Greta had never traversed so far from home before. Despite her youth, she was resolute in her quest to find a remedy for her brother, Anselm. He had been ailing for many moons now and nothing the village apothecaries proscribed had any success. Greta had heard of a renowned healer who resided within the deep, obscure woods, and she chose to seek her aid.
Greta packed a minuscule satchel with rations and extra attire, then bid her kin a sorrowful farewell. Her mother wished for her to have an escort, but Greta refused. She had to accomplish this alone; she was the only one who could rescue her brother.
At first, the woodlands seemed alluring. The trees exuberantly stretched their boughs toward the heavens and the air was redolently perfumed with wild blooms and herbs. Yet as Greta and Ans
