Work Text:
~o~
Life in the village was nice and quiet, much quieter than Miorine ever imagined. She had a person who loved her and was far from the danger that being the princess of that kingdom meant.
These were dangerous times.
But what wasn't so quiet for the former Princess was the dawn, her beloved stamina monster named Suletta Mercury woke up with her heart full of love and she had to get it out or she was going to burst. And the best way was by kissing Miorine's face and shoulders.
The girls had been together for a year, they celebrated their anniversary (the date they met) a couple of weeks ago.
"Suletta, stop it, we still have a little more time in bed before we work in the garden," Miorine complained as she tried to push the witch away. A kiss on her cheek, despite her annoyance, made her smile.
"I always feel happy when I wake up and see you by my side, Mio, I feel very, very happy," said the young witch as she searched, this time, for a proper good morning kiss. A kiss on the lips.
The kiss lasted for long seconds, before Miorine lowered herself onto Suletta's body and looked into her eyes while playing with those wild locks of fire-like hair.
"Always so romantic, part of your charm, I guess," Miorine said, smiling. "I like it," she was the one who gave Suletta a kiss on the chin and stood up while stretching. "Since you made me get out of bed, I'll go for some vegetables in the garden for breakfast."
"Okay," Suletta replied with a little girl smile on her face. "Can I kiss you one more time?"
Miorine looked at her seriously. "I don't know. Can you?"
Suletta's only response was to pull Miorine back onto the bed, leaving her on top of her body again, so she could wrap both arms around her waist and kiss her properly, deeply, wetly. Miorine moaned softly and that finished unleashing Suletta's passion.
They both got out of bed a some time later.
~o~
One such day, a young nobleman of fierce appearance arrived in the village, the Young Lion, as people called him. The young man was accompanied by a small caravan made up of his brother, personal female companions and some soldiers. The young man showed his pride and gallantry from the way he walked, he had a confident smile on his face and the armor that covered his tall body added to his presence. Just as he preferred and as he was used to being welcomed wherever he went.
"Listen, villagers!" the young man shouted as soon as he stopped in the center of the small square of the village. "I've heard that there is a witch here who can find anything anywhere! I demand to be told where I can find that witch! The Red Witch they call her! Bring her to me!" He ordered. "Tell her that the Son of Vim the Lion, Guel Jeturk, demands her service!"
The villagers still looked at him in surprise, it was not usual to see people so important, so... Adorned and dolled up in these lands. But someone wasn't very happy with the scandal and all the orders that this spoiled nobleman barked at the people, as if they should obey him immediately.
"Then shut your mouth, Young Lion!" Shouted the fierce voice of a petite girl of brave appearance. She had an axe on her shoulder. "The Witch you seek comes when she needs to come. No one here will guide you to her home, so be a good boy and wait for her here."
"Who dares to challenge my authority?!" Shouted a furious Guel, he couldn't recognize among all the people who answered him.
The young girl, now more striking with her voluminous pink hair, went towards him while swinging her axe like a child playing with a stick. "You have no authority here! So wait or get out!"
"Chuchu, please," another girl stepped out from among the villagers, a girl with short dark hair and a gentler appearance. It was Nika, the local blacksmith's new apprentice. "They come to ask for the Red Witch's service and..."
"And he should know better than to shout orders," Chuchu muttered. "We all know the rules , Nika, but there are people who think they are above the rules."
Guel grew impatient. "You two, take me to the Red Witch."
Nika shook her head, but more gently. "Even if we wanted to, young lord, we couldn't find our local witch's home. You know the rules," Nika said more calmly. "She comes a couple of times a week to the village to trade the fruits of her garden and give medicine to the sick. There's a small inn where you can all stay. She'll be here in a day or two."
Everyone knew the rules and Guel Jeturk had no choice but to give in, but instead of going to the place the blacksmith apprentice told him, his caravan camped outside the village, there would only be one soldier near the square waiting for the Red Witch to appear.
No one needed to ask to know that the young lord did not want to mend with simple villagers in their humble buildings.
The Young Lion was frustrated, but he knew the rules and no one could force a path to a witch, they were the ones who went where they were needed. Guel Jeturk needed the Red Witch especially for a much more special mission.
This time the young man needed to be patient to achieve his goal: becoming the King.
Meanwhile, in the small tavern of the village, Chuchu looked angrily in the direction where the camp of that pompous and annoying noble could be seen, she finished all the beer in one gulp and looked at Nika angrily.
"I don't like guys like him," muttered an annoyed Chuchu.
