The Witch's Husband

by LostInTheMystery

Twin brothers, twin problems, are faced with the issues of a food shortage and dark intent that lurks around them. Left alone in the woods, they face death when they come upon, of all things, a witch – in a house made of candy. Is this a blessing to the starving village or is the witch looking for more?

11. Hunter

Chapter 11: Hunter

Kaito woke up feeling kind of hungry and a little woozy for some reason. He put a hand to his head and it took him a second to realize he was seeing daylight out a window, and knew he shouldn't be, though didn't know why at first. His brain worked really fast once he realized he was in a bed, one far too comfy to be normal. He looked and saw Saguru sleeping next to him. He didn't like sharing a bed with his brother if he could help it. "Hey." He shook him a little. "Wake up."

Saguru moaned and shifted. He did not feel well and did not want to wake. "I am not going to help you prank father so just-" He squeezed his eyes tighter when he rolled and brightness hit him through his eyelids. He squinted and blinked his eyes open. "Where's our tent?"

"Few towns over I'm guessing, unless this is some kind of trick." Kaito was looking around though. He doubted this was fake. It looked like they were really back at the witch's house.

Saguru rubbed his eyes and sat up, seeing the candy everywhere and feeling his heart drop. Had it all been a dream? He had been so happy to be back with him, even with him not remembering them. "I... I dreamt we left and found him. It was so real."

"You should stay out of my dreams then." Kaito sat down, relaxing. There was no way he'd ever had such a long, complicated dream. "I doubt we both dreamed up a tent though. You hate the outdoors."

"No way. We were inside and he tucked us in… for the first night since the first few nights he did not even remember us."

"I know we were, so how did we get here?"

"You... " Saguru blinked and shook his head, He had promised himself to be more observant but that meant it was not a dream. "Do you think she did not know he remembered us? You ran away the first day, maybe she was worried and took us, like she did last time."

"Maybe. We were in someone's house though. I mean, she didn't do that with mom." She had turned them into cats. But then, there had been dad and the other guy at the house and only mom last time. "She could have at least talked to us."

"Let's go talk to her. Tell her about the misunderstanding and that father was cursed." Saguru climbed out of the bed and ran to the door, feeling bad it might wake her but knocking anyway. "Miss. Akako? Miss. Akako, there has been a mistake."

Kaito was hungry so he grabbed a piece of the crunchy wall before walking over and watching Saguru knock on the door while he chewed on the candy.

Saguru kept trying before biting his lip. There was a chance he had missed her. Maybe she was outside getting some ingredient or doing something with the deer. He headed to the door, deciding to call out to her from outside.

Kaito followed Saguru, finishing off the piece he had and licking his fingers while his brother opened the door and was just staring outside, looking like 'nature' was going to bite him. "Go on."

"I... I want to but... " Saguru shook his head. It was like he was frozen there, unable to go forward at all no matter how much he wanted to.

Kaito pushed him to get him out the door and Saguru pushed back at him, making him take a few steps backwards or fall. "Hey!"

"Sorry, I said I want to but it is like I am stuck." Saguru looked forward again, moving from one side of the doorframe to the other, trying to find a way to unstuck himself.

"Hm." Saguru was better at puzzles than he was so Kaito sat down and watched his brother, seeing if he noticed anything. "Not wearing a necklace, are you?"

"Ha ha." Saguru looked down anyway to check, going over everything he had on. "No, the only thing is... unless the bracelet reset while we were gone." Shifting the bracelet a little, wondering if he could put his other hand out a little if he kept the arm with the bracelet on it inside, if the door failed, he could try reaching out the window.

Kaito watched Saguru. It was like watching a rabbit in a hutch testing at its boltholes, seeing where it was weakest. Plus, Saguru kind of looked like a bunny to him, so that only helped the image. He sighed after Saguru wound up back at the door. "Stuck, huh?"

