Joseph Winchester Pov
*Flashback*
Year 1887
"Em? We have a.. Joey on our hands." I followed the huntress through the wilderness. The night grew chiller as we met with two more lady's in the same dark attire as her. Their faces covered as well as their entire form. If they were marked on, no one could ever see.
"What do you mean?" One asked, turning in the center of the woods to notice my stumble behind the tall huntress. "Whose he?" They had no maps, no hunting books, yet killing gadgets. Her silver crossbows placed on her back meet her sister's shotgun.
Who are they and where did they come from?
"I thought it was for only us to hunt the Wendigo?" One of the Huntresses says, her voice light, young and confused. Her height is much smaller than the other two.
Wendigo?
"The what?" I asked to hear her clearly. That type of creature I once studied in my parents journal. I paused as the shotgun the smaller huntress held in my direction. "Whoa. Ma'am. Hey, my sincere apologies." I rise my arms.
"You follow my big sister, Why?" Her voice was the sweetest I have ever crossed paths with. Yet, her face was a mystery.
She lowered her gun just a bit.
"Keziah, Is he to be trusted?" The other spoke.
"I told you Emmalynn. He's a Joey- I have no idea what pouch he climbed from but if you haven't taken notice he's majorly wet behind the ears." Keziah is clearly the oldest huntress.
I looked to her. "Hey, I take offense to that. I'm like you." I straighten my coat looking to speak directly to her younger sisters. "My name is Joseph Winchester. I am a fellow member of Men of Letters, and I'm no baby Kangaroo.. I come to assist you with this matter."
The three huntresses all looked in my direction and the eldest Keziah chuckled. "Ah, How many years are you? Twelve?" She mocks.
I roll my eyes.
"My family are lads formed Men of Letters- Our duty -preceptors, observers, beholders, of mysteries not easily explainable or known to town folks. I.. assume like you three hold knowledge of the supernatural creatures. My parents believed that hunters to be inferior to my brother and I, yet I seek to form my own path as a hunter as well."
The sisters looked me up and down.
"He's a hunter?" The youngest Huntress asked.
"No, what I'm hearing is he's one in training. Meaning he's going to get us killed if he stays here." The eldest seem to always lead.
"What?" I say fast. "No. I can help. My brother and I are hunters. Our family has dealt with what you are seeking after."
"We aren't seeking for a thing." Emmalynn spats to me tearing at her dark attire.
"Look, lamb. I have a question for you." Keziah says, taking a step towards me. "Have you ever killed a beast before?"
"Yes." I nodded looking between her and her sisters. "I had plenty of occasions."
Samson and I have hunted dark creatures of the night since we were children. Which she was not aware of.
"No, no, no. I mean have you ever killed a monster you hunted alone without your older brother?" Keziah asked slowly inching closer, stopping just a foot away from my face. "You cannot call yourself a true hunter if you have not, Joseph Hector Winchester." She whispers to me and I fall silent.
She was indeed right.
I was not a true hunter. I have only assisted Samson on the hunts. I always studied and researched any-and-everything I needed too on his orders. I have never killed anything, without him.
I breathed ashamed.
No words of deception I could never form.
"Naysa?" She called behind her.
"Yes?" The smaller huntress answered. Light filled me as I now knew of her name.
"Come take Mr. Winchester to the cabin. I would rather not die on this full moon because of a baby lamb." Keziah said with a fake smile and I felt disappointed that she didn't want my help.
"I have knowledge on Wendigo's. It's a cannibalistic spirit …-"
"We are not new to this Joseph Winchester. Now go before I kill you myself." She threats just as Naysa who still held her shotgun in her right hand, grabbed my forearm with her left.
"Come, we go." She speaks slowly.
I didn't not want to be away from the fight with the creature, yet something about Naysa's sweet voice pulled me.
My feet moved with hers willingly. I never looked back towards her sisters. Her footing was rushed and I wondered how long she had been a huntress.
"Can I ask a question?" I spoke low just in case the creature was nearby. I instantly remembered that I had nothing to protect her or myself against the monster.
"Let's not talk, we will be at the cabin soon." She says fast.
"I must know… How long have you been in town? Are you and your sisters new to hunting? My brother and I usually know of most hunters that cross our paths. How is it that a Wendigo has been here this entire time and no one was aware?" I ask.
"Because... Joseph Winchester. The leaders of this land are feeding the creature outlaws of it's town people. Why do you think there was a town meeting on this particular night?" Naysa says low and shock hits me.
"What? I cannot believe that. Are you certain?" I ask, finding it strange that there was a meeting at that time here and if Joseph was suspicious or blinded by his infatuation with his new love to take notice.
"As certain that you are a member of The Men Of Letters." She says, giving me a small smile looking into my eyes.
In the moonlight I can now see the color of hers... Light Violet. "Your eyes- I- I've never seen color like that."
More amazed with her aura as if she was a siren, pulling me into her shy-sweet-liveliness.
She laughed. The most authentic boom as if I spoke the humorous of all things.
It made me smile. "My apologies. I just never came across someone like you, or your sisters."
"I see." She nods understandingly. "I must tell you something." Naysa speaks slowly, almost slowing down her pace.
"Alright.." I say glaring at her. "You can trust me." I say reassuringly.
"I know I can. I can sense that about you."
I narrowed my eyes. "You can?"
We headed for a dark russet cabin with a wooden door.
"Yes, besides … if you truly meant to do us any harm, we would know."
"How?" I already asked, feeling as if she was more than a huntress.
Not so long ago, Samson and I were hunting when we suddenly came across Leprechauns and Sorceress.