"I know, but I don't want you to get arrested for yelling at the General's son either," said Nika with a smile.
"It makes me angry that they think they have the right to order us around whatever they want!"
"What worries me is the reason why they're looking for Suletta," Nika murmured with sudden concern. "There're many witches in the Capital, many of them are very powerful, but we don't know what he wants Suletta to find."
"Whatever it is, I'm not sure a petulant like that spoiled brat is looking for something good."
Nika had the same suspicion, but that no longer depended on them but on Suletta.
It was just a matter of time before someone powerful would seek out Suletta and her unique ability.
~o~
"Mio! Mio! Look! Look at the letter that came from my sister Eri!" exclaimed a happy Suletta as she ran with the letter in her hands towards the garden.
"From Eri?" Miorine wiped her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt as she stood up, still holding her small gardening trowel in her hand. "I haven't had a chance to meet her yet."
"She lives a bit far away, but distances are no problem for Aerial."
"A magnificent bird,” Miorine nodded. "And what does the letter say?"
"Eri says that she had a vision and that I'll soon get my Familiar," Suletta informed excitedly.
"I wonder how this will work with me enchanted to you," with the help of Suletta's mother, by the way.
"I'm not really sure, but we'll find out as soon as I can get my Familiar," Suletta said and read the rest of the letter that she hadn't read because of her excitement. Her expression immediately turned worried, worrying Miorine as well. “Oh…”
“Suletta?”
“It says for us to be careful of the roars and claws of a beast.”
Miorine frowned. “I suppose your sister can’t be more detailed, right?” Was Suletta’s sister referring to some creature in the forest? Some danger during a future job for Suletta and her Tracking skill?
Suleta shook her head. “Eri just says what she sees.”
"I guess it's not worth worrying about, I'll take care of you from any dangerous creatures," said a serious and proud Miorine.
Suletta smiled. "Then I have nothing to fear if I'm with you."
"Exactly. Now let's finish putting everything in the cart, we have to go to the village. We need more ink and paper, and we must collect the tools we asked the blacksmith for."
"Surely Nika did a good job with your tools."
"I like that Nika girl, she's more gentle when she touches my head," commented Miorine, obviously talking about her feline form.
"Try not to fight with Chuchu, please. She's not a bad girl, just a little rough," said a nervous Suletta.
"Just a little? She's a brute!" Miorine snapped.
Nika, Chuchu and other young people who arrived with their families had only been living in the village for three months after bandits had razed their town. The bandits were caught by the Royal Guard but the place was completely destroyed and uninhabitable for the next few years. The castle ordered that the region be left to recover naturally and the displaced people were given support to move to other towns and villages.
The new inhabitants soon got to know the local witch and the cute white cat that always accompanied her. The young people were charmed by the Red Witch's pleasant personality and quickly became friends with her.
After putting the harvest in the cart and carrying extra money for what they needed, Miorine took her feline form and got herself on Suletta's shoulder. No one in the village knew she was a human and that was how she had to stay. To everyone in the village, the cute white cat that accompanied Suletta was called "Mi" and she was a bit of a capricious cat that let herself be touched by a few.
Until that day, Miorine still kept the secret of her true origin from Suletta. She still didn't tell her that she was the princess of this kingdom. Miorine believed that was for the best, she didn't want to be treated differently by the girl she loved just because she had royal blood. Besides, that way she would keep Suletta safe, there were still people looking for her and she was safe in the feline form that the Mother Witch "gave" her and that in the end turned out to be the best for her.
Suletta, until that day, had respected Miorine's secrecy and didn't ask any more unless Miorine mentioned her mother and the teachings she had instilled in her before she died.
"Mio, can I ask you something private?" Suletta asked halfway as she pulled her cart with the goods she was going to trade in the village. Miorine had just told her about an old recipe for a medicine against the seasonal flu that her deceased mother taught her. "If it's something very private, you don't have to answer."
"Ask, go ahead," Miorine replied, comfortably nestled on Suletta's shoulder, her small feline face against Suletta's neck.
"Was your mother a witch?" the young witch asked suddenly. "All the recipes you've shared with me so far aren't from doctors, I know the medicines of doctors and they are not the same, only the most dedicated witches know about advanced herbalism."
"I don't know," Miorine replied immediately. "The only thing I can tell you about my mother is that she was a person who knew a lot about plants, flowers, roots, mushrooms and many of the fruits of the earth," Miorine smiled inwardly as she remembered her beloved mother's gentle smile. "Whether or not she was a witch, she never told me, she just taught me everything she knew even though I didn't put it into practice, at least not until I lived with you."
