One pale morning, the witch rose early. Without making a sound, she crept across the hut floor, making straight for the bookcase, where she snatched a book of floral identification, and a knife she had set out for herself the night before, and shoved them into her leather bag. She looked back to the other bed, where her older brother lay asleep. Careful not to make any noise, she slipped out the door, and into the forest surrounding.
“It won’t be around here,” she told herself. “These are the things one journeys for.”
“Where do you think it’s going to be?”
She turned around, startled, to find her brother standing in the doorway. He was also dressed
for travel, and his curly brown hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail. His eyes were gray and alight with amusement for her attempts to leave unnoticed.
“I don’t know,” the witch rolled her eyes. "Elsewhere." Although they were siblings, the two looked completely different. While he was short for his age, she was tall, making their heights equal. Her hair was white blond, and her eyes were brown and cold.
“Don’t you remember mother saying to never go off into the forest without a destination in mind?” her brother laughed. “The black magic will get us.”
“Us?” the witch asked skeptically.
“You didn’t think I wouldn’t be coming along, did you?” He reached into his cloak and removed his own bag. “It’s a good thing I am. You aren’t used to packing for long journeys.”
“Neither have you. We’ve never been more than a mile away. Not since mother....”
“Megan.” The smile disappeared from her brother’s face. “We’re not speaking about that.”
“That’s right. We’re not speaking about anything. I’m going to go find my first staff.” She turned her back on him and began walking.
“Right behind you,” he rolled his eyes. “Your humble brother, Sawyl the brave.”
“My pathetic brother, Sawyl the lost puppy.” Megan laughed.
“You need me. Admit it.”
“Not really.”
The two bickered at odd intervals as they pressed onward into the forest with no name. It was the custom, as both Megan and Sawyl had read, for a practicing witch to go out on her own and find a weapon born by nature. Sawyl had been watching her practice her magic, and knew at once the moment in which she had decided it was time, and so he had packed for the journey. Regardless of his sister's desires for a proper pilgrimage, he wasn't letting her wander out alone. Yet as they journeyed, the light grew brighter, and then darker, while she still had not seen a weapon that "spoke" to her, as she insisted was necessary.
"I wonder if the forest should end..." she mused, while they were taking a momentary break, resting on a gathering of stones. The sun was setting, and the darkness was beginning to press all around them.
"The forest doesn't end," Sawyl corrected. "It's too alive."
"What if we wander forever and I don't find anything?" Megan said, as she took off her moccasins. her feet were sore.
"So what?" Sawyl said. "We'll be wanderers instead. Nomads. That could be..."
"I can't be a very good witch if I can't even find a suitable weapon." Megan frowned and rubbed her feet.
"What about this?" Lying on the ground beside the rock upon which Sawyl sat, was a tall stick. It was strangely blackened at the end, making him wonder if lightning had struck it from its mother tree.
"Sawyl... that's just a stick." Megan sighed. "Maybe we should just sleep here and continue in the morning."
"Come on. It's tall enough for you, it seems strong, lightweight." He tossed it up and caught it. "It's the magic flowing through it that makes the staff powerful, not the staff object itself."
"Come on," Megan said. "Look at it. It's just like any other. It's not speaking or anything. It's just a stick. Please, let's just sleep."
"Fine. Go to sleep. I'll keep watch for the first few hours. Make sure there's no blackwraths, you know."
"Whatever."
Sawyl kept watch, while his sister fell asleep. He looked at the rejected branch in his hands. "Such potential. Alas. 'Tis a shame."
* * *
"I found it!" Sawyl awoke to the sound of his sister's excited screams. "It's perfect! It's just right! Sawyl, look at it!"
"Meg, quiet! We don't know what else is here!" Saywl slid down off his rock, and grimaced. Sleeping on the rock and done terrible things to his back. "What did you find?"
In her hands she held a shining staff of white wood. "It's perfect..." She said.
"Where did you find that?"
"It was just here when I woke up..." She stared at it. "I think It found Me..."
"Well that's wonderful. But there's a problem." Saywl scratched his head. "I have no idea where we are. Do you?"
Megan had not noticed it before, but she did now. As she looked around, she could see the forest was different somehow. The leaves were greener, the trees were taller, and thicker. There were plants, flowers, mushrooms, and vines, that she had never seen before. "We're really far from home, aren't we..." she said.
"I don't know what happened," Sawyl said nervously. "I don't feel like this is where we were when we fell asleep..."
The two heard a sound similar to the crow of a rooster, but deeper pitched and more strangled sounding. Sawyl and Megan exchanged glances. "Can we just get out of here?" She asked.
