Keep yourself upon the trail

[halfwitch]

Characters: Gretel, Faolan, and later The Witch.
Open? No
Where: The smithy, then the forest
When: RD11
What: The kids are on a witch hunt

[She had her satchel packed with every sharp object she could find, along with a few sweets for a post-victory snack. Bandages had been thrown on the top, a just-in-case afterthought that she didn't hope to use and knew too well not to bring. She knocked on the smithy door, grinning wildly and trying to crane her neck to look in a window from her position.]

Comments

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan threw open the door and pounced on her.

"Going now?" he asked eagerly. "Should be quiet. No one suspects!"

[halfwitch]

"Yes, now." She hugged him briefly in greeting. "Got everything you need?"

[greatsquirrelhunter]

He bared his teeth at her, giving a brief growl in answer. He was going to be a wolf and a distraction. What else did he need?

[halfwitch]

She made a face at the growl and turned back towards the town. "Come one, let's go before you're dad finds us out here."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan reached for her hand, walking along side her. "What is plan, Gretel?"

[halfwitch]

She squeezed is hand, swinging their arms slightly. It made her smile how much the action reminded her of home. "We go to the clearing were her house is and check to see if she's inside or not. If she's inside you're going to make some noise to draw her out. Get her attention and I'll get her while she's not looking."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

"Can do that! Faolan is good at getting attention!" He skips a few times, swinging her arm energetically. "And Gretel is smart!"

[halfwitch]

"You're pretty smart too, you know." She offers, grinning.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

"Am?" This makes Faolan so happy!

[halfwitch]

"Yes." She smiled, quickening her pace. "And when this is over everyone will know how brave you are too."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan puffed up with pride. "Am brave! And fierce!"

He let go of her hand to scamper around her a few times.

[halfwitch]

"Hey, calm down. You got to save your energy for the witch."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

He drooped. Gretel was mad at him. He slinked back to her side, reaching his hand out for hers again.

[halfwitch]

She squeezed his hand, sighing. "I'm not trying to yell at you."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

"Not?" Faolan looks hopeful and drifts closer.

[halfwitch]

"No." She confirms, loosening her hand from his and instead linking their arms.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan beams at her.

"How far in forest is witch?" he asks.

[halfwitch]

"Not too far. We'll be there soon." She speed up anyway, trying to make better time.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Speeding up is not a problem for Faolan, who needs to remind himself not to outpace his sister.

Sure enough, they were soon in sight of the cottage.

"Wolf now?"

[halfwitch]

"Wolf now." She confirmed, setting down her pack and digging through it for her wands. "We'll see where she is first and then you'll do your thing."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

In hardly a moment, Gretel had a wolf cub next to her. Faolan put his front paws on her leg, leaning up to try and kiss her.

[halfwitch]

She knelt a moment to scratch his ears, smiling despite herself. "You go around the front and I'll circle the back. If she's in the house, we'll just meet in the front and then get her to come out."

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan trotted around the front of the house, cocking an ear for sounds from inside. Sure enough, it sounded like the witch was home.

He barked once to let Gretel know, then started pawing at the door.

You didn't see that

[halfwitch]

Gretel kept close to the corner, drawing her wand and knife when she heard Faolan's message. She waited for the witch to come out, trying to keep out of sight.

[thequestgiver]

There was no motion from the house, just an annoyed. "Go away, I'm busy!" followed by some incomprehensible muttering.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan glanced over, making sure that Gretel was waiting. He had to get the witch out of the house. That was his job.

Thinking of a likely attention getter, he plunked down on his rear and howled.

[halfwitch]

Gretel grinned and crouched, ready to spring into action once the Witch appeared from her home.

[thequestgiver]

"I said get!" The witch's voice yelled before a shoe went flying at the wolf puppy from the window. "It ain't sundown yet, scram!"

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan yelped as he dodged the shoe, then sat down again and started crying.

[halfwitch]

Gretel panicked when she her the thump of the shoe hitting the ground and the wolf's cries. She peered around the corner, wand out and tried to get his attention while avoiding the witch's, by waving her wand hand rapidly.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

He noted the movement and looked up, tail wagging.

He barked hello, then whined to say sorry that he hadn't gotten the witch out yet.

[thequestgiver]

There was no movement from the candy house. Unsurprisingly, the witch was unmoved by tears.

[halfwitch]

Gretel shuffled further away from the corner, towards Faolan. She pressed her finger to her lips in hopes of keeping him relatively quiet. She picked up a rock and threw it against the side of the house as hard as she could, trying to create more noise to lure the witch out with.

[thequestgiver]

There was an annoyed sound from inside. "Don't you kids ever knock?"

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan responded to this by scratching at the door as if to say "See? I'm knocking."

[halfwitch]

With a tight smile that the attention was gotten, Gretel threw another rock. A bigger one.

[thequestgiver]

More grumbling from inside before the door opened and the witch glared out. "What is it now?"

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan let his tongue loll out and raised a paw.

[halfwitch]

Gretel grinned and seized the opportunity. With grunt she launched herself from behind the corner, hurling fire spells at the witch.

"Now, Faolan!"

[thequestgiver]

The old woman simply stood, watching and batting spells away as if they were flies.

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Faolan had to do his part. In this case it meant jumping on the witch with a growl.

[halfwitch]

Frustrated with the lack of payoff from her spells, Gretel reached into her bag for a knife and hurled it at the witch's side, careful to try to miss Faolan. Remembering her last encounter with the woman, and her words, she shot out ice spells in the knife's wake.

[thequestgiver]

The witch chuckled, gesturing to raise a magical shield to repell all three attacks. "You're getting better, girl! But you're still attacking from the front!"

[greatsquirrelhunter]

Even if she was a witch, it was hard for Faolan to attack with teeth and claws, but he did his best. He growled, pawing at her and trying to get her hand in his jaws to distract her so she couldn't shield.