Of Wolf And Witch

by S. A. McGarey

  Duncan lowered Black Ice slightly. “My father ran away with the witch who cursed me. Do you know a man called Greham?”

  “Greham?” She asked. “No, I don’t. Perhaps I can help though.”

  “Doubtful, witch,” Duncan replied in a hostile manner.

  “Give me a chance. If I prove unhelpful, you may behead me with your precious blade,” the woman bargained.

  “Hmmm,” Duncan stroked his chin. “As you wish.”

  “I have not made my home in Ebonwood very long. There was another witch who lived here,” She began to explain. “I saw her here many times and I saw her with a man. Perhaps he is this Greham you speak of. Recently, he and the witch had some sort of argument. He said that she used him, and she said something akin to him being nothing without her. He ran off, and I knew it was my chance.”

  “Chance for what?”

  “To drive her out of Ebonwood and make room for myself. I wasn’t fond of her from what I had seen of her, and she practiced magic in cruel ways, using her man for practice and using magic to control the beasts of the wood. I decided to drive her out, not just for myself, but for the good of the forest. I drove her out knowing that she would either find another place to squat, or be captured by witch hunters and executed, which I wouldn’t care so much about.”

  “So she’s not here anymore,” Duncan sighed.

  “No. But I do think I know where she could have gone.”

  “Where’s that?” Duncan asked with interest.

  “Hammerforge. The dwarven city.”

  “Hammerforge? Why there?”

  “I’m afraid I do not know why,” She confessed. “But I heard her speak of the dwarven city before. I think there is something there she wants.

  “Damn.”

  “That enough to spare my life?” She asked unwaveringly.

  Duncan looked at her with displeasure. “For now. But I still would be happy to rid the world of another witch.”

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Thank you for the information. Don’t take my gratitude for tolerance though. If I find you again, do not expect mercy. I’ll rid the world of any witch that crosses my path, even if you did assist me”

  “You don’t even know me, yet you would end my life?”

  “You are a witch. Ending your life is best for everyone,” Duncan explained, “But I would know the name of my kill.”

  “Ravenna,” She spoke. “My name is Ravenna.”

  “Ravenna,” Duncan parroted her. “I am Duncan Frey.”

  “You needn’t end my life, Duncan Frey.”

  “Why is that?” Duncan hefted Black Ice onto his shoulder.

  “I’ll help you,” Ravenna pleaded. “I’ll help you find the witch who cursed you. I’ll help you end her life.”

  Duncan considered this. He had the information that led to the witch, but on the other hand, he knew she could prove useful. It was against everything in his nature, but he was actually considering it. “What’s in it for you?” Duncan asked Ravenna.

  “If I help you find her and destroy her, you leave me be. Let me live in peace. A life for a life.”

  “And if you fail to help me find her?”

  “Then I’m already dead,” Ravenna claimed. “I am at your mercy, Duncan. Let me at least fight for my life.”

  Duncan turned this over in his mind, still gripping Black Ice. He knew not whether to behead her now or give her a chance. Duncan was a man of his word and would let her live if she held up her end of the bargain. Was one random witch worth the prize of killing the one who cursed him? Revenge, it seems, would mean that one witch lives, and another dies. Let the royal witch hunters go after Ravenna if they wanted to. Duncan’s mind was made up.

  He sheathed Black Ice. “Deal.”

  “You can rest here,” she motioned to her dwelling. “It’s big enough for two.”

  “I’ll sleep outside,” Duncan replied flatly, giving no mind to the notion of sharing a shelter with her.

  “Suit yourself.”

  Ravenna went into her dwelling, magically dousing the fire she’d made and Duncan stayed outside. It wasn’t the first time he had slept on the cold, hard ground. It wouldn’t be the last either. The Ebonwood Forest was so dark by now that he could not see his hand in front of his face, and the leaves on the trees blotted out the stars in the sky, so their glow could not penetrate the forest’s canopy. Upon noticing this, Duncan decided it was time to sleep. He drifted off as Ravenna undoubtedly did the same inside her hut.

  Duncan would not sleep well.

