The Witch of The Woods Ch. 02

"Living in Eastern Europe, I knew a lot of Vlads," Christine laughed. "But no, I haven't met The Impaler. I lived in France during both his reigns."

Awkward silence hung up over the dinner table. Situation was saved by the doorbell.

"It's the girls," Alice jumped up, happy to get out of the table. "I'll go chat, okay, Mom?"

"S-sure, honey," Molly nodded.

There were some oohs and aahs and squealing at the front door, then it all became quiet again as the girls moved to the terrace in front of the house. Molly and Richard were dead silent still. Christine looked them over.

"What? You're all okay with the fact I'm an actual witch, but my age shocks you? Get over it, try the wine," she grabbed the already uncorked bottle and poured everyone a glass.

Molly tentatively reached for the glass, took a sip, and her eyes went wide.

"Oh my God, this is amazing! What's this? There's no label on the bottle..."

"It's my own make," the witch grinned.

"Y-you have a vineyard down there too?"

"Oh no, too much hassle. I buy grapes in bulk, then experiment. This one is 1979, the year I moved into Caldwell."

"I was a tiny girl," Molly whispered. "How old are you exactly?"

"Nearly eight hundred," Christine deadpanned, sipping her wine. "I'm not even the oldest of the Coven."

Richard took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.

"Christine," he began. "We got a favor to ask."

"It's not like we planned to ambush you with this... we didn't... it just came up today while we were talking with Alice... and..."

"Molly, calm down," Christine said, smiling softly. "You're rambling again."

"Right... so. We want you to take Alice as a student," the woman blurted out and then immediately downed the rest of her glass.

Christine frowned.

"Or... an apprentice? I don't know what's that called," Richard interjected.

"No, I understand what you mean," the witch responded. "But you both don't."

She put her hands on the table, palms down, and started speaking, slowly and quietly, looking in front of her.

"It wasn't uncommon for families to give their daughters to the witches, back in the day. Starving peasantry, dishonored nobility - they all just wanted a better life for their children. But the truth is once the girl is inducted into the world of magic, once her initiation is complete, she stops being... normal. Society instinctively pushes us away, makes us outcasts, exiles. There would be no way to reintegrate for her, and she will live a very long life alone among the trees."

"That was my idea," Alice said, stepping into the dining room. "Mom and dad agreed with it. It's for the best."

Christine gave the girl a long inquisitive look, then looked at Molly and Richard. Both nodded in agreement, not saying a word. Alice sat back at the table.

"What do you want, child?" The witch asked, looking into her eyes.

"I want to become a witch." The girl held her gaze. "To become strong and fearless, like you."

"And what will you do when you become one?"

"I will help people, like you do!"

Christine lowered her eyes and shook her head.

"It doesn't happen like you think it does. Yes, I helped you and I might've helped a lot of people around here, but it's not my mission - our mission. We are the last keepers of magical knowledge on Earth, our mission is to preserve it while maintaining the balance of power and making sure humanity doesn't destroy itself. You might think we haven't been doing a good job of it lately, but it's just how the pendulum swings."

She looked at the girl again.

"It might take decades until we see improvement, and the Coven just won't allow you to go around committing good unbounded in the meantime - that disturbs the balance too much. Are you sure you have enough patience for the long haul?"

"Were you ready for all this when you became a witch?" The girl deflected.

Christine shrugged.

"It was about survival, I didn't have much of a choice. But impatient witches die young - I had to learn that quickly," she finished with a pained expression on her face and stood up.

"I will have you as an apprentice if you do decide to take that path. But this is your decision to make, Alice. The brunt of responsibility is yours to bear too."

She turned to Molly.

"Thank you for the wonderful dinner, Molly. I'll see myself out. Good night, Richard," she nodded to the man and went out, leaving the family sitting silent around the table.

-//-

"You weren't this picky before! Why are you even kicking yourself about it?" The mirror asked.

Christine was half-laying on the couch with a glass of wine in her hand.

"Because it's different, Ena! Saving girls from poverty, abusive families, authorities - it's all different! We smashed Alice's nightmare for good, a bit of therapy and she would've been in the perfect shape to return to her people. She could go back to college, graduate, get married, have a normal boring human life, but noooo, she wants all of this instead and at some point she'll have to face the fact that even her closest family can't stand her around! And I've set that trap myself!"

