Wolves, Witches and Watchers oh my!

Fay: The Fitting

Ma knew where I was curtsey of her heightened senses and let me be until I made an appearance outside the store.

"Finally" she said on seeing me "Come on, we need to get home. Mrs Kettlebee reminded me about the dance tomorrow, we can't have you missing such a festive sociable event. I have the perfect dress in mind but we'll have to take it in and shorten it everywhere because of your smaller frame".

"Basically make a new dress?".

"Yes" she smiled.

"In half a day?".

She grinned.

"Come now sour puss, you'll be the bell of the ball!" she said enthusiastically.

"Will there be cake?".

"There'll be lots of cake".

"Damn it woman! what are we standing here for- let's get back home!".

She laughed out loud and pulled me close for a kiss.

"I've missed that sass of yours sweet Fay".

"I've missed you too Ma" I said leaning into her.

"Mmm and if I didn't know any better I can smell young Bancroft all over you" she raised an eyebrow.

I almost chocked at her words but years of Gya intensive training held it back.

"His dad told him to show me the ropes and if you've met him you know he takes up most of the space in a room...it was difficult not to touch him" I kept my eyes in front of me, feeling her watchful gaze. None of those statements were a lie so I felt confident I covered my ass with wordplay.

Finally she let it slide and we made our way home without further incident.

***

Many, many hours later I was not a happy bunny. My eyes were closing and all I wanted was to roll up in my soft warm comforter and sleep. It was colder now and the fireplace was in full flame in the living room we were in. The dress it turns out was not up to Ma's memory or standard so she ripped it apart at the seams and cut it into sections which needed to be sewn altogether. We basically started from scraps of mismatched lengths of fabric and ruffles.

"Ma?"

"Hmmm?" she said between intense concentration. A pin was in her mouth as she did my hem. I hadn't bugged her for an hour or so because I wanted the fitting to go quick.

"Why didn't you tell me about the deaths in Town after I left? It would have been nice to know before I was let loose amongst the townsfolk".

I was standing on a rickety wooden chair and her head shot up at my feet. She took the pin out of her mouth slowly.

"Who told you?".

"Who didn't tell me" I said tonelessly.

"Fay it's not your fault".

"Why didn't you tell me?" I repeated calmly, feeling anything but- the last thing I wanted was a fight with her.

"You had just got home, then we had that fight and well...I didn't get the chance".

"How about during the whole journey there on the wagon? Maybe that was a good time?".

She sighed, pulling up a chair and sitting down on it.

"I should have told you, I'm sorry. I just..." she paused for a second "They were the first in my ditch, the Rogues that did it- I made sure they paid. They took the lives of your best friend's parents and now you've met him you know how well that turned out. I wanted to give you one guilt-free day and didn't want to stress you just before you showed your face in town. I wasn't expecting people to tell you so soon. You weren't supposed to leave my side like that. I was planning on driving the conversation with people we met so it never strayed there or to Mrs Brancroft's murder".

"So the Rogues definitely did come for me. How did they know you were sending me around that age- they came shortly after I left right?".

"We normally hit puberty around 9 and send you off years before that so that if you did get taken we'd have time to find you before they got you with child and left you with another problem".

I cringed.

Those sick f***s.

"That's disgusting, I was 7!"

Ma's expression looked how I felt.

Urgh!

We both eased into our own thoughts. I was silent for the rest of the fitting and Ma continued working at my feet, fingers moving like lightening. Finally I was dismissed and she continued sewing by hand well into the night. Apparently she broke the sewing machine with her Lamia ability in a rare fit of anger when it moved too slow. I laughed inside on picturing it when she told me- Ma was such a gentle soul so it was funny to imagine her lose her cool. When I pushed her as a child I had it coming but other than that she was a saint.

I went to the bathroom to do my normal bedtime routine which ended with a bath. Creaking across the landing to my bedroom I finished drying my hair with a faded white towel- a light pink one was wrapped around my midsection. The Gya made perfectionist in me cringed at our lack of matching towels- the randomness of colors and patterns quickly jarred me.

A fancy towel set will be the first thing I buy with my earnings. That and a top of the line sewing machine for Ma- she'd like that.

Grabbing the first thing draped over my black four poster bed, I slipped on a strappy light shameze which tied at the front with ribbons in a zig zag pattern. The fireplace in my room had been lit the moment we got home so my room was super warm- which wasn't helping the fact I was burning up again. My normal nightee was somewhere on the floor by the pile of clothes streaming out of my open trunk. I could have picked it up but being the lazy ass I was I reasoned it was too far to be considered an option- plus I was too tired to use my ability.