"Oh, I understand," Suletta said with a murmur, and she was quick to smile. "You have a great memory, Mio."
"I've always had a good memory," and the young princess was quick to remember that all the books and other documents her mother owned were still in that room in the castle that served as her workroom. Trying to retrieve those documents was a bad idea, stepping foot in the castle in the capital again was a bad idea unless she wanted to die or, worse, be forced to marry a bastard who only wanted the crown. "I'll share with you everything I remember, you learn pretty quickly."
"The medicines you make are better than mine."
"Hey, don't take credit for yourself, herbalism isn't your strong point, you've told me many times," Miorine rubbed her furry feline head against her girlfriend's cheek. "You're doing great with everything I've taught you."
Suletta smiled. "Thanks, Mio."
The young couple arrived at the village a while later, but from a distance a colorful camp could already be seen set up to the south. Were they traveling artists or something?
The first to welcome them were the children. It was impossible not to recognize Suletta from a distance, her fiery red hair always caught the eye. The children began to run around Suletta as they welcomed her. What the rascals were expecting was for Suletta to hand out the homemade strawberry jam she made (with Miorine's guidance), it was strawberry season after all and the Red Witch's garden was a full-fledged orchard.
The children were allowed to touch Miorine's head and ears, they were gentle.
As soon as they actually arrived at the village, Suletta noticed that the villagers were looking at her with concern.
"Is something wrong?" Suletta asked one of the local woodcutters.
"That soldier over there," the man said, pointing at a soldier, who ran off as soon as he saw her. "He comes with a group that requires your service, it's the son of the Kingdom's General who is looking for you."
Miorine tensed up upon hearing that and couldn't hide it, her fur bristled and her claws came out and dug into Suletta's clothing. Suletta noticed it.
"Oh well... It'll have to wait, I have to deliver my errands first," Suletta said calmly before going to the village inn.
The elders were the first to receive the medicines they had asked for, and in exchange for them they gave Suletta bread and meat in exchange. Suletta's friends met her as soon as they saw that she was free from the errands she had pending with the others.
"Here, Aliya, is the ointment to prevent your goats from being attacked by ticks."
"Thank you, Suletta," the shepherdess thanked her with a smile.
"Chuchu, here is the medicine for the wounds you asked for when you go hunting."
"Great! Thank you, Suletta!" Chuchu exclaimed and then gave little Mi a rough caress between the ears.
Miorine was still tense from the presence of that man in the village and did not react to the hunter's rough treatment. Was Guel Jeturk really there? Just thinking about it made her feel nauseous.
"Hey, is the little one sick?" Nika asked with concern as she stroked one of Mi's white ears.
"She's fine, don't worry," Suletta said immediately. Of course she was also worried when she didn't see the usual reaction from Miorine! Something was wrong but she couldn't ask her at that moment.
Before anyone could say anything else, two soldiers entered the inn.
"Red Witch! The Young Lion demands your presence!" One of the soldiers said in a powerful voice.
The villagers present showed their discontent at the way the young man continued to order the others around as if they owed him. Suletta's friends tensed up and Chuchu tried to cover Suletta, but Suletta grabbed her by the shoulder. She looked calm as she stroked Mi's head with her free hand.
"I'll be right there."
"Suletta, you must not obey them," Chuchu angrily claimed.
"Don't worry, Chuchu, someone requires my service, someone who came from far away. I must at least listen to that person," Suletta replied calmly.
Beware of the roars and claws of a beast, that's what Eri's letter said, Miorine remembered it and cursed under her breath. Couldn't you have been more detailed? Suletta is going to meet that idiot! The princess cursed inwardly.
Suletta walked escorted by the soldiers to the camp on the outskirts of the village. In the largest, most colorful and lavish tent was Guel Jeturk, surrounded by comforts while eating with his personal escort.
"Milord, the Red Witch is here," announced one of the soldiers.
"Bring her to me."
Guel Jeturk stood up and crossed his arms with every intention of showing his strength, being powerful as was his good custom. What he didn't expect was that it was such a young witch. The nickname of Red Witch was because of her hair, it was obvious, but apart from that he found nothing more striking or powerful like in the Witches who lived in the Capital.
"Red Witch, I need you to find something for me," said Guel with a powerful voice.
That voice, that bearing, that disgusting smile made Miorine relive the mistreatment she experienced at the hands of that perfect imbecile. For her part, Suletta carefully stroked Miorine's feline head as she felt her tense. The young witch remained serious as she looked at the boy.
