Things Unseen
It had been little over a year since his attempt, and Steve had practically glued himself to Bucky when he found out about how lonely Bucky had felt. They even slept in the same room now, and Bucky was grateful for his best friend, but Bucky began to feel odd. And then things began happening. Things he couldn't explain. When Steve and his mother had left the house to go to the market in the village square, Bucky had assured them he'd be fine alone and that he didn't feel well enough go, something happened. He was just sitting outside, basking in the Summer sun when he heard screaming. He ran into the house and out through the front door to the village square to see what was happening when he saw it. A wolf. Silver in colour and a little larger than the average wolf, it stood there seemingly looking for something. The villagers were terrified of it, yet Bucky felt drawn to it. He walked, slowly and deliberately whilst raising his hands in surrender, towards the wolf. People gasped and he heard a yell from behind him
"Buck! Get away from that thing! What are you doing?!" It was Steve, and he shook his head, keeping his gaze on the wolf. He came before the wolf and got down on his knees, then his back, and inclined his head to bare his throat. He didn't know why he was doing this, it just felt right, but when the wolf nuzzled his neck and sat back on its haunches he knew something had clicked inside him. He felt attached to the wolf, like it was a friend. He slowly sat up and looked around at the awed faces of the villagers.
"You need only to be gentle with her. Look, she's not attacking me. She means no harm, or she would have attacked by now," he said in a gentle voice as he reached out and pet the wolf. The wolf looked up at him with human-like eyes and stood, circling his feet and nudging his calves fondly and Bucky smiled. The villagers, seemingly appeased by the wolf's docile behavior, continued on with what they were doing. Steve and Sarah carefully approached Bucky, stopping short when the wolf bared her teeth in a snarl. Bucky frowned, looking down at her as Sarah held Steve back.
"Buck that's a wolf! It snarled at me!" Steve called out, worried about the safety of his friend. Bucky pat her head and smiled gently and pointed at Steve, who did not squeak thank you very much, and nodded.
"Friend," Bucky assured and the wolf cocked her head and walked suspiciously towards Steve, who looked like he was about to bolt, until Bucky put out his hands in a gesture to stay still and continued talking.
"Steve and Sarah mean no harm to us- wh- uh... you. They're friendly, won't hurt you. See?" He spoke ever so softly to the wolf in the empty square, and she sniffed and Steve's hands and then huffed. Turning, she walked back to Bucky and lay by his feet. Shocked, Bucky looked up at Sarah who was almost as baffled as Steve
When Steve carefully advanced towards Bucky, the wolf didn't move to stop him. He then quickly grabbed Bucky by arm, tugging him forward and smacking him lightly upside the head
"You idiot! You coulda been killed! The hell were you thinking?!" He ranted. The wolf narrowed her eyes at the violent gesture, but seeing no animosity in Steve's worried eyes, settled down, "And how are you not dead? That wolf should have attacked the minute you got close enough..." Steve mumbled, peering down at the wolf who had seemingly dozed off by Bucky's feet.
"No idea Stevie, I just had this feeling that that was what I had to do, I dunno,' Bucky shrugged and Steve shook his head. When Sarah called out and told the boys it was time to go home, they both started to walk until the wolf stood and followed.
"You're not leaving me in this filthy square" A light, almost musical-sounding voice spoke in Bucky's head. Bucky looked around and then down at the wolf, puzzled, "Yeah, down here. Jeez. Took you long enough. Where are we going? I'm kinda bored, been waiting for you to see me for nineteen years!" The voice spoke again- or the wolf, rather, spoke again. At the perturbed look on Bucky's face and the following wolf, Steve stopped short
"Buck? What's up? And... why is it following you?" Steve asked, just as shocked
"My name is Aitamah, thank you very much" She snarled at Steve, sounding only as a snarl to Steve, and Bucky almost cackled.
"Bucky, it snarled again! You can't bring that thing inside!" Steve scolded, turning completely to face him and blocking the door. Aitamah huffed indignantly and pounced on Steve, knocking him to the floor quite easily, and when he screamed, she licked his face passively. Bucky closed his eyes, and though he doubted it'd work, he took a deep breath and in the most authoritative voice he could muster and spoke.
"Prohibere!" Immediately, as if a switch had flipped in the wolf's brain, she stopped and looked at Bucky, who ran over to Steve and helped him up. There was a moment of silence and then the two boys' began to laugh.
"What language was that, Buck?" Steve asked through a laugh
"Latin. I learned it as a kid. Dunno, I thought it might work," Bucky shrugged, laughing a little before looking down at Aitamah who hadn't moved
"Yeah no shit I haven't moved, you ordered me not to!" hissed in his head and he sighed, opening his mouth again before looking at Steve out of the corner of his eye and deciding against speaking in Latin again and instead, focused on speaking English
"Come here girl," he asked softly and Aitamah muscles relaxed as she padded over and licked his hand, "She won't be a bother, Steve. She can sleep on the floor near me, can't you girl?" Bucky pleaded, looking down at Aitamah, who nodded at Steve. Steve looked hesitant, and Sarah walked up behind him
"As long as she behaves, I suppose... It's better than leaving her to eat the village livestock. You seem to be the only one she'll listen to, so she can stay," Sarah said, smiling at the wolf. Bucky nodded, anxious to be alone with the wolf so he could talk to her properly.
Time skip brought to you by Aitamah's antics
Half an hour later, it was decided Bucky and Aitamah, as he had told them her name was, would stay in Bucky's room. Steve pouted a little about Bucky moving back to his own room but cheered up a little when Bucky said he could still sleep with Bucky whenever he wanted. Then Sarah shooed them away whilst she cooked, and Bucky ran with Aitamah back to his old room. Flopping down on his bed, he eyed Aitamah and then spoke up,
"Right, what is going on with you. First of all, you turn up here of all places, then suddenly you're all friendly towards me and then you can talk?! I just- what?!" He hissed, mindful of Steve next door and Sarah down the hall. Aitamah walked in a lazy circle and curled up before opening an eye to look at him
"Long story short, kid? You're the next Great Witch. Just like your ma," Aitamah sounded almost proud, "I admit, you're a bit of a late bloomer, but hey. What can we do, right?" Bucky just looked gobsmacked, his jaw hanging open "Close your mouth, kid, you'll catch flies," She laughed."So.. Wait, if I'm," Bucky looked hesitantly towards the door, "A you-know-what, then you must be my familiar, right? Or no?"
Aitamah hummed in his head before getting up and pacing the floor, as if that would help her think.
"Yeah, basically. Usually, we only appear once you've finished your apprenticeship. But seeing as you never had an apprenticeship and you didn't even know you had magic until now, I made an exception," Bucky nodded and sighed, rubbing his temples
"So, what, you'll teach me magic instead?" Bucky asked. His mother was dead, he couldn't learn from her...
"Yeah, something like that," she replied, and Bucky could practically hear the smirk in her voice
"Okay so... What first?"
"Oh boy, where do I start?"