Authors note. Thank you for checking my story out. This is my first finished and published story. I hope you will enjoy and please, don't be too harsh if you want to leave a feedback. That would be greatly appreciated. This fanfic was written during couple of very boring lectures during my First World War module (subject). Also, it has been proofread and beta'd by my friend, because English is not my first language, but as with everyone, there might be couple of mistakes here and there. I hope you will excuse those. Anyway, thank you for reading my first published story and I hope you enjoy it.

Rowena.

She was sitting on the bed in her room thinking about the coming night. It was going to be a big night for the young witch. It would be her first big Sabbath and the initiation to the clan. Rowena was excited and scared at the same time, it wouldn't be easy to get accepted, she would have to take part in a difficult ritual and not mess it up at all. She was confidant, for the witch had been practising for the last month or so, but the fear was nagging at the back of her mind.

So all Rowena could do now was sit on her bed and recite the spell for the ritual and play it all in her head. She was waiting for her mother, also a witch from the coven, to come and pick her up so they could go to the woods. It was too early, for they had to wait for night to fall and the girl had done all her work around the house. Mother had let her rest before the ritual and recite the spell some more.

Rowena was never clumsy, it was not in her nature, but she was so nervous that her daily work was not her best. She managed to smash a couple of plates and drop an egg. Milking the goat also did not go as smoothly as it usually did. But she would not let it affect her, she will be a great witch, she will be known as the Great Witch Rowena, the most powerful witch in the world.

Rowena could hear stairs creaking, then the floor and finally the door to her room. Her eyes were closed and she heard her mother, Morwena, walk into the room. She opened her eyes and looked at her mother. Really, Rowena was like a little copy of her mother, same fiery ginger hair, bright green eyes and small frame. Her mother was slim and Rowena hoped that she could grow up to be just like her, for Morwena was the most beautiful woman in the village.

"It's time to go to the woods child. Are you ready?"

"Yes, mother, I'm ready."

The young witch got out of her bed, careful not to wrinkle her dress too much. It was a special dress her mother sewed her just for today. It was made of dark green fabric and felt nice against her young, delicate skin. They came downstairs and Morwena took two black cloaks from her bedroom and wrapped one of them around Rowena. The other she put on her own shoulders. Next, Morwena took a black bundle in which the older witch had a couple of black candles and a couple of different dried plants for the ritual. She had them prepared for the night.

When they stepped out of the house Morwena indicated for Rowena to wait for her. The older witch returned with a couple of rabbits that would also be used in the ritual. The blood had to flow for the Lady of Darkness, Lilith. The Coven of Lilith, the most powerful coven in the land, they said. That is why it was so important and so demanding of the young girls who wanted to join or who had to, because their mothers or aunts were part of the Coven.

So after all the necessary parts had been assembled they set off to go to the place in the woods where the rituals were set to be performed. They walked in silence pondering about what would happen in the next few hours. Rowena was still nervous and kept mixing words of the spell in that one place while Morwena was trying to mentally send her daughter the strength without actually casting a little spell, it was very tempting.

"Do not be scared, Rowie," Morwena said suddenly. It was so strange to hear her mother using that nickname she used to use when Rowena was a toddler. She was startled for a moment but composed herself fast.

"I'm quite alright, mother. You needn't worry for me, I shall not fail you," and it was what Rowena truly believed. The last thing she wanted was to disappoint her mother despite her being harsh sometimes.

Again they walked in silence. It was not awkward or uncomfortable, in fact it was something needed. A silence before the storm, as they say, a silence before the big turn in the life of a young witch. Not for her alone, for when they came to the clearing there were already a couple of girls Rowena's age visible here and there standing with their families. Those young faces full of mixed feelings of fright and excitement.

Rowena imagined her own face did not look that much different from that of those other girls. In truth she hoped it wasn't the case, it was not the prettiest face she could pull off. She looked to her mother and Morwena gave her a small but very affectionate smile which was so warm, like a summer sun on her face. Then Morwena looked away and to the crowd of witches gathered and gathering all about them.

Witches of different ages were gathered at last. All of them waiting for the most important witch, the oldest one to speak and start the gathering, to start the ritual of ascension.

"Greetings, witches and future sisters of the Coven of our Lady Lilith," the really old looking lady said in an authoritative voice. The High Witch of the Coven. When she started to speak, everyone went silent in an instant.

"I'm sure you are all aware that tonight we greet new members, new sisters to our ever growing coven, growing in numbers and growing in power. Only the most promising and powerful witches can enter this coven and become part of us, our shared power and enjoy the glory of protection of our Lady Lilith. For she oversees all and it is she, Darkness incarnate, which gives our natural magic that extra strength."

"Now that you all understand this, we shall begin the initiation ritual. We have five girls here and I ask that they come forth to the middle and each take one point of the pentagram that is etched in the ground."

Morwena pushed Rowena gently to make her move and followed her to the pentagram in the middle. They came to the nearest one to them and Rowena stood on the point etched in black. As she stood there the witch looked around and saw the other four witches about her own age taking their places.

"Now see here, girl. I got these for you, so you better not waste my effort," Morwena handed her the ingredients that she would need in just a couple of moments.

Rowena took the bundle and looked into her mother eyes, saw the tender look Morwena gave her and then they broke the eye-contact before Morwena turned around and went to stand with the other witches, to watch the ritual happen.

"Now we shall start the ritual. Please, ascendants, prepare your gifts to our Lady Lilith," said the High Witch of the coven.

Rowena unwrapped the black material and saw that on the inside it had an image of the same symbol she was standing on. She put it on the ground, the plants on top of it still, next to the rabbit, still alive and struggling to get free from the ropes.

"We shall start with you," the High Witch pointed to one of the girls, "and then we will go from her left hand-side,"

Again she pointed as she said this. Rowena was, thus, third. Right in the middle, it wasn't so bad.

The first girl took the bunch of plants, same as hers, lit it on fire and as she did, she was chanting the rhyme, repeating it three times. So did the second one, even if her voice was a bit shaky. Rowena bent to retrieve the dried plants and lit them on fire and chanted, imagining that she was, in fact, not here. That there were no witches looking at her, that she was alone, in her bedroom, reciting, rather than doing it for real. Success and the next girl took over.

The second round was more chanting. This time it was longer and more complicated than the last one, but again, all girls did it correctly. Then it was time for the bloodletting, using the poor rabbits as sacrifices, whilst chanting some more, of course.

The knife in her hands trembled slightly. Just a long, quick cut across the neck, let the blood soak into the ground and be done with it.

Once that was done, the High Witch went around and painted the same symbol on each girls' forehead with her long pointy finger using the blood of the rabbit. She looked at them all with a strange proud look, she clearly was pleased that all five girls passed the test.

"I hope you will make our coven proud and grow to be great witches," the High Witch said and they were all dismissed to return home and rest until the next meeting, next Sabbath.

Rowena took the black fabric her mother used as a bundle from the ground as Morwena came closer to pick her up. Her face was positively radiant, Rowena thought, looking at her mother and being glad and amazed at herself for leading out a first perfect ritual.

As they went back home Rowena thought to herself that this ritual definitely was not the last, or best she will achieve in her long life to come.