl. He didn¡¯t even have to lift his head up to remind everyone that he was there.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about fire,¡± Ginelle said, speaking for Ruki. ¡°All you have to do is find some dry firewood, and Ruki can do the rest.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that sounds easy enough,¡± Harrison replied, ¡°I¡¯ll go fetch some wood.¡±

    ¡°Can I come too?¡± Ginelle asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Harrison said before turning back to face the two ladies. ¡°We won¡¯t stray far. We¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°We¡¯ll get things ready over here.¡±

    The two women watched as Ginelle and Harrison strolled off to search for the firewood, and Alyssa couldn¡¯t believe what she was watching as the man she loved was walking off with their child.

    ¡°Are you alright, dear?¡± Margorie asked her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they are together,¡± Alyssa replied, ¡°They seem so close.¡±

    ¡°They are,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°Harrison took a liking to her the moment he saw her in the woods. It was almost instinct for him to protect the child and care for her. To be fair, all the workers at the camp liked her too.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he found her of all people,¡± Alyssa noted. ¡°Was it fate?¡±

    ¡°Possibly,¡± Margorie said, ¡°But it appears Mother Earth wasn¡¯t prepared to let them be apart for too long and made sure they found one another. She had a habit of making sure that good people are given the chance to fulfill their natural obligations. Harrison was meant to be her father, and she made sure that he was given a chance to take care of her.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing,¡± Alyssa said, ¡°He was able to take over when I was unable to fulfill my parental duties. Even when apart, he was still there to have my back.¡±

    ¡°Love does work in mysterious ways, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Margorie said, as she could read the writing on the proverbial wall.

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Alyssa said, in pure denial.

    ¡°Don¡¯t start that with me,¡± Margorie said, almost laughing in her face. ¡°I saw that look you gave him when you first saw him at the dungeon. I can assure you that the feeling is mutual, even before he learned the truth about your child.¡±

    ¡°One of my biggest regrets,¡± Alyssa added, ¡°Became our child¡¯s saving grace.¡±

    ¡°Your family is reunited,¡± Margorie said, putting her arm around Alyssa¡¯s shoulders to comfort her. ¡°Do not squander this chance Mother Earth has given you.  I will also teach you both to be wise and powerful witches, and you¡¯ll never have to fear being driven apart by anyone ever again.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Alyssa said, wiping away a tear. ¡°I accept your offer.¡±

    ¡°You never really had a choice, dear,¡± Margorie corrected her, ¡°But I appreciate your dedication. Come, let¡¯s get to work and set up our camp.¡±

 Chapter 23

    It didn¡¯t take Ginelle and Harrison long to find enough wood to keep the fire burning through the night, and when they returned to where Ruki and the ladies were waiting, they had a decent camp waiting for them to return to. Margorie wasn¡¯t kidding when she claimed to have conjuring powers, as she had prepared not just food, but also had blankets made up for them to rest on as they slept. Margorie also enchanted Ruki¡¯s food so that it would a lot more dense and filled the dragon up more than it should have. She felt it was the least she could do for the big creature since he had been a pivotal ally in helping Ginelle save all the witches from their pending execution. After having their fill of the delicious food Margorie made and set up places to sleep around the fire, and Ginelle finally started to tell her mother about her time at the logging camp. How she met Harrison and the other loggers that took her back to the camp to stay with Margorie and help in the kitchen and learn spells from the old witch. She them told her about how she came to meet her animal companions, detailing how she saved Garrak from the trap and healing his leg, and how that led to Ruki asking for her help. He mother was amazed to hear this, but for Margorie and Harrison it was just a rehash of what they already knew. When Ginelle got to the part when Ruki took her and the wolf away from the logging camp after the King¡¯s army showed up, she detailed how far they flew away to the abandoned house that the dragon had known about in a land far, far away. It had take them almost two full days of flying to get out there, but it was a nice house that she liked very much. She detailed about the town and the kids she healed because of the corrupted totem. When she started to talk about meeting Angus and that they were both staying at the house together, which is when the adults listening had questions.

    ¡°Who is this boy?¡± Alyssa first asked.

    ¡°How old is he?¡± Harrison demanded.

