C10 Demonstration of power

After Lucia had told me her anger about my little excursion with the girl to the village of the werewolves, I decided to only encourage the child even more in her project. I didn't like being reprimanded by Lucia, especially in this relationship. Her daughter had every right to go wherever she wanted, as long as she followed the rules I had explained to her. I didn't understand why her mother rehearsed such a riot. The children of the clans have always played with and among each other; this should also promote cohesion. Probably she was only afraid that her daughter might turn there in front of the assembled team. But I knew this would never happen. And still, the girl was a small child and not sixteen years old.

I continued my lessons. In spring I usually took her out into the great outdoors. Then the plants, flowers and herbs began to bloom. The forest was the ideal place to show her all the known plants as shoots. In the early summer, when all the buds of the plants had opened, the birds filled the air with their singing and the forest and the gardens with their unique scents perfumed the air, I taught her the plants and herbology, the little basics of witches. I told her, among other things, about the milk thistle, the mugwort, the bearberry leaves, the nettle and the stinging winch as well as their properties on the human body. That they‘re anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, heal liver and kidney diseases and help with skin complaints. I also told her about the poisonous plants, because you should always know both sides. I knew of the belladonna, the autumn timeless and the blue wolfsbane, once taken they led to rapid death. We spent days naming the local and exotic plants and herbs that are invaluable to a witch's life. I noticed her talent for drawing. She always had a book with her, painting everything in detail and writing down the characteristics next to it; she absorbed the information, I gave her, like a dry sponge on the water. I loved watching her do it, she warmed my heart more and more. As she roamed through the forest, as gentle as an elf herself, yet as strong and solid as the rock in the surf. It had become midsummer and before the splendour of the trees began to wilt again, we enjoyed our time together once more in the forest. Larissa was incredible. She wasn‘t even five years old and climbed between the trees like a squirrel. She skilfully swung from branch to branch without injuring herself or the tree. When she didn't feel like it anymore, she let herself fall from the top of the tree into the depth and landed like a cat on her legs.

“Come to me, my child, sit down“, I asked her, “I want you to concentrate on the forest, what can you hear?"

She slipped to the floor, closed her eyes and listened.

“I hear voices. They purr in the wind and envelop me. I may be wrong, but I think it comes from the trees. It's their singing, a powerful melody, full of pride and majesty.“

“Yes, you're right. Nature, you know, is our mother. It surrounds us, protects us. We, the witches, are in harmony with nature and keep it in its delicate balance. And you, my child, will become a strong witch and follow in my footsteps once.“

“I'll never be like you. But I promise you to give myself a lot of effort anyway“, she gave me her smile again, her teeth shining in the sunlight like white rock crystals.

In the meantime, we had completely forgotten the time. I had had so much fun with the girl and we had gotten further and further into the forest, even far away from the paths. The evening sun shrouded the trees and bushes in a bloody red. After we had gone for a while to find the right way, I suggested we take a short break, because we had both got hungry. I lit a fire with my magic while Larissa caught two squirrels, pulled their fur down at a stroke and impaled them on two surrounding branches. Then our prey fried over the fire and became more and more crispy. Before we could enjoy our dinner, she listened attentively. Her pupils became wide and her neck‘s hair bristled. She took an attitude of lying in wait. I, too, perceived something, but couldn‘t hear and see as far as she could.

“What captures your eye?"

“They're coming right at us, they must have scented us a long time ago. There are three of them. Three grotesque, disgusting figures.“

“Get behind me, quick.“

There was no point in escaping or even hiding. What was coming were goblins. If we ran, it'd only make them wilder. So we had to try not to get killed right away. Laughing scornfully, they appeared out of nowhere, stepping from darkness into light. Three ugly creatures, with glowing red eyes, pointed rotten teeth, long claw-like hands and skin of pale green. They weren‘t particularly big, but one shouldn‘t be deceived by their size. These beings were deadly through and through. They were carrying guns. One had an ax, the next had a small sword and the last one carried a hammer. In the light of the fire, they seemed even more horrible. Then one of them started talking.

“Oh, what do we have here? Two pretty young women who have lost their way.“

Goblins were known to ambush young women who had lost their way in the forest, attack them at nightfall and eat them alive.

“Gentlemen, there‘s nothing to fear. We‘re no danger to you. Let us move on quickly. We have our home nearby.“

I knew that talking wouldn't do much either, but I distracted them and was able to gather my strength if I had to reach out for a strike.

“But, sweetheart, don't you want to stay with us a little longer? After all, we like women to eat.“

They fell into resounding laughter, an abominable laughter that squeaked and thundered at the same time. Carefully I reached behind me so as not to scare the goblins up with jerky movements; I wanted to reach for the girl and leave while the goblins were still busy laughing. But what was that? Larissa had stepped in front of me unnoticed. Her whole body was tense, her eyes sparkled in a spooky blue.

“Get the hell out of here, you stinking bastards. You shouldn't be here. Dare to attack us and you will regret it.“

This brave girl knew no fear and stood up to our adversaries.

“What do you want, you snot-nosed punk?", the middle one of them mocked and swung his sword, “you're just giving a better starter, hah.“

Then they ran towards us, fought their weapons around. I got ready to strike back. Larissa's body was now enveloped in a strange glow. She spread out her arms, clapped her hands. Immediately the fire blazed high, flew towards the goblins. A fireball struck the three creatures violently and burned them with skin and hair. Their screaming was horrible, so I took a surrounding branch and smashed their skulls. The bloody branch sank to the ground, the girl lost her glow and was again the old one.

“Fascinating. I haven't even started your training as a witch yet, and you're giving a demonstration like that.“

“I'm sorry that I killed them.“

“You don't have to be sorry. They're evil, despicable creatures. They deserve to die. Let's go home now. I'm sure they're worried about you at court.“

As quickly as our feet carried us, we ran home in the darkness. After that night I was sure that Lucia would refuse me the further education of her daughter.