The Witch's Spell

[LordLuck]

(closed for Darkened_Star)

Young Farkal had been quite worried about this.

His mother had sent him in her place to deal with the Woman that lived far beyond the hills, at the very slopes of the mountains, not too far from his own village, not far but deep into the forgotten and wild recesses of the land. She was rumoured to be kind-hearted, a caring and beautiful woman that made unguents and medicines for the peasants in exchange of goods, like cereals and hunted game. She lived quietly into her house, undisturbed by any, hidden from prying eyes just beside a small wood.

Once, Farkal had even seen a knight coming to heed this Wise Woman's counsel. She was said to be very wise, and some said she was old. Some said she was a Hag, and blamed her by the bad crops, but most just choose to believe that she was there to help them in the times of need. The young man had never seen nor talked to her. Tall, standing at 1.78m, the peasant was strong, as he worked as an apprentice to a lumberjack and a poacher. His hair, dark brown as murky mud, runned wildly at his shoulders, although his beard was just starting to grow.

Then, there was chaos and noise. The day had been dark since noon, but as the clouds darkened the sky over the woodland that grew along the sheer faces of the steep hills and footsteps to the mountains, the wind blew fiercely. The short, travelling mantle he wore flew from his shoulders wildly, the cape barely restraining itself around his neck. The thunder roared, and so he run upwards, trying to climb the best part of the cliff without mud nor water running down him and throwing off the rocksides. In moments, the day was as dark as a starless night, and thunder roared. The water started to pour rather than rain, the volumn of drops amazing, the wind almost throwing him off his feet. He reached the woods above, the thin trees barely any confort against the wild storm.

After many, many minutes after getting off the trail, Farkal had finally reached the Woman's House, finding it only thanks to his mother's indications. Otherwise, he would most surely lose himself into the mountain. Not too worn, after all. Slowly, he came towards the door, quietly, his body ticklish with antecipation.

 

[Darkened_Star]

Evelyn

She stretched and yawned as she awoke. It looked to be a good day, and as she closed her eyes and cast her mind out she felt a new presence among the myriad minds of the local wildlife. She jumped from animal to animal, settling in the mind of an owl, not taking control, merely content to act as an observer. The owl turned it's head as the newcomer came into sight around the corner. It was a villager from the neighbouring valley she assumed. He was tall, with long dark hair and just the beginnings of a beard to show his manhood. She would have smiled at that, and back at her cottage her mouth twitched into a faint smile.

He was not the first visitor she had had in a while, the villagers usually came a few times a month for the medicines and unguents that kept their small community healthy and free of disease. Not that they were all grateful to her. But it had been a while since she had been visited by a man in the prime of his life like this one was. She had been visited by a Knight a few years ago, a great bear of a man, but he had been uncouth and uncivilised, finding himself sent on his way with a red face and smarting pride. Usually it was the village women who visited her, and they were no fun. Back in the cottage her smile became mischievous, there had been that Prince years ago, long before anyone in the village had been born, he had certainly been 'fun'. He had come searching for knowledge of love, and had gone away considerably more knowledgable than he had arrived. But since then there had been no, challenges, not much 'fun'.

Evelyn looked like a 30 something woman, but that was only how she chose to appear. In reality she was far, far older, so old even she had forgotten. Her being was so intertwined with magic now that she no longer merited the title of mortal, or even human. She had forgotten more about magic than the mages college's had ever possessed in their libraries before the purges. Perhaps she had never been truly human, she had adapted to magic in a way unheard of since the fall of the fey folk. She had kept herself hidden away of course, content to let the outside world think of her as a mad old crone in the woods. She was safer that way.

She snapped out of her reflections and back into her body. He would be here soon and she got out of bed, pulling on a long simple dress that left everything to the imagination, and was probably more inflamatory for it as her tall lithe form was covered by the shapeless material. She didn't want to shock the boy when he arrived, well, not too much anyway...

 

[LordLuck]

The wind brought about gushing waves of the rain as the downpour only grew stronger, almost powerful enought to take him to his knees in order not to be swept from the high cliff. Why did this woman prefered to live so far away from their village, anyways? Farkal could not understand. He comprehended that she should be hiding from the Witch Hunters that every now and then would come and make noise, calling and asking for witches to burn down, torture and only the gods knew what else.

