"Miwah!" Tamma shouted. The mud of swamp was within viewing distance. The grass was taller, reaching up to the group's knees. Willow trees lingered over them, dangling lush green leaves just above their heads. The seamstress stood at the point where the soil was solid enough to stand on but soft enough to leave footprints. Despite the hunter's shouts, Miwah remained still, almost frozen in place. 

"Miwah!" she yelled again. This time she turned around, her face wrinkled despite her best attempts to hide her discomfort.

"Scent's already getting to you, huh lass?" Tamma said in jest. The hunter sniffed the air and took in a deep breath. "You might smell rot, decay and a bit of animal droppings. But you know what I smell?"

"Home?" Aurrie said quietly.

"Close! I smell... freedom!"

Miwah pinched her nose with her fingers and walked behind the hunter. "Perhaps you should get your nose checked. But you were right. It is best if you take the lead."

"See? What did I tell you Aurrie? Miwah couldn't even take one step!"

Aurrie laughed as she put one heel on her boot on the moist ground. "About what I expected. Got any plans for this mud, though? I'm not sure I wanna be trudgin' through knee high sludge for who knows how long."

Tamma stood on her the toes and peered into the swamp. She pointed towards the willow trees. "We could follow around the outskirts. The willows are dense, so if you're afraid of getting a bit dirty, we’ll walk along their roots. Might take a bit longer to get where we're going though."

"I think that that would be better terrain in case we have to deal with one of the aggressive animals that you mentioned earlier," Miwah said with her nostrils still plugged.

"Oh, like a swamp croc?" Tamma said. "They'll drag you beneath the mud if that get a hold of you. Granted, someone with a bit of combat experience like us should be able to handle them no problem."

"But let's not give 'em any advantages if we don't have to," Aurrie said as she walked towards the closest willow. As Tamma said, the roots of the plants were thick, giving it just enough elevation for it stick above the swamp water. 

Tamma took her position as leader and with careful steps led through the other two through the rough and jagged path of protruding roots. Their banter died down as the girls became more focused more on making sure each step was on solid ground. The sun continued to set, making the warm orange glow of the sky shift into a cool purple. 

Their silence gave way to the incessant humming of nearby insects. Miwah and Aurrie would occasionally smack their bare skin in vain attempts to thwart the bugs from biting them. Tamma paid the small creatures no mind, instead keeping focus on the landmark in the horizon.

"We almost there?" Aurrie called out as she rested her hand against a tree. Miwah stood on the root in front of her and took in deep breaths as well. Tamma didn't turn around, instead she remained focused on the land up ahead.

"No clue. But we're almost out of the swamp if that's what you're talking about."

"Oh, thank the Creator," Aurrie said with relief. "I was startin' to think about turnin' myself around."

"Told you that going through this swamp wasn't easy." Tamma jumped to the next nearest root and waited for the others to catch up. After their breather, Miwah and Aurrie followed the hunter's footsteps but no at elegantly. From the vantage point of this higher root, firmer land became visible.

"See lasses? What did I tell you? I knew how to get us here."

"Yes. And only after a few dozen mosquito bites." Miwah said after slapped her neck with two fingers.

"I got us here in one piece. That's all that matters." With a few more leaps, Tamma effortlessly darted through the remaining distance and landed on the soil with poise. Miwah was right behind, landing a bit wobbly but still upright. Only Aurrie remained. Roughly two feet of mucky swamp water separated her from the rest of the party.

"You can do it, Aurrie!" Miwah said.

"Maybe if you didn't bring that shield along you wouldn't have a hard time making this jump!" Tamma chided.

Unfazed by the others' words, Aurrie remained focused on the reaching the ground. She bent her knees and stretched her arms out, her mind preparing for the inevitable jump.

"If you holster your sword, we'll catch you!" Tamma said. Aurrie promptly put the sword in the sheathe beneath the buckler and resumed her jumping position. She breathed deep and squatted down even lower. Without any further hesitation, her legs sprung forward, propelling herself well over the mucky water and into the arms of the rest of the group.

