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Evil Witch. Feh! I give orphans a home and they call me evil just because I’m blind, not as much of a looker as I was two hundred years ago, and live in the woods! What a joke.

“Miss Borda!” One of my children whines. It’s Muuly, sweet little girl, if she weren’t left handed it’s likely she’d be the talk of the town, all kind and bright.

“Yes?” I smile down in her direction. “And you don’t have to call me Miss, Muuly, I may not be married but we’re all a family here.”

“Ah! Thank you, Borda! Uhh… Oh! The knights from town are here again!” That’s not good.

“Thank you for telling me, Muuly, now go play with the others, I’ll be back in a moment.”

“Okay! Thank you, Miss Borda!” She laughs as she runs off. I chuckle a bit at her joke. I get up, crack my back, and head over to the front of the Underroot Coven Hall. Once it used to be the pride of the local witches but there hasn’t been a witch here besides myself since the Exaladrynthians built their little town in the valley.

“Yes?” I ask as I open the door.

“Borda the Witch.” A soldier in iron armour, designed to defend against magic, stands at the door, polearm in hand but not pointed at me. “According to intelligence reports, you are harbouring Prince Vreinas, age 18 as of today, at this address. I have been given authority to search the premises for him should you not surrender him voluntarily.”

“Vreinas? A prince? I do have a teenager named Vreinas here at the Hall with me, but he’s the most unprincely character you’d ever see, always wrestling in the dirt and acting humble. Are we talking about the same boy?”

“Unmistakably so.”

“Huff. He never said a word about his heritage. But I’ll go get him if you wish.”

“Your cooperation is appreciated.” The soldier nodded. I headed back inside and sent Sisiyam, a sprite girl I’d taken in recently, to call Vreinas. She zipped off and returned a few moments later with the lanky teenager in tow. I may be blind but even I could tell he was covered in soot.

“Ugh. Vreinas, stand still, someone’s here to see you and I can’t in good conscience let you meet them wearing the Dragon’s Doctor’s outfit.”

“Oh come on, Ma, it’s just a little ash!” I ignored that and tapped my cane, forming a swirling fog cloud around the boy and washing him fully. I led him back to the door and was surprised when the soldier brought his polearm down to aim at Vreinas’s chest.

“Prince Vreinas. According with the prophecy of the Royal Oracle, Princess Borean, you are to be executed before you raise an army, kill her to assume the throne, and cause the destruction of the Four Winds Dynast-“ he never finishes his spiel, I’ve already turned him into a frog, his polearm clattering to the ground.

“What was that?!” Vreinas stutters out.

“I turned my hand into fog, undid the back of his cuirass, and hit him with the spell.” I explain. “Honestly I don’t know why people make anti-magic armor so easy to take off.”

“No! The whole…” Vreinas struggles to find the words, “prophecy thing!”

“Oh that? The princess, your sister, was born evil.”

“What?!”

“Yes, she had her assistant leave you in the woods to get eaten by wolves, since as a prince you would be first for the throne even though you’re younger, but I adopted you before the wolves did.”

“And then… this guy?” He assuredly motions towards the frog, which is looking at its front legs in amphibian horror.

“I guess she found out about you alive. We’ll see more of them later on.”

“N-No! I gotta fix this!” Vreinas shouts. “I gotta find her! I gotta stop her! She’ll send more soldiers after you guys! And she’s evil!? She’d probably… I dunno! Eat everyone’s babies or turn everyone into skeletons! I’ll be back, Ma! I love you!” Aaand he’s already run off on a new adventure. Bless his heart, he always looked out for everyone in our family.

Part 1

The sound of hoofbeats came up the garden path. About time thought Mira, when a person pays for express delivery they don’t mean by the fastest snail available. She opened the door full of words that had been building since the last time the postman had come and gone leaving her last package at the end of the path. Might have not found it either if he hadn’t run off shouting something about demons loud enough to wake her from her nap.

However, what words she had vanished as she regarded the figure standing at her doorstep glinting in the summer sun. The rider’s stallion had the well-groomed white sheen and regal trappings to make her feel both deeply conscious about her earth-stained clothes and wind-tussled gray hair as well as furious that she was comparing herself to a horse. The rider, a young woman clad in polished black armour slipped magnificently from the horse’s back, tossing her own long golden plaid behind her and casting a glance around the small garden before looking back at Mira with discerning green eyes.

One hand, Mira couldn’t help but notice as the unarmed often do, rested casually on the edge of a fine black long sword. The kind of casual that suggests the person whom has the stabbing option available to her doesn’t think the potential stabee is worth the effort…yet.

Ok, perhaps being judgemental this early in the morning. Maybe this was part of the premium service? If so, Mira was still annoyed but very impressed.

