Heart Spell

Chapter 4

The rain endured for four days.

During that time, Evolet did her chores and helped Vanadey with making the remedies, boiling and mixing herbs, and reading the stack of books Vanadey had on her desk that were a collection of medicinal plants and recipes. Evolet had become immersed in the art of making medicine and therefore had adhered to learning all about plants and their benefits and attributes.

Evolet never really knew where Vanadey had attained her bountiful knowledge of herbs. She assumed it had been from experience, but Vanadey knew one plant from another, even if it was ripe enough, simply by looking at or smelling it. Her tonics were crafted with splendid craftsmanship which was what kept her business running despite the rumors of her witchery.

The clients came and went, seeking solace over headaches, wounds, upset stomachs, or a sore throat. They preferred Evolet since they held caution over the slight belief that Vanadey was possibly a witch. She didn't seem to care. She knew Evolet's beauty was what partially drew the customers in. Yet that didn't mean they weren't completely un-assuming of Evolet being a witch also.

After the rain finally relented and the clouds began letting the sunlight breathe a little, Evolet grabbed her cloak and sprinted toward the stables to ready Apollo for her trek into the forest. It was a Sunday morning so not many people were up as early. The rain had gone, but a fog still lingered, blanketing the village streets in a ghostly haze.

She led Apollo to the edge of the forest where the fog slowly shifted as if manipulated by an invisible hand. Entering, she found it to be cooler than last time, the trees trapping the coolness of the rain under their branches. After ensuring the knife she had brought with her was still snugly tied to the belt under her cloak, Evolet guided Apollo further toward where her encounter had occurred. She wasn't exactly planning on seeing the stag again, nor did she want to meet the wolves again either. She was more so focused on finding the bloodroot.

After riding for a bit, she finally found a cluster of bloodroots near a clearing. She dismounted and tied Apollo to a branch before kneeling to pick the white blooms to place inside her satchel.

Then, she heard a twig snap. Gasping, she looked up, prepared to see the wolves again. Instead, she saw a large figure through the mist. The stag? She took a step closer, but it became clear the figure was what not she expected. The neck was too short, and the legs too gangly. The bushy tail that switched behind was the first thing to spark an offset feeling in Evolet, but it was the face that emerged from the mist that made her face drain of blood.

A snarling snout with yellow eyes was set in the face of what Evolet thought was a wolf, but it was too large for a regular wolf – larger than the ones she knew roamed this rea of the Forest usually. It was massive too. Abruptly, Evolet realized what it could be, although crazy if it was true.

A barghest – a massive, black wolf-dog that Evolet remembered reading about in a book Vanadey had told to her long ago. She felt the blood chill in her veins as the maw opened to reveal nasty sharp teeth. The creature beheld her its large, yellow eyes that seemed to hold a comprehension beyond what a normal animal could hold. This couldn't be a typical animal. She felt it wasn't.

It also didn't sit on its haunches, circling to attack her like a predator born of natural instincts – like a typical wolf would; it rather regarded her through the misty haze, locking her with a stare, and arched its back and bared its teeth, emitting a foreign growl that made the hair on the back of Evolet's neck and arms stand on end.

Hearing the warning bells inside her head, Evolet reached within her cloak and drew out the dagger to hold in front of her. The barghest tilted its head at the knife but then returned its glare to Evolet, keeping itself enshrouded within the opacity of the mist, but still entrapping her with its feral eyes.

Suddenly, it stood up straighter as she noticed it was looking over her shoulder at something behind her.

She peeked behind her and saw it – the stag. It stood tall and glorious, returning its own intense glare.

Evolet turned back, but only saw last the creature's blurred form retreating back into the fog's murk right before disappearing as if it had never been there before. Only the swirling mist held proof that an object had disturbed the presence.

Evolet slowly turned to face the stag which still held itself high. It lowered its head to lock eyes with her. The wound had closed over but a scabbed patch still showed enough to notice. She inserted her hand inside the satchel at her hip and drew out half an apple. Holding it out in front, she leaned forward. "Come on, don't be afraid," she whispered.

The stag lifted a leg and leaned back, but its ears flicked forward, capturing her voice. It drew its head closer and sniffed at the fruit, still keeping a space between them.

Evolet in turn leaned forward more and stretched her arm. "It's alright," she soothed softly. She slowly took a step, keeping her arm outreached with the luring apple. The stag took a tentative step closer and Evolet took another calculated step in turn. Finally, the stag's snout touched the apple and sniffed it but didn't take it, instead holding Evolet's gaze with its own.

Feeling bold and sure of herself, Evolet held up her other palm and gingerly reached forward. "Easy," she whispered. The stag stilled, regarding her hand. She reached closer, but in a second, the stag snorted and leapt off.

"Wait!" Evolet called out. The stag stopped and turned to look back at her. Beware. Evolet didn't know if she had actually heard it from the stag or not. But before she could discern anything, the stag had disappeared into the thickness of the trees.