Chapter One

A Chapter by Dandelion

The beginning of a story. I will see where it goes.

I followed a rocky path to the cottage in the woods where it was rumored an old lady lived on her own, she was a healer. Some still called her a witch, of course some people have difficulty ridding themselves of old prejudices and fear anything outside of what they know and understand. So they call her a witch. It's a small village that she hails from, a farming village. The people are kind to one another but mindful of strangers, and while they may understand farming and the importance of community and hard work, they are not so worldy and ignorant of many things outside of their day to day comings and goings.

The old lady was at home when I called on her, her cottage made of stone was a quaint little thing. Inside it was one large open space with a bed in one corner, a table and two chairs, a wood burning stove and a large clay basin, presumably for her washing. Shelves lined her walls, filled with various dried leaves and ground powders. I had imagined jars fulls of bat wings, rat feet and mouse tails but there was nothing of the sort. It was a warm and cozy little cottage and the lady herself looked very kind. Her eyes were a grayish-blue color. It was almost as if they carried the story in them of the many weathered storms that will never replace the blue skies in her life. Wise, weathered and tough she was, a fighter in her own way.

She was startled by the knock at her door, I could tell by the sound of the shuffling around and her disheveled look when she opened the door, not to mention the wide inquisitive eyes. "Yes??" She asked of me, it came out in almost a croak. It was early and perhaps she had still been sleeping? And why not, with no one to clang around the house, like mother does, yelling at everyone to "Get up! Get up you lazy beasts! Lift a hand with the chores! Come on now!"

It seems as though the cat caught my tongue though, I had my introduction properly rehearsed and now I've gone and muddled my head with nerves. "Uhhhhh" my mouth hung open for a moment before I closed it shut and asked if I might come in and beg a moment of her time. She opened the door and motioned me in.