I continue my way after the woman through the black forest. She seems to know her way around as her own home. Every tree looks the same to me, to her they will all have their own character. Like a puzzle whose pieces I can't find. She walks for me like a guide through the dark.

Slowly we come close to a sea of little lights. A village of huts and tents appears from behind the trees. I look at the woman who calls herself Malia. A little smile has adorned her lips. 'Welcome to a wolf pack Rafiki'. I look at her with a confused look at her invitation.

She puts her hands in her trouser pockets as we get closer and closer to the pack. 'Many years ago I met your mother, both of us totally different people'. Even though I don't like spending time with my mother, I do get curious by the many stories that seem to exist about her. I listen with taut ears to Malia, whom I am starting to trust more and more.

'I remember your mother as a black-haired teenager, she always wore black dresses and saw the world as a black hole. No one could have ever imagined that a girl of her descent would become the queen of our country' as I let the words sink in, I realize how little I actually know about my mother.

'I wonder what would have happened if she was still tied to that fish'. This time Malia says it to herself rather than to me. I raise my eyebrows after this remark, a fish? 'A fish?' Malia now looks at me in amazement, as if I should know. 'You don't know the story of Ying and Yang?', she asks surprised.

I'm shaking my head. By now we have arrived in the village, only lit with small fires and a single lantern. Here and there a person walks past a cottage, but there's no more movement than that. 'Come, time for something to drink, a good story and a fireplace'. I can't hide a smile from her cozy-sounding proposal.

Malia walks in front of me towards a tent that seems bigger than the rest. In front of the green tent is a pile of stones where a red fire slowly burns. Around the fire there are tree trunks with cushions giving it a comfortable appearance. 'Sit down. You like wine?'. I nod. Malia enters the tent as I take in the surroundings. I sit down on a green pillow and warm my hands by the fire. I'm still dressed in nothing more than a nightgown.

As if Malia could read my thoughts she puts a blanket over my shoulders, as soon as she comes out of the tent. I smile gratefully and pull it over my cold body. She puts a glass of red liquid, red wine on the tree trunk next to me. 'Thank you', I thank her. She just gives me a smile and sits opposite me on the other tree trunk. She takes a sip of her wine and then puts the glass next to her.

I follow her example and let the liquor slide down my throat. The taste is pleasant and makes me feel warmer. I tie the blanket tighter around me. 'The story?' I ask too curious to wait. 'I'll start when I've met your mother, which is a very long time ago,' she starts her story. I don't know what to think when I hear that my mother was tied to a fish, what to expect is a mystery to me.

'I was a lone wolf at the time, always on the run. I was wanted for what I was, for what I did and for what I said. I never stood still and was always on the run. One day I walked through the woods and bumped into a lady, Celeste. No matter how hard I tried to stay hidden from her, she found me. But she didn't do what I expected, she offered me shelter instead of trying to kill me'. I listen attentively while I take another sip of the wine.

'Apparently Celeste was looking for different creatures to create a circle of knowledge. When I arrived in a hidden house I stumbled upon your mother, a black-haired girl about your age. Her temper was uninviting and her appearance repulsive. She was totally shrouded in black, her hair was black and her eyes spoke nothing more or less than hate'. I become more and more surprised about the person I thought she was my mother.

'Your mother turned out to be known as the murdering witch, a witch without powers' She takes a moment's silence to take a sip of her wine. 'What do you mean without powers?' I ask before she can continue her story. She puts her glass back. 'I'm surprised how little you know about your mother. Your mother was born as a witch without powers because her mother took away her powers while she was in her belly'

My eyes are magnifying themselves. The worst thing you can do to a witch is take away her powers. There will always be a black hole left in their bodies, as if you've lost part of yourself. It is the hardest punishment that can be imposed on a witch right now. 'Her mother had already had two wizards before one of them had derailed, so she refused to give birth to another magical child'. I swallow.

'So how did she come to be known as the murdering witch?' 'In ancient writings there was a technique called magic murders. It means that by murdering witches, you can take over their powers. It's a very feared way that doesn't happen very often, it's extremely forbidden and in her time but the question of whether it was really possible' my mother is a completely different person than I thought she was.