Not only were they older… there were more of them.

Staying behind the tree-line, I watched Witch and her family from a distance. There were a couple more children and now… another human family entirely? Or was that maybe her firstborn daughter and her family? It was hard to tell from here. But there were now more buildings, three more homes amongst maybe another half dozen smaller buildings that were obviously used for storage or latrines.

The sight of Witch and her family brought tears to my eyes. I had absolutely no words to describe just how… happy I was to see that they weren't just all still here, and all well, but doing so good too. Even from here I could see how healthy they were. The kids were running around, Fredlo was fatter than ever and seemingly growing bald but he had a huge smile on his face and… and…

"You're happier than I've ever seen you," I whispered as I watched Witch accept a basket of what looked to be clothes from one of the other women.

I'd known Witch for a long time. Longer than Fredlo, her husband… but in all the years I'd known her I don't think I'd ever seen her so blatantly happy. She had a huge grin even as she worked menially, doing laundry it seemed. Usually, back when it had been just me and her, she had complained when we had done such tasks. Witch was the type, or rather had been the type, to complain over doing the mundane and instead want to focus on what she had considered more important things. Like making medicine, or reading books.

Yet here she was… smiling happily as she joined others into the main house, carrying baskets as they did.

Leaning against the tree I was hiding behind, I smiled as I watched most of the family head into the main building. The original house, the one that I used to live in with Witch. It looked nearly as I remembered it from my last visit, minus a larger extension on the south side. Likely another bedroom or something like it.

They had also done some work on the general area of the place. There were larger farms to the west, where there was less tree coverage and near the front gardens were now gravel paths. And… was that some kind of well? It looked like it, though was hard to tell from this angle.

Honestly the place looked good. It had never been cluttered or unkempt when I had lived here with her, but we hadn't really done much to the surrounding area. Other than cleaning up fallen trees, or cleaning up after a heavy storm or snowfall, we hadn't done much. Now though it almost looked like the place was more like the beginnings of a large farmstead than anything else. If the added a few more buildings it would almost be populated enough to be a small mountain village, which was surprising. Had I really been gone so long that such a thing could happen? I mean sure, humans grew up fast… but didn't they also age and die quickly too? As to offset their quick growth? If so how was it they were multiplying so readily and…

Ah! There was Witch again! She emerged from her home, this time not carrying anything… and also without anyone else in tow. I frowned as she glanced around for a moment, and then without any hint of why she would do so… she started walking towards me.

I frowned at her approach, especially since it was so direct. She was walking straight at me, and there isn't anything really in-between us or along the way for her to be walking towards. No other buildings… no storehouses, not even a farm plot or...

Groaning as her glowing eyes narrowed and she smiled at me, I realized I'd been caught. Which should surprise me, considering I had been hiding in a deep cluster of trees, ones littered with bushes all around them. The kind of big bushes that even just a single one of them would have been enough to hide me from view if I hid behind one, and this area had many.

I had genuinely thought I would have been able to come and go without being noticed. Seemed I was wrong.

Standing up a bit, I sighed as I stepped around the tree I'd been using for cover as Witch drew closer.

"Going to make me walk through those bushes, Little Renn? In my nice new dress of all things?" Witch asked, a little loudly, as she got closer.

Suddenly I felt like a child again. I felt my tail coil, and my ears fluttered as I sheepishly stepped out of the bushes and out into the opening. "No… it is too pretty to ruin," I said softly as I finally studied it a bit better. It indeed looked brand new, freshly sewn even. I don't think I saw a single stain upon it, which was saying something. Even before she had children Witch had been slightly clumsy, and as such her clothes were usually not so new looking.

Witch gave me a huge smile as she drew closer and I felt a tad silly as I anxiously went still on her approach. She didn't seem to have the same hesitation as she stepped up to me and even wrapped me in a hug. "Look at you…! As scrawny and small as ever!" she said happily as she wrapped her arms around me.

A huge smile wormed its way onto my face as I squirmed in her embrace and went to return her hug. "Surely not…!" I said. I'd been gone for years! I wasn't sure how many, of course, but it had to have been at least a dozen or so!

Witch chuckled at me as we hugged… and although the moment felt absolutely wonderful… I realized something strangely startling.

She was thin.

For the smallest moment I focused on the feeling of her body, her arms around me and mine around hers… and I realized she was likely half the weight she had been when I had left.

My happy moment faltered as I leaned back a bit as to get a better look at her… and I found the normal, expected, face of my dear teacher… but I could see her cheekbones a bit easier now. She had indeed lost some weight, it seemed… But she didn't outright look any older, at least as far as I could tell… hopefully it was just something that happened sometimes and not a sign of something worse…

"How have you been, my curious cat?" she asked.

"Fine… I've been fine. How about you…? Are they all your children, Witch? There's so many now!" I said, hoping to steer the conversation away from me.

I didn't want to admit, at least not right away, that I'd basically spent this whole time away from her alone. I'd only spoken to three other people, all human travelers I had happened upon on forgotten paths and game trails. Basically simple hellos and whatnot as we passed one another, nothing more.

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"Most are, yes. Though not outright children, most are now grandchildren," she said as we separated a little, though she kept hold of me by my arms.

Grandchildren…! Maybe that one woman had indeed been her firstborn daughter then. "How's toe-nibbler doing?" I asked, excited to hear about her.

Witch's happy smile dimmed a little, as did her eyes as she squeezed my arms. "She passed away a few years ago. From old age," Witch said.

What…? "Old age…?" I asked, shocked to hear it.

Witch nodded.

"But…" I frowned as I looked back to the home. Hadn't I just seen Fredlo, her husband…? He had been much older, and balder, but…

"She… aged quickly, Renn. Even for a human. She died at thirty-three, but had looked older than me as she did."

