There was an intruder in her forest. She felt it cross her wards that border the entirety of her land. It felt as if her magic was made of strings and one was strummed. She tilted her face up towards the sun and mentally followed the vibrating string of magic. She expanded her magic and felt all the familiar life that lives on the ground, in the trees, deep in the lakes, and among the streams. She felt the hum of life from the grasses to the tallest tree. All was in the realm of normal. She was the only magical being in the forest. She and Ursa. Until she felt it. The magical being crossed her wards on the far eastern border. She brushed her magic against the intruders' magic, soft and curious. Its magic responded violently, thrashing out in aggressive pulses of red. The magic that touched hers was old and wild as a forest fire. It burned against her inquisitive wisps. She withdrew her magic and gave the being its peace. It would find her eventually. This was her forest after all.
She kept an eye on the magical being as she went through her day. She checked on it when she was blessing the new blooms in the field. It was present in the back of her mind while she was thanking the fruit-bearing trees in her orchard. It didn't move on the first day.
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On the second day, the witch packed a bag and headed into the forest. Her feet were uncomfortable in her shoes. She usually wore the least amount possible among nature, touching helped facilitate her magic. She liked to feel the dry dirt crunching beneath her feet. She enjoyed the mud squished between her toes. She thanked the grasses and flowers as they brushed against her skin. She was hiking out far today and it wasn't smart to walk that far barefoot. She left early in the morning. The mist was still hugging the ground, the dew drops still fresh on the leaves. She didn't bother locking her door, there were no humans this far out. She reached her magic out and felt for the unexpected guest. It was on the move today. It was no longer on the border but was slowly making its way further into her territory.
She walked away from her house. She whispered to the new spring flowers. Her fingers traced the grooves in the bark of the old trees. She walked all through the morning. She stopped to wave at the birds. She dipped her toes in the river and let her magic spread out through the water. She greeted the squirrels as they ran through her feet, chittering. She walked past the familiar two miles that extended around her house. It was where she spent most of her time. The state park was rather large. She couldn't attend to every acre every day but she tried to visit as much as she could whenever possible. Her house was miles away from the entrance of the park.
The park rangers cover the main entrance. The main part of the park had a little visitor center and restrooms. There was a small campground and miles of hiking trails. The park maps showed the hikers where they could hike and the rest of her forest was unmarked. The only trails she had were ones of her or the animals making. She had a dirt road that she could follow for 10 miles to her own exit from the park. There were several signs and road gates marked private property that kept most people away from her. The only visitors she had were the ones invited, except for her new friend in the east.
Her park wasn't the most visited in the state but it was quite large. It was the perfect fit for her. She wasn't a partially powerful witch, but she had an overabundance of magic that overflowed into the forest. Every touch, every word spoke released some of her pent of magic. It was the perfect relationship. Her forest flourished. Her forest was always one of the first options for reintroducing endangered animals and plants. Everything thrived here. Her magic blessed plants and animals alike and nature charged her magic in return. It was a mutualistic symbiotic system where everyone benefited.
She reached a wide portion of the river she needed to cross. She took her backpack and stretched out. She dug in her bag and pulled out a large dry bag. She took off her shoes and clothes and put them inside her backpack. She wasn't worried about being exposed. Her best magic happened when she was bare in nature. She shoved her backpack inside the dry bag and secured it. It was still spring and the water was shockingly brisk. Her skin pebbled up from the cold. She couldn't touch the ground at the deepest part of the river. She didn't fear the current. She thanked it as it pushed her to the other side of the bank. She was shivering and sought out a break in the trees where the sun broke through. She dug in her backpack for a towel and laid it out in the sun. She ate her lunch there. Naked and sunbaked.
She walked for several more hours. She talked to the familiar animals that popped out of their homes to say hello. She waved to the ones shyly watching her from their homes. She walked until her legs ached, and then she turned around and walked home. The sun went down on her way home but she wasn't afraid. There was nothing in the forest that would harm her. Even the predators of the forest respected her. They came to her when injured or just for the company. Ursa was her most trusted companion and she was at the top of the food chain. All the rest of the moon's children deferred to her.
She sent some magic to light her path. She checked on the visitor. It had been moving steadily into the forest. She was eager to meet them. She didn't recognize its type of magic.
The night was beautiful and alive around her. The sky was clear of clouds. The moon and stars were bright. She could hear the nocturnal animals roaming around. Moths flittered around her spelled casted light. She was walking barefooted through the grass. It was well past sunset when she made it home. She said goodnight to the forest before going inside. She dropped her pack by the door and shed her clothes on her way to her room. She left them where they fell. She would worry about the mess for tomorrow. She fell face first on her bed and slipped into sleep quickly. She dreamt fiery magic, hot to the touch. It wrapped around her, its tendrils extended throughout her forest. It burned, but not in searing flesh, it burned into her bones, into the soils, and down to every root in the park. She dreamt of her intruder.
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The next morning she remained in bed well past sunup. She lazily sent her extra magic out far, checking on miles and miles of land. The interloper was making good progress. It didn't seem to stop and rest much. It was moving much quicker than a human would. She remembered the heat from her dream. It should serve as a warning. This creature could be a danger to her and her forest. But she wasn't afraid, she was curious. Which was more dangerous than any fire-laden dreams. There was something new in her forest, something she'd never seen before. She was eager to greet them.
