Home of Blood Magic

There was a strange beauty in the woods, an odd serenity that seemed out-of-place in such a rough country. It gave Roxanne a strange sense of peace, assuaging her anxiety about meeting the witch. Surely even a witch couldn't be all that bad, not if she lived in a place like this. In fact, it was difficult for Roxanne to imagine any sort of evil person living in such a pretty forest.

As they passed the little cottage, Roxanne couldn't help but try to sneak a peek in through the windows. Was this a witch's home? Was that really Sivale she was hearing, singing? It wasn't like any singing that she'd ever heard, but it intrigued her. How had she trained the birds to repeat after her? Perhaps it was all just some devious spell, to lure them in so that they could be kidnapped and used as potion ingredients. Still, what choice did she have? She certainly didn't want to be cursed, and figured that there was at least a chance that she'd be able to reason with the witch. Still, as she followed the ox, she found her hand resting on the pommel of her sword. The heavy steel comforted her, let her breathe a little more easily. Glancing back at Khepri, she realized that the bothersome bird had fallen silent. That couldn't possibly be a good sign. If Khepri was out of smart remarks, that meant that something serious was going on. Her grip tightened on her sword, and she continued on towards the mysterious singing.

Roxanne’s glances through the windows was rewarded with naught but a glimpse at the decorations that were laid upon the glass. Inside were charms that fell upon them, glass of all shades shimmering as they turned within the home as if there were a breeze enchanted to keep them turning upon their string. They were cut in the shapes of animals, such as bears and owls, from the smallest to the largest hanging just inside so that the sun that filtered through the clear glass would catch upon them and filter down color to the floor below. Unless she got closer she would see nothing else.

As they passed along the front there were chimes on the edge of the roof made of metal and wood. Some of the wood was hollowed and the steel was both creating a medley of sounds as they brushed against each other. There was a long porch that laid before the two doors and benches on either side. One boasted a thick blanket in faded blues that looked to be wool spun into a yarn that was quite thick nearing on an inch along the edges.

The trail that led them down was clear of obstructions and wide enough they might have walked side by side. Water had been sloshed across a few of the steps and a bucket was placed halfway down that was only partly full as if waiting to be carried back up.

The pale comparison of beauty to Khepri’s abilities paused at hearing her whistle. Despite them not knowing who they approached there was an appreciation in the voice that called to them from beyond their line of sight, “A bird but not a bird,” it said welcoming and pleasant upon the ears, “I have awaited you and your companion, please come down to me.”

If they rounded down the large stones they would come to the side of a creek with a spring that was fed down from a wooden tube. The tube currently empty but there were multiple springs that fed it far beyond her own home. The tube itself led up to a large metal tub. The tub itself was set on one of the few level places in the forest a ten foot section in a circle leveled with dark grass that had been bent down by trampling upon it making a private area. The steps continued down to the creek and up to the area.

The rounded area was surrounded by clinging vines. Once someone had tied ropes between the trees surrounding it to allow them passage was they surrounded it reaching up to the tree tops encompassing the area itself. The opening was about five feet in width and while they saw the edge of the tub they could not fully see it until they came a bit closer.

A few steps up and they would be able to see a drying cloth set upon one edge and one arm that was hung lazily over the edge of it the skin pale as fresh milk. It flowed upward into a pair of shoulders and hair of a vibrant red that hunt in straight sheets resting over the back edge so as it keep it dry. The woman had her eyes closed, lips just parted, and no concerns that warranted them to open just quite yet.

Unlike Roxanne, Khepri didn't so much as blink as she observed the witch in the bathtub. At least, not because she was in her most natural state, as the Bird also was. It was that vivid red hair that took her fascination; she'd known a few companions like that, but it was rare to find a human with hair quite this bright. Perhaps it had something to do with magic, as this person was famously called a witch. Maybe it was because she wasn't quite human.

Her curiosity burning with a flame much stronger than before, the Bird walked past the much-too-embarrassed Roxanne and up the stairs to the bath, circling it until she could look the pale spellweaver in the face. Crossing her arms, the Bird drummed her fingers upon her skin and gave the witch a tiny, wry smile.

"That was certainly the most interesting way someone decided to summon me, though not the most eloquent. A dying man and a sick beast. What kind of message were you trying to send?" Her tone was level and had a lilt of sarcasm surrounding it. She side-eyed Roxanne briefly as she spoke, not commenting on the blatant lie that she fabricated earlier.

Roxanne gasped as she realized exactly what this witch was bathing in, and she gripped the pommel of her sword more tightly. She was right, this witch was definitely up to no good. After all, good people rarely bathed in blood. How was that even sanitary? Blood was something that was supposed to be washed off in a real bath, and soaking in it seemed counterproductive not to mention icky. Besides, where had this witch gotten all this blood? Certainly, it must have come from some nefarious means.

