[IC] Into the Woods

[AHeartlessNobody]

"Stay here and finish up those potions for me. I'll be back in a few hours."

"Yes Mother." Mirabella stated with a nod as she watched her mother put on her black cloak, walking with the older woman to the door. She herself knew when her mother said it would be a few hours, that really meant she would be back after night fall. When her mother went on her outings outside of the barrier it was always like that. What her mother was doing while out there in the woods was a mystery to even Mira herself, but knowing her mother, it was probably her reeking some form of havoc on the humans. Sometimes she wondered if her mother lived only to trouble the non-magic wielders, but she never thought too long on it, a her own urge to leave the barrier as well easy blocked off those thoughts every time it came across her mind.

Her mother turned the knob and was about to step outside of their small cottage when she turned sharply, a stern look on the Witch's face, "And Mira,"

"Yes Mother?" The girl questioned obediently as she could, bringing her mind away from her thoughts of freedom and back to the woman in front of her.

"Do not leave the barrier. Do I make myself clear? Those humans out there are--"

"'Mean and vile. They wouldn't hesitate to slaughter an innocent spell-caster or sell them off to the highest bidder in market.' I know Mother, I know. Now, go on before it gets too late." She commented, having heard the same warning every day for the last ten years of her life, ever since she had wandered outside of the barrier for the first time. It was a moment etched into her mind and always left a knot in her chest. Those human children had seemed so kind to her. They had let her join in and play with them. But the moment they found out she could do magic...they tore her apart and though the physical wounds had healed, the mental ones had left scars.

"Very good. Remember Mirabella, no matter how kind those beasts may seem, they will always hate us. Never trust a human." This warning was one of many, and after her mother had spoken it softly to her, kissing her forehead, the woman went off, ape flowing behind hr as she left the home and passed through the barrier just a mere fifteen feet in front of their home, heading off into the darkness of the woods.

"What's out there that keeps her leaving all the time? What is she searching for?" Mira whispered quietly to herself a she stared out into the woods a few moments, before slowly turning and walking back inside beginning the work her mother had given her. She was to make some simple potions and though it was a very complicated task, because she did this almost every day, it was something she had come to do with ease and great skill. Humming softly to herself, she began taking things off of the shelves and throwing each things at a time, in a certain order, into the calderon that stood in the middle of her mother's study.

She repeated this with every potion, and by noon she had done all of the potions her mother had told her to, leaving her free for the rest of the day until her mother was to return. Smiling slightly, she moved tot he book shelves that stood along the back wall of the study, running her hands over the old bindings of each leather bound book. Tilting her head to the side she was thoughtful for a moment, before deciding which one she wanted to read for the day, pulling a book entitled Sleeping Beauty off of the shelves.

These books were written by two men named the Grimm Brothers, who traveled from kingdom to kingdom, finding stories to write about. Most of those her mother had were the stories based on what Mira was sure had to be the rulers of the three surrounding kingdoms. There were other stories as well, but those were of more far off lands.

Taking the book in her delicate hands, she walked outside and rounded a corner when a creature about the size of a horse jumped in front of her, giving a roar that didn't even make her flinch. In fact, if anything, it annoyed the girl, "Gounii, go bother someone else. I'm busy."

Hearing her disinterest in him, her mother's pet dragon(whom she kept as extra protection for the cottage), snorted and made a grumbling sound, slinking off around another corner to go to the other side of the cottage and likely catch mice or tease the birds by chasing them off.

Shaking her head at the beast, she laughed under breath and flopped down in the grass under a large oak tree, smiling brightly to herself as she flipped open the book, "Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful king and king, of whom were blessed with a daughter. Everyone gathered to see the new princess, including three fairies. These good fairies were to each bestow a gift upon the child. One granted her beauty. Another granted her the sweetest voice one could hear. But, before the last fairy could grant her wish, an evil woman with dark magic...." Even though she had read this story countless times, Mira always paused at this part, a frown forming deeply on her face, "Cast a curse upon the child. On the princess's eighteenth birthday, she would prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die."

