The witch.

Shantel's POV.

The route to the witch's place was a long and tortuous one.

Not because of the terrain that lay in wait for travelers on either side of the road; rather it was the steep decline of what used to be farmland into the lush forest on each side, which left little room for proper footing.

Even more, though, there were no trails available to guide visitors to where they needed to go.

No paved roads or even clear paths of any kind. All around them stretched an endless, almost impassable wall of forest.

It rose hundreds of feet up to a canopy so dense that sunlight struggled its way through in small streams as the birds and other wildlife flew overhead.

The sun itself seemed to be hiding behind that barrier of trees, unable to penetrate the thickening darkness beyond it.

As I walked along the path, only the faintest glimmer of moonlight broke through the foliage ahead of them.

"This is ridiculous." I sighed, but I needed the witch's help more than anything.

If I didn't get i