A long time ago in a land far away there once was a township where not much changed. Travelers would enter and exit at leisure and wealth was determined by the usefulness of their trades and crafts, not by coin. Though coin wasn’t considered income, it was a highly tradable item among their people. Some times their local wood cutters and animal herders would go out of their way to sell their products just to get coin for trade. It so happens that a young man with a bold idea came to that he would sell firewood at a nearby town so he could get coin to trade for materials he needed. By nature he was ambitious, and he desired to leave the town and work in the real world. He was from a simple family, a house of five, his mom, dad, brother and sister both younger than him. He was the oldest being 19 and strong. He had a few cousins, but he didn’t speak with them much, though he had met them once or twice. His road would travel through a dense forest, thick trees that over hung the sky, making the stars impossible to see at night. His father lent him his cart and horse so he could make an easy trip there and back. But terrible stories echoed around the dark wood.

                Many years ago, there was a caravan of gypsies. They came to the nearby town and performed magical acts and did life threatening stunts which owed and awed the people. However it was short lived when it was found that the Mayors wife was sleeping with the head of the group. Quickly he ordered their arrest, but they fled from the town the instant the order was given. The caravan rode into the wood, hoping to lose their posse of followers. Luck failed them; their caravan had crashed after a wheel broke on a root. The caravan was burned to ashes under the eye of the mayor. The lead gypsy put a curse on the woods with her dying breaths, and soon after all who ventured into the wood or who took part in their unnecessary deaths immediately died soon after. While alive they would claim to had seen a fair light skinned woman in a cloak walk out of the shadows from know where, her eyes a deep black and brown as she stared intently into their very soul.  Soon after their encounter, they would die suddenly and mysteriously.

 As he rode along the road, he thought deeply about this story, the shadows seemed to be as claws, trying to pull him into the dense growth. He hurried quickly toward his destination. After a while he soon saw the rising buildings of his destination. Gates wide open for business and travelers looking to spend their gold or skills. He rode slowly into the village looking at its sights and sounds. Quickly he set up show selling his large pile of wood for a very low price. His sales quickly rose, and he was making more coin than he thought even existed. This caught the eye of a band of mercenaries. Their curiosity ignited when they saw he was selling wood for a fraction of it true value. They figured him to be a thief, quickly auctioning away his ill gotten gains. Perhaps there was a bounty on his head? They watched silently as he packed up, his purse full of coin and start to head out toward home. They followed him for a ways, the darkness growing dense as night befell the land. Their torch lights warned him they were near, and he made his horse’s pace quicken. They noticed he was quickening his pace, and to them this confirmed their thoughts and made a move to take him dead or alive. With one skilled shot they took out his reins, he had no control of the horse. The horse thinking something was wrong fled into the woods, their pursuers followed to the edge of the road but no more.

In a vain attempt to stop his horse a branch flung him from the carriage and landed him several feet and growing away. Groaning in sheer agony and pain, he slowly stood up. He leaned on a tree grasping for breath. Slowly he regained his breath, and he heard what sounded like music though muffled. He looked around, and an image caught his eye. There in front of a moon lit clearing stood a shrouded figure. The figure turned, and walked slowly toward him. He could see her pale white skin, and dark brown eyes. The music he was hearing was her humming, as she slowly walked toward him carefully, majestically, ghostly. He panicked and raced head first into the tree he had stopped leaning on. He woke minutes later to a woman pouring cool water over him. He left his clothing being pulled off, and he felt good.