The Witch's Reward (2 page)

“You probably think I don’t have much of a backbone, being so obedient to her sometimes absurd rules.” She didn’t bother to address her lack of feelings for him. His assessment was spot on and he knew it. If she ever did get married, it would be to someone that made her feel…well, alive. And Jess, as wonderful as he was, didn’t do that.

“Oh, I think you have a backbone. I just don’t think you always know where it is.”

Kiera chose that moment to make her debut—straggly, pale hair falling out of a long, messy braid, wrinkled red shirt over faded trousers, and scratched slippers on her feet. They were no poorer than any other family in the village, but no one would guess it by the way the eight-year-old looked. Caring how to dress or do her hair was as confining to her as a cage to a wild bird. She desired only to live outdoors and play, to fantasize, and to drive her father and brother crazy with worry over her escapades.

“Larra!” she shouted in greeting, running and throwing her skinny arms around the older girl in a big hug. “I can’t spend another moment inside. Father is already on the hunt with the men from the village, and Jess is off to join them. They want to keep me in the house all day! They say it’s not safe for me to go with them, even though I already know how to shoot a bow and arrow.”

Larra turned toward Jess in disbelief. “You were going to let her stay here all alone?”

He rolled his eyes. “Of course not. Rosie already agreed to watch her. I was going to knock on her door on my way into the village so that she knew when to come out. I figured the scamp could survive a few minutes on her own until Rosie got here. But if you’re planning on taking Kiera, I’ll tell her not to bother coming at all.”

“Have you come to rescue me?”

Larra looked down at the girl she considered a little sister. “Perhaps. In fact, I heard a little rumor that summer berries are ripe for picking. I thought I’d check out the patches and see. Of course, if I found a volunteer to help me—”

“Oh, me!  Me!” Kiera interrupted. “You
must
rescue me. Rosie will make me stay in the house, and if I have to stay here all day, I’ll just die!” Her desperation made Larra smile. She was trouble. Eight-year-old trouble on fast moving, skinny legs. And her family had every right to worry about her, especially since the last time they’d left her alone they’d ended up organizing a search party because Kiera had fallen asleep in the hayloft with the kittens and hadn’t heard them calling.

“Well, let’s see if Jess will let you go,” said Larra. “I sure could use your help.”

Jess, who had been watching the exchange, stepped away from the wall where he’d been leaning. He pretended to consider it, though Larra knew he was relieved at the offer. “I suppose we could survive if we knew she was out doing something productive, and with a chaperone, no less.”

“Hoorah!” Kiera jumped up and down, clapping her hands in excitement.

“Is it the big hunt?” Larra directed her question at Jess. Every year before the market, the men of Farr would designate a hunting day to make sure the families had enough food while they were gone to the city.

“You know it is.”

It was the opening Larra had been looking for. “And those going to the market participate in the hunt, right?” she asked eagerly, already knowing the answer.

“That’s right.”

A hopeful smile slowly spread across Larra’s face. 

“Listen, I’ve got to get going or I’d answer the other questions I can see brewing in your head,” he said intuitively. “I’m meeting the other men just inside the forest and I’m already late, since I had to come back to retrieve my skinning knife,” he nodded at a pack by the door that held a bow, several arrows, and a leather-covered blade. “Do you suppose you could endure the company of a manly hunter during your womanly stroll?” He struck a pose, puffing out his chest and lifting his head. Larra and Kiera both laughed at him, and he bent down to lift his weapons, strapping the pack to his back.

“I suppose we might survive your company. But only if you will protect us from any wild animals,” joked Larra, handing Kiera a basket as they exited the house and began the walk to town, the gently woven baskets in the girls’ hands contrasting with the harsh weapons on Jess’ back. 

“And the carnies!” added Kiera. “Do you think we’ll see any? Their magic is the blackest of all.” 

“Now, Kiera, you know we’re not supposed to talk about that stuff with Larra,” scolded Jess, sending an apologetic look to his friend. 

“But…” whined Kiera.

“You go ahead and talk, Kiera. My grandmother only said that I can’t
participate
in the conversations. She never said anything about listening.”

