Chapter Text
I was standing at the edge of the woods at sunset. My hands tucked into my raggedy coat pockets, as nervous as I had been earlier, when I met the witch for the first time. Only difference was the pent up energy I couldn’t get rid off. I hopped up and down like the springs in our sole surfing mattress that had seen better days. Wishing I had something warm to offer Katniss when she came to deliver the tincture for my brothers ailments, but my lack of food was still true right then.
“Where are you Ms. Katniss?” I asked under my breath looking intently at the dense vegetation that grew beyond the trees closest to me.
An orange fur cat with a squished up face and bushy tail strutted out of the foliage and exuding a certain air of superiority. The cat sauntered in my direction and I almost laughed at myself for thinking the feline looked annoyed. I didn’t because I realized the little fur ball was dragging a small silk pouch that dumped at my feet almost disdainfully.
“Um… is this for me?” I asked the cat uncertain, feeling utterly ridiculous for talking to an animal, but I could’ve sworn the cat rolled his yellowish eyes at me.
I leaned down to pick up the pouch and tried to scratch my messenger in gratitude, but the cat glared at me and sauntered back into the cluster of bushes leading to the woods with his tail held high.
All I did was stare in the animal’s direction marveling at how much personality the creature had. I opened the silk bag and found two vials containing a translucent purple liquid and a small scrap of paper: “add one to bath water and soak for 30 minutes.”
“I guess I’m giving my brothers a bath each.”
Graham was first to bathe. Then it was Bran’s turn. I did all: filled the tub with water, warmed part of it on the stove since we didn’t have running water, then empty one vial on the soapy bath; help my brother out if his clothing, help him into the tub, wash up his arms, torso, face and legs and let him deal with his own privates. Then he soaked in the tincture for the prescribed time, until the water ran cold and my poor brother was shivering. Helped him out, help him dry up and into clean clothes. Tuck him in bed and start all over with my second brother.
It was hard work helping my brothers. They were taller and more muscular than me even with all the weight we’ve lost in the last few weeks. I was tempted to go to bed right then, but I had to prepare for my trip into the woods in the morning. I started working on procuring food for all four of us, because I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to bring Katniss something to eat as well and with my luck of late, it was better to be prepared.
I stepped outside the decrepit remains of the bakery and stared forlornly at the squiggly apple tree behind our home. Only, I was surprised to spot three perfectly ripped apples, ready to be picked and at the perfect height my arm didn’t need to stretch too far to reach them. When I had gathered all the fruit in my arms, a held one apple up to my eyes to inspect it, rubbing my thumb over the crisp, delicate red skin. All three were perfect!
Thinking up ideas on what to do with my apples, Delly, strolled into the alley behind the bakery. She smiled when she saw me, seemingly startled to find standing there.
“Hi, Peeta!” She greeted me sweetly, batting her eyelashes. She did that every now and then but that was as far as her flirting went.
“Hi, Dells!”
“You know, your father lent my mother flour and sugar once, and we never paid back the debt to him. My mother has been feeling guilty that you had to resort on calling the witch of the woods…” She said breathily and handed me two small paper sacks. “Here is for your troubles, even if a little late. Sorry we haven’t been more neighborly towards you and your brothers.” She said sadly.
I chuckled. Not because there was anything amusing in what she said, but because I was just thinking that a bit of flour and sugar could go a long way for my needs right about now. In a bout of excitement, I leaned forward and kissed Delly so close to her mouth, I could feel her breath hitching. I didn’t mean anything by it, I wasn’t looking to court anyone while my life was in shambles, but I saw a certain spark in her blue eyes I’ve caught a few times from girls I’ve gone further with in the past.
“Thank you Delly! This is… it will help immensely.” I said lifting the bags. I tried to step back and put distance between us just to be safe.
“I’m glad my timing was good.” She smiled sweetly.
“Impeccable!” I responded in kind. “When my fortune turns, I swear I’ll bake you the most delicious pie you’ll ever try!” I said not truly thinking on how she might be taking the promise. I was just so relieved I could work something for the next day’s meal.
“I can barely wait.” She said and walked back to her own shop across the road, giving me shyly glances.
In the back of my head a warning went off about not giving Delly the wrong idea, but I couldn’t stop smiling to myself, already I could feel the effects of the curse cracking down around me, and it made me giddy with excitement to think that soon this whole event would be behind us, my brothers would regain their strength and we could become a prosperous trio of bakers soon enough.
