Witches of Moonlit Forest

Chapter 1 Rumours

"Ah!"

It is a month after the wedding and I awake in the middle of the night, clutching my right wrist.

"Are you all right?" My husband asks beside me and I take a moment before answering.

"Yes, I'm fine, Aidan. I just scratched myself is all. You can go back to sleep, I'll put a cold cloth against it." I answer, slightly gasping.

"Alright." He says and I get out of our four-poster bed, taking the candle with me. It's burning low.

The moment I enter the bathroom I close the door, checking if I'm alone. When I'm sure I am, I lock the door and use my magic to light the other candles in the bathroom with the flame from the candle. I look at my wrist and gasp. That is no scratch!

It's some sort of mark, one of which I have the odd feeling to have seen before. Then I remember. It's the Witches Mark!

I gasp loudly as another Mark appears under the first with golden light. When it's gone all that is left to see is the two light brown markings. I recognise the second marking as well.

"I'm... the High Witch?" I whisper to myself and start to look around for a cloth. I need to hide this! Then my eyes fall upon a strip wide enough to cover both Marks and long enough to at least wrap it twice around my wrist before tying it. I concentrate, let it fly to me and bandage my wrist with the help of my powers.

———————

The next morning I arise together with Aidan and I try to hide the bandage, but he notices.

"Are you all right?" He asks again and I nod.

He looks at me sceptically however and I sigh. "Really it's nothing. I bandaged it in case it would bleed while I was asleep." I lie and even though he doesn't look convinced, he doesn't continue his questioning and I'm glad. I don't like lying to him!

As we are getting ready for the day, I suddenly feel nauseous and run into the bathroom. I gasp as I throw up and Aidan comes to hold my hair and rub my back as I throw up for the second time. After that I take a glass of water to rinse my mouth and sigh.

"Thank you. And before you ask me, I'm fine. Truly. It's gone already..." I say and this time I mean it.

After that we have breakfast at which we decide to take a ride through some of the villages today.

We go to the kitchen to get some food and to the stables to fetch our horses and ride out to some of the outer villages, a good few hours away.

In every village we pass, people seem to be scared of something but dare not talk.

It seems the same as we move up the main road of the last village where the people get to the side of the road as if they're scared. What is going on?

We stop at the village round square and a little boy with pale skin and black hair approaches us.

"Are you here to help us, miss?" He asks with a small voice and I kneel down to meet his eyes.

"Help you? Sorry, no. What's going on that you need help with? Tell me your name."

"My name is Zandar. And..." He hesitates and his eyes flicker to Aidan.

"It's okay, you can trust him."

"It's a witch, ma'am. A dark one. It's said that she has done terrible things to the king's soldiers. She captured them, threatening to kill them and their family if they would not follow her. They refused and now families are missing. Somehow my father escaped, but she found him and took him... and my mother. My sister and I weren't at home but others saw it..."

"There have been sightings as well, High... Your Highness. Animals with red smoke for eyes, creatures even. As if they are possessed." A woman with golden hair says, a girl with black hair at her side. Both look quite familiar. "And my nephew was not telling the whole truth. He should know better than to do so. My brother was not taken together with his wife, but by her. I should have seen the signs their was something wrong when we were young, but I wanted to see the best in her. Please, forgive me..." She says, bowing her head to me and again she looks familiar.

"What is the name of this dark witch?" Aidan asks, frowning, and the woman looks me in the eye as she answers his question.

"Falcula." She says gravely and the people around us murmur with fright.

"Falcula..." I whisper in disbelief. "Are you sure?" I ask in normal voice and the woman nods.

"I am. There is more to tell, but it's getting late and the children need to eat. It would be an honour should you choose to share in our dinner. It won't be much, but still..." She asks us and I open my mouth to except, but Aidan puts his hand on my shoulder.

"Father won't like this!" He says softly and I look him in the eye as I answer him back, also whispering.

"Does your father know what is going on in the realm? Did he tell you? Because that woman says she has information. Besides, your father doesn't have to find out!" I argue and I grin as I see I won him over.

"The honour would be ours. Please lead the way." He says in normal voice and I add something to it. "The children can ride our horses if they want, so they don't have to walk. If it's alright with their aunt, of course..."

Zandar and his sister plead with the woman, who gives permission with a laugh, and we haul them onto our horses.

We then follow the woman to a house at the edge of the village near a green forest shining in the moonlight.

As we come up to the house we hear a lot of voices talking and the woman gasps.

"I'm sorry, it appears we have guests I didn't know about. You're still welcome to eat with us, of course. You can tie your horses at the back of the house where our own horse stands. Please, this way." She says and we follow her. As the woman ties horses to a ring, Aidan and I help the children down from them.

We are still with our backs turned when the back door opens and the children cheer.

"Grandmother!" They say and I stiffen. Aidan doesn't see it because he's watering the horses, but the woman does and bends toward me.

"Don't worry." She whispers. "It's my mother. But if she's here, then yours might be here as well!"

I quickly turn towards her, gasping. "So it is you! Amaya?" I exclaim softly and the woman smiles broadly.

"I knew you recognised me. And the Prince? Can we talk freely?" She inquires and I turn my head to him, still at the well.

"I haven't had the chance to tell him, now that I live at the palace. But it isn't the only thing. It's been a month since the wedding and this morning I was nauseous. So that probably means..." I answer but stop as I see a light coming from the forest at high speed.

"Aidan, watch out!"