The moment my head hit the pillow I was dead to the world. This never happened as I've always had issues with insomnia since as far back as I can remember. Unlike a normal person I would lie there for hours before I drifted off into a very light sleep.

Although dreaming, restlessness filled my body. What I saw disturbed and unhinged me. Cages full of neglected women filled a large, damp, filth encrusted room. It was dark, somewhere deep inside the earth. The jaggered stone walls made me think of the mountains of the Dark Woods. I had hiked there one time and took refuge in a cave when the rain came down in unyielding ice cold sheets- such was the climate high up on those planes and I was forced there because of the lightening. The stone I could see in this dream looked exactly like that. Gya gave me hell that day on my return, I had never seen her that angry and for the first time ever I feared for my life in her presence.

The scene morphed quickly, showing other women in the same place with swollen pregnant bellies. Just as quickly it changed to another room full of large rowdy Rogue men- egging on a fight which must have been the entertainment. I knew they were Rogues because of the wild savage look of them. Scantily dressed woman with their breasts uncovered were being taken by these beasts around the room. The dream was showing me the people rather than the surroundings and zoomed into those being fondled and taken on laps. Others were doing s*x acts on their knees, more than one Rogue taking part with many of the women. Their screams and pleas were drowned out by the fighting. Every act of violence I saw inflicted on these poor girls was like an attack on me. The haunting look in their eyes was strained and broken, I knew it would stay with me even after whatever this was- was over. I wanted to end their torture, to be seen and heard by those around me and rip the dream to shreds, but I had no control over any of it. My attempts to get out of this hell was useless- it just kept going, trapping me within as I screamed at the Rogues in protest. Finally everything fizzled away and I felt a reprieve. I was outside in the woods and it was night. The piney fresh scent and types of trees told me I was in Amber Wood. An intense battle was raging all around me. Bodies were tussling, scratching and biting on the ground and shooting past as they fought. The smell of burning wood filled my lungs making me cough. Just then I caught sight of a beautiful fair haired girl with deep brown eyes. She screamed for someone like her heart was being ripped in two, a yellow light glowing under the fabric of her neckline connected to a chain she wore. My eyes followed hers to a handsome red haired man who had her attention. He had the most striking hazel eyes I'd ever seen. Maybe it was the pain he was under that was making them seem so bright- his arms were being broken then ripped out of the sockets by a Rogue as he screamed for her to run. The Rogue in question was twice the size of him. Looking around, nearly every Rogue was this big, their build and strength rivaling even Kain.

Suddenly something just as large, black and fast knocked the Rogue off its feet, proceeding to maul him to death- tearing his flesh to shreds in seconds. I would have looked closer at its fury form were it not for a familiar voice piercing through my soul as it screamed in agony- it was Lucian- he was there and he was in excruciating pain. A huge Rouge, bigger than any I'd seen so far was pounding him into the ground while biting at his neck. Lucian was punching the fucker with all his strength but it was no use. All too quickly he stopped moving, an emptiness filing his beautiful grey eyes as blood trickled out of his mouth. His face was covered in blood and the Rogue proceeded to snap his neck off without missing a beat, roaring at the kill like a savage animal.

"Lucian!" I chocked in horror, unable to scream.

His head rolled across the grass, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. I wanted to be sick.

Oh god no!

"Lucian! Lucian! please, Lucian!".

"Duck!" a far away voice called "Fay" it said softer "wake up, I'm here, you're okay, you're safe" Lucian's soothing voice called. It was far away but wrenching me from the nightmare.

I snapped awake, shooting up in bed, shaking as if in the midst of a seizure. Looking around disorientated I gasped for air. I took in my dark bedroom- the only light was that streaming in though the open curtains and window from the moon. Lucian was kneeling on my bed right next to me, illuminated by a soft white glow. He looked like a moon god come down to earth for the night; the sharp angles making up his gorgeous face were shadowed in the most mesmerizing way. I sat frozen for a few seconds- taking him in, still struggling to breath.

He gently moved my damp hair out of my eyes which were stuck to my face, tucking it behind my ear. If I was more cognate I would have made some wise crack to myself about guys only doing that in books. Instead all I could think was:

He's alive! it's okay, he's alive.

