Witches vs Warlocks

[DrakeOfBones]

The cold nip in the air chilled Dameon to the bone. He didn't really want to be out here, it was another one of his hunts. Why do I even have to be out here... I'm not one for fighting innocents... He thought to himself as he walked down the cold cobblestone alley on the outskirts of Oldenridge. He was broken out of his train of thought by the whine of a nasally voice belonging to the younger boy behind him to him. "Why do I always get stuck going out with you. You're no fun, always a downer. And besides, I've retrieved more things totems and I'm a year younger!" Resisting the urge to back hand the boy, he merely shrugged, his mouth tightening into a thin line.

 

A hurried, under-concealed movement caught his eye, and he spoke. "Is that her, over there, to our left?" He felt no need to quiet his voice, as with it he had enacted a funnel between himself and the boy. It would allow sound in, but not out, and kept anyone besides his 'acquaintance' from hearing him. The boy nodded, and whispered, "I believe so." Dameon sighed, and nearly turned around to face the boy. Increasing his pace, he rounded the corner to see the witch disappear into a deserted building. "You do realize that NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU when you're around me, right? I've got that tiny little SONIC SPELL that can keep our voices contained." He said, using a combination of yelling and magic to increase the volume enough to discomfort the boy. The boy muttered behind Dameon's back quietly, making sure to keep his voice down enough to keep Dameon from realizing.

 

The two entered the house, and a slight creak could be heard from the floor above him. The two nodded silently, and Dameon amplified any sound coming from that floor. He heard her heart beat, but nothing but that. "She's alone." He mouthed, pointing up. He crept toward the stairs, again canceling out any escaping sound waves from the two. I really don't want to do this... I need to get there first. This... worm will drag this out much longer than it needs to be. He thought to himself, hiding a look of disgust from his companion. Dameon hit the stairs first, and taking them two at a time, stopped at the last step. There was no door, but he could hear the woman's heart beating franticly, the adrenaline of what she thought was a successful escape quickening her thudding muscle. Dameon inched closer and closer to the corner of the wall separating him and his unknowing prey, a taste of bile welling up in the back of his throat at the thought of his next action.

 

And then the boy pushed past him, a smirk on his face and his hand raised, a sword of grey energy held in it, pointed right at the girl. "Much too slow sound boy, she's min- AAAAAHHH!" He said, being cut off at the last moment by a sudden wall of sound. It pushed him across the room, past the utterly shocked witched, and threw the weakened wood of the old window. The boy landed harshly on the cold alley bellow, stunned but not dead. Dameon was shocked at his reaction, but quickly stood up and hurried over to the broken wall. Motioning for the girl to stay, he put on a grim face. The boy looked wearily up at Dameon, a questioning look on his face. "Go on, get off! She's MINE!" Replied Dameon, a look of contempt in his eyes. Using another wall of sound, he threw the boy down the alley, roughly enough to be painful but not to cause serious damage. When he was out of sight, he turned to the witch cowering behind him and said, "Run. Run for our lives. Bring someone back here because I cannot go back without a totem, and I refuse to kill one of you. Please.", with the look of fear crossing onto his face, the witch again shocked by the turn of event, and then sprinted off, out of the door and toward the witching center of the down, Witch's Alley.

 

((Annnnnnd intro. Hope that was a good way to tie in the traitorous warlock, and if I need to change it just tell me. ^^))

 

 

[Darkshadow]

Abigale laughed, though there seemed nothing amusing by the situation. Holly looked at her, but said nothing, waiting for the girl to speak. "You're right, I don't want him getting suspicious of us. He didn't seem to think anything out of the ordinary about me when I was there. I do not think we should tell the others." Abigale said suddenly, looking up at Holly. "The more of us that know, the worse it could be as we'd all be cautious around him. If they don't know, they'd continue to act naturally." she explained, and Holly nodded. She could tell that Abigale was thinking about her family, and because Holly had none, she was in less danger than Abigale. "I forgot anise and marigold, so it seems I'll be returning soon." she murmured, "What if they can find him? He may not know it but his being here could lead them straight to us." Holly sighed, clasping her hands together in an effort to figure out the enigma of James Hemlock, the apothocarist's son, and now a warlock. She could not find an answer now, not with just having a few basic facts. "Well, he is able to heal, we know that now. If that is all of his powers, we won't have much trouble with him. However, I suspect there is more to the boy than that. We must be on our guard. You and I must keep him observation. If we can ascertain that the boy will not follow in his father's footsteps, I will approach. Meanwhile, you'd best not be seen with me often, Abigale. That way, if I get attacked, you can warn the rest of the witches and tell them that he found out somehow. I can handle fighting by myself, you know." Every warlock knew 'The Priestess'. How could they not? She had taken out more than a few of them with her powers.

