Chapter Text
Healer found himself grateful for the fact that he had traveling companions for this journey. He was rather sure that if he was alone, he would have been too distracted either with studying the strange new world around him or losing himself to a mild panic attack. But Gingerbrave’s sunny disposition, Strawberry’s hand in his, and Wizard’s playful banter helped keep the cursed man centered. As they made idle conversation through winding tunnels and weaving pathways, Healer busied himself with observing their surroundings.
The lanterns that lit the path utilized a glowing fluid he was unfamiliar with. They were bright but lacked warmth when he raised a hand to one. The tunnels themselves were carved from the spaces between walls and under floorboards. Sometimes their path would open up and he would see larger cavernous areas full of green moss, fungi, and pipes. It was a maze so intricate that sometimes the children had to stop to consider a map or peek out of an exit to see what room in the castle they were adjacent to. When Healer asked Wizard about the construction of the tunnels, the boy said they were as old as the castle itself.
“Nobody’s quite sure who built them, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the first Sugar Gnomes who lived here.”
“Sugar Gnomes? I’m afraid I am unfamiliar.” Healer tilted his head slightly.
“They’re master builders,” explained Wizard, “but they’re also made of a very delicate sugar floss. If they get too stressed, they start to melt, so they tend to stay away from dangerous places.”
That was a rather terrifying concept. He couldn’t even begin to imagine what that must look like, let alone feel like. The lives of these creatures must be harrowing indeed…
“Their presence is a good indicator that a place is safe,” continued Wizard with a smile. “The old saying ‘a gnome space is a safe place’, always rings true! Gnome Square would be the perfect place for us to regroup and figure out how to deal with… well…” The boy gestured at Healer, his good mood deflating a bit. He didn’t like that there was a magical problem that he couldn’t help with. Curses were fickle things, unfortunately. Oh, if only he were an arcwizard…
Strawberry’s hand on his shoulder pulled Wizard from his negative thoughts. “L-Let’s try to look on the bright side. We might have the chance to show Healer some of our favorite places around the castle! Or introduce him to some of our other friends.”
“Hey yeah!” Gingerbrave spun around from where he was further up ahead. “Everybody was afraid of you, but now we can show them that you’re really nice!”
Healer was a bit taken aback by that statement. “They were afraid of me? Whatever did I do?”
“You fought the Witch,” replied Strawberry.
“Humans are a rare sight around the Castle these days. And those that are, aren’t exactly friendly…” Wizard Cookie sighed. “So a strange human showing up for unknown reasons, fighting the Witch, and having her on the ropes like you did? It sparked a lot of rumors.”
“I see…” he supposed that made sense. By the sounds of it, the creatures of the castle stayed far away from the Witch, so the fact she had been capturing human children went largely unnoticed by the residents. They stayed in their hidden towns and tunnels where she could not reach, and left the Witch to her own devices, hoping whatever path she chose didn’t cross their own.
It was as if the woman was a force of nature, untouchable, unflinching, uncaring.
And then he came along and shattered those preconceived notions. An unknown variable who challenged her and her absolute power over this secret world within the walls. With their limited understanding of humans, they had no idea if the Healer was just as bad or worse than the Witch, thus their response was to fear him rather than revere him.
“I believe we should keep my true identity a secret for the time being,” Healer concluded. “I would not want to scare anyone, after all.”
“Aw, but I wanted to clear your name…” Gingerbrave’s shoulders sagged a bit. His expression startled a small chuckle out of Healer.
“I’m sure they will come to know the truth in due time. For now, I am satisfied with keeping my true human nature between us. Besides, you said the Sugar Gnomes are easy to frighten yes? I would hate for them to think I’ve come to harm anyone.”
“Oh, right good point…” Gingerbrave could very easily imagine the pandemonium that might break out. Gnome Square was supposed to be a well-kept secret and a safe place away from the Witch and her Familiars. If the gnomes thought its safety was compromised, it might spark a panic and that would just lead to a lot of melted gnomes...
“By the way, how much further until our destination?” Healer was beginning to tire. It felt like they had been walking for miles, but in reality, they’d probably not traveled too far from where they started. His earlier comparison of this castle to a continent really felt as if it were ringing true, now.
“Not too far now,” said Wizard. “With the pace we’re going, it should only be another ten or so minutes."
From his place up ahead, Gingerbrave exclaimed, “I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone! Maestro Sugar Gnome is really smart! And the smithy is so cool! Oh! And if we’re lucky maybe we’ll bump into--!”
Gingerbrave’s sentence petered off, his eyes losing focus. He grabbed his head and stumbled, collapsing against the wall.
“Gingerbrave?!” Healer was beside him almost immediately, fraught with concern. The boy waved him off.
“I-I’m fine. Just a dizzy spell,” he said with a little shake of his head. After a moment to gather himself up, he managed to stand up straight and smile. “Though, uh, Strawberry? I think I’m gonna need a Life Potion.”
“Oh! That’s right! In all the excitement yesterday, I totally forgot!” The girl pulled off her pack and rummaged around for a moment before producing a bright honey-yellow bottle. After giving it to Gingerbrave, she produced another and shoved it into Wizard’s hands. “You too.”
