The group had been travelling for four days, it had been uneventful. Though Em knew something had been following them. She felt dizzy and kept hearing a strange melody that only her ears could pick up. At night, it seemed to grow louder, taunting her, but there was nothing to see. It reminded her of a sirens call. They were dark and dangerous creatures, which made her extremely anxious.

One day when they were all walking silently, Em ahead with Dastan and Gwaine beside her, she paused, blinking trying to see. Her throat was burning as was her nose from fumes. The odour was strong like vinegar causing her to doubled over.

"I can't see" She panted, her eyes stinging as Dastan held her up on her feet until whatever it was that clouded her vision had past.

"Em?" Edvard called watching the young woman with confusion. Was she slowly going mad? She realised that she had been frozen and was now at the back of the group. She shook out of it and gave a weak smile before she followed on after the rest of them. Shadows danced beside her, as bushes moved. She kept her hand on her sword handle ready to attack. As she walked she was tripped over by something, she landed with a thud, as her ankle was going numb.

Turning round she saw a black smoke like chain grasping her right ankle. She tried to kick the smoke chain with her left food to let go, only to have the other foot gripped into a tight burning hold. She almost felt like she was being drained, before a blade cut through the smoke, as it let her go. She panted as Gwaine helped her on her feet, before pushing her forward. He grunted down at her when he walked around her, as she just held herself. The company seemed to double in her vision, laughs echoed as she would turn to the direction only to see nothing.

"Hiä ghæï lmœ ЄЂẅè Uráet. Hiä ghæï lmœ ЄЂẅè Uráet." The words sounded wrong to her ears, she didn't understand the confusing sounding words. She felt her body stop on its own accord like something else was controlling her, before Em slammed her hands over her ears crying out. This made the entire company turn around to her in a flash, shock and horrified to see her on the forest floor twitching, face scrunched up in pain.

"MAKE IT STOP!" She screamed in pain, as they all frowned. Dastan was quick to run to her side unable to think of what could be causing her such pain. His heart broke with every blood curdling scream that left her lips.

"Make it stop!" She kept pleading.

"My dear, there is nothing" Edvard frowned as Em was now on her back, face scrunched in pain, hands over her ears. But suddenly the music that was hurting Em, was beginning to come to the other's ears, it was only a soft hum, slowly getting louder.

"What is that?" Dastan asked as whilst trying to calm Em down as she was starting to hyperventilate.

"I have no idea!" Gwaine grumbled, hating the unknown. In a flash, the soldiers were all knocked off from their feet. They all groaned, trying to get up as they saw a dark figure, tall and muscular bend down and swing Em over his shoulder. She was unconscious as the figure smirked at the group and started running towards a wall of fog.

"NO!" They cried, Dastan was shocked at how desperate and surprised his cry was. They all got to their feet trying to chase the kidnapper before the fog cleared and there was no sight of Em or any tracks to suggest in which direction the kidnapper had gone. Edvard looked heartbroken, as he had to lean heavily on his staff and another of Dastan's shoulder. He had grown very fond of the young woman.

"We have to go after her!" Dastan demanded.

"We don't even know what it is we are dealing with!" Gwaine snapped trying to get Dastan to see reason. Dastan glared in his direction before marching towards him.

"We will find her! Understand?" Dastan commanded through gritted teeth. Gwaine growled before nodding slowly, he couldn't back down from a direction order. Secretly the only one who didn't want Em back was Gwaine, he didn't trust her even though she had saved their lives many times. Everyone else wanted to find her and get her back.

"Umm Dastan.." Crowen tried as he walked over towards the bickering commanders.

"WHAT!" He growled as Crowen gulped but pointed up. Dastan's eyes followed his direction and high up in the sky, in a glowing black net was a lady. She wore a black pointed hat and a black dress, the skirt was short at the front and full length at the back. She wore black leather pants underneath to prevent her green skin showing deeper. Her eyes were golden, her hair a sheet of black that was kept in a bun under her hat. She was a Witch.

