The morning rays of sunlight peeked through the cracks in the boards along the stable walls. Ben marched into the stable and looked around. His eyes settled on Edward asleep in the back corner. Not wanting to frighten the locals, the troll usually opted to sleep out in the woods when Hansel, Gretel and Ben took a room at a local inn. Fortunately the inn's stable was near the edge of town and rather vacant so Edward had made himself a cozy little nest out of the bales of hay tucked in the back stall.

"Time to get up big guy," called Ben as he started loading their newly purchased supplies onto the cart. "Want to give me a hand here?"

Edward grumbled and reluctantly crawled out of his bed to help the young man organize their supplies. It didn't take long and just as they were adding the last few items, the door creaked open. They both tensed for a moment until Hansel came into view.

"Where're we going next?" asked Hansel as he threw a small bag of food on the cart. It wasn't much but the meagre amounts of bread and cheese the inn keeper was willing to part with would hold them over for a little while. Hopefully Ben would be able to steer them towards some lucrative work.

Ben fumbled with the papers in his pocket. Pulling out the creased and rumbled masses, he laid them out over a bale of hay. Hansel glances at the articles and missing persons posters. "There's a lot of activity near a village called Sage," informed Ben. "Travellers and people living on the out skirts of the town have been disappearing. Seems like our kind of thing."

Hansel cocked his head to the side. It could prove interesting. No one had disappeared from the town yet; that might make the villagers unwilling to accept their help.

"Sage," mumbled Edward, "it's a witch town."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" asked Hansel.

"Town full of witches," clarified the troll.

Edward could be useful most of the time but his aloofness could get on Hansel's nerves. "The good kind, or the bad kind?"

"All kinds."

"And what? The villagers don't notice the decaying hags among them?"

"What's going on here?" asked Gretel as she joined her companions. She could sense the tension within her brother. It had been there since they discovered what really happened to their parents. The news had been a lot to take in, and Gretel hoped he would come around a bit more once he reconciled the new information with his personal beliefs and feelings about the magical world. His reluctance to deal with things had him snapping at Edward more and more.

"I was saying that we should look into all the disappearances near the town of Sage," offered Ben. A slight blush crept up his neck at the kind smile Gretel gave him.

"It's a witch town," enthused Hansel, sharing a look with his sister.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know, ask your friend Edward," said Hansel gesturing to their large friend.

Gretel turned her attention to the troll who grumbled, "Witches live in the town with the people."

Turning back to her brother she asked, "Then I think it's something we should check out. Don't you?"

"You want to go check out a town that is supposedly populated by witches… why not?" Hansel shrugged. "Lead the way Ben."

It was an exhausted group that stood on the ridge overlooking the sleepy town of Sage. The lack of reliable maps had the witch hunters going in circles for a few days. The fact that the town didn't appear on many maps but was found through hear say and speculation on the part of other towns, fuelled the suspicion of a large witch population. Seeing it in person now, it looked like every other village the siblings had passed through.

There were rows of houses all nestled together and a main street with a steady flow of people coming and going. The delightful giggle of young children playing in the nearby meadow drifted through the forest.

"What do you think Hansel?" asked Gretel. By all appearances it looked to be normal and she didn't have the knot of apprehension that usually made itself known when facing a potentially dangerous situation.

"A closer inspection might be in order. You stay here big guy and keep out of sight." Edward nodded and handed the traveling bags to the others before pulling the cart into the bushes to find a place to bunker down for the night.

The siblings and Ben made their way down the ridge towards the town. They headed for the main street in the village and it didn't take long for the residents to realize there were strangers among them. All eyes seemed to be on the trio and the usual sounds of people going about their business were replaced with whispers and hushed conversations.

Hansel gripped his gun a little tighter, waiting for some idiot to try something. It was inevitable; someone always tried to discourage their presence.

"You must be weary after such a long journey." The trio came to an abrupt halt when a young woman stepped out onto the street before them. Hansel immediately started to size her up in his head. She was beautiful with rosy cheeks and chestnut hair that fell in loose curls around her face. There were no obvious signs of dark magic within her and she offered him a dazzling smile when she caught Hansel's eye. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Andrea; I'm a member of the town council. We don't get many travellers this far away from the main roads. What business do you have in our peaceful little town?"

"Peaceful?" snorted Gretel, "sixteen people have disappeared along the roads outside your village."

"Travellers, all of them. The woods are fraught with danger from thieves, bandits and the like."

"Thieves," chuckled Gretel, "last I checked, thieves didn't skin people. I think witches might be a more accurate explanation." The witch hunters braced themselves for a possible confrontation. Those that practiced the dark arts were usually quick to remove those that learned of their true identities.

It was Andrea's turn to laugh. "Witches? There are no witches in Sage. The village founders ran them out many years ago. I assure you they have not returned."

"Then you wouldn't mind if we checked it out?" proposed Hansel.

"By all means. We were just about to sit down in the town hall and enjoy a feast. All the villagers will be there, why don't you join us?" offered Andrea. Ben's face lit up at the prospect of a large dinner. He enjoyed the witch hunting for the most part but it wasn't always conducive to a full stomach. "It will get you acquainted with the town's people. We've never had such celebrity in town before; you can regale us with the legendary stories of your adventures Hansel and Gretel. I'm sure you'll have a much different opinion of our quaint little village in the morning."

Hansel smirked. "You think so?"

"I know so."

Hansel pondered the invitation. After a quick glance towards Gretel who gave her silent support he decided to accept. "You had us at feast."

...

...

It seems there is some interest in knocking Hansel around. I'm pretty sure I can find my way to doing that but I'll make you a deal; the more reviews, the more I'll beat on the guy. lol.