“What?! But I feel fine!” complained Wizard.
“Thats because you’re really focused on what we’re doing. But your hair is already starting to melt and I bet your arms are getting crumbly too. Drink.”
“Fffffineeeeee!”
The Healer watched with interest as Gingerbrave and Wizard popped the corks and started drinking. Satisfied that her friends were cared for, she pulled out a bottle of this potion for herself and took a sip, before hesitating.
“We can share mine,” she said to Healer, offering up the bottle.
“What is it?”
“Life potion. It keeps us healthy. We need to drink it pretty regularly.”
Seeing an opportunity to flex his knowledge, Wizard said, “Cookie bodies can’t make their own life energy so we have to get it from other sources. Typically, it would just be through eating and drinking normal food, but since all the life energy in nature is getting stolen by the Witch, we have to rely on these potions to make sure we get a big enough dose. Without it, the powder in our dough loses its potency, which makes us become inanimate and then our bodies crumble.” He took another sip before getting a thoughtful expression. “Though, considering your situation, maybe you don’t have to worry about that? Human bodies make their own life energy. So maybe that trait carried over into your cookie body?”
“Still, better safe than sorry,” said Strawberry while gently pushing the bottle into Healer’s hand. When he hesitated, she gave him the biggest saddest puppy eyes she could muster. “Just a couple of sips?”
Healer took a moment to smell it, though nothing came from it. Slowly, he took a small sip.
Oh! He recognized this flavor! Well, there was that mystery solved. (And another kindness from the children to be thankful for.) It did give him a bit of a kick, but he wasn’t sure if it was because he was still weak from starvation or if he was actually suffering from ‘crumbling’. After a couple of more sips, he passed it back to Strawberry, who finished the rest of the potion off.
Healer made a mental note to make sure the children were well-stocked with this potion in the future.
“What was I saying?” Gingerbrave asked as he wiped the gold stain from around his mouth. “Oh yeah! You’re gonna love Gnome Square, Healer…!”
Thus, they continued further down winding tunnels, their destination well at hand.
Healer had not really known what to expect upon arriving at Gnome Square, but he certainly hadn’t expected the lush plaza that stretched out before him.
Lush green grass, mushrooms, and flowers that towered over them dotted the space. A bright light not unlike a midday sun filtered down from an unknown source. Carved into the stones were different levels where Healer could make out houses. A stone spiral and a series of pully elevators allowed access to the higher layers of the settlement. In the heart of the plaza was an elegant fountain, a statue of a cookie nobly holding up a sword acting as its centerpiece. Surrounding the fountain was a market, an inn, a garden, and something akin to a town hall.
And it was packed.
Cookies and critters of all kinds were milling about the market. A hamster here, a living toy there. He even caught sight of what had to be a sugar gnome manning one of the stalls.
Something about the sight made Healer’s inner child absolutely giddy.
“Welcome to Gnome Square!” Gingerbrave threw his arms out. “The crossroads of the Witch’s Castle!”
“It’s beautiful…” To think they did all this on their own. No human instruction or assistance needed. If there was any further proof required that the products of life powder had souls – it was this. Only beings with higher thought and deep emotion could make such a lovely place within such a dark castle.
“They say all the roads in the castle eventually lead back to here,” said Wizard.
“With how often we visit, I believe it.” Strawberry huddled a bit closer to Healer, grabbing his hand to make sure neither of them got lost in the crowd.
“If I did not know any better, I would never guess we were in a castle created by humans.” Healer squinted against the light bearing down on them. It couldn’t be sunlight, not only was it still raining outside, but it lacked the warmth of the sun. This light was probably coming from an artificial or magical source. “When you mentioned settlements, I imagined small communities with tightly packed buildings. But the Square is so big! How is such a large space like this even possible?”
Wizard Cookie replied, “Because of the weird architecture of the Castle, there’s a lot of blocked off rooms and void space between the walls and floors. Which gave the castle residents plenty of secret places to build. The walls currently surrounding us are especially thick, which is why the Gnomes built here.”
Healer wished he had the time and energy to thoroughly explore the square and talk to everyone, but he knew it was probably best to stick close to the children. This was unfamiliar territory with unfamiliar creatures, and while there hadn’t been much miscommunication between himself and the children, he did not want to run the risk of any accidental cultural faux pas.
As they wove their way through the market, Healer took note of the wares being sold. Trinkets both magic and mundane, clothing of all sorts of colors and materials, books and scrolls, and then there was the food.
Healer did not care that the meat slowly roasting over a fire seemed to be made of some sugary substance, it smelled heavenly. His pace slowed considerably as they passed the busy food stall, but much to his disappointment he realized he had not a cent to his name.
“Healer? Are you okay?” Strawberry’s voice broke him from his thoughts. He had forgotten that he was still holding the girl’s hand.
“My apologies, I got lost in thought there.” Healer smiled and pretended like whatever constituted as his stomach wasn’t twisting into knots.
