The Lady and the Witch (Deviant Desires & Erotica Maxima)

The sun was low in the sky as Eva rode through the woods. It had been a pleasant ride, away from the bustle of court, away from all of the courtesans and servants that made up the inside world of her manor. Raised in wealth, Eva had always been expected to behave like a lady, polite, restrained and not given to flights of fancy. However as the years passed and the girl had become a woman, she found herself feeling more and more constrained by the expectations of her peers and overcome with a desire to escape.

It was on days like these that she took to riding her horse Jasper out into the countryside, feeling alive in a way that she never could inside of the manor house that she spent most of her life in. With her parents both dead, she was now the lady of the house although everyone knew that the place was kept in order by the fearsome Miss Hardwick, her governess. At 19, she felt that she barely needed a governess any more but without her, the place would have fallen into ruin. Eva could take the pressures of being lectured by Miss Hardwick if it weren't for the growing pressures on her.

As a grown young woman, she was expected to find and take a husband and the court was full of young gentlemen who would be happy to have taken the honour. Yet Eva was cautious, not eager to marry the first man who flattered her and she was well aware of the many men that were happy to get their hands on her inheritance. So she remained single, aloof and alone, riding into the countryside despite warnings not to go too far.

Although dressed appropriately for riding, her decorated skirts and modestly designed blouse gave away her wealth and status, covering her small but womanly curves modestly. Her red hair was tied up into a suitable restraining style and although she would get away with going for a ride, she would not escape a chiding if she returned with her hair down like a harlot. A smile graced her pretty, freckled face as she turned towards the manor, knowing that she should head home before the sun set.

The days were long, and the nights were lonesome. Or at least they had been since her last 'project' had finished. She was always in a need to keep herself occupied, whether it was with scholarly pursuits, advancing her knowledge of her craft, or more carnal undertakings. She always had to be doing something. Of late, she'd been focusing on her talents, honing them in the thick woodlands that edged around civilisation. They were void of law and full of many a creature for her to test herself against. Whether it was testing a spell to turn a creature inside out, or another to change it's shape to something more pleasing to her eye. A few of those spells had eventually been used on herself, crafting herself from her original form to something that was more useful to her, to her needs and desires.

She had once spent her days in the village of her home, but when she discovered her talents, she found herself an outcast. None wished to be near her, calling her all manner of names, marking her as evil and unholy. Despite any attempt she made to allay the fears of her kinsmen, they would not listen, and eventually, drove her from her home. She did just that, leaving her home, leaving the lands of men and women who would fear those who could do more than them. She left, and learned all she could of her powers, her magic, and then more. She didn't care what others would think of her, what fears they would imagine for themselves. She would be free to do what she wished, when she wished, and that was all that mattered to her.

Where once she had been a somewhat ordinary looking woman, Seraphina's appearance was somewhat more... Malleable now. She would pick and change her appearance at whim, the result of many experimental spells and concoctions imbibed. She had been short, and petite, tall and muscular, average, but with curves that would knock a man out of his boots. This day though, she had taken on a form that was somewhat new to her, a new spell, a new brew. She was tall once more, with strength in her arms and legs, muscle toned all over her body. Hair like dirty gold, and eyes like summer skies, her lips were full, just as her breasts and behind. She could feel her body's strength, it's speed and it was exhilarating to her, a heady feeling that she seemed to never tire of. What set this form apart from the others that she had taken though, was that it was not completely 'woman'. Where her womanhood had been, instead there was a manhood that seemed to be more appropriate upon a stallion, and Seraphina found that she enjoyed taking pleasure from it quite often.

That day, she had been wandering the wood, searching for something new to test her spells upon. She had been slowly waning away from her desires to test her spells, to experiment, and found herself desiring something more 'intimate'. She would lay away of nights and miss the warmth of another beside her. Living in isolation could do that to a woman, and she had greater needs than most. She planned on finding some creature, subduing it and taking it back to her hut, to test and experiment on, until it was pleasing enough to her eye to take to her bed. With a body like she had now, she could imagine that there were many possibilities. She wore a pale yellow blouse, which dipped down around her chest to show off her cleavage. A pair of tan pants, and leather boots covered her lower half, but there was a very distinct bulge that ran the length of one of her legs, almost to her knee. Around her shoulders, to ward off the cold, was a dark green travelling cloak, and in one hand was a tall walking stick. She knew these woods well, and carried no pack, she needed no supplies, being more than able to find them where she needed.

