Gwenn started chewing her lip, her heart started to beat faster.

"No - I can't be. Dark witches and wizards or whatever, those are bad. I'm not bad."

"Yeah - I know that. Your friends do too. It's just," he shifted to get comfortable, "the older centaurs - the king of this forest - they don't know it."

"I just used a little life from some grass blades and a tree - is that so bad?"

Kihwek sighed, his face was unreadable. After an awkward silence, he stood up.

"Maybe you just see it for yourself."

"How? Are you thinking of an exit to this place?"

She raised her eyebrows - a smile danced across her lips. Kihwek narrowed his eyes at her, shaking his head. Gwenn's smile faded. What then? Scaring her half to death, his voice rang in her head.

We can talk to the leaders - try to get them to listen to truth. You know . . . just because you wield the powers of a dark sorceress, doesn't mean you are one.

Isn't that exactly what it means?

His eyebrows shot up as he opened his mouth in protest. Then he sighed.

"Let's just see if we can get out of here."

She nodded in agreement - something popped into her head.

"Wait, we?"

"Huh?"

"You said if we can get out of here."

Kihwek's ears turned pink. He pressed his lips together.

"Well, I meant you."

"I don't think you did," she smiled.

"It doesn't matter."

"Okaaay . . ."

He sighed, dramatically slouching his upper back.

"Do you want to get outta here or not?"

Gwenn nodded, formulating some way to get him to talk in the future - a future not too far away.

An idea popped into her head.

"What, why don't we just use magic?"

"Do you want to look guilty of something you already are but not in the way that they think?"

"What?"

Kihwek ignored her, peeing around the curtain. He turned his head over his shoulder, a sly smile on his face.

"Be right back," She watched as his horse end took a little longer to get around the curtain. Slipping off the bed, she sneaked over to the door-curtain-thingy, gently putting her ear to it. All she caught was, ". . . so if you'd kindly send word to his highness, then I'd be much oblige-" He grunted - she assumed one of the people he was talking to must've punched him in the stomach or something.

She heard him coughing - which really bugged her - so much in fact that she felt the little flame inside her spark to life. Without thinking about it, she pushed the curtain away with her arm, letting the anger she felt inside show on her face. There were two centaurs stationed outside her door - on either side - and one of them was stepping back into place as he watched Kihwek try to gain himself again.

"Hey," Gwenn made their heads turn right around after hearing her voice. She was thinking about punching one of them or something but a better idea came to mind - a smarter one. They were both in armor, each holding a long spear and a bow was slung over each of their backs. They simultaneously aimed their spears at her, stepping back in a fighting stance.

"Oh, please. All I want is for you guys to get us a meeting with, uh, his highness."

The guards didn't flinch.

Gwenn pulled in an annoyed breath, looking back and forth between them.

"What? Listen," she risked a step forward, "if I'm going to be in that cell for a thousand more years - and trust me, I'll behave - what harm could it be if I had an audience with your king."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"The harm could be very great indeed, young sorceress."

She shifted uncomfortably at his words.

"I could kill you both right here, right now, but look, you're still alive."

"That wouldn't be possible. This tree itself is the very heart of the majority of this forest's magic. You would have to be more powerful than the great Ginian himself."

"Please. I promise not to kill your leader. I just want answers - that's all."

She looked back and forth between, begging with her eyes. Hesitantly, the one that was talking this whole time glanced at his buddy before turning to her.

"Very well. But know your magic will not be powerful enough to be used as long as you're in this palace."

She let go of the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I promise - I won't mess around!"

The centaur guards seemed bothered by how grateful she was for some reason.

"Kihwek, however, must stay."

She glanced at her new friend, who pleaded with his big blue eyes. Her stomach tightened.

"Very well," She tried to make him understand with her eyes. This is for both of us, Kihwek was pushed back into the cell as two more guards walked up, taking their places at the doorway.

Gwenn walked in between the guards, slightly intimidated by their size and mighty-ness. The part of the tree they were in had multiple floors in one - paths lined the walls with countless cell doors along with each one. The path was fairly smooth, thanks to the many decades of horses' hooves passing over them so much. Gwenn nervously chewed her lip as they walked swiftly down winding paths and - almost - staircases.

