The Witch and the Wizard
I shot straight up out of my slumber. That memory from ten years ago still haunted my dreams. The mountain cave was still fairly bright. It was only mid-day. I still had a few hours to sleep before nightfall. But I really did not want to go back to sleep. Not after that nightmare.
The smell of fresh bread drifted towards me. I got up to follow the scent. I walked outside the cave to find the little old witch placing a wooden plate full of bread rolls on our small stone table. She was small. The witch had long snowy hair that would always move in the slightest breeze. She had a long nose and her lips were almost none existent. She had deep lines all over her kind face.
I met this kind old witch and her husband who was a wizard and a master swordsman a few months after I ran away to the mountains.
I was cold and hungry. I had a small camp set up near the waterfall. I went looking for berries because at the time, that was all I knew how to get. I tried to be as silent as I could as I moved through the green brush and trees. I heard a noise behind me and quickly turned around my sword ready, even though I really didn't know what to do with it. Nothing was there. I slowly walked backwards. My tiny arms trembling with fear. I must have tripped over a fallen branch or something because I fell backwards down a ravine. I hit my head on a rock at the bottom of the ravine. I heard someone in the distance shout “It's a child.” as everything around me faded to black.
I awoke in a small cave. I was very groggy but I was very aware of three major things:
One, my head hurt.
Two, I had a very sharp pain in my side.
And three, I was not alone in the cave.
It was dark in the cave and I could not see. I jumped up quickly only to be brought to my knees by a very sharp pain in my left side. I placed my hand on the site of the pain only to find that I had bandages around my lower torso. “Please be careful child,” A voice called out to me from the darkness. “You fell on you sword my dear,” a torch was lit in the cave revealing an very short old woman standing against the wet grey walls of the cave and a large old man with dark grey hair and a long beard sitting beside her on a rock. He had my sword in his hand. The woman spoke again, “You were injured quite badly. My powers healed you enough so that your wound would not be fatal but you still need to rest and let it heal more naturally.”
I gulped. Powers? The man got up off the rock. “Well, Mary now you scared her.” He had a deep booming voice that matched his large size.
“Oh, sorry Barney.”
“Don’t tell me, tell her.”
Mary walked to me and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and some of the pain and fear went away. “I am sorry for scaring you, child. That was not my intention.” She smiled at me. “Are you hungry?” She asked.
I opened my mouth to talk to her but no sound came out. I started to panic. My chest felt tight and I was feeling very dizzy. Why can’t I speak? I looked at the old woman and grabbed her arm. Did you do this to me? I couldn’t say the words but I had a feeling she knew what I was trying to say. Barney rushed over and wrapped his strong hands around both of mine and pulled them behind my back. What is he doing? Let me go. I was kicking and trying to scream but no sound came out. “Stop fighting us. Calm down.” His voice seemed to seep into my veins. My muscles fell to mush and I could not move. “Be calm.” He said once more and I was no longer afraid. How is he doing that? He must have powers too. He lowered me softly to the ground and walked back to the wall.
“I wonder,” Mary reached her hand towards my face but never touched me. Her eyes seemed to go blank like she was somewhere else entirely. She suddenly gasped and began sobbing. She threw her arms around my shoulders. “You… poor child! Oh! I’m so… so… sorry that… that’s so horrible!” She wept on my shoulder. Her tears stained my dress.
“What did you see, Mary.” Barney asked curiously.
“Oh it’s so terrible! This poor girl! Everything was taken from her! Nothings left! Everything, everybody. It’s all gone! She can no longer speak. Her voice left with her life. She is practically a phantom. A ghost of her former self.” She looked up to Barney and wiped the tears from her eyes. I knew what she was talking about. My heart broke as images off the castle on fire filled my mind. The little girl, bloody and crying on the ground as that man kicked her. My brother’s detached head rolling in the bloody dirt. I began to cry silently.
“Don’t you worry none, child. We will help you. I will teach you my magic and Barney can teach you use your sword. He is a master swordsman you know.” She smiled. I looked up to the large man hopefully. He nodded his head quietly.
Mary got up off the ground and smiled widely. “She’s very hungry too.” She spoke to Barney again. With that she danced to a tree outside the cave. She was very fast and graceful despite her old age and deteriorating looks. She waved her long fingers over a branch and a large succulent red apple appeared on the branch. She picked it off and tossed it to me. I caught it and nodded thankfully towards her and took a bite. It was the sweetest fruit I ever tasted.
“You are very welcome, child.” She made her way over to the wall and sat on the rock Barney was sitting on a little while before. “Feel free to stay here as long as you like. We will feed you and care for you until you feel you are ready to take back your kingdom, Princess Caroline.” She said with her head help high as She and Barney bowed towards me.
That was so long ago it seems. So much had changed in the past seven years. This kind woman and her husband was my new family. I had learned so much from them. Thanks to Mary’s magic I could grow flowers and other plants like fruits and vegetables. -My food still doesn’t taste as good as hers but when you are in my situation you cannot afford to be picky. I eat what I need to survive. Anything extra I bring to the village. At least that is one way I can help my people from starving. Someday my people and I will not need to scrounge for our food. With the help of Mary and Barney I will take back control of my kingdom and my people will never be hurt or go hungry again. I will be much better at protecting them. But for now this is all I can do. - I can also control wind and form fog around myself so that nobody can see me when I go to the village. Barney has taught me a lot about using my sword. I am now a master swords man as well. He says I am even better than he is now but I believe he is holding out on me. I need to learn more if I’m ever going to help the villagers.
I got up from the table and glided to the happy old woman and rapped my arms around her. She is so small it is almost comical. I squeezed her tightly and smiled to myself.
“I do not know what that was for,” she said softly, “But I will take a warm hug any day.” She squeezed me back and then continued her baking.
I looked to the sky. I still have time to wash up before I need to leave for the village. I grabbed my cloak and satchel from the cave and started walking towards the waterfall when I heard a voice call from behind me. “Wait Caroline,” I turned to Mary. “You might want to take fresh water to the village later.” She handed me a large bucket and I nodded my thanks. Then I was off to the falls.
The Witch and the Wizard
