Keep Your Enemies Closer

A Place of Secrets and Shadows

'Everything has beauty but not everyone sees it' - Confucius 

Everything seemed fuzzy at first. Disconnected. As if she was underwater, somehow cut off from the rest of reality. Reyna couldn't move, she realised. She had no sense of her body or where she was. It was as if she was stuck in a spiders web, try as she might to get free she just could not. One thought entered her mind : drugged. It was the only explanation she could think of. Where were her parents? Why hadn't River or one of her siblings saved her? Reyna considered this for a moment before her memories came flooding back to her in rapid succession. She had forgotten her venture into Valbara, encounter with the wolf and strange woman. Agnes. She reminded herself. The woman's name was Agnes. Was she the one who had drugged her? She must have been as there was no other option. Swallowing a wave of fear, she tried to get back her senses. Straining to get out of the coma she had been put in. 

Reyna blinked a few times, a dizzy blurry image opening up to her. Slowly, she flexed her fingers, relief flooding through her. It took her a few moments to realise where she was. The room could only be compared to a cell with floors and walls made of cool grey stone and she was lying on a rickety wooden bed with hay for a mattress and sheep's skin for a blanket. There was a bucket of water lying beside the bed as well as a plate of bread and vegetables. It was only then that she realised how hungry she was and scrambled for the food, savouring the taste as she swallowed it. She ate silently and quickly, not caring whether she would throw up or not. Her body screamed for nourishment as she drunk out the bucket. The water was surprisingly cool and icy. After drinking half of it, Reyna rubbed the water onto her face and assessed the rest of her body. The splinters were gone and the little cuts and scratches she had acquired over the last few days too. 

Reyna wondered if her parents thought of her and where she had gone. If they had heard her leave and let her because she was a burden to them with no great intelligence or looks. Just the thought sent a thorn of pain through her heart. She knew River would care. She'd always been close to her younger sister who was kind and good humoured, passionate and hard working. She believed that Drax and Kael would search for her too. The image of them looking for her - calling out into the Woods and round the town sent a lump into her throat as she stared at her reflection in the water. River knew what Tegan had been doing - Tegan might be locked up and blamed for her disappearance. The image, she had to admit, provided Reyna some satisfaction. 

As she stared at herself, the water rippling she noticed she didn't look as bad as she had done. Her face was clean and scrubbed. She glanced down at her clothes which were still muddy and disgusting before her eyes latched onto the door. It was made simply of wood and she peeked through they keyhole to see if anyone was coming. She looked out to see a hall which was silent and if she peered long enough she could see other doors like hers, likely containing more cells. She drew back, thoughtful. She ran her hands along the door, considering her next move of action. "Hey!" She shouted as loud as she could. "I'm awake!" Silence followed. "Hello?" She shouted again, throat straining but again, no reply. She pounded on the door, fists flying. Surely that would cause them to hear her. "I'm awake!" She screamed. With no reply, Reyna slunk back to her bed, defeated. 

It was a few minutes before she heard the sound of someone's footsteps down the stairs and she perked up immediately, rushing towards the door. Fear and hope shot through her with equal measure. Reyna was afraid she would be killed - or worse, but hopeful that the Witches would give her a chance to become a beauty. It had to be them who kept her here after all. Who else could it be? Agnes - from before - she certainly had to be a Witch herself. Besides, Agnes had told her she had found the Witches - referring to herself most likely. This must be Bruha, the Witches stronghold, rumoured to keep their darkest secrets hidden. The sense of mystery sent a thrill through Reyna as she waited expectantly for her visitor. 

She heard they key turn in the lock and in stepped Agnes, a pleasant smile on her face as she beheld Reyna. "Reyna. I hope you understand why we've placed you here, in this cell. We are often very kind to our guests but-" she sighed. "We don't know your intentions, do we? Considering you've just murdered one of our dearest friends." She watched Reyna closely, her green eyes tantalising. "What do you mean?" Reyna asked, confused. Murdered a Witch? When? Agnes acknowledged her confusion, taking it in stride. "Ah. Well you might know your victim as one of our creatures of the night." 

