Elizabeth May was proud to be a Witch. She knew reading and writing was not her strong point, with her sister, two years younger at Eight, already exceeding the skill level she was capable of and cooking was just not in her interest but being a Witch, that made her feel good about herself. She had something most people didn't and to her (and a lot of others) that made her special.
Dawn had slowly begun to rise, the tip of the sun edging its way over the trees that towered high above the cold child, sleeves of Goosebumps crawling up her arms. The Endless Forrest, a stupid name thought Elizabeth, knowing nothing can last forever, got its name from old folk laws explaining people have wondered into the trees only to get lost and never be seen again. Rumours spoke of bodies of starved people being found years later underneath dirt and soil that had began to consume them for part of the earth.
"Then surely they were eaten?" She used to say whenever her mother told her the stories however each time her parents would deny her claims. Growing up she realized it was probably just a story told by adults to warn off their children from playing too deep into the wood; though it wasn't going to stop her. Birds had begun to sing now while horses heavy hooves could be heard echoing from the distance. Stoneway was waking to it's first day without a King and Liz, unaware of how important to the city that was just wished everyone would stop talking about it.
In her small hands she held her wand. A long, thin, almost twig like object, the top sharp with a point. She held it away from her body, arm extended long like her father Jon May had taught her when they used to come to these parts to train, away from Peasants or Royal eyes. She never really understood why but her father had always made it pretty clear that he didn't want either of his girls practicing magic in the city or without him near by; she didn't want to know how'd he react if he new where she was now. It was okay though Elizabeth thought, her parents and sister Ida were sleeping when she'd left and they wouldn't awake for at least another hour allowing time for more hunting. She'd snuck out the window of her shared bedroom, Ida snoring loudly as she climbed out onto the quiet street. No lights. No Guards. No one. Empty and beautiful. Then she propped the window back onto the frame and stuck a small stick in-between the wall and the glass to keep a crack big enough to fit her fingers into to pull open the window on return.
Leaves rustled. Twigs snapped. Silence broken. Elizabeth May lay still as the rock she perched on watching the bushes that shook a few metres away from her. Timing was everything. With wand clenched tight within her palm, sweat dripping gradually down her brow, legs mildly shaking with the increasing anticipation she starred, waiting for whatever hid behind the ivy leaves to jump out in her path. She shot. A strike of white light shooting from the wands tip and burning the green grass, leaves breaking from the ground and floating into the air. Too slow. The rabbit began to run deeper into the woods.
"Shit" she barked. Her mother would have killed her if she heard that language coming from her mouth.
Elizabeth leapt off from the rock and sprinted after the target. She wouldn't let another get away. Fired again. Missed, rabbit darting pass another tree. She climbed and threw herself off it's branches, rolling twice before regaining to her feet. Another shot from her wand, hitting the ground sending soil to fly across the animal like a cloud of dust as it continued running for its life into the sea of trees. So close. Specs of blood dripped from the fresh cut on her elbow, completely unware of the injury. Arm lunged forward with a another white beam firing and finally hitting the rabbit, sending it skidding through mud and stopping hard against the trunk of an oak. The chase was over. Lifeless. A faint smile of pride slipped across Liz's mouth and she picked up her prize and turned. The smile quickly vanished. A shadow draped over her like a cloak as Jon May stood in front, his face hard and still.
"What are you doing"
"Did you see that!" she ignored.
"We thought you'd been taken"
"Got it first try!"
"I've told you not to come out here!"
"We could have it tonight"
A shot of hot light fired from his wand and into her hand, making her drop the carcass as the burns began to splinter. "This is not a game!" his voice echoing, carrying across the tree tops.
"What if someone had seen you? What if it had been a Royal Guard? I've told you, no magic!"
"But we used to"
"I don't care Liz. No Magic!"
He paused, catching his breath, his daughter just starring, wand hanging down her side.
"Do you know what they would have done?"
She stayed blank.
"They would have taken ya. They would have locked ya up. Do ya know what then?"
Blank.
"They would have probably taken me. And your mum, and Ida. And then? Then they would have hung us. Or burned us, or drowned us, or whatever way they wanted-"
"Stop!" she cried, too young to picture such dark thoughts.
"No! Because it's the truth. You don't wanna hear it but it's what woulda happened because of your recklessness! You're being selfish. And putting us all at danger too because of it."
"It's not fair!"
"Tough shit"
He stopped, hating he just swore at his ten year old daughter. He slugged forward and bowed down to his knees to meet eye contact. They both just stared without words needed. Jon could see himself so clearly in her features it almost sent him cold. Without a doubt she was his daughter; in looks and traits. His hand cupped hers as he turned to see the burns on her palms. With a flick of the wand against her young skin the blisters started to peel away, black marks fading into nothing until the wound had cleared and pain had evaporated. Elizabeth looked with eyes wide open with amazement.
"Is this dinner then for tonight?" he asked picking up the rabbit's body by the loose skin around it's neck. "It's a chubby bastard"
"Words!"
"I'm sorry... It's a chubby thing"
A smile; much better. They grabbed each others hands and walked back over the mud slope back towards Stoneway, telling stories as they went.
-Questions-
1.Are you enjoying this blog series
2.Thoughts on the characters
3.Thoughts on the world building
4.What did you think of the relationship between Elizabeth and Jon
5.Excited about the introduction of witches? How will this effect the plot?