She tended to chores around the house. She checked the plot of land she used for growing food. She walked barefoot through the rows and sent out magic to the seeds buried in the soil. She checked the berry bushes and the fruiting tree. They all yearned for spring to progress, so they could fruit and be ripe. She harvested some honey from hives. She let them crawl and buzz on her while she transferred the honey. She whispered sweet nothings to the bees, thanking them for the honey. Bees were very affectionate and ate up the praise. She milked the goats and gathered the eggs from the chickens. It felt good to be productive.
She spent the rest of the day in her workroom. It was a sunny room, with large glass patio doors and many windows. She made products all year long, both magical and holistic. With spring starting, she needed to get products ready for the farmer's market. The farmers market in town ran from late spring through the summer, and again for two weeks in fall and two weeks in winter. She made a wide variety of holistic products and quite a few magical ointments or medicines. It really wasn't a secret that she was a witch. Most of the people that lived in the town knew. The people in the town have learned to respect her because they respect the land. People don't settle this far from big cities if they don't respect the land around them. There were many farmers who hired her to bless their lands and crops. She blessed their livestock and tended to them when their ailing. It was nice to be surrounded by good humans. She was lucky.
That night when she lay in bed, she reached her magic out once again. Instead of observing, she softly brushed against the foreign magic. It didn't lash out this time, but it was tense and ready to pounce. She rubbed against it again before withdrawing. Soon, little spark, soon.
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It rained the next day. She checked on her rain barrels before walking off into the forest. She only did half of her usual circuit before she turned around to head back home. The rain was cold and coming down hard. Her skin was red from where it had been pelting her. She was covered in cold, wet mud. She could take a nice warm bath and curl up in front of the TV but her interloper couldn't. She wasn't sure what type of magical being it was, but what if they were ill-suited for the rain? Were they cold and curled up in the mud? Were they waterlogged and miserable?
She took off her wet and muddy clothes and left them on the porch. There wasn't much she could do about her muddy feet but clean up the mess later. She rinsed the mud off in the shower and drew herself a bath hot enough to be slightly uncomfortable. She added lavender soap that bubbled up. She soaked and relaxed. She didn't think about her guest. Did they have fur? Was it soaked? Did they find shelter? Are they used to this climate? Were they injured? Did they need her?
She reached out for their magic. Their magic was curled in tight but they were still steadily moving towards her. They had crossed more land than what should be possible. They were fast and determined. She checked on them often in her eagerness and they were always moving. She was worried they would die from exhaustion before she got a chance to meet them. She only had a little while longer to wait.
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She was still curled under her nest of blankets when she searched for the other's magic. Hers reached out, sleepy and soft. She jerked up when she reached the other magic. It was fiery, hot to the touch, her magic burned where it had brushed against the fire. It was angry and so close. She was giddy with excitement the whole day. She would meet her guest tomorrow. She didn't get much accomplished during the day. She ran out and found Ursa. She spent a good amount of time grooming her and laying with her up the top of her cave. Ursa already knew about the guest. As a familiar, Ursa had more awareness and access to magic than a regular animal would. She said she knew the moment it crossed the wards. Of course, she would know that there was a new predator in the forest. Ursa would come with her to meet the new threat.
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She could hardly sleep the night before. She drank cup after cup of chamomile tea but it did nothing to calm her nerves. She was finally starting to get a little worried. Ursa had said predator and if Ursa said something was a threat, then it was definitely a threat. She didn't have any weapons, she never needed any. She had Ursa, and with her at her side, none of the other animals were ever a threat. While she had a lot of magic, none of it was particularly strong or offensive. She could grow flowers and heal animals but she didn't know if she could use them to attack. She thought back to years ago before she came to her forest. She remembers the fight with her family. It felt like a lifetime ago. They had attacked her with their strong magic and lashed out in violence. And she just took it. She had her brother to thank for being alive. So she knew that she wasn't going to be able to defend herself with her magic should the guest be violent.
She reached out her magic, for what might be the last time. She was surprised to see that they weren't moving and delighted to find them about four miles away. She got dressed quickly and started packing her bag. She was bringing a good amount of food. She didn't know if the intruder had been eating well. She packed jerky as a treat for Ursa. She also grabbed some magical tonics and ointment for their injuries.
Ursa was already waiting for her outside. She grounded herself to Ursa with a touch and broadcasted where they needed to go. Ursa lowered herself down so she could climb on her back. She didn't ride Ursa often. It was a great privilege, but Ursa could move faster through the forest than she could. Then they were off. Riding Ursa was an experience. Feeling all that power underneath her was intense. She could feel the muscles in Ursa's back as she charged through the forest. She held on tight and laid low with her face pressed into Ursa's fur. The first time she did this, she sat up too high and got taken down by a branch.
Ursa got increasingly restless the closer they got. To her, this creature was a threat. Ursa was the apex predator in the forest, whatever this being was must be strong to make Ursa worried. She knew that Ursa was worried about her staying safe.
They had a mile left. Ursa slowed down from a run to a brisk walk. Her body was wrought with tension. Hers was filled to the brim with eager curiosity. Her curiosity has gotten her in trouble many times. Growing up, her brother had to drag her out of many situations she got into just to be curious. She thought there were worse vises to have. Ursa continued to slow down the closer they got. When she was able to feel the magic without reaching hers out, she hopped off of Ursa and walked. She could feel the magic radiating around her. Whoever was here was projecting their magic out, it pressed in on her from all sides. This wasn't curious magic reaching out to its surroundings. This was a threat, a move of power. Ursa growled lowly next to her. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her palms were sweaty. This was it. She could feel them. She could see a break in the trees. That's where they'd be.