"Your aim's still a little off my dear," commented Sabine without taking her eyes off of her knitting. Having sent Alexis and Ben to do recognisance on the town, the older woman was the only one knowledgeable and comfortable enough to offer Gretel any sort of training. "Trust your instincts. You intuitively know how to do this, just believe in yourself.

Gretel rolled her eyes. Clearly this was a case of easier said than done. She could fight witches in her sleep and was looking forward to paying back Andrea for everything she inflicted upon Hansel, but Sabine believed that their usual methods of hunting would be ineffectual against the Grand Witch now. There was also the fact that this coven of witches seemed to have no desire to join them in a fight and with Hansel still not at a hundred percent, that left her, Ben and Edward to deal with the coming threat.

The young hunter went back to destroying bales of hay across the field. Her reach was definitely expanding but the punch and accuracy was still something to be desired. The element of surprise had worked when they rescued Hansel but when they went up against the coven again, she knew she would have to deliver the goods and not carefully worded threats to try and scare them off.

Edward approached the field at a painfully slow rate, even for him. His precious cargo demanded carefully treatment and even though Gretel would probably be displeased, the troll couldn't say no to Hansel's request. Even if he could deny a request from a witch, he still wouldn't have been able to stand by and watch Hansel's feeble attempts to escape the confines of bed on his own.

The hunter would never admit that he needed help but the death grip he had on Edward as they slowly made their way across the field was evidence enough of his still weakened condition. Being vertical was a whole new challenge these days and Hansel had to dig deep to push his way through the light-headedness that plagued him upon standing.

The uneven ground that wouldn't have been an issue before was torturous, doing nothing for his already compromised balance. If the troll hadn't taken pity on him, offering a steady shoulder to lean against, Hansel was sure he'd still be a sad heap by the cottage door. The path to the field wasn't far but to his tired aching body, he had just undertook and arduous journey.

The pair stood at the very edge of the field watching Gretel practice the craft that was hers by birth. Hansel tried to keep an open mind and not let his disdain for magic fuel the hurt and hatred that lingered beneath the surface. He knew what was at stake, both for the inevitable battle on the horizon and the rest of their lives.

It was hard to take a lifetime of hate and see the positives. But Gretel had sacrificed so much, against his wishes, and he couldn't let her face the inevitable consequences on her own. Their world, which was wrought with danger before, had become even more treacherous. Not only did they have to fear the witches and monsters that roamed the dark but the everyday villagers would now have cause to see them harm when they caught wind of Gretel's new abilities.

The lesser of two evil, that's what Hansel had chosen when he agreed to let Gretel help him. The begging, though it broke his heart, could have been ignored. It was that determined look in her eyes that had told him not matter what happened, she was going to embrace this part of them. Sure she would have stopped after his death but it would only have been temporary. The all consuming pull, the delicate whispers in the dark, would have been too much for Gretel to ignore forever and eventually she would have picked up the wand again. Though a little piece of Hansel died every time he saw the magic emanate from within her, he would do his job and protect her; no matter how many more enemies they would gain.

"She'll get it," offered Sabine with a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she made her way back down the trail to the cottage giving the group their privacy. Hansel gave a solemn nod. He had no doubt that his sister had the ability to master magic; that still didn't make it right. How many other witches had they hunted down that started with the best intentions?

Gretel paused for a moment to catch her breath. Using magic required a stamina unlike anything else she did. The potential of what she could do would make all their current weapons and tricks look like child's play, but she still didn't have enough control over it; at least not enough that she was willing to risk Hansel's life. They had worked so hard to rescue him, heal him, and still Andrea was out there lurking in the shadows, waiting to take it all away from them.

She caught sight of Hansel out of the corner of her eye. It was easy to forget how fragile he was when they were sitting at the breakfast table engaging in what was now forced banter, but seeing him hanging on to Edward for dear life, hit home just how close she came to losing everything.

Gretel made her way over to the pair cautiously. She had never had to tread so lightly around her brother before, but their bond was a delicate string right now, one wrong move and it would snap. They had never had such different views before and unfortunate their inherited stubbornness was only making the situation more difficult.

Offering the troll a big genuine smile, Gretel slipped her arm around Hansel's waist. "I've got him, thanks Edward."

The large creature looked at the two hunters he dared to consider friends, with hope. The tension wasn't just felt by the siblings but Edward and Ben as well. Receiving a reassuring nod from the young man clinging to him, Edward offered an understanding head tilt before passing along his charge to Gretel.

A million things ran through Gretel's head, all vanishing at the look of trust Hansel was exuding. It felt good to have that again and she didn't want to risk it by saying something that could be misconstrued. Hansel had seen her using magic with his own eyes now and if he wasn't going to launch into a tirade about it, then she was going to count this as a win and not press her luck. With the gentleness she would visit upon a child, she slowly assisted Hansel with the journey back to the cottage.

Hansel didn't protest Gretel's help, simply fell in step with her reassuring grip. His internal debate raged. He didn't want to offer encouragement to something he knew wholeheartedly would spell their doom but he wanted, no needed, his sister back. It had always been them against the world and the prospect of facing that big bad world alone was terrifying. He missed her kind words and gentle smiles. Gretel was the only person to ever stick with him, to have his back and deep down he knew she would only ever be the one to do that. "Your aim's off."

The words threw Gretel for a moment. They sounded so much like the childhood banter they had maintained through their teens and into adulthood. She dared to hope it was a sign that things could return to normal and offered the most inoffensive words she knew with a prayer that it wouldn't destroy the tentative olive branch that has been extended. "So it would seem."

"Can you even hit the broad side of a barn?" The lightness of his voice was forced but it still held the ring of teasing in which he meant it.

"You're one to talk. Remember the witch in Hanover? I think you shot everything but her."

"Yeah," replied Hansel, a slight blush creeping up his neck. "But in the end you were there to take her head off with that scythe."

Gretel smiled. It had been an incredibly demanding fight, one the then young teens had barely survived, but it had been one of their defining moments as a duo. "Only because you moved her into position."

"We make a good team," said Hansel wistfully.

"Yes we do." Gretel paused, shifting Hansel's weight so they could look each other in the eye. "I don't want that to change, Hansel."

He wanted to promise her the world, that happy ending she had always heard about in stories could be a real thing, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to her. "I can't promise that it won't, but I'll try."

"I don't want to lose you, to this ... or them."

"I don't either. Promise me, you're not going to lie to me anymore and when I ask you to stop this, you'll stop?"

It was an honest request born of love and concern, and she couldn't refuse it. "If you promise me that you'll come at this with an open mind."

"Gretel! Hansel!" yelled Ben as he came running at full steam down the path.

The siblings both tensed, immediately on guard. Ben stopped in front of the pair, gasping to try and catch his breath.

"What's going on Ben?" asked Gretel after glancing around in search of any sort of pending threat.

"It's... we were... the village... Andrea..." wheezed the young man through ragged breaths.

"Slow down and take a deep breath," soothed Gretel.

"Andrea, she's ransacking Sage," offered Alexis, joining the group in slightly better condition than Ben.

"What about the townspeople?" questioned Gretel.

"They've fled to the hills. She won't chase after them," answered Alexis while Ben nodded along with her assessment.

"Why not?" asked Hansel.

"It's not them she's after. Once she levels the town and discovers you're not there, she will come here," Alexis warned.

Hansel looked at Gretel. "We're out of time."

"Ready or not, here she comes," muttered Gretel.