Witch of the Dark Forest.
By Eric Marsh
These are a set of stories based on the life of Calizone who is the Witch of the Dark Forest. Seven Came to Dinner is the story of how she became the Witch.
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Seven Came to Dinner. Chapter 3
Seven Came to Dinner Chapter Three. Stories. Magrib coughed, sniffed sharply, and brushed a speck of imaginary mud from her sleeve before beginning...
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Seven Came to Dinner. Chapter 4
Seven Came to Dinner. Chapter Four. Spelling. The next morning, Eddo sat in his study trying to think through what the witches had said that might...
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The Castle With Hiccups Chapter 1
The Castle with Hiccups. Chapter One. Hiccups. The Castle definitely hiccupped. It did it once on Monday, twice on Tuesday, and again on Wednesday...
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The Castle With Hiccups Chapter 2
Chapter Two. In the Cellar. “Excuse me,” said a voice behind Thomas, “can you tell me who I am?” Thomas spun round, and sagged with relief. It was...
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The Castle With Hiccups Chapter 3
Chapter Three. A Dragon. It was a long way from the Dungeons to the throne room, and Thomas was very much out of breath when he arrived. He burst...
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The Castle With Hiccups Chapter 4
Chapter Four. Heroes. Thomas dashed up the stairs to the Magician’s room with his news. The Magician listened intently, nodding with sympathy. “Quite...
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The Castle With Hiccups Chapter 5
Chapter Five. Freedom. After breakfast, Thomas watched Sir Cedric prepare himself. The lute was tuned, the throat was oiled, and Sir Cedric practised...
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The First Witch Prequel.
Chapter One. Prequel. Some distance along the road that winds through the Dark Forest, there is a narrow path that no one remembers clearing. The...
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The First Witch Chapter 2
Chapter Two. Princess Jasmine. Princess Jasmine was angry. She stood on the Castle battlements kicking the wall and muttering some very un‑princess‑...
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The First Witch Chapter 3
Chapter Three. The Witch’s Cottage. The Witch’s cottage would have taken Jasmine all day to reach on horseback, but it was only a short flight for...
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The First Witch Chapter 4
Chapter Four. The Lake. Das flew steadily over the Forest. Jasmine leaned over his neck, peering down through the trees and picking out the winding...
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The First Witch Chapter 5
Chapter Five. The Search Party. Jasmine woke at dawn. The air was cool and still, and the lake lay smooth as glass. She crawled out of the tent and...
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The First Witch Chapter 6
Chapter Six. The Turret. They didn’t have to wait long for Das to return. He landed beside the carriage, looking thoroughly miserable. “I did not...
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The First Witch Chapter 7
Chapter Seven. The Witch’s Cottage. Back at the campsite, Jasmine and Emdan slid down from Das’s back. Jasmine set the dragon‑skin box carefully...
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The First Witch Chapter 8
Chapter Eight. Home Again. Jasmine carried the box into the cottage and placed it carefully on the kitchen table. She stepped back at once. “Wait...
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The Beginning Chapter 1
The Beginning. Chapter One. A Visitation of Dragons. Princess Jasmine’s Coming Out Ball had been a great success. True to her promise, she saved a...
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The Beginning Chapter 2
Chapter Two. A Dragon’s Tale. They sat in silence for five minutes before Das swooped down beside them. “Calizone is on her way,” he announced. “She...
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The Beginning Chapter 3
Chapter Three. The Birth of the Dragons. Alphaz could not spend all her days sitting beside the hole. The people of the Forest soon learned to treat...
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The Beginning Chapter 4
Chapter Four. Dragon Rampage. Calizone frowned. “If you dragons only came into the world at that time, how do you know what happened before it? You’...
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The Beginning Chapter 5
Chapter Five. Hate and Fear. Eldest paused. “I don’t know about you humans, but I could do with a drink. My throat is getting very dry.” Princess...
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The Beginning Chapter 6
Chapter Six. The Dragon Boxes. “We are happy to have been of help,” said the Fire Demon. “But this part of the world is far too cold for me. I must...
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The Dragons' Lair
Chapter One. Prelude. Today was the greatest celebration the kingdom of Sealand had seen for many a year. It was the Naming Day of the Princess,...
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The Dragons' Lair Chapter 2.
Chapter Two. A Bored Princess. Princess Sarriette picked up her embroidery ring and hurled it across the room. “I am fed up with this silly sewing. I...
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The Dragons' Lair Chapter 3
Chapter Three. A Bored Prince. Prince Finn was bored. He sat slumped on the throne in the Great Hall. He was not supposed to sit there, it was his...
