The Grey Witch

By: xStarletx

Chapter 2

A/N: Well here's chapter 2, I don't know how this one went. I'm sorry if it feels a bit stiff at parts, but I hope it's still enjoyable. Tell me what you think.

Gretel's POV

The woods had been quiet that morning, the trees standing tall in a field of grey mist as the sun slowly began to rise over the trees. It was the perfect time for trap laying and it was what we were doing originally before we got distracted. We had been hired by the people of Betham County to catch a particularly nasty bog witch that had been messing with the river and flooding the farmlands leaving the people starving and desperate.

The witch of Betham County had proved to be more crafty than expected. Her first move had been to disable Edward, catching his foot in a trap making it hard for him to move even after he got free. She disarmed the three Witch hunters, sent Ben flying into a boulder and had proceeded to deal quite a bit of damage to both me and Hansel.

This wouldn't be happening if she hadn't caught us unawares while we were setting traps for her. Hansel and I had gotten into a loud argument that had drawn her attention to us and allowed her to make lay a few countermeasures herself. This was all the Grey Witch's fault, she was the reason he and I had argued, if it weren't for her the Betham County Witch would have been dead by now.

The witch grabbed my head, her claws digging into my scalp, I could feel something sharp at my back and I waited for it to plunge into my back. Hansel roared and launched himself at the witch, landing on her back. He punched her everywhere he could, the head, the face, the neck, anywhere that caused the most amount of damage. She stabbed her knife into his leg, causing him to scream in agony. While he was distracted, she grabbed him and ripped him off her back. She flipped him over her head, smashing his back into the ground. I winced at the sound of my brother's back cracking against the hard earth beneath him.

She then turned quickly, throwing Hansel into a tree. He landed in the rapids of the river across from our battle grounds. I watched his hands flail as the white tipped waves took him down and out of sight. I screamed his name as I charged the witch a crossbow bolt in my hand. I drove the arrowhead into her eye, pushing it as far I could, before grabbing a hold of Hansel's discarded gun. I shoved the barrel into her mouth and then pulled the trigger, spraying brains, blood and scull pieces into my face, but I didn't care.

I got to my feet and limped to the stream, watching the water rage past. I wanted to follow the stream but my injuries were too great and I couldn't leave the others behind. Ben groaned from his spot on the ground. "Go Gretel, we'll be fine, go find Hansel," he said.

I shook my head and walked to his side. I flopped down beside him and pulled his battered form into my arms. "I won't leave you," I whispered into his hair. The night air was chilly and already he was shivering against me. I was worried he had broken something that would keep him from walking for the rest of his life, but when he pulled his knees to his chest I knew he was alright.

Edward limped to us, favouring the leg with the jagged snare still entangled in his skin. He slumped to the ground causing it to shake, before pulling us into his warmer embrace. We all knew it was too dangerous to light a fire in Witch country. We huddled together and as the sun slipped beneath the horizon I hoped that the river lead to somewhere safe for Hansel.

Hansel's POV

Even before I opened my eyes I knew that I was somewhere safe. I could smell the sweet scent of lavender on the air and I could feel the warm presence of someone else enveloping me. I rolled over, every inch of my body aching and found myself looking into familiar purple eyes. I groaned and rolled back over, "I feel like I fell off a cliff."

The Grey Witch chuckled and put a hand to my back, almost instantly the pain subsided. "Well, you did wash over my falls," she said. "How ever did you end in the river?"

I rolled back to look at her, not much had changed since I had last seen her. She wearing a simple grey dress with a white apron tied around her waist. Her black hair was woven into a messy braid with sprigs of lavender sticking out it. I inhaled sharply trying to keep myself from staring at her for too long. "I got thrown into it," I answered quickly. I looked around the small cottage and caught sight of no one else. "Have you seen my sister?"

The Grey Witch gave me a quizzical look. "You were the only one in my pool this morning."

"I should go look for her," I said, instantly worried. I tried to sit up and was hit by a spasm of pain.

The Grey Witch shook her head at me. "You are not yet healed; you should stay until you are better. I shall put my feelers out and see if I can locate your sister." She stood and walked to a bird cage she had hanging in the corner. She opened the gilded door and pulled out a single feather, upon exhaling it transformed into an elegant raven. The feathers were a glossy black, almost iridescent in the sunlight. It sat regally on her finger staring at her with golden eyes. "Go, find the one named Gretel and lead her here," she told it. It nodded its head to her before flying out an open window.

"Wow, nice trick," I said from the bed. I watched the Grey Witch as she approached me again, arranging the pleats of her dress around her ankles before sitting down. A single hand went into my hair, stroking the locks away from my eyes. I stared at her, my eyes falling to her chest once more, I was rewarded with a small chuckle from her wry lips.

Knowing I was caught I opened my mouth to apologize, but she had already swooped in on me, pressing her soft lips to mine. I was torn, I expected breath that would reek and a mouth that would taste foul but she was sweet to taste and a gentle kisser. I let her kiss me, let her tell me where she wanted this to go. When she pulled away she chuckled once more. "You may be a brave witch hunter but you lack romantic courage."