Strawberry didn’t seem convinced though. She slowly tilted her head to see around him at the stall he had been looking at. It wasn’t difficult for her to piece together what had caught his attention.
“Hey guys! You ok?” Gingerbrave called from where he and Wizard had stopped a bit further down the street. They had not realized Healer and Strawberry had lagged so far behind right away. Healer made to reassure him that everything was fine, but Strawberry beat him to the punch by calling her friends back over.
Once they were close enough to be heard at a regular volume, Strawberry said, “Do you want to grab something to eat?” She motioned over to the stall that Healer had been eyeing.
“We didn’t have any breakfast, did we?” Gingerbrave thought aloud.
“And we missed dinner after we were caught by you-know-who…” Wizard lowered his voice on the last part. Saying anything about the Witch made some folks act as if the mere mention would summon her.
“We should have enough for all of us.” Strawberry Cookie slid her backpack from her shoulders and rummaged around for the group’s shared coin purse. Gingerbrave had no pockets, and Wizard could be a bit of an impulse buyer if a certain book caught his attention, so it was decided long ago that Strawberry would be the one to handle their money.
Healer, however, shook his head. “You should feed yourselves. I don’t want you putting yourselves out for my sake. I can—”
He was cut off by Strawberry rather forcibly putting a hand in his face. “You’ve been surviving off of scraps of bread and dusty water for months. We have plenty of coins, so it’s not a problem. You saved our lives when we were planning on being the ones to save you. The least we can do is get you some real food.”
He couldn’t really argue that logic. On top of that, the promise of food made his stomach ache even more. When Strawberry started taking everyone’s orders, he only felt a little bad when he requested the stew that was on the menu.
“Just that?” Strawberry narrowed her eyes at him. It hadn’t escaped her notice that it was one of the cheaper items on the menu. He better not have been asking for that because he was still fussing over the money.
“It’s best if I keep it light for now. Eating anything heavy after an extended period of starvation can lead to an upset stomach,” explained Healer. “And warm broth sounds rather nice to me at the moment.”
The girl stared at him, as if searching for a lie. After determining that no, this was his actual line of logic and he wasn’t just selecting it because of the price, Strawberry nodded and left to go put in an order for everyone’s food. Healer let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. For someone so shy, Strawberry could be rather intense when she wanted to be!
A tug on his sleeve drew his attention down to Gingerbrave. The boy was practically bouncing when he said, “Healer! There’s a friend I want to introduce you to! Can we go say hi while we wait for the food?” It was rather amusing to Healer that the boy felt the need to ask permission.
“Let Strawberry know where we’re going first and then we can go.” He was rather interested in the idea of meeting more of the castle’s residents. That curiosity only increased when the boy loudly informed Strawberry that they were heading to a smithy. Strawberry at least was familiar with who they were planning on seeing and asked them to say ‘hello’ for her.
“Well well well, look who it is! It’s been a while!” said a tall and burly cookie as their little group approached the smithy. The individual had already been in a conversation with a different cookie, but both seemed to recognize Gingerbrave and Wizard and paused what they were doing to greet the children.
Gingerbrave excitedly ran over to his friends with all the energy of an excited puppy. “Hi Avocado Cookie! And Herb Cookie, you’re here too!”
“Some of my gardening tools need to be replaced so I came to Avocado Cookie to ask for help,” the leaf-haired cookie explained, knowing his presence was rather odd since he wasn’t one to use weapons.
“Makes sense,” Wizard hummed, “Avocado Cookie’s projects are always sturdy.”
Avocado laughed, a bright sound that filled the air and overtook the hissing of the forge. “You bet! I’ve fixed Gingerbrave’s candy cane enough times, I’m pretty sure it’ll take a rampaging stampede of Choco Boars to break it now!” She paused, then bashfully asked, “Unless it broke again and that’s why you’re here…?”
“Nope!” Gingerbrave proudly held up the still-intact cane. “Still in one piece! We were just passing through and wanted to say hi.” He then grabbed Healer – who had been peacefully watching the exchange with interest – and pushed him forward. “We also wanted to introduce you to our new friend!”
“Oh!” Healer startled when he was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. He quickly laughed it off with a gentle shake of his head. “It’s nice to meet you.” He held out a hand for Avocado to shake, but was suddenly intercepted by a starry-eyed Herb Cookie.
“Your orchid!” He exclaimed, his hands hovering as if wanting to hold it but refraining from doing so.
Healer jumped back, glancing between Herb and the flower and wondering if there was something wrong with it.
“I’ve never seen a vanilla orchid so healthy! Its petals are so vibrant, its leaves look good and healthy, oh and the eye is perfect! Not a hint of fogginess at all! You’ve been taking wonderful care of it!” Herb took Healer’s still extended hand and shook it vigorously. “It’s always nice to meet cookies who are also passionate about plant care!”
Avocado Cookie’s booming laugh once again filled the area. “Excuse Herb Cookie’s enthusiasm. He’s iris-istibly drawn to plants!”
From his spot beside Healer, Wizard groaned. “Here we go…”
“And I hope you don’t mind but I’m always a succa for a good pun!”