“I don’t suppose, you’d be express delivering a certain Champion Charles’ Choice Charcuterie Crate of the month club?” Mira asked hopefully.

The rider reached into the horse’s saddlebag and pulled out a weathered brown scroll.

Please be asking for a signature upon reciept, signature upon reciept, big truffle big truffle…

“I, Calvary Knight-Captain Selenica of Avalyn, have undertaken the quest-“

To deliver a certain cheeseboard of immense variety? though Mira, bludgeoning unmistakable reality with valiant but impotent hope.

“- to free these woods this day from the influence of-“

The pangs of a monotonous menu? Her stomach rallied in self-serving suggestion. Living off the land is well and good but it’s not a sane person’s first choice.

“-the dark crone who has rumoured to have held captive an innocent boy and the surrounding townsfolk in her fearful sway.”

With that, the now almost definitely not postal courier, flourished the unravelling scroll in her direction .

“If you are she, then today is that day! What say you?!”

Mira stared feeling something was expected of her but not knowing what exactly she considered the scroll that fluttered gainfully in the warm breeze. Selenica of what’s it’s face, clearly not expecting this, stood there obliging her awkwardly.

Mira sighed with relief and stepped back.

“Gosh, had me worried for a minute there. No.”

“…What?”

“That’s not me. Definitely not. Don’t look like that at all. Terribly sorry, but also - you wouldn’t happen to be some kind of premium delivery service would you?”

“Don’t look lik-“

The rider snatched back the scroll and perused it, glancing up at Mira who chewed her hair and was doing her best to not rudely look over the various saddle bags on the horse

“See you now here, this is most certainly you!” Selenica said thrusting the sheet back in Mira’s face.

“Is not!” Mira snapped back. She noticed a full-visored helm on her visitor’s saddle. Ah maybe a vision problem? Poor duck “Nose is too long, got all me teeth, a very involved daily skin care regime thank you very much and haven’t had a wart since that one spring where that maple tree with the bees and didn’t clean it right. Still, can’t complain as it made an interesting blend of syrup which would go a treat with Munster’s Sumptuous Artisanal Sourdough hamper for the Discerning Connoisseur if you’d happen to have it on your person?”

“Your trickery will not dissuade us from our reward sorceress!”

“I never! Don’t have to when people who have decided what they want to believe do most of the tricking themselves. But why ask too many questions for that kind of money?” Mira squinted at the weathered paper “Though you’d think if they were offering that much they could use a new piece of paper instead of keeping on crossing it out on the same one all the time…”

Part 2

Though clearly taken aback and not listening about her delivery woes, Mira had to admit the Knight-Captain rallied magnificently

“Do you deny that you loosed a hellhound on the unsuspecting allowing them to maul with fangs most grievous?”

A crash of metal followed by a sharp scream echoed from the woods to the east, Selenica whirled with one hand on her blade already eyeing the treeline. However, Mira was thinking.

“Don’t know nothing about no hellhounds but that does sound like the time the young Parish lad walked into the bear trap over there” Mira nodded absentmindedly in the direction of the noise which now also consisted of rather colourful cursing. “Was having a go for me beehives, his ma gave me a fine bushel of apples for good ointment on the sly. Poor lad was a bit embarrassed. Not that there’s shame in a tear or two, come near close to it myself not getting my regular delivery of Senor Diego’s Jalapeño Fuego monthly assortment.”

Selenica gawped at Mira as she searched the knights face for recognition of her missing goods in vain. The sound of summer cricket chirping mingled with a growing number of loud angry and pained noises in the background.

“Hellhound does sounds better” Mira added generously “Though in my opinion, if he wants that Miller girl to look sideways at him, he couldn’t go wrong with a nice Jar of Jarrod’s Specialty June Jam which makes me wonder if that’s where it’s got to, it being July and all. Look maybe you’ve SEEN someone carrying it this way abouts?”

“ Let me instead tell you of what I’ve heard dark mage! I heard with my own ears that you commanded plants to befuddle an innocent and the very earth to swallow him!”

From behind Mira’s hut came a splash and another scream swiftly followed by sounds of someone retching in disgust. Selenica put both hands on her sword while Mira turned to look in its direction with her head shaking.

“Lessee, that one sounds like Alan Shrike who was plenty befuddled before he got lost around these parts” Mira looked back at Selenica mimicking a bottle and a generous pour “Fell right into the old latrine pit, his poor wife was so embarrassed when she came to pick him up.”

“…What?”

