The tale goes:
"One day an anguished villager approached me and told me stories of a great Treewitch cursing the animals of a nearby forest. The animals were destroying farmsteads and harming livestock. He enlisted me to try to dispel the curse and destroy the witch. The following day, I set out to the aforementioned forest fully geared up. While entering the cursed wood, I felt a chill go down my spine. The witch was definitely here, alright. I slowly stepped along the trail with as much stealth as I could muster, when out of the growth came a black stag as big as a horse! It startled me with its trundling entrance and I tripped backwards. With glowing red eyes it looked at me, snorted with pity, and leaped into the forest. Stunned, I sat there for a moment in the dirt. I could hear a slow thunder approaching and I quickly scrambled behind a tree as another black deer crashed through the vegetation. More followed in a rumble of hooves and I huddled behind the tree, waiting for the thunderous onslaught to end. In a moment, it was over and I could glimpse the last bit of black fur gallivanting through the trees. I sighed with relief, stood up and rounded the trunk. There, a woman with skin like oil and eyes like the sun was standing. We were face to face.
"What brings you to my forest, puny child?" it asked with utter contempt.
"I am here to vanquish you, black witch of this wood!" I replied without hesitation.
I slid my sword from its leather sheath and stared at her, anticipating.
With a flick of her wrist, a tree branch careened through the air inches from my face. I stumbled backwards, regained my stance and lunged towards her, sword like a fang. She slid on a shadow to the left and shot a fire ball from her hand at my back. My leather armor absorbed most of the heat but I still felt claws of fire licking at my neck.
In an instant, I spun around and swung my sword with triumph at her snake-thin body, she crumpled under the blow and burgundy fluid flew through the air. With a screech she collapsed on the forest floor and turned into ash. I smiled, sweat dripping from my forehead and sheathed my blade.
As I turned around, I saw a buck down the trail. It looked successfully normal. I waved at the magnificent creature and it gave a nod of appreciation before hopping into the bushes."
-Zachary Birchbar
Zachary later returned to the spot of his victory to place an acorn in the ashes of the dead witch. today, the tree that grew from the acorn houses a cache! Find another one of Zachary Birchbar's secrets for humans only! NO MAGICAL CREATURES!
(This is the second cache in a fantasy series I'll be doing this year around Oak Creek.)
Good luck and Bring your own Pen!
Congrats to "Nana/Papa" on that sweet, sweet FTF.