~

James stared out of the window of the apothecary, watching the passerby on the street outside. There had been few customers today, which was sort of odd. Many came in here, searching from little things like herbs for their tea to medical supplies for a sick child. His father was probably upstairs, pouring over the bookcase of spellbooks his father had. Some of them had come from witches his father had killed with his other allies. He had forced James into reading them as well, to try and learn the witches' secrets, and how they could hide so well from the warlocks. James remember them well. The pages had a creased, well-worn look of a book that has been read with care many times, and had been taken care of and loved. He felt sadness to see them now, mere trophies in his father's bookcase, and sources of information to help their owner's murderer kill more witches. James shuddered at the thought. However, some of the spellbooks had helped him get the idea of how to cure diseases when he was still training.

[Chiaki]

“What do you need? I need to pick up some spices and herbs for the inn, so I can pick up something from an apothecary for you while I’m there.” Laura asked after their brief encounter with the whirlwind that was Felice Bennett.

 

“Its all on the list,” Mercy said rearranging the bracelets on her left arm, “nothing big, you can probably get it all at the Hemlock apothecary.” She gripped her cane more firmly and started off. “Oh, but make sure the basil is fresh! And get a whole plant of it if you can. One hour!” She called back turning her head slightly without slowing in the river of people.

 

------

 

Odin ran a hand over the slight stubble covering his chin. “We need to get more information, who the witches are, where they are, what powers they have and most importantly how many of them there are. It will do us no good if five of us go down there looking for a fight and there are hundreds of them.”

 

Odin sighed and rubbed his temples with one hand, his father would be expecting him soon. “We have warlocks in Oldenridge right? There's Michael Montgomery in Rich Man’s Village, and Hemlock and his boy who own that apothecary... Apothecary! Witches need all kinds of herbs and roots for their potions, they have to visit apothecary's. Hemlock probably has a steady stream of them in his shop everyday, probably doesn't even realise it. He needs to be told to be on the look out for frequent, large and unusual orders from the same women. That way we might be able to catch one and force them to talk.”

[crypticsoul]

"I know that very well, Holly." Abigale answered, shaking her head slightly at her friend. Holly was perhaps the best fighter among them, even without her spells, and though she was fuzzy on the details, she knew some of rumors that floated around about her. What was it they called her? Ah, she could not remember. All that aside, she felt they could not be more blessed to have Holly around.

 

She stood, replacing the chair back up against the table, and looked over at Cato. The falcon had lost interest in the kittens and was sneaking strips of meat from a pan on Holly's counter. Apparently, he had been trying to be sneaky, for when he felt Abigale's gaze on him, he turned abruptly and flew back over to her. "You fat thing," she commented, noting the strip of meat hanging from his beak. Cato quickly finished it off. Abigale looked back to Holly and sighed slightly.

 

"If I learn anything of the boy, I can have Cato bring you word," she said, knowing it would better than running over here like she had this morning. Holly would likely prefer that too, since she had suggested they not be seen together. It was a good idea, she had to admit. "I should go back and get the rest of my things." she murmured to herself, gathering up her package from before and tucking it into her bag. Oh, she was either going to need a bigger bag or to start carrying less things! She decided to just go back now, get it over with, and then head home to process the information. "Well, Holly, I bid you good day. Let me know if you learn anything!" she called as she headed out the door, Cato flying ahead of her. She smiled at Holly and was back out in the streets. Oh! It was crowded! Everyone had come out in the short time she'd been inside Holly's.

 

Abigale adjusted her shawl and started back toward the apothecary, praying she would keep her cool. Naturally, Abigale was quite calm and good at acting, as it could be called, so she was not too worried about it but it still bothered her. What if she slipped up? What if she said something that tipped him off to who she was? What if-no! She could not think that way! She must be calm, collected and most of all cautious. She nodded to herself and almost didn't see the older woman she nearly ran into.

 

"Oh, Mercy! Good morning!" she called on her way, spinning to wave to the older woman. She adored Mercy. Perhaps she would visit her later, get her mind off things. She continued on her way, surprised to find another familiar face headed the same way. "Laura?" she asked, coming up beside the other girl. "By chance are you headed to Hemlock's?" she asked, smiling curiously at her.

--

 

"Odin, I knew there was a reason I kept inviting you to these things." Hunter laughed, glancing up at the other man before back down at the map. His drawing of the town wasn't the most accurate but he knew it was close enough. Montgomery and Hemlock, both excellent allies, who would know all about the going ons in the town. "What do you say we visit that apothecary?" he asked Odin, looking up at him. He figured starting there would be the best idea.