There was a small balcony over wich stood the door. He tried to climb on it, but another gush of wind threw him on his chest against the mud, the water forming large pools over the thin grass that grew over this wide ridge. Damn it. His clothes would be ruined. Taking his time to curse the heavens and be awnsered by a loud thunderbolt crossing the skies, Farkal stood on his feet.

And dragged himself towards the door. Taking a hand to knock strongly against the wooden door, he had to hold himself against the pole that held the small shanty's ceiling to protect just before the door - unfortunatelly, working nothing as the wind swept and licked his form.

 

[Darkened_Star]

Evelyn

She glanced towards the door as she sensed his presence. It swung open smoothly and he nearly fell into the cottage as his swinging fist failed to make contact with the door. It was shameless theatrics, but she like theatrics. She turned to him as he stood there embarrassed, a faint smile on her face and one eybrow raised. He was tall, but even so she was nearly his height, tall and willowy with her blonde hair falling down around her shoulders.

He was drenched from the rain, heavy as it was, and she pursed her lips. He was dripping all over the floor. Still, if she hadn't left the challenge in place for him then there would have been no point in having such a challenge for those who wished to visit her. She looked him up and down, inspecting him as she would any other item on a stall, admittedly with a different kind of interest. He was well built, muscular and rugged from long days of work on the farms. His long dark hair fell around his shoulders in a dark wave.

She decided to put him out of his misery. "Well?" Her tone inquisitive, but playful. "Was there any particular reason you came or did you just travel here to stare?"

 

[LordLuck]

Farkal

He had slipped, however.

Blushing furiously as he slowly got on his fours and crawled inside, the young man wished not have chosen such a damned day to come for the Wise Woman... for the Sorceress. Such a powerful woman, and as capricious as any women were, it was quite a risky if not foolish thing for him to show himself prostated like this. Slowly he tried to regain his pose, as if nothing had happened to him - naturally. Farkal stretched his back as he stared at the woman. And so suddenly, he was taken.

She possessed a different kind of beauty. Very gorgeous she was, but yet there was something more she also had. Something more he could not yet discern, something that denounced her a little bit... alien to mankind. He could not tell it yet, but she was different. Oddly different.

"S-Sorry...", he babbled as he got back to his feet, slowly closing the door behind him so that the wind would not carry the rain inside her home. Still, he stared at her form - voluptuous, curvaceous, lithe... all these words described her so very well. "...I-I... I came on the behalf of my mother... to get her some unguent... and repay it with my labour."

 

[Darkened_Star]

Evelyn

He'd gone bright red at his slip and she almost laughed. Perhaps she shouldn't be so cruel to the boy. But he had recovered quickly enough. Standing, desperately trying to appear as though he had not just fallen to his knees before her.

He stared at her, almost innocently, captivated. It was refreshing, she hadn't had such... 'worship' in a long time, even to recieve it from a villager was vindication enough for the years of sacrifice. Not that he was just staring at her face, his eyes had rested there for a while, but now roved over her form in what was almost wonderment.

She smiled slightly to herself, truth be told, after all these years, she was flattered. Such whole hearted innocence was oddly appealing, although perhaps not for the right reasons she admitted to herself. "Hmmm, yes, your mother, Ingrid wasn't it?" She spoke, only half listening, knowing she was right as she began to rummage among the jars on the shelf. She paused, as if she'd only just realised, "you said to repay me in... labour?"

With her back still to him he couldn't see her mischievous look, she would be sure to make this worth it, there were no end of small tasks she could use to keep around, after all, she didn't need to send them back with him immediately...

 

[LordLuck]

Farkal

"Huh...", he searched out for words but none came to his mind as he stared at her yet. The woman was so simply gorgeous. His eyes had come to stare at her round, generous backside as she had turned around to reach for something up the shelves. Good grief, was she doing it on purpose? He could not know, but he had heard how the Wise Woman that lived here could be capricious. He had exactly feared coming due to that characteristic the rumours told about her.

