Witch, Wolf, Woods

EPILOGUE: THREE YEARS LATER

Katja crouched down beside a spruce sapling, trailing her fingertips over the spiky green pine needles, listening to the tree's cheerful song as she ensured its roots were growing strong and deep.

After the death of the Waldkonig, the Schwarzwald had been opened to all, witches and Nichts alike, and while some of the Hexen had initially been skeptical, others had jumped at the chance to visit the formerly forbidden forest, bringing with them their affinities for healing plants and animals alike.

Some of them had even moved into the forest, and Katja grinned as she glanced over her shoulder, taking in the cottage where she now lived, surrounded by nature and metal and able to create and heal to her heart's content.

Of course, she didn't live there alone, and the sound of approaching footsteps made her smile. Turning away from her home, she tossed the end of her long braid over her shoulder and tipped her head back, smiling as Wolf came to a stop in front of her.

"Winola sent a message," she said, patting the growing tree once more before rising to her feet. "She and Hedda will be here tomorrow. They've decided on a summer wedding, and they'd love to see some possible locations for the ceremony."

"There are so many places we can show them!" enthused Wolf, listing off some of his favorites before pausing. "Speaking of messages, I've just had one myself."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a thick envelope. "It's a letter from a man who'd like to meet me and talk about my stories. Two men, it seems—they're brothers, last name Grimm. They read my work in a newspaper and said they're working on a collection of something they're calling fairy tales. They wondered if they might pay us a visit and see more of my writing."

Katja practically threw herself at Wolf, wrapping her arms around him, and he laughed and pulled her into an embrace.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed. "The world needs your stories, Wolf."

Wolf pulled just far enough back to look down into her eyes. "That's nice for the world," he said, "but all I really care about is seeing you happy. I never would have done this without you and your belief in me."

"Are you going to share your most exciting tale with these story-telling brothers?" Katja grinned. "The one about the scar-faced witch and the shapeshifting wolf who defeated the Waldkonig and restored peace to the Schwarzwald?"

Wolf grinned, one side of his mouth rising higher than the other. "I'm almost finished writing it out."

Katja kissed Wolf's jaw, then closed her eyes as his fingers stroked the scar on her cheek before coming to rest on the wolf pendant hanging from the necklace around her throat. It wasn't an exact replica of the old one, but this one was even better, because they'd made it together, with the help of the forest.

"I have a good idea for an ending to that particular story, if you need one," offered Katja, opening her eyes and gazing up at Wolf.

He nodded eagerly.

"And so," she said, "after years of being alone and wishing their lives were different, the witch and the wolf lived happily ever after, together, deep inside the enchanted forest."

THE END

(Artwork by Nile from Pixabay)