NaNoWriMo: Beginning chapter 1!

This is the bit I wrote yesterday, Nov. 2nd, both the 1st and 2nd are low on word count, so I am working late tonight to try and catch up. 1,667 words every day!

While I welcome constructive criticism, please do not judge this too harshly, it is an unedited first draft! In #NaNoWriMo we just write, write, write, editing can come later.

Furthermore, I used my phone to type this out as I have no computer. That means if you are seeing it via a computer, I have no idea what that formatting looks like. I also have no spellcheck, just auto-correct.

This content may not be reproduced for any reason.

All those disclaimers said, I hope you enjoy it!!!

CHAPTER 1: Annika

Annika usually took the shortcut, a path through the woods, but it was good practice to be seen publicly several days a week. She wore a plain grey dress with a white apron, both thread bare in places, but clean. She held a basket packed with a simple lunch of bread and cheese enough for two in the crook of her arm. The fork in the road that would either take her into town or off to the city came quickly, only 20 minutes of walking, lost in her thoughts.

Annika's father had built their home the furthest out from Breckenwood, giving her mother the opportunity to forage for all the medicinal herbs she needed for her occupation as the town's midwife. Breckenwood had been a safe, happy town for the witches and wizards chosing to live among the non-magical humans, until the Zealots came. Religious followers believing every word of a single book, made up of several stories from several different authors. They tended to murder anyone not falling within their fanatic mindset.

They'd taken her mother when she was eight. People she had thought she could trust were among them, playing the pretender and pointing fingers of blame to protect themselves. The Zealots had taken Annika, too, by torchlight. Her mother had said and done everything just right. She had planned for this. In the end the Zealot's had released Annika to church custody until her father returned from the war to a dead wife and an empty home taken over by the forest.

Holly was her name, and they had burned her, along with two others also accused. One wasn't even a witch, just an unfortunate young woman falsely accused.

They didn't know it yet, but they'd burned the wrong witch. Holly had only been a minor hedge witch. She tinkered in potions that eased babies into the world and helped colds run their courses more quickly. She set broken bones with her bare hands and helped them heal with tinctures. A good woman, doing what she could to help others. Annika's father had been an accomplished Druid before he came back from fighting in the King's war. He'd lost both his left arm and the will to commune with his formidable powers.

Annika got the best of both of them, and the worst of what was done to them. Holly's grimoire taught her what lacked in her midwifery apprenticeship and potion making, though she dare not practice either openly. At 22 she had surpassed her mother's potion skills, but she refused to help anyone in Breckenwood, viewing all but a small handful as potential betrayers of her trust. She recieved her power level from three generations before, on her father's side. Clyde refused to teach Annika the ways of the Druid, but he could do nothing about his genetics.

She was an Earthy. An Elemental witch with an affinity with the Mother herself. With no coven to help her, no parent to teach her, Annika fell back on instinct and every bit of guidance she could glean from the only other witch in town she could trust. Without a master to teach her everything she needed to know, Annika leaned further and further toward the dark arts.

The clatter of an ox cart shook her out of her reverie. She hopped to the side of the well rutted road and continued on, but the ox driver pulled alongside of her. Annika sighed but did not let her irritation show. Marvin, and his boy, Hanz. Who else would it be but the chatty delivery man from High Port, the city twenty-three miles away, down the other fork in the road.

"Well, good morning Miss Archer!" He called cheerily over the cart wheels.

"Good morning, Marvin. Hello, Hanz." Annika replied, sparing a smile for the boy, who was no more than ten. He returned a gap toothed smile.

"It's still a good half an hour to Breckenwood from here, much longer by foot." Marvin stated, as though she didn't know well and good how far it was. "There's a bit of room to squeeze in the back if you would like a ride, no charge today! There is already someone back there, a stranger traveling inland."

Annika did not look back. Strangers were of no use to her, usually it was just another Zealot passing through to the next town where they would murder their way through what they called "cleansing and converting."

"Thank you for the offer, but no. I am having a visit with Lady Faye." She motioned to her covered basket. "I'm bringing her luncheon, it's not much further, not worth troubling you."

Marvin regarded her with a steady gaze. She was a strange girl, but Lady Faye was above reproach or suspition. Far from a real lady, the title was given out of respect rather than birth right or marriage. Faye and her late husband had run the cleanest Inn the town had, and offered the finest brew on the coast. Or so the sailors that traveled all the way from High Port to taste it often said.

"Suit yourself, stay safe, Miss Archer! Keep a watch for Wolves!" Marvin gave his usual warning and Annika waved him off as the Ox increased its speed. No wolves had bothered Breckenwood or its surrounding lands for time out of memory. It was code, the Religious Zealots were up to something, as they always were. Not that she, living over an hour's walk from town would know what it was. But, Marvin was a decent sort. He would be sure to mention in town that he'd seen her on the way to Lady Faye's. The less mysterious she seemed, the better, so in this at least, she welcomed his talketive nature.

And that's it for the night! Sorry it kind of cuts off awkwardly, but that's all I wrote yesterday! I'm working hard to get a good amount in tonight to share with you tomorrow, wish me luck!

Link to the Prelude in case you missed it RIGHT HERE and want to give it a go.

And the end of chapter 1 is Right here if you want to read more!

Goodnight #steemit, love to you!