Partridge

Part 8 of “The Scarecrow”

The winter snows were a calm sight after the conflict between the good and bad witches and warlocks had ended. The entire town had returned to its quiet self, though now it seemed more quiet than usual.

The witches that launched a surprise attack had disappeared. Some had died, but most fled into the woods, never to return. At least, we hope they won’t return. I certainly hope.

One of them hadn’t fled, though. Madam Farina’s daughter, Evie, who created me, and tortured me from the second she put my straw hat on my head, had tried to come after me after I escaped the coven’s hideout with Martin Weston, the nephew of my late friend and cherished companion.

I hadn’t thought of it at the time, but it was the perfect trap, and I was the perfect bait.

Farina insisted on confronting her daughter herself. At the place where I appeared over the summer in Henry’s old barn, I stood still. I feigned fear and confusion, and, to be honest, I was a little afraid. The last thing I wanted was to see Evie’s face again, because every time I look at her, I see a twisted smile. I hear her laugh and her taunts, trying to push me into murder. I can still hear the panicked screams of the innocent people placed before me. To Evie, they were nothing more than a reservoir of ingredients for potions, and that’s how she wanted me to see them, too.

Glancing over my shoulder at the forest, I tried to muster my courage. I had done it to protect Martin, I could do it here, couldn’t I?

No amount of thinking “I can do it” could prepare me for the witch emerging from the forest, wand drawn. I resisted the urge to blast her away with my magic. I told myself I wouldn’t do it unless she attacked me first.

Luckily, I didn’t have to. Evie was only a few feet away from me when Farina appeared from her hiding place behind a bush. There was a loud crack, and Evie flew backward. As she lay stunned, Farina approached her.

“We could have gone our separate ways,” Farina said.

“If that damned scarecrow had remained hidden, we wouldn’t be in this,” Evie replied, forcing herself to stand back up. “Why waste an opportunity to get back what was mine?”

“He is no longer yours. He is sworn to protect the Weston family now. That was his choice.”

“Clearly, I made a mistake when I made him. A big mistake.”

“And it was the best mistake you could have ever made.”

“Don’t mock my failings. If you’re trying to make me come back to you, don’t even bother trying.”

“That’s not my goal here. I gave up on that a long time ago. This conflict is between you and me. Don’t take it out on the townspeople. They’ve done nothing to you.”

“When I get you out of the way, they’ll be mine for the taking. Witches have lived in the shadows for too long—”

“I don’t live in the shadows anymore.”

“Because you appease the non-magical cattle. You’re nothing more than a magician for children’s parties!”

“I make people happy now. I have friends now. For me, at least, that is better than having everyone terrified of me.”

“You’re weak, Mother!”

“If I was weak, I wouldn’t be able to stand up to you right now.” Farina got between me and Evie. There was another crack, and Evie was thrown backward again. “I have no desire to hurt you, but if you show your face around this town again with the intention of hurting innocent people, I can’t promise you any mercy. Go. Run away. Far away. Take your coven and go back to living in the shadows where those like you belong.”

I have never heard Farina’s voice so firm before. Evie looked confused. Clearly, this wasn’t part of her plan, and I could also sense embarrassment about her failure.

That didn’t last very long. Screaming, she stood up, pointing her wand at me. A bolt of magic flew by me, and instinctively, I raised my hands. A thunderclap enveloped the forest, and a second later, Evie was flying above the trees, her screams fading in the distance.

As the screaming died down, I looked at Farina. “Madam, I am so sorry. I should have let you—”

“Don’t apologize for defending yourself, Raincrest.” Farina gently touched my shoulder. “I would have done the same.”

“This was supposed to be your fight, Madam.”

“And you were caught up in it. That’s not your fault.” She looked toward the woods. “I’m not sure if Evie even survived such a fall, but if she did, I don’t think she’ll be coming back. Let’s go home.”

________________________________________

Though we were afraid the damage to the town was bad, it turned out the witches and warlocks had done a good job of keeping the coven out. The only damage had been done to doors when the witches broke into several homes to kidnap people, and some cars had been hit by magic, too. No one from the town had been killed, thank goodness, but there were several members of the coven who had.

Allard Vonner and a few other magical folk dealt with the corpses. Farina became a little withdrawn after the battle, and we could understand why. Nothing had changed between her and her daughter. Evie probably resented her mother more, but the way Farina was looking at it, that was her choice. There was nothing she could do about it.

The last tree to have its leaves drop that year was an old pear tree near where I made the barn appear. A big group of us—Sheriff Blakely, Martin Weston, Farina, Vonner, Elsbetha, and myself—went to it in late October, one month after the battle, to reflect.

It didn’t surprise anyone that there wasn’t much to say. Martin spoke first, glancing at me in the process. “You know, we’ve seen a lot of weird things here, but who knew a scarecrow in a barn appearing in a field would lead to a group of witches trying to take over the town.”

“Yeah. I’m ready to go back to the regular strange of dancing skeleton statues at the harvest fair and garden gnomes that actually take care of your garden,” Blakely added.

“Go back? I’d say that never changed,” Vonner said. “And I hope this place doesn’t change.”

Martin nodded a little. “Kinda wish Uncle Henry was here to see all this. I think he’d be proud of you, Raincrest.”

I shook my head. “I was a coward in the beginning.”

“Grief isn’t cowardice. If nothing had happened to Uncle Henry, you would have had to experience grief. He wouldn’t have let you get kidnapped so easily. Not if he cared about you so much.”

“You make a good point.”

“Honestly, I don’t think Evie would have attacked if Henry had survived the war,” Farina said. “She took advantage of Raincrest’s vulnerability.”

“That she did,” I replied. “It’s over now. I don’t think we’ll have to worry about her. At least, not very soon anyway.”

Looking up at the pear tree, we watched the last leaf blow off its branch with a gust of cold wind. It swirled delicately around the tree, before landing on the ground in a pile of other leaves that had fallen long before it. A gray partridge waddled into the leaves. Winter would soon come, and with it, Christmas and happy times with family and friends. I was glad to have a family again, and regardless of what comes next, I swore to cherish and protect them to the last straw in my hat.