The gnarled branches of the old forest loomed over him, like they could sense his fear and they mocked him for it. He slapped his hands to his cheeks; be brave! Owain hurried along the twisted mountain path, stumbling often in his urgency. If he did not return to the village by dawn, his sister would perish!

He stopped for a moment to catch his breath and light the crystal lamp at his hip. Hopefully he was on the right path, the witch had not been seen by anyone in his village for months now, so he could not be sure she was even still in this forest. Once the soft yellow glow of his lantern faintly lit the dark trees around him, he bounded forward again.

Oh, he hoped that Adeline was alright! What terrible luck to be bit by a spider just before bed. Owain tried vainly to banish the image of his normally hearty and hale sister bundled up and shivering from the killer venom. He cursed as he tripped over a thick root that he was sure had not been there a moment ago, his mind must be playing tricks on him. Rarayngel protect him in this murky dark!

The moon shone cold through the high trees by the time the man had to finally admit he was hopelessly lost. How could he save Adeline if he couldn’t even find his way to the witch! Owain sat heavily on a mossy boulder, breath steaming in the frigid mountain air. He just needed a moment to orient himself, that was all. He took a steadying inhale of the earthy scent of the deep forest, rubbing his dry hands together. Surely he could still find the witch in time if he calmed himself and thought things through.

He had been going steadily downward, and from where the moon sat in the sky, he was going west. This was good! She had last been seen in the lower forests to the west if old man Grael was to be believed. He squinted at the winding path he had walked down; half-elven eyes were good in the dark but the mountain mist and winding branches worked in concert to keep him befuddled. The path did seem to be worryingly thin. Was this a game path that he had mistaken for a small road? Ugh, what a fool he was! He surged to his feet. No need to panic, he just needed to retrace his steps. Back up the path!

Owain looked at the cresting moon in despair; he was even more lost than before! Forget finding help for his big sister, now he needed rescuing! He was covering his eyes with a hand in a vain attempt to hold back frustrated tears when he heard a low voice chuckle darkly behind him. Owain almost leapt out of his skin in surprise. “This is no place for tears, trespasser, one must keep their wits about them in the dark.”

Owain whipped his head around, looking for the voice. “Hello? Who’s there?” He cried out. The damn wind kept whiping his hair into his eyes!

Sonorous laughter sounded from the depths of the forest still Owain could not tell where the speaker was. “A foe? A friend? That depends entirely on you; and how entertaining you prove to be, I suppose.”

The trees around him truly were reaching out for him now. He stumbled back in fear, falling on his rear on the thin mountain path. Was this the witch? “Pl-please! My sister! She-she was bitten by a spider! Please help her, I’ll do anything!” Only the wind replied, finally stilling until the only thing he could hear was his own thundering heart beat. His crystal lantern dimmed on its own until he was left in true pitch dark.

The melodic voice came from all around him. “Anything?” Teasing laughter sounded in the heavy night. “Such a weighty promise to a stranger. How can you be sure I am who you seek?” Owain swallowed dryly, the witch was terrifying! Her voice was not at all what he expected, smooth and musical, it was almost entrancing.

He clenched his hands into fists. This was the witch, he was sure of it now. He must have courage, Adeline’s life depended on him! “I seek the Witch! It is said that she lives in this forest and possesses powerful magic!” He shakily stood to his feet. His eyes were wide in a futile attempt to spot her. “Please, if you are she, I need you to save my sister! A-again, I will pay any price!” Owain cursed his quivering voice, he was trying to sound heroic and the cracks were surely ruining it.

He startled as a winding root wrapped swiftly around one of his hands. “I do not like the term, witch.” Damn! He had offended her without meaning to. Oh, Sun Father preserve him! There was little he could do to save himself from her wrath, but he’d come this far, he couldn’t let Adeline down now. 

More roots wrapped around him. Curling around his arms until he was quite tightly bound in place, facing the dark of the woods. The mist and shadows curled too thickly! Where was she? “F-forgive me, I didn't mean to-”

 A figure, towering but slender, slowly convalesced out of the winding roots and swirling leaves before him. A root came to wrap around his eyes, frustratingly obscuring his view. “Do you think that riches interest me?” Her musical laugh took on a menacing timbre. “Did you think you could buy my aid so easily?”