"Yes, Yes. That's my mom.", he finally awnsered her question while his eyes still lingered over her behind, almost having him drool over. "Out family is very humble, Mrs., and she told me to offer your my labour, my work, in any task you need... until you think the price for the unguent is paid for." Unfortunately, they had nothing else to offer in exchange for the potions and medicines his mother needed.

He had hurried to close take off his muddy, soaked coat, and fold it over his arm so it would not run anymore of her home. There was no need making any mess he would need to clean up later on, after all. Perhaps she would be kind and sent him back right away, but that seemed unlikely. Anyhow, with the storm outside he would rather end up opening his skull than reaching home safe.

Farkal was stuck here for the moment.

 

[Darkened_Star]

Evelyn

She knew that his family couldn't afford to pay, she kept an eye on everything going on in the other valley, it was her one point of contact with the outside world. Normally she would have refused any payment, it wasn't as if she needed the money, but she felt she had a right to be a little selfish after so long.

She stopped searching through the pots and jars on the shelves, turning back to him and noticing his eyes snap back to her face guiltily. "Unfortunately I haven't got the mixtures she wants in here, they're out in my storage pit in the garden, but it's too dangerous to go out there now." This was actually true, although truth be told she may have lied even if they had been there. She smiled warmly at him, "come, sit by the fire, you must be freezing." And he did look cold, tall and strong he may be, but even he couldn't resist the occasional shiver that ran across his muscled form.

She walked into the other room, the small, almost closet she kept the rarer and more delicate ingredients in. "You can hang your clothes on the rack by the fire, they should be dry in no time," she tossed over her shoulder.

 

[LordLuck]

Farkal

Acknowledging her with a nod, slowly Farkal walked towards the fireplace upon wich a cauldron boiled with some unknown mixture - although it was pleasantly smelling, he knew better than to mess with it. The peasant could be a rough, naive young man but he knew how to make his way out of situations like this by rolling alon. Opening the folded cape, he extended it over the rack, allowing it to be balanced right before the fire.

"Huh... Mrs.?", he asked shyly. "S-Should I take off my shirt? I have no other to dress with...", he told her as he stood before the fire, the warmth already soothing him from the chill he felt as he carried gallons of water in his soaked clothes. However, this was not his home, and he would really not feel like stripping before the woman. At least, not yet.

As she dissapeared for a moment, Farkal took his time to actually examine the home. It was quite humble indeed. Something that had really called up his eye were the many hanging, dried and defumated herbs, probably the ingredients to her miraculous medicine.

 

[Darkened_Star]

Evelyn

"Evelyn", she called through, "and if you check the chest under the table there should be a few spare clothes in there, you'd be surprised how often men find themselves in this situation." Well not recently anyway, she grumbled to herself. Finding what she was after she separated a few leaves from the plant, delicately slicing them off with a small clasp knife.

She knew he wouldn't have had time to dress yet, and in case he fell over again from sheer embarrassment she chose to stay in the cupboard a while longer. She had to admit she was looking forward to his stay, young as he might be she had no doubt she could teach him a few tricks that would certainly make him popular among the young women of his village, and probably keep him grateful to her.

She called through to the other room, a smile in her voice, "are you decent yet Farkal?" She nearly scolded herself, enough showing off with the magic now, he was in enough awe of her already without her adding to it.

 

[LordLuck]

Farkal

She spoke of it as if she was visited so very frequently by men. That flushed his senses. He had heard of houses where women would receive men under payment and would then proceed to sleep with them - was this Evelyn something like that? Probably not, since she had other ways of earning her income and keeping herself with a confortable living. And if there had been any visitors none had come to the village in the vale from wich he had come from. There, he had asked to his neighbours and nobody had asked for the same directions in quite some time.

"Almost.", he cried back as he was quick to discard his own, soaked clothes. Pulling the heavy chest, he opened it to find a number of antiquated male clothes. Antiquated meaning his father and his grandfather used to wore those kind of fineries - the neckline style so different, the shirt so much more loosened than his. Still, although old-looking, they were surpringly not mouldy, and were very confortable to wear. He chose a white shirt and some green pants, and dressing them properly - or so he thought - he took upon his soaked garments and laid them upon the rack.