I followed Naysa through the front door and felt a wave of wind blowing through me. I paused, looking around in the dark. "What was that?"
"Don't worry. Nothing that would harm you." Naysa insisted.
"Are you- a Sorceress?" I asked as she shut the door behind me.
"Yes." She answers and I now see why they were so fearless.
"For how long?" I asked as she lit a fire so quickly, the entire room was now clear.
I glanced around as the cabin seemed abandoned.
"Our entire lives. You cannot tell a soul, Joseph." She spoke my name as if she was casting a small spell.
"I- I promise you can trust in me." I say moving closer to her as she sits on an old looking lounge.
"I hope so." She says in a very different tone than she had outside moments ago.
I wondered if she could sense what could happen. "Can I -Do you know what will happen tonight?" I ask looking into her violet eyes.
"Do you mean if someone will die?" She asked and instantly I thought of Samson.
My older brother who I abandoned. He is truly my only family, and I thought not once of what could happen to him since I ran from the town meeting without him. I thought suddenly sadden.
"You're worried for your brother?" She asked and I flinched a bit.
"You- You read minds?" I spoke a bit frightened and amazed all at once.
Naysa laughed. "No. I'm no mind reader, Joseph. I'm just intuitive."
"Oh…" I breathed. "That's a relief."
"Why? Do you have secrets?" She asked.
The only thing I've ever held as a secret is the deaths of my parents.
Samson rarely talks about them, only when I bring them up when discussing the journals.
"My parents. They were hunters." I say to her,
"What happened to them?"
"They died." I whispered.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered, gently placing her right gloved hand on my cold fingertips. "It must be extremely tough and lonely for you."
I nod. Not wanting to cry or speak more on it.
"I'll make us some tea until my sisters return."
Just as she stood, her warmth followed and I scooted closer to the other side of the lounge to be near the fire.
Above the pit on the wooden mantel-shelf sat jars.
"What's that?" I ask standing on my feet.
I can see out the corner of my vision that Naysa paused to look.
"Herbs." She answered.
"Like.. Tea?" I was fully aware they were more than Tea Herbs.
"No. Wolfsbane, Witchhazel, Vervain and Senna…." She says, and I can hear her pour the water for our tea to drink soon.
"You honestly believe the whole town is part of this… whatever this is to deal with the Wendigo? How do we inform the folks here?" I say, resting back in my place by the fire.
"We don't. As hunters the job is to hunt the beast down, kill it or them… then move on.. not inform town folk on all details." She says then place a tea kettle over the fire. "I hope you don't mind. I like to mix the hot water with the cool water for our tea to not burn our tongues."
I shook my head. "No, no brilliant idea. Thank you. I once made tea all the time when I was a child for my brother and I. I haven't done it in a long time in fear I would not be able to taste food for days." I laugh.
Naysa smiles. "I learned from that as well."
"What about your parents? Did they teach you the herbs?"
I wonder how she and her sisters became huntresses.
Naysa paused at my question, then reached to remove the kettle from the firepit with a cloth. "We learned plenty from many." She says, and I wondered what it was that she was hiding.
Only true hunters are secretive of their past, and usually for tragic reasons.
"I apologize, I don't mean to pry. I'm curious about it all." I say low. "I have never met women hunters before... without husbands or brothers. Hunters that are also... witches."
"Don't!" She practically snapped, I flinched glaring into her violet eyes. "We shouldn't be talking… only listening." She says, then moves to hand me one of the gray color tea mugs. "Drink, it will fill you with warmth."
"Thank you." I say taking the mug and rushing to drink.
I had not noticed how long it's been since I have eaten or drunk anything since this morning when my brother's future bride prepared a meal for Samson and I.
"My parents' friends are now my brothers' friends… they whisper in secret." I say low. "I never truly had friends of my own. Not real ones." I say to Naysa.
"You want to be my friend?" She was curious with a head tilt.
"Well… yes, if that's alright. I'm not completely helpless. I can help with hunting if needed."
Naysa narrowed her eyes on me. "That's hunting business Joseph, not friendship."
"Yes, right. I mean… friends- such as getting to know one another. Learning each other's ways."
"No."
"No? Yes, no. I apologize- I have no idea of a true friend." I spoke fast.
"Then how could you want one?" She ask.
I chuckled. "Marvelous question." I nod. Then with a shrug.. I nervously wanted to be a friend she could seek. "I.. I see how Samson gets by with hunting friends… and his lady friend, I can only hope to have that one day. To have a family that enjoys to join hunts together like you and your sisters. I'm sure you are never lonely." I assumed.
She took a deep breath then let it out. "Don't worry your heart, Joseph… you won't be alone forever."
"I hope so." I mutter looking into the fire.
It always so lonely for us who hunt night creatures.
The last time Samson came across a hunter with a family who helped us, was Brice Harvelle. He owns a bar-house that's a safe haven for hunters of all varieties. Samson and I once helped him on a werewolf hunt.
Suddenly my eyelids were feeling heavy.
I sat back and Naysa suddenly kneeled beneath me.
"I- I'm starting to feel sleepy." I say low to her.
"I know, it's melatonin and chamomile from your tea mug. Don't worry, when you wake we will be gone and the Wendigo will be too."
"Naysa..." I whispered.
"We couldn't allow you to put us at risk."
Her violet eyes became blurry to mine. "Wait… I… can.. help you."
"Rest, Joseph Winchester." She smiles, placing a quilt over my legs, tucking me in as if the small cabin was my new home. "It was very nice to meet you." Naysa whispers just as my eyes closed.
* End Of Flashback *
