"Hey, Hedgehog." He smiles at her. His cheeks carried a slight blush. He does his best to keep eye contact with her, but it never sticks for some odd reason. "Betsy's looking for you." He said setting at the same table as the group on the opposite end.
"What? What for?" She wasn't expecting a magic lesson so soon especially not after just getting her wand. And why so early in the morning at that?
"I don't know. She just said she needs your help." Oliver said, taking food off of her plate instead of getting his own.
"Uhh fine. I'm sorry Oscar... I have to go." She apologized to the boy. Her plan to spend the day with him was now moot.
She had recalled the conversation from earlier. Of all her rotten luck, Betsy, one of the three camp concealers and her secret mentor had been calling for her. She couldn't even be bothered to show up herself, she had to send Oliver.
"Oliver." He whispers out loud with a slight snicker. "With his stupid hat... musically inclined dork." She stops smiling as the thought of the boy crosses her mind. "He is kind of good at it though... and his hat is pretty cool... kinda cute too." She bits at her bottom lip and a smile starts to form as her cheeks begin to heat up. She folds her arms over her stomach as she basks in the warm bliss the boy's face seemed to bring her. "No-" Hedgehog bobs her head from side to side. She doesn't know what she's thinking. Now was definitely not the time for those kinds of thoughts.
Though the image of Oliver refuses to stop flashing in her mind. "Come to think of it." She continues to mutter to herself and continuing the conversation in her head. When the boy came to her, he did look a tad ramshackle. His cheeks were glowing so bright it was practically visible, he struggled to hold eye contact with her, only looking at her for a few seconds before turning away. When she did get a good look into his eyes, however, she swore she could see something strange. Almost heart shaped. "No!" She shouts this time. Luckily for her, there had been no one around to stop and stare. "Now is not the time for the nonsense Hedgehog." The last thing she needed on her mind was, wheatear or not Oliver was feeling alright.
More important was what she was doing now. She was at the usual spot where she and Betsy usually meet, nearby the witches' cabins. Yet her mentor was nowhere to be found.
What could the witch even need? was it magic related? Hedgehog wouldn't mind getting into more compacted spells so easily after her induction. She was a quick learner after all. And if she had an honest chance of surpassing Susie in the field of witchcraft, she was all for it.
Or maybe this little meeting was more Susie related and if the head witch had found out about her secret training? No, it couldn't be that. Susie definitely would have come for Hedgehog herself if she knew. Or she hoped so at least.
Maybe it wasn't anything at all and Betsy just wanted someone to talk to. Hedgehog knew she and Susie haven't been seeing eye to eye lately, through no fault of her own. Susie was usually irrational at the best of times and Besty and Alice would normally put up with that, though Alice more than Susie most times. But lately, the two haven't been on the best of terms and she would vent all of her frustrations to Hedgehog.
Seeing as how she was the witch's apprentice the girl had no other choice but to listen. From what Hedgehog's been told, the problem mostly stems from how lazy and uncaring Susie had become throughout the years, though Hedgehog found it hard to imagen Susie ever being caring. There was also some relationship issue Besty never bothered to dive too deep into and Hedgehog knew better than to pray.
Whatever the case may be, Hedgehog would find out soon enough. She had been waiting at the meeting spot for close to an hour until the witch herself would finally decide to show up. She had gracefully fazed into existence a few feet in front of Hedgehog and a soft smile formed on her face when she sees the girl waiting ever so patiently.
"Finally, it's about time." Hedgehog moans, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. "It only took you about ten years to get here."
"Hedgehog, you're exaggerating. I was only a few minutes late." She lightly giggles stepping toward her diligent student.
Hedgehog blurts out a strained cough when she scoffs at her teacher. "A few minutes?" She raised a brow at the confused-looking witch. "Besty, you sent Oliver to get at 6. I got here at 6:15. It's 7:20 now."
"Oh..." The smile leaves her face once she comes to a stop next to Hedgehog. She brings her fingers to her head and closes her eyes. "I-... must have gotten sidetracked." She runs her fingers along her forehead and down to her eyes. She didn't have to say much, Hedgehog understood clearly.
"So... what did you need anyway?" She asks. Hedgehog could tell whatever was on Betsy's mind was something she wasn't ready to talk about, so she drops the subject completely in favor of getting into why she was there now.
Besty's eyes snap back open and the smile returns to her kind face. "Don't worry hedgehog. I just need your help preparing for the blood drive." She spoke in her usual soft manner as her dreary demeanor fades and her soft-hearted posture returned.