“You sly girl,” accused Jess. “Maybe you know where to find your backbone, after all.”

“It’s not like I haven’t heard magic mentioned before. I’m sheltered, not deaf. I mean, everyone knows about—” she leaned in and whispered the words that never failed to bring her goosebumps, “—
The Purging
.”

Chapter 2

“It’s hard not to know about
The Purging
, considering it makes up such a poignant part of Aggadorn’s history,” Jess pointed out, not nearly as affected as she by the topic. “Everyone knows that King Gaston went a little mad before he died.”

“The problem is that I hear about things, but I can’t ask questions or discuss it.”

“Like you’re doing now?” Jess playfully prodded.

Larra bit her lip. He was right. “I must be having a bad day. Don’t tell my grandmother, okay? It means so much to her that I follow her rules.”

“It’s not normal, Larra. I’ve told you that time and again. Not allowed to talk about magic, when it’s a very real part of our world? Your grandmother is sweet, and an amazing healer, but she’s hiding something.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it a hundred times. The truth is that I love her, and she’s all I’ve got. My father has no living family, and if she hadn’t taken me in, I’d probably have been raised in an orphanage. So yes, I agree that my grandmother’s rules are odd, but she’s not hiding anything; she’s just overprotective. Losing your only child will do that to you. Plus, I broke the rules in a major way once before, and it almost broke my heart to see Grandmother’s reaction. I never want to hurt her that way again.”

“What?” Jess looked shocked. “How come I’ve never heard this?”

She grimaced. “I was fourteen. Bella—you know, the seamstress’s daughter?—was having a birthday celebration. I snuck out, but got caught trying to sneak back in.”

“Too bad Kiera was so young at the time, or she could have given you lessons,” he added slyly, glancing at his sister. The girl just laughed.

“She was broken,” Larra continued. “Not mad, not disappointed, just…broken. The rules were to protect me, she said. She begged me—
begged—
not to disobey her again. Said her heart couldn’t take the pain.”

“That’s sad,” commented Kiera.

“Yeah. But let’s change the subject. Kiera, what were you saying?”

Jess rolled his eyes. “She was talking about carnies and magic.”

“I do long to see a fairy!” Kiera exclaimed. “I wonder why they don’t come out of the woods? Everyone knows they have only good magic and use it to help people. Don’t you think there are people in the village that need help?” Her eyes darted to Larra. “Oops. Not that your grandmother doesn’t help people, Larra. It’s just that they say people can get magic from the fairies, and I’d so love to be magical.”

“Kiera, stop right there,” scolded Jess in a fiercer voice than Larra had heard him use. He pulled Kiera to a halt by the sleeve of her ragged shirt. “Don’t you dare say such things again, or so help me I will take a stick to you myself!”

Kiera’s face was set in a mulish, stubborn expression as she listened to her brother.

“If any of the village leaders heard you wishing for such a thing, you would pay for it dearly. You know the penalty for being a witch.”

Kiera jerked her sleeve out of Jess’s grasp. “I know,” she muttered, mulish expression still in place. “I was just talking; I didn’t really mean it.  Just forget about it.” She rolled her eyes and moved forward along the dirt road, stepping ahead of them.

Larra watched the exchange with incredulity. She had never seen Jess so upset. Her knowledge of witches was limited. She knew that the previous king had executed dozens of them by burning them alive, but it was rumored that the executions were done more out of madness than reason. She couldn’t imagine that witches were still considered a threat, if any even still existed. “Jess…?”

He took in a deep breath and exhaled it in one long blow. “I know you have questions, but can’t ask them. So just listen. I’ll start with the basics.” He began to follow his sister, who was now several yards ahead. Larra fell into step with him.

“Everyone knows there are two types of magic: the good magic of the fairies, and the black magic of the carnies. I know Kiera’s mentioned both creatures from time to time, and you’ve picked stuff up around town. The fairies live deep in the woods and only appear if they want to. We used to search for them when I was a boy, like we did forest gnomes. The theory is that if you can catch a fairy, you can ask it for a wish—so long as it is something good. You see, fairies are incapable of doing anything bad with their magic. They are completely pure of heart and their magic can only be used to bless others. 