"It is impossible to even reach outside." He looked up at the sky through the trees and frowned. "Father will be so worried. I hope we can talk to Miss. Akako soon."

"Me too. It's her house, so it's not like we don't know where she'll be." Kaito was also getting hungry for some real breakfast. Being stuck inside sucked too.

Saguru sighed but looked over when Kaito's stomach growled. "I guess we can get breakfast, maybe make something for her too, like we did before." He started to head to the kitchen before looking at Kaito. "But no teasing me about cooking."

"Then don't say 'we'. I'm not going to be cooking." Kaito didn't think he was any good at it and he didn't want to try his hand at it either. He got up and followed his brother. "I hope dad doesn't try to go looking for us and gets lost. We couldn't find our way out of these woods."

"He could find his way out. I know he would not get lost." Saguru pulled one of the pans over to do eggs again. The thought of father getting lost trying to find them when Miss. Akako said her place was hidden worried him more than he wanted to admit. He focused on the eggs to distract himself, trying not to burn anything.

Kaito handed him the eggs and got them both something to drink before sitting down and watching his brother. He still felt a little short for this table but it didn't bother him much. Honestly, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do or plan for now. They had wanted to find dad, and they had. Now they were back in the middle, at least not where they started with mom, and stuck. He hated being stuck and having nothing to do.

Saguru split the eggs between both of them but without the concentration he was doing to cook them, he was thinking about what father was going through now.

Kaito took his plate and pushed some of his eggs on Saguru's when he had more than him. Saguru made them otherwise he wouldn't have fought over getting a bigger portion. "So, we're stuck here and waiting on Akako to get back... Want to listen to me read the book again?"

Saguru blinked and looked up when more eggs landed on his plate. He managed a smile and nodded. "Sure. Let me guess, I have to eat all of this or you change your mind?"

"Eat as much as you want. What do I care? There's food all around here." Kaito took a bit, not liking the eggs as much as Saguru had made them before, even though they had always been rather bland. "You just gave me a lot more."

Saguru shrugged. "I just did not think I could eat as much." He took a bite and frowned, realizing it was off. "Sorry, I guess I was more distracted than I wanted to be." He ate some more, leaving about half and feeling bad about it. "Do you want to finish this?"

"Sure. I'm sure your germs won't kill me." Kaito slide his own plate away, having finished, and started on Saguru's. "I know you don't like this, I don't either, and we're both worried, but there's nothing we can do right now. You or I would have thought of something if there was."

Saguru brightened a little. "Maybe not thinking will help. Like that time we could not figure out father's riddle until we did something else."

"Hm." Kaito thought on that. "Yeah, maybe thinking on something else will help. I'm not sure the book will do that." He wasn't sure what would though. There might be some cool books around here but the witch would have them separate, probably.

"Maybe... maybe we could play a game? You always think of games to play."

"A game in the house?" Then again, he didn't think he could break anything. It was all replaceable candy. Kaito grinned and bent over so that his hands were on the floor and his knees were bent. "Tag, animal style. You can't take a step without moving a hand too. Any two steps with the same foot before a hand reaches the ground and you get punished by breaking the rules of the game."

"Ummm, what punishment?"

"Hmm... Hanging upside down from the back of the couch until you turn blue." Even he couldn't hang upside down forever, so it was fair enough.

Saguru shook his head and climbed off the chair, crouching down to mimic Kaito. "I call not it." He took off to the living room, trying to remember to move his hands with his feet.

Kaito wasn't used to using his hands and feet this way and, though Saguru had a head start on him, he noticed him mess up a few times. As long as he wasn't out rightly trying to cheat, he wasn't going to call anything. He chased after him, looking for even more revenge for that tail thing. He wouldn't be it for long.

Saguru ducked around a corner and jumped into one of seats. He ducked low, hoping Kaito had not seen him and needing a breather. It was harder to run on all fours as a human and he knew he had messed up a few times and he didn't want to be stuck upside down.