Healer chuckled, politely hiding his smile behind his sleeve as he said, “Well, I don’t mind. I tend to grow with the flow…” Wizard made another loud groan, feeling betrayed.
“A cookie after my own heart!” Avocado harshly patted Healer on the back, nearly knocking him over. “What part of the castle do you come from, stranger? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around the Square before.”
Healer didn’t know what to say to that without sounding incriminating. He subtly looked at the children out of the corner of his eye. Both boys had visibly tensed at the question, and he could tell they were scrambling for some sort of story. Healer was never one who enjoyed outright lying, but even he could tell that this sort of situation needed a bit of discretion.
“You’re correct that this is my first time here; my village is rather far away,” he said. “Everyone back home calls me the Healer. I’m afraid that is the only name I can give.”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Healer Cookie! Any friend of Gingerbrave, Wizard and Strawberry is a friend of mine!” The blacksmith paused, as if just realizing something, and looked around. “By the way, where is Strawberry Cookie?”
Gingerbrave pointed back the way they had come from. “She went to go grab us some food—”
“…and I told you to please leave me alone!” Strawberry’s voice cut through the dull white noise of the bustling market.
All heads turned in the direction of her voice just when someone replied, “Come on! I swear it will be quick! I just have to know!”
Strawberry Cookie carried a few bundles in her arms, trying to speed walk away from a cookie dogging her every step. Thanks to her burden, she was unable to pick up the pace and lose them in the crowd. The cookie in question seemed to be a child. They certainly sounded like a child to Healer, at least. Bright pink hair that stuck out in all directions, a cape made out of a soft waffle-like material, and a rather interesting headpiece that almost resembled a crown with its many points.
When Strawberry saw everyone, she quickened her pace and ran to hide behind Healer and her friends.
“Is everything okay, Strawberry?” Gingerbrave asked. She seemed overwhelmed and embarrassed.
“T-This cookie won’t leave me alone! They keep a-asking me for a dough sample and want me to go somewhere with them!” Strawberry buried her face into Healer’s robe.
“Well that’s not shady at all…” Wizard Cookie grumbled, side-eyeing the newcomer who found themself under critical scrutiny.
“Hey now! Don’t get your hoodie in a twist! Saying it like that makes me sound like a creep!” The new cookie said, putting their hands on their hips.
Healer cleared his throat, successfully gaining everyone’s attention. “First, may I ask your name?”
The child looked Healer up and down, not at all impressed by the sight of his patchwork choco robes. Eventually, they said, “I’m Strawberry Crepe Cookie.”
Huh. Did that make them related to Strawberry and that was why they were following her? Well, he didn’t want to assume anything just yet. There was a lot about cookies he didn’t really understand.
“Would you mind clearing up this misunderstanding for us, young Strawberry Crepe? Perhaps we can find a solution that will make you both happy?” Healer asked, taking on a tone that usually got the village children to listen to him. The pink-haired cookie made a little ‘hmph!’ noise and pouted like any child would.
“I came to Gnome Square to do some research on common ingredients in cookies. You know; are there more bitter flavored cookies in the castle or sweet ones? Are fruits and berries more common than cheeses? That kind of stuff!” they explained. “I figured since it was always so packed here, that it would be a great place to get new statistics to analyze! So I was just minding my own business, scanning cookies as I went, when I came across her!” The child jabbed a finger in Strawberry’s direction. She cringed and tucked herself further behind Healer.
“She looks like a berry cookie, she says her name is Strawberry Cookie, and she even SMELLS like strawberries, but…” Strawberry Crepe paused for dramatic effect. “When I scanned her there were NO strawberries in her dough AT ALL!” They were getting a bit worked up now, eyes sparkling with curiosity and a hint of frustration. “I just have to know! How can you be a berry cookie if you don’t have any strawberries?! Do you have the strength that all berry cookies have? Are you some kind of new berry subset? Come back to my lab with me so I can use more sensitive equipment and do a thorough scan!”
“And I t-told you no! I don’t want to go anywhere with you!” Strawberry Cookie snapped back. She didn’t want to go near another lab for the rest of her life if she could help it! The last one was too scary! “My name is Strawberry so of course I have strawberries in my dough! And that’s it! There’s nothing more too it! Stop following me!”
Healer hummed in thought at the interesting conundrum presented before him. Are the ingredients in a cookie’s dough that important to their culture? Or was that interest a trait unique to their new friend here? Considering how fiercely Strawberry was defending the idea of her namesake’s presence within her dough, perhaps it was rather important within their societal structure.
Strawberry clearly wanted nothing to do with Strawberry Crepe. She had given her answer, and they were just going to have to accept that. Still, Strawberry Crepe seemed rather… stubborn. If they had refused to leave her alone after three “no’s”, Healer doubted the child would stop after a twelfth.
While he was pondering this situation, Gingerbrave and Wizard had rushed to Strawberry’s defense. It made quite the comical sight to Avocado and Herb, who were off to the side watching things unfold rather helplessly. The tall shape of Healer was just standing there, deep in thought, surrounded by a gaggle of bickering children. It seemed the noise did nothing to sway the mysterious cookie’s meditation. Which worked just fine for Gingerbrave and his friends, who were currently using Healer as a wall between themselves and Strawberry Crepe Cookie.
