, with Ethan entertaining me with stories of daring heroes and as I relayed my imaginary deeds to him

anted servants he had conjured from shadows. The servants greeted us upon arri

aid gently. "They will tre

ruined clothes and silent, drew a bath,

as the servants left and I dared to relax, a cluck of disapproval came from the door. In danced a crone of a woman, a sunny smile on her field-furrow face. She was dressed in a fine si

with?" she mused, her voice like a bow across a cello. She

arrassed. I shielded my ch

as old when this kingdom was young. I am Beira, Hag of the Woods, Witch of the

"I'm Aza- I mean, yes, I

d to be demure, child: I know what gir

y, she was a woman, and that meant things were different. I could relax around this Beira like I could around the servants

ing. "She'll do," King Duventhal had sniffed, and walked awa

smiled. "Hush, child. Heroes don't cry. You mu

Why did the terribl

s my woods in return for my services. I taught him all the

ingdom of Wedgewood –

gold. To them, it's just a pretty met

s outlawed in

t is, for humans

like globes. "Y

es. I noticed her teeth. They were wooden. And her skin: it was rough and whorled, like she was carved from bark. Her

hich w

The trees are my children, the squirr

to eke out the sounds

this castle my home. Once, long ago, before m

wh

ry of worshiping a spirit covered in dirt. They craved cleaner

to the hero's aid. Here was my mentor before me, in the bath no less, regaling

child. Magic isn't all it's cracked up to be. It is something of darkness and blood, and the

t am I to

t's what! Ethan i

a dr

took a bar of soap and took to scrubbing her feet. "The servants do well cleaning, but servants conjured of shadow fear light. They do not deal well with stoves or flues. Fire scares them. That is why

on't know how to cook. Food w

you r

es

ou will