I worked all night scraping old tins of lard from the little remains that could be there, I was surprised it was enough to produce a decent dough, and when I needed and egg for my recipe, an old woman from the Seam wandered into the square across the bakery, looking to trade a solitary egg for a wool blanket. One of my brothers scolded me for downgrading, saying that we could’ve gotten at least half a dozen eggs for that blanket, but I knew desperation all too well to recognize it on the face of the woman.
She needed warmth, and I needed that egg, the trade was good in my book.
Then, I wished I had some cheese. My mind was running fanciful so I shook my head ruefully and set about using my last bit of cinnamon and nutmeg to rub on the apples I had already sliced.
“Peeta, you should change out of that soaked clothing. You’re going to catch your death!” Said Graham eyeing me from his cot.
Since helping my brothers bathe left me with soggy clothes, I figured there was wisdom in changing into clean, dry clothes. Except I had no clean, dry trousers. With heavy heart, I went through a chest we could salvage in the fire from our last meager belongings, looking for the one article of clothing we have left from our father. A pair of dark, sturdy britches he’d wear for important deliveries such as wedding cakes or pastries for the mayor.
“Look at that!” Exclaimed Graham staring at me fondly. “Seem almost tailor made for you, Peet.”
Bran that was between sleep and wakeful looked up then and smiled. “Doubly fitting is the fact, that our brother is the better baker, and a good man.”
I had no words to answer, so I simply kissed my brothers heads and turned away from them before I could cry. Without thinking I slipped a hand into my pocket and to my never ending surprise, I pulled out a silver coin. I turned to my brothers again grinning, showing the money to them.
“Gentlemen, cheese is back on the menu!” I said to my confused brothers and tore out of the house to buy my last ingredient.
Luck was definitely turning around for us!
I trudged through the quiet town past the front dark windows of shops with big ‘Closed for the Day’ signs hanging from their main doors peeking in to see if anyone is getting ready for the day, but I was the only soul wandering the streets so early. The moon was still round and bright and the sky that just started turning violet, giving way to bluer hues.
I reached the area called The Seam where miner families lived. It was also still and quiet there, most homes had the shutters and curtains drawn, nothing stirring inside. I envied them in a way. They got to sleep longer than me, and while some of the poorer houses looked drafty and rickety, I was sure the families inside were warmer than my brothers and I were in our ran down bakery.
I reminisced fondly of the times when I had to open my windows at night to let out the stifling heat that leached up into our apartment from the ovens below. Then I remembered being miserable those days too, with the frown and heavy hand of our mother looming on us.
I shook my head shuddering at the memories.
I certainly didn’t miss that!
Finally, I arrived to the wide expanse of open field we call the meadow and took a deep, cleansing breath. I put a foot forward, and the walk after that took to me the edge of the woods, where not many people ventured for different fears.
Fear of wild beasts, fear of poisonous vegetation or snakes, fear of getting too deep in the forest and getting lost in there. And then, there was The Witch. There was an ungodly amount of fear towards her for some reason. I was starting to question why, since she seemed so… harmless and playful. I doubted she had a mean bone in her lithe body, but then again, I’ve only seen her once… for a few minutes.
Before I could doubt my own wandering thoughts, the same orange cat from the previous day strutted from under the bushes and sat regally before me. He gave me a bored once-over before starting to groom himself.
“You don’t like the woods much, do you?” I said studying the feline’s attempt at a dry bath. Thinking fast, I lifted a finger more out of habit, signaling I wanted him to wait for a moment.
I threw a piece of pastry to him and he sniffed it suspiciously. After a minute he ate my offering and purred contentedly after the bite was gone.
The cat stared at me, weighing me up for a moment. I could have sworn he rolled his eyes then and stood shaking a clingy dry leaf from his bushy tail and walked up to me to weave around my legs rubbing his sides on my trousers. I tried to stay still and not think about this were my father’s last remaining possessions, and I very firmly vanished away the fear of possible diseases or parasites hey may be carrying on his fur.
Very slowly, I reached down to it and scratched behind his ear. He was missing part of it and there was signs of old scars on his flat face I hadn’t seen before. “You’re a scrappy little fellow, aren’t ya?” I cooed. The cat only moved under my fingers arching his back while I scratched away. “Would you… by any chance. And it’s okay if you’re not up to it, or if you don’t know.” I stumbled through my small speech to a freaking cat. “Would you by any chance know where Katniss the with of the woods lives?”
