January 11, 621, it was already morning that day, the sun had just appeared, for Beatrix and Woodward it was still dark, since in the cave there was no illumination at all, but the sound of the birds signaled that the day had just begun, in this the two wake up and the youngest uses magic to illuminate the place as well as giving some slaps in the face of the oldest.
- Hey Beatrix... Hey Beatrix... Wake up Beatrix it's dawn...
Says Woodward as Beatrix wakes up.
- Hmmm... Is it already in the morning? But it's still dark...
Says Beatrix while rubbing her eyes.
- But listen to the birds sing, let's see how it is out there, probably that Floyd guy is still around.
Says Woodward while using a spell in the cave water.
On the outside Floyd's men changed shifts to the lookout, just as Floyd himself woke up, he put on a coat and goes out, going to the river and washing his face, he takes a brief look at the sky.
- Did Beatrix ever show up at night?
Says Floyd.
- Unfortunately not sir! We haven't even had movement around a green-haired girl, which leads us to believe that possibly your theory that she must be in the cave.
Says one of Floyd's men.
- Perfect, I had an idea, we'll knock down the cave, we have hammers? Or something to keep knocking through there until it knocks down the whole structure, maybe then not over air for Beatrix to breathe and it has to appear.
Says Floyd.
- We have axes sir and some of our men are armed with sledgehammers.
Says one of Floyd's men.
- Perfect! Now let's knock down a tree and build a battering ram!
Says Floyd clenching his fist.
Back in hiding, Beatrix gets scared while Woodward gets more serious, she even faces the green-haired girl and then looks at the cave lake and the older one gets confused while the younger one goes to get her wand.
- Look if nothing works out, let's take the books and run away from here using a metamorphosis spell, I know how to turn into a fish, we can swim from here and go far away, sorry I destroyed your home...
Says Beatrix looking down as Woodward put her hand on her shoulder.
- Stop crying and help me with this spell, it will cause the biggest fog in place to the point of everything getting dark; you know what this Floyd is afraid of?
Says Woodward.
- I don't know...
Says Beatrix.
- Now you will know hehe.
Says Woodward with a malicious smile and giving Beatrix a hand.
Beatrix holds Woodward's hand and even blushes a little, since he has a little shame in physical contact, in this the two begin to use a spell, which involved making a very thick fog be raised to the point of almost darkness that day, Floyd and his men began to get more defensive, knowing that that same fog could be Beatrix, in this all men gather in a circle while the fog followed them.
- Damn it! The damn Beatrix is around, you cover your noses and you never know if this can actually be a spell cloud to knock us unconscious or just a normal fog.
Says Floyd.
The fog was slowly getting closer to Floyd and his men, in this some with fear make their weapons fall, when they fall the ground sucks the weapons and noticing this they start to run to the frozen stream, since they thought that the ground could suck them together, in this run some end up making the weapons fall, the ground ends up pulling these fallen weapons, little by little the roots of the trees also moved, hitting the camp and destroying everything around, going even towards Floyd.
- Damn! That damn witch is very powerful!
Says Floyd as he cut the branches of the trees with his sword.
- Sir... I heard about information from here that there is another green-haired witch around these parts.
Says one of Floyd's men.
- What do you mean?
Says Floyd furious.
- She is a girl with green hair, totally green, straight, according to what they said, they say that anyone who enters these parts is at serious risk.
Says one of Floyd's men.
- What do you mean?
Says Floyd furious.
- It destroys camps, scares anyone who dares to set foot here, but it can be a myth too, after all nobody ever found it.
Says one of Floyd's men.
- We have bigger problems here! Beatrix is attacking us with everything; I never thought these damn witches would be so powerful.
Says Floyd furious and attacking the branches.
Meanwhile in the cave, Beatrix and Woodward kept joining forces to scare Floyd and his men, using what they could, the two of them already managed to destroy his camp and were pushing them further and further back to the ice where they were in the frozen lake, in this way Floyd gets angry and starts attacking anyone in front of him, needing them to hold him and take him to the shore, in this way one more man ends up being killed. Inside the hiding place they both decide to stop after seeing one more man dying.