"Did you give her your usual spiel about decision and responsibility?"

"Who do you take me for? I've been doing this for centuries," the witch scoffed and took a healthy swig.

"Then it's not your problem anymore!"

Christine looked at the mirror with a hint of doubt.

"Don't you find it unethical - putting this kind of weight on a child without her realizing... well, most of it?"

"Oh, ethical-shmethical, it's not like you're sending her to the crystal mines of Arcadia! From what I know of today's human kids, they'd fucking kill for an opportunity like that, thanks to Jo Ro."

The witch sighed.

"Yeah, kids today... oof... brutal."

-//-

Belgian waffles with maple syrup, assorted berries with cream, tea - everything was served on the dinner table in the spacious kitchen by the time Liv stepped through the front door, dressed in a simple t-shirt and jeans and carrying a small backpack.

"Good morning, Christine," the girl said somewhat shyly. "Well... here I am, I guess."

"Oh, perfect timing!" The witch appeared from the kitchen and gave the girl a little hug. "Breakfast's ready."

"Y-you were expecting me?"

"Yes, little bird told me you're coming."

"Just who do you call little?" Bart cawed.

Liv jumped, startled, and turned to face the coat rack, on which the raven was currently perched.

"Olivia, meet Bartholomew, my eye in the sky," Christine chuckled, watching big-eyed Liv give him a little wave. "Bart, meet Liv, my newest apprentice."

"N-nice to make your acquaintance," the girl stammered.

"The pleasure is all mine," the raven gave her a dignified nod.

"Now come, girl, let's eat," the witch, amused, took her hand and led her to the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Liv pushed the plate with an unfinished waffle away and suppressed a burp.

"That... oof," she exhaled. "That was amazing! But the amount of carbs in there..."

"You won't miss your gym, I promise," Christine's lips curled upwards. "My curriculum won't let you lose your form, and pretty soon you'll learn to control it with... other means."

"You mean you don't work out?" Liv looked at her incredulously. "But... your body..."

Christine chose to wear a dress today, tight one, nicely hugging her curves and leaving very little to imagination. She looked down at herself.

"While it's mostly what I looked like in my thirties, I'm not even forty anymore," she took a sip of her tea. "I learned body magic centuries before humanity came up with the concept of working out for health and beauty benefits. The greatest pro-point? I can eat like a pig and stay gorgeous," she giggled. "There are much more important things in a witch's life than worrying about the number on your scales."

She put the cup down and stood up.

"Come now, I'll give you a nickel tour."

A tour of the grounds and a lesson in navigating in the forest took the better part of the morning. The compasses didn't work here, so Christine showed the girl the most important landmarks to orient on. Nearing lunchtime, they moved back into the house, and Liv learned to operate the kitchen - it didn't require magic, just some conductor (a musical one) skills.

"Are they alive?" Liv asked, warily eyeing the chef's knife chopping away on the onion head with surgical precision - completely on its own.

"Not really," the witch shook her head. "Enchanted - yes, and they draw the power from ambient magic resources around, so they don't drain you. But cups behave like scared mice for some reason."

Despite the girl being adamant she's able to burn water, she managed to cook, under Christine's supervision and guidance, a nice lunch for the two of them - a German potato salad.

Christine's phone chimed when they were cleaning up the table. "I'm at the road's end. Pick me up?" the message from Alice said.

"Uh, Liv?"

"You're going out? Somebody arrived?" The girl asked.

"Y-yeah, how did you know?" Christine frowned.

"It's just a feeling I get sometimes, like I know the intent," she shrugged. "Saved my ass a couple times. It's weird."

"No, it's not weird. It makes you special," the witch smiled.

-//-

Alice, jeans and t-shirt, much like Liv, was standing beside her parent's car, with Molly and Richard hovering around. Seeing Christine emerge from the undergrowth, the girl stepped forward, grabbing her duffle bag.

"Mooom, I'm not going to the moon!" She rolled her eyes at Molly's unwillingness to let go. "It's even closer than college, and we can talk on the phone every day!"

"She'll be alright here, Molly, I promise," the witch smiled. "You can let go now."

A bit of tears had been shed, and they were finally walking down the hill.

