"What about me, then? I’m not like them. I’m not chosen or anything," Jaenor said.
Morgana looked at him. "I know. And you are far more critical than these three. I can’t recklessly leave you anywhere. Just a glance at you, Katerine had gotten suspicious."
Darian was thinking it was too much of a gamble, keeping Jaenor with her. If she sent him somewhere far from these witches, it will be good for the boy and herself.
Although she wasn’t showing it, he could tell that she was tense and anxious with the whole bunch of witches around them.
He hadn’t seen her like that since he met her. She acted impulsively and fought with Katerina.
Until yesterday, she was all alone in this world, treated with contempt by her own sisters. Seeing Jaenor may have lit something in her. She may not show it, but Darian could tell that she was happy inside, seeing her own blood, her only family.
Jaenor felt a mixture of hope and worry. The idea of powerful protection was appealing, but the thought of walking into a place full of witches made his stomach clench with disapproval.
"How far is this Spire?" he asked.
"Several days’ journey south," Morgana replied. "But first, we need to get through this area safely. Elizabeth told me why their coven is here."
She looked around at their concerned faces. "There’s a Goblins tribe in these woods that’s been causing trouble. The Witch Council ordered both the Ladrealla and Emerald Willow covens to deal with the problem. That’s why they’re not leaving immediately."
As if summoned by her words, the sound of approaching footsteps came from the darkness. But these weren’t the silent steps of the Ladrealla witches. These footsteps were accompanied by the jingle of metal ornaments and the soft sound of many voices talking quietly.
"Speaking of the Emerald Willow Covenant," Morgana said, standing up. "It sounds like they’ve arrived."
From the forest came a group of women, but they looked very different from Elizabeth and Katerina’s coven. Where the Ladrealla witches wore dark robes and moved like shadows, these new arrivals were dressed in robes of olive and brown that seemed to be made from plants.
They have silver ornaments all over their body, thick anklets, and brass silver chains. Some of them had flowers in their hair; some were braided.
The Emerald Willow is a unique and formidable coven of witches, known for their commanding presence and deep-rooted power. Each woman bears brown skin like sun-warmed ground, standing tall and broad-shouldered, with strength carved into every movement. Their hair, dark as night and thick as rope, is worn in long, intricate braids that hang down their backs like serpents—coiled with stories, secrets, and spells.
The woman leading them was striking—tall and graceful, with rich brown skin that seemed to glow in the firelight. Her hair was adorned with tiny white flowers, and her eyes were the color of deep forest pools. She appeared to be in her thirties, and she moved with the elegance of someone completely at home in the wilderness.
"Raelana," Elizabeth called out, rising from her fire to greet the newcomer.
"Elizabeth," the brown-skinned woman replied with a warm smile that was completely different from the cold expressions of the Ladrealla witches.
"I hope we haven’t kept you waiting too long."
"Oh, we had our fun while waiting," Elizabeth said, her eyes glinting with mischief.
Morgana heard it; her stare at Elizabeth was sharp, like she could see her cunning self beneath all the smiles. For now, she had to stay cautious with these young teens around.
The two groups of witches greeted each other with embraces and quiet conversation.
Despite being from different covens, they clearly knew each other well and worked together regularly.
Raelana’s eyes found Morgana across the distance between the camps.
"And look who is here," she said, walking over with her arms spread wide.
"The famous Morgana."
"It’s been far too long, sister."
Unlike Elizabeth and Katerina, Raelana’s greeting seemed genuinely warm. She embraced Morgana like an old friend, and her smile reached her eyes.
"Raelana," Morgana said, returning the embrace. "You look well. The southern sunshine agrees with you."
"And you look like you’ve been in a fight," Raelana replied with concern, noticing the cuts on Morgana’s arms. "Nothing serious, I hope?"
"Just a small disagreement with Katerina," Morgana said with a slight smile. "You know how she gets."
Raelana laughed, a sound like wind chimes in a gentle breeze. "Indeed I do. Well, I’m glad to see you both survived it."
She looked over at Jaenor and the others with curious but kind eyes. "And who are these young ones?"
Morgana introduced them as children from the villages, and they are now her companions.
"You must be sad, leaving your village. Well, don’t worry. As long as Morgana’s with you, nothing will happen. And any companions of Morgana’s are welcome among the Emerald Willow."
Her manner was so different from the threatening presence of the other coven that Jaenor found himself relaxing slightly.
This witch, at least, seemed genuinely friendly. And there was this instant attraction Jaenor felt towards her, and noticing his glance, Raelana smiled at him.
"We’ve been ordered to deal with a goblin tribe that’s been raiding the trade routes," Raelana explained to Morgana. "Nasty creatures, but nothing we can’t handle working together. We were planning to rest tonight and deal with them at noon tomorrow."
She decided to rest for the night, as they had travelled all day long.
"Goblins," Darian said, rejoining their group after his time with the witches. "I’ve fought them before. Vicious little things, but cowardly when faced with real strength."
Raelana nodded. "Exactly. With both covens working together, it should be a simple matter. After that, we can all continue on our separate ways."
As the night settled in fully, the three groups—Morgana’s said refugees, the Ladrealla coven, and the Emerald Willow covenant—made their camps in the forest clearing.
The atmosphere was still tense but no longer filled with the threat of immediate violence.
Jaenor lay on his bedroll, staring up at the stars through the tree branches.
Tomorrow they would witness coven witches fighting goblins and then continue their journey toward a spire filled with even more powerful Origin users.