- Shit...
They both say.
Because Floyd killed one of his men, the two of them stop trying to scare his men and even get a little scared facing each other.
- Let's stop for today, I think we took a slight panic on them.
Says Woodward.
- Well at least they will stay all day trying to fix the camp, we can enjoy to eat a little and rest.
Says Beatrix while Woodward agreed with her head.
The two take the rest of the hare that was kept, where Beatrix gives a good wash, while Woodward prepared the fire, the two were very carefree. Outside Floyd and his men throw the body of the dead into the frozen lake and let the current carry him away, while everyone gets out of there and rips off the wet clothes going to the destroyed campsite and picking up any cloth to dry and also have some protection from the cold.
- What the fuck! Beatrix motherfucker!
Says Floyd.
- Maybe it must be this other witch, she must have captured Beatrix.
Says one of Floyd's men.
- Or maybe she has joined forces with this witch, it is impossible that there is a more powerful witch in this world, witches are very strong when they can be alone and without control of us normal humans, so we have to have control so that females never come close to magic.
Says Floyd.
- If your theory is right, then it means that we can earn the double reward for Beatrix and this witch's head.
Says one of Floyd's men as he drew his sword from the sheath.
- Let's not kill them, it would be foolish, what I want is both of them so that I can procreate and in the future come sons to aggrandize our army and witch daughters so that we can also use this incredible power of them to dominate all Britannia!
Says Floyd as Beatrix and Woodward watched from the puddle of water.
The two even face each other at this moment and Beatrix on impulse and with anger ends up punching the lagoon and raises a little water, the same is even a little embarrassed after facing Woodward confused with this entire situation.
- Never... I will never be united with a man like that... as someone who wants to "join" witches at the same time. He treats us women with all the indifference in the world...
Says Beatrix beginning to cry as Woodward hugged her.
- Hey... Beatrix, don't be like that, we're gonna make that idiot Floyd go away... You need to stay calmer, that world of his is no longer yours, we have a new mission ahead.
Says Woodward as Beatrix took comfort crying on her shoulders.
- Are you really going to help me on this mission after this asshole leaves?
Says Beatrix while she was still a little crying.
- Of course I will. I am curious to know more of these secrets that these two books have, maybe I should have the answers to our problems and we just need to find a witch who can read.
Says Woodward.
- Or we can learn to read.
Says Beatrix.
- But how? I have no other books; I don't know what each symbol means.
Says Woodward while scratching her head.
- I know the sound of each one alone, maybe this can help us to know more about writing.
Says Beatrix.
- And you could teach me?
Says Woodward with a sparkle in her eyes as Beatrix gave a light corner smile.
So Woodward gives Beatrix a pot she had of a dye she found from a tree, in which the oldest starts to draw on the ground each letter of the alphabet and she teaches the youngest the sound of each one. While outside Floyd and his men were repairing the damage of the camp, rebuilding the shelter, while others were hunting for food, Floyd was sitting waiting leaning on a tree until one of his men went to him.
- What are we going to do now, boss? After we finish fixing everything?
Says one of Floyd's men.
- I had an idea... Beatrix is a woman; women can't read and write, this can be advantageous for us, if she is spying on us using whatever spell we have to talk about the plans by letters. Understood now.
Says Floyd while his man agreed with his head.
From Woodward and Beatrix's hiding place they both heard what Floyd had said and are a little tenser than before, since they both couldn't read, which makes the older one teach with more attention about the letters of the alphabet for the younger one who also starts to notice something.
- If I put these two letters together I make a sound like this... Ba...
Says Woodward joining the letters B and A.
- I can at least form my name.
Says Beatrix writing her name.
- B... E... A... T... R... I... X... Beatrix... I did it!
Woodward says what makes Beatrix a little too excited and hug the girl.
- That's right Woodward! You are very good.
Says Beatrix as Woodward blushed.
- And my name? How do you spell it?
Says Woodward as he scratched his head and Beatrix had his hand on his chin.
- Let's see me here... Woo... D... War... D... I think I know what it's like.
Says Beatrix writing "Woodward" on the cave floor.
