Wendy steeled herself, before knocking on the red wooden door in front of her. Inside the cottage was Juniper Medea, a local woman who Wendy suspected of Witchcraft.
Wendy was a member of The Hunters, a secret guild dedicated to hunting out Witches on order of the King. A recent graduate, this would be her first major mission, and the excitement of it all sent a shiver down her spine.
She had been watching Juniper for a while now, and while she had yet to see any direct evidence of Witchcraft, there were the tell-tale signs. Young maidens whispered that Juniper was the one to go to should any extramarital dalliances take place, and rumours that someone had seen Juniper dancing naked in the forest.
That last rumour had sent a tingle down Wendy's spine when she first heard it.
Her plan was to tell Juniper that she had fallen with child, and that she had heard rumours that Juniper was the woman to go to. If she supplied Wendy with a herbal remedy, then she knew Juniper was a Witch. While there, she would also look around for any other evidence of Witchcraft, if she could.
The door opened, and Wendy stifled a small gasp. Standing in front of her was Juniper, but in a most indecent manner. Juniper looked as if she had just gotten out of the bath, as she wore a silk robe that clung to her wet skin, accentuating every curve of her body. It was loosely done up, and she could see Juniper's tanned bare skin all the way to just above the navel. The ends of her dark, curly hair was wet, and peering behind her, Wendy could see the bath filled with milk and flowers. Wendy looked up at the taller woman's expectant face, and tried to remember why she had visited.
"Can I help you, Miss Moore?" Juniper asked. Her soft voice had a smoky quality to it that was pleasant to the ear.
"Yes, please, I am hoping you can. May I come in?" Wendy stammered out, trying not to be beWitched by the honey-brown eyes watching her every move.
"Of course," Juniper answered, stepping aside to let Wendy in.
It was a small cottage, tucked out of the way away from the rest of the town, and built into a tree covered in vines. As Wendy stepped inside and Juniper shut the door behind her, Wendy was suddenly aware of just how far away from safety she was.
She peered around. There were no overt signs of Witchcraft - just a few books, and some herbs drying, but they could be easily explained away.
The milk bath lay next to the fireplace, which bathed the cottage in a warm glow. A modest dining table sat next to the milk bath and fireplace, and a large bed was tucked into the corner. There was a wardrobe, and a pantry, and a kitchen space. It was a small space, but it didn't feel cramped. Instead, it felt intimate, as Wendy took a seat at the table.
"Would you like some tea, Miss Moore?" Juniper asked. Wendy shook her head, and Juniper took the seat next to her, crossing one leg over the other. She leant back slightly, and the gap in the robe grew larger. Wendy averted her eyes.
"Now, how may I help you?" Juniper asked.
"Well," Wendy began, her voice tripping over her words, her fists clenched tightly on the skirt of her dress, "You see, when I lived in Heathmorrow, before I moved here, I had a sweetheart, and we - well, we had an affair, and well, now I am with child, you see, but my sweetheart went and married someone else, and I heard you were the one to go to for solutions to these kinds of problems."
The lie came tumbling out of Wendy's mouth. She hoped that the stammering and stuttering came across that she was nervous and ashamed about being pregnant out of wedlock, and not that she was clearly lying.
"Is that so?" Juniper asked, a slight smile curving her red lips.
Wendy bit her lip and nodded.
"And you're not here because you suspect I am a Witch?" Juniper said plainly.
Wendy's eyes widened, her face going pale. She began to shake her head, but she was cut off by a soft laugh from Juniper.
"I've seen you following me, Miss Moore," Juniper continued. "I've seen you poking around, asking questions. I know you're a Witch Hunter - though, I'd say you're still new at it, aren't you? You haven't quite got the hang of lying, just yet."
"No - that's not true," Wendy said, but without much conviction.
"Come now, tell me the truth, Miss Moore. I don't like being lied to."
The gentle command in Juniper's voice stirred something inside of Wendy. Wendy nodded meekly.
"Is it true? Are you a Witch?" Wendy asked.
"Yes," Juniper answered simply. Wendy's eyes widened. She had expected denial from the Witch.
"Well, then, by order of the Crown, I hereby place you under arrest for Witchcraft and Heresy," Wendy sputtered, standing.
"Sit down, little dove," Juniper commanded, "You won't be arresting me tonight."
Wendy, without much knowing why she listened to the Witch, did as she was told.
"What makes you say I won't be arresting you?" Wendy asked. There was an edge of defiance in her voice, but it rang hollow as she meekly sat with her hands in her lap.
"Well, for one, I am more powerful than any Witch you, or any of your little Witch Hunters have ever met before. And two," Juniper paused to uncross and recross her legs slowly, in doing so exposing her naked self to Wendy, "I know what your heart wants, Miss Moore, and it is not to see me burned at the stake, but something much more wicked than that."
Wendy swallowed nervously. "I don't know what you mean."
"I think you do, Miss Moore," Juniper continued. In recrossing her leg, her foot was now closer to Juniper, and it was rubbing against the hem of Wendy's skirt. "I also know that after a long, hard day of spying on me, you go home to your little bunker, and you touch yourself at night to the thought of me when you think your bunkmates are asleep and can't hear you."
Wendy's face went bright red, and she shook her head, an automatic denial of the truth. "I do not!"
Juniper smiled her wicked smile again, and took in a deep breath through her nose. "I'm a Witch, darling. My senses are much stronger than yours. I can smell how excited you are, my little dove."
Wendy's throat seemed to close up. This covert operation was not going anywhere according to plan. Her first attempt at a Witch Hunt and she was going to fail it, miserably.
"I can give you what you want, Miss Moore," Juniper continued.
Wendy's heart skipped a beat at that, her ears pricking up. She tried to hide her excitement.
"What do I want?" Wendy asked, though both women knew.
Juniper readjusted again, uncrossing her legs completely this time. She let the robe fall away from her slightly, and with her legs spread, let Wendy drink in the sight of her completely.
Her breasts were firm, her nipples dark and hardened. Her stomach was smooth, and the fire cast dancing shadows across her skin. Wendy's gaze travelled down to Juniper's exposed pussy, and she could see Juniper's excitement as well, mirroring her own.
"You want a taste, Miss Moore," Juniper said. "But once you get a taste of what I'm offering, trust me when I saw your little repressed Witch Hunting days will be over."
Wendy shook her head, tearing her gaze away from the beckoning wet lips of the Witch in front of her.
"No, no, I swore an oath to the Crown," Wendy protested. "Witchcraft is a scourge. This is all a trick, magic to mess with my head."