The fated meeting between witch and wolf is finally upon us.

Chapter 3: Friends of Fall

Eliza continued to practice with the broom for the rest of the week. She began to realize that she liked flying once she got the hang of it. At least, enough to fly indoors. It was near the end of the week that Elinee suggest that the training be taken a step further: they would practice outside of the castle.

"How high should I go?" Eliza asked casually, masking her excitement. She didn't want her aunt to catch wind of how much she enjoyed this new sport, especially after her initial hesitation to even try flying on the broomstick earlier that week.

"As high as you feel comfortable with," Elinee replied, handing the enchanted broom over to Eliza. Behind her were her companion trio of chairs. Their fascination with Eliza's training had originally been one to entertain themselves, but they eventually became genuinely interested in her progression. It was the most activity the castle had seen in years.

"Well," Eliza said, throwing a leg over the broom, "Here I go." She slowly rose into the air and circled the castle. She gradually began to rise in height as her confidence did, watching her audience shrink in size with every pass. Before she knew it, she was near the top of the castle's highest towers and realized just how tangible the cursed ceiling of the forest was.

With a new idea and the confidence to back it up, Eliza shot straight up and into the darkness of the forest sky. Weaving through gnarled branches of colossal trees and fog, she exited the forest and was greeted with a fresh blast of early autumn air and the orange sky illuminated by a setting sun. She hovered there for a few minutes, admiring a breathtaking sight like none other she had witnessed before.

"I think I'm really going to like it here..."

Eliza spent the last day of the week practicing the broom herself. Her facade was long dismantled by Elinee simply from the amount of time she was spending in the air. It was then that Eliza was stricken with the brilliant idea of exploring. Her days since she arrived at the castle had been mostly boring during the morning hours where she'd spend time looking for something to keep her occupied, which usually led to attempting to read the ancient books stockpiled throughout the castle. Afternoons were occupied by magic training with Elinee, and now that the broom was out of the way, they'd be moving on to bigger and better things (or so she hoped).

But now that Eliza had gotten the hang of flying, exploring outside of the castle during the day would be a lot easier and faster since she no longer had to go through the Haunted Forest, but above it. The beginning of the next week marked the start of her quest to thoroughly explore all the Lower Lands had to offer. She wasted no time on the first day, leaving just as the sun was rising...which meant nothing to a forest shrouded in darkness and clouds, but everything to Eliza as she witnessed dawn from her seat above the forest.

A few minutes passed before the broom started to move again. With no particular destination in mind, she was free to go where she pleased...which ended up being Gaia's Navel. Eliza walked around aimlessly, taking in the beauty of the falls. The last time she had been there was almost ten years ago, and she didn't have the chance to explore for herself.

Finding that she was losing track of time, she continued onward with her exploration, following the path south of Gaia's Navel with her broom in hand this time. Coming to an intersection, she noticed the wooden posts that formed a gate leading to a small village. Feeling adventurous, she walked past the sign with a glance and stepped inside.

"Kippo Village, huh? Let's see what we have here..."

It was quite a small village. The smallest one she had ever been to, she figured. But it felt just right to her. There were only a few houses and scant few of them were occupied at the moment, for everyone was busy. The children played near a gathering of trees on the far end of the village while several women which she assumed to be their mothers were washing clothes in the small river that glided through the center of town. Waterwheels churned in the single river, each attached to a house or building placed strategically close to the water.

Eliza walked along the path of sparsely laid white cobblestones, which led her past Kippo's inn and across a small bridge that led over the river. She had only taken a few more steps when a young girl, who had broken away from the group of children, approached her.

"Hi, miss!" She greeted happily, hiding her arms behind her green dress. She absently swiveled the tip of a foot atop a cobblestone. "I haven't seen you around here before."

Eliza leaned forward with a smile. "Hello little girl, I'm Eliza. This is my first time here."

"Hi, I'm Natalie! I think your dress is pretty," the girl said before hiding her face behind her long brown locks.

"Thanks. I like your dress too," Eliza replied. She began coaxing Natalie out of her shell, "what do you do here?"