- W... O... O... D... W... A... R... D... Why do you have two O's?
Says Woodward confused.
- The two O's, are because it serves to give a stretch in the O, like the Woo of its name.
Says Beatrix.
- So... Wood... Ward... Woodward... That's my name! I can read my name!
Says Woodward smiling and embracing Beatrix.
While the two were until very relaxed and carefree trying to learn to read, on the outside Floyd and his men were finishing rebuilding the camp, after long 3 hours, in that one of the men goes to the leader wanting to know what he will do and he writes a note to him.
"Go back to Weddinburgh and tell Finnbar that there is another witch around here who can give an excellent reward and also ask for some men, I will give you a bag of coins, he will not refuse such a tempting offer and don't forget to get a battering ram, the most important thing is to have a battering ram, this is more vital than getting more men".
In this the Floyd's man leaves the hut with the bag of coins and goes towards Weddinburgh which was not very far, going by the trail was a 30 minute walk. Meanwhile at the hideout, the two of them were so happy to learn the basics of forming words and reading at that moment that they didn't even notice about Floyd's plan.
After a few hours Floyd's man returns only with a battering ram and reaches the leader with a letter from Finnbar, in which he opens the letter he gets a little angry since the battering ram was small and on top of that came with no man.
"Floyd I come here saying that I will not help you in this idiocy by spending my men, stay with this battering ram so that at least you do not think that I am not helping you, you are wasting time wanting to capture two witches who are not worth half a single gold coin. As a friend I recommend you to go back to Appleton and enjoy your wife more, all this obsession will still get in your way".
- Ah, but fuck you Finnbar, don't bring me a decent battering ram and even a man, with all that gold I gave to that damn! Damn it! Let's put that crap away, tomorrow we'll move with the plan of that there, if it's going to cause anything in that cave.
Says Floyd furious.
From inside the cave both Beatrix and Woodward were watching the scene and the two fell into the laughter of so small and useless that it was that battering ram, they even end up hugging each other unintentionally and slightly approaching the face until they almost feel the breath from each other and in this they distance themselves a little and blush.
- Heh, sorry to be a bit invasive, Wood, but it was just on impulse, seeing how my idiot dad doesn't want to help Floyd is a very funny thing.
Says Beatrix stained.
- Ah it's ok, I ended up getting a little excited too... I don't know why, but I feel so comfortable near you, as if we had known each other for a long time, I must have told you that already.
Says Woodward.
- (I'm having a little strange feeling with Beatrix, as if my heart beat harder, I only know her one day ... But I feel that these are only the first of many days that I will live with her... That time... My lips almost touch Beatrix's... I've always seen couples doing it... Will Beatrix and I be a couple?)
- Wood?
Says Beatrix snapping her fingers.
- Oh hi, I was just traveling in my thoughts, we are very lucky that this Floyd is very dumb, a battering ram like this will be easy, easy to stop, we will manage to stay here until this idiot gives up.
Says Woodward stained by rubbing the back of her head.
That day not much happens, besides Beatrix and Woodward continuing with the classes of learning to read and form words, while Floyd was writing a plan that maybe could work, in this his men are also tidying up the rest that is left of the camp, as well as repairing their weapons.
January 12, 621, the next day was until it stopped well for both sides, only with Woodward and Beatrix again making Floyd scared and in this the same one becomes a little blind and in this forest two more men of his by impulse, what makes them stop there to try. That same day Floyd starts to get smarter and decides to take more care, after all he noticed that in those times that the girls tried to scare him, he ended up by impulse killing his men. In this day he doesn't change much and Floyd returns to his camp.
January 13, 621, that was the stillest day for both sides, since neither of them tried to attack the other, it was practically a cold war. Beatrix and Woodward took advantage of that day to dedicate themselves more to the formation of words, as well as to numbers which the light green-haired one knew about the Romans, about the words they were able to form even a phrase "Woodward and Beatrix best friends forever", in that they end up hugging and almost kissing each other, the youngest even secretly writes a "Woodward and Beatrix" followed by a drawing of the heart, the same one even disguises it there so that the oldest does not notice.