"May I know who is asking for my service?" Suletta asked.
The boy accompanying Guel became enraged and slammed his fist on the table. "You're speaking to my brother Guel Jeturk, the Young Lion, the eldest son of the General of this kingdom! Be more respectful, witch!"
"Respectful people asking for a service introduce themselves first," Suletta replied.
Guel clenched his jaw and approached Suletta with an aggressive step. Miorine tensed but soon calmed down when Suletta held her in her arms protectively.
"You better know your place, witch," Guel said angrily, trying to intimidate her.
Suletta, despite everything, stood firm and looked the young man in the eyes. "It's you who come asking for my service. Make your request, I'm listening."
Guel snorted. "Look for my fiancée, Red Witch, I need to marry her."
Miorine felt all her fur stand up, why on earth did this guy still want to marry her? Did he want the throne of the kingdom so badly? According to the news that came from the minstrels and travelers who passed through the village, the situation in the castle was tense. Since the princess's disappearance, everyone suspected that King Delling had hidden her somewhere, because the King hadn't bothered to go look for his only daughter.
It was said that the King Delling would choose as the next King the one who gained the favor of the people and made enough merits during the next three years. Many nobles began to do that, to win over the people, to gather merits, but if one thing was known it was that, while the Jeturks were great soldiers and protectors, they left much to be desired in terms of their "charming" personality.
Capricious, violent, short-tempered, impatient and quarrelsome; that was the fame of those who shared Jeturk blood. Vim "the Lion" Jeturk was obeyed by his soldiers and had loyal followers but these were limited to those who lived in his territories, and the soldiers who served him personally. Vim Jeturk wasn't very popular among the population.
His son Guel was no better than him.
The boy's only chance of bringing the Jeturks to the throne was by finding the princess and marrying her, only then could he secure the crown without doing all those stupid things to win the favor of peasants.
"I understand that you need a personal item if it's a person, I have this," Guel said, showing her a pair of blue gloves. Gloves that he paid for a soldier to take from Miorine's room and give to him.
Suletta took the gloves with one hand and opened her eyes wider as she felt something very peculiar and familiar in many ways in the garments.
"Is your fiancée eager to see you?" Suletta suddenly asked. “Was she taken from you by force?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Guel replied again with his arms crossed.
“It’s important. Please answer, Mr. Jeturk.”
“She’s mine, she belongs to me. More answers are no needed.”
Suletta frowned, shook her head, and handed the gloves back to him. “The owner of these gloves is protected by someone stronger than me, and besides, she doesn’t want to be found.”
Guel became enraged and grabbed Suletta by the neck, but had to suddenly let go when the white feline scratched his hand hard.
“Damn beast!” Guel screamed, trying to lunge at them once more.
“Don’t you dare touch her!” Suletta screamed, protecting Miorine in her arms. “I can’t find your fiancée, Mr. Jeturk. And I can’t let you harm my little friend.”
"Damn witch, do your job!"
Hearing that, the girls and the boy accompanying him showed fear.
"Lord Guel, you must not hurt a witch, you know that," warned Petra in a nervous voice.
"Brother, if the villagers find out that you're trying to harm their witch, word will spread," warned Lauda, realizing the seriousness of his brother's actions.
Guel clenched his fists and had to calm himself down, taking a deep breath. "I'll pay you whatever you ask, I'll have you build a mansion and give you servants," Guel offered. "Find my fiancée."
Suletta shook her head again. "I can't find someone who doesn't want to be found," Suletta reiterated. "A Witch more powerful than me has your Fiancée protected, Mr. Jeturk. I must go now, my services are not required here." Of course, the Red Witch wasn't going to let that boy almost hurt Miorine go by, she looked at him sternly as her energy glowed on her body and on her exposed skin, bright red marks that seemed to burn like fire were marked on her cheeks. "If you harm my little friend or anyone in this village, then I will not be held responsible for the consequences, Mr. Jeturk," Suletta warned.
The Permet marks.
These marks were proof that a person was a witch, they were shown at birth regardless of whether or not the baby came from a family of witches. Men and women alike could be born with these mysterious marks that were the source of their power. A power that should not be provoked.
Those who tried to harm witches in times past died from the Permet curse. And at the same time, the Permet prevented the proliferation of evil witches, because the abuse of this power was also the most terrible death for the witch.