"My dad runs a shop! Sometimes I help him out with my older sister." The playful cries of children enjoying themselves echoed through the village, catching her attention. "But I mostly like to play with my friends. Do you want to meet them?"

Before Eliza could answer, Natalie called out to the group of children. Noticing the visitor for the first time themselves, the assortment of young boys and girls scurried over. Eliza soon found herself surrounded by curious, talkative children.

"Where are you from, lady?" One of the boys asked.

"What's the broom for?" Another question was thrown her way.

"Can I try on your hat?"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Eliza wailed in confusion, feeling crushed by the surrounding children. She needed something to get their attention all at once.

With a sly grin, she said, "Do you wanna see a magic trick?"

That got their attention.

"But Papa said mana's gone!" A boy announced anxiously.

"That was true...for awhile," Eliza said, holding out her palm for all to see. She concentrated, both on her connection with mana and that very moment days ago when she performed a similar feat for her aunt.

There was a slight buzzing sound before a small globe of electricity danced in Eliza's palm, soliciting a chorus of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the children. This prompted one of the adults to exit a shop to see what was going on. Losing concentration, Eliza let the globe fizzle into a spark before going out completely.

"May I help you, miss?" a middle aged man asked. The little girl, Natalie, ran to him before hugging his legs and the apron. The logo, which matched the one hanging over the shop's door immediately told Eliza that he was the owner.

"Daddy, she knows magic!" Natalie said excitedly.

"Oh really?" He said curiously.

"I was just checking out the town. I'm new here," Eliza remarked.

"You must have traveled a long way. There aren't any other towns around here besides Pandora," Natalie's father said. "Is that where you're staying?"

"Oh, no. I moved in with my aunt in the Hau-" Eliza stopped mid-sentence.

'Er, this town is quite small and homely...you don't want to go upsetting the people by telling them that you live in an ancient castle in a cursed forest with a formerly evil witch for an aunt,' she thought to herself.

"She lives a little up north by herself," she finally said, garnering a suspicious look from Natalie's father.

"Well it seems the children have taken a liking to you. Come to my shop," he invited her with a warm smile. "Perhaps Natalie and I can show around the entire village later on."

Eventually, Eliza was given the Kippo tour, which didn't take long at all. Meeting all of the people was a strange experience for her. The village was small but tightly knit in all aspects. It was a direct contrast to the large and empty castle in the Haunted Forest. She found herself stricken by the homely village; a change of heart from her original impression. It was a community she had secretly longed for but never experienced firsthand, for it seemed large fortresses away from civilization were a trademark style of living for her family.

"Hey, you'll show us some more magic tricks, right?" Natalie pried, nudging Eliza.

"Sure, as soon as I think of some more to show you guys." She let out a peaceful sigh and looked into the sky. "Wait, what time is it?"

"Looks like it's past noon," replied Russell, Natalie's father.

"Oh, shoot! I better head back. I didn't exactly tell my aunt that I'd be off exploring, so she's probably wondering what happened to me by now!" Eliza grasped the broom firmly and headed for the village gates.

"You'll come back to see us again, won't you Eliza?" Natalie called.

Eliza called back, "Absolutely! Maybe even tomorrow!"

She waited until she was near Gaia's Navel again before hopping onto the broom and shooting into the skies above. She flew over the Haunted Forest, diving into the patch of trees that covered what they could of Elinee's Castle. This was an ideal path since the branches were much thinner here than at any other part of the forest.

Landing in the castle courtyard, she walked at a hurried pace through the double door entrance. She set the broom off near the wall before calling out, "Aunt Elinee!"

"Eliza! Where have you been?" The old woman inquired as she rounded a corner leading to the foyer.

"I went exploring and made a stop at Kippo Village."

"Judging by that lingering smile, it seems that you enjoyed your visit," Elinee remarked.

Eliza's smile broadened. "Maybe I did."

"Come. It's almost time to start your lessons again." Elinee led the way back into the castle depths.

"Oh!" Eliza piped. "Now that I've learned how to ride the broom, what's next?"

"You seem naturally adept with manipulating neutral mana. Let's work with that."

"Garr, you're moving too slow!" Graw cried out to the far back of the pack where his only son lingered behind.