 

As for the others, he was sure there would be something for them to do. "Someone could visit Montgomery, talk to him, for I'm sure he knows the names of everyone in the town. He'd be able to point us in the direction of any woman who seemed suspicious. I'm sure he's in with the govenor of the town as well, which could prove extremely useful." he said, looking at Blacwin and Matthew. Still, that would put all of them in the village at once...

 

[Drake, it looks fine ^^ you can go ahead and keep posting to get your charrie interacting with the others!]

[DrakeOfBones]

After waiting for a good fifteen minutes, Dameon sighed. "She's not coming back..." Falling forward through the air, he cushioned his fall with a blast of sound. Landin on his feet with a sharp click, he strode off toward the center of town. How am I going to reveal myself without getting murdered. Warlocks aren't exactly known for for their honesty. Plus I hardly know where to find even a single witch in this place... he thought to himself. Stepping out onto the cobblestone clad ground of one market places, he gazed around.

 

He sighed. Stepping into one of the shops, he purchased a long, worn cloak that would cover all of his features. Flattening his top hat and tucking it into his coat, he donned the disguise and hunched over. He his his face with a good amount of the long fabric, and then stepped back into the court with a slight limp. Looking around, he quickly spotted a apothecary across the market place. What kind of name is that... Hemlock. 'Let's name ourselves after a poison plant! That'll make everyone come in and want to eat, burn, or do what they need to do with our herbs!' He thought to himself. Keeping himself mostly hidden, he stepped inside and greeted the boy in the back. Using another spell, he hightened the pith of his voice to mimic the sound of an old lady. "I hope you don't mind if I wait here. I'm just waiting for someone. I won't be long."

 

Without waiting for a reply, Dameon limped slowly over to a chair in the corner and waited silently. I still get the feeling this is going to go horribly, horribly wrong... he sighed internally, trying not to tap his feet in impatience. He still had no idea on just how to approach what ever witch came in here next. I mean for all I know I had been around for the death of any number of friends or family, and they could have seen them with one of their memory spells.... He gazed slightly around the apothecary, trying to get a hold on the surrounding in case things turned for the worse, while also trying not to raise suspicion.

Edited May 19, 2011 by DrakeOfBones

[Chiaki]

Odin scratched his chin again, his father was expecting him, and Alowishus Dis Pater did not like to be kept waiting, especially not “by his own bloody son!” Odins face darkened, the old man was trying his patients and loosing his mind at the same time, but he was far too powerful to try and overthrow.

 

However, this was a major lead and Odin wasn't going to pass it up just so he could listen to his father rant and rave at him all afternoon. The old man's mind is not what it once was, but this only seemed to make Alowishus more volatile, and a volatile, powerful warlock is extremely dangerous to be around.

 

“Sounds like a plan. When do you want to leave?”

[crypticsoul]

Hunter looked up at Odin, considering his question. "As soon as possible. It'll take us a days..." the sentence trailed off as he looked over at Blacwin and smirked. "You can get us there faster, though, can't you?" he asked, overly pleased by this discovery.

 

Well, he'd known of Blacwin's abilities before, certainly, he just hadn't worked them into the plan until just then. Normally, it would take them at least a day and a half's ride to get to Oldenridge but Blacwin could get them there in a matter of minutes! Genius! They wouldn't have to wait any time on travel and could be at the Hemlock apothecary before the morning was done!

 

"What do you say, Blacwin? Care to lend us a hand?" he asked, still watching the other man.

[Darkshadow]

((Drake, I do believe you are godmodding my character, James. He is the only person in the apothocary that can be interacted with. I wish for you to edit or delete your post, or I will get very angry. And besides, the apothocary isn't dark or anything like that, it's bad for the plants. There is wood on the inside and is light brown on the outside. Also, James is only 18 so he's still a boy, not a man.))

 

"I know that very well, Holly." Abigale answered, shaking her head slightly at her friend. Holly nodded and smiled politely. She kept quiet on how she fought and did everything, because Abigale didn't really need to know just how much gore will come from a warlock when he is smushed in between two rocks like some kind of disgusting sandwhich. Holly heard a rustling of wings, and then she noticed that the falcon had stolen a strip of meat from the pan on the table. "You fat thing," Abigale said as Cato quickly finished it off. Abigale looked back to Holly and sighed slightly. Holly said nothing, but gave the falcon the evil eye.

 

"If I learn anything of the boy, I can have Cato bring you word," Abigale said, and Holly nodded. It would be wiser than Abigale running over here like she had just done. If there had been a warlock who had been on to her and had tailed her, the situation would be much, much worse. "Well, Holly, I bid you good day. Let me know if you learn anything!" Abigale called as she headed out the door, her gluttonous falcon flying out ahead of her. Sighing, Holly waved and shut the door quietly, and then sat down. Great. Another problem to add to her already full plate. Malkie, having lost interest in protecting the kittens, and done washing them, came up to her, making loud purring noises and rubbing against Holly's leg. Grateful, Holly picked her up and sat her down on her lap, and started stroking Malkie's soft, silky fur. The purring grew steadily louder, and Holly sighed. She would search for information in an hour or so. An later and she was risking loss of information.