By now, the dragon had made his way over to her once more, laying down beside her to look at the book as well. Mira scratched his head and looked up at him, "That wasn't nice of her to do, was it Gounii?" The dragon grumbled again as if to share his thoughts, making her laugh and continue reading, "The evil woman vanished soon after pacing this curse and the third fairy granted a wish that would save the child's life if the cure would be fulfilled. She decreed that should the princess prick her finger, she would not die, but fall into a deep sleep." She began flipping through the pages more, trying to skip to the end, "The princess is sent away....she meets the prince in the forest.....falls in love...blah, blah, blah....she gets sent back home to the castle, where she of course pricks her finger." Rolling her eyes she grinned, "Didn't see that coming. Curses are so unpredictable. Not." Finally coming to the end she started reading again, "The prince sat upon his white steed, sword held high as the evil woman shifted into a mighty dragon." She looked over at Gounii, who stood up tall and proud hearing this, giving a roar, causing Mira to laugh more and roll onto her back, continuing to read, "The dragon spit flame after flame out at the prince, but the prince was too quick. He lunged forward and...." She paused once again a deep frown coming back to her face, "he killed the witch, putting an end to her dark magic."

Sighing and not having the heart to read the rest, she shut the book and tossed it to the side, looking up to the clouds as she spoke to herself, "Why does the witch always have to die? Why can't just for once, the witch have the happy ending?" She whispered to herself, turning over on her stomach to stare out into the woods, "Once upon a time....there lived a lonely witch. This witch, was not like other witches, for she wanted a life beyond the boundaries that had been placed before her. She wanted to be a good person, yet knew she would never be accepted by humans, and because of this, hid herself away, waiting for the day she might be able to live a life away from the destiny that lays before every other witch. The day she would be accepted...." Sighing again, she moved to stand, "Which will be never. Only humans live happy lives and only prince's and princess's get happily ever afters."

Trying to shrug it off the best she could, she patted the large dragon's side and shrugged, "I'm going to go inside and maybe organize some of Mother's spell-books. I'm sure she would want--"

"Meeeeeow."

Blinking in surprise at the sound of a meow, she looked around, trying to find the source and from beyond the barrier, stood a small black cat with yellow looked eyes, staring straight at her. But this cat didn't seem normal at all. No, this animal looked to be almost like a dark cloud, or even a shadow. It just stood there, waiting, and finally, curious, Mira slowly approached the barrier, though didn't go past it at first, merely kneeling down to look at it from the other side of the barrier. It was only then that she noticed a black piece of parchment under its paw in the grass, almost like the animal had brought it to her.

Pausing slightly, she was about to reach out and grab it through the barrier, when the animal took it into its mouth, jumping through to their side of the barrier, putting Mira into a little bit of a shock, considering only things that bore magic could cross the barrier. That meant either this animal was magical or was made of magic. Or maybe both. But whatever it was, Mira just had to see what was on that peculiar note it carried And so, she took it from its mouth, reading.

You are one of six chosen few to receive this letter. You were chosen, because you wish for something with a great desire. So I shall grant you your wish. Into the Woods you must travel, to the Tree of Truth. There you will find me and if you follow my commands, you shall have your wish granted.

The letter was not signed, and right after she ha read it, the whit words on the paper suddenly began to fade until she was left with a blank piece of blank paper. She held the paper tightly in her hands, slowly looking up to see past the barrier, an uneasy look on her face, "Into the Woods?" She looked back down at the blank letter, and then at the cat that looked at her with such expecting eyes, "Someone there will grant my wish?" The cat meowed, as if to answer her, and she looked to the woods, slowly stepped forward, "I can have my wish?" She said slowly to herself, letting it sink in before she began to smile again, and this time, it was a hopeful smile, "I can have my wish!"

Rushing into the cottage again, she grabbed one of her mother's black cloaks, slipping it on and putting the hood over her head, as she rushed back outside, "Gounii, protect the cottage while I'm gone! I'll be back soon!" She stated and went to the barrier, pausing to take in what she was about to do, before taking her first step into the woods, the car running a little a head of her, "I guess I follow you then?" And though the cat didn't answer, she knew that was what she was supposed to do and began following the cat hurriedly, attempting to try and keep up.

