The woman's home was carved into the summit of the mountain. As they entered the room there was little light but a small blue fire crackling in front of them. From what they could see, the walls were lined with handing herbs, skins and a collection of devices that the girls did not recognise. The pungent smell of earth and decay penetrated the air. The place looked as though it had sat untouched for centuries as layers of dust and dirt coated the floor. In the dust around the fire was a drawing, something that looked like ancient script, decorated with tiny stars and moons.
The woman they had followed stood opposite them on the other side of the fire. Slowly she disrobed, casting aside her dark cloak to reveal what laid below. As she shed her covering it seemed as though she was growing. She rose from the frail old woman into something beautiful and strong, her raven hair fell to her waist in gentle curls while her face was stony and wise.
She observed the three strangers as they stood in front of her and sniffed the air.
"One of you is hurt." It was not a question but her voice was sweet and melodic
She moved toward them, skipping around the fire in order to avoid disturbing the markings on the floor. She circled the three before moving in on Paddoc.
"You haven't told them you're hurt."
Paddoc shook her head and allowed the woman to pull her cloak aside, revealing to everyone the wound in her side which had only gotten worse in the last hours.
The woman dipped her finger in the oozing, blackened blood, causing paddoc to let out a whimper of pain, and tasted it.
"You had better lie down." The woman ordered. Paddoc obeyed. The woman placed her hand on the girl's forehead and whispered something in a foreign tongue. As she did so her fingers began to blacken and bruise. Noticing Vivienne's stare, she whipped it away just as Paddoc fell into a deep sleep.
"You're lucky you found me. One more day like that and the girl would be dead."
Vivienne stared after the woman in shock as she hauled from a dark corner an enormous golden cauldron and placed it on the fire. She began hurrying around the room, grabbing handfuls of spices, emptying bottled and all the while mumbling incoherently.
"You're a witch." Vivienne stated in shock, "Witchcraft is illegal in the kingdom. You could be sentenced to death."
"Why do you think I live in this mountain princess." She continued to work, stirring her brew in an elaborate pattern
"How do you know who I am?"
"You're the one who damn woke me up. Since the last great war I've slept in this mountain and then some royal sets foot on it."
Vivienne started to ask the woman another question but the ugly man stopped her, allowing the woman to work her magic.
"My mother said that all the witches were burned." Vivienne whispered to the man
"You have a terrible trust issue y'know girl, she saved your life jus' like I did and y' didn't trust me either."
"Yeah," agreed Vivienne, "But I trust you now."
"Aye, maybe yer caution is wise."
The witch dipped a jug in the cauldron and drew out a silver liquid as reflective as glass. She rushed to Paddoc's side, ripping away the fabric surrounding the wound. She began to whisper once more as she poured the liquid over the girl's body and its droplets spiralled and danced as they entered the cut in her side, clearing the blood. By the time the jug was empty the wound was clean and visibly beginning the heal.
Vivienne stared at the woman wide eyed, equal parts terrified and astonished by what she had just seen.
"You should close your mouth or someone might put words in it." The witch said pointedly then turned to the ugly man, "Now tell me, what are an old man, a princess and a dying girl doing this far from home? It seems that I've missed a lot over the last few hundred years."
"To tell you the truth," said the man, "I'm not full sure. These two are on the run from somethin' but buggered if they'll tell me what happened up in that castle and I know these mountains see."
"No one knows these mountains, not really." she walked to Vivienne. "May I have your hand, girl?"
Vivienne didn't respond and so the woman took her and pulled her sleeve out of the way, pushing her forefinger into the inside of Vivienne's wrist. Vivienne had just enough time to notice the black of the witch's fingers had faded almost to their original colour, before her vision blurred and spun and before her eyes flashed every moment of the last few days. First there was her mother lying cold and motionless, then a dinner, a letter, a boy, a cousin, a fiancé, an escape.
"I see." Said the witch, drawing Vivienne back into the room
"You didn't have t' do that!" the ugly man interjected
"Oh but I did, Lord Doverleigh."
"No one has spoken that name for decades"
"I'm sorry, should I use your new names? Davis the Dog? The Death Trader?" she spat the names at him
"They are names that are whispered when my back is turned, those days are behind me."
"It will just be Davis then, until you have the strength to reclaim your true name."
"And who are you, stone witch?"
"I am Morenna Verchaska, the witch of the mountain, the heart of stone. I was born before time itself. I walked the realm as a woman, i lived with the people. They loved me for centuries, and then the great war came and cast a divide between the man and the magic and those who had loved me tied me to their poles and set me on fire. They left me to burn, and burn I did for thirty days. Little did they know, fire cannot break a stone, and so I came here and since that day I have slept and the world has been quiet."
Vivienne shivered at her words. There was something ominous and powerful echoing in her voice. She could tell that the ugly man, or Davis as she had called him, was scared as well.
"I fear," said the man, "that another war may be coming."
"You man be right, you may be wrong. All I can be sure of is my place and that is here in this mountain until the day the last man falls and magic is free once more."
Vivienne finally spoke; "You won't travel with us?"
"You would ask an old woman to leave her home? For what? To save a stupid princess and her dogs from death. Your human lives have little impact on mine."
"Why did you save us then?" The girl enquired
"I do not know and I am beginning to wish I had not for this magic has tired me, but you woke me and I wanted to see just what was so special about you. Now that I see you I see that you are just as spoiled and stupid as every other royal before you."
Vivienne was angered by the witch's words and was about to snap when Paddoc murmured something and began to stir.
"Oh Paddoc, you're okay!" Vivienne cried, forgetting the irritation she had felt for her friend since they had left the castle in the relief that she was okay.
Paddoc looked down at her wound and then to the witch. "Thank you," She said.
"Helping you was only somewhat inconvenient. But you should all leave as soon as the girl is well enough. If those men were looking for you then there will only be more to come and the mountain pass is dangerous and slow. I cannot feed you tonight, for food tends not to keep after centuries of sleep but you may sleep and enjoy the fire. I wish for you to be gone before I rise from my rest."
"How long may that be?" Vivienne asked, still angry at the woman for her disrespectful words.
"It could be a minute, it could be a month." The witch stated drearily, and with that she was gone.
Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up super soon (probably in the next couple of hours) but it will be short - just a dream sequence. If you enjoyed this please leave a comment and a vote. Every little bit helps!
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The Chronicles of the Runaway Queen: Escape to Danger
Fantasy*This version of this book has been abandoned in favor of a re-write - currently in progress*