    ¡°Hang on there,¡± Margorie said, almost laughing at their paranoia. ¡°Ginelle said he has been a good, and quite a respectful housemate¡­ so take that for what it¡¯s worth. There is no need to fear someone until we meet him in person. If any of your fears are justified, I will smite the boy myself.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Ginelle said, ¡°There will be no smiting! Angus has been a gentleman since the moment he arrived, and it was his house!  I¡¯ve been lucky to have not been kicked out and in need of a new home.¡±

    The three adults sitting around the fire became a little more quiet when they realized Ginelle wasn¡¯t going to tolerate the abuse of someone they hadn¡¯t even met yet. Angus had been a fair and outgoing host, and she wouldn¡¯t hear of it, even from the people she loved and trusted the most. She knew just as well that people should be judged by their actions and conduct, not based on speculation. Ginelle and her mother cuddled up underneath Ruki¡¯s wing, which her mother found surprisingly warm despite the fire being blocked out. Margorie slept on the other side of the fire, as she wasn¡¯t ready to cuddle up with the dragon just yet, and Harrison insisted on staying up to as he wasn¡¯t that tired and wanted to make sure that no one snuck up on their camp. He leaned up against a tree, but eventually fell asleep which was alright. Despite having his eyes closed, Ruki had an ability to sense anything that was nearby, like some kind of internal sonar. Nothing could sneak up on the dragon, so even if he was asleep Ruki could not taken by surprise as any creature or human that came close would wake him up. That¡¯s how he knew Ginelle was in trouble that day they fled the logging camp, as she was not only moving faster than usual but Ruki could sense the royal troops that were chasing her. Ruki had flown up a little as he could sense the presence of the army that had approached the camp but flew back down when he noticed that Ginelle was running towards him. Ever since she had healed his tooth and they started talking, Ruki felt an emotional connection to the young witch and that had compelled him to remain close to her. That is why he chose the nearby cave near the house to make his new home. Like the wolf, he had decided to stay wit the young witch and protect her from whomever was looking for her. Ruki was also hoping that after nearing torching the palace that day, that the king and his foolish wizard would realize that she was not worth pursuing. Men however were stubborn, so Ruki knew better to make such assumptions. The dragon closed his eyes and managed to get a little sleep before the sun rose the next morning.

    Harrison was the first to wake and felt bad that he had fallen asleep, so he chose to instead look for wood to refresh the fire and make himself useful. Alyssa was the next to wake and she let Ginelle sleep in as she quietly crawled out from under the wing. Margorie was just waking up as she watched her new friend crawl out.

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Margorie asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s surprisingly warm under there,¡± Alyssa answered.

    ¡°And his dark scales make it easy to hide,¡± Margorie observed. ¡°There is no way anyone could find her at night. Even with the fire, the dragon was barely visible.¡±

    ¡°I read a lot about dragons,¡± Alyssa said, looking back at Ruki, ¡°But I had never seen one until yesterday. Part of me even thought they didn¡¯t exist except in stories.¡±

    ¡°I always knew they were around,¡± Margorie informed her, ¡°I saw one when I was very young, but never again until recently. I was always told they preferred the high altitude of the mountains, but some would stray if they had no one else to keep them company. Usually that would be other dragons, but here this dragon has found friendship with Ginelle and her wolf. That is a bond that will be very difficult to break.¡±

    ¡°You taught her how to speak to animals,¡± Alyssa reminded her, ¡°Does that mean you can speak to this dragon as well.¡±

    ¡°I should be able to,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°We both can but only if the Dragon wants us to. In order to speak with any creature, they have to want you to hear them. So, when the Dragon wants to speak to us, he will tell us.¡±

    ¡°Why does it speak with Ginelle?¡± Alyssa asked, more out of fear that curiosity.