Garr suppressed every urge to complain. He hated the job but knew he had to prove himself to everyone, especially his father. Failure to go through with his punishment would not only disappoint them but himself.

With newfound energy, he gripped the large sack on his back much tighter and began to pick up the pace. But it seemed that no matter how fast he moved, the rest of the pack was just a little bit faster.

A devious smirk crept along Musso's face, and he began to slow down until he was near Garr. "Come on 'Lil Graw, you don't want to get left behind, do you?" he teased.

"Get off my back, Musso," Garr growled.

"Judging by how much trouble you're having with just that bag, you'd probably collapse if I were on your back." The brown werewolf had a haughty laugh at his own words and a pleased grin before leaving Garr behind. The younger wolf could only roll his eyes.

Jet stopped and sniffed the air. "...do you smell that?" The others mimicked his action.

"A storm's coming. Feels like it's going to be pretty bad too," Graw remarked. "We're going to stop soon. Some of the monsters in this forest get a little too bold for their own good when the weather's bad."

"Finally..." Garr muttered in relief.

The forest seemed extra dark this morning, though Eliza didn't pay too much attention. Dark was dark in the Haunted Forest. She was particularly excited about going back to Kippo and seeing the other children and wanted to show them more magic.

When she set off into the skies above the castle, she finally realized why it seemed so dark. Ominous gray clouds were gathering in the sky, signaling the approach of a storm.

'Didn't the Lower Lands just get hit by a storm a week or two ago?' Eliza thought. "Oh well, I'll just have to get back from the village before it starts."

By the time Eliza reached Kippo, strong winds already started to pick up. Entering through the wooden gates, she found Kippo to be completely transformed from yesterday. The village was nearly deserted; no children playing, no women washing, and no men to greet her. The entire atmosphere changed. What happened?

"Eliza! You came back to see us!" She heard the familiar voice of Natalie call to from an open window of her father's shop, which doubled as their home.

"Natalie, what's going on? Where's everybody?"

Russell appeared behind his daughter. "I'm sorry you came all this way Miss Eliza. Looks like a storm's comin' and everyone's preparing for the worst."

Eliza raised a brow. "Is it really going to be that bad?"

"You never know around here," Russel said, raising his voice to compete with the wind and the flapping shutters on the window. "It was nearly ten years ago when we had a storm so bad, it nearly flooded Gaia's Navel out. Could happen again."

"Wow, I never knew that," Eliza replied, shifting the broomstick from one arm to the other. "I guess I'll just go back home then."

"It's probably best if you stay here before the rain starts," Russel insisted.

"Yeah! Stay with us Eliza! Pleeeaaase?" Natalie added, clasping her hands together.

It was hard, but Eliza still had to turn them down. "Thanks but sorry guys. I don't want to leave my aunt all alone in this mess if it's as bad as you think it'll be."

"Aww!" Natalie pouted.

The low rumble of thunder was the rain's cue to start. And it poured. Eliza shrieked from the sudden cold of the raindrops that slammed against her. She latched onto the hat atop her head tightly with one arm as she took off out of the village with a wave to Natalie and Russell, any words she could have said drowned out by the downpour.

This time, she barely waited to get out of the village before hopping onto her broom. It was when a gust of wind hit her that she realized that Elinee didn't exactly teach her how to fly in extreme weather conditions. She would just have to learn on her own.

Garr let the bag slide to the ground and sat next to it, wheezing. They had finally stopped in a small clearing somewhere deep in the Haunted Forest, though his father was always on alert. Graw approached a few of the wolves and spoke with them until he finally made his way over to his son.

"Not bad, Garr," he said, looking down upon his son. "...do you want to help the others keep a lookout?"

Garr's ears perked up as he quickly looked his father directly into that one, overbearing eye of his. "What!"

"Well if you don't want to..."

Garr leaped up from his spot. "Wait, NO! I mean, YES! If you're serious, that is."

Graw chuckled. "I'm completely serious." Lightning flashed above and Graw's expression changed in that instant.

Silhouettes.

Countless silhouettes.

