Far From The Forest

Chapter 1: The Forest

The biggest difference between my mom and I was our hair. Mine was golden brown like my father's while she had raven black hair, so silky that I could comb it with my fingers for hours.

I loved standing in front of the mirror with my hair covered and looking at myself. I was proud of the fact I took after her and would carefully reexamined my features: my blue eyes, my lips, my eyebrows. My nose was a feature that I inherited from my father. Though wasn't much different from my mom's nose, I still frowned at it. My mom said it was prettier than her nose, but that was only a minor consolation. I hated anything to do with my father.

As a child, I used to be use curious of my father and ask my mother to tell me everything she knew of him. She would oblige and narrate the story of their meeting and despite hearing it so often, I would eagerly listen hope to catch a new detail she missed before. As I got older I saw the pain of the recollection in her eye and I stopped asking.

I knew that mother's memory of the past was still hurt her so I tried to prevent her from remembering them. I covered up my my golden hair that resembled my father's. I always accompanied her to the market in nearest village, trying make her laugh so she wouldn't feel alone. I couldn't join her on the trips in search of potion ingredients, books, or other sorceresses but I made sure she came back to a clean home, hoping she felt belonging.

Her trips usually lasted a few days. She would give me a return date and always return by then. The house was lonely with her gone but I made myself busy with cleaning, reading, tending Ada, our goat, and cooking. I am in charge of cooking partly because my mother, despite being extremely talented, could not cook. Besides, I have gotten pretty good at cooking and I enjoyed it, especially when I tried something new and it turn out good. Cooking also kept me occupied when mother was gone.

Mother was gone on one of her trips when I met him. I had just baked a loaf of bread and the whole cottage smelled cozy and homely. It was a warm day and the sunlight spilled through the canopy of the forest trees. A spring breeze flowed through my hair. The birds were singing. It was too beautiful of a day to stay inside.

The weather was perfect for a picnic on the river bank, so I got a basket and filled it with whatever seemed appropriate for a picnic: the fresh bread, homemade goat cheese, nuts, a half empty bottle of wine and an old baby blue blanket to sit on. The weather was still chilly outside so I grabbed my mom's brown cloak and wrapped it around me.

Mother had taught me that nature was unlike people. Once you earned you were faithful to it, it was loyal and faithful to you. The forest was our family. We were just a part of it as the birds in their nest and the rabbit in their burrow and the bears in their caves. Mother and I spent many day familiarizing ourselves with the woods, learning the waters, bushes, trees and animals. It was our habit to bring food for the animal; even if our house was empty we'd find some crumbs to share. Over time I had grown familiar with the animals and learned to trust them and they too learned to trust us.

When I walked out the birds recognized me and flew around me in circle. I broke a piece off my bread and held out for them. The birds started pecking for the bread on my hand making me giggle.

Mother showed me how if the birds liked your singing they would chirp along with you. Ever since then, anytime I felt lonely, I would practice sing with the bird.

I started humming and the birds repeated the tune. My humming echoed through the forest and soon the animals started coming at the sound of my familiar voice. I saw squirrels, rabbits and a deer, which I had named Helda, emerge from behind the tree. The animals followed me as I started walking through the forest. My humming turned in a song my Mother sung often.

One day, walking through the woods,
I met a stranger.
He was handsome, tall and fair
I couldn't help but stare.
He was sweet, he made me feel warm
With him I felt, safe from harm
He was brave, he made feel strong,
Without him, I felt so wrong

We were a few feet from the river when I came across a patch of berries, ripe and ready for eating. I could hear the river in the background though it was covered by tree. While singing, I started picking the berries and putting them in my basket. The squirrels and rabbits started help me gather, while the birds chirped along to my song.

He taught to me fly
I felt so free!
But I never realized I was trapped,
I never knew love was misery.
I was his slave,
My heart was b-

I was interrupted by a loud splash. I stopped singing and slowly started inching towards the river. The animals stayed behind my lead. Based of the sound of the splash, something big fell in the water. A bear could be dangerous if angry. Through the tree I could see something struggling to get out of the water.

I got past the trees to the river bank. There was a horse, brown and regal, standing barely in the river. It was fully saddled but missing a rider. I focused my eyes on the creature struggling against the current to get out.

It was no animal struggling in the water. It was a man.

I panicked. People seldom came into the forest. It was dangerous and there were rumours of hauntings. The only people I've seen in the forest were the ones desperate were the ones desperate enough to seek Mother's small magic. Even then she was with me, by my side if anything went. I've never been with humans all alone. I never realized how scared and vulnerable I felt around people when my mother was not with me.

While I stood frozen in shock, the man grabbed his horse's reins and pulling himself up. I realized I had to escape before I noticed be.

I slowly tried to slip behind a tree but my foot stepped on a branch. There was a loud crack. My heart stopped. I looked up hoping he didn't notice and I could slip away.

It was too late. He had noticed and was staring right at me.