Huh… "I… I see," I said, unsure of what else to say. I felt like I should cry, but to be honest I was more shocked to hear that such a thing was even possible. Was growing so old so quickly something that happened to humans, or something? I'd never heard of it before.

"It's all well, Rennalee. She had children, and they've had children. As you likely saw… my family, our family, has grown to nearly forty strong," she said with a small nod behind her.

I nodded at that. "I did see. Congratulations," I said. It made my heart swell to hear her include me in that statement.

"Mhm…" Witch nodded… and then squeezed my arms again. "You look good, Rennalee. Though a tad dirty, and I think a bit scrawnier than I remember. Have you been getting enough to eat?" she asked.

Did I really look that bad…? "I think so?" I said.

"Try to eat more, okay? I assume you're still catching game and fish? Make sure to catch a few more from now on, okay?" Witch fussed over me as she glanced me up and down, making me feel as if time had never come and gone. As if I'd never left, and was still in her tutelage.

"I will… I hope you don't mind I came to visit… did someone notice me? I had been trying to stay out of sight," I asked.

Witch shook her head. "No one had noticed. Though they likely have now, odds are some are watching us from windows and whatnot," she said without glancing back at the buildings.

"I'm sorry," I said. My ears and tail weren't covered or hidden, I hadn't felt as if I had needed to hide them since I had not expected to even be noticed let alone caught so blatantly.

"All is fine Rennalee… I'm just glad to see you again… though I fear I can't invite you in, or offer you a very needed bath and dinner!" Witch said with a laugh.

My tail twitched as my swelling heart thumped and almost bursted. "I see…" I whispered. I had expected it of course… it was why I had originally left in the first place. Her children, some of them at least, had been terrified of me. To the point it had caused problems.

Witch's laugh slowed, then stopped… and then she gave me a sad smile. "I don't mean it that way, my lovely cat. Instead it's for a real reason," she then said.

"Real reason…?" What'd she mean?

Witch reached up and cupped the side of my face… and I suddenly had tears in my left eye. It was a tad shocking to feel and have happen, but the reason was obvious. Not only was it a very gentle gesture from her… it was the first time I'd been touched in such a way since I had left.

I kept the tears from welling too much, as to not let them leak, but I knew she had likely noticed all the same. "If you stay Rennalee, you'll get found. You'll be in danger. People arrive in a few days, the kind that… well…" Witch went quiet as she gave me a sad look, one that made me anxious.

"Are you in danger…?" I asked worriedly. If so I'd stay and protect her, and her family.

Witch shook her head. "No. If you're not here they will leave after a short visit, and there will be no harm or foul. But if you're here… well… let's just say it won't end as simply," she said.

I knew better than to ask for more information. Her dreams of the future were not things to doubt or things she liked talking about. Just as when we had hunted my uncle, or the other Great Ones, she had never really given more information than the bare minimum. It was just how she was. So I simply nodded, even though it hurt to do so.

"Okay… I'll make sure to leave then. Are you… sure you'll be okay?" I asked.

"Yes, my dear. We'll be fine. If you're worried, you can visit again in a few moons. You'll see."

"I can come back…?" I asked, a tad shocked to hear it.

"Why couldn't you? In fact I hope you do… next time don't stay away so long, if you keep disappearing for so long at a time I might end up forgetting all about you!" Witch said with a chuckle.

"Surely not…!" Witch could sometimes be forgetful, but never to that extent!

For a moment all was right with the world as we both giggled at the absurdity of the idea… and then once her laughter stopped and her expression softened… I realized it was time.

I was about to ask if I could stay if even for the night… even if I had to sleep outside away from everyone, as to keep the peace, but I knew better. She had said they'd be here in a few days… but had also said right from the get-go that I'd not be able to stay. Which meant even though these people were coming in a few days, it was still too risky to linger if even for more than a moment.

"I can visit again in a few moons?" I asked.

She nodded. "Of course. I'll make sure to have a new set of clothes ready for you then. Look at this, any more holes and tears and you'd be practically naked," she teased as she grabbed one of the holes in my front chest area. It was bad, but I had a thinner layer beneath it that hid all that it would have typically revealed so I'd not bothered fixing it yet.

"Mhm… I think I let things go when I don't have someone to fuss over me," I said sheepishly.

"I bet… but fear not, that will change. As all things do. Go on then, before I start getting too emotional to let you go," Witch then said as she released me.

Frowning at the sudden and forceful separation, I nodded as I stepped backward… and felt a chill.

I was cold all of a sudden.

Shivering ever so slightly, I glanced around and wondered if it had suddenly become winter or something. It hadn't, of course… it was still the tail end of summer… but I definitely without warning felt cold. To the point I now felt each and every hole in my clothes that she had spoken of. Was it the fact she had brought it up… or was I now feeling cold because I no longer had the warmth of another person's touch, I wonder?

No matter.

"Okay… goodbye, Witch. I'll see you in a bit," I said as I stepped away again.

Witch, with her glowing eyes, nodded at me. "Safe travels, Rennalee… make sure you eat a few more meals from now on, okay?" she said, once again.

Nodding as I stepped back into the dense forest… I giggled at her motherly affection as I left the area… only to stop a few dozen steps away. I turned around, looked over bushes and past trees… and found my dear friend and teacher still standing there. Still staring at me. With her glowing eyes.

Now though she had no smile. Just a sad frown… as if…

Waving gently at her one last time in goodbye, I watched her very stiff wave back… and I hurriedly turned and left as tears filled my eyes once again.

She looked tired all of a sudden. As if she had just done something very difficult… as if she'd just used her powers to kill a Great One, or heal an injured person.

Yet she hadn't… had she?

Hurrying away, I felt terrible for some unknown reason as I left Witch and her home behind.