"I'd love to. Unfortunately, because I have no idea where HERE is..."
The thing, whatever it had been, crowed again. It sounded closer.
"Just away from that! I don't want to know..." Megan clenched her teeth and clutched her staff closely to herself. "It sounds horrible. Like something huge, angry, and dying."
Whatever it was glided into the clearing where they stood. It had the head and wings of an eagle, on the body of a lion. Its front feet were like talons, and its back feet were great clawed lions' feet. "That's a gryphon..." Megan stared. "I didn't know those... existed."
The thing screeched, louder and higher pitched than before.
"Oh..." Sawyl's eyes widened, and his face turned white. "I know where we are. We've got to get back."
"Why? What's wrong? That thing doesn't look mean," she smiled. "It actually looks kind of cute."
With a squawk, the creature leapt into the sky, flapping its wings furiously, and rocketed upwards through the forest canopy. Leaves fell where it had broken through the upper branches, sprinkling down on Megan and Saywl like green rain.
"It's going to go get them. We have to get out! Grab your staff and let's go!" Sawyl commanded.
"What, why?" Megan asked, although doing what she was told.
"We're in the elf-woods. Mother told me all about this place. It's dangerous. We are in a completely different place now. We just have to pray it lets us out!"
"Pray WHAT lets us out?"
"The forest, damn it, the forest! What else?" Sawyl frantically exclaimed. "Follow me, now run!"
"I'm coming, stop yelling!"
"Faster!"
The two siblings ran across the forest floor. Megan had forgotten to put her shoes back on, so as she stepped on brush and twigs, she left trails of blood through the leaves. She wished they could go more slowly; if the forest really was alive, and really wouldn't let them out, she doubted it would matter how fast they ran.
As they went, Megan heard the sound of hooves. "That can't be good! Sawyl is that them?"
"I don't know! I didn't think they rode horses..."
"It sounds like there's alot of them!"
They were forced to a halt, as an army on horseback cut across the road in front of them. They stood and stared, and the cacophonous current of horses and clanking armor charged through, crushing brush and saplings beneath them.
"I don't think that's them," Sawyl said, confused. "Wait, who are these people?"
"What? Don't think that's who?" Megan glared. "Just explain to me!"
But the noise was too loud for him to hear her. One of the horses left the throng, and galloped toward the siblings instead. "Who's this?" The man riding it asked. He was huge, and the visor of his helmet was closed over his face so neither could see him. His armor looked better than the rest of the army's, it shone in the morning light. He reached over and with one hand clanking in his gauntlet, he grabbed Sawyl by his tunic.
"Gotcha!" The man laughed. "Bring you back for questioning, we will. You don't look like you're from around here, lad!"
"Megan! Run!" Sawyl yelled.
"But!" Megan protested.
"Come here, witch..." The man cackled.
"Just go! You have to warn them!" Sawyl said, struggling with the man, who was unfortunately stronger.
Megan jumped out of the way of the man's reached, turned, and ran. She ran as fast as she could, still barefoot. She ran deeper into the forest, into the heart of the elf-woods.
The two bickered at odd intervals as they pressed onward into the forest with no name. It was the custom, as both Megan and Sawyl had read, for a practicing witch to go out on her own and find a weapon born by nature. Sawyl had been watching her practice her magic, and knew at once the moment in which she had decided it was time, and so he had packed for the journey. Regardless of his sister's desires for a proper pilgrimage, he wasn't letting her wander out alone. Yet as they journeyed, the light grew brighter, and then darker, while she still had not seen a weapon that "spoke" to her, as she insisted was necessary.
"I wonder if the forest should end..." she mused, while they were taking a momentary break, resting on a gathering of stones. The sun was setting, and the darkness was beginning to press all around them.
"The forest doesn't end," Sawyl corrected. "It's too alive."
"What if we wander forever and I don't find anything?" Megan said, as she took off her moccasins. her feet were sore.
"So what?" Sawyl said. "We'll be wanderers instead. Nomads. That could be..."
"I can't be a very good witch if I can't even find a suitable weapon." Megan frowned and rubbed her feet.
"What about this?" Lying on the ground beside the rock upon which Sawyl sat, was a tall stick. It was strangely blackened at the end, making him wonder if lightning had struck it from its mother tree.
"Sawyl... that's just a stick." Megan sighed. "Maybe we should just sleep here and continue in the morning."
"Come on. It's tall enough for you, it seems strong, lightweight." He tossed it up and caught it. "It's the magic flowing through it that makes the staff powerful, not the staff object itself."
