Witches Moon - Kerry

Watchers

January 2015

It's cold and dark and lonely. I sit in a tree on the border of the little town. I’ve hidden my tracks with a spell so the wolves in question can’t trace me to my lookout point. I’ve bundled up to the T and am prepared for a long night of watching the watchers.

It’s been a week. Our investigation of the possible connection to an outside werewolf coming in didn't pan out. So Tulok consulted her bones and determined we needed to watch.

I shift on the branch, easing an ache in my leg. It’s going to be a long night.

Because of my magic ability, hey assigned me to guard duty. I mean, I guess it makes sense as I can actually defend myself. It’s not like a small branch like this has any Chosen on staff. If the situation called for it, I guess they would send some in to handle it, but that’s also why they have other recruits like mages.

So far I’ve been really pleased with the work. They have quite the collection of books on Native Shaman arts and Northern Magic. Tulok is a great source of information regarding the ways of the Northern people and Samantha knows a lot about the ley lines, despite my first impression.

I hear a crack, and I freeze, turning my head slowly towards the source. It came from my left, from behind. I check my blind spot and I see 2 shadows step out of the woods and slip towards the town. Their white fir glistens in the moonlight.

Now it begins. I cast for the Etheria and enhance my night vision. They appear to be normal wolves, white fur blended with a slightly grey and brown back. They blend it well with the snow. There are indeed only two.

I follow them with my eyes as they head to the towns edge. No one is out, what could they possibly be looking for?

I frown behind my face guard. “Watch my foot.” I knew I might not see from here so I came prepared. I learned a shrinking spell from a book I found in the office. Wasn’t that hard to figure out. I pulled on the colourful cloud of Etheria and while holding my miniaturized broom in my mittened hand, pulled on the cloud and waited for it to expand. Within seconds I was holding my full broom.

The night wasn’t snowy or windy, so I should be fine in the air. I mount gingerly while holding onto the tree, then I kick off and glide over the rooftops to keep a closer watch on my quarry.

I catch sight of them, prowling the dark streets. Where could they be going? I move a little higher to get an aerial view of the town. If the wolves keep moving straight, I see a house with it's lights still ablaze. Would they try to enter?

Suddenly a man steps out of the house. He seems to be carrying something but It's too dark to tell. The wolves lay in wait just around the corner. I fly in closer.

The man puts whatever he’s holding on the ground next to his snowmobile. The wolves start to move closer, rounding the corner. I want to shout but it all happens too quickly. The wolves pounce the man from behind. They grab him at the nape, but draw no blood. They begin to drag him, frozen in fear, away from the house and down the street.

I can’t wait.

I descend to the street in front of the wolves and dismount, shrinking my broom as I go.

“Stop!” I shout. The wolves stop and watch me. The man whimpers quietly. “Let him go.”

The wolf with the man's sleeve in his jaws let's go and slowly approaches me. I hold me stance, arms up, ready to pull on the Etheria is I need it. It stops.

“That won’t be necessary,” a deep voice says from behind. My head spins around and I see the green ghostly visage of a man in a long collared tailcoat and a top hat. In his hand he swings a pocket watch.

“Who are you, and why are you taking this man?” I ask. I realize I should have kept watch instead of interfering. I don’t know what I’ve stepped in on.

“Ohh,” He pouts, face hidden beneath the rim of his top hat. “That hurts. You don’t even recognize me.” He sighs sadly, foot tapping in the snow, though no footprints are made beneath him.

I frown at the ghost. The wolves return to pulling the man. “Stop!” I repeat. They don’t stop.

I pull on the Etheria and tie them up with the red currents. To me it looks like ropes around their legs and bodys. They can’t move.

“Now why would you want to do that?” The man in the top hat says, taking a step around me. I shiver as he passes.

“What are you doing?” Confusion washes over me, who is he, what does he want? Why is he defending these wolves? Could he be controlling them. An idea comes to me.

“Wait, I do recognize you.” I say thoughtfully.

He stops. He turns halfway, head tilted and looks at me from the corner of his eyes. There's a long awkward pause as he studies me.

“You’re lying.” He says bluntly, then turns back to the wolves.

“Wait! How are you controlling the wolves?” I ask. Trying to stall.

He clicks his tongue. That is a neat trick now isn’t it.” He flicks a gloved hand at me and I feel a strange sensation pulling at my limbs. “I remember you oh so clearly. How is it that you don’t remember me?” He asks. “I wish we had more time for this game, but we don’t.” He sighs.

“I guess the game is up.” He swings his ghostly arm through the frozen wolves and the light from their eyes fades. They collapse to the ground with a soft thud as their bodies are cushioned by the snow.

“No!” I scream as he hefts the man up, patting his shirt of the snow.

“Thank you sir, thank you, I don’t kno-” He freezes and the top hatted man reaches through his chest and, without a mark or weapon, kills the man. He drops dead and the ghostly figures images becomes ever so slightly more clear.

“I really do have to be going now. I’ll see you again soon.” He winks at me and fades into the dark. My limbs relax as his spell releases me and I feel tears freezing to my cheeks. When did I start crying?

I run to the man in the snow and check his breathing. Nothing. The wolves too are dead. I thought I’d saved this man. I thought I could stop it! Who what that ghostly man and why did he do this?

I cry in the snow for a bit, not able to bring myself to return to the base. When I finally gain my composure I use the Etheria to help me drag the wolves back into the forest and carry the mans lifeless body back to base for a proper burial. I can only image the others died in the same way.

#Fantasy #Magic