‘CLAP! CLAP!’ Healer sharply clapped his hands together, easily quieting the argument going on around his feet. All the children looked up at him with wide eyes.
“I am very sorry Strawberry Crepe, but if Strawberry says she does not want to go with you, then she has every right not to comply.” He set a hand on her head, the girl leaned in closer. “Labs make her uncomfortable, and if your analysis is only for your own satisfaction, then I’m afraid there’s no real reason for her to go with you.”
“Oh, come ON!” Strawberry Crepe whined, throwing their arms out in indignation. “Don’t be such a baby dough! It’s just a lab! It’s not like I’m going to dissect you or anything!”
Healer frowned slightly, allowing Strawberry to hug him around the waist a bit tighter. “Strawberry has a good reason to be afraid,” he began. “Not only has she had a very negative experience with one recently, but she does not know you or trust you. You have not given her a reason to trust you either. Even if what you are saying is truthful, you are doing nothing to make her feel safe with you.”
“Yeah!” Wizard jumped back into the argument with vigor. “We don’t go with anyone we don’t trust! And someone demanding dough samples is just creepy! How would you like it if someone you didn’t know walked up to you and demanded you go to a strange place with them?”
“If Strawberry doesn’t want to go with you, then the answer is no. Plain and simple.” Gingerbrave chimed in, crossing his arms and standing as straight as he could. He was taller than Strawberry Crepe and was now using this size difference to be a wall between his friend and this bossy cookie.
“Why you—! YOU—!” Strawberry Crepe’s face turned bright red. They looked just about ready to pop, but before they could, Healer reached out a hand and patted them on the head. They were so taken aback by this, they practically jumped a foot away with a startled yelp.
Healer merely chuckled. “Now now, my friends, there is no need to be hostile. I doubt Strawberry Crepe Cookie was going to bring Strawberry any harm. Isn’t that right?”
“Y-Yeah…” Strawberry Crepe kicked a nearby pebble. “Scanning is harmless. I just… I have to know the answer!”
“You’re a curious one, aren’t you?” Healer stepped forward and knelt down to Crepe’s level. “You don’t like it when there is something you don’t understand, so you try to pick at a problem until it makes sense. I’ve met many others like you in my travels, young cookie.” Strawberry Crepe nodded along, fidgeting with the hem of their cloak.
“Normal cookies are so boring,” they explained. “Same ingredients, same make-up, same ratios… So whenever I find a cookie that stands out, I have to know everything about them! I have to know how they work! I like knowing how everything works…”
“I see. Well, there is nothing wrong with wanting to pursue knowledge. In fact, I think what you are trying to learn is wonderful. However if you want someone else to willingly give information to you… It would help to be a bit friendlier.” Healer chuckled and gestured back toward Strawberry. “Perhaps, if you say ‘please’, my friend here might agree to help you with your project?”
Crepe looked at Healer as if he had grown a second head. Strawberry froze up like a spotlight had just been shone on her. The two children stared at each other for a moment, unsure how to proceed.
Crepe seemed to make up their mind first, marched up to Strawberry with flushed cheeks and asked, “Strawberry Cookie, could you please accompany me back to my lab so I can scan your dough more thoroughly?”
A beat as Strawberry seemed to seriously consider this, and then…
“No, thank you.”
“BUT—” Before Strawberry Crepe could lose their temper again, Strawberry cut them off.
“But if you join us for lunch, I would be willing to talk to you about my ingredients.” She emphasized the offer by holding the bundles in her arms a little higher. “We were going to find somewhere less crowded to sit and eat. We can talk there.” She turned to the others with a sheepish look. “I-If that’s okay with you guys?”
“I suppose I wouldn’t mind someone else joining us for lunch. But we’re not buying!” Wizard said.
“As long as you’re fine with it, I’m fine with it.” Gingerbrave offered Strawberry a thumbs up.
“I would be delighted.” Healer rose to his full height, that gentle smile still on his face.
Strawberry Crepe Cookie balked.
Did… Did that shoddily robed cookie just trick them into having lunch with his group? His earlier use of the word “friendlier” practically slapped the child genius in the face.
Friends? With normal boring cookies??? Strawberry Crepe much preferred the company of their waffle bots, thank-you-very-much. But still, the mystery of the berry cookie with no berries demanded answers…
“Fine. I’ll join you. But you’ve gotta answer all my questions! And I have a lot!”
“That’s wonderful, because I believe I also have some questions.” Healer gently herded the children together in a way that was far too familiar to him at this point. “Avocado Cookie, Herb Cookie, it was wonderful meeting you both, but I believe it’s time for us to take our leave. And sorry for the scene…”
“Don’t worry about it!” Avocado Cookie laughed from where she had been leaning on the counter. She couldn’t deny it had been one of the most interesting things to happen all day. The market was always pretty peaceful, so a bit of excitement wasn’t all that bad. “Feel free to poppy on in any time, Healer Cookie!”
