I'd lived alone in the forest for as long as I could remember. It wasn't uncommon for my village to take young women out to the woods and leave them as bounty for the vile creatures that lurked at there.

Payment to leave the villages alone.

Whether it worked or not, I didn't know. But I was aware my village had been willing to let me die. So I could never go back.

Never let them know I was still alive or they'd kill me themselves.

So I'd learned to forage and to hide from the highwaymen and killers that cut through the woods to avoid the main roads. I knew better than to tangle with any of them.

I was small and fleet of foot but far from any kind of fighter. Still, I'd managed to keep myself alive by finding berries, bits of food and occasionally catching something in a roughly-made trap.

I'd learned paths through the woods. Where the old crone lived, and ways to the villages bordering the Warwood.

Villages that weren't mine and didn't know me. Where I could occasionally trade something I'd scavenged for a new dress or my cloak.

It'd been a long cold winter and spring was only now coming to full life and I was riveted by the sight of the plump red berries on the bush. Shoving a handful in my mouth I lifted my skirt and greedily filled it to brimming. I was nearly shaking with excitement to get them back to my cave and partake of them.

Like the sweetest dessert.

Somewhere far behind me I heard a woman call out. But since it wasn't a man and I knew the witches had a temple close I thought little of it. I often heard them shouting through the trees or chanting at night.

I don't bother them. They don't bother me.

But today they did...

***

At first I didn't know why the panicked witches had chased me down. Or why they were so forcefully shoving me to the ground.

The six of them looked furtively over their shoulders. Watching the woods fearfully.

Clearly afraid of something...

"Quick. Do it. He'll be coming soon." A withered older one hissed.

Who? Who was coming? My gut sunk. Afraid of what the stranger would do to me.

"He's hungry." Another one said. "I can feel his hunger." She moaned mournfully.

"You'll be feeling more than that if we don't mark her."

Mark me?

"Why?" I wailed. Kicking and fighting them. "Let me go! I don't even know you."

"We don't know you either." One hissed. Holding my arm down. "But you're the first female we've come across. We need you."

For what?

"We're so tired!" Another one said forlornly. She was younger than the rest. Blonde and broken. The only one that seemed more remorseful then frantic.

"Why?" I looked at her in confusion.

Why are you doing this to me? I'd never bothered them.

She bit her lip and explained. "We can't sleep. Never sleep. When you're tired, when you relax, he'll find you. Enter you." She whispered. A tear trailing her face as she petted my hair soothingly. "You can't sate him. Can't please him. It's never enough!"

She put her forehead to mine apologetically. "I'm sorry! So sorry. I can't do it anymore! None of us can." She sobbed. Petting my black bangs. As though I were an animal who's throat they were going to cut over one of their alters.

A bad sign. I writhed. Fighting them wholeheartedly. But there was one on each arm and one holding each of my ankles.

Too many hands to get away from!

The other witch was by the fire. Heating something in it. When she turned she had a hot bit of iron with a strange symbol on the orange tip. The purposeful look she gave me, terrified me.

I struggled violently. Screaming. But she held my inner thigh and put the iron too it.

I lurched against their hold. Shrieking as I smelled my skin burning. Felt the white-hot pain.

"There." They all stepped back. Releasing me as I curled into a ball.

"'Tis done."

They exchanged a look. Then they all fled in different directions. Black cloaks flying in the wind.

What did they do to me? I sat up and looked at the strange mark on my inner thigh. I touched it and it stung hotly. Making me hiss an indrawn breath.

The blinding was too much. I passed out. Slumping back to the dry fall leaves. My world gone black as coal.