Witch, Wolf, Woods

CHAPTER 12: UNWELCOME NEWS & A BRILLIANT IDEA

The next morning, Katja tried to blend in with the other witches streaming into the Treffen Hall, most of whom were chatting excitedly and wondering what the address from Sprechen Dorothea would be about.

She kept her eyes on her feet as much as possible, although she could feel the stares, both those that clung to her and those that refused to linger, sliding away like water off the feathers of the ducks she watched in the Neckar River. Some of the younger Hexen likely wondered who she was since she so rarely participated in group activities unless, like this address, attendance was required.

At one point she lifted her head and swept her eyes around the room, looking for someone she might feel comfortable sitting with, but instead her gaze landed on a girl a few years younger than herself. The girl was staring at her and quickly nudged another girl before pointing straight at Katja.

Katja's heartbeat stammered, and she quickly dropped her eyes back to the table before her, reaching up and letting her fingers make contact with the wolf pendant.

Something about touching it, and being reminded of its solidity, made her feel better, like she wasn't quite so alone. Even if no one else could see it, she liked feeling as if she had an ally, someone on her side, while she endured the inevitable stares and whispers.

Thankfully, Sprechen Dorothea strode into view a few minutes before seven o'clock, being nothing if not punctual, and climbed the steps to take her place at a podium made of woven willow tree branches. She touched her fingers to the side of her throat, applying an amplification spell, then spoke.

"Good morning, fellow Hexen," she said with a smile. "Thank you for taking time out of your day to be here. I won't keep you long, but there has been some rather disturbing news I believe everyone should be aware of."

At that, even Katja raised her head, and everyone stared up at the podium expectantly.

"I was speaking with the foresters we are fortunate to be accommodating," the Sprechen continued, "and they confirmed something many of us have suspected for a while now—the Schwarzwald is spreading."

A murmur rose from the crowd, and Katja saw many of the older Hexen shudder, their faces darkening with worry. Sprechen Dorothea raised a hand, and the hall fell silent.

"Most of you know this, but it bears repeating if it is never to be forgotten. Hundreds of years ago, witches lived peacefully inside the Schwarzwald, welcomed there by the Waldkonig, the entity charged with caring for the forest. As time passed, however, the witches and the Forest King differed over their feelings towards those humans who couldn't use magic, or Nichts, as we call them.

"The witches believed they could safely live alongside Nichts as long as they were taught not to fear those who could wield magic. The Forest King disagreed. He believed those who could use magic were superior to those who couldn't in every single way. The witches fought him on this, interacting with Nichts and even welcoming them to live in the Schwarzwald."

Sadness filled the Sprechen's eyes.

"Finally, the Forest King decided witches were no longer welcome in his domain. We're not sure how it happened, but we do know he incited the non-magical humans against our kind, orchestrating the Great Purge that left so many Hexen dead or displaced. Countless witches were burned at the stake by the very humans they'd been fighting for, and the few who survived were fortunate enough to discover this castle, where they found sanctuary.

"A truce was eventually reached," she continued, grasping the sides of the podium, "wherein the area to the east of the Neckar River would be the domain of the witches, with the Schwarzwald becoming the territory of the Waldkonig. We do not enter his forest, and he does not leave it.