"Come on," Megan said. "Look at it. It's just like any other. It's not speaking or anything. It's just a stick. Please, let's just sleep."
"Fine. Go to sleep. I'll keep watch for the first few hours. Make sure there's no blackwraths, you know."
"Whatever."
Sawyl kept watch, while his sister fell asleep. He looked at the rejected branch in his hands. "Such potential. Alas. 'Tis a shame."
* * *
"I found it!" Sawyl awoke to the sound of his sister's excited screams. "It's perfect! It's just right! Sawyl, look at it!"
"Meg, quiet! We don't know what else is here!" Saywl slid down off his rock, and grimaced. Sleeping on the rock and done terrible things to his back. "What did you find?"
In her hands she held a shining staff of white wood. "It's perfect..." She said.
"Where did you find that?"
"It was just here when I woke up..." She stared at it. "I think It found Me..."
"Well that's wonderful. But there's a problem." Saywl scratched his head. "I have no idea where we are. Do you?"
Megan had not noticed it before, but she did now. As she looked around, she could see the forest was different somehow. The leaves were greener, the trees were taller, and thicker. There were plants, flowers, mushrooms, and vines, that she had never seen before. "We're really far from home, aren't we..." she said.
"I don't know what happened," Sawyl said nervously. "I don't feel like this is where we were when we fell asleep..."
The two heard a sound similar to the crow of a rooster, but deeper pitched and more strangled sounding. Sawyl and Megan exchanged glances. "Can we just get out of here?" She asked.
"I'd love to. Unfortunately, because I have no idea where HERE is..."
The thing, whatever it had been, crowed again. It sounded closer.
"Just away from that! I don't want to know..." Megan clenched her teeth and clutched her staff closely to herself. "It sounds horrible. Like something huge, angry, and dying."
Whatever it was glided into the clearing where they stood. It had the head and wings of an eagle, on the body of a lion. Its front feet were like talons, and its back feet were great clawed lions' feet. "That's a gryphon..." Megan stared. "I didn't know those... existed."
The thing screeched, louder and higher pitched than before.
"Oh..." Sawyl's eyes widened, and his face turned white. "I know where we are. We've got to get back."
"Why? What's wrong? That thing doesn't look mean," she smiled. "It actually looks kind of cute."
With a squawk, the creature leapt into the sky, flapping its wings furiously, and rocketed upwards through the forest canopy. Leaves fell where it had broken through the upper branches, sprinkling down on Megan and Saywl like green rain.
"It's going to go get them. We have to get out! Grab your staff and let's go!" Sawyl commanded.
"What, why?" Megan asked, although doing what she was told.
"We're in the elf-woods. Mother told me all about this place. It's dangerous. We are in a completely different place now. We just have to pray it lets us out!"
"Pray WHAT lets us out?"
"The forest, damn it, the forest! What else?" Sawyl frantically exclaimed. "Follow me, now run!"
"I'm coming, stop yelling!"
"Faster!"
The two siblings ran across the forest floor. Megan had forgotten to put her shoes back on, so as she stepped on brush and twigs, she left trails of blood through the leaves. She wished they could go more slowly; if the forest really was alive, and really wouldn't let them out, she doubted it would matter how fast they ran.
As they went, Megan heard the sound of hooves. "That can't be good! Sawyl is that them?"
"I don't know! I didn't think they rode horses..."
"It sounds like there's alot of them!"
They were forced to a halt, as an army on horseback cut across the road in front of them. They stood and stared, and the cacophonous current of horses and clanking armor charged through, crushing brush and saplings beneath them.
"I don't think that's them," Sawyl said, confused. "Wait, who are these people?"
"What? Don't think that's who?" Megan glared. "Just explain to me!"
But the noise was too loud for him to hear her. One of the horses left the throng, and galloped toward the siblings instead. "Who's this?" The man riding it asked. He was huge, and the visor of his helmet was closed over his face so neither could see him. His armor looked better than the rest of the army's, it shone in the morning light. He reached over and with one hand clanking in his gauntlet, he grabbed Sawyl by his tunic.
"Gotcha!" The man laughed. "Bring you back for questioning, we will. You don't look like you're from around here, lad!"
"Megan! Run!" Sawyl yelled.
"But!" Megan protested.
"Come here, witch..." The man cackled.
"Just go! You have to warn them!" Sawyl said, struggling with the man, who was unfortunately stronger.
Megan jumped out of the way of the man's reached, turned, and ran. She ran as fast as she could, still barefoot. She ran deeper into the forest, into the heart of the elf-woods.