"It wasn't a hard decision, you know," Alice said, looking under her feet. "I wasn't fitting in already. None of the sororities wanted me, cliques avoided me. Even my roommate in the dorm was barely 'hello' and 'goodbye'."

"Here's hoping you'll have a better connection with your new one," Christine smiled.

"Oh, you have other apprentices?" The girl looked up.

"Just one, as of today's morning. Olivia Wheeler."

"The slut?" Alice's brows shot up.

"Hey, none of that!" The witch frowned. "I won't allow any kind of shaming on these grounds. Besides, I prefer the term 'sex-positive'."

Liv, somewhat flushed, was standing in front of the mirror when they came in. She turned on the spot, a bit too fast and awkward, and gave them a little smile. Making friends? This should be interesting.

Alice dropped her bag on the floor in the hallway and stepped forward.

"Hey, Liv," she offered somewhat tensely.

"Hey, Alice," Liv made her own step. "I heard what happened, it's horrible! Glad you're okay."

"Yeah," Alice shrugged it off. "I guess, it's not a secret anymore, since we're both here for the same reason... Christine saved me."

"For real?" Liv's eyes went wide, darting between Alice and Christine.

"Alice will tell you later, if she's comfortable telling that story," Christine stepped into the living room. "Right now, please, be seated."

Girls got comfortable on the couch, and the witch chose the armchair facing them.

"Today," she began. "Marks the beginning of..."

A quiet high-pitched whine, growing louder very fast, interrupted her speech. The air in front of the fireplace condensed into a black cloud, which suddenly evaporated with a quiet pop, pushing out a blonde girl in a frilly yellow sundress. The girl stumbled in place, keeping her balance, then turned on the spot and, noticing the witch in the chair, grinned wide.

"Christine! I figured it out!"

"And just in time, I might add," Christine smiled, nodding. "Alice, Olivia, meet Margaret."

Peggy noticed the two girls on the couch, sitting there somewhat stunned by the show, her smile faltering. She straightened up and ran her hands on her dress, smoothing the folds out.

"Um... hello, Alice, Liv," she offered quietly.

"Hi, Pegs," Liv, who already recovered from the initial shock of Peggy's arrival, grinned.

Alice just smiled and nodded.

"Okay, before we begin, take a seat," Christine nodded at the couch. "And tell me how you portalled here."

"Um... so, I had this huge fight with my father," Peggy began, sitting down with her hands in her lap, tugging at the hem of her dress in a manner Christine saw before.

The witch frowned, but nodded at her to continue.

"He tried to force me to go to the gynecologist again to confirm I'm still saving myself..."

"What an asshole," Alice whispered. Liv nodded in agreement.

"And I told him off," Peggy lifted her head and straightened her back. "I said I'm of age now, and don't have to comply with his illegal demands. He started to threaten me, and I just stormed out. I was walking down the street... I was really angry... and I was squeezing the stone in my hand... and... ended up here?"

Christine nodded. Still more questions than answers, but she's manifesting in a controllable manner.

"We'll take care of it tomorrow, when we get to grab your things. You're moving here, apprentice," she smiled.

Peggy's face lit up. She practically bounced in her seat, a huge smile plastered on her face.

"As I was saying earlier," the witch began again. "Today marks the beginning of a new life for each of you. It is a long journey, sometimes exhausting, sometimes dangerous, but always exciting, and sometimes very fun," she bowed her head with a smile.

"It is a path through which you are guided by the ones that are like you," she continued. "It is a life without masters, not bound by the stupid petty laws of men. The only law you will follow is Do No Evil But Good For All."

The witch clapped her hands.

"The dramatic part is over now," she smiled and announced. "Bartholomew, Tenebrae, Ena."

The raven flew into the open window and perched on top of the mirror, looking the audience over with one eye, then the other. The mirror rippled, darkened, and the reflection disappeared, giving way to the visage of a young fair-skinned girl with bright eyes, cute upturned nose and short blue hair, wrapped in a sarong which struggled to contain her curves. The girl waved and smiled. Dark mist crept into the living room, morphing into the human-like featureless silhouette. The dark figure stood tall beside the mirror, folding its arms.

"Girls, meet my friends," Christine said. "They will assist me in the teaching process. Each of them can be trusted, and each of them is a reliable source of information on all things magical."

