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Fire Witch Chapter 1: Night Wolf
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away...
“Not that overly-used beginning,” Kat groaned.
“You’re the one that wanted to hear the story,” Ember replied knowingly.
“It still amazes me that you can read and fly at the same time.” Kat scratched her ear effortlessly while balancing her paws on the broom stick.
“I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult.” Ember looked behind her. “But coming from you, it’s most likely an insult.”
Kat stared back at Ember, her sapphire eyes unblinking. “How right you are.”
Ember laughed heartily, the way she always laughed. “Your not the typical familiar I’ve read of in books, that’s for sure.”
“I’m better then those amateurs.” The prideful siamese started licking her paw. “You should be thankful I am around to guide you.”
“Oh yes, and I am,” Ember told her, looking forward once more.
“No need for sarcasm.”
“Oh, but I do love it so,” Ember told her cheerily. She placed her hands back on the broom stick, swerving gently from side to side. She took one hand to the brim of her black, pointed hat, nudging it tighter to her head. “Sun’s coming down. We should land soon.”
Kat yawned. “A nice warm fire sounds good about now.”
Ember tilted the broom down, flying towards a small clearing in the forest. Her feet touched the ground softly. She hopped off the broom, Kat jumping down after her. She lifted the broom up, holding it like a staff as she inspected the clearing. She nodded happily. “This will do just fine.”
Ember lifted her traveling bag’s strap off her shoulder, dropping it with a solid thunk. She got on her knees and opened the bag. Out of it came a pot and a sleeping bag to big to possibly fit in the bag. “See, I told you this magic bag would come in handy.”
“I still say it was overpriced,” Kat scoffed.
Ember opened the sleeping bag up, laying it on the ground. With a flick of her hand fallen branches floated towards her, piling on top of each other. Stones circled the branches. With a snap of her fingers flames sprung up.
“One thing handy about traveling with a fire witch,” Kat told her, warming herself by the fire.
“Thanks,” Ember told her, sitting on the sleeping bag. She took off her hat, releasing her hair band and combing through her strawberry-blonde hair with her fingers.
Kat stared at the hat with disdain. “That hat is so cliche,” she chided.
Ember hugged the hat to her chest, the felt sagging against her. “I love my hat! It’s so... classic!” Ember laughed. “Lucky for you I hate dresses and pointy shoes hurt my feet.”
Ember was wearing a plain white blouse and dark green pants with black boots. A golden-yellow calf-length cloak was settled on her shoulders, clasped together with a silver, leaf shaped pin.
Ember tied her hair back up. She picked up the pot, standing back up with a sigh. “I guess I’ll just go get some water.” Ember walked off to the edge of the clearing. She opened her palm face up, a ball of flame suddenly hovering above it. As she walked forward the light created horrid shadows, noises becoming dangerous, her mind flooding with images of monsters. She turned around on her heel. “Aren’t you coming Kat?” she asked, her voice strained.
Kat had already curled herself in a ball, her eyes closed. “Our first night traveling, and you can’t even get some water?”
“Please Kat, I’m scared...” Ember pleaded.
“There will be many more nights, and many more trips to get water, so you may as well get use to it now.”
Ember looked behind her at the forest, her eyes widening. “Please?” Her voice was no more then a whisper.
“No, now go,” was Kat’s final answer.
Ember gulped, turning around. She walked timidly forward, trying to steady her shaking hands. It’s ok Ember, she thought to herself, everything’s going to be ok. It’s just your overly vivid imagination. A branch snapped. And that wasn’t a horrid beast coming to kill you! Ember ran forward, stumbling at every tree root. She looked behind her frequently, fearful something was coming at her from behind. Her heart pounded, her breath became short. And suddenly she was in front of a creek, leaning forward and taking big breaths. “See, nothing to it,” she told herself breathlessly.
As her heart steadied she got on her knees, filling the pot with water. She stood up, turning around. And in front of her was a large black wolf, with hauntingly human ice blue eyes.
Ember cried out in alarm, stepping back. Her foot came in contact with mud, slipping her. She fell into the water, the pot springing from her hands and landing upside down on her head.
Ember groaned, lifting the pot from her head. Her eyes widened as she saw the wolf in front of her, his snout a few inches from her freckled nose. Her emerald eyes widened with fear. “P-p-please don’t hurt me! I-I don’t mean any harm!”
“Harming you is the furthest thing from my mind,” the wolf told her.
Ember stared at him in amazement. “What... what are you?”
The wolf backed away, the moon giving his fur a silver gleam. He bowed elegantly. “I am here to protect you on your travels. But before I fully explain, perhaps you should dry yourself off.”
Ember stood up carefully. She lifted her cloak. “Aw, Hazel’s gift!” As she stepped out of the shallow creek her clothes started to steam, and in mere seconds her clothes and self were dried.
The wolf raised and eyebrow in a uncharacteristically wolf behavior. “I suppose that’s a bonus to being a fire witch...”
“Believe it!” Ember told him energetically. “Now, um... who are you?”
“Before I explain, we should get back to your camp.” The wolf looked out into the forest, scanning the tree tops. “It’s not safe here.”
Ember scanned the forest as well. “If you say so...” she said, chuckling nervously.
Ember and the wolf walked side by side through the forest, Ember’s pot refilled with water. She tried not to stare. It wasn’t every day that a huge wolf came up to you and started speaking. True, Kat could talk. But Kat had always been in her life, and the fact that she was magical didn’t even phase Ember anymore. She was a familiar after all, and Ember had always read that they had magic powers.