  Chapter 7

  Blood. There was blood everywhere, and it did not belong to Duncan. Corpses littered the ground everywhere Duncan looked. Neither the blood nor the bodies seemed to affect him though. He was not shocked or surprised or even remorseful. Instead, he found himself growling with bestial rage, looking for more of the living to make into more of the dead. Only one thought raced through his mind: Asha. This was all for her. Asha was gone and so Duncan was going to make everyone else go away too. Duncan knew it would not bring her back. He knew that slaying innocents was not going to do anything to bring Asha back or help the pain of her passing. Duncan was beyond control, however. You could argue that Duncan wasn’t the one doing this, but rather that it was the beast within. Duncan rushed at whoever he found, his teeth elongated into fangs, attacking with nothing but his bare hands, with nails more akin to claws than anything else. Duncan left a path of bodies and blood wherever he went. The only thought on his mind was simply Asha.

  He jolted awake. His breathing was heavy as if his body had really just been through what his mind had been doing. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he let his breath catch up with him. A nightmare. That was all it had been. Duncan was not surprised. Ever since Asha’s death, he had nightmares concerning her. It was not uncommon for him to lose control in those nightmares. It was the one place where his bestial side really took over, and he could see just what it would be like if he truly lost control. It was not a picture he enjoyed. Duncan didn’t want the blood of the innocent on his hands. His hands were bloody enough already.

  Duncan looked around. The Ebonwood Forest was still dark as it always was, but he could see the first rays of sunlight trying to pierce the veil of the blackened trees of the forest. Still, even under the light of the sun’s first golden rays, the forest was black as night. It was morning. In his mind, that meant it was time to go. Ravenna was still inside her small dwelling, undoubtedly asleep. Duncan decided to go wake her if she wasn’t up in the next few minutes while Duncan got ready to depart. He donned his armor pieces and pulled on his boots. Finally, slinging Black Ice in its sheath over his back and fastening it in place, he was ready. There was still no Ravenna. Duncan walked over to the small hut, ready to bang on the door and wake the witch. Just as his fist was raised to knock, the hut’s door opened, revealing the witch, clad in a black cloak that made her icy eyes stand out.

  “I… uh…” Duncan stammered, caught off guard.

  “You were about to come get me,” Ravenna said. “Do not fear Duncan. I have been ready for a while now.

  “Don’t you need any of your stuff?”

  “I’m a witch, remember. I have everything I need with me at all times. Besides, everything that is here will remain here until I return.”

  “What about your book?”

  “Book?” She asked, somewhat confused. “Do you mean the one in my dwelling with all the hand-scrawled notes?”

  “The very same,” He replied.

  “That foul tome isn’t mine,” she stated adamantly. “It belonged to the witch you seek, whom I drove out of this forest.”

  “If it’s such a foul tome, why does it still exist? Why hasn’t it been burned to ash?”

  “Morbid curiosity,” she answered. “While I don’t dabble in blood magic, the book does have some interesting things in it.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like a circle of protection. I raised one around the area during
the night. No monsters will bother this place. Did you not wonder why none came for us during the night? They cannot reach us here.”

  “You just casually forgot to mention that?” Duncan asked, slightly irritated.

  “I didn’t think it necessary,” Ravenna replied. “Besides, I knew you wouldn’t be too happy to be protected by my magic.”

  She was right. Duncan didn’t like having been protected by witch magic through the night. Even though it had been helpful, Duncan would rather have spent the night fighting off the creatures of the forest than be safe in the magic of those he hated.

  “Next time, tell me when you’re going to do something like that,” Duncan commanded a tone of anger in his voice. “I don’t trust anything in that damned book.”

  “That damned book, as you call it, kept us safe throughout the night. Until it becomes of no use to me, it comes with us,” she said as her hand touched the bag hanging at her waist.

  “As you wish,” Duncan reluctantly nodded. “It’s daylight. We should get moving,” Duncan said.

  “Agreed. The sooner we finish this, the better.”

  “I’m no more thrilled about this than you are, but right now you’re my only shot at finding the witch I’m hunting. Believe me, I loath to work with your kind,” Duncan explained.

