The Last Apprentice
Chap. 1
I walked from Maklin Tower to Father Stocks home. Even though Father Stocks died a year ago, the Spook bought the home so he could keep an eye on the three witch clans in Pendle.
When I got back from Maklin Tower the Spook and Alice had a scared look on their faces. "What is a matter with you two seems there's a monster behind me!" I tried to joke, but to no avail they still seemed concerned.
"Have you not heard? You are wanted! Set off now, we should." Alice said deeply afraid of what might happen to me.
"Lad, you're in trouble, you're lucky that Grimalkin is not after you too!" The Spook said.
"What happened? Since when have I've been most wanted." I said.
"Tom should leave now! He is in too much danger here," Alice said, but the Spook didn't agree, "at least send him to Anges so he can be safe!"
"No! You're not to be putting bad influences on the boy and do you do send to a witch! You may be one too! Leave us so we can talk, you…..you witch!" The Spook was angrier than ever seen him, and Alice looked like she'd been slapped. I was angry too, so I was not going to take it!
"Don't talk to her that way!" I screamed, now everyone was angry.
"Wait, it is a spell! It is to make allies fight! We need to stop now or we'll be taken over by complete violence and we'll murder each other!" Alice was still angry, but she was trying to help and that was enough for me so I tried to control my anger. The Spook looked like he was trying too. Soon we returned to normal.
"Well maybe knowing a witch's ways is helpful." The Spook said still upset that Alice knew that.
"Maybe we should head off soon though. Anges could help, she is not witch." Alice was getting defensive about her aunt.
"Fine, now get ready to leave." The Spook still had anger in him, but not because of the spell. While after the argument we set off for Chipenden. We stopped about half way through to rest, but not much resting was in involved. Three men came out of the forest holding knives with curved blades that stretched far from the handle.
"The boy is mine!" The largest one said his voice was non-human and very frightening.
"Fine, but I call the girl." The other one called as he walked toward Alice. The man clearly underestimated Alice because she kicked him in the face and he stuttered backwards and he got angrier. Alice grabbed a large stick and swung violently. Soon he was out with one hit. The Spook got the second largest man and easily took him with a few swings of his staff, while I had trouble with my opponent. He was large and very dangerous. He swung quickly, but I ducked quicker. Finally, he over swung and I took the chance and took a shot to his head and he went down. Next, I stabbed, but not in a place where it would kill him of course.
"Knew them, I did. Evil, they are. I wouldn't mess with them normally, but they challenged me and I made them pay for it." Alice sounded offal confident as she spoke. We spent the rest of the night there because of our tiredness after the fight. The Spook toke first turn on watch, the night was peaceful and quiet as we tried to sleep, but no one did, we just rested in the cool breeze of the mid- summer. We nibbled on cheese in the morning. The pale county cheese never tasted better because of the hunger that over took my stomach. When we set off for Chipenden it was very warm, but not to the point where it was hot. Alice and I walked together as the Spook took the lead. "Dated Bony Lizzie, he did. Only wanted him for another puppet like Tusk, she did. He never liked me and I never liked him. He thought I was trying to break him, try to make him look weak, but he did it on his own. Bony Lizzie found out soon enough. Had feelings for Bony Lizzie, he did. Blamed it all on me, he did." Alice said happy that she could prove that he was weak.
"The man with the weird voice, what was it inside of him?" I asked scared of the answer.
"Almost like terror, it is, but to your voice and only warlocks can use it because they can't use terror or glamour or fascination." Alice said very simply.
"Oh, oh okay," I said sort of confused what a warlock was, "he just trying to scare us."
"A warlock is a man that is a witch." Alice said obviously knowing that I had no idea what a warlock was.
"Keep up!" The Spook yelled. He was not happy that me and Alice were so close. A few hours later we approached our house and the boggart started to growl. We all wondered why too. "What is a matter with the boggart?" said the Spook. All we heard after that was Alice scream.