Chapter 71: The Seer

The Great Mother reaches towards me, instructing me to follow her. I reach towards her hand and grasp it, eager to leave the circle now shrouded in silence.

She leads me down a path deeper into the woods. A small trail marked by moss and mushrooms, cuts through the thick brush and dark trees. Snakes lay in wait under the oak trees camouflaged by leaves and debris, foothold traps begging to be sprung. The further we venture from the fire, the darker it becomes. My eyes are struggling to adjust. She pulls me down a steep embankment and we trudge through deep rocks, small and rounded, clanking together like marbles as we cut our path through. My thick robe dragging in the muck leaving a smooth trail in my wake.

“This will be cold.” The Great Mother says, before we plunge into the river to cross it. The stones slick and smooth, tiny minnows and slippery grass tickle my ankles, making me feel unsteady. The current is strong and the sound of a waterfall rushes in the distance. My cloak d