The Witch's Gamma

Chapter 3

Eight Years Ago

A few hours later

Allie

It was almost dusk when Allie decided to come down from the tree. She cried herself out hours ago and who knew how long of just dry sobs when the tears were gone? No one came looking for her or the children, at least not as far out as she knew, which she hoped meant none of the children had been found. She fought her instinct several times to check on them. They had to be terrified in that tree, not knowing when or if she would come back. Bryce knew she was with the kids, so he would know to look for her. But even if he was okay, the forest that surrounded Erstwhile was vast. They could search for her and she wouldn’t necessarily hear them, or at least that is what she told herself, even though in her gut she didn’t believe it.

She didn't know how long it had been, and she hadn't wanted to endanger herself or the children by returning for them too soon. Guilt wracked her at leaving a group of 7 to 10-year-olds alone with no idea what was happening, but she didn't have a choice. Slowly, her body exhausted, she climbed out of the tree and made her way back towards the village, making her steps as quiet as she could. If the rogues were still around, or were looting the village, she didn't want them to know she was coming. She wanted the element of surprise or bearing that, to not be noticed at all because that gapping hole where her magic reserves had always been still throbbed, letting her know there was probably permanent damage to her magical stores.

By the time she made it to the village, it was dark and the few fires several merchants had gone all day were the only light and even those were on their way out. She waited at the edge of the forest and heard absolutely no noise. It was a relief to hear no wolves prowling about, but the eerie silence also told her any of her community still in the village were no longer living.

Taking the chance, she stepped into the small clearing and to the edge of the outer buildings. Hugging up against the wall of Wren, the village blacksmith’s home. There was no movement anywhere and bile rose up in her throat as she turned the corner and saw her neighbor lying on the ground in front of her, his chest ripped open, eyes wide and unseeing. She covered her mouth, so the squeak of horror and pain didn't ring out around her.

Even without her magic, she knew how to stay in the shadows, and she did just that, moving around the village and finding no one alive. She had taken a minute silent scream when she found both her parents' bodies, though she didn't find Bryce. Part of her wanted to look for him, to bury them all, to grieve them, but she knew her priority had to be to those children.

As she took in the gore and tragedy around her, she also noted that the wolves had not taken much from the villagers. No horses were in the communal stable, but the houses she passed did not look ransacked.

“Did they really just come to kill the village and take whatever was easy to grab, then leave?” Allie murmured to herself as she looped back to the marketplace in the center of the c*****e.

Knowing none of the merchants would need the supplies now, she collected as many bags as she could carry, and several smaller bags the children would be able to carry and began filling them with whatever food and supplies she could easily find. It still felt strange to pick through people’s homes, so other than the businesses Allie only took from her family home. The nearest magic dwellers in town was almost a day and a half by horse. She had done it many times over the years. It was a bigger village, more fortified than Erstwhile. They even had minimal modern conveniences like electricity. If she could get the children there, they would be safe there. The townsfolk would take them in, she was sure of it.

She wouldn't be welcome there, though. Witches without magic were useless to magical communities. She wouldn't be welcome there, she would be shunned and left out on her own. Those thoughts had tears trickling down her face again. She had gone from being in a village full of people she had known all her life to being utterly alone in a matter of hours.

Taking a deep breath, she forced all that pain and fear deep down into her chest. She needed to be there for the kids now. She needed to get them to a safe place. Somewhere they can be taken care of, somewhere they can continue to learn their magic.

Knowing she and the kids would need help carrying supplies on their trip, Allie slinked around the backside of Ms. Winters' house. The older widow had a thin donkey she used to haul heavy equipment around her small farm. Allie let out a breath when she saw the faithful animal still in his pen. It confirmed Allie’s suspicion that the wolves had not looked around too closely.

The older woman probably wouldn't need the donkey now, so Allie made her way over and took a moment to soothe it, then burdened it with extra supplies, before they trudged back to where she'd hidden the children. She prayed to whatever deities would listen that the children heeded her instructions and stayed in the tree. She didn't know what she would do if she got there and the children had been slaughtered. Fighting her own scared imagination, Allie held herself together and headed back into the woods.