[DrakeOfBones]

(Sorry if I offended, I didn't really know. Completely my bad, and again I apologize. I edited the parts regarding James, besides pointing him out.)

[Darkshadow]

((Thank you for editing. I just don't like people controlling my characters.))

James looked up at a hunch person wearing a cloak wandered in and asked if they could stay for a minute, since they were waiting for someone, and they wouldn't wait for long. By the sound of the voice, the person was an old woman, and she walked with a limp. Without waiting for an answer, the old woman stumped over towards a chair and sat down. James stared at her for a second, and then shrugged and let her sit. His father would kick her out of the store if she was noticed, though. Sighing, James started to neatly arrange the freshly picked herbs into piles, and then wrapping them up into bundles so that they could be easily stacked and carried without worry of any of the leaves falling out. He finished sorting out a huge pile of rosemary, and then started making the little, neat bundles that he would put on the shelves later that day. Rosemary was quite popular here, with lots of women wanting it in their dishes and such. It also lasted longer as well, so there was always a few women who ordered a large supply ahead of time. James didn't mind, and neither did his father, who left James in charge of tending the garden, running the shop, and keeping the register, as well as taking care of the money.

 

James would've liked to think his father was training him for later on, but really it was because his father was a lazy, harsh old man who thought being a warlock made him above interacting with the mundanes. All he did was yell at James for not being a 'proper warlock' and pour over the spellbooks all day long, creating potions using the slain witches' spellbooks and their own supply of herbs. James thought he was trying to recreate some of the strong potions the witches had, but to no success. There were spells in there that were impossible for his father, and he knew it. Maybe that was why he was so bitter. James finished wrapping another bundle of rosemary and placed it on top of the steadily growing pile. Still, what did he know? He was just 18 years old, and the son of a warlock who didn't even care about him. Just great.

[Kuje]

When she finished speaking of the stars to her deceased great great grandmother, she grew wary of counting sheep in the skies and pulled herself away. If she were to fall asleep now, she would have to wander through the Fade and perhaps talk to the other dreamers, or deal with her mother's ramblings if she were to find her. With a stretch of her arms and a yawn, she scratched her lower back and sighed. The night was to fall soon, and time does fly faster than it appears. Without a second thought, she walked away, turning to show a thumbs up to the grave, her way of saying 'take care'.

 

Now walking out of the cemetery, she didn't know what to do. Another look skywards told her she had plenty of time to run about and perhaps get some things done. She was a witch, and she didn't brew potions. Maybe going into the surrounding forest or the lake for a swim and to practice some of her magic. She didn't care if others saw her doing magic, they wouldn't really believe the accuser because upon opening her book, it would just be filled with diary entries of her life. Nothing special.

[coralkiki]

Sliding into the spot Hunter had left clear, Mattew listened to the conversation, which after the quick review, continued like he’d been there all along. Odin was right, they really didn’t know much about these witches. Maybe there were a couple hundred? Or maybe that weird Oldenridge weather was caused by a single witch, and they were following a completely useless trail?

 

The thought had hardly passed through his mind, but Matthew had to stop himself from banging his head against the table. How could he be so stupid? Not only where there witches in Oldenridge, one had his family’s totem. Why had it taken them so long to even consider going?

“So you two go down to Hemlocks,” Matthew said pointing at Hunter and Odin. “The rest of us shouldn’t all go to Montgomery. That many people at once would raise suspicion. If we all go down, just to scare them away, that brings us back further than what we already are at.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Right the list,” Laura muttered looking down at the piece of paper in her hand. An hour to get this much? Mercy had lost her sanity. Putting the paper away with the coins, Laura heard Abigale come over. “Yes, I am.” Laura smiled at the girl, always happy to see another familiar face, “Do you need anything? I’m already going for Mercy, the inn and myself, I might as well go for you too.” She briefly wondered if she should start wearing some boy’s clothes and start introducing herself as Felice Bennet. She had sure been given enough to do. Which reminded her... “But I really have to get going, as Mercy only gave me an hour.” She rolled her eyes and sighed, half serious, half playful, “Apparently, I spoiled her rounds, so now she’s making me help.”

 

[Chiaki]

Mercy hit a dirty teenager out of the way with her cane, the youth protested loudly rubbing his thigh and claimed he would never walk again, but Mercy was already half way down the street and beyond caring. She turned off the busy market road and down a side alley, it was like stepping into a different world, it was completely empty and would be silent if it wasn't for the torrent of people moving past its entrance.