"Blood drive?" She asked, her brow now arched once again. She was confused. This was the first time she's heard of a blood drive event. Hedgehog didn't even think the camp did those kinds of things.
"Right, Susie and Alice are still out letting the kids know." She clarified catching Hedgehog up to speed. "The elves are hosting a blood drive. They're giving gifts in exchange for blood."
"Wait, wait, wait." Hedgehog waves her hands out in front of her. "Why would the elves need our blood?" She asked and when she hears her own question it makes her even more confused than before. "What are they even gonna do with all of it?"
"That's actually why I called you here today." Betsy motioned for Hedgehog to follow. "I'm supposed to meet someone in Heartford today. They're supposed to explain more about it once we meet. Honestly, I didn't want to go alone, because..." She pauses and slowly turns back to Hedgehog. "I'm... a bit afraid," Betsy admits with a cheeky smile.
The young girl stares at her mentor for a moment, then her face begins to twist up and her cheeks puff out into a pout as she tries to hold back a barrage of condescending laughter. "What?" The unregulated chuckling comes out once her mouth opens to dispel the question.
"Hedgehog please, it's not that funny." Besty sighs, crossing her arms. She tried to hide her embarrassment from the other girl, but it was too late. Hedging could already sus it out from the moment she opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. No, no you're right. But Betsy." She looks at Betsy, one arm over her stomach and a hand resting on her knee. "Heartford? You're too afraid to go there alone?" Hedgehog understood that people got anxious, but this kind of behavior was something more akin to Oscar.
"It's not like that young lady." She raises her head into the air, turning up her nose to Hedgehog with her eyes closed. "And I for the record find it rather unladylike to mock one's mentor such as you do now."
Hedgehog straightens out as her laughter ceases. "Jeez Betsy, sorry. You don't have to get all prim and proper with it." She rolled her eyes at the witch.
Betsy huffs through a pout. "Will come or not?" She asked, even if it sounds more like a plea to Hedgehog.
"Sure." Betsy's eyes open back up again, and she smiles, motioning to Hedgehog once again. In all honesty, she could understand the witch. Heartford was always better with a friend or two. She only wishes Oscar was there with her. "Right so. What are we meeting this person for exactly?" She says, following Betsy to the entrance to the hidden town.
"They're mostly going to be telling us what things we need to get for the event and where we'll be sitting up." She waves her wand around elegantly, unveiling the door that would lead to their destination.
"Right... but I would love it if they could explain a bit more," Hedgehog said, following Betsy into the town. "I didn't think elves even needed blood. Well, our blood I mean. Just seems a little weird is all."
"Me either. But Susie insisted that we participate. She said it's 'the right thing to do'." She throws her hands up with finger quotations. Susie seldom did anything out of the kindness of her heart. Everything always revolved around the head witch. They always did.
"That is so Susie. But gifts from Heartford... that is hard to resist." Hedgehog rubs her chin. All the best stuff came from that little town. Being one of the architects for this event the elves were throwing together could go a long way in securing Oscar for herself. "Yeah..." She hissed under her breath and a sinister look takes over her expression. It would be hard for Max to do anything then.
The walk through the long dark tunnel that leads to Heartford felt longer than it did most days. The journey with Oscar always flew by in a breeze. Normally the boy would talk her head off, but she never hated when Oscar spoke. He always made her feel like the world. That she was the only thing in his world that really matters. Now he was with Max, always had to include the bat in everything they did, and things were different now. Like she was the moon, who came out at night when everyone had long since gone to bed and Max was the sun and Oscar was frolicking carelessly in its warmth.
She runs her hand along the cold wall of the old passageway. It was as cold as she felt then, thinking about Oscar, thinking about Max. The both of them together. It almost makes her...
"Hedgehog." Betsy half shouts to her young ward, forcing Hedgehog to focus. She was overthinking again. "Come now. We're here."
"Right." She shakes her head and grunts slightly. One thing at a time.
Heartford, home of the elves and any other magic creature of myth. As beautiful as always. From a distance anyway. Hedgehog could never find any flaws in the old place and for how long it's been standing she was impressed. Though the island was more put together than her society could ever be and that maybe due in part to that old magic. There was always something so cozy about it. Familiar in a way.
Today though was different. She couldn't poke any holes in the situation per se, but she does notice that when they reach the town, they find it unusually empty today. Normally the streets would be flushed with elves or monsters, in a rush to get something done or doing nothing at all. Everything today however was quiet. Eerily so.
