Landur was a quiet town, nestled against the forest of Landur. Its only claim to fame was the forest witch, but no one ever saw her, so even that wasn't very exciting.

So, when a young couple moved in, everyone sat up and took notice. Even if the couple wasn't extraordinary— which they were— the townspeople would have still watched them with interest.

The husband was an artist— a painter. Everyone remembered him as the polite young man who sometimes accompanied the witch's husband into town to sell paintings. They gladly welcomed him and his paintings back, especially since his presence brought all sorts of people to Landur to commission his work.

As for his wife, she was a bold and friendly woman, and the whole town couldn't help but fall in love with her. Within a few months, she even purchased a rundown little storefront and quickly transformed it into a cozy apothecary.

Everyone was ecstatic that she opened such a shop, as they either had to get remedies from a larger town in the valley or from the witch. The witch made excellent remedies, but... well... she was a witch. People were naturally wary of her.

But not this young couple.

As soon as they moved to Landur, they headed straight into the forest to visit with the witch and her husband. Before long, it wasn't uncommon to see the forest couple visiting them in return.

In fact, once the young wife opened her apothecary shop, she even collaborated with the witch. With the witch's help, her apothecary shop became full of remedies, spells, and medicines from the forest.

People were uneasy at first, but since no harm ever came to the artist and apothecary owner, people became curious. Slowly, they began talking to the witch themselves, and soon enough, she was as welcome in the village as her husband.

By the end of the year, the young couple had completely integrated themselves into Landur's little community. And with trade coming in from the husband's patrons and medicine from the wife's apothecary shop, Landur quickly grew from a sleepy mountain village to a bustling little town in its own right.

The years passed, and the young couple's family grew, too. The townsfolk had never seen such beautiful children. Some of them had hair like fire, like their mother, while others sported the coal-dark locks of their father. They were just as well-loved as their parents, maybe even more so, and it wasn't uncommon for shop owners to sneak them little treats whenever they were in town.

As for the witch and her husband, they loved visiting the growing family. Whenever they did, the witch would perform little spells for the children, who would watch, utterly enchanted. Even the villagers found themselves stopping by, just for the free magic show.

And so, the days passed by, busy and happy. And though the villagers of Landur had no idea why the artist and apothecary owner had chosen to live in their little mountain town, they were profoundly grateful that they did.

The end.

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A/N: Sorrel over here loving life with her trophy husband Val.

Thanks for reading! See you in the afterword!