Saguru was far too slow on four legs but, to be fair, he was a bit slower too - it just wasn't nearly as noticeable. He let his brother rest for a moment but only a moment, so he could stretch out his own muscles, and then he was after him again. Saguru really shouldn't think he'd be 'it' so long. It was the confines of the house that were the only reason he was getting tagged at all.

Saguru lost sight of Kaito again and crawled under a chair to wait for him to come by, ready to surprise him, even if he had to tackle him to do it.

Kaito felt like a cat, stalking Saguru. He made sure he got up behind him as silently as possible and grabbed the back of his feet, pulling him out. He simple squished him by lying on top of him, not letting him up for a few moments. "Tag."

Saguru squirmed, trying to get out from under Kaito before letting his head fall back. "When I get older, I will make sure to be strong enough to pin you and not let you up."

Kaito grinned. "But you'll never be older than me."

"I can be stronger anyway so-" Saguru stuck his tongue out.

"You can dream." Saguru would always be his little brother and, even though they were about the same height, he'd still always be his little brother.

Saguru reached up, trying to tickle him like father could do. It was a little odd, and unfair, that only father could tickle Kaito when it should have worked for him too.

Kaito had proven his point and Saguru was trying to use his littleness as an advantage. It wouldn't work when Kaito was already on top and he trapped him with a hug. He just had to make sure he didn't roll him over and knock him into something. "I win, again."

"Kaitooooo." Saguru wiggled and squirmed, trying to escape before huffing and letting his head drop to the candy floor. "Fine, this time."

Kaito grinned and sat up next to him. "Forever, not just this time." He looked around, a little bored now. He could keep chasing him but he didn't want to give up his win. "So, any new ideas?"

"Well, we could eat a hole in the wall and see if that new opening lets us out."

"We just ate," Kaito said, looking at the wall. "I'm good with clawing and gnawing though."

Saguru crawled over to a piece in the center, not wanting to destroy everything by eating a corner. "Here. This area isn't near the corners so it'll be better to make it here. Like another small window or animal door."

Kaito shrugged and literally just punched the wall. It hurt a little but it made cracks enough he was able to pull some of it again and taste it. "Chocolate."

"I kind of hoped it would be gingerbread or something." Saguru pulled a piece off himself, nibbling it before just pulling a few more off until he got a big piece and used it to hit the edges.

Kaito shrugged. The wallpaper at least was chocolate. He didn't taste the inside. Saguru using candy to scrape off candy of the same hardness was never going to work so he went over and took one of the candleholders, passing it to him.

"Thank you, I think my hands will taste like chocolate for a week." Saguru dropped the now smaller piece and got to work on what he had been chipping away, it was slowly getting deeper and larger. Saguru decided to start whistling, like the miners in that story did.

Kaito rolled his eyes, not really having room to help his brother while he was trying to make just a small hole. Saguru never did stuff like this so he was going to let him be the one to get his hands dirty this time.

Saguru grimaced but kept chipping away, his hands were starting to get really sore but he had not made it through to the other side. He felt a breeze on his hand as another piece fell away. He dropped the candlestick holder and tried to stick his hand through the hole.

"Mining chocolate. You make it look like such hard work," Kaito said sarcastically. If he hadn't have eaten he probably could have gotten through it in five minutes, tops.

Saguru stuck his tongue out and turned back to the wall, pressing his hand to the opening and trying to reach the other side before dropping his hand to his lap and letting out a sigh. "I guess it makes no difference. It is impossible to reach out from here."

Kaito tried it himself, just to make sure the same would happen to him. He hadn't tried the door because he figured it would, and he was right. He couldn't even touch the outside, though he could feel the air. "Hmm."

Saguru looked over at his brother and tilted his head. "I... I am really getting worried. Miss. Akako is not back yet and someone cursed father. Do you think, maybe she..." If she tried to get them away because of the curse on father, even if it was now broken, maybe whoever put the curse on him the first time had come back and that was why they were stuck inside.