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The Dragons' Lair Chapter 4
Chapter Four. Trying Out a Spell. Princess Sarriette talked for hours about how wonderful it was that Rose could do magic. Rose listened, tried to...
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The Dragons' Lair Chapter 5
Chapter Five. Finn in Hiding. Sadly, Finn rode back through the town gates. He had ridden hard since leaving home, sleeping by the roadside, and he...
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The Dragons' Lair Chapter 6
Chapter Six. Finn Learns About Dragons. Finn washed his face and ate the food Rose had brought. He tried the door, just in case, it was definitely...
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The Dragons' Lair Chapter 7
Chapter Seven. Dragon’s Lair. Sarriette kept her eyes tightly shut for a long time and clung to the Dragon as if her life depended on it. Finn, by...
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The Dragons' Lair Chapter 8
Chapter Eight. The Ice Cave. Sarriette was very glad of the warm cloak. The further north they flew, the colder the air became. Eventually Jak landed...
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The Dragons' Lair Chapter 9
Chapter Nine. Home. “Home at last,” said the Mountain Dragon leader. “But there is no food here.” “It isn’t far to the lake where we camped the other...
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The Ragdoll
The Ragdoll. Chapter One. The Ragdoll The village of Othermoor was so small it hardly deserved to have a name at all. It was just a small collection...
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The Ragdoll Chapter 2
Chapter Two. Watching the Witch. LP put her mind to work on a way of getting home. She watched carefully everything the Witch did. She even...
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The Ragdoll Chapter 4
Chapter Four. Release. LP did not know what to do, but before she had time to decide, the Witch muttered something and went out of the cottage. LP...
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The Music Box Chapter 1
The Music Box. Chapter One Visiting Great Grandmother. Miya did not look forward to Saturday mornings. That was the day her mother took her to visit...
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The Music Box Chapter 2
Chapter Two. The Clock maker. Miya could hardly wait for bedtime. As soon as she was tucked in, her mother sat beside her. “Now,” she said, “remember...
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The Music Box Chapter 3
Chapter Three. Prince Roban and Prince Rogan. Princes Roban and Rogan liked nothing better than hunting deer in the Dark Forest. They knew better...
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The Music Box Chapter 4
Chapter 4. A Clock for a King. Miya insisted on an early night so she could hear more of the story. Once she was tucked in, her mother continued. “...
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The Music Box Chapter 5
Chapter Five. Ingford. Two months later, Jack’s father returned from a long trip to Ingford, a northern town near the mountains. He placed a wrapped...
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The Music Box Chapter 6
Chapter Six. Endgame. Prince Rogan and the hunters were overjoyed to see Jack return safely. They wrapped him in a blanket and gave him a hot drink...
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The Music Box Chapter 7
Chapter Seven. Annie. Annie found herself standing in a small room. She looked around curiously. It was clearly a workroom. In front of the only...
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The Golden Acorn
The Golden Acorn. Chapter One. The Blacksmith. Babbin was born big, and he carried on growing after that too. By the time he was fourteen, he was...
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The Golden Acorn Chapter 2.
Chapter Two. The Witch. One day, Babbin was standing outside the smithy, taking a well‑earned break from the heavy work, when a woman rode up on a...
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The Golden Acorn Chapter 3.
Chapter Three. Heart Stopping. After six weeks of trying her best to cheer her husband up, Babbin was no better. No matter what Inga said or did, he...
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The Golden Acorn Chapter 4.
Chapter Four. Into the Dark Forest. At the end of the week, they reached the place where the road divided. One track led toward Grimbridge; the other...
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The Golden Acorn Chapter 5.
Chapter Five. Calizone's Cottage. Inga and Babbin continued along the forest road. The deeper they went, the more the trees leaned over the track,...
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The Golden Acorn Chapter 6.
Chapter Six. A Missing Knight. Inga and Babbin climbed back onto their cart. “Turn right when you reach the forest road,” Calizone said. “The Palace...
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The Golden Acorn Chapter 7
Chapter Seven. A Beating Heart. The doctor examined Babbin and shook his head. “The heartbeat is very faint. I can give you some medicine that might...
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The Golden Acorn Chapter 8.
Chapter Eight. On to Wilford. Babbin was not in the inn. “He’s down in the village,” said one of the foresters. “I think he was heading for the...
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The Golden Acorn Chapter 9.
Chapter Nine. A Heart to give away. Babbin was helped to his feet by Prince Rogan and the Sergeant, who half carried, half dragged him to the bench...
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The Shadow Prequel
The Shadow Prequel. The Mirror Broke. In one corner of the Royal Castle was a tall tower. At the very top of the tower was a single room. The only...