“Carnies, on the other hand, are the exact opposite of fairies. When I was a boy, my friends and I used to scare each other spitless with stories about them. Of course, carnies won’t go near water and Farr, with all of the runoff from the mountains, is practically surrounded by it. So we’ve always been safe here. But the rumors of what they can do are…well, you’ve no doubt heard them. At any rate, carnies are as incapable of doing good as fairies are of doing bad.

“The problem with witches is that no one knows whether they will use their magic for good or for evil. People are unpredictable, and witches are simply people who have magic. That’s why King Gaston decreed that anyone with magic should be executed by fire.”

“Because two witches were found plotting to kill him,” Larra inserted, biting her tongue when she did.

“That’s right. And even though some think he went a little overboard with the executions, the law is the law. And while I certainly hope that King Steffan, who is reported to be a far better ruler than his father ever was, wouldn’t implement that law without knowing for sure a witch was guilty of misconduct, there’s just no way of knowing for sure.”

“Of course,” Larra agreed. Now she understood Jess’ reaction to Kiera’s seemingly innocent comment. Just the thought of someone being burned alive was disturbing, but the idea of that someone being Kiera was unbearable. If she had been Jess, she would have scolded the girl as well.

She nodded towards his sister, who was about to enter the village center. “Looks like we’d better hurry and catch up.”

The village of Farr was a charming little community. The roads were cobbled in deep reds and browns, contrasting against the whitewashed wooden buildings with their simple designs and thatched roofs. Most of the homes were only a single level, but some were built taller, allowing for businesses on the bottom and living quarters for the shopkeepers above. Since the village center was not very big, the walk through it was fairly quick. After stopping by Rosie’s to let her know she didn’t have to watch Kiera, and offering a few greetings here and there to shopkeepers and children, the three friends were soon on the dirt road leading to the Rockwood Forest. The road ran through a large green field and over the crest of a small hill before entering the dark, mysterious woods. Soon they found themselves away from the watchful eyes of civilization, and at the place where their paths parted.

“Thanks for walking with us, Jess,” said Larra. “Bring us back a cut of venison and I’ll make sure Grandmother gives you a jar of her famous preserves in exchange. As long as it’s the best cut, of course,” she quipped.

“Nothing less than the best for the girl of my dreams,” he replied.

“We’ll holler if we run into any carnies and you can come and be our hero, just like in the stories,” suggested Kiera.

“Sounds perfect,” he answered as he walked backwards towards the forest. “And we’ll talk more about that issue with the market you wanted to discuss, Larra.” He grinned, keeping his eyes focused on his two favorite girls a while longer before turning and disappearing into the shadows.

“Finally!” exclaimed Kiera, happy that it was now just the two of them. “Come on, Larra, let’s get some berries. Maybe we can find some flowers and make princess crowns on the way. I will pretend to be the princess of Aggadorn, and you can be visiting me on a royal visit and we will eat plump berries for our royal dessert.”

They stepped off the road and onto a small path. The path followed lengthwise along the edge of the forest for several hundred paces, the field’s proximity to the forest making it hewn with any number of small rocks and castaway branches. The abundance of stones made the field unusable for farming, and as most of the herds preferred grazing the foothills to the shadowy circumference of the forest, the land was unpopulated and very quiet. 

Kiera skipped ahead, leaping over the occasional log and picking up pebbles to toss across the meadow. The path looked like it hadn’t been tread upon for some time, assuring Larra that the berry patch hadn’t already been picked clean by other villagers.

Small white and yellow flowers peppered the sides of the path and intermingled with the long grasses. She wondered if there were any herbs or stems she could find to use in her grandmother’s salves and stopped often along the way to inspect the flora. Each time she stopped, she found herself calling ahead for Kiera to wait, as the adventurous child was in a world of her own, chattering nonstop of fairies and gnomes and brave, handsome knights who would rescue her from terrible beasts. She refrained from wishing to be magical, and Larra hoped Jess’ earlier words of caution had been accepted by the headstrong girl.

