Ch.1: Leaving Home

Deep in the dark woods there is a family of three. Three witches that is. The eldest, the grandmother rooted deep in the old ways. The mean and lonely ways. Outsiders not welcome, unless here for trade. The middle aged mother, tall and strong. Yet almost always wrong. The littlest daughter, born small. Yet, oh so very young and happy. Not the norm for a young witch, strong of mind, body and magic. She has a sock monkey as her constant companion. 

This story doesn't follow the grandmother, or even the mother but the daughter who desperately does not want to be lonely, mean, nor alone. 

"Alyssa! You best stay away from that village beyond the woods!" Called the mother, yelling at the top of her lungs as she could not see her small witch running through the underbrush. 

"Let that child be!" Said grandmother sitting upon a tree stump mixing different herbs and things. "She's ten times stronger than you ever where or will ever be. Besides she knows many more spells than you did at that age."

"Mother! That child is far to young to be running about on her own. Especially unsupervised, given what she knows." Cried the mother looking deep within the woods hoping to see her daughter bounding through the trees. 

"Don't you Mother me child!" Said grandmother glaring at her. "I've taught her all the same spells you were taught at that age and more. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Much more than you are, anyway come help with these potions. Those traders will be coming through here soon."

Indeed the traders were on there way to the old cabin deep within the woods. Though they were more interested in the young girl they glimpsed running around the woods. She was wearing an eerily bright red cloak. They watched as she darted between trees, jumping up on top of large boulders. She even vanished from sight a few times only to reappear in a completely different location. One also took notice of a sock monkey being dragged in tow. This sock monkey was odd though. It somehow seemed real, almost as if it were alive. The girl disappeared again. 

"Good day, good lady!" Cried one of the traders with a wave. 

"Who you calling good lady?" Yelled grandmother, hands on her hips. "You porter!"

"I am not a porter!" Yelled back the trader. 

"Nor am I a good lady!" Said grandmother with a huff. 

"I have what you ordered and more." The trader rained in the horses. "You have the remedies I requested."

"If your referring to the twelve vials of mothers milk, eighteen vials of hair growth, twenty four vials of dead men talk, eight vials of lilies waters, four vials of deadly waters, two vials of hives and honey, and one vials of that to which has no name." Smiled grandmother wickedly. "And you mine?"

"Oh, you mean the three bolts black velvet, one bolt black lace, one bolt red velvet and one bolt red silk. Three bear skins, two lion skins and one gator hide. One child sized broom ready for use with extra thistle bristols in varying sizes. Also one lot of assorted vials with stoppers in varying sizes." Said the trader motioning for his partner to pull the items off of their wagon. "That sound about right?!"

"Got any pumpkin seeds?" Asked grandmother putting the vials into a hay lined box. 

"You're joking right?" Asked the trader looking into his wagon. "You do know we supply seed grains to the outlying villages and towns."

Grandmother didn't bother to respond she just stood starring at the men and the wagon. 

"I've got plenty. You need one bag or two?" The trader said while looking towards grandmother holding up the bags of seeds. 

"One bag for now." Said grandmother handing off one of the three boxes of vials. 

"Very well." Said the trader. "Corbin take the lady's things up to their door, then properly secure the remedies within the wagon."

"What happened to your last apprentice?" Asked mother looking at the new guy moving things to their porch. "He was a smart one."

"Too smart for his own good." Said the trader looking down at his own feet. 

"Crossed a witch, did he?" Asked mother. 

"Worse, a sorcerer!" He shook his head. "Dumb kid just couldn't keep his mouth shut."

"Oh, one of them." Said grandmother with a laugh. 

"Who are you?" Asked Alyssa appearing out of no where giving both men a good fright. 

Shocked to see the young girl standing next to him when there was just air a moment ago, his mouth just opened then shut with an audible snap. "Just a friendly trader and his wagon of goods."

"Who's the weird boy?" Asked Alyssa watching the young man trip over his own feet going up the stairs. 

