The Fall Of Taiga

Chapter One: Willow

“Willow! Get your lazy ass down here young lady right now or you'll be late!”

‘Urgh’ I thought to myself as I looked to the clock on my desk go see that it was seven fifteen AM and I had overslept by an hour.

“Willow! Now!”

“Yes, I'm coming. Give me chance!” I screamed back down at my mother. Letting out a heavy sigh I pulled myself out of bed and walked to my set of draws, pulling out a pair of simple jeans and a woven shirt made from the natural plant fibers grown by the forest village. Sitting down in front of the ornate wooden mirror carved by the elder of the village for my mother on the day she gave birth to me, I looked at myself wishing I could escape from the life set out for me of being a simple caretaker and be one of the priestesses that protect our land and teach us the secret history of our ancestors.

Today was an important day, it would be the day that I would be tested. You see, you may have already guessed that my life isn't what you would consider normal, I live in a forest where we work with nature not against it, and you're right, my school teaches us ancient languages, cultural skills of taking care of the land and how to work with herbs to benefit us. We also have an elite class that you go into if you're suspected of being able to qualify for the Forest Order. Its elite because you can only get in if one or both of your parents are descended from a priestess and in this case both of my mothers (yes, I said mothers. I have lesbian parents, do you have a problem with that? No? Well let's keep reading then) are descended from the two former high priestesses who were rumoured to be the most powerful of the land. In the class it teaches us basic mindfulness techniques and how to discipline your body through methods such as tai chi, to help us in learning how to control ourselves. We also have the basic knowledge of how our ancestors came to this forest which is a common bedtime story for the children and how the elders bonded with the trees that bent and moved to create the houses that we live in now to provide shelter for the travellers. But we get told more, we learn how to bond with the trees as our elders did to keep the bond strong that allows us to stay and build our lives here.

My mothers hadn't seen any of the signs that I had the powers, just as they didn't have them either. Both of my lines of lineage have been dormant for centuries but The Order still holds out hope that someone will gain the power and restart the line of witches.

Less and less people each year were getting the powers and the forest was suffering because of it. Attacks had been hitting us with more force, the ground and all the crops started dying, the trees were leaving us while the priestesses tried desperately to continue with they're work but they were getting old, their power was dwindling and their knowledge fading but they wouldn't die, they couldn't die, until a new witch would step up in their place and have the knowledge passed on to them. I so badly wanted to have the power but my parents had already lined up the teaching for how to tend to the crops and be the support for The Order.

Finally getting up and dragging myself down the stairs to the kitchen where I sat opposite my mom, River, who was preparing the herbs collected the day before that she had dried out for a request given to her by the elder himself as she is the best herbalist in the village.

“Morning sleepy, I thought you would miss your test today. Not that it would really matter, no signs have turned up in you.” She remarked, sounding slightly disappointed. “Hey, you could be my apprentice! I'm getting old now and someone will need to fill my shoes for the elder or who else will dry the herbs for his tea.”

Bemused, I smiled and wondered how old she really was. Even though she didn't inherit the powers, being from a high priestess’s line, she received the slow aging benefit that was blessed upon the line. My mom didn't look more than thirty, forty at most. Being slightly plump but still having a toned and delicate body as all of us forest folk have from manual working and eating what nature gives; She had the knowledge of at least a hundred years that showed in her eyes and the ease she had when working with such complex processes.

“Ah, she's up. Finally!” My other mom, Melanie, chuckled, walking in through the door. “Did you ask her about the apprentice thing, darling? She’ll need to start soon if she's ever going to learn everything in time.” Looking over at her partner and kissing me on the head.

“Yes but she didn't give me an answer.” Shooting me a glare but giving away that it wasn't meant at all by a small smile and a glint in her eye.

Rolling my eyes, I replied “I'll think about it. I want to get through today first. I'm nervous about this test since neither of you will tell me what happens. I know you two don't think I'll pass but I want to go in being open minded.”

“Of course, honey, we understand. We would tell you what was to happen but we're not allowed to. The high priestess herself bound us, and everyone else who didn't pass, from talking about it with anyone until they had sat the test themselves. You know we’re sorry about this but there really isn't anything we can do about it.” Melonie replied solemnly. She's probably the more mom like of the two. Where as River is very much more like the older best friend type character who can get along with anyone sort of thing. 

“Yes, yes, of course.” River chipped in, sounding slightly disheartened by my feelings. “How about I walk you to the testl, ey?” Trying to lighten the mood.

“Sure.” Replying as I grabbed an apple, walking out the door.