APPLE WITCH (girlxgirlxgirl)

21. The brown apple of guilt

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"I heard you've lived at the tower, Adar told me"

Hilda rides next to Melora, the excitement and nervousness from the day before having died down. The pack was kind enough to give them all their own horses, since it was unnecessary for them to keep trying to ride together. This way the horses won't get tired either, and they won't have to stop unnecessarily along the dangerous roads and packs. Hilda has never been this far away from her home before, at least not according to what she can remember. Even the trees smell different here, and the air is fresh and new. She appreciates the green high trees of this forest, and the wide travelling road, more than she ever has before.

She's a bit unfamiliar on her horse, since werewolves don't use the animals much. But Hilda is a fast learner, and both she and Vallin have gotten used to it very quickly. Now they are almost as good as the vampires themselves, riding ahead when they don't need to be given direction by Saint. All day yesterday she and Vallin rode side by side, learning together and talking about the future. They were more excited than the vampires or the witches, just at the chance of getting to go on a mission and see the first world from a new point of view. Their previous argument was quickly forgotten, and they still haven't officially made up or talked about it. At night they slept next to each other, for the first time under the stars. Everything has been so new and exciting, they haven't had time to argue or even think about what happened just the day before.

Now it's their second day. The group of seven supernaturals have travelled through the big forest, passing pack after pack while keeping a quick pace. Where they are going is not very clear to Hilda, but it doesn't really matter at this point. Saint is leading the way and they have already gotten very far away from the second moon pack. Going back would take at least two days, depending on the weather, and each second that passes they get further and further away from their home. Vallin isn't worried though, not like he was before they left. He smiles and talks with his new groupmates like nothing happened between them, letting Saint lead the way even though he's usually quite a control freak about things like that. Hilda happens to wonder if they discussed the directions at the meeting yesterday, when she and Adar were excluded.

Right now the two of them aren't riding together anymore. Hilda has decided to be next to Melora, who unlike her isn't in a very good mood. The spring witch keeps spacing out and frowning, which according to Adar is her usual behaviour. But the autumn witch has been by the blonde girl's side ever since this morning, and even if they haven't spoken much at all, Hilda is still happy to be in the presence of the witch. She admires her so much, every seasonal witch does. Not only is she the most powerful, as the leader of the seasonal witches throughout generations, but she is also the first one who figured out her magic and the only one who has been both to the human world and the capital, as well as the tower and basically everywhere else. Melora might be the youngest among them, but from what Hilda has heard, she is the most experienced.

Hilda isn't the only one who's been getting to know a seasonal witch. Vallin has been by Adar's side all day as well, talking about the same things that Hilda and the winter witch talked about when the rest were at the meeting. Everything from seasonal witch magic to his past, Adar has quickly opened up the werewolf. He must've been raised to believe in werewolves over vampires, many witches believe in that. But whatever the reason, Hilda has been picking up on some interesting emotions as of consequence. Saint, who she took for a serious and work-led soul, has been sending the werewolf glares all day. Not a single hour goes by without the vampire glancing back at the two talking supernaturals. Hilda, who's been relatively bored by the spring witch's side, has picked up on every emotion and every expression on Saint's face.

He must like Adar. That's the only conclusion that Hilda can come up with. She sees where the vampire is coming from. Adar is a very sweet witch with beautiful white hair and a very pretty face. Not to mention his bright personality and charming smile. But Hilda doesn't sense any reciprocative feelings from the white haired witch, who has completely ignored the prince, if not even glares suspiciously at him whenever he glances back at them. Witches don't trust vampires. Adar must think that Saint has some sort of evil agenda behind his look, and it's almost funny the way they misunderstand each other so clearly. Or, it would be funny, except she's worried that Saint is leading them in the wrong direction, as he's so obviously distracted by the younger supernatural.