Ever since the Inquisition took their mother, Kirsha and her younger sister Damitri have been on the run. However, after months of being careful and watching their steps, Kirsha wakes up to find that the one person left in her life has been taken. I...
The cottage was crude, but must have once upon a time been a cozy little dwelling. If one could look past its current sorry state of disrepair, that was. Kirsha guessed it must have belonged to the witch in question. Remnants of her herbs still hung along the walls. The young woman felt something in her chest tightening when she realized beneath the smell of rotting wood, mold and forest it almost smelled a bit like home. She tried not to dwell on it however and think more of the task at hand.
As she continued searching it became increasingly apparent the witch may not have lived there all on her own. The bed was too large. Or at least larger than it had any right to be given the modest size of the cottage. Then there was the left behind tableware. Wooden spoons, clay cups, and plates all stabled in two neat little piles. Further, instead of one chair, two hidden away beneath the table.
When she walked past the old firepit she felt her foot brush up against something. She looked down to find a little, carved figurine akin to what Damitri might have played with at home. The tight feeling in her chest returned. She picked it up and looked closer. Could vaguely make it out to look like a horse...Or perhaps?... She traced her finger over its maw. No, it was most likely just the crude carving leading her on.
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Still, a sort of picture began emerging in her mind: Of a mother and her child. In retrospect, this made the cruder wards she'd found earlier make more sense, but where the kelpie fit into the picture, was hard to say.
She absentmindedly put the figurine away in her pocket and continued her search. Both outside and inside, in every nook and cranny she could think of, often several times over. Just in case she'd missed something. Yet as she continuously came up with nothing the tight feeling in her chest only grew worse.
Her patience had begun wearing thread-thin. She regretted not asking the kelpie for what he had thought it was. started breaking things that didn't even look reminiscent of the wards she'd found before. Just about anything she could get her hands on was left on the floor. Until there was nothing more to break and all she could do was sink down at the bedside. Eyes empty.
Everything was stacked against her. For all she knew her little sister was already dead. The only thing allowing her to hope otherwise was the kelpie...But what were his words worth? He'd tried to kill her. Could have killed Damitri too. Yet here she was, searching like a madman for a way to free him. This was insane. She was a fool!
Something was building up between her eyelids. She tried to stop it. Knew this would get her nowhere, but it was no use. Tears began forcing their way out again. She hated it. Wished she could just stop feeling like this. Stay strong. Like their mom had for both of them when everyone else had looked at them as if they'd were worth less than dirt. Always made sure they were clothed and fed, warm and safe...never alone.
But now Kirsha had nobody. Nobody but herself...and still she had to find a way to save her. Her little ray of sunshine. So stubborn, ill-tempered, big mouthed, but non the less hers. She took in a shaky breath and pushed herself off off the floor when she felt something fall out from her pocket and land at her feet. She looked down again, to see amidst broken pottery. It was Damitri's dagger and the figurine.
She picked both up, almost afraid to hope. Then slowly sat back down again, placed the tip of the dagger at the beginning of an already formed crack and pushed down with all of her weight. It split in half and then finally...she felt it! Almost as if an invisible weight had been lifted from the area surrounding the river. So inconspicuous she hadn't even realized it had been there until it was gone. She almost felt dizzy. Unfathomably relieved. Heart soaring. Only to slowly be replaced by a deep sense of...dread.
A beastly howl echoed through the forest. What had she done?
