L's Forgotten Journey

Pilot: Witches and Wailing

This day was like any other day, the early morning dew made the farmland along the trail look like a field of diamonds, a lazy fall breeze rusled the leaves of the nearby woods, and the wailing noises of some dammed human cut through the air bringing my peaceful morning to a halt.

"Did you hear that?" L said, her pointed ears perked up in an attempt to locate the noise.

"Me? No, I didn't hear anything." I said sarcastically, hoping that she would forget the disturbance and move on. No such luck.

"Liar," L accused. "I think it came from up ahead."

She ignored the rest of my half hearted excuses and took off down the beaten trail, headed in the direction of our next problem.

~*~*~*~

About an arows-flight away, just around the forests bend, we came across a quaint little farm house nestled alongside the wood. L crouched in the overgrown brush observing the situation and to my displeasure, there appeared to be half-a-dozen children running about the front yard barbarically hitting each other with sticks.

"See." I chided her, "Everything is fine here, they're just human children playing in the dirt."

I was just about to get her to turn her back when a young woman stepped out of the house. She had a young one cradled in her arms and tears streaked down her face. She sat down on the front stoop with a solemn blank look on her face.

L glanced down at me with a triumphant smile and emerged from the tall grass she was using for cover. As we neared, the children stoped playing and stared at us. The woman lifted her miserable face to see what was the matter but when she caught sight of us she shrieked. This startled L and me both, reflexively L jumped back and grabbed onto me. The women, on the other hand, retreated inside. Her children too scattered, some following their Mother inside and others to who knows where else. Within seconds the entire yard was silent.

"Well, we tried. Can we leave now?" I said as L let go of me.

"But I want to know why she was crying." she said with a sigh.

"Just leave her alone." I said. "It was probably something petty anyway."

"Ok." L said finally coming around. She turned and we began to make our way to the road when a tiny hand reached out of the tall grass and lached onto L's cloak. We both looked down to see the dirty face of a little girl to go with it.

"Miss," a weak voice trailed out of her "please help my Mama and Papa."

And with that L was hooked.

After much pleading from her daughter and some kind words from L, the mother of the houshold finally let us in into her shack... I mean humble home.

She served some tea and finally to told us why she was acting like a lunatic earlier.

"Are you comfortable?" she asked L in a meek voice.

"Perfectly miserable," I said grouchily.

"Yes, thank you," L said "Now please tell us your name and what is causing you distress ." She spoke, getting down to business.

"Yes, that..." the woman replied "My name is Avangela and... and... I believe the witches of the wood have taken my husband."

She passed to take a deep shaky breath.

"About six days ago my husband left early in the morning to go hunting in the wood and never came back. When he didn't return that night, I got woried and the next morning I sent word to town asking for a search party, but no one came!" She exclaimed, tears filling her eyes. "Their all cowards, too scared to search the forest, even after all my husbands done for them. But you'll help me right?" She nelt to the floor and took L's hand "please, your my last hope."