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"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow," Quinn said.
He watched her leave before he removed her dishes and stuck them in the tub behind the bar wondering if he had done right by her when he told her about the crazy old lady in the woods.
Quinn was intrigued by the woman Maude and definitely planned on paying her a visit, but first she needed groceries. The bell jingled as she opened the door and stepped inside. The store was dimly lit but she could see well enough to spot the small selection of vegetables arranged neatly to her left and on her right the refrigerator section of meats, mostly venison and duck. Just in front of her there were aisles of canned and boxed goods. She grabbed a linen bag and walked up and down the aisles filling her sack with tuna and canned chicken, soups and cereal, a few bars of chocolate, water bottles and a six pack of diet coke before she went to the register which was being manned by a short, plump woman with gray hair pulled up into a bun. As Quinn emptied her sack, the woman just stared at her and when Quinn really looked at her, she thought she saw fear. The woman quickly lowered her head and started to ring up the items and, once her groceries were bagged and paid for, Quinn started for the door.
"Thank you."
The woman offered nothing so, chalking up her odd behavior to shyness, Quinn left the shop and started walking through town. She reached the town's edge and spotted the worn path in the underbrush that went deeper into the woods. Suspecting this was the way to Maude's, she followed it. A faint glow up ahead beckoned her forward until the trees magically cleared to reveal a small stone cabin. Wisps of smoke from the chimney were curling up into the bright blue sky. A smile touched her lips.
"Lovely."
Before she could knock, the door opened and there stood an old woman with a face so wrinkled that she could easily pass for over a hundred years old but her eyes, a robin's egg-blue, were sharp and alert. Quinn was just opening her mouth to introduce herself when the woman's greeting left her speechless.
"So you have finally come. I've been waiting." With that she turned and disappeared into the cottage leaving Quinn gaping at the now empty threshold. The thought that she should turn around and walk away popped into her head but she dismissed that and stepped into the cabin. Inside a warm, crackling fire burned brightly in the stone hearth. The floors were wood, but smooth to the touch. Colorful wool braided rugs dotted across the living area. Iron torches, burning fire, were anchored around the room. The walls were lined with book shelves that spilled over with leather bound works. In front of the fireplace sat a long sofa of walnut wood and the warmest brown silk. A tabby cat was curled up on the floor by the fire snoring softly.
"Please sit I'll brew some tea. There is much to do."
Maude disappeared as Quinn took a seat on the sofa as she pondered Maude's words. Much to do? Whatever was she talking about? Before long Maude returned carrying a large silver tray with a teapot, porcelain cups and saucers and a plate of mouthwatering cookies. She placed the tray on the table before taking the seat next to Quinn. She poured them each a cup of tea before settling back on the sofa.
"So you've come for answers." Maude crooned as she took a rather loud gulp of tea.
That comment took Quinn by surprise but she dismissed the odd chill that worked its way down her spine and offered, "I'm here to research Whispering Winds and Jack mentioned you knew much of the history of this town and that of the castle so I hoped that I could interview you."
"Indeed."
Quinn wasn't deterred by the old woman's less than enthusiastic response and continued on.
"I am fascinated with the castle and the secrets it could tell. Do you know anything about who lived there and what happened to them?"
"Oh, aye, but I can't say: tisn't my secret to tell." She leaned closer to Quinn so that she could smell the faint scent of lavender on the old woman's withered skin.
"I will say this. There is powerful magic at work in that place and if someone knew where to look they may just stumble onto the adventure of a lifetime."
Jack had said the woman was odd but was she crazy? Not really wishing to share the fate of Hansel and Gretel, Quinn decided it was time to go.
"Thank you so much for the tea. It was very nice meeting you."
The old lady grinned as Quinn stood to leave.
"Careful, Miss, you may just find what you're looking for but all magic comes with a price."
Creepier words Quinn had never heard and with a rushed wave she fled the cabin as if the hounds of hell were hard on her heels.
Maude walked over to the door and watched as the young woman disappeared from view.
"I'll give you a little nudge, dearest Quinn, since I've a promise to keep."
Quinn slowed her pace once she was back on the lane heading from town but, honestly, she was a bit unnerved from her very odd encounter with what she believed was an honest-to-god witch. A shiver went down her spine thinking about the cryptic, but undeniably creepy, words the woman had said to her.
A half an hour later she was back in her bedroom where she dropped her groceries and purse near her sleeping bag then walked over to one of the massive windows and stared out. In the distance, she could see the river bending around the landscape and as she followed its curves, she noticed a man standing near the edge. He was so far away but he was looking up towards the castle, and it seemed, right in her direction. He was tall with wide shoulders and narrow hips dressed in all black and his hair, too, was black and long framing a face that she couldn't quite make out. He looked so lost standing there as if he couldn't find what he was looking for.
Before her mind could object to her spontaneous, and potentially stupid, decision she started from the room -- slowly at first, until she was in a full on run by the time she flew out into the courtyard. He stood in the same spot and when he saw her he started to move toward her but as soon as he took his first step, he began to fade. Quinn stopped short and watched as he looked down at himself and up at her and now she could see that his eyes were green, like summer grass, and in them was confusion and pain. His hand reached out for her just before he disappeared completely. Her jaw dropped in shock but she also felt the sting of tears as the most intense feeling of loss assailed her. She stood rooted to that spot for a long time before she forced her feet to carry her back inside the castle.
Quinn found herself, throughout that day and the next, looking out the window hoping to catch a glimpse of the man, but the river swept quietly along its vacant banks and eventually Quinn convinced herself that she had imagined him. Then on the third day when she glanced out the window from the study, he was there: standing in the same spot where she had seen him before. She didn't hesitate to run to him but, once again, when she approached him he started towards her and began to fade.
"No!" Quinn screamed as she ran to him but right before she reached him he was gone. A chill caused goose bumps to rise on her skin as she stood in the spot where he had been. She felt that same crushing sense of loss that she had felt the first time. She lowered her head to look down at the patch of Earth to see what was so unique about it that it had the power to hold his spirit there and that was when she saw the glint of something metal from within the strands of grass. She hunched down to get a better look and realized it was a ring, an old ring based on the design, with an emerald the size of a grape centered within the delicate gold. She reached down to pick it up but as soon as her hand wrapped around it, she felt the heat of the stone burn her seconds before everything went black.
Chapter Two
