Escape from the Witch Hunters

Ryia gasped. The poster said that they were looking for a girl with light brown hair, a green eye and a blue eye, medium height, and sixteen years old.

“Are my eyes different colored?” she looked from the poster to Gillian. Her eyes didn't feel like they were different colors.

Gillian nodded, his hands crossed over his chest.

She looked down at the parchment again. “Is my name Evelyn?”

Gillian nodded again, his hostile appearance never wavering.

“And I’m wanted for...for sorcery?” she looked at Gillian again.

“Yes, apparently you are.” he replied curtly. “Don’t tell me you don’t know.” he almost sneered.

“I didn’t.” she looked up at him with her naive eyes. “I truly didn’t. I would have told you if I had known, but I didn’t know.”

She looked back into his eyes, hoping he’d believe her.

“Don’t look at me like that!” he yelled and angrily ran a hand through his hair.

Ryia’s eyes got wider. “Like what?”

“Like that!” he looked as if it were obvious.

Ryia shook her head. “I’m sorry, Gillian, I don’t know!”

Gillian let out a exasperated grunt. “You’re always pretend you’re so innocent and ignorant. But you’re not! I know what you’re trying to do!”

“I’m sorry! I don’t know!” she tried to keep her tears back. “I don’t even know who I am.”

Gillian threw the paper down at the ground and stormed off in the opposite direction of her.

Ryia let the tears fall. What had she done? Was she really a sorceress? Was her mother a witch? Was she running away from the law?

Maybe she should have just turned herself in. It isn’t too late. I could still turn myself in.

She hurried back inside.

Gillian kicked a stone and it went flying a good twenty feet. “She should have told me! All this time, she’s been a sorceress!"

And to think that you bought her cloth for her dresses. he scowled. He was disgusted. He had succumbed to her entrancing eyes, her smile, her everything.

He continued walking until he came to the bank of his stream. He wished he had never gone riding that morning. He wished he had never found her. He wished that everything were different. He wished that she was just a girl. Maybe she is just a girl. Ever think of that?

"But the poster said-"

Since when does Gillian McCormack believe everything that posters say? Who says they're not just making things up? Father was considered a wizard just because he had the ability to heal people. Maybe her mother was a healer.

"Maybe maybe maybe." he muttered. "But she still lied!" his face contorted.

What if she truly didn't remember? How could she be lying with those innocent eyes?

"Her dumb eyes." he skipped a stone into the running water. He hated the way she would look at him with her eyes, making him feel sorry for anything he had ever done. Stupid stupid eyes.

You cannot deny that she was likely telling the truth. She's too innocent to lie like that.

Gillian wish he could make his conscience shut up.

You were just being a foolish unbelieving pig like you usually are.

"I don't care if I was being stupid! How could you not remember that your mother was a witch? How? Tell me how!"

You know that if someone hurts their head, that their memory can be lost. You, being a physician's son should know that better than most!

"But why would she be running away unless she was truly the daughter of a sorceress?"

You ran away from being the son of a physician. Don't pretend you don't know why. All those looks you would get, all the negative comments, everything! Not to mention the villagers would most likely burn her at the stake.

“What if she isn’t innocent? What if she’s truly a sorceress and she’s just using me?” he placed his head in his hands. “I couldn’t stand that happening again.”

Just give her a chance. Give girls a second chance. Not all of them can be as bad as Chloe.

Gillian put his face in his hands. How could he have made a mess of things? How come he couldn't have thought it through before he yelled at her.

She probably can't stand the sight of me. he sighed. He had just ruined any chance at friendship that he ever had.

"Go talk to her and apologize for being a prig." he stood up. The sun had already sunk behind the last hill.

He started walking back towards his house. As he drew closer her could see that the lamp was still lit, and there was smoke coming from the chimney.

He opened the gate to his house and took a deep breath. This is it. Go apologize. He walked up to the door and took another large breath before he opened it.

"Ryia?" he called.

He stepped inside. There was a pot hanging over the fire, holding smoked deer and some vegetables with some broth, the bed had been made, her crutch was gone, and she wasn't in the house.

A sinking feeling entered his stomach. She couldn’t have. Not now. He hadn’t even had a chance to tell her that he didn’t mean what he said, that she wasn’t a liar, that he actually loved the way she would look at him with her eyes.