For more than two hundred years, witches put the blessings given by the Permet at the service of the people, they had a special place in society, they were respected but they never asked for more than what they needed. Being in harmony with the Permet gave them a broader vision of the world around them and it was usual that none of them craved more power, wealth or influence.
Witchers were at peace with the world, regardless of the fact that the world around them was not always at peace.
"I'm leaving," Suletta said, still protecting Miorine in her arms. "Good luck, Mr. Jeturk."
Suletta quickened her pace to get out of that camp as soon as possible, but even after leaving the Young Lion's tent, she could hear him throwing a tantrum as the sound of things falling to the ground violently broke the silence around the main tent.
But those who were also making a fuss were some soldiers on the outskirts of the camp. Three soldiers guarding that area were beating an animal that got into where they kept their food. A dog... A rather large dog, it seemed, its fur was somewhere between white and copper. The animal seemed to be malnourished before arriving there.
"Hey, leave that poor creature alone!" Suletta exclaimed, running up to the soldiers to stop them.
Seeing that it was the Red Witch, the soldiers stopped and walked away, but they had already hurt the poor animal, enough that it couldn't walk properly, much less run.
The animal growled and tried to bite Suletta when she tried to touch its head, but the witch remained calm as she waited and gave the animal time to calm down. The growling continued and Suletta did not move, nor did Miorine for that matter, her small feline body fitting perfectly into those fang-filled jaws. Fangs too big to be true.
After long and tense minutes where the animal continued trying to bite and fight back, he finally calmed down and sniffed Suletta's hand before lying completely on the ground, weakened and obviously injured.
Seeing the opportunity and that the animal had finally relaxed, Suletta sighed in relief and quickly held the huge dog in her arms, Miorine climbed onto Suletta's shoulder so she could hold the dog tight.
"Come on, little one, I'll take you to a friend who knows how to heal animals."
Without another word, Suletta left the camp, leaving a Lord throwing a tantrum like a little child and taking a new friend with her.
"That idiot hasn't changed at all!" Miorine exclaimed involuntarily, and realizing her own words, she didn't know where to hide.
Suletta smiled. "You know I'll listen to whatever you want to tell me, Mio."
"I..."
"That's why you were tense when you heard his name, right?"
"Yes."
"So you are..."
"We'll talk about this when we get back home, okay? I promise to tell you everything, it's about time I told you everything you don't know about me... But we need to help this little one first," Miorine said as she looked at the dog. "He's too big to be a dog, looks like a wolf."
"This little one isn't a wolf," Suletta said, wolves were much bigger than that.
It was actually a wolfdog, Aliya confirmed as soon as they brought the little one to her for a checkup. The wolfdog was hungry, sick, and injured, possibly mistreated by other wolves and dogs as well as humans.
"I'll take care of his wounds, feed him, and wait for him to get better," Aliya said in a motherly voice. "You don't need to give me money or anything, Suletta, it's the least I can do for you."
"But..."
"Lone wolfdogs can't be in a pack, they're very docile, so they do better with people who know how to treat them. We'll see what personality this friend has."
"Okay. Thanks, Aliya."
"He'll probably be better by the time you come back to the village," the girl said to cheer Suletta up, and in the process gave little Mi a gentle caress on the ear.
Miorine liked Aliya.
"Thank you, Aliya. I'll bring you more medicine for the animals anyway."
"I'm not going to refuse that, thanks."
And since there was nothing else Suletta could do there, she decided to return to her home after a long afternoon. The trip back was silent, neither of them said anything but it wasn't an awkward silence either, Miorine constantly rubbed against Suletta's cheek. She only took her human form until she reached the hut.
~o~
The conversation they both had pending had to wait until after dinner and bathing. They both decided to talk in front of the fireplace, on a soft fur rug, shoulder to shoulder. It was best to go to bed once they finished talking.
"I'm Miorine Rembran, daughter of King Delling Rembran," Miorine finally said, and saying it was truly liberating. The anxious princess glanced at her partner, perhaps expecting a look of disgust or disappointment, but instead what she saw was the look of genuine love.
"I already knew you had the bearing of a princess," Suletta said in the middle of her daydreaming. "My girlfriend is a princess."
Miorine couldn't contain a small, relieved laugh. "If I had known that this would be your reaction to the secret I have kept from you all this time, I would have told you a long time ago."
"My mom saved you, right?"
"Yes, but I'll get to that soon. You see... My father was forced to give my hand in marriage, the pressure from the rest of the Royal Court was too much. My fiancé was that wild animal you met this late, Guel Jeturk," Miorine continued. "Marrying for convenience is common within the Royal Court and the Nobility, there are usually no happy marriages and many end up having secret lovers... But I'm getting off topic," Miorine denied a couple of times. "The problem is that I heard from Guel Jeturk himself and his family that they were planning to kill me and make it look like an accident after being crowned King."