    ¡°It watched her help other creatures,¡± Margorie replied, ¡°The animals in the woods quickly learned that she was a witch they could trust. That entire forest would have risen up to defend Ginelle if Ruki himself didn¡¯t set it ablaze.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Amazing,¡± Alyssa said, ¡°And you said all witches can do it?¡±

    ¡°With work, it¡¯s possible,¡± Margorie confirmed, ¡°But it appears Ginelle has a special appeal that makes her more approachable by animals. She appears to be a natural at speaking with creatures and that can be very beneficial to her. There is a good chance she may have never discovered that talent if she wasn¡¯t driven from the kingdom by the king and his witch hating wizards. They created the very enemy they feared as mother earth is not without a sense of humor.¡±

    ¡°The irony is not lost on me,¡± Alyssa concurred, ¡°She would have certainly been a much different witch had they not driven her from the city.¡±

    Ginelle was the last to wake up, and Ruki was content to let the young witch sleep as long as she wanted. He was not willing to let anyone bother her until she woke up on her own. Harrison was there to greet her first as she crawled out from under the big dark wing. He strolled over and gave her a decent hug, happy to see her again.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Harrison said, ¡°Did you sleep well?¡±

    ¡°Of course she did,¡± Margorie replied for her, ¡°Stop smothering the girl. You¡¯ll have plenty of time for that when we get to our permanent destination.¡±

    ¡°What about the fellow at the house?¡± Alyssa asked, ¡°Will he be alright having more guests taking over his place?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll be alright with it,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°And we can always have Harrison build a new house if we need more space.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you can cast a hundred mirrors again,¡± Harrison suggested, ¡°I could have a new one built within a week with the right supplies.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea,¡± Margorie approved, ¡°We should consider adding a few houses, so that everyone can have a little privacy.¡±

    ¡°Like a small village,¡± Ginelle said, warming up to the idea. ¡°I like it.¡±

    ¡°As do I,¡± Ruki added, ¡°As long as your cabin is closer to my cave.¡±

    ¡°Did he say something?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°He likes the idea,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°He would prefer that my cabin be built a little closer to his cave so that I can visit him more often.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a reasonable request,¡± Margorie agreed, ¡°We¡¯ll work on it. For now, it¡¯s time to get back in the air and on our way.¡±

    It took the four of them about ten minutes to pack up camp and put out the fire. Margorie even used some magic to cover up the fact that a camp was even there to begin with. Once things were all cleared up, they all got back on the massive dragon¡¯s back, and launched back up into the sky to resume their journey. The remainder of the trip back to Angus¡¯ house in the mountain didn¡¯t take as long this time as Ruki had done more than half the trip the previous day. The big dragon had a lot of energy left in him and was still pumped up from that attack on the castle, he used up as much of that energy as he could pushing himself as hard as he could to get most of the trip done that day. It made for an easier and more relaxing flight for the second day, especially after Ruki managed to have a good rest after exerting himself so much. As they sailed closer to the mountain where the house resided, Ginelle felt more at ease as she was happy to be back and far, far away from that terrible kingdom. She also felt better knowing that the people she cared for would be safe at this house as well, and she would be able to spend more time with them after believing that she may never see them again. It made her feel good as their trip back home was coming to an end. As the house slowly came into view, Ginelle could see Angus working on the wall outside, even without the aid of mirrors. Ruki let out a rather loud roar that warned those on the ground that he was close and coming in for a landing.

    Angus slowly walked over towards the dragon as it softly landed on an open patch of land near the house. He was surprised to see that there was four people on its back, but still walked over to help Ginelle down from Ruki¡¯s back and then did the same for Margorie and Alyssa. Harrison didn¡¯t need any assistance as he just leaped off and was able to land without any issue.

    ¡°Good morning,¡± Angus said, ¡°I take it the rescue was a success?¡±

    ¡°You are correct,¡± Ginelle said, smiling back at him. ¡°Angus, I¡¯d like to introduce you to Margorie, and my mother and father.¡±

    ¡°Alyssa,¡± her mother said, offering a hand to shake.

    ¡°Harrison,¡± her father said, also shaking his hand. He was looking over the young man as he did so but said nothing off his first impression.

    ¡°This is a lovely location,¡± Margorie said, looking at the house and the barn, ¡°And using this side of mountain as cover is wise.¡±

    ¡°My uncle first made this place,¡± Angus said, ¡°He was a wise man and appeared to know exactly what he was doing.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t want to impose,¡± Harrison added, ¡°But we¡¯d like to stay at your house while we go over options for our own residence moving forward.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Angus said, just happy to see more people. Not having Ginelle around had reminded him how lonely the place would have been without her, and having another man around to help out with the work Ginelle wanted done would also make things easier.