"Look if this is going to take all day, can you take it somewhere else? I'd much rather not hear you Sir Gwaine and you Lord Dastan arguing over Em. It's boring" She snapped causing them all to frown in her direction.

"How do you know me?" He snapped up at her as she rolled her eyes. This Witch had a special gift, which was also her curse. One look at someone and she would see their past, present and future. She has been able to keep herself away from mirrors and her own reflection, to prevent herself from seeing her own death.

"I know many things, your past, present and your future! Look at you all now, twenty-four left King Barclay's castle and now there is only twelve. That number will be cut before you've even left the forest" She chuckled from above. Her knowledge made them uneasy.

"How do you know so much?" Dastan questioned through gritted teeth as she just leant against the ropes holding her in the skies and ignored his question, looking away not wanting to answer.

"Why can't you get down?" Edvard asked her curious as she rolled her eyes down at the old man.

"Listen here old man. Can I call you that? He does it all the time. You're the smart one in the group. I would have thought you would have known by now" She teased Edvard, pointing in Dastan's direction. They all looked upon him as he huffed feeling insulted yet praised. He paced back and forth muttering possibilities allowed. Gwaine was ready to throw his sword into the ground before Edvard paused. He smirked before an idea came into his head.

"I believe that when a Witch is caught they are in debt to their rescuer. Am I right?" He asked as she just growled as the others drew their swords when they heard the word Witch.

"Do you want my help to save your friend or not!" She snapped as she held a gaze with Dastan before he turned to the others.

"Cut her down" He told them as they looked shocked.

"How do we know we can trust her?" Gwaine hissed at Dastan.

"We don't, but Witches will do anything to get out of debt as soon as possible, and killing us won't set her free. The sooner we get her down the sooner she will help us!" Edvard snapped. Dastan didn't have much of a choice, he needed her help and she knew it. Walking over to a tree where the rope was tied, Gwaine was swift in swinging his sword. The sound of snapping ropes echoed the empty forest as she fell to the floor groaning. Once on her feet, the soldiers were ready in case she pounced. She dusted off her skirt and fixed her hat.

"Nice to know you were being gentle! Follow me" She sarcastically snarked. Looking at the trees with caution she started walking west, as they hesitated before they followed after her. They kept walking after her, the trees seemed to bend away clearing a path for her, as they followed quietly. What only seemed like a few minutes but really had been a few hours, they came up to a black mansion, a layer of fog lived on the floor of the forest around the mansion, as they followed her inside. The Witch looked out the door ensured they weren't followed before locking the door behind her. Sun was setting outside, as she took them into the dining room.

The fire was roaring a deep green, the table was empty but once the Witch sat at the head of the table, with the fire roaring behind her food. Mountains of food, meat, chips anything they desired sat on the table in front of them. Goblets filled with ale, or whichever drink they fancied as they cautiously took their seats afraid the food would be poison yet they looked hungry.

"Please eat, I haven't poisoned it. Now down to business" She claimed as they slowly began to eat realising nothing was wrong with the perfectly cooked food.

"Now Em has magic, yes? Of course she does, otherwise the Witches wouldn't have gone through such an effort to find her." She started as she took a sip from her goblet that was filled with a mending potion she had brewed a couple of days ago.

"Now before we go into much detail, on how we will rescue her. I need to know one very important thing.....is she wicked?" The witch asked as the table went quiet.

"Wicked?" Dastan questioned feeling insulted as the witch raised an eyebrow nodding.

"NO! She is not wicked!" He snapped, slamming the goblet against the table.

"Touchy, touchy. Well! Seems like a hopeless business" She sighed shrugging.

"What do you mean?" Edvard snapped.

"Only the wicked survive in the Western Woods!" The Witch warned glaring at him. She slammed her cup against the table as the flames behind her grew a foot before shrinking once again.

"She has been held captured by the Witches for six days by now. Why should I risk saving her life, when she is most likely dead" The witch claimed as whispers erupted.

"How is this possible?" Dastan asked his voice catching in his throat slightly.