"I don't know what to think. It's all weird, what with dad and that necklace and here and everything and mom. I'm not used to all this at once and I've never read any stories like this. Your guesses would be better than mine."

"Except, if it were something from one of the books, she would be the evil witch and behind all the bad stuff. She took care of us and helped us find him, plus, since her spell could only take us to the town, we know she could not beat us to him herself."

"I never thought she would have beat us to him. She didn't seem to like towns. Why? What would she do if she found him first anyway? The whole point was to help us find him. Wish we knew what happened to her though. Hope she wasn't stuck outside of town and sleeping in the forest because she was so far from here."

"I said if this was a story where all witches are bad. The why, usually hatred and chaos and things like that."

"I picture the whole town burning down in that kind of story."

Saguru rolled his eyes "Sure, she has a soft spot for us and takes us away before she does that."

Kaito chuckled. "I guess, but I don't see the point. It's not a very good story."

"I think it used to be the point was to stay away from witches. Maybe she has to deal with a bad witch. If witches are like people, some are good, like Miss. Akako, maybe someone bad was at the town already."

"She did say there were bad ones before." Kaito shrugged. "Hopefully she didn't get into a fight then."

Saguru bit his lip and looked out the hole in the wall. "Do you think, if anything happens to her, that we will be stuck in her house forever?"

"I don't know. Are witches powerful enough to leave magic behind if they die? I don't think she would though. I mean, she's a witch that can turn into animals. She can just run away."

Saguru huffed. "I guess not, according to the stories, but who knows if the rules differ for, say protection spells. Besides, we have no idea if other witches can prevent that." He rested his chin in his hand and tried thinking things through.

Kaito laid back on the floor and tried not to bother Saguru. It got them into fights more than not and Saguru often lost whatever he was thinking on. Sitting still wasn't really his style though and he found himself rolling over and kicking his feet at whatever was near him, touching this or that.

Saguru's thoughts kept going where he did not want them to, partly from Kaito's comment and the realization that Miss. Akako had been there almost every time. She had been there to find them in the woods, taken them to mother, where she showed how changed she was, then to father where he had no idea who they even were. He looked at Kaito and than away. He had voiced his distrust of mother before and Kaito had not taken it well. He was not going to voice these until he had proof this time. "Hey, can we read?"

Kaito looked down his shirt towards his brother. "Ah, sure. I told you we could do that earlier. If the witch lady isn't back by... I don't know, some time tonight, lets try and get out again."

Saguru nodded, getting up and looking forward to this, wanting to stop thinking about Miss. Akako the way he was starting to. He headed straight to the bed, finding the book still next to it and marked to where they had left it. He held it out to Kaito and sat on the bed, moving the cottony candy pillow so they could lean against it.

Kaito settled next to Saguru and opened the book. He knew Saguru could read just as well as he could but it was too hard to share and he was a lot better at the voices. He made the books better and that made him smile. It was something Saguru liked that he was better at and that they liked doing together - sure it was one of the only things but it was something.

Saguru settled down to listen, closing his eyes to better picture it as Kaito did voice after voice. He did not think he ever told Kaito how good he was at that, making the characters come to life like he did. At a pause, or chapter change, he interrupted. "How do you do that?"

"Huh?" Kaito didn't have to worry about losing his spot as he looked away. "Do what?"

"Those voices. You even make them sound like themselves every time without sounding like yourself. I tried it before and it just sounds like a deeper version of myself. It does not even sound real." Saguru looked over at his brother. "Can you sound like me?"

"Ah, yeah, I think I can." He knew he could. He'd mocked Saguru behind his back a few times now, though he didn't really like sounding like him. He was kind of embarrassed to do it now. "I guess I've always been able to do stuff like this. I can make animal sounds too, most of them. It helps with... tricking people."