    It was at this moment when Garak emerged from the house and slowly galloped over to where Ginelle was standing. Alyssa had forgotten about the reference Harrison made and squeaked in fear as she also hid behind Margorie as she had never seen a wolf that large in her life. Ginelle showed no fear at all as she gave Garak a big hug and appeared to be whispering something to it while the beast listened intently.

    ¡°That¡¯s Garak,¡± Margorie reminded her, ¡°Another loyal creature she befriended at the logging camp. She saved him from a trap and healed his paw. When he was unable to reconnect with his pack, he returned to the camp and because her companion. He even lets her ride him whenever there are long walks to make.¡±

    ¡°That is fascinating,¡± Alyssa said, starting to ease up. ¡°How did it get so big?¡±

    ¡°A combination of a few things,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°Our spiritual connection and Margorie¡¯s cooking seemed to beef him up quite a bit.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of cooking,¡± Margorie cut in, ¡°Let¡¯s go see what kind of kitchen I have to work with. It¡¯s almost lunch and I¡¯m sure everyone is feeling a bit peckish.¡±

    As the three women walked off with the big wolf, Angus stood there and watched with more of a sense of relief than dread. He was happy to see Ginelle was back, but also know that having her mother and mentor meant she¡¯d feel less sad than she did when they were not there. Harrison walked up to him and placed an arm around his shoulder.

    ¡°You were never given a choice in this matter, were you?¡± Harrison asked.

    ¡°Nope,¡± Angus confirmed, ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure if I tried to toss anyone out, the wolf would have eaten me after the dragon burned me to a crisp.¡±

    ¡°You lucked out,¡± Harrison informed him, ¡°Margorie is a better cook, and I¡¯m going to build some new cabins so things will not remain as cramped in the house for very long. I¡¯m sure having them all around is better than tending to this place alone, right?¡±

    ¡°Definitely,¡± Angus agreed, ¡°And with you here, we can also work together on the wall and other additions to the estate that Ginelle asked for.¡±

    ¡°Or course,¡± Harrison said, as he like the idea of being kept busy. ¡°I have a feeling you and I are going to get a lone quite well.¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t have a choice in that either, do I?¡± Angus inquired.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± Harrison confirmed, ¡°But I have a feeling you¡¯ll be okay with it.¡±

 Chapter 24

    Margorie made herself right at home in the kitchen as she made a wonderful meal for everyone to enjoy, and she never held back for various reasons. It had been a long time since those returning from the dungeon had enjoyed a good meal, but she also wanted to make a good first impression with Angus to the kind of food he could expect in return for his generous hospitality. It was almost a celebration as everyone there was happy that Ginelle was able to save the witches and the ones she loved most from the dungeon and their pending executions. There was good reason for everyone at the table to merry and cheerful, and it made a good first impression for everyone who was meeting for the first time. After the meal was finished, Harrison and Angus went off into the woods to build up some firewood. The older man was eager to teach Angus how to chop a tree down properly, and that gave the women in the house time to clean up and set up sleeping arrangements for the house until better accommodations could be arranged. There were three bedrooms in the upper floor of the house, so there was plenty of room for all. Ginelle offered to share her bed with her mother as the bed in the master bedroom was quite big. It was also decided that Angus would remain in his room, and Margorie would take the third room and Harrison would have to find somewhere to crash on his own. After the kitchen and the house was cleaned up and prepped for the decided sleeping arrangements, Ginelle wanted to go for a walk to get some fresh air. Since she didn¡¯t have to worry about the kitchen as Margorie has clearly taken over it, Ginelle and Garak went for a stroll in the woods to see if they could catch up with Harrison and Angus to see how they were doing. Harrison and Angus were chopping down a decent sized tree when she and the wolf approached, and Angus was the first to spot them.