Again, the cat purred but he sounded more annoyed than pleased. He swooshed his tail and strutted to the tree line, just stopping shy from to look back at me. He blinked, and so did I. Instinctively, I followed him past the point of comfort. Then the woods came alive with spooky wilderness noises and animals scurrying in the underbrush when I passed by. The cat kept winding around the thick trees, freaking me out for fear of losing him, just to leap from behind a different tree farther ahead and stopping to stare at me expectantly.
We travel like that for a while, the cat sprinting ahead and disappearing from sight long enough to give me heart palpitations, then strutting out from behind some bush or another and looking aggravated at me for taking so long to catch up. The lousy animal was giving me a workout but on I trudge after him, realizing I would be completely lost in the middle of the woods, disoriented and vulnerable. Finally, just as the sun peeked over the treetops, and the foggy mist of morning started to lift, I saw a column of smoke in the distance, and quickened my steps in its direction.
How many other people could live this deep into the forest anyway?
It was a good thing too, since my unreliable guide took off running leaving me in his dust to struggle through the last few yards of overgrown brambles in my on.
I kept huffing and puffing my ragged breaths as I my legs trembled with the exception of rushing through the dense vegetation that suddenly thickened to absurdity. I kept getting poked by really sharp thorns. I saw with relief that ahead were only some pretty bushes with deep green leaves, but as soon as I cleared the thorny plants and stepped into the new bushes, I got mercilessly scratched up by the pointy, inoffensive looking leaves. I cursed loudly when I stubbed my toe on a rock, and a well placed thorn stabbed me in the neck. “Come on!” I yelled at the bushes.
“Mmm… Hey screamy.” Katniss greeted me amusedly.
Of course, my response was to scream like a baby again because, what use was dignity for me at that point? She was leaning over the seemingly endless brambles, resting her elbows on the gnarly plant seemingly unbothered by the thorns, her cheek resting on her palm as she watched me clutch my chest frowning at her.
“Is there a better spot for me to entered?” I asked giving the shrubs a dirty glance.
“Why yes. How come you didn’t ask Buttercup?” She said giving me a quizzical look.
“I would’ve, except I don’t know who Buttercup is, and second I didn’t know I could just ask anyone for anything, really.” I said more sharply than i intended.
She gave me a dazzling smile that just made me forget how aggravated I was. “Sorry you got inconvenienced. This is one of my many layers of protection. Buttercup was supposed to keep you safe from the natural dangers of the woods, as well as lead you through the protective spells. But the little beast is a menace when he gets cranky.”
My mind raced putting together all kinds of information until I inferred that Buttercup was the cat’s name.
She flicked her hand and the thorny bushes and scratchy plants parted into a beautifully cropped archway, and beyond that, was the most stunning landscape I ever saw. A beautiful spongy lawn, as green as an emerald rolled in front of me; little dandelions and daisies peppered the expanse of land cheerfully. Tall, imposing mountains peek above the far ring of trees surrounding the clearing, and right in the middle, sat a quaint little pastel yellow cottage, with a red Dutch door and blue window shutters, a white picket fence and flowers in every color of the rainbow anywhere the eye landed on.
“Well?” She nudged me on the shoulder. “Are you coming, or are you just going to stand there and stare?” She was grinning but it didn’t feel mocking or malicious so I stepped right past the archway and onto the green grass.
“Welcome to my humble abode!” She said extending her arms, and then started running to the cottage. “Come on slowpoke!” She called over her shoulder beckoning with a hand gesture.
I shrugged, reasoning that I came that far and pumped my tired legs to follow her.
We crossed the picket fence and I spotted Buttercup sitting on the porch licking his paw boringly. I glared at him although he was ignoring my presence.
“So, the cat really is yours?” I more stated than asked.
Katniss slowed down and turned her head to regard me. She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “He’s my sister’s pet. But since she refuses to learn magic and has decided to stick with mainstream Healing, Buttercup has become my familiar.”
“Familiar?” I asked curiously.
“He helps me channel my power, sometimes does my bidding, we can… talk to each other, though I’m sure you could understand him if you took the time.”
“You talk to the cat and talks back?” I asked dumbstruck.
“Ugh! You can say that! All he does is talk back!” She hissed in Buttercup’s general direction, but he just gave her a disinterested stare.
Then I swore I could see him make all sorts of facial expressions, and decided I was going crazy.
“Hush! Casting your opinion is talking back!” She snapped at the cat out of the blue.