I propped myself up to glare at her. "Now listen here, Grey... Miss Grey... Lady Grey?"

"My name is Lorne," she said.

"Oh... really?" I asked, genuinely surprised. Usually witches had horribly ugly names. "That's a pretty name, it suits you." She nodded and I shook my head. "Not the point, the point is that if I want to make a move, I will. I mean come on, I fight witches for a living, I am not scared of a..." she silenced me by once more sliding her lips onto mine.

"You talk too much," she said, echoing memories of someone else I had cherished deeply. She moved back in quickly and we kissed, I pulled her onto the bed so she was half resting on my chest. "Will you stay?" she asked between kisses. "Or will you go to find your sister?"

I switched quickly, trapping her head between my hands and then I kissed her fully on the mouth. "Why go if she's already coming here. I will stay." Though I told her I would take lead, I had no problem letting her lead me in where ever this encounter went. Truth be told I kind of didn't want this to end.

Gretel's POV

By morning the pain had settled into all of my joints making my limbs stiff and heavy. I didn't want to get up, but I knew I had to search for my brother. I hoped that he hadn't drifted far from us and was just too tired to come to meet us. I forced both myself and my companions to walk along the river bank looking for any signs that my brother had gotten out of the river and pulled himself to safety, but the farther we walked the more I came to realize that my bother most likely never got out of the River.

"Gretel," Ben wheezed. "I can't walk anymore, please, please, can we take a bit of a rest?"

I turned to Ben and looked him up and down. It was midday and we hadn't stopped walked, we hadn't even eaten yet. I looked to Edward and saw that he was limping and weary. I didn't want to give up my search but even I was finding it hard to hobble along the banks. I sighed. "Yes, you're right. We're no good to Hansel like this. Edward do you think you could find us something to eat?" I asked.

Edward grunted and left, disappearing to do just that. I sat down next to a large tree, and after a few moments Ben did the same. I held my breath as he took a seat beside me. I was painfully aware that he was beside me, our shoulders touching. I shot a quick glance to him, to see if he was watching me as he was often doing, but this time he had his head back and his eyes closed. I wondered if he was asleep, my eyes found his hand next to mine. I knew I was being foolish but ever since I was little I had wanted to hold someone other than Hansel's hand and I knew that Ben was a sound sleeper. If he was asleep he wouldn't notice my hand intertwined with mine, and with the experiment completed I would never have to wonder how it felt to feel someone else close to me.

I slowly shifted my hand next to his, slipping it underneath his fingers. Instantly his hand enclosed around mine, his fingers lacing through mine. His head turned and I felt my face go red under his gaze, he wasn't asleep at all. He smiled encouragingly to me and I felt the butterflies return to me. They had been getting stronger as of late and they were often annoying me. "Don't worry," he said softly to me. "I'm sure Hansel is fine."

I shifted slightly, lowering myself so I could rest my head on Ben's shoulder. I could hear him inhale sharply and I couldn't help but smile by how I made him nervous. "I know. I just wish I had proof that he was fine."

We sat in silence, enjoying the soft company, listening to the sounds of the forest, birds chirruping, the river rapids wooshing past and somewhere in the far distance Edward could be heard lumbering about. Then, interrupting the grand solitude came a croaking: "Gretel."

I nearly jumped out of my skin. "What was that?" I asked Ben, letting go of his hand and clamouring to get up.

"Gretel!" came the same croak. Ben looked up and squinted his eyes before pointing up. I looked up and saw a large silken raven sitting on a branch above my head. I stared at it as its golden eyes stared down at me. "Gretel!" it cawed.

"If that's not a witch's trick I don't know what is!" I cried.

Ben got to his feet stiffly as I pulled out a revolver. "You think a witch sent a noisy raven to spy on us?" he wondered.

"I don't know but I intend to find out," I snarled. I took carefully aim, but as I pulled back the trigger the raven took fire and the bullet missed it.

It circled above my head in a mocking manner. "Gretel," it called. "Gretel," it repeated before taking off flying away from me.

"Oh no! You are not getting away from me that easily!" I called before taking off after the raven. I ignored Ben's cried for me to wait for him. I ignored my body's protests. I ran after the raven, if it had my secret's it was going down.

As I was running I kept my eyes on the raven, I could see it clearly above me dancing on the wind swooping down on me every now and then narrowly grazing my head. I would shoot at it but every bullet I fired missed. It was because I was so engrossed with the raven that I didn't notice the cliff until I lost my footing and by then it was too late.

I tumbled over the edge and crashed to the ground below, landing beside a clear pool where a waterfall calmly emptied in. I rolled onto my back and found a familiar face above me. "You know, there is a perfectly accessible pathway you could have used instead of falling. What is it with your family and falling?" The Grey Witch asked. The raven had settled on her shoulder staring down at me with the uncanny golden eyes. I wanted to answer her, but instead I blacked out.