Shadows of the Nightwood

Chapter 1

Astra let out a soft chirrup, her tail flicking toward the foreboding forest edge.

Let’s get this over with, her posture seemed to say.

Nocturna, in contrast, stood as still as carved obsidian, ears pricked.

Her gaze followed the creeping, shifting mist that covered the forest floor.

I had learned long ago to trust that look.

If Nocturna sensed anything was amiss, it wasn’t a matter of if but when something would happen.

A full moon hung high in the night sky, bathing the half-bare trees in silver light.

The snapping twigs underneath my footfalls cut through the eerie silence as we approached the forest boundary.

Nocturna padded at my heels—silent as smoke, black as a starless sky—while Astra, her silver-haired sister, remained steadfast at my side.

Ahead loomed the infamous Nightwood, its presence imposing itself upon all who dared near it.

A gentle stir of wind crept out from between the towering hemlocks.

I held my lantern up in an effort to see the line of trees in front of me, the flame casting a warming glow on the chill ground ahead.

I pulled my cloak tighter with my free hand as the crisp fall cold nipped at my nose and cheeks.

“We only need to grab a few handfuls, and then we can go home,” I murmured to the two mountain cats who accompanied me. My breath drifted away like pale smoke in the dark.

At half past midnight, there were far more comforting places I could think of to be—my bed, for one—the least of them, venturing into a supposedly cursed forest to search for a small yet important plant: moonshade.

“Let’s go,” I sighed, forcing my exhausted body forward toward the Nightwood.

The moment we stepped into the forest, the air shifted, instantly becoming cooler.

Goosebumps covered my skin while the mist started to creep and swirl around our feet.

A hush fell—deep, heavy, and unnatural. It was as if the entire Nightwood drew a single long breath at our arrival.

My chest tightened, and the thundering of my heart beat loudly in my ears.

The familiar sensation of magic struck me the moment my boot met loam.

The comforting vibration crawled along my skin, as if it were thrumming along with my heartbeat.

It wrapped itself around me in an embrace like one from an old friend.

The uneasiness I experienced when visiting the Nightwood had less to do with the local village lore regarding the foreboding forest and more to do with the reason I was here.

Moonshade was a plant that grew only on the forest floor of the Nightwood.

It could only bloom once a month, during a full moon.

When in full bloom, it would reveal a delicate, multi-layered black flower.

Not only was moonshade exceedingly rare; it was also used as a potent pain reliever.

I had almost used up the last of my stores just over an hour ago while making a secret house call to help a young girl manage an unwanted pregnancy.

At only thirteen years old, Linnea was far too young and innocent to be put into such a heavy situation.

She and her mother had made the difficult decision to seek my assistance—a request that was not without serious consequences.

What I did for her tonight could cost all of us our lives if we were caught.

According to the cult of self-righteous fools that seemingly ruled this continent, the Children of the Celestial Mothers, what I had done tonight was so grievous that Vikteriya herself would storm down from the celestial realm and make sure I suffered severely for my act of wickedness.

I believed the goddess of healing, fertility, and harvest had far more important matters to attend to than my small act of rebellion.

Regardless, whenever it came time to harvest moonshade, I was always on edge.

The threat of being caught and having to explain why I needed this plant outweighed the fear of encountering any mythical beings the village folk believed to inhabit these woods.

I swatted at the mist that coated the base of a wide hemlock.

Several small bundles of blooming moonshade sat ready to be harvested.

I reached down and plucked a couple of handfuls of the plant, placing them gently into a small pocket that lined the inside of my cloak.

Moonshade was so potent that all I needed was a few bundles to make enough pain relief tincture to last to the next full-moon harvest.

Standing up, I wiped the dew from my hands on my cloak. “All right, that should be enough. Let’s get—”

Two ear-piercing yowls ripped through the silent forest before I could finish. I turned around, looking for Nocturna and Astra, and couldn’t spot either of them. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not my girls. Please, not them.

