Chapter 3: Out of the Darkness, Into the Light

Theodora

When I awake the next morning, I am covered in vines and night-blooming flowers that have wound themselves around me. Two does and a stag had also provided warmth and company during the cold, lonely night. Some of the trees had seemingly leaned over me creating a sort of shelter, while others still seemed to shrink away from my presence. It is a strange mystery I haven’t yet unraveled.

I gently unwind myself from the plant life and the deer scatter as I begin to wake and stretch, shaking off the night’s broken, unsettling dreams.

I kept dreaming of the creature, its eyes haunting my every step, but each time I cast my light there would be nothing there, exactly as it happened the night before. I know the creature had been standing in front of me on the road, but as soon as I cast my light, there was nothing there. Even the animals had felt its presence and scurried away. They wouldn’t have imagined it there as I might have. I had searched for close to an hour for the creature, never venturing too far from the path, but fatigue had forced me to end my search and take my nightly rest on the cold and unforgiving forest floor.

Although I long for the cheerful warmth of a crackling fire, I don’t want to waste time on it, and it is too damp besides. I hastily eat what is left of my bread, cheese, and dried venison, take a sip of wine, and I am on my way again.

It isn’t long before I begin to see tendrils of sunlight gently weaving their golden threads through the branches of the trees.

Sunlight!

I have to be close to the edge of the Murkfell. The knowledge of this quickens my pace, and the birds start twittering around me, the deer begin to frolic, and the chipmunks begin chittering away happily as we make our way to the light. They are as happy as I am.

My eyes squint as the light grows brighter, and I find myself running, my leather boots silent on the damp leaves of the forest floor.

I can see the border of the forest and the world of light beyond. My red cloak trails behind me, blood in the wind, my feet carrying me further away from this vile place.

The trees gradually thin out, and I explode into the light, my face upturned to the sky, reveling in the warmth of the sun. The animals rejoice alongside me, and I can’t help but laugh and give the deer a fond pat on the head before resuming my walk to the village. I can already smell the smoke from the village chimneys as it snakes its way into the sky.

I glance back at the border of the Murkwood, so dark and uninviting. Chills run up my spine as I think I glimpse a glowing pair of eyes watching me through the branches.

Eyes forward, always keep your eyes forward. New future, new life. I can't be concerned with what might be living in the Murkfell Wood. I have many other living creatures in the village to tend to. Shaking off the chill of the Murk, I turn back to the road and continue my journey.

Before long, I can see the smoke itself, curling incessantly upward. My mouth waters at the thought of a home-cooked meal after eating cheese and dried meat for the last week during my journey. I hear the sounds of life, children screeching in excitement, the melodic tinkle of women’s laughter, and the booming bass sounds of men greeting each other as they start their day. I self-consciously begin to smooth my dirty, wrinkled dress and unbrushed hair, afraid the villagers will be appalled by my appearance. It wasn’t the best first impression, but what can I do?

After walking through a clearing, I am again on a forest path, but this one is bathed in light. Following the sounds, Murkfell village seems to be deep in the woods.

When I come around the bend, I see the first cottages, cozily tucked among the trees. I certainly wasn’t expecting such a quaint village after the tales of the Murkfell Wood I had been regaled with before my journey. The animals had left me, no doubt searching for a new home outside of the cursed perimeter of the wood.

Sunlight pours into the center of the village, and some people mill about chatting, some are hanging the wash, the blacksmith is stoking his fire, and somewhere beyond the buildings, I hear the soft mooing of cows and the bleating of goats.

The main buildings are clustered around an open clearing, neat and tidy: the chapel, the blacksmith, the local watering hole, the mill, the bakery, and a few others I can’t make out yet. It looks like any other cheery village I have visited, except for the delightful houses that span out from the village proper into the towering trees.

While the buildings of the village are on the ground, many of the cottages are built into and around the trees, built from the strong, dark wood of the Murk, with inviting circular porches with rounded or arched doorways. In the distance, I can hear the rush of a river. How had I not heard that in Murkfell Wood?

It had been as silent as the grave in there.

“She’s here, she’s here!”

I am jerked out of my reverie by the calls of a small girl in the middle of the village, pointing toward me. Suddenly, all the villagers’ heads swivel toward me. Some of the women drop their laundry baskets to run toward me, their faces beaming with joy, their small, dirt-smudged children in tow. Old people shuffle out of their houses, and before I know it there is a withered man and woman, on their knees at my feet, weeping and kissing my feet and the dirtied fabric of my plain brown dress as if I were some kind of saint.

“You’re here! You’re really here!”

“She’s going to save us all!”

“We’re finally free of the witch’s doom!”

“She survived the Murkfell! She is a Moonbright witch for sure!”

Hardly knowing what to say or do, I feel frozen to the spot, thankful for the appearance of another Red Cloak who appears in the throng of people.

“Please step aside! Give her space, she’s only just arrived!” The Red Cloak, who seems irritated with the villagers, gives me a huge smile, takes my hand, and pulls me out of the curious multitude.

“Come this way, the Red Cloaks are down at the end of the village proper,” she gestures back the way I came into the village. “We’re one of the first buildings you passed on the way in. We like it quiet. I’m Amity Shadowend. And obviously, the whole village knows who you are, Theodora Mourningbeam! Are you all right?? We were so shocked when we heard you were traveling through the Murk instead of around it like everyone else!” Amity looks me up and down as if to ascertain if I had any injuries. “But you are a Moonbright, so I am not surprised you made it through the Murk unscathed.”

“I’m fine, just hungry and tired. Grateful to be out of the Murkwood.” I push back my hood and gratefully drink in the breeze flowing through my unbound locks.