[cerozer0]

Schnee Family Inn - Eva's Room

Eva's dreams were always shrouded by mist. A faint layer of whiteness, a filter for her mind's eye, that blocked out her memories and her past, and instead showed her an unreachable feat. A happy place, far from the dusty room and leering eyes of her family and their inn, where she was with people who cared for her and she wasn't scared and stupid. The vision was strewn together with a familiar tune, a soft hum that felt lively and was sung by the most gorgeous voice she had ever heard. It reminded her of a lullaby, a forgotten song she had heard as a child, and within her dream she felt warm and safe and happy, and suddenly everything was dark. The happy moment, the music, and the mist were all gone, instead replaced by a heavy darkness that was entirely unfamiliar.

Eva glanced around through the darkness, unaware that she was currently sleeping and merely dreaming, and shook with fear. Beneath her legs was dirt and grass and rocks which cut into her skin and burned with cold, and around her trees curled and beckoned with their bare appendages. She was in a forest perhaps, her mind wondering as she sat delicately on the dirty ground, examining her surroundings with frightened eyes. There was no sound, save for her own staggered breathing, but there was movement far beyond her vision. The fluttering of wings sent small gusts of wind to shake the bare branches, causing the small girl to jump at the sudden noise, and as she turned to investigate she was met with the dark, beady eyes of a bird.

At first, she was frightened, but when she attempted to jump away her legs remained rooted to the earth, as if something were dragging her down and keeping her still. The bird, a black bird it seemed, gave her a moment to calm down and reassess her situation before letting out its familiar song, dropping a scroll onto her lap. Eva blinked once, raising a hand to allow the bird to perch carefully on her hand before opening the scroll with the other, eyes straining through the darkness, but as the first few white letters managed to enter her mind a suddenly tremor shook the world. The bird screeched and vanished from sight as the darkness suddenly grew and grew around Eva until she was completely blind, and then another rumble burst through her mind, forming words,

"E-v... A. Ev-a! G..... Up!"

Eva slowly opened her eyes, face flushed as she stared up at the wooden ceiling of her room, instantly forgetting her dream. Bangs resonated from below, causing her room to creak and furniture to leap and shed their dust to the floor, and a voice accompanied it, the familiar call of her "mother" Mariette. Eva listened to it for a moment, green eyes glaring daggers into nothingness as her hands clenched and unclenched against the heavy comforter that was curled around her body, and then she stood, nightgown unraveling and collecting around her ankles as she immediately began readying herself for the work below. She stood nude for a moment, untying and brushing out her dark hair, and then dressed in a faint yellow gown and redid her hair into a bun. A soft sigh escaped her lips, and her eyes wandered across the small, attic room. It was windowless, the only light being an oil lamp on her bed side table, and the only furniture that adorned the small space was her bed, the nightstand, and a mirror. The bangs started again, but Eva quickly returned them this time with a few stomps of her own, trying to keep her voice light and sweet as she yelled back a simple,

"I'm up!" Before continuing out of the room, down the steps, and into the room where her mother was located, the second floor restroom. The stout woman turned, a snark-ish smile blessing her otherwise bland face as she passed on the broom she had used to awaken the girl, nodding in a silent hello,

"Start sweepin' up the unoccupied room, then head down and get to servin' the early birds. I'll be out on the town for the majority of the day, gotta stock up on some candles and food stuffs, so Vendal 'ill be keepin' an eye on ya. Have a nice day, love." She approached, dragging down Eva's head to plant a kiss on her cheek, and then brushed passed, turning once to say,

"Oh, and remember, don't leave the inn. You know nothing about the real world, so it'd be best if you just stayed put here, yeah? Anyways, bye-bye dear!" And then she was gone, leaving behind a slightly disheartened girl. Her mother was constantly reminding her of the horrors of people, and constantly forbidding her from leaving the perimeter of the inn, but that wasn't why she was pouting. Vendal was the reason for her sudden sadness. It was obvious that she wasn't exactly a fan of Vendal from her reaction, and instant memories of all the times he had hit her and insulted her filled her mind. Another sigh escaped her, and then she turned and swayed into the hall, tightly grasping the straw-ended broom with rage as she opened the first room, and swept.