"Evelyn... it's a most beautiful name.", he commented, trying to break the slightly awkward silence. "Come, I'm... decent.", he added with a giggle. He looked like he had been sleeping for twenty years.

 

[Darkened_Star]

Evelyn

"Why thank you, I've always thought so." She accepted the transparent flattery graciously. Re-entering the room with her ingredients before waving carelessly at the table, the two chairs at it the only items of furniture other than the bed in the corner and the table itself. "Please make yourself comfortable."

She crossed to the cauldron, frowned at it, sniffed. She crushed the leaves into it before adding a little powder from a pot on the shelf. There was a violent hiss and steam curled up from the bubbling liquid before it settled into a deep red. She smiled and nodded with satisfaction before putting the lid over it, she didn't bother with the sandglass on the shelf. She would know when it was ready.

Instead she turned back to the nervous young man. Sitting at the table herself. "So Farkal, tell me a bit about yourself."

 

[LordLuck]

Farkal

"O-Of course... as you will.", Farkal started as he slowly took his place, noticing with interest and evident curiosity towards her as she meddled with strange herbs into brewing some concotion he would probably never drink from. Unlike many other, actually, unlike most others peasants Farkal was a curious young man. He wanted to know and to be able to do and learn everything that caught his eye.

His gaze, however, had taken most of it's time laying over Evelyn's wide behind with no small measure of interest. Really, her luscious form had called his eyes like nothing before. "I... I come from a humble family, Mrs. Evelyn. We are humble. I deal with a lot of things. I am both a poacher and a hunter, a woodsman a and a lumberjack. Sometimes when my father needs my help, I get to the plow the fields with flai and plowshare. I'm... not a very skilled rider.", he went on telling her about things he somehow doubted she would be too much interested into.

"May... May I ask why do you live here, Mrs. Evelyn? Do you live alone?", he asked in turn, trying to sound polite enough not to insult his hostess.

 

[Darkened_Star]

Evelyn laughed, "it suits me here, I like the solitude. I know it's not much, but it's mine and I've always been happy enough here." She didn't mention that the location, isolated as it was, was far safer than any fortress could ever be for her. She didn't want the full might of a witch hunt brought to bear on her. Not now, not yet. This land was so beautiful, so delicate, a witch hunt would destroy that, they wouldn't care for the environment, chopping and burning their way through the woods. The village wouldn't be safe, the hunters would slaughter them too. But there hadn't been a great purge for nearly twenty years, and even that had passed far to the west, leaving her habitat unnoticed, undisturbed.

Just as he had been staring at her behind, thinking she hadn't noticed, she unashamedly examined him. Seeing a tall, strong young man, defined, muscled, undeniably attractive. But still innocent. Not for long if she had her way. She rested her chin on her hand, leaning on the table as she examined him thoughtfully. He looked good in the clothes, better than some of the previous owners had, witch hunters were so often such unprepossessing men she felt is was almost a kindness to put them out of her misery.

"Yes I do live alone, I haven't had a companion in many years now, why? Are you interested in staying?

 

[LordLuck]

With a sound blush, young Farkal turned his gaze from her towards the table, timidly trying to fetch enough balls in order to say the words that choked on the back of his throat. Fancying himself no coward, the young man had difficult to finally utter the words. "I... I must stay. Until Mrs. deem the debt paid for.", he told her while finally taking his eyes from the table towards her. "...but Mrs. Evelyn is very beautiful. I would not mind... staying."

The rain outside lashed in waves against the house as the wind blew it strongly. The fire and the new clothes had Farkal relaxing after the troublesome trip uphill. Scaling the cliff had been really foolish, after all. Quietly, he stared at her mysterious eyes, trying to peruse whatever was on her mind with little to no success. She was a curious woman, if anything... but the peasant liked that about her.

"A companion... what do you mean?"

 

[Darkened_Star]

He was not particularly smooth or eloquent, but his peasant's honesty was somehow touching. Especially his embarrasment at the admission, his face flushing a little, it was, attractive.

The cottage creaked a little in the gale, rain pounding the widows as the fingers of the store ripped and tore at the compact structure. She wasn't worried, it had taken worse in it's time, and now she had... labour, if she needed to make any repairs. She strengthened the wards around the cottage, she doubted he would need to make any repairs.