In my happiness I threw myself on him in a flash, hugging him tightly. As if sensing my desperation he returned the embrace just as hard. His presence drowned out my fear like a soothing balm over a burn. He stroked my long damp hair and I fed off of it, allowing it to lull my erratic heartbeat back into a calm one mimicking his own. He held me like a broken animal he found in the forest. A thought occurred to me which I vaguely knew was important but just as quickly as I had woken I went back into an uneasy sleep- exhausted from the day and nightmare it pulled me down under like a lead weight.

When Ma called up to me in the morning jolting me awake, I rolled over onto my front with a groan. Burying my face into the sheets and blanket. Memories of last night seeped in like quicksand. I felt around the bed while honing in on my senses. Lucian wasn't there, although I could smell him all over my sheets- which brought back the horrific nightmare back in full force. It triggered me to my feet in a flash. I paused for a few seconds then fell back down, face first onto the mattress and groaned louder- oddly exhausted.

He was in my bed and I wasn't coherent for any of it.

Forcing myself up I shuffled to the bathroom, cursing every step as the creaks rattled my already aching head. I looked in the old mirror above the sink which showed my cloudy reflection on the marred surface.

Well, at least he got a show.

The ribbons pulling the cups of my chemise together were undone, fabric barely covering my generous breasts. In my waking state, under the morning light, I was clearly aware of the extent the thin white cotton was see-through.

I looked up to my face.

God, I look like death.

Washing my face and brushing my teeth, I took a bath and dressed in the white gown ma laid out over my now made bed. It was exquisite- Lace, silk, intricate embroidery, peals with ruffles in all the right places and intertwined silk ribbons making up delicate bows which all graced the surface. As always, every inch showed hard work and skillmanship without being over the top, but somehow Ma had out done herself with this one. My spirits rose significantly on seeing matching lace trimmed shoes- heart warming further after seeing my made bed.

It's amazing what a killer outfit can do to your mood.

After precisely applied makeup like Gya taught me, I finished off the look with the Safire jewelry- it popped against the white silk, bringing out the color of my eyes. I smiled on seeing it again.

"It's past noon love, eat up, we're going to be late" Ma said as she heard me come down the stairs.

Entering the kitchen I hugged her tight and gave my thanks for the dress and making my bed. Her warm smile said it all as she gestured to the kitchen table. I did as I was told. She was being unusually nice despite my sleeping late. Cleaning up after me and now plating my favorite breakfast items she poured me some lemonade (knowing that's my favorite) and set everything down in front of me- going so far as to set a napkin down with a knife and fork on it.

Wow what's going on, I must look worse than I thought. Either that or she's buttering me up for something.

The rest of the breakfast was uneventful but I was starting to get an uneasy feeling in my stomach, maybe it was remnants' of the nightmare, it sure as hell wasn't Ma's exquisite cooking- I still managed to clear my plate of scrambled eggs, pancakes, hash browns and baked beans.

Feeling bad about having nothing for Pip, the beautiful brown stallion that drags our fat asses to town in Ma's waggon, I picked up two red apples from the fruit bowl on the dinner table to get in his good graces before we set off. Going outside I admired his stunning white mane and matching diamond on his forehead as he chomped them down in a flash. I wasn't an animal person but quickly became fond of this creature. Ma warned me he was wild, stubborn as an Ox and would bite my arm off if I got too close. He was so fast and strong it apparently took 6 towns men to catch him and bring him to the markets to be sold- lucky for Ma she got a good price for him because he was so unrulily.

"You two have a lot in common" She grinned back at me.

I rolled my eyes as she handed me another apple. Lucky for us he has a soft spot for the fruit, hence why I named him Pip- as in apple pip. Our initial meeting was interesting- we just stood staring at one another. I felt like we sized each other up quite accurately seeing as he wasn't attacking me that very minute and I wasn't rudely saddling and dominating him.

"I won't get in your way and you won't get in mine" I said offering him the fruit. He grunted in agreement, biting it out of my open hand violently, just missing my skin.

"You know if you're as fast as they say, you could have got out of that 6 man take down".

Pip breathed hard and shook his head wildly, pawing at the ground threateningly.

"My mistake it was totally undoable...shameless on their part" I looked over at him with a wry smile as he glanced at me and huffed, nudging my body with his nose and sniffing as if searching for more fruit.

We quickly built up a kinship after that. For a crazy horse he was cute as a button; I had to remind myself not to piss him off by petting him too much. I went out to him as often as I could to give him treats and before I knew it it has become our thing.