The Wolf she had killed last night? A witch? She looked at Agnes to find she was deadly serious, her face grave. Reyna shook her head. "I'm afraid I misunderstand." She gestured to the surroundings. "Am I in Bruha? Are you going to let me go?" 

"Ah, well we can't reveal all our secrets now can we?" Agnes gestured to the doorway. "Now come. Don't run off now." She held the door open for Reyna who hesitantly stepped through, trailing after the Witch as she led them both up a stairs and out into a large hall. She was greeted by the cold air, wind blowing into her face by an open window to the side of her. With ease, Agnes closed the window with a snap of her fingers. "Sorry about that." She said before carrying on walking. 

The hall was large and made of stone , lit by dozens of candles. It was old, she could tell, and thrummed with magic. The windows were stained glass, depicting murals Reyna could not understand, a patterned carpet covering most of the hallway. There were a few different doors they could have gone into but Agnes led them straight onwards, her steps self assured. The whole design seemed like something out of a monastery or an abby which didn't come as a surprise. Reyna had studied Bruha for weeks and had gotten the gist of its layout and looks, although the drawings hadn't done Bruha's beauty justice. As they passed by a window, she took the opportunity to glance down, finding they were very high, likely at the top of the building. She could see the huge forests below an the sun was slowly setting. It made Reyna wonder how long she had been asleep for.

"How long have I been asleep?" Reyna asked quietly. 

"A couple of days. The incantation takes a while to wear off, even longer on a weak body such as your own." 

"Why?" She knew Agnes would know what she meant. Why did you drug me and bring me here?

"Why?" She chuckled. "A human girl wandering through Valbara to Bruha who managed to kill a Witch. Consider us curious." She tossed her head back towards Reyna. If anything, Agnes looked more devastating than she had previously. Her hair was tied back into a bun, her gown a mauve purple, strapless and simple, ending at about her ankles. Now she didn't have her gloves on, Reyna could see the intricate tattoos on  her palm that led up to her elbow. Swirls of runes she didn't understand, likely some witch tradition. 

"How old are you?" Reyna breathed, more curious than anything. 

"Much older than you, girl. Centuries." She replied, seeming proud. "Years of knowledge and studying and so many more to come." 

The first rumoured Witch was said to have been the consort of an ancestor of King Alaric, who fled to Valbara after having her pregnancy aborted by her lover. There, the spirits took pity on her and gave her a reincarnation of her dead newborn, a baby girl infested with magic and power while gifting the Mother with some of her own. There they lived in harmony among nature, growing more powerful as they discovered the depths of their abilities. They created Bruha once they became powerful enough, to make a home for the rest of their long lives. The daughter though, was curious about life outside Valbara and ran back to her Father's kingdom, falling in love with a general who was set to inherit her Father's throne. The daughter didn't know this, or who her Father was and he murdered her, breaking her Mother's heart. She learnt how to create more Witches so that one day she could exact revenge on her ex lover's Kingdom. The incantation though, to create more of her kind came with a price, so the stories say.

"Is the first Witch still around?"

"She is but Morgan takes charge in her stead now." Agnes replied, turning onto a corridor.

They had reached a door in the narrow corridor where Agnes turned to face her. "Here we are now." She pushed open the door and stepped through, revealing a circle of Witches, hoods draped over their faces so to remain anomalous. They were around a huge table, engraved with an eight pointed star, clutters of herbs and ingredients taking over most of the space. It was lit with a chandelier from the ceiling  giving it all an eerie feel. Agnes joined the crowd of Witches as Reyna stepped forwards hesitantly, considering if this had all been a horrible idea. There was only one other person without a hood on at the further end of the table. She too, was gorgeous, her hair a cascade of golden curls, her eyes the blue of dreams. "Reyna." She purred. "How lovely to finally meet you."