Gillian frowned at the route his thoughts had taken. He did not love her eyes.

"Ryia?" he called again.

He quickly went around back to see if she was outside getting water or something. She wasn't.

He hurried back inside and looked in the drawer where her ring had been. It was gone.

He started walking to his room when a off-white piece of parchment caught his eye. It had his name squiggled on it.

He quickly tore it open and started reading.

Dear Gillian,

I am deeply sorry for causing you all this trouble. I truly did not know that I was the daughter of a witch, or that I was a sorceress myself, or else I would have told you. I wish I could have spared you the trouble.

Thank you ever so much for the crutch you made me, it's truly grand, and thank you for keeping me all these days. It was my pleasure knowing you, and I hope that maybe someday, if the Great Father wills it, we shall meet again.

I'm turning myself into the authorities, as I am guilty of practicing sorcery. I made you some stew, it should be over the fire. I am also very sorry for taking your shirt and trousers, but I needed something to travel in. I wish I could repay you for your kindness.

Your friend, or whatever you wish to call me,

Ryia

It was just like her to make him supper before running away.

Gillian quickly crumpled the note and banked the fire. "Is she stupid? Doesn't she know that the woods are a dangerous place at night?"

He hurried outside, grabbed the bundle that was on his horse and set it on his front steps before he mounted his horse that was still saddled from his journey to town.

Please Great Father, please help me find her. he galloped into the woods, praying he was headed in the right direction.

"Ryia!" he called. "Ryia! Come back! It's not safe!"

Ryia clung to herself and shivered. The winter hadn't fully thawed and at night a cold blanket of fog came in from the sea, which caused Ryia to be cold and wet all the way down to her bones.

"I should have waited till morning." she murmured. But I couldn't have standed seeing him so angry at me for another moment.

She looked sadly ahead of her. It cut like a knife, the way Gillian had looked at her as if she were a monster when he accused her of lying.

Ryia felt salty tears falling down her face, almost freezing her face. She angrily wiped them away. Don’t be a such a wimp.

Then she heard heard a terrifying sound that stopped the tears, almost petrifying her whole body.

Her heart started pounding in her head. She knew that sound too well. She had heard the coyote's howl before. Images danced in her mind.

Images of her racing into the woods on her horse. She had a horse! She was running from something. But what? The trees whipped past her face in a blur.

The coyote howled again, sending chills down her spine. "Please, Father, not again!" tears pooled in her eyes.

Her breathing came in short gasps. She could hear the coyote howling again. Her head started to spin and she leaned against a tree.

"Please Father. Send a rescuer! I'm so sorry, just please help me!" her tears flowed freely.

The world started turning, and before long, she found herself on the forest floor.

Her breathing still came at a rapid pace.

The whole world seemed to spin.

"Ryia!" she heard someone. "Ryia where are you!"

She couldn't answer. Please help someone find me before the coyote does.

Before she blacked out, she thought she saw Gillian riding towards her.

If only he were there. I wished things hadn’t ended on such a bad note.

Gillian hopped off his horse and ran to the small figure by the tree. It was Ryia.

He checked for a pulse. "At least she's still breathing." he sighed in relief.

He quickly picked her fragile body up and whistled to his horse. "Hurry up you dumb thing!"

Once it was close enough, he awkwardly grabbed the reins and pulled his horse alongside himself and Ryia.

He looked down at Ryia's face. "You foolish girl. Anyone knows never to enter the woods at night."

Her face was pale in the moonlight, her light brown hair looked darker and her scarlet lips cast into a pained expression. He wished she would smile. He hated seeing her look like that.

Her skin felt frozen against his. “So stupid!” he scolded even though she couldn’t hear him. “What were you even thinking?” he shook his head.

He heard a coyote cry in the distance. "Hurry up!" he walked a little faster and tugged on his horse's reins. He knew that the coyote would most likely not attack such a big target, but he didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.

After he had been walking for the better part of an hour his house came into view.

"At last." he said softly.

He carried Ryia back into the house and set her down on the bed.

He brushed away a strand of hair that covered her face. "Don't scare me like that again, Ryia. I know I’m stupid and don’t deserve anything, but don’t scare me like that again.." he whispered softly. "Don't ever think about it."

He took of his coat and started rubbing her arms, trying to get them warm again.