"That would be my apprentice, young lady!" Said the trader. 

"Why do you have an apprentice, and what does he do exactly?" Alyssa's attention still on the boy who seemed to have a talent for tripping over his own feet. 

"I have an apprentice to help me with filling orders and delivering them." Said the trader also watching the boy trip over something that wasn't there. "What he does is exactly what I say, though he does have his issues."

"The boy is basically an indentured servant." Said sock monkey. "He has to do everything the master says."

"Why?" Asked Alyssa looking straight into the traders eyes. 

With a nervous smile the trader looked toward the grandmother, she was no help. "Why, well because one day he will take over this and other existing trade routes. In order to do that he has to learn everything about this life and his job."

"Do you travel far and wide?" Asked Alyssa, now looking into the wagon or at least trying to. She was just a tad to short. 

"Alyssa, he's a trader." Said sock monkey, some what annoyed. "They travel from town to town buying and selling odds and ends at double the cost of purchasing them from an actual store."

"Well aren't you a curious one." Said the trader watching her very closely. "Yes we travel a lot. It's our job. We go from Port Haze to Castle Vivadale in the far eastern lands. 

"How far is that?" Asked Alyssa pulling an odd doll off of his wagon. 

"Your home and the village beyond are about a quarter of the way to Port Haze." Said Corbin taking the doll from Alyssa, showing a string on its back and giving a quick pull. The doll gave a giggling cry, not what it was supposed to sound like. "It's about a three day ride if you don't stop at all in the towns and villages."

"Corbin, are all of your tasks done?" Asked the trader handing the doll back to Alyssa. 

"Y-Yes master." Said Corbin looking down at the ground. 

"Well then our job here is done." Announced the trader with a clap of the hands. "I'd love to stay and chat some more, but we must continue onto the village beyond. There's money to be had."

"Travel safe, safe travels." Called grandmother with an eerie smile on her face. 

"I'd prefer profitable travels versus safe any day." Called the trader turning his horse and wagon. 

"Be gone with you then." Called mother moving the goods into the house. "We have much to do!"

"Right, right. Enjoy the night ladies. " with a wave and the crack of a whip, the horses galloped away into the woods.

"What did he mean by enjoy the night?" Asked Alyssa comparing the smiling doll to her sock monkey. 

"When night comes you'll learn something very fun." Said mother looking down at the doll in Alyssa's hand. "It's something that all young witches learn."

"Nor more spells and curses!" Whined Alyssa, shoulders dropping. 

"Nothing wrong with a good spell of curse." Said grandmother taking the doll away from Alyssa and tossing it aside. 

"Now Alyssa go inside, wash up and take a nap." Said mother pushing her inside. "It's going to be a long night."

"A very long night indeed." Said grandmother picking up the broom. "Should be a fun night though." She began to carve symbols into the handle. 

"Alyssa, I think tonight's the night." Thought sock monkey, he was being dragged across the floor. "I think they're finally going to teach you how to fly a broom."

"A bath and a nap." Thought Alyssa headed to the back of the house. "Sounds good, right sock monkey."

"A bath and a nap, yeah..." Thought sock monkey suddenly realizing what that meant, a little to late. "Wait Alyssa, wait don't put me in the bath water. Please don't scrub me like last time."

That just so happened to be exactly what she did. It should be noted that even Alyssa dislikes baths, but it can't be helped. She also doesn't like water falling on her heard either, the rainy season is the worst. 

"Alyssa it's time to wake up." Said mother giving her a little nudge. 

"Just flip her off of the matt, it always did the trick with you." Grandmothers voice came from the doorway, she'd been watching the whole time. 

"I'm up... I'm up." Mumbled Alyssa hair sticking to the sweat on the side of her face. 

"At least there's a pretty bright orange sunset outside." Thought sock monkey staring out the window while being dragged by his ear. 

"There's food on the table." Mother said while quickly brushing the hair off of Alyssa's face. "When your done come outside."

