Chapter One

The Prelude

Chapter One

I woke up suddenly feeling that someone was watching me. Still disoriented I realised that I was looking straight into the green eyes which belonged to my little sister Julie. I could barely see her face, since the sun hasn't risen yet. Why, in the name of everything sacred, was she waking me up in the middle of the night was beyond me.

"Hey..."she whispered.

"Hey." I mumbled, still unsure of the reason she was here. "You ok?" I asked, suddenly wide awake. I sat up in my bed, wondering if something was wrong. It wasn't like her to be up this early; Julie liked to sleep in - not that I let her do that often.

"Of course. Now, let's go." she said in a hushed voice, raising from her crouched position by my bed "You promised."

I groaned, remembering what we had talked about last night.

"Right." I whispered "Let me get dressed and grab my stuff."

"I'll be downstairs" she said, closing the door quietly behind her. I sighed, rising slowly from the warm bed, trying not to jostle it and wake up Gregory.

He came to my room last night, as usual, after a particularly nasty nightmare - his face white from fear and his dark hair sticking to a sweaty forehead. It was a third one this week. I lit a candle by the bed, with a flick of a wrist, and looked at his innocent face illuminated by its warm glow.

Gregory has had nightmares since he was 6 years old, and there was a little ritual he and I developed after a while. He would come to my room after a nightmare, and we would talk until he calmed down and fell asleep in my bed. After three years of this, I was skilled at dispelling his fears, however, recently his nightmares weren't normal; they were not about big spiders and such, but were instead about gruesome deaths and sufferings of unfortunate victims of war. Things that no 9-year-old should even know existed.

Two days ago, after this kind of nightmare appeared for the second time, as soon as I could I went to the inn to tell mother and father. I found them in the inn's main room, the one which a customer entered first. The room was a cross between a living room, a dining room and a bar. There was a bar stretching from wall to wall on one end, and a bunch of couches and armchairs with low coffee tables filled the rest of the space. A couple of big dining tables were also scattered around. The room took up the most of the inn's ground floor. Aside from it there were only a kitchen, a cellar and a hallway with a backdoor and a staircase that led up onto the next floor. The first floor was divided into guest rooms that varied in size and comfort, so that the guest got exactly what he paid for.

There were some guests there, in that room, but still I pulled my parents away from their work to an empty hallway, which I just came through. While I was retelling them in great detail the horrors Gregory had seen, mother started to weep silently and father had a grim look on his face. "You realise what this means." I said to them "You know what he is." They did, just as I had when my little brother told me about his dreams. Gregory was seeing the past, and there was nothing good about it.

My heart was heavy with sorrow for my little brother, but I would not cry. I needed, we all needed, to be level headed and to take action as soon as possible. And although I refused to feel helpless, I had to admit to myself that there was very little I could do for him now.

Mother composed herself and nodded in affirmation. She turned to my father and said "I'll go and ask the coven for guidance, you'll have to manage without me for a while."

My father tried to smile reassuringly, but failed. "Go," he said. She didn't hesitate, almost running she started for the back door, which led to our house that was close behind the inn, hidden by the trees from the eyes of the guests.

At the door she turned to me, but I already knew what she wanted to ask.

"You'll find him in my room."

"Thank you." she said tenderly, and slipped through the door. She wanted to see him before she left.

I knew she felt guilty for not being by Gregory's side. I also knew that trying to tell her she's wrong to feel like that would just be an efficient way of wasting breath. I did truly believe she was wrong. Father and mother constantly worked hard at the inn to provide for our whole family. Not a single one of us children ever blamed them for it. Times were rough and the fact that the inn was full of guests was a blessing, not a curse.

I blinked the thoughts away, and leaned over Gregory to push tendrils of his deep dark brown hair from his forehead. I took a deep shaky breath, feeling the weight of this week constricting my chest. A Seer. My little brother was a Seer. This burden I wouldn't wish even upon my worst enemy.

Some witches say that The Sight is a gift, but most see it as a curse. A person of Sight is able to perceive the future, the past, and the present. He is, however, unable to control what, and how much, he sees. The life of a Seer was a very difficult one, and Gregory will be no exception. I didn't need to see the future to know that.

I walked briskly over the cold wooden floor of my room to my closet and pulled out a mint green dress that had seen better days and a pair of grey woollen socks. The socks I pulled on right away.

With the dress in one hand, I went to a small desk by the window and took a ribbon to tie my hair and also my pride and joy, a belt. Well, it was a belt once back when it was my father's, but I had long since sewed into it a number of pouches which held everything a witch could possibly need to make a spell and more.

Grabbing the belt and my leather low heeled boots by the laces I turned to take the candle with me to the bathroom down the hall with everything else.