When we arrived in town for the dance the whole place was buzzing with urgent chatter. It wasn't the excited kind either but an eerie whispering that signaled something wasn't right. Pip was oddly agitated as I tied him in place. What little I knew of him this wasn't his normal behavior. I stroked his soft chestnut body soothingly as my stomach churned again forebodingly. Everyone was making their way to the church like it held the answer. Ma and I looked at each other, silently following suit and keeping an ear out for any sign of what had happened.

As we reached the large arched doors, louder whispering made me turn. A blond girl was being dragged towards us by two town's men. Her head was down, light fair strands covering her face because of the way she was being pulled. A tall foreboding looking man was leading them and I recognized him as being Lucian's uncle- Malcolm.

So this was Pastor.

The bastard was exactly as I remembered but slightly older and more stern looking. As much as I hated to acknowledge it his good looks were hard to ignore. I watched him, anger rising inside me as he passed.

This was the animal who abused child Lucian, making him the way he is today.

His eyes glanced my way and he gave me a contemptuous sneer- as if to say "Back off or you'll be next".

Just as the girl crossed my path her aura and scent assaulted my senses, pulling me wide awake- she wasn't human. She wasn't Lamia either but still different- a creature of the forest- just like me. As if sensing me as well her head shot up and she looked directly at me. My heart stopped in its tracks- it was the beautiful screaming girl in the woods from my dream who watched the handsome red headed guy get his limbs pulled off.

I shivered inside at the memory, pushing it out of my mind.

Too soon she was dragged inside and we followed. I chose a seat for Ma and I in the center of the benches. It was best to be amidst the crowd rather than standing out in these things; it lowered the chance of you being singled out.

"Please be seated" a domineering judge like voice boomed over the crowd. It was Pastor.

The bastard.

His tone gave me chills, it was as if he regularly condemned people to death in the house of god.

I caught Lucian's scent before I saw him and couldn't help the small smile that flickered over my lips. I felt his eyes on me but kept mine on the girl as he sat a few rows in front.

She was uncommonly beautiful with her almost white blond hair and pretty oval face.

"Witch! where is she?" a stout, dirty looking man who smelled of smoke and manure shouted. He was led in by a well groomed, smartly dressed man with a large gold necklace.

This must be the Mayor.

The angry man waddled in, clapping sight of the girl then turned to Pastor- red in the face.

"I demand a burning!".

"You will take what is given- sit down Henry" Pastor replied sternly, nodding to the Mayor who guided the man into a chair facing the audience.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Pastor received his whispering crowd who silenced at once "This girl has been charged with Witchcraft by famer Jacobs here. Early this morning his chicken coup set fire. He saw a hooded figure running away which he believes to be the daughter of his neighbors- Miss Lovechild here. After putting out the blaze he found one of his lambs with its throat slit open- covered in pink powder which suggests some kind of sorcery. On going to Miss Lovechild's house she was nowhere to be seen, neither were her parents, however on finding her she was wearing the same cloak described on the assailant" he looked down at the girl with a sneer across his face which would have been more at home on a snake.

"Her parent's haven't been in town for weeks!" Farmer Jacobs spat from his seat "Something evil's going on there I tell you, my livestock's always disappearing! for years they've been disappearing! -ever since the Lovechild's moved in".

Pastor looked down at him with a hard look. It made the farmer shrink away into silence.

Loud murmurings spread through the tightly packed church. It looked like the whole town was here. This wasn't good. Watching someone get burnt for being different hit too close to home- I couldn't sit there with my own secret and let another minority get the stake. The girl looked unaffected- unnaturally so. As if the prospect of being tied and burned was the same as picking daisies for her. One thing was clear, she didn't fear death and worse- that look was familiar, she was empty inside- which was even more dangerous in such a situation.

She doesn't give two shits.

"Well girl? what do you have to say for yourself?" Pastor boomed down at her, giving her a harsh stare.

The strongest of men would have dropped to their knees and confessed their every sin at such a look. She however watched him coolly like being dragged to the church was a mild annoyance.

"Firstly, my parents are dead. They died last week of fever and I stayed out of town to make sure I didn't contract it. I didn't want to pass it around to the townsfolk if I had".

"Hmph" it was Farmer Jacobs.

"It has been a devastating time for me Sir" she went on "but yes, that is why they haven't been in Town of late and weren't at my house, I had to bury them alone. As for Witchcraft; Farmer Jacobs has had his eye on our land ever since Papa bought it at auction from under him. It is more fertile, by a lake and covers the Moors just outside his land which he secretly covets for his livestock".