After several more minutes of walking, the two spied the dense berry patch. Even from a distance, Larra could see spots of color on the bushes, a clear sign that they would return home with not only full baskets, but full bellies as well. Hopefully, we don’t make ourselves sick, Larra thought, as Kiera raced ahead at full speed, all the way shouting, “Berries!  Berries!  Berries!”

They picked for some time in silence, busy alternating between placing the fruit in the basket and their mouths.

“I’m so full I can’t move,” complained Kiera, who lay herself down at the foot of a young, slender tree that had grown apart from the forest. It was early afternoon now, and the shade from the little tree was a comfortable break from the late summer heat.

“I know exactly how you feel,” said Larra, who decided to join her young friend, at least until the fruity fare digested. As she lay there, taking in the contrasting bright, sunny field and deep, dark woods, she wondered how different her life would have been if her parents had lived. Would she still have learned the art of healing, as she had from her grandmother? Or maybe she would have lived in the city and met someone she could fall in love with, someone different from the simple farm boys she had grown up with. Maybe a handsome knight from one of Kiera’s stories… 

Larra slowly exhaled, relaxing her body. She reminded herself that she was content with her simple existence in Farr. At least, that’s what she told herself. The direction of her life had been set and there was no need to stir the pot with foolish, childish wishes that would never come true.

Not wanting to dwell any longer on what was becoming a painful subject, Larra turned her thoughts to recipes of tonics for upset stomachs, head colds, ingredients for salves…Her eyes slowly closed as a light breeze drifted over her and she followed the example of the girl next to her, sleeping away the worries of the world and enjoying the small blessings life had to offer.

She awoke to the snapping of twigs and the sense that something was wrong. Sitting up quickly, Larra fought a sense of dizziness as her body adjusted to being awake after a deep slumber. Flipping back the dark braid that had loosened during sleep, she turned toward Kiera and gently shook the girl’s shoulder.

“Wake up, sweetheart.”

Kiera yawned. “I’m awake.” She sat up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. “Did we nap for long?”

“Sshh,” hushed Larra. She slowly rose to her feet, glancing around in search of what was bothering her. When she didn’t see anything unusual, she relaxed and turned back to Kiera. “Something woke me up, but I think it was just a rabbit or maybe a bird. We should probably be getting home, anyway. It doesn’t look like we were asleep too long, judging by the shadows, but you know how my grandmother worries.”  Larra stretched, reaching her arms high above her head and arching her back. Just as she lowered her arms, she heard the crackling sound of breaking branches coming from an area behind the berry patch. A sense of danger crept over her like a darkening shadow.

“Kiera, get up,” she urged. “Get up
now!
” She reached down and dragged the younger girl to her feet, never removing her eyes from the patch. 

“What is it, Larra?”

“I just have a bad feeling, is all. We need to get home right away. Come on,” she said, backing away from the tree and toward the path leading back to the road, pulling Kiera along by the sleeve of her shirt. Stumbling over a clump of grass, she steadied herself, never letting go of the younger girl. She didn’t know what was out there, she only knew they needed to get away from the forest as soon as possible. 

“Here, you go first.”

“But, Larra, we forgot the berries,” Kiera argued, resisting Larra’s forceful handling.

“Never mind. Just go. Walk quickly.”

Her heart felt like it was in her throat, beating a quick rhythm in her ears. She turned onto the path, pushing Kiera along at a brisk walk. Just as they saw the flattened ground indicating the dirt road, a crashing sound erupted behind them along with the deep, guttural growl of a hungry animal. Glancing over her shoulder, Larra saw something she had only heard of in passing.

A great black beast had broken through the berry patch and was picking up speed after them. Like something from a nightmare, it came galloping towards them with its head down and teeth barred. It was related to the wolf, but aside from the long snout, razor sharp teeth, and thick fur, the resemblance was small. It had a huge, arched back that reached up into the air, curving high behind its shoulders and sloping down into powerful hind legs. The impulsion given to the legs from the angle of the huge spinal column allowed it to push against the ground and cross stretches of land at a rapid speed. It had sharp, deadly teeth and even deadlier claws. A hunter of the forest, it could smell fresh blood for miles around.