Realising that I had no chance of holding a burning candle with two fingers, I glared at the candle and then lifted my eyebrow to make it move.

Some small magic required just a little push from a witch.

Finally after sneaking out of my room and getting ready in the bathroom, I went downstairs while braiding my waist long dark brown hair, to find Julie, so we could finish before others woke up.

She was sitting at the kitchen table, dimming then making the candlelight in front of her flare. Julie didn't have a big reserve of magic, however, she balanced it out with her stubbornness. Which is why we were up this early in the first place - she managed to persuade me to teach her some new spells.

Considering Julie was twelve, she has already had some lessons in magic. She was sent once a month to Madam Elspeth for magic tutoring, as were the other children of our clan. However, she wanted to learn more in between the lessons; in this she reminded me of myself.

When I was her age I demanded the same from my father. It was a shame that he didn't have the time to help her, he was a good teacher.

Both mother and father tried to be there for all of their children. They encouraged them to grow and listened to their worries as often as they could. But most of the time I was there to do their job for them. It made me very sad to have to take their place. More often than not I would act as an intermediator between my parents and my siblings.

Julie turned in her chair and rolled her eyes at me "Took you long enough."

Sometimes I forget how whiny children are when puberty hits them.

Pretending she didn't say anything I finished braiding my hair, tied it, then threw the braid over my shoulder. I went past her to the door by the stove, which led to the backyard, and said "Leave the poor candle alone and grab your boots, were going to the back."

I went out knowing she would follow. It was getting lighter outside, and everything had a bluish tint as dawn was approaching. Stars were still glinting mesmerizingly in the sky. There was something sacred in the early hours when the world was quiet, and only occasionally a sound of birds chirping in the woods could be heard.

We walked on the dewy grass towards the garden, the light of my candle illuminating our path. The garden was quite big as it held everything from vegetables we grew for ourselves and the guests of the inn, to the herbs for our spells. Every self-respecting witch household has a garden. 

However, what I was looking for weren't plants but a patch of dirt on which we could work on.

"What are we going to do?" asked Julia behind me.

"You'll see."

When I stopped we were at the back of our property which was surrounded on all sides with a line of hip high hedge broken only by small wooden gates in a few strategic places.

Evergreen trees was all that we could see around us.

"Ok" I said kneeling on the hard ground "I'm going to teach you some basic defensive spells, two to be precise".

"That's it?!" She said incredulously mimicking my kneeling position.

"It is enough for now. You can complain when you master them", I said coldly.

"Yeah but when I asked you I thought we'll do a summoning or something, anything really that's more fun..." she pouted.

"And what, pray tell, would you summon? Look. I know it's boring but wouldn't you like to be able to defend yourself or even someone who's important to you? Besides with how close we are to the border it would be stupid of us not to know how to defend ourselves."

She thought about that for a second.

"Alright," she nodded solemnly, changing her mind "Let's do some defensive spells!"

"Not so fast, Julie. First you have to learn the sigils." I said and laughed at her fallen expression.

"Come on, Julie. Do what I'm doing."

I leaned forward, clasping my hands, putting my thumbs and my index fingers together. I put my hands as far out as I could, and started to drag them in opposite directions, leaving shallow traces in the dirt. The result was two circles one inside of the other. I looked over to Julie to see that she had done the same.

"Good. Now the space between the lines is where we're going to write. Try to copy as close as you can, and I'll correct you afterwards."

We worked in silence for about 10 minutes. I was writing slowly so she could keep up.

"Awesome!" I said standing up. Surprisingly there was nothing to correct. That she was proud of herself, was evident in her expression.

"Now you're going to do it again and again, until you do it in less than one minute."

After her fifth try she stood up to stretch her legs. I didn't say anything to stop her, she was starting to get sloppy anyways.

"Ilona?" she called. "Why aren't we using magic to draw the sigils, isn't that how these spells work? I mean, you do have to put your magic into writing, right?"

"Yes" I nodded "That's exactly how it works. However, you would tire easily and even if you do make some we don't have enough space to have a dozen magic shields just laying around." I said this gesturing over the small stretch of barren earth which we were standing on.

"Huh, I didn't even ask what spell I'm trying to do is for... This is still way too early for my brain." Julie said.

I smiled apologetically "Sorry, but you know I won't have time to do it later. And neither will you. So don't even think about going back to bed afterwards." I said shaking my index finger at her threateningly.

"Yeah, yeah" she mumbled into her chin, dirty blond hair obscuring her face.

"Anyway. Where were we? Oh yeah, so basically you'll do this until you can write the sigils fast enough. You know, it's possible to have each hand writing a different part simultaneously, but that takes time to master."

"Can you do it?" she asked.

"I can." I answered. I took me years, and a bunch of cramps in my left hand, but I managed to do it. I was proud of myself but didn't show it. I didn't want to sound smug. "Enough chit chat go back to work." I said sternly.