  “There you go again with that ‘your kind’ talk,” Ravenna was exasperated. “We aren’t all bad.”

  “I’m sure even monsters would say such things… if they were capable of speech or rational thought,” Duncan retorted.

  “I’ll admit that there are bad witches. Wicked ones who use their magic for personal gain and inflicting pain. I am not one of them,” Ravenna made her case. “What will it take for you to see that?”

  “Honestly?” Duncan questioned. “A miracle, or something damned close to one.”

  Ravenna was saddened at this. She did not want to be so hated. She didn’t feel that she had deserved it. This other witch maybe, but not her. She tried to put herself in Duncan’s position, but couldn’t bring herself to feel the way he did. It was then that a thought occurred to her. As they were walking, she thought of her own powers.

  ‘I could use my empathic magic. I could truly feel what he feels. It would be purely out of interest. He might get mad though. Mad enough to kill me. I’ll have to be very careful if I want to do this. Do I really want to do this? Yes… Yes, I think so. I want to feel what he feels. I want to understand.’ Ravenna thought to herself.

  She reached out a hand and touched Duncan’s bare wrist. She felt the magic flow through her fingers and into Duncan. In an instant, she felt Duncan’s emotion surging through her, and it went straight to her head. The two seemed to be frozen in time as the emotions took over. Ravenna could feel the searing rage that Duncan felt towards witches of all kinds. She felt it as if it burned her insides. Beneath the rage there was something else… something strong, yet concealed. She reached out with her mind, past all the rage and fury, and drew in the other emotion. It was sadness, but it was all wrapped up in guilt, and sorrow, and even more anger than she had already found.

  Suddenly the connection broke. Time seemed to return to normal, and Duncan turned on the spot, his face contorted in anger. He gripped Ravenna’s wrist hard and his face came within inches of hers.

  “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” Duncan asked angrily. “What have you done?”

  Ravenna shook with fear. “I… I felt your rage. I felt your anger towards witches and monsters. And then I felt something else… I don’t know exactly what, but I felt sorrow. I felt your emotions.”

  “I suppose you used your witch magic to do that,” Duncan gripped harder. “What in the hell made you think that was ok?”

  “Ravenna was still shaken by her empathic trip. “I’m sorry, Duncan. I just had to know how you felt. I needed to feel it… to understand it.”

  Duncan loosed his grip, letting Ravenna go. “I should kill you for such a violation,” He spoke in a low voice. “But I need your help to find the witch I’m hunting.”

  Ravenna stared with tears in her eyes. The empathic trip had messed up her own emotions.

  “If you ever do that again, I will kill you. No mercy will save you. My blade will lick your flesh and taste your blood if you ever touch me with magic again.”

  Ravenna nodded. She understood very well. “You have my word, Duncan. On my life, I will not use magic on you again.”

  “You best keep that promise, or it's your life that I will take with this blade,” He gripped the haft of Black Ice.

  Ravenna had fear in her eyes, and her pupils began to change color, from the icy blue they were when Duncan found her, to a greenish-yellow color. Duncan spied this as it happened.

  “Your eyes,” Duncan said. “They changed.”

  “They change under different conditions. Stress, fear, calm, each changes the color of my eyes. They might be icy blue one minute, greenish-yellow the next. Red, orange, even violet, and every color in-between.”

  “Interesting. No doubt a side effect of your witch magic,” Duncan said

  “Yes, it is a side effect of my magic. Many witches have such magical mutations, be it eyes, hair, or something else entirely. Mine happens to be my eyes.”

  Duncan looked into Ravenna’s eyes. The yellow-green color faded back to icy blue again. “What color are they naturally?” He asked with genuine curiosity, his anger fading.

  “They usually stay this icy blue color, but that isn’t the natural color. It’s been so long since the magic changed my eyes that I don’t even remember the natural color of them.”

  Duncan stared still. “There is much sorrow in your voice. I too find it sad.”

  “Yes, but I’m sure the icy blue and other exotic colors are much prettier,” She replied.

  “Don’t be so quick to discount the beauty of something simple. Just because something is exotic doesn’t make it prettier or better than normal.”