Eva's horse was tired, having been ridden hard through the woods that afternoon. She was still a distance from home though and needed to rest poor Jasper before she could ride him home. As she rode through the woods, she spotted a stream not far from the path where she thought the poor horse could at least get a drink before resuming the homeward journey. She took Jasper down towards the stream and he picked up speed, clearly happy to be near water. When they reached the stream, Eva dismounted and let him rest.

"Easy boy," she soothed. "Rest here for a while. We'll be back on the road soon."

She pulled her brown cloak from her pack and spread it around her shoulders, the sun's heat dissipating from the day. For a few moments, she sat by a tree and watched her horse drink. Once he was replete, he wandered along the bank and then urinated, his girthy length lowering briefly to relieve himself. Eva tried not to notice but blushed slightly at the sight of it. How many nights had it been now since she had had company? No matter, once she got home, she could lock herself in her room and enjoy the pleasures that only a maiden's fingers could bring to herself.

Distracted, she glanced around at her surroundings, trying to seek the path they had come away from. However the path was no longer there. Frowning, she hitched up her skirts and walked in the direction she thought the path lay only to find it missing. She turned around, thinking she had perhaps been mistaken. No, there was no path, she was in the middle of the woods with no clear route through.

Jasper was nearby and she went to him, concerned at their predicament. Taking his reigns, she walked along the stream, hoping that the path would appear again but after five minutes it was clear that she was deep in the forest, lost. The sun was setting, it was getting colder and she had no idea how to get home.

The sun was beginning to lower in the sky. She could feel the warmth of the day beginning to dissipate slowly, a coolness taking it's place in the air. She knew that given time, that coolness would graduate to a proper chill, and she would have difficulty making her way back to her home. Another fruitless day, she mused to herself as she looked at her surroundings. Trees in every direction, the sounds of insects, birds and the rustling of the light breeze through leaves. It was her music, a song that she was only too familiar with, comforting, like the sounds of home. She knew just about every path, both those to be seen and those hidden, in the forest, often times joking with herself that she knew every tree by name. She smiled as she put a hand upon one of the thick trunks and gave it a friendly pat, before she turned. There was nothing for it... She would head home and strike out her search again tomorrow.

Or at least, that was what she would have done, if she didn't hear that nicker. She frowned, thinking to herself that it had sounded much like a horse. But there were no horses in her forest... They much preferred the open plains... But a horse would mean that there was a traveller, and a traveller would mean... Hmmm... Perhaps her search hadn't been pointless after all. She smiled with renewed vigour and struck out, toward the sound. If she hadn't been imagining it, she guessed it would have come from the direction of the stream. The stream was broad, but shallow, running the full length of the forest. She knew that if one followed it far enough, they'd come out of the trees, though depending on which direction they followed, they'd either end up in the mountains, from where the river originated, or out in the plains, where there was nothing but horses to keep one company.

Closer and closer she drew to the sounds of the small river, her eyes casting about for the source of the horsey sounds, till finally she saw what she was looking for. She was right, there was a horse, and more than that, there was a rider along with it. It didn't look like a knight or soldier, if anything it looked to be a woman. She had no idea what a woman would be doing in her forest, she would have thought that there were a dozen stories of this place being haunted because of her, or some other unnaturalness that occurred there. She took a break, and gripped her travelling stick, almost a short staff really, in hand, stepping forward. She let her eyes drift half closed and a smile, genial in nature, spread across her face.

"Hey there!" She called, her voice friendly, "What're you doin' this far into th' wood?" She asked, letting herself speak as a common peasant. She didn't want to alarm this one, she wanted her to trust her, and she had found that people were more trusting of those they thought were more... Simple... than they were.

Things were getting desperate. The light was fading and Eva was beginning to panic. As she traced her way back along the stream for the third time, hoping to see the path reappear, she heard a voice calling to her and her heart leapt. Perhaps there was someone here who could show her the way out and back to her manor at the edge of the woods.

"Hello!?" she called out before looking around to see who had called. The woman who stood there surprised her by her sudden appearance.