She groaned but obliged.

Four tries later I deemed her fast enough. I wasn't as if we had all day.

I crouched before her and told her to show me her hands.

They were dirty, but still soft and childlike. I smiled at that. I could remember a time when they were so small, no bigger than my palm.

While wiping her palms with a handkerchief, which I always carried in the pocket of my dress, I explained to Julie what the next step is.

"I'm going to rub some oil onto your fingertips which is going to help you channel your magic. Then you're going to actually do the spell."

"Finally," she sighed in relief.

"I presume that Madam Elspeth still teaches her pupils how to channel, so just try to do it like she taught you. Also, try to let your magic write for you. Touch the earth as lightly as you can. When you're done press both palms inside the inner circle and say 'Release'."

I stepped back a few paces putting the vial with oil back to my belt. I was almost near the hedge which was at my back.

Julia scrunched up her face in concentration, closed her eyes, and then slowly relaxed while breathing deeply. Opening her green eyes she released her magic. I felt it, it was like an aura surrounding her whole body.

What she needed to do now, was to focus it only in her fingertips.

She was doing it too slow for my taste, and losing precious magic, although her control was not bad. Julie started to draw the circles her fingers leaving deep gashes that faintly shone blue. She was needlessly pressing too deep, but that will fix itself with time.

A witch doesn't actually depend on a surface to write upon. It can be done in air. Chalk on stone, or pen on a paper can also be used, although that requires directing your magic through the medium you're using. Because of that, for a beginner, the combination of earth and fingers is the best. Who hasn't drawn in sand or dirt with their fingers? It is quite natural, and familiar for everyone, especially for a child.

Finishing her sigils, Julia raised her head looking at me for approval. I started to nod my head so she could continue, when her eyes shifted to something behind me. Her eyes widened and before I could even react, she slammed her palms inside the inner circle shouting "Release."

Her spell activated instantly with an audible pop, with such force that I was thrown back onto the hedge. I was almost thrown head first over it. My teeth rattled in my head painfully from the blast, and slightly dazed I saw, before I felt, that she was tugging my arm painfully to get me inside the protective circle which she had made with her spell. It was bigger than necessary.

I allowed her to pull me into the circle, she seemed distressed, and a person had to be invited to get inside of it anyways. Once inside, I dug my heels in and grabbed a hold of her shoulders. I opened my mouth to ask her why the hell she used so much force, when something made little hairs on the back of my neck rise.

Something was watching us.

Author's Note

Chapter one is up, hope you enjoy it! I'd love to hear what you think!

Reviews

[Clouded0ne]

Okay. For the most part, I enjoyed everything so far. The exposition part about Gregory was I think misplaced. Make it brief, make it vague. It seemed like a lot of work to say what the character ended up stating in one sentence directly after. He's a "Seer". Either tell it through the main character, or use that exposition to create tension that builds to such a realization. Both happening directly is just... too much, becoming boring. When your narrator is in dialogue form or connecting with the universe emotionally, I quite enjoyed it. Your descriptions, however, are definitely not as strong. Your ability to describe things is certainly not as strong as your ability to narrate things. I enjoyed some context with how "witches" do things in this Universe. For the most part, very enjoyable!

[Julijana]

Thank you so much on this review. I definitely was aware that it's a long way from where I want it to eventually be. However, your review has given me another's perspective, I quite appreciate that, and also the fact that you have taken your time to do it thoroughly. I'll certainly take it into consideration when I edit this chapter in the future.

[Zoë]

Hey, I'd love to do a full review of this, but I don't really like this websites format for reviewing. Would you mind if I copied it into a google docs, reviewed it, and then send you the link?

[Julijana]

Hi! I really want to hear what you have to say about this chapter, so go ahead!

[aj milton]

Hard to believe that English may not be your native language. I particularly liked your use of dialogue to keep the pace moving.And I thought it was a good start to a story.

Minor technical point if you wish to write english language novels - you will need to correct some punctuation issues with your dialogue. In several cases you used: "speech." she said with a full stop. Whereas you should use "speech," she said with a comma. But these are minor points and I hardly noticed when I was reading.

[Julijana]

Thank you so much on your review! Serbian is my native language, so reading lots and lots of books in English helped a bit.
Thanks for pointing out the mistakes with dialogue. I'm never sure if I'm punctuating things correctly, I'll fix it up as soon as I'm able.

[aj milton]

Punctuation can always be sorted. Your creativity and story telling looks good - so keep it up!
read morePunctuation can always be sorted. Your creativity and story telling looks good - so keep it up!

To learn the dialogue tags: look here: http://thewritepractice.com/dialogue-tags/ or just google punctuation for dialogue