Alice, who hadn't met any of the other inhabitants of the house before, sat frozen on the couch, her face one of pure amazement. Liv nodded to the raven, smiled at Ena and proceeded to eye Shade with curiosity. Peggy was smiling shyly, her eyes darting between the three of them.

"Greetings, apprentices," the trio said in unison.

A discordant chorus of hi's and hello's was the response.

"A brief tour of the house is in order, after which I will finally show you to your accommodations," the witch stood up. "Follow me, please."

She headed to the hallway, the girls following in her steps. They passed the kitchen, crossed the spacious entryway and stepped into the lab.

"That's where the magic happens," Christine made a broad gesture with her hand. "I know it sounds cheesy, but seriously, you'll spend a lot of time here, once you get a taste for potions. I also do scientific research here, so don't touch my toys without my permission."

The girls took the surroundings with astonishment the lab deserved - cabinets with samples and reagents along the walls, a couple of advanced microscopes on the desk in the corner, and a huge chemlab that would've made Walter White ecstatic in the middle.

"You... do research?" Alice, slack-jawed, looked around. "Do you publish?"

"Some of it, yeah," Christine nodded. "I actually own several widely used patents, so money stopped being an issue a long time ago."

"Wow!" Liv looked at her with eyes wide. "So you're, like, a real scientist?"

The witch chuckled.

"I finished Berkeley, twice, under different names, and got my PhDs in biology and chemistry. Yeah, I'm a real scientist. With an unreal area of expertise."

She sat down in one of the chairs and looked at the girls with a very serious expression.

"First thing you have to understand coming here is pretty simple - the way science has been evolving for the last several thousand years is a one-sided approach to a very complex field. Due to the spread of religions, people cut themselves off from magic, and then went even further, writing it off completely as a tale for children."

Christine raised her hands and folded them together in front of her chest, then slowly parted them, spreading them slowly, making a small ball of lightning form in the air between. The girls gasped, now in unison, all three watching the show with wide eyes.

"Physicists built the first stable plasma containment field only recently. I had this trick mastered ages before Ben Franklin caught his lightning."

She clapped her hands, making the lightning fizzle and disappear, and held her finger up.

"Only by combining the scientific knowledge amassed by humanity with a deep understanding of magic, the deeper mysteries of the Universe can be uncovered. Are you still with me?"

Liv blinked, Alice closed her mouth.

"That's... incredible! You mean we will be able to do that too?" Peggy shook her head.

"That and much more," Christine laughed. "Let's go, the serious part is over for now."

She shooed them out of the lab and led them down to the far end of the house, commenting as they went.

"These doors across the hallway from the main living room lead to the library. Feel free to read anything you find in there but don't take the books out of the house. Put them back when you're done reading."

She pushed another door down the hall.

"Here's the laundry room. Washing machines, dryers. There's an iron and an ironing board too. I don't iron, by the way."

"Uh... I have a question!" Alice chimed. "You don't use magic to clean?"

"A good question! And an important one! In short - I don't. Long version - menial tasks take absolute loads of magic to power them, and technology is much more effective now. But I can clean using magic, when in a pinch. You'll learn too."

"W-what about food?" Peggy asked.

"About the same. My kitchen is automated with magic," Christine stopped and turned to them. "But I still cook and I actually buy my groceries, with real money, if you can believe it. Thing is, materializing a medium-rare steak takes a physical toll on your body equal to a half an hour long high-intensity cardio workout, and also requires magic enough to power the entire Caldwell for a minute, if you convert it to electricity. That's lesson number two - energy conservation and mass-energy equivalence laws still apply."

Christine pushed the last door in the hallway and walked in.

"And now - my favorite room in the house."

The girls carefully followed the witch into a large room with a pool taking the most of it. The walls were decorated with wooden panels, and the far wall was a single window overlooking the forest. The pool looked big enough to fit at least a dozen people, and the water was slightly steaming.

"Japanese-style bath, always hot. I'm sure you'll come to appreciate it in the winter."

"Is this magic too?" Liv asked.

"Nah, that would drain my reserves in a day. There's a hot spring under the house, that's why I chose this place. Before you ask - electricity comes from solar panels on the roof and several small wind turbines around the house, hot water in the pipes - from a huge boiler in the basement. There are also power batteries hidden in the interior walls, with total capacity enough for a month of moderate consumption."