    ¡°Hey there,¡± Angus called out, ¡°Your dad has been showing me the proper way to cut down a tree. I had no idea there was a specific way to do the job!¡±

    ¡°There is,¡± Ginelle confirmed with a smile as she walked closer. ¡°I hope you¡¯re both playing nicely?¡±

    Harrison stopped chopping as he looked back at her. With that question he was able to hear her mother and Margorie¡¯s voice in the young girl¡¯s tone. Both witches were having a clear influence on the girl, and that was evidence in how she conducted herself.

    ¡°We¡¯re dong well,¡± Harrison replied, ¡°He¡¯s got a good worth ethic.¡±

    ¡°Where are you two going?¡± Angus asked.

    ¡°Just getting some air,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°We won¡¯t stray too far.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Harrison said, looking back at Angus. ¡°Let¡¯s get back to work.¡±

    Ginelle strolled off with Garak and they both walked closer to the river that was south of where the house was.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Garak asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be alright,¡± Ginelle answered, ¡°I just feel bad that I had to resort to violence to save the witches. I gave them a chance to surrender, and hoped they would take it.¡±

    ¡°Some humans can be quite stubborn,¡± Garak informed her, ¡°And they have a habit of underestimating those who oppose them. Hopefully the butt kicking you gave them taught the men in the palace a very valuable lesson.¡±

    ¡°One can hope,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to have to do that again.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully you¡¯ll never have to,¡± Garak concurred, ¡°but the fact that you¡¯re willing if someone forces your hand speaks to your character. You¡¯re a good person who will only resort to action if pushed for your pack. I respect that.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°I try my best to protect those I care about¡­¡±

    She was about to say something else, but something had caught her attention and forced her to stop speaking. She turned in the direction she was compelled to notice and started walking in that direction. Garak was surprised to followed to young witch as he also felt something weird as they walked along the riverbank. After walking down that bank for a few moments, they came across a familiar area. It was the exact spot where Ginelle and Garak had been when she destroyed the totem. There was a black stain where the totem had once stood before she obliterated it, but the area around was now glowing with a faint light. That stained spot started to turn into a familiar glow, and once again the magical image had appeared like it did the time before. It was also the exact same man that they had spoken with earlier, the wizard that lived in the palace that was had imprisoned the witches. The arrogant wizard stood there, grinning at the young girl as he seemed proud to be there again.

    ¡°Greetings, young witch,¡± Gandalus said, giving her a slight bow.

    ¡°Hello,¡± Ginelle said, taking a few steps closer. ¡°How are you doing that with out the totem?¡±

    ¡°There are fragments of the totem still on this spot,¡± The old wizard replied, ¡°And I sensed that you were near and used it to open this line of communication.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Ginelle said, as she kind of understood, ¡°And why do you wish to speak with me?¡±

    ¡°I was impressed with your tactics,¡± Gandalus answered, ¡°And appreciate that you kept your attack to the palace and didn¡¯t harm the people in the city.¡±

    ¡°They were not responsible for what was going on,¡± Ginelle explained, ¡°So I thought it was unfair to punish them for your king¡¯s bad policies.¡±

    ¡°That is remarkably mature for a young lady,¡± the wizard continued, ¡°I also wanted to speak to you in order to issue a warning. The king does not like to be humiliated the way he was that day and has vowed to seek vengeance to restore his honor.¡±

    The wolf started to growl at the projection, as he didn¡¯t like that statement.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t take well to threats,¡± Ginelle said, ¡°And neither does my dragon.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± the wizard responded, ¡°Those dragons were real?¡±

    ¡°One of them was,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°But I can summon another hundred if your king wants another fight. Next time I might burn down the entire kingdom.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary,¡± Gandalus dismissed, ¡°He may want revenge, but he has no idea where you are, and I have no intention of helping him find you.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°And why not? Don¡¯t you work for him?¡±

    ¡°Not anymore,¡± the wizard answered, ¡°His Majesty dismissed me as the royal mage after what happened during the rescue of your fellow witches. He was not impressed that all of you got away, and while determined to put them all back into the dungeons, I have a feeling arresting the witches will be a tad more difficult than last time.¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°You would be correct,¡± Ginelle confirmed, ¡°I flew them all out of your territory, so unless you want to invade another country over this, you¡¯re not getting any of them back.¡±

    ¡°I figured as much, but never said so,¡± Gandalus confessed, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean the king will not try. I would recommend you take precautions to protect yourself.¡±

    The wolf didn¡¯t like what he was hearing and snarled at the wizard.

