Witch, Wolf, Woods

CHAPTER 6: LIFE WITH AN AFFINITY

And so, Katja's life with an affinity began.

In addition to her regular schooling, she also worked with the Hexen members who shared her connection to metal, Tante Olwyn and Tante Bettina.

At first, Tante Bettina was incredibly imposing, built like a lumberjack with strong muscles earned by years of swinging heavy hammers and managing the bellows and forge of the smithy. One raised eyebrow from her conveyed more than a shout from most other Hexen, and she walked with purpose, as if she couldn't get where she was going fast enough, making anyone with shorter legs or simply a shorter stride jog in odd intervals to keep up with her.

But, despite her appearance, Tante Bettina was always patient when explaining new things and while she didn't tolerate horseplay or silly behavior when there was work to be done—involving volatile compounds and fire, no less—she was always quick to laugh and didn't seem to take anything personally.

In a way, Tante Bettina reminded Katja of Molly, the large palomino draft horse who had found sanctuary with the Hexen after its previous owner had no more use for it once it could no longer pull a cart.

Katja had initially been intimidated by the enormous creature, but after Molly had given her head a thorough sniff, she had accepted Katja's proffered apple slice, nickering her appreciation. Every time Katja visited her after that, she lowered her head so Katja could reach her ears, which she loved to have scratched, and Katja had trouble remembering she'd ever found the creature frightening.

From Tante Bettina, Katja gained experience working with large pieces of metal, helping to create and repair items such as gates, grilles, railings, sickles, axes, plows, hammers, gardening tools, wagons, wheels, chains, and hinges, in addition to making nails and tools.

Tante Bettina worked with all types of metal, but she spent a great deal of time with iron, and it seemed to Katja there was nothing the blacksmith couldn't persuade that particular metal to do. She learned terms like bending (hammering a piece of hot iron to make it curve), drawing (hammering the sides of a piece of iron to make it longer or thinner), and upsetting (hammering the end of a piece of metal to make it shorter and fatter).

She also learned to use a chisel against hot iron, guiding, shaping, and sometimes splitting the metal.

While Tante Bettina preferred to work on outdoor objects, Tante Olwyn focused her affinity on items that lived inside the castle, and she took this position quite seriously, as if any metal inside the structure was a direct reflection of her and her ability.

She taught Katja to work on items such as handles for drawers and doors, cooking and eating utensils, light fixtures ranging from candelabras to candlesticks, as well as sewing machines. She introduced Katja to witches with an affinity for wood and showed her how to collaborate with them to build furniture, creating tables, sofas, desks, and doors.

She also taught Katja to work with glassblowers to create large and small mirrors that would be edged in metal, a day Katja was certain stretched on for at least a week as she tried hard to avoid looking at her own reflection.

The more she learned, the more Katja became aware of just what an integral role a metallurgist played in the Hexen. It seemed Tante Bettina and Tante Olwyn provided everyone in the community with something, and many of the witches weren't able to use their affinity without some provision from the metallurgists.

Katja hadn't necessarily thought about this until a seamstress visited Tante Bettina one day seeking nails—of course it was impossible to repair shoes without nails, and Katja felt both important and helpful, knowing her work allowed others to pursue their own creations.