The Witch and The Goddess

Twelve years passed after Afena told the Lorsul the story of its birth. Because of the Inarenta lore she knew, she still looked as young as then.

Just before dawn, as soon as she woke up, Afena knelt and placed all her wooden chips on the small, low table under one of the windows of her hut; the one facing east. She took a few seconds to breathe in and out three times. It was the beginning of fall. The cold air bit at her skin, but she didn't mind it. She only wore her linen undergarments, and goosebumps covered her whole skin.

She placed a crystal near the edge where the wall and table touched. The light of the coming morning would pass through the cristal, bathe her runes, and allow them to be interpreters of the forces that governed the future.

All the chips showed a rune on the face turned upwards, and she passed the tips of her fingers over each one. Some lit up with a dark blue light. Others didn't. Once she'd passed her finger tips over all of them, she quickly interpreted what the glowing runes were trying to tell her.

"A grave or important seeker is looking for me and they have a favor to ask?" she thought. "Has someone discovered where I live?" she asked and passed her fingers over the runes again.

She didn't like the rune that lit up very much. It was the equivalent of someone saying, 'yes but no,' to answer her question.

Afena sighed shaking her head slowly. She liked definite answers, and not ones that left room for speculation. 'Yes but no' could mean that someone knew she was in this forest, but not the exact location of her hut. That meant that Ol, the god, could have finally decided to come for her again. Or it could mean that someone had always known where she was, and so hadn't discovered it. It could have also meant that the Lorsul she'd raised…

"You didn't raise it," she said. "You made sure it didn't die as a cub, and it left. You didn't raise it."

After scolding herself, she looked again at the runes to analyze them a bit more carefully.

"That someone is a grave or important visitor. Maybe even both," she said silently. "But I don't feel any urgency, which means it's not going to happen immediately. I can take my time."

Thinking quickly, she decided to leave her hut for the next few days. Whoever came looking for her would surely tire of waiting eventually, and go away. She could even use her magic to make the hut invisible. Thinking about her course of action, Afena lit a small fire in the hearth, cooked and ate her breakfast, and got dressed.

If she was going to spend days and nights outside, it would be better to take her Lorsul skin. It would help hide her, protect her from the elements, and even from the harm most weapons could inflict upon her.

From the chest at the foot of her bed, Afena took out the long fur skirt first. Then the long tunic, and finally, the hooded cloak she'd fashioned from the Lorsul's skin. Even after making that whole set of clothes, there was still a decent amount of skin she hadn't known what to do with, so she simply stored it at the bottom of the chest. Unfortunately, she'd have to cut some of its hair to make her cabin invisible. It wouldn't be much, but she still hated damaging it. Once she had all that was necessary, she closed the chest and gathered supplies. There was a cave about three days' travel from the hut. No one would find her there.

Ready, Afena stepped outside, burned the Lorsul hairs, and blew the ashes on the hut. It vanished from sight immediately, blending in with its surroundings. Afena smiled, and touched her hand to the door. Even though the hut was invisible, it could still be felt.

She hoped whoever was looking for her would not be a careful searcher.

The following day, in the morning, Selen opened her eyes and chuckled playfully. Using her goddess powers, she'd been looking into the past, at yesterday, when Afena decided to leave for the cave. Unfortunately, she still had two more days to wait. Being a goddess, however, she didn't mind wasting the time. As long as no one came to kill her, she had all the time she would ever need, or want.

She could also see into the future. Or rather, into the storm of multiple possibilities that is the future. Because of that, she knew that Afena could come to the cave where Selen was already waiting for her.

"Very clever, Afena," the goddess said to no one in particular. "And your interpretation of the runes was masterful. You even felt a sense of how long the prediction would take to happen. It's a shame you did not pay close enough attention. They told you a seeker is looking for you. Not a visitor. I never intended to visit your home"

Again, Selen chuckled playfully. Her voice filled the silence of the forest with a beautiful, almost songbird tone.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said as if Afena could hear her. "I'm not making fun of you, Afena. I hope my laughter isn't an offense. One can laugh at something without mocking it, after all. Don't you think?"

Selen looked around, and her eyebrows furrowed. Sitting on the ground by the mouth of the cave, her back leaning against the stone, she moved her torso forwards and searched in silence for a few seconds. Her eyes looked from one place to another, expecting to see someone.

"Oh! you're not here yet." She realized. "I'm sorry."

For the first time, the goddess seemed bothered. "Ever since Jublun was killed…" She grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut. A tear trailed down her cheek. "I've spent too much time alone, haven't I, my dear Jublun? My husband."

Selen eased back onto the rock to rest her back and head. Her eyes remained shut, and tears escaped from beneath her eyelids every now and then.

"Do you think she'll help me, Jublun? If I help her, will she help me bring you back? Do you think she has the power of her forebears?"

There was silence as Selen imagined what her long gone husband would have told her. Slowly, her lips stretched happily. Soon, those lips parted to show her teeth in an open, joyous smile.

"Oh, you would have tried to distract me from my troubles by seducing me, you lout," she chuckled. The chuckle grew into a beautiful, harmonious, peaceful laugh.

Finally, Selen sighed and opened her eyes anew. There was a chittering sound, and she lifted her head to see a raccoon inspecting the base of a tree nearby.

"Would you like to give me something to do while I wait, little one?" she asked.

The raccoon ignored her.

"None of you animals have ever been good at entertaining delusions," she said. "You could at least look at me and acknowledge I'm making sounds with my mouth. Even if you don't understand them."

The raccoon still ignored her.

"That is a challenge, my friend," she said sitting up straight.

The sound of her voice filled the forest with a soft, soothing song. The raccoon looked at her with its ears standing completely stiff. Then, it settled down with its feet under its body. Before long, it was nodding off with half-closed eyes. Finally, the critter fell asleep, as did anything and everything else that listened to the song.

Selen finished her song, and smiled sweetly as she looked at the sleeping animal.

"Couldn't ignore that, could you?" she said pertly.