19
Jasper arranged for the horses to stay in the stables a few more nights, after Seth told them they would have to traverse through the woods on foot.
He wasn't particularly thrilled at the prospect of traveling off the beaten path, especially with a guide who was barely more than a child, but Mistress Masen seemed determined.
While he secured the horses, the coffin maker's wife purchased rations for the three of them.
When they regrouped, Bear happy to be back at his mistress's side, they turned to their young host.
Seth looked wary but nodded to them, turning toward the woods at the edge of the village.
"This way."
…
The way was rocky at first. Large stones littered the edge of the woods, and some were so slick with moss, she had to get on her hands and knees to crawl over them. Soon, the stones became not more than pebbles as rock gave way to trees.
Immediately, the path fell dark, succumbing to the heavy canopy above.
Bella knew the woods around her home. She was familiar with the sounds, the smells, even familiar with the unexplainable, though her logical mind often fought for reason whenever she encountered anything odd.
These woods were connected, though they spanned a great distance, but she was utterly unfamiliar with them. It frightened her enough to sharpen her senses, and she proceeded with caution, keeping Bear close to her so that he was not lost in the dark.
Their small procession walked in silence at first, with Seth at the front, Bella in the middle, and Jasper picking up the rear. The apprentice felt responsible for the party and preferred it if he could keep both eyes on everyone.
After a time, Bella found she had so many questions, she couldn't keep them to herself a moment longer.
"Seth?" she asked.
He glanced back at her, his dark eyes hard to see in the shadows.
"How do you know this Dead Witch lives nearby?" Her voice could not fully conceal her skepticism, and behind them, Jasper smirked a little, knowing how little the coffin maker's wife believed in this element of the supernatural. He thought it must be a mark of her desperation for answers that she'd entertain the Dead Witch at all with Seth.
"I seen her," Seth said, shrugging one shoulder. "Every night, for three nights now."
Bella frowned, and at the back of the party, Jasper crossed himself in fear.
"You've seen her every night?" Bella asked.
"Aye," Seth said, shaking his shaggy head. "She comes here, long after dark."
"And you've followed her?" Jasper asked, wanting clarity on whether their young guide had actually ventured into the dark woods or not.
"Once," Seth said, his voice quiet. "It weren't right. She were…" His voice trailed off, and behind him, Bella and Jasper could see the tension in the boy's shoulders. "She weren't right… She were howling like a wild thing, cursing and spitting. I figured she were making spells, and I ran out of the woods fast as I could."
Bella considered this, turning this piece of the puzzle over in her mind. What did this Dead Witch want? Why was she hanging around?
What did she have to do with Edward?
The troupe traipsed deeper and deeper into the woods, their conversation dying off as they went. Each of them felt the weight of the forest, the steady unrest that lurked in the shadows.
The woods were uneasy, and it put them all on edge.
Sometime past noon, Seth turned to the party, motioning for them to be silent. Both the coffin maker's wife and the apprentice eased their footsteps, walking as softly as they were able as they edged forward.
"There," Seth said, stopping beside a large, lichen-covered boulder. "She's there, mistress."
Bella took a deep breath that tasted of moss and shadows, and she stepped forward to set eyes on the glen of the Dead Witch.