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The Shadow Chapter 1.
Chapter One. 18 Years Later. John Clothman was a Draper, and not just any Draper, as he often reminded people, but the finest in the land. He boasted...
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The Shadow Chapter 2.
The Shadow Begins Aidan had no memory of his parents. He supposed he must once have had a mother and father, but he could not remember them. He had...
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The Shadow Chapter 3.
Chapter Three. Emma Gets Lost. Once a year, when the Taxes had been paid and the Clerks from the Palace had been and checked that everything was in...
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The Shadow Chapter 4.
Chapter Four. The Garden Party. The morning of the Garden Party began as it should. It was bright, sunny and with the promise of fine weather lasting...
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The Shadow Chapter 5.
Chapter Five. Aidan’s Travels. Aidan knew that he had no choice but to go. He had always helped the people of the town and now they needed him more...
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The Shadow Chapter 6.
Chapter Six. Birch House. As good as his word, Mr. Powell delivered them, his milk and eggs to Birch House. This was a huge grey building with small...
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The Shadow Chapter 7.
Chapter Seven. Rougham Manor. They reached their destination around lunchtime. "That’s Rougham Manor," said the carter. "A lonely old place really."...
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The Shadow Chapter 8.
Chapter Eight. The Wraithlands. The next morning, Aidan put on his suit, then his ordinary clothes. The carter who had brought them to Rougham Manor...
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The Shadow Chapter 9.
Chapter Nine The Valley of the Wraiths. Just beyond the skeleton, the path entered the valley proper. Aidan took a deep breath and walked on. For a...
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The Shadow Chapter 10.
Chapter Ten. Recognition. Aidan pushed his way through the thick air of the spell. The cave was hidden behind a rock a little way down the path. He...
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The Shadow Chapter 11.
Chapter Eleven. Barford Again. The journey back down the mountain was hard and slow. Aidan told the royal couple all that he could remember of his...
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Wirl's End
Wirl's End. Chapter One. Introductions Wirl's End was a small street in the poorest part of the town. There were only four houses, two on each side...
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Wirl's End Chapter 2.
Chapter Two. The Door. One day, Brian and Lexa were sat on Brian's garden wall idly chatting about the books they had just got from the library when...
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Wirl's End Chapter 3.
Chapter Three. The Dark Forest. Brian pushed himself upright and spat out a mouthful of leaves. The clearing was the same shape as Wirl’s End, the...
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Wirl's End Chapter 4.
Chapter Four. In the Royal Palace. After what seemed like hours and feeling very sick, Brian was dumped like a sack of potatoes on to the floor...
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Wirl's End Chapter 5.
Chapter Five. Calizone. When they reached the place where Brian and James had first met, the riders stopped and dismounted. “Right,” the leader...
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Wirl's End Chapter 6.
Chapter Six. The Cottages by the Gate. The cottage on the right of the Gate looked to be the cleanest, so they went inside and made themselves as...
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Wirl's End Chapter 7.
Chapter Seven. Resolution. Brian dashed into the cottage, followed by the others. He gave the bell a good hard tug and set it jangling. He put his...
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Wirl's End Chapter 8.
Chapter Eight Homecomings. Life at Wirl's End should have gone back to normal after that, but it did not seem to. Brian and Lexa sat on his garden...
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Wirl's End Chapter 9.
Chapter Nine Sending them home. William Custos walked down the gangplank and onto dry land. It felt rather strange to be on solid ground after...
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Wirl's End Chapter 10.
Chapter Ten. The Man with the Clipboard. Brian and Lexa were sitting on Brian's wall, as they often did. They were discussing the books they had just...
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Wirl's End Chapter 11.
Chapter Eleven. Endings or perhaps beginnings. The following day, Peter Keeper got off the 'bus at the stop nearest to Wirl's' end. It was a short...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 1.
Chapter 1. The People of Sowton Bred Pigs. The village of Sowton lay on the edge of the Dark Forest, and its people bred pigs. Their animals spent as...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 2.
Chapter 2. Deserted Places. Micah walked down the road feeling sad and confused. All his life he had believed that people who did magic were bad,...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 3.
Chapter 3. Elsewhere. Jek lived deep in the shadiest part of the Dark Forest, where the trees grew so thickly overhead that no sunlight ever reached...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 4
Chapter 4. More Deserted Places. The next morning, Micah left the inn. Brean was sitting beside the village well. “I wouldn’t drink this water,” he...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 5.