Owain was so scared he could not feel his hands, violent tremors shook his legs and his skin was tingling in panic. “No-no, great sorceress. I-no. P-please, save my-”

Soft hands, with delicate fingers alighted on his cheeks. “Your sister, yes. So you have already asked of me.” Her finger tips ran lightly along his face, wiping away his tears, tracing a path along his upturned ears. “What could you possibly have that interests me, bumbling peasant?” There was no warmth in her tone. 

Owain was truly panicking now, he had thought the tales of her had been overblown, surely one woman could not be so horrifying; gods, how wrong he’d been! He lamented his mother’s fate, that she now would lose two children instead of one. Sharp nails dug into the skin of his throat, he was taking too long to respond! “Ba-ba-”

“Are you a sheep? Spit it out!” Her nails deepened, surely he would bleed soon.

Damn his stutter! “Bake! I am a baker!”

There was a long moment of silence, only the gentle noises of a forest at night to break the tension. The root that had curled around his face flew away, finally giving him a clear glimpse of the famed ‘witch’. Fiercely glowing eyes, a rich maroon, were widened with surprise. “A baker you say? Truly?” As she tilted her head in curiosity, her honey colored hair shimmered in the moonlight. 

Owain blinked sheepishly. He wasn’t going to die? “Ye-yes, my lady.” He was having difficulty steadying his breath. “I can bake b-bread or pastries, or anything else you’d like.”

The woman clapped slender hands to his cheeks excitedly. “Well now, little sheep. Perhaps you do have something of interest to offer.” She was tall, not quite his own great height, but far taller than most women he knew. She only had to look up slightly to meet his eyes. Her skin reminded him absently of the cinnamon he’d used to make rolls just that morning.

Owain smiled hesitantly. “Then you will save my sister? Oh thank-.” A lone finger pushed his lips together in a shushing motion. 

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The witch grinned, showing large canines and very white teeth. It was less a happy thing; more viciousness than joy. Why did he feel like he was about to be eaten? “Do not thank me yet, foolish one. I fully intend to make use of your promise of ‘anything’.” The smile fell like a stone from his face at her amused declaration.

It didn’t matter, as long as Adeline was safe, he would do whatever it took! “P-promise me then! I’ll do anything! Please, just save my sister!”

That vicious grin shone once more in the dark. “So be it, lost little lamb. I, Veravere, promise to honor your terms. I swear upon Leleara, The Moon Mother.” 

Owain gulped, just what had he gotten himself into? “I, Owain, promise to honor your terms. I swear it on Rayrayngel, The Sun Father.” There was an ominous finality to his oath, like he’d signed away more than he’d realized.

The deep maroon glow of her eyes reminded him, distressingly, of blood as it brightened in intensity. “Now then, let us heal this sister of yours.” 

The roots around him abruptly unraveled and he stumbled forward, surprising Veravere and almost sending them sprawling. His stupid, clumsy, hands frantically righted the woman, clasping gently around lithe arms. “For-forgive me, Lady Veravere! Please!” 

Her mouth was parted slightly in shock. Some distant part of him focused on the fullness of her lips, on the way her dark brows scrunched. Owain found himself lost in the swirling mist of red magic that diffused from her fierce eyes.

 Varavere regained her composure and looked thunderously down at his hands on her arms, which he hurriedly dropped. With wide eyes, she snatched up one of his wrists. “Interesting.” She murmured. His world upended itself as she cast some sort of spell. Owain blinked dazedly at the clear night sky, where had the canopy gone? Why was he on his back? Veravera looked down at him dispassionately. “Come along, little sheep. Which of these shacks is yours?” The sorceress glared at the roughshod buildings before them in obvious distaste. 

Owain scrambled to his feet, they were back at the edge of his village! “Um, yes! This way, Lady Veravere. My home is just a short walk.” She followed him with no comment; only watching him with eyes that burned too bright.