"Tonight we fly!" Announced Grandmother vanishing from the open door way. 

Alyssa quickly got dressed, then ran to the kitchen for her meal. She must have been very hungry because her plate was empty within minutes of her reaching the table. In her excitement Alyssa ran outside only to realize something, she had forgotten her sock monkey. She mumbled a few words then reached out to her beloved friend. Sock monkey floated up off of the floor, crossed the room only to land at Alyssa's feet despite her open arms. 

"I wish you had left me where I was." Thought sock monkey as Alyssa stuffed him in to a leather pouch she had made. "I don't suspect that this will be fun. Your mother and grandmother probably want you to help frighten the villagers in the nearby town."

"I'm ready!" screamed Alyssa as she ran out into the clearing where Grandmother and Mother were awaiting. 

"About time, that took far to long." Scolded mother. "Did you really have to go and waist a good levitation spell on that sock monkey?"

"Of course she did." Chimed in Grandmother with a smile. "I gave her that gift at birth. It makes sense that she would want to carry it everywhere with her, besides you had that ugly stuffed rabbit my mother gave you."

Alyssa giggled, she knew exactly what toy grandmother was talking about. It was the only toy Alyssa was absolutely not allowed to play with. Though she sometimes did. 

"Now child, this here is thee most important thing in a witch's arsenal." Grandmother smiled while handing Alyssa her very first witches broom. 

"It's a broom!?" Thought Alyssa intently looking at the ornate carvings on it. "It's just a broom with some scribbles carved into it."

"You know it's a magical tool." Said mother very much annoyed at Alyssa's disappointed face. 

"That and it can also be used for cleaning purposes." Laughed sock monkey. 

"Why are there so many scribbles on it?" Asked Alyssa as she turned the broom over and over again. 

"Those are not scribbles." Said Grandmother pointing to her own larger broom. "They are the sacred incantations. They help it, and you, to fly. Now do as I do and you'll be up in the air flying in no time"

Grandmother got into her flying stance which consisted of her straddling her broom as if it were a horse. Though this seemed to be the unladylike version. She started running, then hopping before Alyssa's eyes. Suddenly grandmother was up off the ground flying low at first, feet barely off the ground. Then she began to circle the clearing and the house. She then climbed high into the night sky. 

"Amazing!" Thought Alyssa watching Grandmother fly across the moons path casting a shadow down onto the clearing. "I'm going to give it a try."

And that she did, she gave it her best. After several failed attempts to fly, Alyssa had a very red face. Not from anger or frustration but from falling off the broom and onto her face. Though most times the broom would keep going without her causing her to have to chase it down. 

"Alyssa you can do this!" Thought sock monkey feeling every impact with the ground. "Tighten your grip with your thighs, then loosen your hand grip. Maybe then you will fly. Hopefully you'll be able to fly, maybe even get us away from here too."

Alyssa followed sock monkeys suggestions, though she never acknowledged him. Before long Alyssa was flying high in the sky with her grandmother. 

"I did it!" Announced Alyssa loud enough to be heard over the wind. "An without any help!"

Sock monkey pouted from within his bag. "Figures you cant hear me." 

"Very well done." Yelled Grandmother giving Alyssa a proud smile. "Here comes your mother."

"It took you a few try's but you did it, an all by yourself too." Said mother nodding in approval. 

"It took her less time than it took you." Laughed Grandmother. "Can you believe it took your mother almost a week before she could even get off the ground. Then it took another two before she could even fly."

"That's only because I kept being attacked by birds!" Cried mother as a bird nearly smacked her in the face. 

"Who's fault was that!" Grandmother saw a large flock of birds coming, she leaned forward increasing her speed. 

Mother did the same after another bird almost collided with her head. As Grandmother and mother continued to fly and argue, Alyssa flew a little higher. She watched as the flock followed her mother. "Now's my chance to go exploring beyond the woods and the town. They're distracted." Alyssa smiled as she disappeared off into the nights sky. 

~End~