    ¡°We¡¯re making such preparations,¡± Ginelle informed him, ¡°And I can assure you that if any witches are imprisoned there again, I will take action to free them.¡±

    ¡°I have no doubt you will,¡± The wizard said, quite impressed with her. ¡°You are a worthy foe, young witch, and I will not underestimate you again.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± Ginelle said, as she wasn¡¯t impressed with his sabre rattling. ¡°Right now, I am too far away for either of you to be an issue. If you manage to find me, by that time that happens we will be more than prepared to fend anyone off.¡±

    ¡°That is an interesting challenge,¡± Gandalus admitted, ¡°I wish you good health until the day comes when we meet again.¡±

    ¡°To you as well,¡± Ginelle said, giving him a slight nod.

    Ginelle and Garak watched as the projection in front of them faded away, and the old man was gone from their site. She turned to the wolf who still seemed to be one edge.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked her fluffy companion.

    ¡°I shall be fine,¡± Garak answered, still a little angered.

    ¡°We are going to be alright,¡± Ginelle reassured him, ¡°I promise.¡±

    ¡°What preparations did you refer to?¡± Garak asked.

    ¡°I was referring to the wall Angus was building,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°But Ruki also made some very interesting suggestions that will make our defences a lot more challenging, especially to those who wish to attack us with magic.¡±

    ¡°That dragon is full of good ideas,¡± the wolf noted.

    ¡°He is,¡± Ginelle concurred, ¡°And as long as Margorie and I keep him well fed, he will be a very valuable ally to have if that fight should ever make it to our front door.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Garak replied, as the strolled father away from the river and back up the hill towards their home. ¡°I will do what I can to help as well. We can start with you climbing on to save time.¡±

    Ginelle wasn¡¯t one to turn down a free ride, as she got onto the saddle on the wolf¡¯s back and enjoyed a calm and relaxing ride back to the house. Harrison and Angus had already returned with a considerable amount of firewood, and the women were outside talking to them as Garak calmly gallops up to where they were standing. Ginelle¡¯s mother was the first to speak as it was the first time she had seen her daughter riding the big wolf.

    ¡°That is quite a unique mount you have there,¡± Alyssa called out.

    ¡°He¡¯s quite fast when he wants to be,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°We enjoy taking walks together, but today he was impatient with my slow pace.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a wolf,¡± Margorie said, looking down at the big wolf and petting his head, ¡°Hungry too I assume?¡±

    The wolf grunted and nodded to confirm that he was slightly peckish.

    ¡°He¡¯s not the only one,¡± Harrison added, ¡°Angus and I have worked up quite an appetite as well.¡±

    ¡°Then come inside,¡± Margorie invited, ¡°I¡¯ve already made something for you all.¡±

    Margorie led the say as the men followed her inside, while Alyssa helped her child dismount the big wolf.

    ¡°He is quite impressive,¡± Alyssa noted, ¡°As is your ability to speak with animals.¡±

    ¡°Margorie is quite a teacher,¡± Ginelle replied, ¡°I intend to continue learning with her and studying chaos magic and other elements. I hope you¡¯re alright with that, mother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your path,¡± her mother reassured her, ¡°That is your choice to make, and yours alone. Mother earth has clearly put you on this path for a reason, and I would be foolish to challenge her wisdom.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Ginelle said, reaching out and hugging her mother tightly.

    The wolf followed both women into the house and ate with them. After having his fill of enchanted food, Garak left the house and wandered off. He strolled further up the hill a little to the cave that Ruki had chosen for his new home. The dragon was inside the cave, rolled up and resting when Garak strolled inside. The dragon opened his eyes, but didn¡¯t raise his head as he didn¡¯t consider the big dire wolf a threat.

    ¡°What brings you to my home, wolf?¡± the dragon asked him.

    ¡°We need to talk about something.¡± Garak replied.

    Over the next several minutes, Garak went into great detail about what happened at the riverbank earlier and the conversation Ginelle had with the old wizard¡¯s glowing image. The dragon laid there and listened with intent as he wanted to get every detail from him.