Chapter 5. A Dragon Calls. Jek would not stay in Calizone’s cottage when daybreak came. As soon as the sky began to lighten, he slipped back into the...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 6.
Chapter 6. Second Sight. Early the next morning, Micah set out again. He walked for a long time without seeing a single person. Hungry and tired, he...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 7.
Chapter 7. Calizone’s Cottage. As Josiah had said, the road into the Dark Forest began a few miles from the village. They stopped at the crossroads...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 8.
Chapter 8 . Explanations. “Now,” said Calizone, turning to Grace, “I sense that you are magic.” Grace opened her mouth to protest, but Calizone...
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Micah or the end of Magic. Chapter 9.
Chapter 9. Explaining the Jewel. Micah jumped to his feet. “I need to go to that other world.” “Sit down,” snapped Calizone, pointing a bony finger...
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Problems with time.
Chapter One. An Unsettled Witch. Calizone, Witch of the Dark Forest, was unsettled. It didn’t happen often, and when it did, she paid attention. She...
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Problems with time. Chapter 2.
Chapter Two. Time is Misbehaving. Calizone kept a firm grip on the reins as her black horse stepped off the narrow path and onto the main forest road...
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Problems with time. Chapter 3.
Chapter Three. Home and Diary Reading. Calizone did not ride straight back to her cottage. The palace had shown her enough, time slipping, distance...
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Problems with time. Chapter 4.
Chapter Four. Thinking Time. Calizone woke with a jolt, her neck screaming in sharp protest. For a moment she did not know where she was. Then the...
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Problems with time. Chapter 5.
Chapter Five. The Rip in Time. Calizone drew a slow, deliberate breath. She was running out of comfortable explanations. She sat back in her chair,...
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Problems with time. Chapter 6.
Chapter Six. The Forest Was Empty. Calizone drew a sharp, cold breath and stilled her hands. She had been about to reach out with her mind, to cast a...
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Problems with time. Chapter 7.
Chapter Seven. Along the Great Road. Calizone reached Weyrham just as the light began to fray into evening. The distortions were weaker here, a few...
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Problems with time. Chapter 9.
The next morning, Calizone woke early, though not as early as her host. The widow was already up, moving briskly about the hearth and preparing...
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Problems with time. Chapter 10.
Chapter Ten. Nordon. Walking without magic was like walking blindfolded. Normally, Calizone could feel the pulse of the earth, the underground hum of...
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Problems with time. Chapter 11.
Calizone stepped towards the passage. The man held up a hand to stop her. “No,” he said, his voice shifting from thin and papery to deep and young,...
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Spellbound Chapter 1.
Chapter One. Decision Time. Calizone sat by the fire in her cottage in the Dark Forest, feeling her age. She had been the Witch of the Dark Forest...
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Spellbound Chapter 2.
Chapter Two. A Royal Summons. They had not gone very far before they were met by a party of Foresters. These men were responsible for keeping the...
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Spellbound Chapter 3.
Chapter Three. A Sad Child. In a small village high up in the mountains, a small girl named Sophie sat in the corner of her bed and fought back the...
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Spellbound Chapter 4.
Chapter Four. The Journey Begins. Calizone climbed up onto Grace’s wagon, ignoring the offer of a hand from Prince Beldan. Grace signalled with the...
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Spellbound Chapter 5.
Chapter Five. Cheese Making. Sophie was shaken awake by her aunt very early the next morning. “No time to lie in bed, we have a lot to do.” After a...
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Spellbound Chapter 6.
Chapter Six. Further North. The further they travelled toward the Ice Queen’s realm, the colder the air became. Inns grew scarce, and twice they had...
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Spellbound Chapter 7.
Chapter Seven. More Magic. “Bread day,” announced Aunt Meg. “You can help me mix the dough.” They measured out the flour and added water. Sophie...
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Spellbound Chapter 8.
Chapter Eight. Going South. The sleigh and dogs were returned to the Last Inn. Next morning, Grace’s wagon was brought round. “Where next?” she asked...
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Spellbound Chapter 9.
Chapter Nine. Naeve’s Family. By midafternoon, they reached Cornford, where Naeve told them she used to live. “But I don’t remember it looking like...
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Spellbound Chapter 10.
Chapter Ten. Bone Setting. Sophie continued to be careful not to let her aunt see her using magic for chores. From the knowing grins she got from...
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Spellbound Chapter 11.
Chapter Eleven. The Fire Demon. “While we wait for the Fire Demon,” said Calizone, “I’d better warn you, don’t get too close. His heat would fry you...
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Spellbound Chapter 12.
Chapter Twelve. Sophie Explodes. Sophie enjoyed going to market with Aunt Meg far more than she expected. They sold the cheese and fish quickly, and...
