“A witch ought never be frightened in the darkest forest…because she should be sure in her soul that the most terrifying thing in the forest was her.”–Terry Pratchett

1523, Somewhere in Europe

“Where are you going?” Lenora demanded.

Watching Aunt Elise pack a light satchel once again weighed heavily on Lenora’s mind. She didn’t want her aunt to leave, not without some sort of explanation. Every time she had asked in the past, Aunt Elise brushed her off, stating that she needed time to think, explore, and refresh herself.

This time, Lenora wouldn’t walk away until she knew the truth behind her aunt’s three-day trip like clockwork every year, leaving her to her own devices and absolute solitude.

With a sigh, the older woman, who defied age and hardly looked a day over Lenora’s twenty-four years, sighed, straightening and arching her back as if sore. “I suppose you’re old enough now to know.”

Lenora blinked several times, taken aback. She’d expected an argument or a dismissal. Instead, she might actually discover Aunt Elise’s secret. Settling onto the wooden stool nearest her, she waited with little more patience than the horse whinnying outside, already attached to the small carriage.

“Not here, child,” Elise said, laughing as if Lenora had made a joke. “Come, get your things. I’ll be taking you with me this time.”

Even more excited now, Lenora enthusiastically hurried off to her loft, tossing a few items in a blanket and tying them up to toss into the carriage. Her aunt never took food of any kind, so she didn’t bother, either. Wherever their destination, they would apparently eat upon arrival. She climbed onto the carriage bench, waiting while Elise hoisted herself and took the reins, and they were off without a word.

An hour later, when her aunt had told her nothing about their journey, Lenora grew impatient and irritated. She started several times to demand answers but knew it would get her nowhere. She had to wait until her aunt was ready to divulge information. It had always been that way, with every spell, every trick, everything in their lives. This would be no different.

It seemed like eons when it was only hours before they turned off the path and into a wooded area, the world around them darkening beneath the canopy of trees. Most people would have found the dank smell, the odd sounds of creatures and things crunching under the carriage wheels, and the lost daylight eerie. Like her aunt, Lenora was an Earth witch and took solace in being so close to nature. She relaxed with the aroma of wet dirt and fresh moisture, closed her eyes, and let the odor of leaves old and new wash over her.

Aunt Elise finally pulled to a halt next to a gnarled tree that looked like it strained under its own weight and age to remain upright. Muttering a few words under her breath that Lenora didn’t catch, the older woman waved her hand almost flippantly. Lenora gaped as the older woman climbed down from her seat. It looked like a veil of trees and brush had disappeared, revealing a small lean-to of a shack with a trough and bucket next to it. Behind the small structure was a tiny stream, and a post for tying off the horse stood halfway in between.

“What is this place?” Lenora breathed, her voice barely a whisper as she stared in awe.

Aunt Elise laughed softly. “My dear, do you think I just traipse off with nowhere to go?” Lenora glanced at her and saw something etched deeper into lines on her face than she’d ever seen on her beloved aunt before. “Tell me, Norrie,” she said, using the name she only spoke when she wanted to share something vastly important, “Why do you think it is that other women close to fifty years of age look as though awaiting their deathbeds and yet, here I am, spry and youthful by comparison?”

She’d never considered it before. Stumbling over her words, Lenora replied, “We are of good lineage.”

“Well, yes, and the magic running through your bones helps. But this…” She spun, showing her slim figure and able body, “should still show more signs of age.” Winking, she added, “I learned long ago I never wanted to grow old and die, Norrie. I watched too many people I loved buried in my childhood, and I did not want eternal sleep.”

Was this possible?

Lenora knew Aunt Elise was powerful and knew that her own magic was quite strong. But to be able to stop Death in his tracks…that was a fantasy, wasn’t it? And yet, she could look at her aunt and see the truth. Women younger than she died all the time.

Lenora studied her hands for a moment, the skin that was still smooth but already showed marks of age and labor. She also knew that her hair had taken on a texture more similar to straw than butter, and suddenly, the aging process terrified her. “I don’t want to die,” she muttered, her eyes wide as she returned her gaze to her aunt.

Elise simply nodded. “I thought not.” Taking a deep breath, she closed the distance between them and took Lenora’s hands. “Come, Norrie, let us unhitch the horse and prepare him for a lonely two days. Then, I shall teach you the secret to my extended youth.”

An hour later, Lenora stood unclad with her equally naked aunt before the old tree, their feet on the soft earth beneath. Elise chanted in a language she didn’t know, and she struggled to focus, feeling the energy of their combined magic swirling in the air around them. She closed her eyes and relaxed, letting the power tickle across her skin and warm her veins.

And then, the earth began to swallow her, and she nearly screamed. She opened her eyes, seeing that the same thing was happening to her aunt, and forced herself to calm, taking deep, ragged breaths, drawing the scent of the forest into her lungs for comfort. As the dirt closed over her head, Lenora panicked, unable to breathe, but something in her aunt’s chant soothed her. She drew in a breath, relieved as it filled her body and made her feel alive.

She drifted, sleep overtaking her, and from time to time, she would half wake, taking a moment to remember where she was and why, her aunt’s strange spell echoing in her mind. Then, as if nothing stranger than falling asleep in a bed of grass had happened, Lenora woke above ground, staring at a sliver of golden morning sunlight illuminating the area around her.

She sat up, brushing dirt from her body, and heard her aunt’s joyous laughter. She turned to find Elise standing, dancing a jig, her body caked with mud. “Well? Come on, then. To the stream! We need to clean ourselves and get on the road.”

As Lenora washed, she realized she hadn’t felt so youthful and invigorated since she was a child and first came to live with Aunt Elise. Her skin glowed, and her hair felt like the finest spun silk. Giggles bubbled inside her still, even as she dressed, and she knew now she should always feel this way. She would never allow herself to age, even to a riper maturity than this.

“It is a burden,” Aunt Elise said softly as they rode out of the woods and back toward the path. “You must perform the ritual every year. And someday, you will grow tired of it, Norrie.”

Lenora swallowed hard, thinking of the day that her aunt no longer wanted to remain young and beautiful. But she said nothing, training her eyes on the road now. Her mind swirled, thoughts spinning out of control and ideas forming. Just before they reached their small village, she blurted, “What if we could find a way to make it permanent?”

Elise didn’t answer, and Lenora glanced at her, finding the color drained from the older woman’s face. “I am not sure that would be possible, and it would be so unnatural I cannot guarantee it would allow you to remain the good, innocent girl you are. Witches are not all good, Norrie. But you are.”

But Lenora had tasted the magic both of them were capable of. She wanted to ensure she never aged or grew tired of the process. And most of all, if she could achieve this goal, she would never have to say goodbye to Aunt Elise, the only person who loved and understood her. It was settled, then.

With or without her lovely aunt’s assistance, Lenora would find a way. She would search and work for the rest of her life, however long that may be, to find the right combination of words, potions, and energy to create a ritual that would mean a permanent youth.

A ritual of immortality.

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