 

She turned a corner and the busy street was lost from sight. Mercy stopped half way down this new alley, faced the wall on her left, rearranged her shawls and strode right through the brick work. She emerged on the other side of the fake wall and into witches alley. There were several entrances to this safe haven, all of which had been bewitched to hide them completely from from passers by. In fact, unless you knew the entrance was there and wanted to use it, you'd just walk into the wall or door or shrub, depending on which entrance you were using. Mercy had actually helped erect these entrances when witches had first started moving to the area.

 

This street was a lot less busy then the main one Mercy had come from, and it was populated by only witches, most of who she knew and nodded too as she passed. She entered a small shop entitled “Madeline's Magic” and greeted the owner. Madeline was a French witch who had emigrated to England for reasons known only to herself to open the shop. The shop was actually an apothecary which dealt mainly in the more obscure ingredients witches needed for their potions, crows feet for example. But she also sold potions themselves to witches who either didn't have the time or the skill to make them their selves.

 

“Ahh Mercy! So good to see you!” Madeline greeted in her pleasing accent, “'av you bought me more stock? I 'av completely sold out of that healing draft you brought last time.”

“Have you now?” Mercy sat herself on Madeline's chair with a groan, the sudden change in temperature had played havoc with her joints. “Well you'll be glad to know I've brought you some more, along with some 'Truth' and a 'Love'” Mercy deposited the contents of her bag onto the counter.

“Excellent, really excellent.”

 

They negotiated prices for a while until Madeline gave in and paid Mercy what the potions were worth. Standing up with another groan, Mercy left the little shop to do some other pieces of shopping.

Edited May 29, 2011 by Chiaki

[crypticsoul]

Abigale laughed. "Well, you know Mercy gets when you interrupt her mornings." she answered, having learned the same lesson the hard way. "Perhaps I could help you out, as I'm headed back to the apothecary anyway." she offered, smiling at Laura and wondering if running into her was just a helpful coincedence. James might find it strange if she just returned on her own, after just being there not even an hour ago, but now she could claim to be helping Laura.

 

Who knows, maybe even Laura would sense something strange, figure things out on her own, and then Abigale would not feel bad about not telling her. Ah but perhaps that would be a bad idea and, if they all did know, it would run James off. She didn't want that!

 

"What all does she have for you to get?" she asked curiously, walking quickly beside Laura as the two made their way to the apothecary.

--

 

Hunter nodded in agreement and glanced at Matthew. "Right. I think only one of use to head to Montgomery's, so there's only three of use nearby. That shouldn't set off an alarms, I wouldn't think." he said, looking back at Blacwin, still awaiting an answer.

 

He prayed he was right. He was certain he was but there was always a chance for error, especially when it came to tracking witches. They moved fast, most of them moved a lot, and several were good at hiding themselves. Still, Hunter had confidence in his skill and his ability to track them, to strategize, and he knew he wouldn't be letting the warlocks down.[/font]

[Saika]

“Thank you very much, sir!” Felice quickly pocketed the tip she had gotten, and not even a second later she was on her way back to the smithy. It had been a nice day for her – not too many costumers, but she had gotten a lot of tips from each of them. Of course, the best days was when she nearly had to run her legs off to get to all of the costumers on time, as that meant a lot of costumers and a lot of money, but today hadn't been bad either. And even though it was still early, she didn't think she had anything else to do until later this day, so that mean she had at least a few hours to herself.

 

A smile lit up her face, and she immediately ran off towards Witch's Alley. With some luck Mercy would be there, and she could ask her about the love potion. The smile on her face turned slightly mischievous, and she sped up. Her own love potion had worked well, better than she expected actually, but it still wasn't as good as Mercy's. It still feels like it's missing something. And she really hoped Mercy would be willing to help her with her problem, as she didn't know anyone else as good at it as Mercy was. Rosemary, thyme, lemon leaves... The ingredients of her potion ran through her head as she ran. Honey, spring water, mint leaves...

 

Before she could finish her list, she arrived at the wall where she knew the entrance was. So cleverly hidden that even she had walked straight into it once. She grimaced at the memory before she walked successfully through the wall, sighing a sigh of relief when she didn't hit her head. “Mercy!” A beam replaced the relieved expression she had worn as she saw the old witch come out of Madeline's Magic, and she ran towards her. “Can you help me with my love potion? Please? It just feels like something is missing from it.” She slowed down as she reached the older woman, and looked pleading up at her.