"AMBUSH!" he roared over the grumble of thunder. And the attack began with a single arrow landing between father and son. The rodent-like hooded creatures known as Chobins revealed themselves and prepared a barrage of arrows just as the wolves retaliated.

The learning went terribly.

Eliza cried out as the broom was whipped back and forth by the wind. The rain obscured her vision and she could only steer with one hand as the other was occupied with attempting to keep the hat atop her head. A flash of lightning startled her, and she made the sudden decision to fly down into the Haunted Forest where the thick trees would provide her with some relief. Unfortunately, her plan did not include being sent plummeting through the heavy branches by the force of the storm.

She rotated through the air before flipping onto the ground. The broom landed next to her, damaged but unbroken. She thought she heard a commotion deep within the forest. Perhaps even a fight. She attempted to listen until a flash of lightning prompted her to jump to her feet and the explosion of thunder made any further eavesdropping impossible.

"That's it. I'm just going to go back to the castle..." she murmured.

Along the walk, she heard the commotion again, and began to get the sinking feeling that she was walking right into the fray. Or maybe it was catching up with her instead?

Lost in thought, Eliza was oblivious to the small creature watching her until she heard its malevolent snicker. She quickly turned to find a Chobin with its bow already drawn, the smirk under its hood making its intent loud and clear.

"WATCH OUT!"

Eliza was tackled to the ground just as an arrow whizzed towards her. She was shocked to find that she was completely unharmed, but more shocked by her savior: a young, blue werewolf. Though he had saved her, the deed was not without its price. He was currently attempting to attend to the arrow embedded into his right leg.

The Chobin wasted no time taking advantage of the situation, preparing another arrow and aiming towards the wolf. Eliza reacted instantly, throwing her palm forward, producing an invisible force that burst forth. It slammed into the Chobin, sending it reeling through the trees and into the darkness of the forest. With that problem dispatched, she quickly scrambled over to the wolf, whom was breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Do I look okay!" he snapped.

Eliza barely resisted rolling her eyes. "...we need to get you help. All right?"

"I don't need any help, especially from a human girl!"

This time she couldn't help herself. "Well, you saved me and I didn't have a problem with it. So why don't you let me help you?"

"I said I don't need your help!" The wolf shouted in defiance. And as to prove his point, he clasped the arrow and tore it from his flesh, garnering an agonizing howl that sent chills through Eliza. He was in so much pain that he barely registered that she had taken the pink ribbon from her hat and began tying it around the wound.

"What...?"

"Do you want to die?" Eliza asked sternly. The wolf didn't respond. "I live in the castle with my aunt. It's not that far from here."

"But I have to help my father...and the other wolves! I need to fight!"

She finished wrapping the wound. "Do you know where they are?"

"No...but I still need to find them...and help..." he trailed off.

"Then we're going to the castle," she said, helping the wolf up.

"No!" he protested, fighting against Eliza's grip. "I can't let them down!"

"Even if you did find them, you can't fight like this! You'd be an easy target for those Chobins!" Eliza argued. "So stop being a fool and come back to the castle with me! We can heal you!"

The wolf began to cave, his stubbornness being eaten away more from the pain racking his leg and body than by Eliza's words. He silently nodded and they began heading in the opposite direction as rain poured off of the tree branches above.

"Garr..."

"What?"

"My name. It's Garr McGraw."

The castle doors were flung open. Garr limped with help from Eliza through the foyer and into a small room connecting it to the rest of the castle. She led him over to a chair but stopped him before he could sit.

"Not this one," she said, "the other one."

Garr was puzzled but limped to the next chair anyway. When the chair he was originally going to sit on came to life and galloped away, he almost jumped out of the seat.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get some supplies and help!" Eliza's heels clicked rapidly as she rushed out of the room and nearly went careening into her aunt.

"Eliza?" Elinee asked, noticing a distinct smell in the air. "What's that smelling like wet dog?"

"Perhaps the wet dog in the next room?" Eliza smirked at Elinee's puzzled face and began to explain. "There was a werewolf that saved me in the forest but he got hurt in the process. I brought him here to help him."

"Eliza!"

"What?" Eliza whined. "Auntie, he saved me!"