“If you ever find yourself in the western portion of the castle, feel free to visit,” Herb said with a wave. “My friend Sparkling Cookie runs the best tavern over there, and Mint Choco Cookie is always performing his music for the patrons. We can all have tea together!”
The group said their farewells and left the bustling area behind. Healer stayed to the back of the group, making sure to keep an eye on all the children as they went. With Strawberry Crepe now joining them, things were a bit tense, but it didn’t take Gingerbrave long to settle things down with an idle conversation topic. The boy seemed very good at easing tension by just being himself. It was no wonder Wizard and Strawberry seemed to default to him as their de facto leader.
It was a bit familiar, in a way.
Eventually their little group came to rest beside the fountain in the center of the Square. Once everyone was seated, Strawberry began passing out the food to everyone but Strawberry Crepe, who had purchased a roasted marshmallow bunny at a food stall on the way.
When Strawberry handed Healer a warm sealed bowl-shaped container, the cursed man blinked in surprise. In all of the excitement, he had almost forgotten that one of those bundles of food were meant for him. He took it from the girl with a grateful nod. The reminder of food was already making his stomach twist into knots again.
The minute he popped open the lid, it took all his willpower not to immediately go to town on it. The savory smell of the stew, the warmth of the bowl in his lap, the beautiful scenery around him… After three months in that dark dungeon with nothing to eat, this felt almost too good to be true.
Slowly, he took a spoonful of the stew and lifted it to his mouth. A part of him was afraid that everything would vanish the moment he took his first bite. That the world around him would melt back into those cold stone walls and he would feel the oppressive weight of the cuffs on his wrists again.
But the idle chatter of the children beside him, Gingerbrave’s jokes, Wizard’s snippets of knowledge, Crepe’s questions and Strawberry’s tentative answers, grounded him.
And with that comforting white noise, Healer took his first bite of the first full meal he’s had in months.
…
He was very glad the children were so involved in their conversations. It would be a little embarrassing if they noticed the grateful sugary tears falling into his stew.
“EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT!” Chestnut Cookie peddled his tricycle into Gnome Square, a freshly printed newspaper held high into the air. “WITCH’S PRISONER ESCAPES! FAMILIARS ON THE HUNT! COOKIES AND CRITTERS ARE ADVISED TO STAY OUT OF HUMAN CHAMBERS!”
A few surprised noises in the crowd. A couple of heads turned in interest. A nervous energy was left behind his tricycle as the little boy peddled down the road toward where he usually sold the papers.
“READ IT ALL HERE IN THIS SPECIAL EDITION OF THE CASTLE CHRONICLE! PRISONER STILL AT LARGE! WITCH’S MOVEMENTS CURRENTLY UNKNOWN!”
It had been like this all morning. Every stop Chestnut Cookie had made on his route reacted to the news the same way. Upon reading the article, the adults would fall into nervous hushed conversations that they thought the kids couldn’t hear; and the kids were afraid, because the adults were afraid.
Nobody was quite sure what to make of this troubling news, but one thing was for sure: the castle was heading into uncertain times.
Chestnut pulled his tricycle over by the square’s iconic fountain, same as always. He dismounted his little bike, tucked a few papers from his bag under his arm, and began the usual routine of calling out the headline to passersby.
“I’ll take one.” Blackberry Cookie passed the boy a coin, who took it with a grateful tip of his hat. Beside her, Onion Cookie whimpered in fear.
“W-What’s it say, Blackberry Cookie? Are we going to get eaten?”
The dutiful maid opened the newspaper and began skimming through the troubling article. “I don’t believe we are in any immediate danger. Though we should be careful on our way home…” They typically cut through one of the castle’s many parlors on their way back to the cabinet they called home. If the Witch’s familiars were out in full force, and an unknown man was lurking the halls, it might be best for them to take a more round-about path. Blackberry Cookie would never forgive herself if anything happened to her charge.
“It says here, he fought the Witch!” Nearby, Creampuff Cookie was reading the same article from her own copy of the paper. “Could he be a real wizard? Wow… He must be so powerful!”
“I certainly hoooope he isn’t!” A jellybear merchant at a nearby stall added. “Remember how the castle shooooook when he first arrived? If he and the Witch have anooooother big fight, it could destrooooy the place!”
“Not to mention, he’s probably starving from being locked up in the dungeons!” piped up a porcelain deer in a fancy dress. “You desserts better lie low! If you’re not caught by him, then you’ll definitely be caught by the Witch who’s hunting for him!”
“Grrr, all this gossip makes me ANGRY!” Purple Yam Cookie grumbled.
“But it’s important news,” Milk Cookie argued. “We should be careful too. Bandits might decide to take advantage of the increased traffic that will no doubt be traveling through the tunnels. And let us not forget the strange red lights and moving shadow that overtook the castle last night. Things are changing, and we need to be ready for anything.””
A troubled air had settled over the once-cheerful Gnome Square. Who was this mysterious prisoner? Where was he now? What were his goals? How was the Witch going to respond to this, and how could the cookies and critters avoid getting involved in any of it?