"Hey, Betsy?" Hedgehog speaks up. Her voice appears to echo off the walls of recently vacated buildings. They were on their way to meet up with the benefactor of the blood drive. "Where is everyone today?" She asked. There's still no sight of the elves, friendly monsters. There wasn't even a single bird in the sky.
"Don't worry hedgehog. They're just... at a town meeting right now." She doesn't sound so sure about her own reasoning, though Hedgehog would remain silent on the matter. "I'm sure of it."
They finally reach the rendezvous point. a long alleyway, shrouded in darkness. Even despite the time of day, the two girls could barely see anything. Betsy would eventually cast a light spell from her wand that lit up the ally the best it could until an elf in a dark robe appeared from seemingly out of nowhere.
They had emerged from the shadows, slinking into the light like a snake. They constantly check over their shoulder. Their movement was twitchy and spastic. Something was obviously wrong, and this elf clearly didn't want anyone watching them or overhearing the conversation.
"Good, you've come." They were jumpy. Hedgehog had already been questioning the trustworthiness of the elf from the start. This whole cloak-and-dagger act wasn't helping their case one bit.
"Yeah. you said you'd tell us what we should be doing exactly?" Betsy begins to speak ignoring the elves all to shady nature. Hedgehog wonders how her mentor could be so calm about this. Why wasn't she saying anything about it herself? She doesn't know to say the truth.
"Yes. You will be hosting the event at your camp." They said, their tongue spelling out the words like some wicked snake. "My people will provide the gifts in exchange for your... cooperation. Make sure the area is large enough and that all of your campers are in attendance. We wouldn't want anyone to miss out."
"Right... but what do you need the blood for, exactly?" Hedgehog cuts in. She still wanted to know why they insisted on obtaining the blood of so many children in the first place.
"I can insure you that it is for the greater good, young lady. The greater good." They slowly look over their shoulder again. They weren't as jumpy anymore and Hedgehog could even see the faintest smile from beneath their long cloak. "The elders have entrusted me with this assignment, and I intended to see it through to the end."
"Right. Right..." hedgehog says. She thinks that the elf didn't really answer her question, but she'd accept that if Barb was giving the order, it had to be important. Somehow.
"Good. Now go. And no one inside of your camp must speak about this." The elf hissed, retreating back into the shadows of the alley and disappearing. That's great Hedgehog thinks. One last shady message before they left was what she needed.
"Man, talk about creepy," Hedgehog said, giving an overly dramatic shiver as she turns back to Betsy. "And it's kinda wired they didn't really explain much. Right?"
"Yeah, but you know elves. They're really wired like that." She touches a gentle palm the Hedgehogs arm, assuring the girl that nothing was wrong. A little wired, but nothing they should be worried about. "Beside. If they aren't being truthful with us. Me, Susie and Alice would just... you know." She playfully shoves Hedgehog. She knew all too well what Susie might do if the elves were trying to play her. That thought runs a real shiver down Hedgehogs spine.
"Yeah, but why would Barb be doing this? She defiantly would have told me and Oscar. It doesn't seem like her." It hadn't even started yet, and Hedgehog was beginning to doubt this blood drive. "And for the greater good? What's that even supposed to mean?"
"Hedgehog don't worry about all that. If I say it's alright, can't you trust me as a mentor?" She puts a hand on Hedgehog's shoulder this time, getting the young witch's nerves to settle. "Would I lead you astray?"
"No... You wouldn't." She relaxes. She could trust Betsy's judgment. Out of the three witches, hers was the only one that really mattered after all. "So now what?"
"Now we go scout out a spot for the drive." She says as they began to exit the dark alley. "I figure we could make it more than just a blood drive you know. We could throw a whole barbecue. Everyone gets to eat, get gifts and just have fun."
Hedgehog hums, her eyes not focused on anything in particular. "That actually sounds really fun. Oscar would love that." She thought how Oscar never liked needles, but he would love the food and a Heartford gift or two wasn't so bad either. As she thinks about her best friend the thought of Max would accompany it. She realizes that she had left Oscar with the bat. "I hope he had a good day at least." She grumbles under her breath.
"You shouldn't worry about him hedgehog. He's not a baby and he's especially not your baby." Betsy repeats what Max has been telling her all morning. Of course, she would cringe slightly at the assertion.
"I know. I just don't know what I'd do if something were to happen to him." She peers at the ground while she walked. She never wants to see Oscar hurt, never wanted to see him be taken advantage of. She's always done her best in protecting him. She couldn't stop now.
"Don't worry. Everyone loves Oscar." They were halfway back to camp, nearby the witch's cabins and close to their original meet spot. "And besides he has Max looking after him too."
"Right...Max."