  This seemed to be a rare moment of simple wisdom from Duncan. He wasn’t angry anymore, like the rage dissipated into nothing. He wasn’t giving her a hard time for being a witch. He was just being himself. And it was nice. Ravenna nodded at the sentiment and then continued to lead the way out of the forest.

  Over the next few hours, they journeyed through the woods, Ravenna leading the way while Duncan followed. They didn’t speak much at all. Duncan was still prickly towards her and she was afraid that this journey might be the end of her. The circle of protection that Ravenna had raised around her dwelling the night before didn’t extend out this far. The woods creaked and moaned with the sounds of Logroths. Howling wolves sounded in the wind between the trees, and out in the darkness of the forest, beasts roamed, waiting for their prey.

  “We should be careful,” Duncan warned. “These woods are filled with monsters.”

  “I am aware,” Ravenna said, almost coldly. “I may not have been in the Ebonwood for very long, but it’s been long enough that I know what dwells here. Before I learned the circle of protection, I learned to bend the beasts to my command. Without them, I would never have driven out the witch you seek.”

  “You used the monsters? Put them under your command?”

  “Naturally. It was the only way to survive.”

  Duncan was astounded. The thought that someone would utilize the foul beasts of the wood sickened him, but at the same time, he understood. Whenever choosing between surviving and perishing, it was only natural to choose survival. Duncan had made the choice before. He couldn’t be fully mad at Ravenna for doing the same, even if she had used unnatural means in doing so.

  “Know this, witch,” Duncan began to speak. “You will not bend these monsters to your will around me. Monsters are my enemies and hunting them is my way of life. Any beast we come across will die. We will not spare them. I will not spare them. There will be no mercy. Is that clear?”

  “Clear as that crystal around your neck,” Ravenna replied.

  He glanced at the cry
stal pendant, and then quickly decided to change the subject. Luckily, it was at this time that a noise made itself apparent deep in the trees. Twigs crunched and branches snapped in the darkness.

  “Something’s out there,” Duncan said, unsheathing his sword.

  He looked with his silver eyes, and through the veil of darkness, he could see movement. He was unsure of the creature’s species, but he knew it was big. The sounds grew closer. There was a great variety of creatures in the Ebonwood Forest, but Duncan wagered that only one thing in these woods lumbered around like that.

  “Logroth,” he said grimly. “Hide.”

  Ravenna did as she was told. Normally she would have argued and said she could take care of herself, but she was in no mood to argue with the monster hunter. If it truly was a logroth, then she would prove herself in the coming fight.

  Duncan whirled his sword in preparation. Trees in the area began to snap in two and fall to the forest floor with cacophonous thunder. The monster approached Duncan, and in the dim light, with his wolven sight, he saw that he was correct. Before him stood a logroth, with its bark as black as obsidian. Logroths were usually colored like normal trees, but this Logroth was black like the Ebonwood. Duncan guessed that this particular beast had been present when the woods caught fire and became blackened. That meant that this logroth was very old. Old didn’t mean that it wasn’t a threat though. Logroths did have long lifespans, but up until their deaths, they had a penchant for killing humans. It was simply nature’s way of fighting back.

  The logroth was in striking range, and Duncan lunged toward it. With all his might, he swung his blade, but it did precious little to the tree creature. It merely snapped off some of the outer bark. The logroth didn’t seem remotely phased by Duncan’s attack. It only served to make him angry. The great limb that served as the logroth’s right arm reeled back before shooting forward to strike Duncan. He rolled out of the way before it hit, but the earth shook where he once stood. The logroth was big and powerful. If it scored a hit on Duncan, he would likely be done for. His innards would be liquefied by such a blow, and he only had his Blacksteel blade to fight with. While Blacksteel was effective against most monsters, there were some, like golems and logroths that had greater resilience to it. If Duncan had his hammer, he would stand more of a chance, but all his other weapons were back in Winterport. It was an unfortunate truth in Duncan’s line of work: you wouldn’t always have everything you needed on a hunt. In those cases, you either adapt and evolve, or you die. Right now, Duncan wasn’t sure which was going to happen to him.