Morning sunlight filled the room, pure and bright, and as Eva slowly swept at the layers of dust that had gathered in the untouched room specks floated into the air, appearing in the sunlight like dull stars, slowly floating to the ground. Eva took no notice of the clouds of dust gathering, instead humming softly as she created one large pile of filth, and once the floor was spotless save for that one spot she gathered it up into a metal dustpan that had been left in the hall. She then spilled the mess into the restroom's bin, and continued onto the next room, doing the same as she did with the last. This continued for a few hours, until she was called down suddenly by a familiar, high-pitched call that was sure to wake whatever guest had been resting in the rooms around her. Eva sighed, quickly placing the broom and dustpan against the wall at the far end of the corridor before she quickly made her way back towards the stairs, footsteps too light to be heard, and once she hit the last step an arm met her vision, blocking her path.

"Where ya been? We got customers! Regular drunkards out there, tend to 'em, will ya?" Vedal's bird like face was a mere ten inches from Eva's, and she was currently trying to withhold the need to punch his lights out as he explained the situation, but he soon pulled away, allowing her to pass once more.

"I'll get right on that, father. You tend to your work."

"Course I will, hop to it, girl." He sniffed once, beady eyes narrowing, and then turned and vanished down the right hall, towards his office. Eva let out another sigh, hand clenching and unclenching, and then she took the left hall all the way to the tavern part of the inn. Two men sat at the bar already, and one small family had gathered at one of the larger tables near the entrance. Some familiar faces, gladly. The tight feeling she had suffered from since Vendal's commands vanished as the two men at the bars gave her weary, friendly smiles. She passed them, quickly jumping over the empty part of the wood before she turned, holding herself in a very sheepish way,

"Good morning, fellas. Welcome to the Schnee Family Inn. What'll it be?" They both nodded their hellos, the bigger of the two simply muttering 'honey mead' while the other lowered his head in thought, waving a hand to single for her to come back later. She nodded, and turned to the kitchenette behind her, pulling a metal mug from one of the cupboards as she slowly wandered over to the one of the barrels labeled 'H MEAD', where she turned the simple lever on top and allowed the liquid to flow free from the spigot, into the mug. As she worked on filling the metal cup, the man who had been thinking called out,

"Could I get some tea, and perhaps a song to go along with it. Just love your singing, dear, it'd make this poor bugger a whole lot happier if you just hummed a little tune." His voice was gruff and tough sounding, but his words made her blush furiously, and as she tried to control her short breathing she nodded, turning to pass on the the full mug to the bigger man as she again turned back to the cupboards, pulling out a smaller, much more elegant looking cup from the lower shelf. As she spooned dried leaves into the china, her mouth opened slightly, allowing a cheerful tune to escape her lips and fill the rather quiet tavern as she worked. Though it didn't quiet the rowdy children at the large table, it did do well to add smiles to those who managed to listen in on her humming. As she passed the now steaming cup of tea to the customer, he placed a small, gold coin in her hand and winked, smile small yet friendly. She had jumped at first, but then closed her fist around the coin and smiled back, shoving it into her dress pocket before she turned towards the final table, sudden worry racking with fear at the unfamiliar faces.