Suletta's eyes widened upon hearing that, without thinking she took Miorine's hand.
"I heard them by accident. And from that moment on I knew I had to escape that fate. I told my father what I heard, but he didn't say anything to me, in fact he just sent me to my bedroom and put some guards to look after me. And one night, a witch appeared at my window."
"My mom..."
"Yeah, your mom."
"My mom is cool."
"I won't lie, she seemed pretty cool to me when she came saying she could help me," Miorine laughed a little as she remembered that moment. "I asked her to help me so that no one would recognize me as the princess of the kingdom, so that no one could find me, so that I would just be Miorine and nothing more, not a princess. I asked her for safety for my dad and me and...", the girl smiled. "And the payment she asked me for was to give her daughter something that only I as Miorine and not as a princess could give you."
Suletta made a silly, loving face. "You gave me your love."
"And she gave me the body of a cat so that no one could recognize me," Miorine added with funny annoyance. "I've long since grown fond of my feline form, it's useful once you know how to take advantage of it."
"Um... So Mr. Jeturk wants to find you because he still wants the throne?" Suletta asked, getting back on topic.
"From what we've heard, the members of the Royal Court are working hard to earn merits in the eyes of the people, but the Jeturks in particular are idiots who think they're above the common people. I'm not surprised that they try to take the easy route to the throne."
Suletta frowned. "Besides, they might try to kill you later as they already planned."
"I'm not going to give them that pleasure," Miorine snorted, then looked at Suletta curiously. "What did you feel when you touched my gloves?"
"A wall," Suletta replied, now with a serious expression. "My mother's protection spell is still active on you, I could sense it. If there was another witch out there with an ability like mine, they wouldn't be able to find you. You're protected."
Miorine couldn't help but sigh in relief. "I'm glad to know that," she quickly smiled. "You know, it felt good when I scratched that idiot, I think I made him bleed."
Suletta started laughing and Miorine laughed along with her.
"This is what my sister's letter was about," Suletta muttered as she calmed down her laughter. "Oh, that means I'll soon have a Familiar!"
"It'll be fun to see how everything works at home when your Familiar is here. Do you have a name in mind yet?"
"A lot, but I understand that when the connection is made, the name comes only to your mouth when you name your Familiar," Suletta explained with barely contained excitement. "Hey, Mio, and there were more Nobles troubling you?"
"At least two more... Well, I was friends with one of them, but it turned out that the idiot was also seeking me to access the throne and he wanted me like a little doll in a corner doing nothing," Miorine complained.
"You like to work," Suletta said with a frown. "You like to do new things and learn."
"Yes, and he just wanted me by his side, quiet and smiling, like I was a fucking ornament."
"I like it when you're covered in dirt and sweating, your face when you work is beautiful," Suletta said, delighted by the mental image of Miorine working in the garden.
The princess blushed and playfully pushed Suletta away.
"Pervert..."
Suletta laughed and lunged at Miorine, no longer able to resist the desire to kiss her and make her hers right there in front of the fireplace. Miorine happily gave herself to her beloved Red Witch.
~o~
Miorine and Suletta were on their way to the village ten days later, during those days they were working on more medicine, making bags of relaxing teas and putting small flowers in pots that no longer fit in the garden and that would surely be more comfortable in the houses of the village.
They were pushing their cart, well, Suletta was pushing the cart while Miorine rested on her shoulder.
"Hey, Mio..."
"Hmm?"
"Would you like to talk to Chuchu and the others? Talk to the rest of the villagers?" Suletta asked suddenly.
"Yes, but it's safer for them not to know me. As long as there's no new King, they'll keep looking for me. Worse and more dangerous people than Guel Jeturk will come and that would put the villagers in danger," Miorine explained, stretching her little paws and looking at her own feline claws. "Your mother gave me this form so that we'll all be safe."
Suletta nodded. "I understand."
"I admit that I would love to say a thing or two to that brute Chuchu... For the moment I'll settle for scratching her if I can."
The witch laughed, she was about to add something but couldn't. They both noticed that something was going in their direction, they also heard someone calling out loudly. They were about to reach the village and the first to greet them was the wolfdog they saved from those soldiers.
"Little one, wait...!" The one calling the animal was Aliya, who was quick to notice Suletta. "Oh, no wonder the little one ran away, he sensed when you were coming."