As the witch sat up, Roxanne glanced desperately between her and Khepri. Her face, which had been pale with fright only moments before, suddenly flushed bright red as the witch displayed a remarkable lack of modesty. Finding no sympathy from Khepri, she turned back to the witch, wondering why neither of the other women in this clearing seemed to bother with clothes. Didn't anybody else worry about thorns and brambles and prying eyes upon vulnerable areas? Clearly, she was the only one who seemed to care. It was several moments before she found her voice, hesitant and stuttering. What was she supposed to do, anyways? 

"Y-you didn't curse me?" she finally managed. "If not you, then who? What recent endeavors? What's going on here?"

Glancing down at the bath one more time, she added "And where did all that blood come from, huh?" However, she wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer. Were the two of them fated to end up as part of this witch's morbid bath? She sure hoped not.

Sivale carried not the modesty she should have, and even seated upon the edge she made no notion to cover herself instead whispering in a long forgotten language. Every part of her that was covered in the very substance they wondered how she obtained began to slide off, small droplets forming larger ones as they rolled into one another and into the tub itself leaving her dry even as she swung one leg up and over and settled herself onto the ground. Drawing her robe about her modesty did suit her in some regards and seeing as Roxanne was clearly not yet used to the idea from Khepri she chose to cover herself. Tying the rope around the center loosely it left little to the imagination the opening of the robe going down the center of her chest leaving a side view of her breasts available to whoever chose to look.

“You were sent on the hunt,” she began to explain this as she turned back towards the bath drawing a sheet that had been on the ground past it just over it to cover the substance, “From whence you returned carrying one of the brightest of the small creatures. A fairy whom you allowed to be crushed for personal gain. Fae do not take kindly to their own being destroyed.”

This explanation offered once she had settled the sheet she would answer their other questions, “As for this, it was all volunteered by the animals around you. The oxen would have given all as a gift but I have need of his services, as I have need of Alfrich still who offers his beloved words to my cause.”

She spoke of him fondly, and she was fond of him, he had provided a great service to her in bringing them here for she had not only to give Roxanne a gift as was required but to send them on another quest, one that would keep them from being harrowed the rest of their days by the fae who while generally played small tricks and cared not to give insult were capable of so much more.

Khepri narrowed her eyes at the witch. She had not been there when the fairy was abducted, she had only seen it when they were in the Hall of the Tain retrieving their prizes, one being the rings Roxanne and Khepri wore on their fingers now. The curse had to of only applied itself to Roxanne.

"I have the same questions as Roxanne. And how did I get tied up in this?" she asked warily. If one were to believe in destiny she would have understood. They were often seen together, but that was because Roxanne was there to protect her. Now it looked as if it was the other way around. That she had not yet met or had an experience with this fae also troubled her. Roxanne certainly didn't like them, but what exactly was so dangerous about them? Khepri didn't want to figure it out the hard way.

Roxanne shuddered at the witch's description of the fae's little tricks, imagining what sort of trouble they could cause. Her life was hard enough already keeping Khepri out of trouble, she didn't need some fae meddling and playing increasingly problematic tricks on her mind. Besides, what happened when they decided that simply messing with her head wasn't fun anymore? Somehow, she doubted that they'd just go away once they'd gotten bored.

When Sivael mentioned her plan of a gift, she let out a sigh of relief. The witch had a plan, she was going to help them! Of course...could they really trust a witch? What if they were actually bringing the fae something awful, something that would make them immediately even more hostile than they already were? Maybe the witch was in league with the fae, and was going to walk them into a horrible trap? Still, it wasn't as though they had any choice but to trust her. Roxanne had grown tired of her dealings with the fae already, and wanted to be done with them as soon as she could.

"Thank you for your help, ma'am," she said. "If I may ask, what is this gift? What exactly are we bringing them? Also...where exactly do we need to take it?"

One thing she did know for sure was that she'd be hopping on the first ship back home as soon as this business was settled. Her time here had been fun, but now that the fae were involved it was definitely time to go. Perhaps she'd visit here again sometime, after some time had passed and things had perhaps cooled off a bit.

Treading the path they took to walk up to the bathing area if either cared to look within the water it would appear clear, no longer coagulated as before and even what she had not gotten off of her skin did not come through the dressing gown that she had drawn over her skin. 

Roxanne seemed grateful, and Khepri, Khepri seemed hesitant. While she enjoyed Roxanne’s response more to her offer than Khepri’s sketicism. Khepri was more appropriate and the response she expected other than immediate acceptance. 

“Trust is a fickle thing isn’t it,” pausing to glance back over her shoulder she stopped only halfway up to the cabin itself that she spent most of her time in, “One of you wishes that it was simple and the other knows that it cannot be so. You are both correct and incorrect, the act is simple, the price is a bit more convoluted. The fae have something I want, and the thing you are returning is a child that belongs to them.”

Her words did not say if it was a human child, but one could only assume as they rounded about the corner. 

Khepri perked a brow.

Her suspicions that the witch took the child first became present, but she did not air her thoughts. That was not to say that she didn't have questions, however.

"... and what will they be giving us in return?" she asked, reaching over to smack Roxanne's arm and glare at her once again. They didn't have the full story yet! "Be patient, will you!"