She laughed at his innocent question, deciding to tease him instead. "Well, what do you think I mean?" She asked innocently.

 

[LordLuck]

Once more the young man blushed, taking his hands togheter and rubbing one against the other, carefully choosing his next words. He wished to make clear his interest, but was far too shy to do so bluntly. Farkal never wished to sound rude or rough, at least. With than on his mind, he smiled weakly towards the woman.

"Erm...", he had blushed at her laughter, trying to guess if she was really mocking him or else. "A... a partner... like a lover? Perhaps a husband?", he asked softly as he tried to peruse a little into her mind. What if she had a husband who passed away? The peasant would have hated himself if he brought this nice woman any kind of bad memories.

 

[Darkened_Star]

"Husband? No, no husband." Of course she hadn't had a husband, few enough of them were immortal, she couldn't commit to something like that when she knew he would die. She smiled sadly at the thought, but snapped her mind out the melancholy before she became entrenched.

"Lovers... I have had lovers. Probably more than you." She knew that this was a given, he simply hadn't been alive long enough to compete. "Why?" She pursed her lips slightly, standing and going back to the cauldron, sure to offer a wide view of her swaying hips and behind. She turned back to him, lips pursed seductively. "Why the interest?"

 

[LordLuck]

Her remark had Farkal wanting to get under the table and hide himself within the trunk. Perhaps it would them help him stay under her command, as he was meant to. She knew his evident inexperience, and that tiny it of detail both eased him and worried him. What if she would dismiss him as a minor, loving serf and little else?

"Mrs. Evelyn is... gorgeous.", he told her finally after he had caught her swaying hips with his attent eyes, imaginging just how wide and curvaceous she should be under those tight garments she wore. "...I... I have not... never... had a lover.", he admited, blushing a lot more. "I... seek one."

 

[Darkened_Star]

He went bright red at her remark, evidently embarrased at her frank nature. He couldn't have been used to this sort of behaviour from a woman, it was the kind of behaviour that would have girls thrown out of their parents homes. It made him nervous, unsure of himself, obviously a feeling he was unused to in the simple life of the village.

But she had to admit his open honesty was refreshing and, dare she say it? Flattering. "You seek one? And so you come to me, I too seek one." She smiled suggestively, "providence no?"

 

[LordLuck]

He blushed some more, still trying not to sound too foolish. However, her words were kind and completely unexpected. His hope for an awnser like hers was almost completely gone during the few, long seconds of silence. Still... he felt his heart soar high, proudly into his chest as he stiffened himself like a proud, cocky young man. Victory? Not yet!

"Providence, yes...", he told her with a smile, staring at her eyes quietly as he tried to discern if she was not playing with him like a playful kitten with it's living meal. "...b-but don't you have a current Lover?"

 

[Darkened_Star]

She knew why he was asking, but that didn't stop her feeling a little hurt. It was clear what was going on to both of them, and he still asked that? "No" she snapped, "I don't."

She stopped, took a deep breath, it wasn't his fault, he was just scared, she should be calmer, more gentle with him. That was a dark side of her that she didn't want him, or anyone to see.

 

[LordLuck]

Young Farkal eyes had widened for a moment as he stared at the woman. He had reached a soft spot there, and probably should have known better. Stupid, stupid idiot! He had now pissed her off. What now? What would she do? He took his eyes from her, thinking himself completely unworthy of the implying words of hers.

"S-Sorry... I didn't meant to... be rude...", he declared as he looked down on his lap, simply unable and unwilling to match her clearly doubtful look. She would not go on. She would simply dismiss him.

He was unworthy of her.

 

[Darkened_Star]

Evelyn cursed herself inwardly, now she'd upset him. "I'm... sorry. It's just a sore subject, that's all, I'm sorry for snapping."

She reached over and hooked one finger under his chin, lifting his face to force him to look back her. She made sure he could see the regret in her eyes. He really was that innocent wasn't he, in his naivete it had been purely accidental.

She decided se had to distract him from his self-pity, "so where were we? Providence?" A hint of the playful flirt back in her tone.