 

”You can get us there faster, though, can't you?” The question made Blacwin look up from the map, his eyes turning towards Hunter. He wanted him to get them to Oldenridge quicker than what would normally be possible? Well, that shouldn't prove too much of a problem... He nodded slowly. Yes, he would indeed be able to do that. The problem was that there were too many of them. Well, he wasn't sure that they were too many, as he had never tried to move anyone but himself before, but would this really be the right time to test it? ”What do you say, Blacwin? Care to lend us a hand?

 

A wry smile crossed his lips at the question, and he sighed quietly to himself. What was he hesitating for? Of course he would help them... And it was an excellent opportunity to test his powers with more than himself participating. Of course, he had used his powers on others before, but not this way... His smile became more calculating as he glanced at the others. If there were indeed witches in that town, he would be damned if he didn't go, and helping would give him the excuse he needed, as he had no doubt that Hunter would only bring Odin if given the choice. Not that he wouldn't admit that it would have been a good choice.

 

Hunter looked at him again, and he realized that the warlock was still waiting for an answer. “Of course.” He nodded slightly, before he turned his eyes back to the map. There was two ways he could do it. He could slow down time and tell them to walk to the small town, or he could try to relocate them. Relocating would probably be the least exhausting for him, but it also held the most risk. If he somehow failed... He nearly shuddered at the thought, but caught himself. Stopping the time would be more exhausting as he would have to keep several people out of the flow of time and not only himself, but if it was too exhausting he could just re-enter the flow.

 

He turned his eyes from the map and back to Hunter, and a small, polite smile touched his mouth. “You arrive there less than a second after the departure, I assure you.” Of course, time was much easier to him as that was what he used the most, but he needed training with space. And who was he if he shed away from a few risks? He would never accomplish his search for the power he needed if he did that.

Edited May 29, 2011 by Saikachan

[coralkiki]

“Yes, we do know how Mercy gets,” Laura chuckled. She had been given jobs that where a lot worse than walking around plants, so she wasn’t really that disappointed. Besides, now she got to get whatever she needed done at the same time and she had company.

 

“I’d love some help,” Not wanting to waste time, Laura started walking. “We need very fresh basil for Mercy, as well as peppermint, sage, rosemary and rowan berries,” The brunette girl said as she tucked away the note into the same pouch that held her money “Oh, and any herb you can think of that makes a nice tea. Be creative!” With a little twirl and laugh, she smiled at Abigale. Her mood was great, and she didn't think anything could bring it down. She had no idea why she was so happy, but she didn’t care. With the prospect of a war hanging over everyone’s heads, really happy days were rare, and Laura planned on enjoying them to the fullest.

 

[Chiaki]

As Mercy left the shop she used a little of her magic to check who was around as was her habit when she was in Witches Alley. No sooner had she started looking when a bright ball of energy flew towards her, Mercy looked up just in time to see Felice stop in front of her.

 

"Your love potion?" Mercy hitched up her skirts and moved off down the street, completely expecting Felice to follow. Mercy wasn't a huge fan of love potions, but she supposed that was her age talking as she had been quite fond of them when she was younger. Mercy's own love potions hadn't been that effective until her daughter, Robin had shown her the secret.

 

Mercy's hand moved to play with her necklace, "Robin figured out the secret to a really effective love potion. She used to say 'for a good love potion you need to add love to it'" Mercy smiled remembering the flushed look Robin used to get. She checked the time, she still had a while until she was meant to meet Laura so she started rummaging through an outdoor book display.

 

"Try adding your favourite flower to the mix, the fresher the better. Mine is bluebells, that's why my love potions have swirls of blue in them. Of course that means I have to use dried bluebells for most of the year, but they still work."

 

[crypticsoul]

[NOTE: i've added an update in the totem info section, so please check that out!]

 

"Creative? I can do that." Abigale laughed, watching Laura twirl around. She was such a joy to be around and Abigale always felt her mood was lifted when she was with Laura. "I know an absolutely delicious recipe for anise tea. Mercy will adore it!" she added, going over a few tea recipes on her head. Jasmine tea was also lovely and she tried to remember if she'd seen an jasmine in Jame's shop.

 

When they arrived, Abigale pushed open the door and jokingly bowed, motioning for Laura to enter first. The large, playful grin on her lips gave her away, however, and she stepped in after the other girl. Oh, there was fresh basil here, she could smell it. "Hello again, James!" she called, raising a hand and waving slightly to the young boy. She smiled a bit but the memories of what she'd seen him to crashed into the front of her mind, She held her composure, however, knowing she could not let Laura know. "I am certain you didn't expect to see me again so soon," she laughed, walking to where she knew the rowan berries to be. Since she'd just picked some up herself, she knew they were fresh. Mercy would be pleased. "Laura has quite the list for you, don't you?" she said, glancing over her shoulder at the other girl.