"You know some of those wolves are dangerous. Are you sure it's safe? Some aren't particularly fond of us."

"He's pretty stubborn but I don't think he hates us. And besides, if he did hate me, he's going to love me after I heal him up!" Eliza sang as she shuffled down the hallway. She stopped in her tracks. "Oh...where's the candy? Actually, we may need chocolate too!"

"I'm not eating that!" Garr protested. "I don't know what's really in it! That's human food!"

"It's everybody's food. Anyone can eat it!" Eliza clamored. "Good grief, you can buy this stuff at any village!"

"I'm a werewolf. I don't exactly stroll into local villages to do my shopping!"

"You should! This candy has magical properties that heals wounds."

Garr gave Eliza a suspicious look. "...So this is something you brewed up in a cauldron?"

"No, I said it came from a shop. And I don't brew things in cauldrons, though my Aunt may from time to time."

Garr gave Eliza one final glance before unwrapping the candy. He examined the round treat a bit before dropping into onto his tongue. After a few seconds he could already feel the pain in his leg dulling.

"I think this stuff is really working!" he exclaimed, hopping out of the seat. Then he came crashing down.

Eliza ran to his side, "Hey, take it easy! You were hurt pretty bad so it's going to take the candy awhile to work all of its magic. I might have to give you more."

"You could have told me that sooner," Garr muttered. "I still need to help the pack."

"That's not possible in your condition," Elinee said, walking into the room. "You can barely stand."

"Garr, this is my aunt Elinee."

Garr gaped. "You're Elinee?"

Elinee chuckled. "I see I still have a reputation even amongst the wolves. And my niece seems to be very concerned about you. You should listen to her." Garr sighed.

"Hey, I promise I'll help you find your family when you feel better," Eliza said. "But until then, you can stay here."

"So, it can still fly, right?" Eliza asked hopefully.

"Hmm..." Elinee examined the broomstick from every angle. It was splintered and cracked in several places. "It's not broken, but it is damaged. I can fix it, but I'd advise against trying to ride it before then."

"Bah...I'm grounded," Eliza pouted. Noticing the grin on her aunt's face, she quickly changed her tone, "not that it's such a bad thing. I won't get knocked out of the sky anymore or anything like that."

Elinee chuckled and went back to the beef stew she was cooking. "Is your friend hungry? The food is almost done."

"I dunno. I haven't checked on Garr for the past hour. I'll go see now." Eliza hopped out of the chair and began walking out of the kitchen when she shot a quick glare towards her aunt. "Wait a minute. What do you mean by my friend?"

Elinee did nothing but smile as Eliza left the room.

Eliza knocked on the door. "Garr, are you hungry?" She opened the door when there was no response to find the werewolf sitting on a bed, staring outside of the room's lone window.

"Didn't you give me enough of that candy already?" Garr said.

"Actually, my aunt's making stew." Eliza leaned forward and whispered, "in a cauldron." She smirked when Garr gave her a panicked look. "Ha, no. It's in a normal pot. But speaking of the candy...are you feeling better?"

"To tell you the truth...yeah." He stared down at the bedsheets. "I've heard about healing food like that candy, but I've never had any until today."

"Geez, do you guys live out in the woods all the time?"

"Actually, we do," Garr responded, slightly offended. "There's a policy in the pack. We don't use human tools unless in the case of extreme emergencies."

"That's dumb."

"No, it's NOT dumb!" Garr exploded. "We don't need human supplies! We do just fine by ourselves!"

"Okay, okay," Eliza replied weakly, raising her hands forward to calm Garr down. "Ignoring healing supplies because they're made by humans ISN'T dumb." Hearing it said aloud from that perspective began to lull Garr's temper, though he wouldn't admit it.

"Honestly, I can't imagine not using candy for healing. What did you guys use?" Eliza asked.

"Well, we used healing magic...before mana disappeared. I was pretty young when mana left, so I never learned how to use the spell. I've never seen my father use it, though I'm pretty sure he knows it. But you..."

"But I what?" Eliza asked, puzzled.

"Nevermind," Garr said. He took a deep breath, inhaling the delicious smell of Elinee's cooking. "You know, I think I am pretty hungry."