Suletta had to let go of her cart in order to pet the canine's head. "Hey, hello. I'm glad to see you're healthy again." The wolfdog let her pet its head but did nothing but move its tail slightly.
"Wow, I'm surprised the little guy lets you touch him, he's a bit shy and the rest of the farm animals don't get close to him, he doesn't allow it. He's not violent, but he's not very social either," Aliya explained.
"Hey, if you want to have friends you'll have to behave better," Suletta said sweetly, stroking the wolfdog's ears.
"I'll help you with your cart," the shepherdess immediately offered, giving Mi a gentle pat on the feline ears. "Hello, Mi, I'm glad to see you're healthy as always."
Mi meowed in response.
While the witch and the shepherdess talked and walked the rest of the way to the village, the wolfdog marched beside Suletta like a soldier. And indeed, during Suletta's visit to the village, the animal remained close and calm, close to her as if he were watching over her.
According to her friends, the General's son left the same day Suletta refused his request, and he seemed angry, defeated in fact, and that made the villagers happy. It was a good thing that these spoiled boys didn't always get what they wanted.
All that was left was to wait for the news that the travelers would bring to the village. It was always good to know who the next King would be. Although King Delling's reputation as a stern and tough man had few supporters, what no one could deny was that he did his job as King diligently. The punishments were harsh but his laws were fair, the taxes were reasonable and those same taxes were reflected in the good condition of the cities and towns, the roads that connected the populated areas of the kingdom no matter how small they were.
Surely it would still be a few years before a new King took the throne, until then no one complained about the one they had.
"Are you sure you don't need anything else?" Nika asked Suletta.
"I have everything, thank you very much," Suletta replied happily. She had everything on her list and had more orders for the local doctors.
"Have a safe return home," said the blacksmith and then held Mi's little paw. "Take care of her, okay?" Little Mi meowed in response. "Thank you, I know we can trust you, Mi." Nika was quick to notice the wolfdog still nearby.
Suletta noticed the canine as well. "What are you going to do with him?"
"Aliya will try to socialize him to help the local farmers take care of the flocks, he's not very friendly because he's a working dog. Or so Aliya said."
The witch nodded. "I'm very glad to hear that, the little one will be fine then. Well, I'm off, see you later," Suletta said goodbye not only to Nika but to the rest of her friends and the villagers and began walking, carrying her cart and little Mi on her shoulder.
It wasn't long before Miorine noticed something.
"Suletta..."
"Hmm?"
"The wolfdog is following us."
"What?" Suletta stopped and looked back. Sure enough, the wolfdog was a few feet behind them. In fact, he stopped and sat down when she stopped. "Oh... Um... Hey, little one, you should go back to the village, there you will have many friends and you will surely even get a girlfriend and have cute puppies. Aliya and the other shepherds will take good care of you. Go on, go back," the witch made some movements with her arms to try to get him away, but the animal's only response was to wag his tail.
"It seems that he has already made up his mind," said Miorine. She got off Suletta's shoulder and approached the wolfdog with all the confidence that characterized her. She sniffed him a little and the wolfdog lay down, his tail still wagging. "Will you let him follow us, Suletta? I have no problem as long as he doesn't make a mess in the garden, dogs love to dig."
"Well, he can't be a pet because..." Suletta looked into the wolfdog's eyes and decided to get closer to pet his head. "Hey little one, you know what I am, right? And yet you still want to come with us?" In response, the wolfdog raised his head slightly to lick her hand.
"Hey, Suletta... This... Is this what I think it is?" Miorine asked, still not getting ahead of herself. "You explained to me that a witch can't have pets," and everyone in the village believed that little Mi only liked to be with the Red Witch after she clarified that Mi wasn't her Familiar.
Suletta gulped. "And I also told you that encounters just happen..."
"And this encounter happened..."
"And what will you do?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't know how this works, it just happens... And in case he wants to be my Familiar, only when I name him will it be official. I don't know his name yet."
"Let him tell you then," Miorine returned to Suletta's shoulder. "Let things happen."
"You're right."
And so it was.
The wolfdog followed them to the cabin and turned out to be very well behaved. He didn't dig in the garden as Miorine had feared, he liked to lie down near the fire at night, and during the day he watched over the surroundings of the Red Witch's small territory. For their part, Suletta and Miorine, especially Suletta, took the time to get to know the new inhabitant of the house.