---

 

Hunter smiled at Blacwin. "Magnificent." he said and gathered up the map, folding it and tucking it back into his breast pocket. He would give back to Blacwin outside, should he need it, but he wanted to get a move on. They were burning daylight as it was. He started shooing Matthew out of the bench, so he could slid out, and snatching his hat up off the hook once he was standing. He led them all out into the alley way, which by now was bustling with wizards of every age, and turned to face them all.

 

"Well, I think that was quite a productive meeting." he started, doing up the buttons on his coat. "So, Odin and I will go to Hemlocks, see what the old man has to say, while whoever should volunteer can visit Montgomery. Blacwin, since you're doing us such a favor with the time, why don't you come along." he finished with a nod, casting a quick glance at Matthew. He was closest to Montgomery than an of them, though Hunter didn't know if their relationship extended beyond aquaintence, but he wasn't worried about that. If the group of witches there was as large as he thought, it would be beneficial to have all four of them nearby.

 

"So, whenever you three are ready, we'll set due course for Oldenridge," he paused and a smirked snaked over his lips. "-to pay our dear witches a visit."

[coralkiki]

“Anise tea? Perfect,” Laura was still smiling as she headed to the apothecary with Abigale. She tried to think of some tea recipes as they walked, but the only one that she could think of was her own peppermint tea. Oh, she hadn’t had a chance to make that for herself in ages. With Laura making a mental note to remember peppermint, the two girls reached Hemlock’s. Abigale bowed and Laura, continuing with the joke, curtseyed before she entered the store.

 

While Abigale was chattering, Laura closed her eyes for a moment to enjoy the scent of the apothecary. She loved how all the herbs would mix together to create a unique smell, but soon as you picked an herb up, its scent would overpower the rest. Laura could hear Abigale’s voice call her name, and she snapped her eyes open. “What? Oh, yes, I do have quite the list for you,” She smiled at James and started to walk around, looking for the correct herbs, “I’d like a whole plant of basil, if you’re willing to sell that much.”

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“I might as well go to Montgomery’s,” Matthew said in reply to Hunter’s statement. It had been a while since he had seen dear old Michael, and his ‘holier than thou’ attitude. Annoying as his attitude could be when the old man left it behind, Matthew rather enjoyed visiting him. For some reason, Montgomery seemed to know everything about everyone, and he had no problem sharing that information. If you spent time him you were bound to leave feeling informed... and like a five year old.

“Ready when you are,” A small smirk similar to Hunters appeared on Matthew’s lips at the thought of all the witches there might be in Oldenridge.

 

[Darkshadow]

"Hello again, James!" It was Abigale's voice, and James turned quickly, a smile forming on his face. What was she doing here, twice in one day? He gave her a small wave in return and approached. "I am certain you didn't expect to see me again so soon," she laughed, walking over to one of the shelves. "Laura has quite the list for you, don't you?" she said, glancing over her shoulder at the other girl. James said nothing, but smiled and nodded, looking for any sign that she might be suspicious of who he really was. But that was impossible, no? She had no clue, and she wouldn't have, being an ordinary, normal everyday mundane human being. Abigale must've just forgotten to buy something, that was it. Nothing to be alarmed about. He turned to the other girl, Laura, and listened politely. “What? Oh, yes, I do have quite the list for you,” She smiled at James and started to walk around, looking for the correct herbs, “I’d like a whole plant of basil, if you’re willing to sell that much.”

"Hmm....basil, you say? Yes, of course. We have potted plants for purchase, and many have already produced leaves." James said, nodding at the girl and making a beckoning motion with his arms. "You can select the produce out here, Ms. Laura." he finished, holding open the door for her.

Edited June 17, 2011 by Darkshadow

[Rainbow_Joy]

((Hello there. Just joined. ^^' Pretending she know the witches already...))

 

Mirabelle Chandel walked along the road. Her hair was wet and she was trying to wring it out.

 

She stopped by the small herb shop.

 

Peering inside, she saw Laura and Abigale talking to the owner's son, James. He showed Laura the potted basil and opened the door for her.

 

How gentlemanly. She mused to herself.

 

"I should go in." She said aloud to herself.

 

She moved swiftly so she wouldn't change her mind.

 

"Hello Laura. Hello Abigale. Hello James." She spoke politely.

[Chiaki]

Odin rubbed his chin and smiled to himself, this day was going to be a lot better then he though it was going to be. John, the pitiful excuse for a warlock, was leaving after being given no role in this plan. The man glanced down at Odin and Odin growled at him. Laughing to himself as John scurried away in panic Odin stood, gathered his things, spared one last hard glance at the barkeeper and left.

 

“Lets get this show on the road then.”

