THREE YEARS AFTER THE DISAPPEARANCE OF AEIRWEN TARGARYEN
The voices mixed in Aeirwen's head often. Especially when the witch was around. "Home." She repeated after the distorted voice of Alicent. She didn't even remember how the real one sounded, this was what she had been hearing from the beginning.
"Aeirwen!" The witch snapped, making her head turn, as if it was some external force moving it. "You wonder too much in your mind. The forest is taking you, child." Babka's face twisted in a grimace. "Roots deepening in you." The woman spit on the floor in disdain.
Aeirwen heard it a thousand times now. She already got used to the leaves talking to her, crows were less pleasant to listen to, but she bravely withstood their monologues. "They tell me to go home."
"Ahh, not this again!" Babka screeched and went back to skinning a rabbit, the girl had caught earlier. Witch's palms were covered in blood as she cut the fur off. "What are they telling you girl? Hmm?"
"Fire is warmer at home. Blood is warmer at home." Babka rolled her eyes as Aeirwen answered. She should have kept her mouth shut.
"Do you think they will want you back? With trees as your mind and crows as your ears?" Baba Yaga asked her with a mocking tone. "You will crawl back here, when they cast you out." Her words were harsh and Aeirwen could not understand why, but she had gotten used to it by now. The witch's arm suddenly became abnormally long and her bloodied palm cupped Aeirwen's cheek. "You should know," He thumb smeared rabbit's blood on her cheek and lips. "You are worthless to them now." The finger started to draw on her face with blood. "Your dragon dead. Your mind dead. You can only," The broom flew from one part of the wooden hut to Aeirwen's hand. "Use this." It became the same sword it always did. Babka's long arm snapped back to the normal size, leaving Aeirwen alone.
The girl twisted in her seat uncomfortably. Burn her. A voice called in her head. Try it. Burn us all. Aeirwen looked at the witch to make sure it was not her speaking, but the woman was busy with the rabbit. Burn? How? Will it get me home? She asked and the voice only laughed.
We are home.
Some nights were easier to pass than others. Tonight, when the witch went to sleep, Aeirwen stayed up, gazing at the black cat that stared back with her own eyes. Try it. Burn us all. The words rang in her head as she looked at the fireplace in the corner of the hut. Fire had almost gone out, but she was able to- to... A piece of paper, an old letter- She took it and put it into the hot coals. But as she was about to do what the voices wanted, a hand closed around her wrist. Her eyes snapped to the witch's bottomless ones. "What are you doing?" A harsh whisper escaped Babka.