“I apologize for the villagers. We don’t get many new people here, especially witches. And never a Moonbright! Your people usually never leave your kingdom, right?”

I shake my head as we pass by the smithies, the smell of coal, leather, and wood swirling in the air. “It’s all right. I was expecting to the subject of curiosity, just not so much.”

Murkfell Village | Created by author in Midjourney

“The apothecary, which is us, is down this way, closer to the river.” Amity gestures to a small building, which looks like a house. Above the door is a wooden sign with a red cloak painted upon it. “This is the apothecary, and the house next door is where we all live together. It is small, I know. There are five of us now, so you and I will have to share a room, but you won’t mind, right?” Entranced by her huge smile, I couldn’t help but feel welcome as pulls me into the apothecary.

Two young women swarm me as soon as I walk inside, the earthy smell of herbs and the acrid smell of smoke assaulting my nostrils. One of the Cloaks is still sitting in a rocking chair by the fire, eyeing me suspiciously and knitting quite furiously.

They are all dressed alike, in simple beige wool dresses, leather lace-up boots, and brown leather corsets cinching their waists. Three red cloaks hang on a coat rack by the door.

“Theodora! We’re so glad you’re here!” A raven-haired beauty with ebony skin throws her arms around me, kissing me on the cheek. “I’m Elwen Riddle, earth. Amity is air — did she already tell you that? And Jemma Keeling here is water. The sourpuss over by the fire is Cordelia Bloodworth, who is our resident fire witch.”

Cordelia glares at Elwen, then returns to her knitting. “Pleased to meet you,” she mumbles at me, still not looking up from her work.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you all!” I exclaim, surprised at my warm reception (except for the fire witch). “I’ve not been around many elemental witches; I can’t wait to learn about your magic!”

“And we yours,” says Amity as she takes my muddy, dirty cloak. “We’ll get this washed for you. We have a spare you can use until then.” She leaves the room as Elwen pours me a cup of tea and sits me down next to the fireplace.

I sit heavily and sigh, rubbing my aching feet, wishing I could remove my boots. Elwen places a steaming mug in one hand, and a plate of warm bread, honey, and cheese in the other. “Oh, bless you! What wonderful refreshment!” I tuck gratefully into the bread and took a sip of the warming tea.

“This tea is a specialty of mine. It helps weak constitutions. You’ll feel refreshed in no time!” Elwen smiled, sitting down next to me.

Jemma, the water witch, sits down on the hearth, looking a bit shy. She looks younger than the rest of us, with radiant chestnut locks, golden amber eyes, and golden skin the color of toasted acorns. She is breathtakingly beautiful. “We’re so glad you’re here. There are usually only four of us, one for each element. But when we received your letter asking about employment — a real live Moonbright witch — we couldn’t turn you down!” Her cheeks, two shiny ripe apples, pull up into a grin. “A natural-born healer! You can heal by just touching someone, right?”

“What made you leave Moonbright to come here of all places?” Cordelia interrupts before I can answer, leaning against the door jamb, glaring at me with her bright blue eyes, a stark contrast to her dark hair.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. I was born with healing powers, so it was a natural calling to become a healer. I love helping people.” I almost tell them about the dreams I have always had about this village, but I don’t know them well enough to confide that. Would they think me strange? I focus once again on the conversation with my new Red Cloak sisters. “So here I am.” I blow on the tea and take a dainty sip to not burn my tongue. It tastes of clove, anise, and honey. It was blissfully warming, and a pleasant change from the wine and water I’d been drinking the last week during my travels.

“Well, whatever your reason, we’re always happy to have another Red Cloak. We needed another set of hands to help us with the villagers who live deeper in the forest and up into the mountains.” Amity squeezes by Cordelia and also comes to sit at the table.

“So, we must know, Thea, is it alright if I call you that?” Without waiting for an answer, the loquacious Elwen continues. “Did you see the dire wolf?” Her eyes widen in excitement and suspense.

I almost tell them the truth, that I had seen something, but I decide to keep that knowledge to myself. I don’t want news of the dire wolf to spark a hunting frenzy on the poor creature. “No, no wolves. Just a few woodland creatures when I got closer to the Murkfell road.” I focus on putting more honey on my bread lest they could see the lie in my eyes.

“No one ever comes through the Murkfell Wood to get here. They take the long way round. Why did you brave the Murk when entire groups of men who are twice your size refuse to set foot in that forest?” Cordelia is still leaning against the door jamb, her eyes stabbing into mine.

“She’s a cosmic witch, Cordelia! She has the power of light, so naturally, she can scare away all the fell creatures of the dark!” Elwen says before I can answer. She rolls her eyes. “Don’t mind her. You’re terribly brave, coming through the Murk the way you did. Most outlanders come the long way round, up the mountain and down Windborne Pass to get here.”

“That would have taken an extra week, and my posting started today. I had no idea the coachman would leave me like that! He said he would take me all the way to Murkfell,” I said, shaking my head in disbelief.

“He did take you all the way to the Murkfell. Just not through the Murkfell. Did he ever say Murkfell Village? There’s the rub,” Jemma says quietly, clearing my empty plate.

My mouth hangs open slightly with the realization. “That horrid little man! No wonder everyone in the tavern laughed when he said he’d take me to theMurkfell.”

Amity laughs, the corners of her mahogany eyes creasing. “Old Mr. Crowe. He’s a sneaky one.”

“Come on, Thea, let’s get you settled in your room! Cordelia is heating water for your bath, and then you can have a rest.” Elwen takes my hand and leads me over to our shared house, my new living quarters.

“Don’t I need to start my work today? I’m not too tired — ”

“Nonsense! Today, you rest. But tomorrow — your new life in Murkfell begins.”

To be continued

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