“I don’t think there is anything to worry about.” A gentle voice cut through the idle murmurs. The statement had been directed at a group of children beside the speaker, but the confidence with which he spoke drew more than a few eyes his way.
“Why’s that, mister?” Chestnut Cookie couldn’t help but ask. After all, this was the first adult he had seen who hadn’t immediately grown troubled upon hearing the news.
The strange cookie looked to Chestnut with mismatched eyes. It looked like they had just finished having lunch by the time Chestnut had gotten there, bowls and plates were stacked up beside where they sat. One of the newspapers was in the hands of a cookie in a pink sweater, and the kids seemed awfully worried.
And yet, this stranger wasn’t.
The cookie with mismatched eyes turned to Chestnut Cookie fully with a soft smile on his face. “It’s simple. The Witch’s Prisoner isn’t here to hurt anyone. So there is no need to fear him.”
A couple of less-than-polite disagreements were whispered in the crowd.
“So then why is he here?” asked a pink-haired cookie with a waffle cloak.
“The Witch had kidnapped human children from the village beyond the valley,” said the strange cookie. “He had come here to rescue them, and in a way he succeeded. By trading his freedom for theirs, the children were released, but the man was forced to stay.” A beat and then he said, “I suppose he decided to mount a daring escape.”
“How do YOU know any of this, HUH?!” Purple Yam Cookie challenged. “You’re talking like you were THERE!”
The cookie with mismatched eyes seemed to consider these words, before rising to his feet. With staff in hand, he replied with a smile, “Because I was.” And with that, the stranger began to tell his story. It wasn’t long before the small crowd turned into a big audience. The cookie spoke, his voice projected far, as if he was used to speaking to large crowds and having them listen with rapt interest.
He told them of the battle he had witnessed between the Witch and the mysterious man, how the man had journeyed far for the sake of kidnapped children, he told them of the Witch’s evil plot to take their life force and how she had been doing the same to the man she had imprisoned.
The strange cookie was a masterful storyteller. The audience gasped at every surprising twist and nefarious turn.
Chestnut Cookie scrambled to get his notebook and jot it all down.
After all, if it turns out this cookie’s story about the Prisoner was true, then this was big news!
Dead leaves and dry grass crunched under her boots with every step. If this were any other forest, she would have probably tried to keep her movements silent out of fear of attracting predators. However, most of the animals have long since fled this dying land, meaning she need not worry about wolves or bears.
Still, she traveled with her hand on her dagger’s hilt, just in case.
Her pace was fast. Not quite a walk, but not quite a run either. The storm had already delayed her far too much for her liking, and she wanted to reach her destination as soon as possible.
Three months. She couldn’t believe it had taken her three months to finally carry out this mission.
The minute the children had returned to the village with word of the Healer’s sacrifice, she had wanted to leave right away. But some of her dear friends and fellow townsfolk had been against it. They called her reckless for such an idea, saying she would only wind up dead by charging into the den of a Witch. She was their only protector at the moment, and with the spreading decay from the valley, their little town had come under threat of potential bandit attacks.
On top of that, she simply hadn’t been ready yet. After all, she had no magic, nor any means to protect herself from it. Only a handful of birds and a knife to her name.
So she was forced to wait, and plan, and train.
Slowly but surely, she sent the birds of her flock to that damned castle. Scouting, gathering, practicing. She mapped out the forest, found what was possibly a suitable point of entry where she wouldn’t be detected, and started preparing rations of food and water. Silently, secretly, patiently awaiting her chance…
Then, the village teacher came back from visiting the city with a book about warding dark magics. The village took to it instantly. Everyone put up wards in their homes, parents sent the children to school with little bags of herbs around their necks, the farmers hung iron charms on their scarecrows in attempt to protect their meager harvest.
She used the book to create her own protective charms. The hagstone around her neck bounced as she walked. Its gentle weight reminded her that the Witch would not be able to come anywhere near her, and the iron pendant beside it would protect her from malicious spells. In the off chance those failed, the bag on her hip contained all matter of herbs and minerals she could use to dispel or ward off any would-be dangers.
Her murder had grown considerably in size as well. Spring had come and gone, and the chicks had gotten their flight feathers. With her birds having doubled in number, she used this to justify her leave.
Leave a majority behind to protect the village but take some along with her on a long-awaited rescue mission.
None of the townsfolk were able to argue with her plan. (And none of them wanted to, anyway. They were all worried about the Healer. They were all upset at not being able to rescue him. They wanted their dear friend home, and she was ready and willing to make that happen.)
The flapping of wings pulled her from her thoughts. Her oldest friend landed on a branch above her, eyed her, and then flew further down the path. It was clear that humans had not touched this place in a long long time. The road was overgrown. She could barely make out the path in the dim light of her lantern. Luckily her crows knew the way by now, she only had to follow them and they would lead her to her destination.
And what a sight it was. When she finally broke through the brush, the Witch’s Castle towered over her. Its dark silhouette cut an imposing shape against the overcast night sky, and she couldn’t help but take a moment to admire it. It was easily the biggest structure she had ever seen. It could probably house the entirety of her village and still have plenty of room to spare.