"Thank you," the guards both ignored her, but she saw a hint of a smile on the talker's face. Before she knew it, they'd passed out of that level, through a couple of hallways, a few giant rooms and now they stood outside of the majesty's door to his counsel room. The guards walked her through, one at a time because of how big they were and how small the door actually was.

Gwenn's breath was taken away at the sight of the place. A long wooden table sat in the middle of the room - which was an oval shape. Centaurs - mostly older or very old centaurs - stood around the table, debating about something. Slender windows shed light into the room, they reminded her of the tiny natural window in the cell. The ceiling went so far up she almost fell over looking for the top. Roots hung from it, shimmery crystals of all kinds growing from the roots somehow.

The centaurs' voices echoed off the walls, making them louder than they really were. There were about twelve centaurs in all. An especially old looking centaur sat in a strangely shaped chair-thing at the far end of the long table. His eyes were glassy with age, and his mouth hung open slightly. The room grew quiet when the talkative guard announced them. All eyes turned to Gwenn, who promised herself never to be in the situation again.

"Orthis, why have you brought the witch back? I thought we closed the case. Sentenced to a thousand years in prison - quite a blessing you know. What do you want now?"

"She requests a meeting with you, your majesty."

A handful of gasps emerged around the table. Gwenn was torn in half. She wanted to forget about the meeting and rot in her cell for a thousand years, but she thought of her friends, and the idea overpowered the former thought. She felt a little like she should bow or something, but her knees would only hold her in one position so standing it was.

"We do not have time for your requests, young sorceress."

Why does everyone keep calling me that!? I know I'm a sorceress, you don't have to rub it in.

The table started shifting back into its own conversation, but Gwenn cut it.

"Wait! Your majesty, please, I don't want to be a dark magician - I never have. I just . . ." she'd caught the table's attention again, but she wasn't sure she wanted it anymore. Come on, do this for your friends. "I do have a quest. My friend - the knight . . ."

"Yes, I know him."

"He doesn't belong in this time - you know that. I must find the sorceress who sent him here and get him back home. Let me help him."

The king was silent, the gears in his head were really turning now. Gwenn went on, hopeful to get her wish.

"My sister is here too - my half-sister - Thalia. And my new friend," she swallowed, her throat growing dry, "the Bojack bear."

That definitely made the counselors more unsure. The king opened his mouth to speak but he was cut off. A middle-aged looking centaur - one that had hidden in the shadows, unnoticed by Gwenn until he spoke - with a midnight colored horse body and pitch-black hair that reminded her of raven feathers. His coat was glossy, lines of reflective light danced across his back whenever he moved.

"Why should you care whether the knight returns home or not?"

All eyes fell to him - clearly, he didn't speak very much. His voice was deep and smooth, and yet calm and steady. Another centaur in the crowd spoke.

"Yeah, and what if she's lying! What if all she wants is for this other sorceress to help her take over our forest?"

That didn't help her case.

"But I don't! I healed the Bojack bear, remember? I want to help your forest - not destroy it. Besides, why would I want to destroy your forest?"

The centaur opened her mouth but no answer came. Then another spoke.

"Because you want to destroy us!"

"But why!? Why would I want to destroy such a beautiful race of centaur?"

She didn't mean it as flattery, it just sounded that way when it left her mouth. The room broke into more aggravated shouting until the raven-coated centaur silenced them all.

"I say we help the young one."

More protesting broke out through the group.

"If we send a team with her, then if she tries anything, we can stop her."

The old king leaned close - as if Gwenn didn't hear what he was about to say.

"But my son, she is a sorceress! She could easily take down the entire group and get away with it!"

All eyes were on her again before the jet black centaur spoke.

"Look at her, look how young she is. Clearly she doesn't know how to use her powers well. If we teach her, help her, she could protect us - be our ally and friend."

Gwenn tried not to smile seeing how he'd won them all over. The king sat back, his saggy eyes drooped back into their tired position.

"It is settled then. Sorceress, we will let you stay and we will help you and your friends, on one condition . . ." everyone waited anxiously to hear what he had to say - Gwenn prepared herself for what he was about to propose, but she wasn't even close in her thoughts to what he said, "you must stay here and protest this forest."