The witch was wearing a dress. It had long sleeves and the black fabric clung tightly to her body. The buttons started beneath her color bone and continued down to mid-thigh. Her legs were covered in tight, dark blue fabric. It was the first time he'd seen her resemble a put-together woman instead of a feral forest witch with debris in her hair.
She made everyone oatmeal for breakfast. The warmlings piled theirs high with brown sugar and berries.
It was repulsive. The texture clung to his tongue after eating it. He wanted to spit it out and demand something different. And he would have, last week.
Now, little ones were watching. He would practice being civil to the witch at least when they were around.
He pushed his oatmeal to the side and munched on fruit. But the little witch was observant. It was what made witches dangerous. It made this one heat up a sweet, round bread topped with a sweet glaze and slide it over to him.
He curled his lip up at her and she dared to smile.
The bread was delicious, damn her.
He followed along as the witch babbled to the boys. She was writing down a list of everything they would need.
Most of it were things Wren wouldn't have thought of. The last time he was around young ones, people were still using oil for lighting.
The witch had to do something called errands and would be gone most of the day.
She explained to the boys what was in the boxes before they helped her carry them to the car.
"People can order elixirs, or tonics,"
"Potions." Wren interrupted. Calling it a new name didn't change what it was.
She stuck her tongue out at him. Jace giggled. "Exhlirs or tonics. For some people, it might be medicines or spells."
"Curses and crimes." He interuppted again. Gael shot a worried look at the witch. Jace looked a bit too excited about the possibility of curses.
The little witch shot him a look that he assumed was supposed to be intimidating. But her round cheeks were puffed up and she looked like a chipmunk.
"No curses. Just helpful spells. Nothing too powerful." She held up a small bag with a bracelet with a little black charm on it. "This has a memory spell attached to it. "
Both boys leaned. "How does it work?"
"Well, the person who bought it needs help during their finals. They will wear it while they study or while they are in class. It will help them remember and recall what they learned."
She took time to explain some of the other items in her box. The warmlings seemed impressed. Wren rolled his eyes. Little charms and spells were the least a witch could do.
He followed them out, both boys carefully carrying a box. The witch led them to a detached garage where hers and the car the boys drove in on were. She hugged both boys. He growled at her when she came his way.
She wiggled her fingers at him instead.
They watched her drive away in silence.
"Come. Let's get dressed and then go into the forest."
Jace cheered. "Do you think we'll see the bear again?"
Wren hoped not. As much as the stupid witch says she's harmless, he doesn't want to test it.
He tells the boys to wear jackets. Even though it's spring, it is still cold. He runs hot, as all dragons do. The witch is idiotic or uses magic to keep herself warm as she runs around the forest barefooted and in shorts.
Neither boy has a jacket, but they layer on long-sleeved shorts.
Wren grabs one of the witch's bags that hangs from a hook by the door and tells the boys to pack snacks.
He looks through the cupboards and finds water bottles to fill up. Then they're off into the woods.
Jace runs ahead and Gael frets. "Is it safe for him to be runnin' off like that ?"
Wren brushes him with a wing. "I am the strongest being in this forest. He is safe. "
Gael doesn't look convinced. "Stronger than the bear?"
Wren could defeat the grizzly bear but it wouldn't be a quick fight. He nods anyway. "The bear wouldn't hurt you or your brother. It is loyal to the witch, and the witch is your guardian."
Wren can hear Jace talking accidentally about something up ahead. He ducks his head and meets Gael's eyes. "The witch is one of your guardians. I am your other. Nothing will harm you."
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The boys explored the forest. They had questions about everything. They raced to see who could climb a tree the fastest. They sat down quite to watch deer in a meadow. They spent time at the river, flipping over rocks and finding salamanders.
Wren found a flat stone with tiger stripping and put it in his pocket.
"Why are you keepin' a rock?" Gael asked.
"Dragons like to keep. They collect and keep things precious to them."
Jace looked up from where he was flipping rocks at the river bed.
"Rocks are precious to you ?"
Wren looked at their curious faces before responding. "It's not that rocks are particularly precious to me. It's that now that I have the freedom to keep, I will collect the things that are available to me."
Gael sat down in front of him on the grass. "You didn't have the freedom to before?"
"I haven't been able to collect, not for a long time. "
Jace sat down next to his brother. Both the boys waiting to hear more.
" I used to have a beautiful collection. I had every kind of precious stone, the softest of silk, books that languages are no longer spoken."
He took a deep breath. " I had a family."
Both of the boys' faces were solemn.
"What happened?"
Wren picked his words carefully. "It was all taken from me. And now I pick up rocks and bones to take home."
Jace crawled forward and collapsed against him in a hug. "You picked us. We can be precious to you. "
Wren was careful as he hugged the boy back. He was all skin and bones. "You already are."
—-------------------------------------------------------
During the rest of the day, the boys would bring him things they thought were precious. Wren would select his favorites and the boys would run off in search of more.
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The witch came home as the sun was sinking low. The sky was turning shades of blue and pink. She came in with arms full of bags. The boys jumped up and tried to look in the bags while she was walking.
She laughed and tried not to trip on them. "There's more in the car!"
The boys ran out of the house, shoving each other trying to be first. She put her bags in the kitchen and started pulling things out and putting them away. As the boys ran in with their arms full, she directed them to put stuff in the kitchen or living room.
After all their trips, there was a mountain of bags in each room.
She watched with her hand on her hips. "I might have gone overboard."
Jace and Gael sat on the floor eyeballing the bags. The witch started opening bags and handing them to the boys.
The majority of it was clothes.
"A mom in town was getting rid of her boys' clothes. Whatever doesn't fit we can pass on to someone else."
Jace shouted with joy when he found a jacket with dinosaurs printed on it.
She handed two bags to Wren. "I wasn't sure what you like, so I got you some basics."
Her cheeks were flushed and she had a soft smile on her face.
The clothes in the bags were soft. He pulled out a gray shirt and rubbed the material between his fingers. He made a noise in his throat that sounded too close to chirp. The witch did an awful job of pretending she didn't hear it.