Buttercup must’ve said something else because he stared at her and she gave him an outraged growl. “What do you mean you cannot help that I choose to take your comments in a negative way? Your comments usually aim to get a rise from me!”
While Katniss and Buttercup squabbled, I tried to covertly study her. She was as peculiarly dressed as she had been the day before, for reasons I couldn’t quite name, her clothing mesmerized me. So many leather pieces and so many layers of other contradictory materials! She wore boots that laced up sideways as high as her knees, with what I believed to be leather trousers tucked into the boots. Over the trousers, she wore a gossamer skirt similar to the one from before except the hem only reached to where her boots begun. A white, long sleeved blouse peek under a dark leather fitted vest, tightly laced with ribbons on the front. Her long dark hair fell down her back in a neatly weaved braid. And then I was entranced watching her scowl down at the cat who looked to be bored out of his mind and suddenly meowed stretching his front legs and claws.
Buttercup yawned and leaped from the porch and trotted into the garden between some pretty flowers.
“Fine! Run off you if you will! I’ll stay here and toss out your plate of entrails!” She called after the feline. “Cats!” She muttered annoyedly under her breath.
Katniss gestured for me to follow her inside the cottage, and if I was taken aback by the colorful outside, seeing the interior left me downright speechless. It was definitely bigger inside than it appeared from the outside. Cozy and warm, homey and comfortable. The place radiated both peace and nostalgia. There were comfortable couches with fluffy pillows and thick blankets strewn over the cushions. All the furnishings were rustic wood, bringing to mind the term log cabin. There were at least 3 fireplaces, which explained the smoke I saw in the distance. But I couldn’t remember seeing all the chimneys poking out of the cottage roof, but that only meant that he had to look at it more closely in his way out.
“Come Peeta,” she called walking past me while shuffling a deck of cards dexterously, and taking a sit on a round table in what was obviously the kitchen. There were two tables in the the room, one long cluttered with bowls and baskets full of fruits, vegetables and flowers, roots and all; and the round one she sat at, smaller and cleaned from clutter. “Sit.” She ordered.
I fell into it heavily, realizing I was exhausted from the hike and the basically pointless fight against the thorny bushes from Katniss protective perimeter.
“I brought you something!” I said suddenly remembering the apple and cheese tarts in my knapsack.
There was a look of surprise in her delicate features, but it was gone fast when she told me, “Thank you. You really didn’t have to. But thank you.” She said sincerely taking a small bite of her treat and closing her eyes to enjoy it in peace. “This is really good. And you had to scrape for ingredients. You’re amazing!” She said after she finished her pastry. She added sheepishly, “I had Buttercup watch you last night for a while, and told me about your quest for a decent meal. Thank you for sharing it with me. I know you and your brothers need it.”
“It’s no problem, Katniss. I wanted to share it with you too. It’s not a burden or anything and I’m glad you liked the small dessert.” I told her gratefully. She had already helped immensely and the main wish hasn’t even been asked.
“Well, I truly appreciate your generosity, Peeta Mellark. And now, let’s get down to business.” She said seriously. “You want me to break the nasty curse your mother placed on your family and business.” She said without missing a beat.
I nodded in affirmation. “Correct. I want us to be free from all this bad luck, illness, hunger and cold.”
“Very well.” Katniss shuffled her deck of cards again and fanned them twice. Finally, she asked, “Have you ever had the tarot cards read to you?”
“Um. I can’t say that I had. No.”
“Alright. I’m going to cut the deck thrice and place them before you. Your job is to flip the top card of each pile and let me read what the fates have to say about your future.”
She did as she said she would, and soon three bundles laid in front of Peeta. “Your turn? Katniss said with a smile and flourish of her hand.
I turned the first card and it was good news according to what Katniss explained about it. The next card had her thinking deeply but after a moment she gestured for me to continue. The last card was called “The infant”
“Mmm. That can’t be right.” She said bring over a cup of tea with finely crushed leaves.”drink this, and then pass me the cup when you are done.”
She offered sugar, but I politely refused and I sipped on my beverage, eating my own pastry. Once done with my snack, I handed her my cup and she practically shoved her nose into it.
“It’s here too!” She said frowning. Then she looked up at me. “Peeta, What are you willing to give for this curse to be broken?” She asked seriously. “Every piece of magic requires a payment. And sometimes it’s something we didn’t intend to part with.”
“I’m willing to give anything! Even my own leg if you ask of it.”
“Well, the good news is that you get to keep your legs… the bad news… is that in order for your curse to be completely broken, you have to give me your first born!”