She approached slowly, feigning calmness as the man who she suspected to be the father turned towards her, eyes narrowed with grogginess,

"Yes, yes, hello," he began speaking without even realizing her lack of greeting, rubbing his temple while his children laughed at each other just behind him, "just bring three plates of eggs and ham, and some warm mead for me. Make it quick as well, please." And then he turned to snap a few things at his two children. Eva let out a shudder, nodding once before she returned to the bar, focusing on her breathing as she got to work on the food, and as she worked the slight chatter of the tavern grew quieter and quieter and her heart beat grew louder within her ears, and then she was simply moving without thinking, delivering the food to the table and then vanishing out the back door, just as her breathing caught.

stupid so stupid he wasnt mean he didnt do anything so dont panic dont panic you idiot

Eva sucked in a deep breathing, pushing herself out of the shade of the building and into the noon sunlight. The familiar sight of the garden was a beautiful sight, and she lurched towards the stone well and collapsed against the pale brick structure as her sighs grew ragged and heavy. Then she sat, breathing and panting as her head leaned against the rim of the cold well and her dress and legs mingled with the soft grass that surrounded the base of the stones. Around her, bugs bounced across the waxy leaves and plump flowers of the garden, and the single maple tree that stood at the very edge of the clearing, just in front of the hole that lead out to the woods, rustled in the cool wind, and Eva sat in silence and listened to the nature around her, unknowingly humming a familiar, lullaby-like song as she calmed herself down.

And then the song came.

A black bird's call, sweet and loud and sharp, and it sounded right next to her head. Eva quickly jumped back, landing roughly on her backside as the bird leaped down onto her knee, head cocked curiously. She blinked once, then smiled, obviously used to the attention animals normally gave her, but that smile faded to a look of confusion as she noticed a scroll clasped between the bird's yellow beak. The bird released another song, dropping the scroll onto her lap, and then jumped back up onto the well's rim, staring at her expectantly.

"... What's this? For me?" She mumbled, examining the strange black parchment as she sat up. Soon after, she unraveled it, and was met with the most beautiful, white ink she had ever seen. A message was scrawled in the ink, and seemed eerily familiar, and Eva took a few minutes to read it over and over before the words stuck,

"You are one of six chosen few to receive this letter. You were chosen, because you wish for something with a great desire. So I shall grant you your wish. Into the Woods you must travel, to the Tree of Truth. There you will find me and if you follow my commands, you shall have your wish granted."

"A wish? A wish..." Eva rose her head to look at the bird, and then she returned her gaze to the message, pursing her lips in thought. Certainly seemed real, since black birds weren't known to pass around messages at random, and Eva definitely knew she had a wish. But into the woods... How scary, she was scared, so scared. She glanced around the garden, focusing mostly on the inn and the hole in the hedge, and then she stood, eyes wide suddenly,

"A wish! I can wish for knowledge, to know about anything and everything! Maybe then I'll get this odd feeling off my back, and maybe then I could finally leave this place. A wish... A wish!" She stared down at the black bird, green eyes gleaming intensely, and then she ran back inside to grab on of her mother's shawls from the back door's hook rack. She quickly tied it around her shoulders and returned outside, sucking in a deep breath and jumping slightly as she saw the same black bird, awaiting her return. Eva smiled at it, but felt the oddest sense of deja vu at the sight of the bird, and after a moment of trying to remember where she had seen the bird she shrugged and nodded towards the hedges,

"Are you going to show me the way? Let's go, then!" And then she moved quickly towards the burrow and lowered herself down, crawling silently through the hole. Her heart beat heavily as the familiar garden melted behind her, instead being replaced by tall trunks and branches, and when she tried to stand she stumbled a bit and landed roughly on her behind. Fear seized her shoulders, and she shook intensely as the world around her howled with unfamiliarity. Eva tried to calm herself, humming a soft tune as she stood again and leaned forward, glaring deep into the woods before her,

its okay its okay youve looked out here before dont worry okay okay get the wish get the wish

The bird appeared suddenly, landing on her shoulder, and stared at her with what she perceived to be encouraging, kind eyes. She sucked in another breath, then smiled,

"Come along then, Vogel, let's go..." She shuddered, "into the woods."

[McHaggis]

“Not a problem! Have a nice day!”

The bell above the door chimed daintily as it slammed shut, battered by a wind that almost took it off its hinges. Inside the tailor's shop was dark, lightless aside from a dim candle flickering back and forth, back and forth with the cold draught; only faint streams of sunlight filtered through the open window and the clouds above – winter was well on its way, and with it, shorter days.