Two figures darted through the darkness, their movement undetectable by sound even if the rain hadn't been pouring. They both stopped on an empty path. The sight was contrary, as their heightened senses told an entire story most would not have picked up.

"It's definitely his blood," Graw muttered, kneeling next to the bloody arrow.

A black wolf was next to him, and took a few steps forward before kneeling down himself. "There's no blood trail. He must have patched himself up before leaving. And the storm is trying its best to wash away his scent..." Jet's analysis was followed by rustling and a small voice.

Graw growled, knowing exactly whom it belonged too. He then led the way through a patch of bushes to find a Chobin lying in front of a tree. There was no doubt in his mind that this creature was responsible for wounding his son.

"Guess it's still alive," Jet mumbled, nudging the Chobin with his foot. It began to stir until it realized two wolves were standing over it. It let out a shrill cry as Graw bought down his foot with a sickening crunch.

"Graw, where're you going?" Jet called as Graw headed in the opposite direction as quickly as possible.

"I'm not going to stop until I find my son!"

Jet had only seen Graw this upset and emotional over his family. He had always looked up to him as pack leader and felt that it was his turn to pay him back for all that he had done for the pack in his many years, by bringing him back to his senses as leader.

"Graw..." Jet started, approaching Graw cautiously, who still had his back turned to him. "You raised Garr well. He knows how to take care of himself, and as we can see, that arrow didn't stop him. But you said yourself that staying in this forest was dangerous with the monsters running about. We can't stay in here any longer without the risk of being ambushed again. You're our leader. Lead us out of here." He placed a hand on Graw's shoulder, and felt the tension being released.

"You're right," Graw muttered, turning to face Jet. "But I'm not giving up on Garr!"

"You don't have to. We just need to get out of here right now."

The two wolves dashed through the darkness.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier," Garr apologized as he and Eliza entered the dining room. "I was still upset, being separated from my father and all."

"It's okay," Eliza said casually as she sat at the table, which had literally set itself. "I shouldn't have called your customs and policies dumb. It was a thoughtless comment."

'But, they kinda are,' Garr thought while sitting across from Eliza, though he would never dare admit it aloud.

"I hope you're hungry!" Elinee announced as she entered with a pot of soup. She manually poured soup into the bowls, a rare feat she only performed when they had company.

Sitting down, she and Eliza began eating, and Garr quickly realized that he was out of place. He curiously watched them eat with the strange utensils. Finally, he attempted to fit in by scooping at the soup with one of the utensils himself, but found the small quantity of soup he could capture to be unsatisfying. He gave up and let habit take over. Leaning over the bowl, he began lapping the soup up, gaining the attention of the two women.

"Oh my, it seems Garr found his own way to enjoy dinner!" Elinee said with a warm smile.

'Dinner' wasn't quite what Garr would have called it. The meat was soggy, the vegetables were unappealing, and the spices made his tongue burn. He decided that witches were better off at brewing things in cauldrons than cooking dinner in pots, though he was thankful now that his growling stomach was quelled.

Since he was the first one finished, he leaned back in the chair and quickly found himself bored, and then restless when his mind wandered to the morning's events. His restlessness was starting to become noticeable when the chair began to rock.

Eliza had a knowing look about her face. "Garr, are you thinking about what happened again?"

"How can I not? I still don't know what happened to everybody!"

"There's nothing you can do at the moment," Elinee said sternly. Now that this wolf was in her home, she wasn't going to let him go out and do something stupid. "It's dark, it's raining hard, and there are monsters teeming all over the forest. You'd do better to wait out the storm."

Unfortunately for him, the storm lasted through the rest of the night. Early the next morning, he set off on the search. Eliza, keeping her promise, accompanied him. But they found nothing. Their daily search lasted for days, which rolled into weeks, which extended into the months of autumn. And soon, the lonely Witch's Castle was no longer occupying two for the coming months, but now three.

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

In the next chapter, Eliza seeks to learn more about Garr, and reveals a few things about herself in the process. The duo also discover one of the castle's secrets...a secret that can only lead to darkness and despair, both from the past and in the future.