Of Thatch and Vine

Chapter Two

~Torin~

Even from the safety of the tree line, Torin had a well enough view to see the witch. He didn't need to be any closer to smell the magic on her. An old one, then. One whose magical lineage runs deep. Only the blood of the old witches smelled as potent. She spotted him. He had been so focused on her scent that he'd let her see him. Foolish; a pup's mistake. He dipped out of her line of sight between one blink and the next. He followed her as she continued her path, although he had no real need to. He knew exactly where she was going. A witch showing up on his land in the middle of the day? There was only one place she could be headed.

Strange. No one had lived in that cabin in years. The last inhabitants passed on and that had been years ago. Torin was almost too young to remember that witch his father had introduced him to. But since then — nothing. The old cottage in the forest stayed vacant. He checked up on it from time to time or sent one of his pack mates to have a quick look. But no one had seen anything in years. Until now, apparently.

Once the witch had entered the cottage, Torin waited until smoke began to billow from the previously unused chimney before turning tail for home. He'd have to come back first thing tomorrow. He needed to know why she was here. What her purpose of coming here was.

Running through the thick woods pushed the witch to the back of his mind for the moment. His large paws found footing easily amongst the twigs and fallen trees, but it was no time to let his mind wander. The woods around here held many secrets and he didn't have the energy to entertain any of them today. Moss and earth gave way to gravel and mud as the road that would lead to his home emerged from the thicket. He took a moment to listen, make sure no cars could be heard — although it would be strange indeed if any car other than his sister's was in the area — before he took off towards the house.

It was an old brick thing, covered in the typical lime whitewash, like so many of the buildings in the area. The thatched roof was bright against the green of the hills, having only been redone the past fall. Once an old manor house for some of the nearby town's elite, the house was perfectly suited to a pack of Shifters. Stone fences and wooden gates separated the yard into smaller sections and led Torin to the covered doorway. Only once inside the house did he allow his form to shift from wolf to human once more. A pair of pants and a long-sleeved shirt sat on the small entry table, right where he'd left them that morning before heading out. Slipping them on, Torin made his way further into the house, following the sounds of his best friends laughing. Hopefully, they were clothed this time. One could never be too sure with them.

Walking into the kitchen, where they had renovated and constructed a giant island in the middle, stood two of Torin's pack mates and friends. Ciaran and Flynn had been there since the beginning, their families having long been friends. Torin had vivid memories of getting into all sorts of trouble with the two when they were pups. It wasn't until Ciaran and Flynn had stopped dancing around each other and confessed their love that things changed. But for the better; most of the time. Torin has walked in on them in more than one precarious situation over the years. Thankfully, whatever he was interrupting this time involved everyone being decent.

Flynn was mid-laughter when Torin walked in. His friend's eyes only seemed to lighten up more. "There you are! We were beginning to wonder where our fearless leader ran off to. You headed out at sun rise!" He didn't seem very worried, considering he was still laughing through the words as Ciaran shook his head, a fond smile on his face.

Eyeing his mate with slight exasperation, Ciaran turned to Torin with a much calmer demeanor. "You were out for a long time today, did you find trouble amongst the sheep?"

The teasing never ceased, it would appear. Slightly saddened to ruin their fun, but needing his friend's input, Torin sighed. "I saw a witch arrive at Ash Grove."