To the tailor – Evander – it was merely one grim reminder that for the next few months he would be starting and finishing work under the cover of darkness. Six 'til six. Of course, 'work' was subjective. The shop averaged three customers a day, most looking for a cheap mend of their own travelling cloaks rather than a hand-sewn new one. They all spent their waking hours on whatever needed to be done, be it mining or fishing or hunting or forestry, while Evander was allowed to sit sticking needles into a pincushion for what seemed like an eternity every day.

The worst part of it all was that he wasn't allowed to leave even when it was painfully clear there would be no further customers, long after the streets had emptied and his parents and friends were all safely sequestered in their little houses, locked away from the ominous blackness that was the outside world. The landlord – landlady – didn't do any work, just commanded him to do it as her apprentice, and all he could say was, “Yes, mistress. Your wish is my command, mistress.”

As it was, the only thing he could do was nothing. Rocking rhythmically in the chair, ravelling and unravelling a bolt of silk cloth. It was a deep turquoise-slash-blue, the exact shade of glacial ice, and had he not done so before and been caught, he would have stowed it away in his backpack with none the wiser. Instead, he shook his head, muttering to himself, “Not now,” as he strode over to the door, peeking out at the desolate streets. The tailor's workshop just so happened to be right at the edge of town, marked by an empty clearing with the ragged edge of a forest cutting into it. Intellectually he knew that the next town over was in that direction, if he were to follow a meandering path around trees and stumps, but instinctively... well...

No, it was silly. Evander closed the door again, but stood behind it, his forehead pressed against the old oak wood. Two hours to kill in the shop behind him, or he could lock up early and bet on the fact that the owner wouldn't shop up to check on him. Two hours of nothing versus 'practice' – hiding in the hollow of a tree and turning the rain into snow, moulding ice into... well, anything small and sharp. He grabbed his cloak from the stand nearby, royal blue and lined with gold, and jogged out in the direction of the woods.

They were no less eerie than they were from a distance. Evander shuddered despite not feeling at all cold, thankful that to remain undetected he had to only take a few steps into the woods. He was brave! He knew that, but what was the point of putting himself in senseless danger? Taking off his gloves, he crouched down near the dull, moist leaves of the nearest plant – late-blooming flowers curling limply out from a bush. "Shh... don't worry now," he said, running a finger over the petals (if they could even be called that) of one. A cold mist rose from it as the raindrops – most of them – froze over.

Not all of them. He'd forgotten about that, the fact that he was slowly, gradually getting worse and worse at using his abilities. He'd been much better at it in his early teens, with violent spikes of ice erupting from his fingertips at inopportune moments and furious snowstorms rolling into town without warning from the skies. Evander was lucky that they'd all been easily hidden, that he was able to hold his tongue and his temper in check until he was alone. It was impossible to tell what caused it – was it a bodily change, did it only work for young boys and not men? Did the Gods or whatever that ruled over his fate just hate him? It burned inside not being able to do those things and the vortex of shame and embarrassment, even if nobody else could see it, only made it more difficult to summon frost.

Evander leaned back against the wet bark of the tree behind him, droplets of rain collecting first on the leaves and then dripping down onto his face somberly. They villagers would probably call him melancholic, if he went back down, soaked through to the skin with a permanent loss etched into his face. He ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on platinum blonde locks. Why is this happening? What did I do to deserve this? All I want... all I want... His eyes itched just a little bit, or at least that was his excuse. ...is to be able to do something with this. To be powerful.

Well, that was that then. Time of self-realisation over and–

A wolf howled, closer than he would have expected. The dual-toned sound resonated through his limbs, tingled his fingers with terror. He didn't particularly like wolves, as his last trip to the mountain had emphasised. Four years ago, they had pounced, and that was the last time he had truly been able to effectively use his abilities – the last display of power he'd been able to muster. Evander supposed they could smell the blood of their allies on them. One of his apprenticeships in the village, when he was still flighty and indecisive and all about fighting and sport as most young men were, had been as a hunter. Of course, the only animals he'd slaughtered were the savage wolves that wandered too close to town – sometimes for the safety of the people, sometimes for their pelt and gold.