“Not that it’s not embarrassing for me too mind! Just getting a bit on in years that’s all and can’t dig that pit too far or as deep as I used to…”

“…He said you …you forced fed him a diabolical potion that-“

“Southern Khastian Premium Oceloty Blend I’ll have you know! They only send it twice a year when it’s in season for their most valued members! ….though having a thought, it might explain the state of the latrin-”

Though not of the eldritch nature she expected, Selenica hurried to block that horror from the mind

“And I suppose that also explains your summoning of an unnatural malignant spindly wooden beast from thin air to c-…”

Selenica’s words faded as she followed Mira’s look towards a nearby small cornfield in the middle of which stood a large scarecrow. They were just in time to hear a crash of metal near it and to watch it tumble onto something. You could tell because it also screamed. Selenica did not lower her sword but closed her eyes and waited.

“John Jessup came for me corn in the dead of the night a few months ago.” Mira said almost apologetically but not without some pride “Why wouldn’t he? Grew them from Habner’s Homegrown Scientifically Proven Produce Catalogue last summer. They do grow very well with a bit of coaxing but the stalks make it a bit difficult to see poor Scarecrow Sam and well, I haven’t quite fixed him right from last time.”

“…and what of the boy? The one you stole years ago?”

That got Mira’s undivided attention. “What!?”

Selenica turned slowly ignoring the sounds of her companions and gripped her sword tightly with both hands. The point of her sword was as steadfast as her conviction.

“Ahhh no clever words this time? No easy answer? Of course, not when it’s a crime so foul. You cannot deny that you stole a child from these woods years ago. You cannot deny that no one in the village has seen him for many years. You cannot deny-“

“That would be me captain” called a deep voice behind her.

Part 3

“Will everything stop interrupting me?!” shouted Selenica as she whirled, her sword raised in expectation of demons from the pit seeking to take advantage of her befuddlement. However what she found was a well-dressed man leading a horse and cart filled to the brim with parcels and boxes. He led the horse with one arm because one arm was unmistakably all he had but that wasn’t the only reason Selenica recognised him.

“Dr Aberforth?! What are you doing here? Get back, it’s not s-“

She was stunned as Mira pushed past her excitedly and rushed towards the man.

“Alby!”

“Hullo mum” The man said as he let go of the reins to grip her in a strong hug .

“Mum?!” said Selenica lowering the blade weakly.

“My beautiful boy!” Mira said cupping his face in her hands, he leaned forward obligingly before laughing and gesturing to the laden cart.

“A lot of this was in the waiting in the village post office for a while mum.”

“Then they’re supposed to leave a chit telling me to come pick it up! Oh I hope nothings gone off, didn’t expect this much company today would need feeding…

“They seem to be a wee bit afraid to come up here, last one who did said that he left a package with an unearthly odour-”

“Which is hardly a reason to leave Hallister’s Meady Cheesey Biannual Smorgasboard out in the open! The nerve, waste of the money you send me. I’ll unearthly that lazy lout well and good next time I see him.” Replied Mira irritably “Oh which reminds me Alby, there’s been a few accidents this morning, be a duck and help your mum. I’ll need to check everything is all here!”

Mira dove into the pile excitedly and sounds of her delighted inspection followed Alby as he walked up the path to Selenica

“Hello Captain, your wound is doing better I see.”

Selenica looked at him and looked the shaking cart behind him where a particularly thorough inspection of the most recent package of Spencer’s Prime Pickled Monthly Mountain Pork Mouthfuls was taking place.

“I know I know” Alby said raising his one hand “No place for someone her age but she doesn’t want to move to live with me in the city and go through the hassle of cancelling or redirecting the subscriptions she buys with the money I send her. Not what I had in mind of course but she’s happy.”

“Y-you’re the boy that was abducted?” said Selenica

“If that’s what you want to call it. Funny twitch you’ve got there…” said Alby giving her a once-over of professional concern.

“And what would you call it?”

“I’d call it a kind woman rescuing a boy abandoned in the woods who had the misfortune of being born …incomplete.” His eyes locked with hers as if daring her to deny such a thing happened. She did not. “I’d say she took him in, taught him everything she knew about healing so he’d be the kind of man who’d help others, say like a Knight-Captain who had recently been shot in her side…”

Selenica instinctively reached for her ribs

“…because the MOST important thing I’d have to tell you is that she taught him was that a hands not worth much if it doesn’t have the heart behind it to make the right choices” He finished looking at the Captain’s still drawn sword

Mortified, Selenica sheathed it and bowed slightly in apology “Alright, I see now. Save for her impressions which aren’t really her fault and maybe her expectations of a postal service, she’s a good person. Not a witch.”

“Oh I didn’t say that.” Alby grinned and looked behind her to a thin figure with strange head standing by the cart waiting patiently as Mira handed it more and more packages

“Alright Sam? When you’re done helping mum could I ask you to help us with the poor man in mum’s bog?”

The scarecrow waved

Thank you for this prompt - I had fun!