Witch, Wolf, Woods

CHAPTER 3: BAD WITCHES & SCARY STORIES

The next morning, Katja and the other girls followed Tante Bettina into a classroom to assess their aptitude for teaching.

They were to begin by rotating through different pairs, each taking a turn instructing the other how to complete a simple task. After this, each girl was to stand up before the entire group and provide a short, informative lecture about anything of her choosing.

Katja was initially paired with Elise, who was bossy and taught without once asking if Katja understood the task at hand, and she felt a rush of relief when it was time to switch partners.

Unfortunately for Katja, she didn't find anything enjoyable about teaching. She became so self-conscious when another girl sat down across from her, their eyes immediately latching on to the scar on her face, that she stumbled over her words, forgot where she was, or taught things out of order. When the pairings were done, Katja heaved a deep sigh, already tired even though this was the first test of the day.

When it was her turn to speak in front of the group, she wasn't certain what to talk about and eventually settled on describing the interesting things she'd seen outside the dormitory window, such as the animals around the Neckar River and the way the trees changed with the seasons.

She could tell the others thought it was a boring topic, and the more she spoke, the more embarrassed she became, her cheeks burning as she forced herself to finish. When her time was over, she practically dove back into her seat, letting her long hair fall to cover as much of her face as possible.

After this, the girls met with the Hexen in charge of overseeing the cleaning of the castle, which first and foremost necessitated a passion for cleanliness, followed by the ability to oversee the Helferin, spelled creatures created for the specific purpose of keeping such a large space clean.

Katja didn't mind cleaning and found it a good time to think about other things, her mind free to wander where it would while sweeping or scrubbing or pushing a mop. Neither she nor any of the other girls demonstrated an affinity for supervising the Helferin, however, and after lunch, they made their way to the library for the final test of the day.

Katja loved the library. It was far below ground, protected by spells that would keep it safe even if the castle above was on fire. It had once been the castle dungeon but had been transformed following the arrival of the Hexen, who had sought sanctuary in the abandoned palace over two hundred years ago, when witches across the land had been hunted down and burned at the stake during a particularly dark period known as the Great Purge.

Sunlight wasn't especially kind to parchment or old documents, and although there was plenty of illumination among the stacks, Katja always thought the library seemed to be draped in welcoming shadows, which suited her just fine. One of the librarians was waiting for them near the entrance, a woman Katja liked named Tante Winola.

Tante Winola was quite small, and there was something bird-like about her. She had short curly brown hair and wore a pince-nez on a chain around her neck. Her eyes were so dark, they were almost black, and she always studied whoever or whatever she was focused on with an intensity that could be unsettling.

"Greetings!" she said with a smile, clasping her hands in front of her chest in excitement. "Welcome to our very own temple of enlightenment. I'm familiar with some of you," she smiled at Katja, "but others I have yet to see grace these hallowed hallways." Her gaze swept over the others with mild disappointment, and Katja fought down a grin.

Tante Winola gave them a tour of the library, although they only visited the first and second floors, after which she took them into a large room and showed them how to preserve ancient texts with spells, potions, and the application of certain herbs. She also showed them how to rebind books that were falling apart and how to properly care for books as they aged. Katja found it all fascinating, unlike Elise, who kept getting reprimanded for talking when she should have been paying attention.