AN: This is a direct continuation of the previous chapter. It may be in your best interest to read this chapter as well as the previous one together. Also, I'm sorry for the late update, I wasn't sure how I wanted to approach the Horned King's deal with the witches.
The Horned King rode his skeletal steed through the foggy wetland and looked around for his destination. The fog covered most of the marsh, but, by watching the wind, the Horned King could identify several landmarks in a way similar to a bat's sonar abilities. After hours of searching, he finally found what he was looking for: an old shack with a roof of straw and a gate made of what looked like human bones. The Horned King dismounted and tied his horse to the boney fence. He the approached the door and knocked twice. He received no answer. He knocked twice more. Still no answer.
Finally, the Horned King tried the knob to see if it would open. It did. The skeletal man stepped through the doorway and called out to see if anyone was there. No one responded. He then proceeded to look around for the object that he was searching for: the Black Cauldron. After several minutes of searching, he came across a room a room filled with Cauldrons. Any one of them could be the pot he was searching for. He recalled that the cauldron bore the face of the terrible king, Arawn Death-Lord. While several cauldrons had symbols on them, none bore that gruesome face.
The Horned King soon began to hear voices behind him. They started out as whispers but then grew to clearly audible conversations. He whirled around to see who was talking, and, as he did, three old red haired hags appeared before him in a flash of light.
"Intruder! Thief!" the middle one that was apparently the leader called out, "You evil, nasty person!"
"And what a ghastly looking one at that," said the shortest one whose head was covered by a black hood, "No meat on him what so ever!"
"Is that all you ever think about, Orgoch? Food?" said the plump one who wore white beads around her neck.
"Ladies, forgive my intrusion," the Horned King began apologetically, "I've come to bargain for the Black Cauldron."
"It's a trick!" the one called Orgoch exclaimed, "We aren't going to let him have it, are we Orddu?"
"Don't worry," the one apparently called Orddu assured Orgoch before turning back to the Horned King, "Perhaps we can interest you in something else?"
"No," the Horned King sternly, "I have come for the Black Cauldron and the Black Cauldron alone."
"Well what are you willing to give us for it?" the plump one asked.
"Orwen, you fool! What on earth are you doing?" Orgoch asked the plump one.
"Well," Orwen replied, "If he wants the cauldron so badly we should at least hear him out. Please continue."
The Horned King sneered as he pulled a small stone from the folds of his robe.
"A rock?" Orgoch exclaimed with a cackle, "Is that the best you can do?"
The Horned King remained silent and gripped the stone harder. He looked around the room and saw a dusty spider web with a dust covered spider in the center. He then held the stone between his index finger and thumb and the spider suddenly turned into a pig. The witches gasped.
"I've got to have that stone!" Orddu exclaimed.
"What do we need it for?" Orgoch sneered, "We can do that ourselves anyways."
"It's not what the stone does," Orddu explained, "It's that the stone does it. Don't you see? The stone has advanced magic and leaving magic with mortals is never a good idea."
"But isn't giving him the Cauldron just as bad, Orddu?" Orwen asked.
"The cauldron's power will turn on him sooner or later," Orddu replied, "And when it does, we'll end up with both: the stone and the cauldron."
Orddu then turned to the Horned King.
"Then it's agreed!" Orddu announced, "You shall have the Cauldron in exchange from the stone. We have made a bargain!"
In a flash of blue light, the Horned King was standing outside in the marsh and neither the stone nor the witches could be found. However, sitting in the muck before him was the Black Cauldron.
Maleficent materialized in the palace courtyard of the Queen of Hungary in a flurry of green flames. She and the queen were old friends, having known each other when they were younger. She had always been "Miss Goody-Two-Shoes" when they were kids, but, after her husband's death, Maleficent found that Grimhilde could be almost as cruel as she was. Maleficent entered the palace and ordered the guard to wake the Queen because she had personal matters to discuss with her majesty.
"I knew the rumors of your demise were false," the Queen said as she poured herself and Maleficent a cup of coffee, "It takes more than some pampered prince to keep you down."
Queen Grimhilde handed Maleficent one of the two steaming cups of coffee and sat across the table from Maleficent.
"I hope you like coffee," Grimhilde said, "I have it specially imported. It's terribly expensive but I just can't stand the flavor of tea and I need some source of caffeine to keep this job from wearing me down."
Maleficent sneered.
"I'd rather we just skip the formalities," Maleficent stated, "I'm here to propose an alliance with you to aid my forces in my newest campaigns."
Grimhilde scowled and sat down her coffee cup.
"Of course you are," the Queen asserted growing angry, "I should have known that the only reason you would have come here would be if you needed to take advantage of my help again. I swear, sometimes you're as bad as father was!"
"The past is the past," Maleficent said blankly, "Leave it be. You obsess on details far too much."
"I most certainly do not!" Grimhilde shouted back.
"Oh yes you do," Maleficent accused, "Why else would you consult that mirror or yours every day?"
The Queen's expression of anger melted into an expression of shock.
"How did you know about that?" the Queen pondered out loud.
"I've... been keeping an eye on you," Maleficent admitted, "After all, you were my best friend."
"So you do care," the Queen noted, her expression turning into a much softer one, "Of course I'll help you. After all, what are friends for?"
Maleficent smiled. She was one step closer to achieving her goal.