Evander saw the Beast; fur pitch-black and easily visible even though the sun hadn't quite set yet, with eyes that didn't sparkle with any sort of life nor recognition. The tailor staggered back to his feet, bracing himself against the tree behind him rather than running. It was circling rather close, and the damned thing was at least up to his knees – larger than any wolf he'd ever seen before. A nightmare stuck in real life.

His fight or flight response malfunctioned.

His heart started thudding, pounding in his chest with every tentative step the Beast took towards him.

A gasp – one last breath before he was savaged to death – came out frozen.

This is it, Evander thought mournfully. The end... I'm sorry, Father... Just.... He couldn't help but expect to suddenly burst out with shards of ice as sharp as blades, kill the wolf and save his own sorry life but he knew – he knew – it wouldn't happen. The tailor held his head high, fingers bunched in his shirt. Come on... come on... I don't want to die here! The Beast leapt at him and he closed his eyes without any thought from his conscious mind. It was karma, it was providential, it was all because he'd left the store door unlocked... yes, that was it...

There was a rip as a large hole opened up near where his stomach was, however, his flesh was untouched. Mixed with dark, sticky saliva was a piece of parchment, left in the tear. It must have been from the wolf's mouth, it had left it there purposefully. Trembling fingers picking it apart as the surreal experience started to numb his nerves and mind, he read:

"You are one of six chosen few to receive this letter. You were chosen, because you wish for something with a great desire. So I shall grant you your wish. Into the Woods you must travel, to the Tree of Truth. There you will find me and if you follow my commands, you shall have your wish granted."

It left him with more questions than answers, some he asked aloud. "Where is the Tree of Truth? Or, what is it?" he questioned. "What are you?"

The Beast growled low in its throat as if trying to... trying to communicate, head bowed low in what the tailor suspected was mock submission, almost as if it were pretending (and joking) that he was some sort of king he served. It stared flatly at him then turned to trot back from whence it came but not before giving him a universal gesture for him to follow. Evander nearly sobbed, partly because of the adrenaline ebbing from his system. The rest was in desperation – if this was the only way he would be able to find his true calling, to use his magic, then so be it. I'm sorry, Father, he repeated, chasing the creature deeper into the woods, hoping fervently that this wasn't all some elaborate plot.

[mmidnight]

It was just barely morning. The sun was slowly rising over the hills and the blackened nighttime sky that had formerly been dotted with stars was giving way to the light blue and purple hues of morning. In a small room behind the workshop of the candle-maker, Charles Valois had just risen from the warmth of his bed where he set his feet down on the slightly cold wooden floor. Reaching his arms above his head, the twenty-one year old stretched and let out a soft groan, which turned into a yawn, as he shook off the lingering feeling of sleep. There was work to be done that day, just like every other day if Charles wanted to earn enough money to pay his room and board there at the shop. Although he had been on his own for quite some time, the hardships were still constant.

Pulling himself up from the modest bed, Charles crossed the room and went about dressing for the day. He splashed some water on his face, the coldness of the liquid finally rousing the rest of his sleep-dulled senses. Quickly, not wanting to be late, the blond man pulled on pair of trousers and a woolen shirt for work. Although there were small flames around the shop at all times, used to heat the wax, it was still cold in the back room where most of the craft was done and with winter soon approaching, Charles wanted to stay warm.

As an apprentice to Louis, the man who owned the business, most of the hard work fell to Charles. It had been the same way when he was younger—setting the wicks, dipping the candles, pouring the wax, while the older man had sat back and sometimes managed to shop with mother. He had run off in order to get away from all of that, and by some sort of cruel twist of fate, this was the only job that Charles was capable of doing. Although, he had to admit that he did it well and was often proud of the sculpted wax creations that went on the light the homes of the townspeople throughout the village; the one thing he loathed ironically brought him satisfaction.