January 14, 621, that day Woodward and Beatrix take to finally put the big plan in action, as well as Floyd and his men, so much so that both sides wake up and get up at about the same time, and the girls got up a little earlier.
- It's today Beatrix, I had a brilliant idea.
Says Woodward.
- So tell me...
Says Beatrix stretching as Woodward counted in her ear.
Beatrix agrees with Woodward's plan and even nods changing the expression to a more serious one so that the duo move on to the plan that was all or nothing. While Floyd and his men were in position, 12 of them would take care of carrying the battering ram and hit the inside wall of the cave while the other 26 would hammer or use anything heavy on the outside walls of the cave trying to cause a collapse, a plan that Floyd even wrote so that the girls couldn't have the slightest idea what it was all about.
- Ready... Now!
Says Floyd signaling to the battering ram men.
The men of the battering ram take steps backwards and begin to take distance to run towards the cave, after getting a perfect place they begin to go with everything, until when they get close to it a glow starts to emanate from the inside and Beatrix begins to appear, in this the men of the battering ram stop and even give a light slip that almost doesn't break the same, making the heavy trunk fall on top of one of them and leave the same wounded.
- You don't want me?
Says Beatrix with open arms in a surrender pose until Floyd throws a stone and notices that it was nothing but an illusion.
- She's not the real one...
Says Floyd getting up and going to the battering ram men.
- My Lord... Help me...
Says the wounded man Floyd until he is killed by the leader with only one blow.
- You, take his place... If Beatrix appears in front of the path don't be afraid to pass with the battering ram on top.
Says Floyd.
- But sir, what if she dies?
Says one of Floyd's men.
- She is a witch and witches don't die so easily from a battering ram hitting a wall, now if she dies, I will know that a battering ram is strong enough against a witch.
Says Floyd as he passed a cloth on the bloody sword.
After that the battering ram's men get up and take the same and in that they again position themselves, just like the hammer's men who were still grouped in the camp. After getting ready they run again towards the cave, but when they reach the same Beatrix it reappears, but at the moment they kept running, some branches and roots hold the same, in that Floyd opens a smile.
- It's Beatrix point your arrows.
Says Floyd.
- You can kill me! But Floyd will never take me alive!
Says Beatrix until Floyd signals his men to lower their arrows and walk slowly to it.
- If you want so much, I won't kill you, I want you to suffer for the rest of your life just as your little sister Etain will suffer.
Says Floyd arriving at Beatrix.
At the moment that Floyd arrives at Beatrix the same note that was an illusion when he picked up the chin of it and in this the man gets furious and even beats his feet with rage.
- What's the matter? Are you looking for me?
Says Beatrix sitting on a branch.
- Then look here.
Says another Beatrix sitting on top of the cave.
- Maybe even I am not infiltrated in the middle of his army.
Says another Beatrix appearing at the camp.
- Get out of your hole! You bitch!
Says Floyd furious.
Little by little Floyd became more and more insane to the point of starting to attack his own men confusing that it was Beatrix, but her spell had even stopped and in that the very soon had to be held by all his men, after killing 6 of his men using the sword.
- Let go of me! Beatrix is here!
Says Floyd.
- Rest my lord!
Says one of Floyd's men tying it up.
Meanwhile inside the hiding place, both Beatrix and Woodward were shocked to see that scene, the same one going into a state of madness, after only the tallest witch used some spells to make him confused.
- Can we do it?
Whispers Beatrix.
- After that I doubt they will let his leader stay here going crazy.
Whispers Woodward.
Time goes by and Floyd soon stops delirious, the same until he gets loose from the ropes and goes back to the camp that had already been undone, he faces the cave with hatred and gets on his horse.
- You will see only Beatrix, I will come back here with more men and more brute strength, you will be forced to surrender with this little witch there with you.
Says Floyd staring at the Cave and right from there.
So Floyd goes away from there with his men back to the village of Appleton so that he can get together and who knows, go back to the hiding place of the girls who were just celebrating bouncing around about Floyd having left there, they even rolled a hug in which the two of them had their cheeks very close, which barely ends in a kiss after the tallest one removed her cheek.
See you, asshole warrior...