[coralkiki]

Laura thanked James as he opened the door for her. She headed straight to the wall where the basil was. They really did have some amazing plants here. Laura examined some plants, getting completely absorbed in her task. Which plant would be the best? That one already had a lot of leaves. Maybe that would be the best one? Then Mercy wouldn’t have to wait too long to make her potion. Yes, that probably would be the best one.

 

Laura picked the plant up and turned to James “I think this one looks good, don’t you?” Even though she had good deal knowledge when it came to plants –she was a witch after all- Laura liked asking, just to be sure. The brunette girl examined the plant some more. “I think I’ll take this one. Then I can find the rest of the plants Mercy needs.”

 

[Saika]

"Try adding your favourite flower to the mix, the fresher the better. Mine is bluebells, that's why my love potions have swirls of blue in them. Of course that means I have to use dried bluebells for most of the year, but they still work." A bright smile appeared on Felice's face as Mercy told her the little secret. With this her love potions would be much more potent! ...hopefully, at least. She still wanted to give the baker's son a little help in wooing the merchant's daughter. Besides, it wasn't as if she made her potions last forever... If the two of them really weren't meant to be, the potion most likely wouldn't work, as it only intensified already existing feelings. But that wouldn't happen this time. He was so obviously in love with her, so she couldn't just do nothing either!

 

Shaking her thoughts off, she suddenly reached out and gave Mercy a hug. “Thank you! I'm sure the baker's son will be happy!” With those words she let go of the older woman and started running backwards in the general direction of the entrance back into the city, waving all the while. “Then I'm off, looking for baby's breath!” Throwing a mischievous smile towards Mercy, she finally turned around just in time to avoid crashing into someone, and increased her speed. Going to Mercy had been a good idea; the woman had given her the exact answer she had been looking for. Now all she had to do was to find her missing ingredient...

 

Seeing the wall that marked the exit from the alley, she didn't bother with slowing down. She had gone through it once today without crashing, so the second time wouldn't be much different... Without letting herself linger on her doubts she ran through the wall, unable to keep a relieved sigh from escaping her as she arrived on the other side unscratched. Yes, she did know that she didn't need to be nervous, but still... She had crashed once. And it hurt. Shaking her head, she abandoned the thoughts to muse on another time, and set of in search for her favourite flower, baby's breath.

 

Glancing from warlock to warlock, Blacwin made sure all of them were ready. "So, whenever you three are ready, we'll set due course for Oldenridge," Hunter paused as a smirk appeared on his lips, "-to pay our dear witches a visit." He nodded, not as much to Hunter's remark as to himself for verifying that the warlock was ready. The next was... “Ready when you are,” ...Matthew, and he seemed just as ready as Hunter did. That only left Odin, and Blacwin felt a smirk similar to both Matthew's and Hunter's cross his face. It would be the first time he attempted to move anyone but himself, so this would be... educational. “Lets get this show on the road then.”

 

The smirk on his face grew to a full out smile, and he nodded silently at the three before he closed his eyes halfway. He always concentrated better when he did that, and now he would need to concentrate the best he could. Gradually every sound he heard was blocked out, nothing more than a buzz in the back of his mind, and he moved his fingers lazily. Nothing unusual yet... So far it was going good. But then again... He hadn't actually started on the spell yet, so there were still room for failure. A small scowl appeared on his face at the thought, before he abandoned all unnecessary thoughts to the back of his mind. No more distractions.

 

Suddenly the whole world lurched, and the scowl on Blacwin's face turned back into a smirk. He was used to this, but it would surely come as a shock to the others, and he nearly wished he had enough concentration to see their expressions. Slowly the world returned to its normal state, but he could still see it moving from behind his half-closed eyes. It was always a pleasure, he thought, to see the world move. Most people assumed that his power over space made him move within it, while in reality he was standing completely still. It was the whole world that moved at his every beck and call, and the thought of it was extremely satisfying.

 

“We're here.” Another lurch marked their arrival, and Blacwin let go of his control over the power. They had appeared in a deserted alley not far from the market, if he wasn't wrong. The smirk hadn't left his face yet, though, and as he turned around he felt it widen. While he hadn't been able to see their expression at the first lurch of the world, he would surely enjoy seeing their faces as they arrived... He could remember how he had felt the first time he had used the power, and he hoped the other warlocks hadn't been to much better off.

Edited June 19, 2011 by Saikachan

[Rainbow_Joy]

Laura went through the door James held open for her to pick out a basil plant. The room was full of sunlight and there were many healthy plants of all sorts in it.

 

"I think I'll take this one." The plant was very healthy and well grown. It had all of its leaves as well.

 

Mirabelle admired the stock of goods around the shop and inhaled. She liked the scent of this store, herb-y and soothing. "What does Mercy need if for?" She quietly asked Abigale.

 

((Ack, sorry. Had in inspiration))

Edited June 19, 2011 by Rainbow_Joy