"You really have no idea of magic and it's portals to other realms do you! imebclies! One full day is equal to twelve days in the Witches realm. She was taken at midday so she would have been capture for six days and..." She stopped and began playing with her goblet before she sighed and looked up at the worried group.

"Look all I can say is this. At first light tomorrow, myself and one other will come with me to the Witches realm, to bring your friend back. It will take us a day to get back, but to you, we will be back after sunset. If she is strong than this ridiculous mission might pay off! Otherwise, I would claim that the journey is pointless" She spoke sternly, as they all gulped.

"You're welcomed to stay and rest until we return, no harm will come to you as long as you stay inside the fog barrier" She warned as they nodded.

"Now, who is to come with me? It cannot be Edvard. I am sure you are well aware on why that is.." She looked over to him as he nodded.

"I'll go" Dastan volunteered. He had dragged her along in their quiet to seek Asreldion in the first place. It should be him to bring her back safely. He also could never live with himself if he didn't try.

"What has happened to her?" One of the soldiers asked worried as the Witch just sighed got up from her seat and had her back of them, as she leant against the fireplace.

"Witches want power, they crave more magic than they can possess.....they will do anything to get it.....I know what they might have done, but I fear worse...." Her voice trailed as she turned to them, only then did they notice in the flicker of the light from the fire a scar that ran down the side of her neck disappearing underneath the collar of her dress. Edvard relaxed in his chair when he noticed the scar, knowing what is meant.

"You've been made Ęnbt" He whispered as her grip on her goblet in her hand, as it shattered into many pieces taking the soldiers by surprise as she turned and glared.

"Yes! I've been made Ęnbt! I was dangerous, more powerful and a threat and I was made Ęnbt at age eight! One more year of horror and I would have been broken! I've been healing on my own, hiding in the Western Woods before I make myself known once again to that realm!" She snapped before she stormed out of the room. Everyone was taken shocked, unsure of what to do or say, as they turned to Edvard for an explanation.

"Witches, when seen as a threat to the parliament court, and refuse to join, are tortured. Unbelievable we wouldn't be able to last five minutes. A Ęnbt witch is when they aren't as strong as they once were. Their torture has left its mark, making them a less of a threat than before. A broken Witch has been removed from their powers, often blind and scared as a sign of the shame to others" Gandalf explained as they nodded, knowing not to bring up the subject. A black cat soon appeared from the main door and jumped up to the table.

"My Lady would like me to show you to your rooms" The cat smiled, as he jumped down and they followed on after him, he lead them upstairs, each dwarf was given a room that suited to his liking the best. When Edvard opened the door to his room, he thought he was back home, the rooms were enchanted to pick what they wanted best. He ran to his bed falling asleep happily.

The Witch, however, went into her chamber pouring a black powder over a massive white orb, it darkened before it showed her what she wanted to see. The night beginning to show up in the Witches realm, it was in the dungeons where it showed Em, being whipped by a whip of dragon claws. They were enchanted as they ripped through her skin leaving poison. Her brown hair was stuck to her forehead as she cried out.

Every day and night for the past six days she had been whipped, electrically stung by the Witches to try and understand her power. Throughout all her painful screams and cries she never gave in. Every night she was thrown into her dungeon cell, in agony, she could never move from the position she was in. On the bed sat her sword, cloak and her shirt. Her pants and boots hadn't been removed, and all she had was a cloth wrapped around twice across her chest. It was brown from dirt and stained with blood that dripped down her glowing with sweat back.

Panting she would lie on the stone floor, thinking about if the others would save her. She wondered if they would let her go if they got what they wanted. She knew it to be false and that she would be dead with Witches holding amazing power.

Her back was scared with fresh and old wounds, her body couldn't heal it's self so quickly. She was weak, no water or food. Poison dripping through her veins, her body limb against the stone. She wished she would die! She knew that it would never come. Had fate punished her to suffer an eternal life in torture?

"Dastan, save me" she whispered broken and numb, like she did each night. Her voice was hoarse from all the cries she screamed, before she closed her eyes...