Such decadence was wasted on the vile Witch who called this place home.
She whistled, a quick sharp sound. The call summoned her most faithful crow to her side, the bird settling on her shoulder with a little warble. She cooed at it for a moment, whispering little words of praise and stroking its beak before she got moving.
This one would join her inside, be her extra eyes and ears. If anything happened, the other birds that were lurking in the trees surrounding the castle would provide back up. She would do her best to make sure they would not be needed, though. In and out. Quick and quiet. That was the goal, at least.
Thankfully, with the castle being so large, she had plenty of windows to choose from. (She wasn’t going to walk in through the front door. She was reckless, not suicidal.) But there was one in particular that had caught her interest when scouting the castle. It was on the third floor, overlooking a withered garden. Most importantly, the glass was busted from neglect and there was a large tree with a branch that offered easy access. It was the perfect infiltration point.
One would think climbing a tree with only one arm would be tricky, but she had climbed plenty of trees when she was younger. A large oak like this was nothing for her.
As quiet as a shadow, she shimmied along a branch and reached the window. Being careful not to cut herself on the glass, the young woman pulled herself through with elegant dexterity. The crow on her shoulder was diligent the whole time, its eyes peeled for any danger to its mistress.
The room was tiny. A walk-in closet of some kind. The carpet was faded, the clothes tattered, there was a strong scent of mildew wafting through the air.
Once both her feet came to rest on the floor, the young woman took a breath to steady her rapidly beating heart.
She was here. After three long months she was finally here. Unfortunately, from this point, she was totally blind. She had no idea about the castle layout, so she would just have to improvise and pray she would get lucky. The castle was probably crawling with the Witch’s minions, so stealth would be her best option—
“Oh wow, you’re tall!”
The voice came from her right. She wasted no time drawing her dagger, and the crow on her shoulder made a threatening sound.
But where she was expecting a cat, serpent, or any other traditional familiar, the tip of her blade wound up pointed at something much smaller.
“Wow!” The little thing said, completely unphased by the obvious threat. “Your knife is so pretty and glittery! And your bird is so cute!”
The young woman balked. Her jaw went slack and the knife slowly lowered. Was… Was she seeing things? No, her bird was reacting to it too, so it was probably real.
But if that was the case, then how in the name of all the Gods above was a gingerbread cookie talking to her?
It was a simple little thing, with its dough in the shape of a dress, and a glob of chocolate to imitate a ponytail. It was standing on one of the shelves, allowing it to be eye level with the human woman. The cookie looked up at her with glittering purple icing eyes and a wide goofy smile. It continued to talk despite her not responding.
“It’s been so long since the castle had any new guests! Where did you come from? Why’d you come in through the window? Why are you up so late? What’s your favorite color? Can I pet your bird? Do you want to be friends?” It was overwhelming her with questions, and it was now that the young woman realized that this chatty little cookie might blow her cover.
“Shhhh! Keep your voice down!” She whispered harshly, looking nervously over at the door.
“Okay! Oop! I mean, okay…” The cookie giggled. “Why’re we whispering?”
“Uh… Because I don’t want to wake anybody up. It would be rude.” The cookie made an affirmative noise and nodded. The woman was well and truly at a loss for what to do. If this was a minion of the Witch, she might be screwed.
“So…?” The cookie was giving her an expectant look.
“So?” The young woman bit the inside of her cheek.
“You didn’t answer my question!” said the cookie. “Do you want to be friends?”
The young woman took a moment to think about it, and then inspiration hit. “I’ll be your BEST friend if you help me find the dungeon.”
“REALLY?!” The young woman shushed the cookie again, but it was too happy to comply. “Oh boy! I love making new friends! Especially best friends, they’re… well… the best! What’s your name, new best friend?”
The young woman hesitated but eventually decided it was probably fine. She was dealing with a Witch, not fae.
“My name is Raven.” She finally returned her knife to its sheath.
“What a pretty name! I’m Gingerbright, it’s nice to meet you!” The cookie – Gingerbright – held out her hand. Feeling awkward but wanting to comply, Raven carefully pinched her little hand between thumb and forefinger and gave it a tiny shake. Much to Raven’s surprise, Gingerbright climbed on top of her hand and practically skipped down her arm to the shoulder not currently occupied by her crow. The young woman resisted the urge to jolt or flail. “Oh boy! A new best friend! And a new adventure! Luckily for you, I know the best way to get down to the dungeons from here, yep!”
Gingerbright had no adverse reaction to the pendants on the crow-tender’s neck. Raven’s eyes narrowed at that but decided to look into it later.
“Is that so?” Raven tried to crane her neck so she could look down at the cookie on her shoulder. A smile crept onto her face at the sheer absurdity of the situation. “Lead the way, then.”
“Step one, get out of the closet!” Gingerbright pointed toward the door. “Forward, ho!”
Raven nodded and made her way to the door. While this wasn’t at all what she had been expecting upon entering the castle, she wasn’t about to go looking a gift horse in the mouth.
‘Just hang in there, Healer,’ she thought. ‘Someone finally came back for you.’