Suletta discovered that the wolfdog liked bread soaked in soup, he loved to gnaw bones until he broke them (probably because of his wolf blood) and he loved potatoes and carrots. He didn't like to have his belly or tail touched, only his head and back, he didn't like to play as if he were a puppy, so attempts to play with him were unsuccessful. On the contrary, he liked to carry the watering can for Miorine when he saw her working in the garden, he also liked to accompany Suletta when she went to the forest for wild herbs and mushrooms and more than once he had warned her when there were lost travelers nearby.
"Looks like you're comfortable here now, don't you, big boy?" Miorine asked the wolfdog as she harvested the vegetables that were already ready. The wolfdog just wagged its tail. Miorine smiled and patted its head. "Good boy."
It was almost dusk.
It was the twentieth day since the wolfdog had been with them and it seemed comfortable. Suletta was busy inside the hut making the medicinal ointments.
"Today will be a nice night, you know? There will be a full moon, the night will be clear. Do you want to see the full moon with us?"
The wolfdog laid down on the ground, still looking at Miorine.
"I'll take that as a yes. Come, let's go prepare dinner, Suletta is working and we mustn't interrupt her," the princess sighed heavily as she went to the hut, the animal behind her. "I wish I could get Mom's writings and books back from the castle, she knew a lot about these things."
Inside, Suletta was at her work table grinding herbs and mixing them with natural oils. That's how the nights used to be, the two of them working together, eating dinner together and then enjoying the night as they wished, whether it was making love and just talking until the early hours, looking at the sky or enjoying the rain when it was the rainy season.
That night it was time to look at the white moon escorted by thousands of stars. The sky was clear and the night was cool, hugging each other and covering themselves with a blanket would suffice.
And that's what they did. They were in the front of the cabin, covered by the blanket and looking at the sky in silence. The wolfdog was a meter away from them, lying comfortably on the grass.
"You know, I'd really like to get Mom's papers back, we'd both learn a lot of new things," Miorine said with a snort as she enjoyed the warmth of Suletta's arms, her back against her lover's chest.
"You told me it's dangerous for you to be seen in the castle again," Suletta said. Although she was interested in learning a lot more, she didn't want Miorine to put herself in danger either.
"Well, if I go in my cat form... Maybe I can..."
"In cat form you won't be able to get the books out of the castle," Suletta commented jokingly.
"That's what I was thinking, and I don't mean to get you into trouble, the laws are harsh on thieves."
"What if you contact your dad?"
Miorine thought about it for a long time. "It's not a bad idea. My father is an idiot but I don't hate him. It's not a bad idea to ask for Mom's papers."
"It's worth a try, or what do you think, Calibarn?" Suletta asked the wolfdog without thinking.
"Calibarn?" Miorine sat up just enough to look at Suletta and then at the dog. The wolfdog had its ears pricked up as it stared at Suletta.
Suletta stood up from her spot and walked over to the wolfdog, who also sat down while keeping an eye on the witch. Miorine was the only witness to how a witch bonded with her Familiar.
"So your name is Calibarn," Suletta said as she took the dog's head in her hands and caressed it with her thumbs. "Then Calibarn I'll call you... Your eyes will be my eyes, your ears will let me know what you hear, my magic will run through your body and we will be companions until the earth calls us to its bosom."
And as the only answer, Calibarn let out a long howl at the moon. Suletta's magic began to transfer to the dog, a magic as red as fire, like Suletta's hair. The Red Witch finally had her Familiar.
"Nice to meet you, buddy," Suletta said and hugged Calibarn affectionately, he only licked her cheek once. He was a serious guardian after all.
Miorine looked at the whole scene with respect while she herself felt a pang in her chest when Suletta's magic activated, due to the bond that united them in particular. "Congratulations, you're partners now."
"Thank you, Mio," Suletta replied as she shed a few tears of happiness. "He's your partner too, we're in this together."
"That's true, we'll see how everything works out now. It was a very nice moment, I could feel it in my heart."
Suletta returned to Miorine and hugged her again in the same position they were in, but this time Suletta leaned on Miorine's shoulder to let out the tears of joy that were still in her eyes. Miorine simply caressed Suletta's arms until she calmed down completely.
"Congratulations, Suletta."
"Thank you, Mio."
"Do you want to go back inside?"
"No, let's stay here a little longer," Suletta said with a recovered voice while looking at the sky. This time, Calibarn came closer to them and lay down near Miorine's feet, Suletta smiled as she noticed him out of the corner of her eye before looking back at the bright night star above them. "The moon is beautiful, isn't it?"
Miorine smiled.
FIN(?)