Now that he was dressed, Charles set out to make the short walk from his room to the workshop. The weather outside was shaping up to be a pleasant day, but the temperature that hung in the air was still chilly from the night before. He rubbed his hands together, longing to start the fire inside the shop and warm his fingers on the growing flames. I didn't take Charles long to unlock the door and he quickly shut it behind him before a large gust of wind could knock it back off of its hinges. Shivering slightly, he ran a hand through his wind-tousled hair and began to set up for the day. Soon enough, there was a roaring fire and Charles readied the wax to be worked with. There was still a few hours before Louis and his wife would be awake and ready, but Charles didn't mind the peace when he could watch the beautiful sunrise from the window.

Sometime later, Charles had finished making the first batch of candles and was cleaning up when Louis came in to open the shop for the day. Everything about the man was large, from his round belly and scraggly beard, to his booming laugh that filled any room, no matter the size. He wore a grin on his face, and although he was getting on in age, he was still friendly.

“Good morning,” Louis smiled, brown eyes shining as he saw that the work was on schedule. “Did you sleep well?”

Charles found himself nodding as he scraped off a bit of hardened wax from the side of the workbench. “I did, sir. And yourself?”

The pair had a quick conversation about sleep, the coming winter and how that would play into how much more work they would be doing. With the days growing shorter, the traditionally made light source would be in demand and Louis was always happy if business was doing well. Charles and Louis spoke for a while longer as Charles moved about the shop, multitasking as he set up the next batch of candles to be made. There were longer wicks to these ones, and Charles frowned when he realized that he was short by twelve. If he wanted to keep good time, he would have to go out to the small shed behind the main house.

“I've got to go into town today,” Louis mentioned, standing up from the seat he had taken by the warmth of the stove. “Have you eaten yet?” the hulking man asked but didn't give Charles much time to answer, “I'll have the wife bring you something down from the house. She'll be here to keep you company today.”

Charles nodded again and offered the man a polite smile, “have a safe trip.”

As Louis left the shop, Charles made his way outside to fetch the rest of his supplies. It was much warmer now that the sun had fully risen and Charles admired the blue sky as he walked. Although, he soon caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye. It was slight and a deep black, causing Charles to pause in his stride as he looked toward the forest. There on the edge lurked a single fox whose eyes were somehow darker than its body, shining and inky, but inviting all at the same time. The situation certainly was curious, and the blond slowly advanced toward the creature, seeing if it would run away. The animal stayed in its place, though and Charles walked on, finally coming to a stop with a few feet between himself and the fox.

The animal tilted its head at him, and Charles noticed that it was standing on something just as black as it was. In some sort of silent communication, the fox took a step back and revealed the piece of parchment for Charles to take. He hesitated, brows knit tightly together in confusion. “For me?” he asked, uneasy, but the fox remained still, its eyes oddly insistent. Charles bent at the waist and plucked the paper from the ground, unfurling the black roll to reveal snow white ink. It was a letter.

You are one of six chosen few to receive this letter. You were chosen, because you wish for something with a great desire. So I shall grant you your wish. Into the Woods you must travel, to the Tree of Truth. There you will find me and if you follow my commands, you shall have your wish granted.

Charles hadn't had a chance to read over the letter a second time before the ink had vanished, leaving a blank piece of paper in his hand. Once more, he looked down to the fox who was slowly retreating back into the tress it had come from. “A wish,” he said aloud. “My wish.” Suddenly, he was smiling. If he followed the fox to whatever this tree was, he could know the truth—he could finally be whole. “I can find them.” Reaching into the pocket of his trousers, Charles pulled out the only clue to who he really was. The crest; set in cold and painted with such lovely colors. He would have a home again, a real home, with his real parents.

“Let's go,” he said, still grinning as he pocketed the token once more. “Into the woods, lead the way!” There was excitement in his voice as he followed the fox, true hope and Charles was so eager that he hadn't thought twice about his job, the extra wicks, the candles or even Louis. If he got his wish, he would never have to make another candle for the rest of his life.