There was once a witch who lived in a cabin by the sea He’d lived there all his life. He was born in that cabin, learned to read and write from his mother, and learned to fish and hunt from his father. His grandmother taught him magic, old and new. He could cook, clean, and sew. He could brew potions, removes hexes, and barter with the best of fairies. His name was Orion, after the hunter in the sky. It was a good life, a quiet life.
Yet it could also be a lonely life. Orion had been born during the final years of the trials. Witch hunters had come from the cities to the villages to burn the people accused of witchcraft. Orion’s parents and grandmother had used every spell they knew, called in every favor to the fairies to keep their cabin sequestered and safe. Even then his parents forbid him from ever going past the safety of the salt line that was drawn around their property. His parents would cover the windows with black curtains at night, so they could not see the hateful glow of the raging fires from the town. Orion saw and wept in his bed.
Twelve years have passed, the trials a sore and terrifying memory for Orion’s family and the townsfolk. Granny was older, tired, and spending most days in her rocking chair. Father’s hair had turned white, his old weathered face and hands like leather. His dear mother had grown rounder, her face still sweet, though the lines around her eyes and mouth were more pronounced her hair going gray. By contrast, Orion had grown tall as a tree and as strong as an ox. With his bright blond hair and dark green eyes, his great physical appearance made him a very desirable catch for many young women in town.
Not that Orion showed much interest in marrying. He did want to and at twenty-four, he envied the other young men who were married. To see them playing with their young children, and kiss their wives. But the trials had left their mark on Orion. He’d learned the importance of distrusting his neighbors, to fear those men high up in their manors, inspiring fear. To always be suspicious of the clergyman, even the monks who traded homey and beer in exchange for firewood and fixing a roof.
Orion wanted to be loved but they also needed to be trusted. Something that is all but impossible here. He knew everyone and the trials taught him and his family that no one could be trusted. It was a lovely way to live for certain. But it was the only way to stay safe.
Thus Orion, handsome and humble, envied and envious, continued to live his secluded, lonely life. He took care of his grandmother and took odd jobs in town and the monastery for extra income. Went fishing and hunting with his father, made potions with his mother, respected the Good Neighbors, and a hundred other small things. Yes, life was quiet here in the sleepy village, which was how the residents preferred it. Then, an event happened that would change the sleepy, quiet town and change Orion’s life all at once. For when she came to town, nothing would be the same again.
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