"What... what about father?" Saguru knew most boys' voices change when they get about twelve, but Kaito could do adult men in the story, maybe he could do father already.

"Never tried but I've done other. I can probably do dad's voice too. Why? You want one of them to sound like dad?"

Saguru blushed a little and shook his head. "I... " He lowered his voice to a whisper.

Kaito smiled. "That's fine. I'll even make you the kid." He turned back to the book. He was half of the way through and he had voices for most, but they'd get used to the new ones.

It was not exactly what he wanted but just hearing father's voice was nice and it saved him from admitting he wanted to hear that it would be alright.

Kaito yawned after reading for what had to be hours. He was getting hungry again but his eyes were more tired than that. He put the book down and stretched. "I really need to move."

"Thank you." Saguru sat up and stretched. "Hey, do you think we could cook some of the steak pieces in a pan like the eggs?"

"I have no idea. Worth trying. If we don't like it, we don't eat it."

Saguru jumped down off the bed and started walking, figuring the steak with some of the salt on it would be good, just to make sure it didn't go bad or something. He knew salt was used on meat because of a fairy tale he had read and it would taste terrible without it.

Kaito rolled around on the bed for a bit, stretching further, before getting up and following his brother to the kitchen.

Saguru almost had it, catching the side of his hand on the edge of the pan when he almost dropped the saltshaker trying to turn the meat pieces with the other hand.

Kaito heard Saguru hiss and had to shake his head. "If only dad got mom sane. You're no girl, or if you are one, you're a really bad one."

"Shut up. At least we can eat something besides candy." Saguru shoved his hand in the sink to cool it. "You can take it off, it should be done."

"Since when do you know that a stake is cooked? Unlike you I'm not crazy either." Kaito went over and got plates, picking the meat up with a fork and not burning himself like a smart person.

Saguru sulked a little. "It is not my fault; the salt shaker got slippery." Saguru was glad when Kaito fished his fork out of the pan too. "I guess a few pieces are sweet and salty now."

Kaito shrugged, not caring. The silverware never really seemed to be effected by heat or cold before. He didn't know how that worked or if the pan itself would make the meat sweet but he didn't really care. He was hungry.

...

Konosuke had to rest. It was getting late and the sun was going down. They hadn't found the children and he and the others were getting more worried. It wasn't safe for such young boys to be out there alone, nowhere near town if their search had been thorough enough. "Toichi, I know you're worried, but we need to think of something else. This isn't working. Where do you think the boys would have gone?"

Toichi rubbed his face and sighed. "In this area, I have no idea. They did say there was a house in the woods, I can only hope that they reached it. Are there any hunters that know the woods and if there is a secluded home in there?"

"I think the town would know if there was something like that in the woods. A few make a spare living hunting game and we don't keep secrets like that. If you'd like you can ask Shuichi though. He is the one who deals with any wolf or other wild animal problems we have. I doubt that he knows anything about a secret house but he's my best guess. I was pretty sure I spoke him and he was helping search. With night coming, I'm pretty sure the others listened to common sense and have gone home though."

Toichi recalled the name but had not really spoke to the man. He thought about the supposed appearance and wondered, if he had seen it, would he admit it or assume he was hallucinating. He decided it was an option he would offer, just because this was his boys. "Saguru described it well enough, maybe I can ask."

Konosuke nodded. "In the morning. Neither of you will find anything in the dark, and less so in the forest with the moonlight cut off. Dawn won't be far and you haven't eaten."

Toichi looked toward the woods again and could only pray that his boys had found themselves somewhere with food. "You're right. I will be no use starving myself." He would see if he could find him at dawn.

Konosuke nodded. While he was a good man and father, at least Toichi could see reason. "Come on then. Some food and some rest will help you find the boys better than any tracker I could find you."

...