I bolted in the direction I had heard the gut-churning sound come from, running as fast as my legs would take me.

My boots disappeared into the dense mist swirling on the forest floor.

Thankful for the minimal light the lantern provided, I ran deeper into the darkening, still forest. All my thoughts were occupied with finding Nocturna and Astra.

What if everyone was right, and there were unexplainable beings lurking in these woods, waiting for something to prey upon?

Nocturna and Astra were everything. I would not be able to continue on if something had happened to them.

I couldn’t think like that. They were fearsome and dangerous.

They could hold their own. As if the scales had been tipped while I reasoned with myself, my anxiety and worry shifted to anger.

The things I would do to whoever or whatever had caused them to make such a noise.

The perpetrator would pay dearly. The dull tingling sensation of my magic intensified with my anger.

The shadows of the Nightwood seemed to darken even more around me.

My boot then caught on a tangled root, and I fell hard on my hands and knees to the forest floor, which knocked me out of my spiralling thoughts.

The lantern flew ahead of me. I held my breath as it crashed onto the forest floor.

Thank the Mothers Above, it landed in a soft pile of moss, managing to stay lit and intact.

I frantically tried to push myself up, but my boot was caught in the root.

I reached down with both hands and started yanking.

“Come—the—fuck—on!” I cursed through gritted teeth.

After what felt like minutes of thrashing about, I was finally able to wiggle my boot free of the tangled root.

Another yowl pierced the night, coming from my right.

I hastily picked myself up and charged forward to grab the lantern.

A sharp, stinging pain exploded through my ankle as I put weight on it.

Grinding my teeth, I reached down and wrapped both hands around it.

My chest started to warm as I closed my eyes, and I imagined that warmth spreading down my arms, my hands, and into my swollen ankle.

Luck seemed to be on my side tonight, as my senses didn’t feel the ankle was broken.

Most likely a sprain, which I could treat further when I got back home.

Standing up, I continued doing the best I could, limping hastily through the forest. As if the woods were making a conscientious effort to slow me down, I found myself constantly getting caught on brambles, their thorns slicing at my face and neck and pulling on my cloak.

“Mothers Above! Give me a damned break!” I shrieked into the Nightwood. My fist clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palm.

The mist started to clear ahead of me, as if something had accepted my plea for help, making a path for me to follow.

My legs burned; my ankle was throbbing, and my lungs ached as I pushed myself to run.

I had to get to my girls. Just when my body could give no more, I came upon a small clearing.

As I cautiously entered, an unusual heaviness washed over me, causing me to slow down and take inventory of my surroundings.

It felt similar to my own magic, but stronger—like heavy hands were pressing onto my shoulders, trying to push me into the ground.

The buzzing sensation along my skin increased in intensity.

My whole body was vibrating—the feeling was unexpected and a little unsettling.

The clearing was dark, aside from a few beams of light from the moon above, illuminating Nocturna and Astra.

I was overwhelmed with relief as I laid eyes on my girls.

The air continued to flow over me, pine-scented, cold as snow—ancient and powerful.

Every internal alarm was going off. This was the first time I had ventured this deep into the Nightwood.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was somewhere I shouldn’t be.

I had to get myself and the girls out of here before something regrettable happened.

I cautiously proceeded toward Nocturna and Astra, who were both standing rigidly in front of an oddly shaped tree.

Unlike the other hemlocks, which stood proud and tall, this one was hunched over, like it was curling into itself.

Focusing my attention back on the girls, I noticed at their feet a solid dark mass on the forest floor.

It was as if they were protecting it. I placed the lantern down and hurriedly limped toward the two mountain cats, then wrapped my arms around them.

“Oh, Mothers Above, are you both all right?” I cried out, placing a hand on each of their heads. Closing my eyes, I let the warmth of my magic flow through me, reaching and feeling for any sense of pain or injury on either of the mountain cats.