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Spellbound Chapter 13.
Chapter Thirteen. The Land of the Wraiths. When Naeve heard the word wraith, she squeaked. “I thought wraiths were just pretend monsters to scare...
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Spellbound Chapter 14.
Chapter Fourteen. Practice makes perfect. Sophie tried her hardest to return to her old routine. She scrubbed cheese pans, brushed floors, minded the...
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Spellbound Chapter 15.
Chapter Fifteen. Denied entrance. Bycliff was only a small town, but it had a coaching inn, and the landlady was delighted to welcome such important...
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Spellbound Chapter 16.
Chapter Sixteen. Calizone and Sophie. Sophie took the goats as far up the valley as she could. The air was cooler here, the stream narrower, the...
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Spellbound Chapter 17.
Chapter Seventeen. Calizone’s Story. “I’ve never told anyone this,” said Calizone. “But if it helps you make a sensible choice, then fair enough.”...
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Spellbound Chapter 18.
Chapter Eighteen. Happy endings? Sophie sat at the rear of the wagon, watching the road wheel away behind her far faster than it ought to. “Calizone...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 1
Chapter 1. Sophrayni. Sophrayni sat for a while, staring at the rocking chair where Calizone, the old Witch of the Dark Forest, had once sat. It was...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 2.
Chapter 2: The Journey Begins. The black dress hung from the rafters like a shadow waiting to fall. Sophrayni stared at it for a long time, arms...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 3.
Chapter 3. The Charmers. Sophrayni moved through the square like a breeze, no one noticed. The charmers were everywhere—chatting, bartering,...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 4.
Chapter 4. More Stalls and more potions. Sophrayni used a spell that Calizone had taught her to make the journey go faster. Even so, it was getting...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 5.
Chapter 5. Slipsy Early the next morning, Sophrayni made her way to the next town Maggie had mentioned. Once again, she arrived at a coaching inn...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 6.
Chapter 6 Follow that cart. On the road outside, Sophrayni caught up with the cart carrying the sleep potions. She didn’t follow straight away. She...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 7.
Chapter 7. Into danger. The manor’s receiving room was dimly lit, its velvet curtains drawn tight against the afternoon sun. Wilgan stood near the...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 8.
Chapter 8. Tess. The girl sat on the edge of the bed and began to talk. “I was six when my parents died. One moment they were there—laughing, arguing...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 9.
Chapter 9. Rescue. “But you’ll have to face Wilgan and her eventually,” Tess said, frowning. “Why not now?” “Yes, you’re right,” Sophrayni said...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 10.
Chapter 10. Confrontation. “This way then,” said Tess. The passage narrowed, stone pressing close. Tess led the way, her steps light despite the...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 12.
Chapter 12. End Game. Sophrayni stood in the cottage, she took the black dress out of the chest and laid it out across the table. She ignored the...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 11.
Chapter 11. Nesthana. The room was quiet. No guards. Just the two of them. Nesthana smiled. “You wear the hat well.” Sophrayni didn’t flinch. “No...
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Sophrayni's Quiet Hunt Chapter 13.
Chapter 13. Resolution. Now,” said Sophrayni, “back to the cottage.” “Why?” asked Tess. “Are you going to keep the sack there?” Sophrayni shook her...
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Rembrien Chapter 1.
Chapter 1. The Thief. Sophrayni came to a crossroads. Unusually, there was no signpost showing the names of the towns ahead. She leaned over her...
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Rembrien Chapter 2.
Chapter 2. The House on the Hill. Sophrayni sat with her hands in her lap, watching the steam curl from the kettle. The unicorn horn lay on the desk...
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Rembrien Chapter 3.
Chapter 3. The Empty Spaces. “You knew I needed to come here,” she murmured. Shade snorted softly. “I think we need a night’s rest and a long think...
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Rembrien Chapter 4.
Chapter 4. The Eagle. The next town on Sophrayni’s map was Burnton. The road narrowed between hedgerows thick with berries, the scent of damp earth...
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Rembrien Chapter 5.
Chapter 5. A Face from the Past. Once again, Sophrayni let Shade choose their path. The road wandered between low hills, fields stitched together...
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Rembrien Chapter 6.
Chapter 6. One Small Step. Shade seemed keen to leave Nordon behind. He quickened his pace to a canter, his hooves rhythmic against the road. It was...
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Rembrien Chapter 7.
Chapter 7. The Dragon’s Heart. They rode out together at first light. Sophrayni led. Shade moving with quiet purpose. Captain Smike followed on a...
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