Saguru frowned when he woke and saw that Miss. Akako still refused to answer his knocks. He pulled out some paper, deciding it was an emergency, and started writing a few copies of the same note, letting anyone that read it know he and Kaito were alright but could not leave the house, Miss Akako had not been there at all and to let their father know.

Kaito decide that he could at least make a sandwich and made a few for breakfast while Saguru wrote and he watched him throw the little notes out the window. "You know, the animals are probably just going to eat those."

Saguru paused with one in his hand and looked over. He needed to make it go further anyway. "Maybe an animal will take it... " He looked back out the window and watched the breeze move the tree branches. His eyes widened and he ran to get some of the sheets, ripping a few pieces and grabbing a candle, tying the note to the holder to the bottom of the sheet. It should work. Everything about fire said it would, he just hoped the candy held. He eased the sheet out the window, which was tied to the base of the candlestick holder with string, before letting it go to carry the note he tied to the bottom. "HA! It works. That should let the wind take it and maybe someone will find it."

Kaito watched Saguru send off his little heated balloon, knowing that the fire would likely not melt the candy if any of the logic here still made sense in the real world. "Hope the wind is blowing the right way."

Saguru watched where the sun was. "I think it is. When we flew to the town, we headed that, with the sun up and to our left. It looks like it is going that way." He laughed, thrilled that it followed the rules of hot air rising and looked at Kaito. "Now animals have no way to eat it."

"Until it hits the ground." Kaito was smiling though. Maybe if he even saw part of it, dad would know that it was from them. The candy would give away where they were. "I wish he wasn't so far."

Saguru frowned and bit his lip, looking over again at the balloon but it was out of sight behind the trees. He picked at the windowsill, flicking the pieces out the window before backing up. "Is there still a sandwich left?"

"Of course. You never ate yours." Kaito looked out the window longingly. "I wish we could at least go outside. I hate being inside this long."

"Even I would love to sit outside, I would even try climbing a tree if I could be out there." Saguru picked up the sandwich and took a bit before leaning against the table, looking at Kaito and the small bit of nature through the window before jumping up and setting his food down. He grabbed the chair and dragged it to the front door, opening the door and lining the chair up to one side, going back and grabbing another to set on the other side. He nodded and grabbed the remains of the sheet from earlier and threw it over the two chairs. "Kaito, come on." He grabbed his breakfast and went to sit in the cave, facing out. "Now we can pretend it's a cave outside."

Kaito smiled, liking that idea and quickly crawling down there with his brother. He didn't really feel like reading right now so it'd be fun to pretend for a while and watch outside. "Good idea."

"I learned from the best." Saguru said quietly, taking another bite and refusing to look toward Kaito, even as he felt embarrassed for admitting that.

Kaito wasn't sure that the version dad had made was the best version of an indoor tent but it sure worked so he agreed, rolling over and watching upside down so he could see as much as the sky as possible. "I hate waiting."

...

Toichi asked around and was relieved to find that Shuichi was in town and found him. He approached him, hoping he would not sound crazy or disturbed for asking about a house that looked like it was made of candy. "Sir, I need to know if there is anywhere in the woods where there is possibly a house."

Shuichi looked at the new man on his doorstop. "That's very general. Here and there are houses scattered in the forest everywhere. There's a few in town, the road to town, and the next towns over. If we wanted to be specific, this town is in the woods."

"This is one that is away from any one else, cut off and... " Toichi took a deep breath and took the plunge. "I was told made of candy. My boys said it was a witch that lived there and it was a quarter day by flying carpet to the edge of this town and they rode tame fawns to our old town under an hour."

"It's closer to your home town then." Shuichi wondered how far 'flying' and 'riding' were different. He found a lot of this hard to believe but he had nothing going on and they had been looking for kids around the forest over here. Any tracks would have been long wiped away by those searching. "How do you feel about putting me up at your house there so I can look around? I'm not doing much. I make my living selling meat and furs and I can do that anywhere." Plus, this sounded interesting. Interesting was always a good thing.