The farmer's eyes narrowed instead of denying it.

"He's labeling me a Witch so he can buy it out from under me for nothing were I burned".

"That land would go to the church girl- don't speak of things you don't understand" said Pastor.

"Yes but he would buy it from you Sir" she smart assed, before continuing seamlessly "Many people have my cloak, men and women alike, if your only proof is my attire Mr Jacobs you might as well accuse everyone in town of stealing and Witchery".

People stood up in outrage, shouting out dejectedly as loud chatter broke out through the church. This was going badly; she wasn't playing the pretty wounded orphan like she should have. She had a trump card to appeal to the masses but she was too jaded to use it to appeal to their soft hearts.

"Order, order!" said Pastor, getting everyone to quiet down.

Those who stood up sat down and shuffled in their seats as if insulted. I had to stop this before she pushed herself into a corner.

I stood up.

"Miss Lovechild couldn't have been at Farmer Jacob's this morning because she was with me".

Shocked gasps and chatter broke out inside the church louder than before.

The witch watched me curiously with beautiful wise brown eyes. She may be playing the soldier but I could tell her soul was old and hurt- similar to mine. She didn't really want to die.

"Order!" Pastor boomed.

The Mayor tried to help calm the hall at the same time.

"Settle down everyone" He said politely as Pastor turned his shrewd eyes on me.

"And who might you be" He said slowly, narrowing them shrewdly on me. I felt like I was in front of a dragon warming his throat to roast me alive "Why are you speaking out now?".

Everyone was silent. I chose to appeal to them instead.

"My name is Fay Blackmore. Many of you know me from when I was young and used to live here in Amber Wood. I was covered in filth and ran around town like an animal".

Laughter rippled through the church like wild fire- lifting the mood substantially. I took that as they remembered.

"My mother is Clarissa Blackmore" I went on louder before Pastor could say anything, I gestured to her next to me. She sat there quietly and calm but I could tell by her cheeks having lost their color that it was all an act. I forced myself to ignore this lest I lose my nerve.

Pastor didn't have power unless I gave it to him.

"She likes that I'm a lady now and I didn't want to upset her with the knowledge that I left our house at daybreak to see the lake by The Moors. I've been away for over 10 years" I said louder "I wanted to see the sunrise over Amber Wood on the hills there, to see the beauty I remembered from my childhood. As we all know there is no fog up there early in the morning and the view is one of the best to take in our glorious forest and town, I wanted to enjoy the serenity and silence now that I was back".

Several murmurs of agreement could be heard around the room at the calm scene I was painting. I was trying to undo the damage the girl had done, bringing their anger down to earth again and reminding them they were normal peace loving people, not a violent mob.

"Because it's right by the Lovechild's cottage I went there after and got talking with her. I was with her all morning".

"Why didn't Miss Lovechild mention this when asked to speak?" Pastor shot back sharply, turning to the girl. "Surely having an alibi would have ended the matter?".

Lucian stood up, introducing himself to the mix, my stomach dropped at the sight.

"Clearly she didn't want Miss Blackmore to get into trouble with her Mother".

What the hell was he doing.

Pastor turned on him but Lucian stood his ground and kept talking. Not even giving me a glance.

"I ran into Fay in the woods while out hunting this morning, it is true, she was in the area at that time".

"Hunting what?" Pastor said silkily, his eyes like daggers, trying to poke holes in the story.

"Rabbits" I shot back, before Lucian could incriminate himself further. I was better at this game than him, having been trained to think and act quick to survive around humans. It was me who would cover both our asses when we had to answer to our parents as children about our whereabouts when things got stolen or broken in town.

Lucian's mouth tilted up ever so slightly before it was gone. He was remembering this too, and in that moment it was like we were both children again, uncomplicated and carefree- lying to adults and running amuck through town.

"It is true" My mother said standing up, shocking the hell out of me. It took all my skill and training to stay exactly as I was. "She was out this morning, I saw her bed empty- if Lucian can provide proof of the rabbits I think that should end this Witch hunt against this sweet child" she said gesturing to the girl.

"Here here!" voices agreed around the room.

Ma had a large following- everyone adored her and loved her pies.

Pastor looked at Ma coldly but toned down the malice. She was undoubtedly beautiful and youthful for her age. In contrast to my black hair hers was like woven gold- just like Gya's. Her eyes were a warm homely brown no one could say no to or hurt intentionally- even Pastor it seems.