Owain huffed out a sigh to himself at his nervousness. Too late to back out now you fool! It was still quite dark and his small village did not have the shining streetlights and wide roads of the far away capitol, Taltus. He wished that it did. He wished their healer had not been out of town on the very night Owain’s sister had needed him. He almost wished he’d never sought the witch out at all. Her gaze was palpable at his back. He brandished his lantern forward, suppressing a shiver.

A few more minutes of tense walking passed before he could finally see the door to his bakery. He’d used the time to try and calm his frantic heart. Owain quickened his steps. The lights in his home above were still on, his mother and sisters must still be awake. He stopped before the thick wooden door, eyeing the ‘closed’ sign.

 “What are you waiting for, lambling? Go on, or is your sister not dying after all?” How could she make light of this?

Owain looked back at her sharply. Glittering red met him amusedly. He schooled the anger from his features, it would not do to upset her before Adeline was healed. Owain was also introspective enough to know that the thought of facing her wrath terrified him. He opened the door and gestured her in. “This way, Lady Veravere. Please.”

He rushed through the room, the familiar scent of fresh bread and pastries not comforting him as it usually did. To think, just a half a day before he’d been happily making loaves of bread; he looked longingly at the ovens. The baker flicked off his lantern and set it on its usual place, hanging at the doorway to the stairs. Owain was about to take the first step up, before he realized the frightening woman was no longer behind him. She was standing before his counter, nose twitching, eyes closed. He did not like that he found her beautiful. He cleared his throat softly, Owain didn’t have the courage to tell her to hurry up more forcibly.

The wisps of magic that emitted from her closed eyes billowed forth in small trails as she snapped them open to glower at him in disapproval. “How daring; baker.” She flowed towards him, breezing silently up the stairs before he could outpace her. He heard his mother and younger sisters cry out in alarm before he managed to enter the household proper.

“Don’t worry, Mama! She’s here to help!” He yelled as he rushed through the door at the top of his rickety stairs.

The scene that greeted him was almost identical to the one he had left earlier that day, apart from the sorceress of course. His poor mother was sat at the end of their old couch, Adeline’s head pillowed on her lap. Lunette and Esprela looked like they had been frozen in the middle of gathering medicinal supplies; washcloth and water in their respective hands. His mother’s startled cobalt eyes shifted between him and Veravere rapidly in confusion. “Wain, just who is your…friend here?”

Owain stumbled forward to stand between  the silent Veravere and his family. Perhaps he should have told his mother the true purpose of his trip to the woods was not for herbs but instead for magic. Coming in at such a late hour likely did nothing to alleviate her fears. He cleared his throat. “This is Varavere…she can heal Adeline!”

His mother placed a hand over mouth in shock. “Is…is that true, young lady?”

Varavere’s eyes glittered with mirth. “Oh yes, though your son has pledged a heavy price.” 

His mother looked at him worriedly. “Owain? What does she mean?” Her gentle hands absentminded wiped sweat from Adeline’s brow. He could see her growing nervousness.

Owain turned his back on the sorceress, instead crouching before his ailing sister and taking one of her clammy hands in his own. “The cost means nothing when compared to Adeline’s life, Mama. Let me worry about that.” He turned back to Veravere, resolved. “Please, heal her.”

The woman shooed him out of the way with a hand before placing surprisingly gentle fingers on his sister's brow. She was silent for a moment before bright green magic slithered forth from her hand to envelop Adeline. It seemed like only a moment before his precious sister began to regain her usual tan; her breathing settling easier in her chest. “Thank you! Thank you, Varavere! You’ve kept your promise!” He smiled at her, too jubilant to be afraid.

Varavere looked down at his crouched position, her smile was cold. “It is done, my new little lamb.” A slender hand pat his head. “I shall come to claim you in one cycle of the moon from today. Prepare.”

He sputtered, “Come to claim me? What do you….” Owain trailed off in amazement as the sorceress dissolved into smoke, swiftly billowing out nearest window. An uncomfortable weight settled in his chest that only grew heavier as the stares of his mother and sisters bored into him.