Miwah and Tamma caught Aurrie, stopping her from falling face first into the ground. Together, they set the housekeeper upright on her feet. "I say that makes us even," Tamma said.

"For savin' your lives?" Aurrie replied as she brushed off the bark and dirt from her skirt. "I'd say it's a start."

"Tamma," Miwah said as she poked on the hunter's shoulder. She pointed up at the sky. The trees were dense and the darkened sky made the outline of the distant mountain range impossible to see. "Our guide!"

"Why are you worried? You really think I need a landmark to know where I'm going?" Tamma said with fabricated offense. "It's a good guideline, but I'll have no problem getting us the rest of the way there."

"You ever hear anythin' about this witch?" Aurrie said. "I've heard rumors about her. But of course, when you work at inn, you just assume that all these tales are just ways for drunkards to pass time. Some say she’s got... necormancin’ powers. Others told me that she ain’t even a human. Like a demon or somethin’."

"Yeah, I've heard a story or two about a powerful witch that lives out here. But like you said, I didn't pay it much mind. The same person that said this witch could raise the dead also told me that living with a brillick would make me grow hair on my back. It's hard to parse the truth from the fiction with what people on this island say."

"But the witch does exist," Miwah said. "Otherwise we would not be here. Does that mean..." Miwah froze, her eyes fixated on the narrow and natural path formed by the arcs of the willow branches overhead. "Does that mean she could possibly... revived the dead?"

"If she could, I'm sure Chaston would've mentioned it," Aurrie said. "Seems like an important detail that a smart fella like Chaston wouldn’t have forgotten."

"We'll find out soon enough," Tamma hesitantly replied. Or steady steps became shaky. She continued down the path at a slower pace. Miwah and Aurrie followed right behind, taking in the looming trees as they stayed close to the hunter.

"Nothin' quite like goin' trough a swamp in the middle of the night while lookin' for a witch that deals with the dead."

"Now why did you have to put it that way?" Tamma said, unable to mask her nerves. "Now you got me feeling worried."

"Seems like your superstitious Bahnwan nature has taken over that usual hunter’s resolve of yours," Miwah said.

"The dead are meant to rest!" Tamma said as loud as a whisper could be. "Us humans aren't suppsoed to mess around with that stuff!"

"Somebody shoulda said that to Gertrude!" Aurrie said.

Tamma withdrew her bow and notched an arrow onto the string. "I'm not dying here. You know how hard I've tried to be good a person so I can see my family in The Beyond? I'm not letting any witch get in the way of that!"

Miwah rolled her eyes. "No need to be so dramatic, Tamma. If The Beyond truly is real, I doubt some witch's magic would be enough to stop you from going there."

Tamma shook her head while genuine fear resided in her eyes. "You don't know that, lass."

"Whatever the case may be, I'm sure we'll get all our questions answered in a minute or two." Aurrie caught up with the others and stood between them. She pointed towards the oncoming clearing. "See that? Notice how those trees all look different?"

Both Miwah and Tamma stared on in silence. The trees up ahead varied vastly from the rest of the swamp. The wood looked mismatched, like different parts of various plants were stitched together. The population of trees was also less dense, giving them a view of a peculiar silhouette that jutted out in the middle of the dark. "You... think that's the witch's place?" Tamma whispered.

"Shaped like a house. Don't what else it could be," Aurrie replied. 

"There's definitely some kind of dark magic going on here," Tamma said as she looked up at the branches hovering above. "I'm telling you, these trees were dead! I can tell by how they're narrow and curved towards the bottom but lush at the top."

Miwah marched forward with her hand clutching the hilt of her weapon. "Fine then. I can go first if your superstitious nature is getting the best of you. But remember. Chaston met Gertrude when he was much younger, and he returned just fine. I am sure you are overreacting."

"Can never hurt to be too careful, lass," Tamma said as she now trailed behind the group. "Especially when it comes to dark magics.”

Bonus Art: Gertrude younger and as a Purifier