Lachsea, Ausicaa

The sun dipped towards the westernmost edges of the realm. Light in the skies began to fade. Kaz shivered amidst the darkening forest.

Devas be damned, who knew the winds in Lachsea were such unforgiving and frigid bastards?

These flesh-biting temperatures were unlike anything Kaz had experienced in Harrogye. Every passing chill felt like the scraping of sharp, icy needles across his skin. Breath after breath, the harsh, stinging air cut into his lungs like icy daggers. Discomfort numbed his senses. Fatigue clouded his mind.

Miven and his men were also struggling with the cold. Visibly so. Their teeth clattered and their limbs trembled. Even their horses looked miserable. Only Miss Catannach and Roshe appeared to be unaffected and unbothered by it all.

As they ferried deeper into the woods, Kaz cradled Miss Catannach in his arms and pulled her even closer to his chest for warmth and comfort. Thankfully, she didn't resist him. Her body melded and moved seamlessly with his atop their trotting horse. The glacial Lachsean winds continued to nip at him. Yet, despite the ungodly cold, Kaz wouldn't give up his place at Miss Catannach's side for all the sunshine in Sindor.

Quietly, wordlessly, Kaz and Miss Catannach rode forth in this intimate manner until, at last, they came to a small, frozen lake.

Miss Catannach glanced up to him. Her dove-gray eyes shone with eagerness.

"There it is," she whispered, "just as I remembered..."

In this moment, the loveliest smile spread across Miss Catannach's face. Kaz's breath caught. The pure joy radiating from her countenance tugged at his heart. Against his will, Kaz found himself mesmerized by the sweet curve of those soft, pink lips. Mere inches separated their lips. If not for the presence of Miven and his men, Kaz thought, it wouldn't take much effort at all to seal the lonely space between them—

With a kiss.

Before Kaz could gather his wits about him, Miss Catannach turned away, breaking the spell. Reality settled in again. His eyes immediately followed Miss Catannach's wonderstruck gaze towards the lake.

A hill sloped down to the lake, and nestled into the side of the mound was a small, strange house.

Kaz blinked several times as he tried to process the surreal sight before him. He had never seen architecture quite like this ramshackle structure in all his years of traveling across Sindor, Levose, and Ausicaa. The house looked as though it might have been constructed by a dim-witted forest creature rather than a man. The stone chimney was crooked. The windows were oddly shaped. Not quite round, not quite square, either. The wood on the door was rotting away and covered in dead moss.

Kaz frowned.

Was this truly the witch's residence? The same witch who had the power to turn a wolf into a man?

This dwelling seemed far too shoddy for such a powerful being.

Disbelief and dread fluttered inside him. Cautiously, Kaz dismounted from their horse. Then, he placed his hands around Miss Catannach's waist and gently hoisted her down to the ground.

Miven spoke up, "Your Highness, please, allow my men and I to secure the premises before you—"

Miss Catannach cast him a beseeching look. "Please do not let your men frighten Sorcha, Miven. I assure you, she will not harm us. I trust her with my life!"

"But you claim that she is a witch," Miven protested.

"And I am your princess," she countered quietly. "Am I not?"

He quickly bowed his head in submission. "Of course, Your Highness. If you trust Sorcha, then I trust Sorcha."

Kaz didn't know what to make of Miss Catannach's blind faith in the witch. On this particular matter, he actually sided with the Zan—it was always wiser to err on the side of caution, after all—but he didn't wish to undermine Miss Catannach's authority, nor did he want to annoy Miven any more than necessary, so he kept his mouth shut. However, Kaz made sure to follow closely behind Miss Catannach in case there was, indeed, some kind of danger awaiting them inside the witch's house.

The gray-eyed girl dashed towards the house. Kaz hurried after her. Roshe bounded alongside them with a shrill-sounding whimper. Roshe nipped at Miss Catannach's trousers and attempted to drag her away from the house.

Instantly, this alarmed Kaz.

Miss Catannach nudged the wolf aside and started rapping at the door with her knuckles. "Sorcha! Sorcha! It is I, Brenna! I have returned to you at last! Open up!"

The door creaked open.

An old crone with long, white hair and blue, blue eyes stepped forth.

Kaz noticed a few flies buzzing around her head. A foul odor drifted towards him. He resisted the urge to gag.

The woman held out her arms to Miss Catannach. "Welcome home, Brenna-girl."

Miss Catannach rushed into the older female's embrace. Joyful tears trailed down her cheeks.

"Sorcha! You have no idea how much I missed you! There is so much I must tell you!"

Roshe growled at the witch aggressively. Miss Catannach shushed him. "Stop it, Roshe! What in the world has gotten into you? Why are you being so rude?"

The witch glanced over to the wolf with a kindly smile. "Oh, Roshe! You naughty pup! Have you already forgotten your old friend, Sorcha?"

Her words didn't calm the canine. Roshe's barking only intensified. His hackles raised. Chills ran down Kaz's spine.

For a brief moment, the witch's gaze locked onto Kaz, and he saw a shadow flicker across her aged face, distorting her wrinkled features in such a way that she almost resembled someone else entirely.

Someone else who looked very much like—the late Varles Hexwell?