    ¡°This is not surprising,¡± Ruki eventually replied, ¡°But I am disappointed. Humans too often allow their egos to drive them into obsessions that are not good for them. If they are foolish enough to come here, I shall make it the worst mistake they ever made.¡±

    ¡°Is that enough?¡± the wolf asked, ¡°One dragon against armies?¡±

    ¡°I will make it enough,¡± The dragon insisted, ¡°This place will be prepared for anything that king or wizard can toss at it, and if necessary I can call on some friends to help. There are creatures out there that owe me favors, some that would haunt your dreams if you ever encountered them.¡±

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Garak conceded, ¡°Let¡¯s hope we never have to go that far.¡±

    ¡°Agreed,¡± Ruki said, ¡°But it will be up to us to make sure nothing ever happens to that young witch. She is special and needs to be protected at all times.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± Garak replied, ¡°I would give my life for her.¡±

    ¡°If that is so,¡± Ruki said, ¡°Then give me your paw.¡±

    The wolf walked closer and slowly reached out his paw to the dragon as instructed. Ruki didn¡¯t do anything to hurt the dragon but reached out and placed one of his claws over Garak¡¯s paw. The dragon then closed his eyes and start to mutter something to himself, which turned out to be a spell. The dragon began to glow but that soon faded away after a short moment. Garak was a little surprised at what had happened.

    ¡°What was that?¡± Garak demanded.

    ¡°A spell,¡± Ruki replied, feeling rather proud of himself. ¡°Witches and wizards are not the only ones who can use magic. Dragons are capable of casting spells, but we don¡¯t let anyone know that for obvious reasons.¡±

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Garak said, ¡°That spell Ginelle used to make the mirrors after powering up, was that really her doing?¡±

    ¡°Kind of,¡± Ruki confessed, ¡°I was also casting a spell at the same time. Those mirrors was a result of me casting the same spell at the same time. Our combined magic is what caused that to occur even though Ginelle is taking full credit for it.¡±

    ¡°What the hell did you just cast on me then?¡± Garak asked.

    ¡°This spell marks someone,¡± Ruki replied, ¡°With this magical mark, I will always be able to sense where you are and feel what you are feeling. So, if you are in danger and feel angry or scared, I will know about it and be able to fly straight over to where you are to help protect you.¡±

    ¡°You should cast that on Ginelle,¡± Garak suggested.

    ¡°I already have,¡± Ruki informed him, ¡°I cast the spell on Ginelle one night while she was sleeping under my wing, and now it¡¯s been cast on you as well. This will allow us to know where each of us is located, what we¡¯re feeling, and our minds can even speak to one another even at great distances.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one hell of a spell,¡± Garak noted, ¡°And you did this so we could work as a team to protect Ginelle?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the dragon confirmed, ¡°It is up to us to keep her safe. If she is with at least one of us at all times, then this connection will allow me to protect her.¡±

    ¡°I like this,¡± Garak admitted, ¡°I would lay down my life for her.¡±

    ¡°As would I,¡± Ruki concurred, ¡°But let¡¯s hope it doesn¡¯t come to that.¡±

    ¡°Does Ginelle know about the mark?¡± Garak asked.

    ¡°She does not,¡± Ruki said, ¡°But I will let her know when the time is right.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Garak said, ¡°I will keep your secret for now.¡±

    ¡°Much appreciated, Wolf,¡± Ruki said as he put his head back down. ¡°Now leave me be and let me rest.¡±

    Ruki watched as the big wolf vacated his cave and left him to think on the matter on his own. The dragon had suspected that the humans would never take what they did to their castle and rescuing the other witches lightly. He knew the fight would eventually come to them, and when it did the dragon knew he would have to use all the power, magic, and sneaky idea he could think of to protect her. Ruki was determined to make sure no harm came to Ginelle and reunited family, for them were now his family as well. He liked being around them and would set the whole planet on fire to protect them. As he rested his head and closed his eyes Ruki knew there was a lot of work to be done. The big dragon also knew that they had plenty of time for to prepare for the worst. Far more time then anyone was aware that they possessed, especially young Ginelle.