“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.
White lie
We heard calls from afar. Some had gone into the woods to look for us. It was Ephraim himself who found us. He held his daughter tightly in his arms.
“For God's sake, you're fine. My darling, I was so worried about you.“
Ephraim's relief was immediately replaced by anger and rightly so, I had screwed up. Then we went to the castle, Ephraim wanted to interrogate us. Before Lucia even got the chance to hold her little girl, Ephraim smuggled us into his study, where he gave us a rubdown.
“So that's not how I pictured you two staying out all night and nobody knows where you are. I had sent Claus to your cabin, but there was no one there. So, what the hell happened? Explanation, please.“
Even before I could explain, Larissa took the floor.
“Father, it was my fault. We had started the lessons a little later today anyway. Emily taught me the big trees of the forest and I said to her, let's go out and see them in nature instead of just in a book. Then we got further and further into the forest, even far away from the paths. In the end, we walked back again, but stopped in between. We just lost track of time. Please don't blame Emily for this. She's a good mentor and a good friend.“
Ephraim still had doubts. He walked back and forth behind his large, oak-fogged work table, stroking his beard in the process. He looked at me, then at his daughter, then at me again.
“Is that true, Emily?"
I heard the voice of the little one in my head telling me “lie".
“Yes, it‘s true, my Lord. That's exactly how it happened.“
“Well, then I‘d ask you to pay a little more attention to the time in the future, and you, my dear child, shouldn‘t always be so overzealous. You still have a great duration in which you can become a witch.“
With these words he dismissed us and we went our ways. We had a break for two weeks, after this excitement the child should stay at home for the time being. I had a little cold anyway, despite the fact that it was summer. We witches, unlike vampires and werewolves, can also get sick. But since we‘re powerful in herbs and botany, we heal ourselves again in no time. One afternoon my brother came to me, but he didn't want to know how I was, he wanted to give me a rubdown because of the story the other day.
“What were you thinking when you kidnapped our Lord's child?"
“I didn't kidnap her, Lord God. We just forgot the time and came off the beaten track.“
“I don't know what you're up to, sister, but I'm telling you, this is insane. She‘s a little girl and should be allowed to live in her castle and not be trained by you in vain as a witch. What are you trying to prove?"
“I don't want to prove anything, Claus. What I'm doing here is nobody's business. Don't forget who has the upper hand with us witches. It was me who brought you together with the werewolves and the vampires so that we could all live in peace. So you'd do well not to forget that. Now get the hell out of here.“
“We'll see about that.“
He slammed the door behind him so that my self-woven door wreath fell down. Sometimes I wish he was far, far away. If he was to go to another coven, me and a few others wouldn't miss him. But Ephraim appreciated him very much for his work in the Council, although my brother had something to criticize about every suggestion. And they got along well in other respects, too. Ephraim enjoyed