Where the Wisp Witch Lives

I might have been stalling. The harvest season was nearly over and I needed to get on with my trip into the city. I had tried, and failed, to find Poppy while I completed the last of my tasks. Now the caravan had been packed and repacked. My wares, commissions, and ingredients had been sorted and organized in at least three different ways. I had even gone through the trouble of washing my hair and had spent far too long weaving flowers through the plaits. The only thing missing was the horse. “Right," I muttered. With my hands on my hips, I surveyed the packed space. I narrowed my eyes at the tower of boxes haphazardly piled at the back. They may have been smothered beneath my magical ropes, but I still felt the call of their magic. Oscar was going to be pissed when I returned them. If I conveniently avoided him, I might be able to keep them another season. Something to think about. “Right,” I repeated with a sigh. Time to draw up my courage and face the task at hand. I ducked out of the caravan and inhaled. Standing on the bench seat, I tried to peer out for a glimpse of the horse's distinctive coat. Besides my single room cottage and carefully tended gardens, I could see nothing but the endless trees of the Taintedwood. Much like all the other times I'd tried looking for my horse. I was always hoping she'd just show up. That she wouldn't fight me so hard every single time. Unfortunately, Poppy had always been a stubborn mare. My Nan was even worse. “Poppy!” I cupped my mouth as I shouted. When there was no movement, I knew I'd have to go find her. With a sigh, I grabbed my satchel and climbed down. “Where are you, you old nag?” I muttered. Poppy hadn't shown up for her morning snack, which probably meant she was deliberately hiding from me. Every year it was a struggle that always ended with Poppy dutifully pulling their livelihood like a proper horse should. The horse was never particularly hard to find, and she could only go so far even if she got a headstart. She had gotten more slippery since I'd tried stabling her a few years back. With a little luck she would be in one of her regular spots. It didn't take long to track them down. There were more than I remembered and they were inching closer to my beautiful garden everyday. The herd of deer had first crossed my wards sometime before the summer solstice. I hadn't given them much thought at first. By the time I realized they intended to stick around until the cold came, Poppy had fully integrated herself into the herd. Between Poppy and the buck with an impressive rack of antlers, I had been thwarted on every attempt to drive the herd off my land. Maybe I felt a little sympathy for my poor horse. It was probably a very lonely life that she led. Seeing her socialize as part of a herd made it easier to ignore their presence. Now, their numbers had grown to five females and their three deerlings. It was evident the animals felt the relentlessly match towards the cold season. They hardly bothered to stop as they stripped the land around them of anything green or edible. The creatures were a menace this time of year. They would devour all the plant life in the vicinity by the time the ground thawed. They would leave nothing behind, not even the bark on the trees. I had already decided to take advantage of the extra food source as needed. As soon as my garden was in danger from the gluttonous vermin, they would be taking residence in my cellar. Venison was always a nice option for survival. The herd had taken to one of the few large, open meadows within my wards. Most of the wildflowers and grasses had either been trampled, eaten, or was littered with rounded deer scat. One of the most accessible sources of Clarion root had been completely ripped up. I hated deer herds. They were vile and destructive pests. “Poppy, I see you over there!” I shouted when I caught sight of the sorral horse. The tan and black coats were mainly within the open meadows. My horse had taken to lazily grazing on the other side of the herd, just within the shadows of the treeline. I realized it wasn't just Poppy I was dealing with when the horse deliberately turned to give me her backside. “Why does it need to be like this every time, Nan?" I knew I sounded petulant. It was frustrating when capturing her became harder every year. "I didn't bind you to your horse. You did that yourself. We can't fix it if you don't pull the caravan.” She knew this, I knew this, and yet I got the distinct feeling she wanted to remain a horse for one reason or another. Unfortunately, I couldn't just let her be. The curse had to be broken. “Do we have to do this every single time, Nan?" I kept talking while I scoped a route out. I needed to avoid the buck , he had already tried to gore me for getting near her. "You can't stay bound to poor Poppy,” I lowered my voice, and glanced around in superstition, “It's unnatural.” There was always a price to pay for the type of magic my Nan had used. She, and I, were the last living members of our bloodline. As such, her actions left out magic cursed and nearly useless beyond the barrier. If she died before she could break the curse, I would be the one to pay the price. The horse was completely unbothered by my rant. She continued to ignore me, even taking a few lazy steps further into the forest. My careless words had gotten the buck's attention though. His massive rack of antlers had swung up and were following me as I slowly began skirting the meadow towards Poppy. When he stood to his full height, I'd finally had enough. I wouldn't be gored for this selfish women. "Listen here, you old nag," I stopped again and pointed at the stubborn mare, "This has gone on long enough. It's been fifteen years." During those years, I had tried everything to make this go smoother. Coercion, bribes, threats, and everything in between. I'd been able to collect a Winter's Kiss five of those years. This year, I was certain I had it right this time. If I could get the flower, my formula to break the curse would be work. It was clear, however, that, for whatever reason, my Nan would do anything to stay a horse. "We both know I won't be able to go through them to get to you," I gestured broadly, even though I could barely see her twitching tail as she slunk further into the forest. Barely even an ear twitched in my direction from the other in the herd. "We are leaving late as it is this year. I can't wait you out this time. We are running out of time and I will not pay the price for your selfishness!" I watched as she disappeared altogether. "Right then," I grumbled to myself, "That will teach me to do a nice thing for a possessed horse again. Ungrateful mare." I turned and stomped back to my cottage. It was already past midday. Losing any more days in the city would be borderline disastrous. I always spent the half moon to the full moon this time of year. My longest stint away from home each year, but necessary. Besides purchasing overwinter supplies, I needed time to sell my wares to earn the coin. Then the Winter's Kiss would bloom on the full moon and I'd be able to finally break the curse. I had to get the horse, time wasn't on my side.