For a moment, Eva glanced over the woman noting that she carried nothing but a walking stick. She figured that this boded well as she couldn't be far from home. If she was a local rather than a traveller, it was likely that she would have a good knowledge of these woods. Interestingly, she didn't dress like one of the local peasants. Her cloak and blouse seemed of good material and make but she had to avert her gaze from the woman's abundant cleavage, her blouse dipping far lower than was modest. The fact that she wore leather breeches like a man made Eva wonder just what kind of person this woman was. However, right now she needed help and she could ill afford to be rude to someone who could help her out of her predicament. She put on her best smile and greeted the stranger.

"Hail there lady of the woods! I am Eva Birchwood and I am terribly lost. Could I beseech you that you may be able to guide me back to the Birchwood estate?"

"Well met, Eva of Birchood." She replied as she came closer, no longer needing to yell at this distance. As she got a better look at the girl, she could see that she was a beauty, but she was lacking. She smiled, thinking that she could fix that easily enough, but didn't let anything show in her features. "I am Dana of the wood. And if it is the Birchwood estate that you wish to return to, then I am afraid that it would be nightfall long before you would reach your destination." She said, with a long sigh as if to emphasise the point. Dana looked up at the sky, and she could already see that daylight was fading fast, and in the woods, the light would pass twice as fast, under the shade of the trees. She guessed that there was an hour or two of light left at most.

"If it would please you, M'lady, I have a small cabin that I live in, here in the wood. It is modest, but it is dry and warm. If you would, I could take you there to wait out the night, and in the morn, I could guide you to your home." She suggested, pointing across the small river with her stick, in the direction of her home. "I live in these woods, and have for a long time. I know them better than I know my face, nary a tree nor stone I couldn't recognise by sight, but in the dark, all faces are foreign and all trails are lost." She explained.

"I could offer you a place to sleep, and food as well, though I expect it would be far more humble fare than you would be accustomed." She chuckled.

Eva stood in the fading light and shuddered as she listened to the woman's words. Had she really ridden that far as to be a few hours from home? The woods could play tricks on you, especially as one rode deeper but she thought that she knew enough to keep herself safe. Yet here she was in the depths of the forest with no assistance and no way of finding herself home. It took strength to prevent herself from crying.

"So far?" she said out loud. "I had no idea I had wandered such a distance from my home. My governess will be appalled at my lack of forethought!"

She then realised that she would not be able to make it back home before nightfall and the woods could be a harsh environment to one unaccustomed to being out in the wilderness. Dana's offer rang through her mind and although she felt vulnerable and exposed, this kind lady was offering her accommodation and shelter for the night. It was more than she could hope to expect and it sounded better than trying to make an impromptu camp. She had heard tales of maidens who got lost in the woods and were ravished by hardy woodsmen. At least taking this offer meant she would have a roof over her head for the evening.

"You are far too kind Lady Dana," replied Eva, "although I feel so rude imposing upon you at such a late hour. I am indebted to your kindness and will make recompence once I am returned to my hall."

Oh, 'My Lady', you will be giving me quite the recompense soon enough, that will be certain... She smiled widely as she clapped her hands together. "Excellent! And please, it is no trouble for me. Quite the opposite, truly, for it would be nice to have company for a night." She said, smiling widely, turning on the spot and holding out her arm, back across the water. "If you would, follow me, and I'll get you safe and warm quickly enough. Your horse is welcome to stay as well, though I do not have a stable at all." She admitted, looking back in the direction of her home. While it was true she didn't have a stable, she had a place for the horse to be hitched and sleep for the night, and there was plenty of grass for it to graze.

She turned toward the water and stepped in, feeling the cold wetness soak through her boots. "It's not too far, but it is across the stream, so if you'd not like to get your feet wet, I'd advise you mount up." She called cheerily, before striking out across the water. The stones under the water were slippery, but she could keep her footing in the worst of this particular river, though the deepest part would barely come to her knee, it was enough to bathe in, and give her a chill if she stayed in it too long. That thought kept her moving quickly enough, till she was on the other side, a quick look over her shoulder to check and see if her 'guest' was still following.

"This way then!" She called, and began to lead the young woman into the wood, turning this way and that, stopping every now and then to make sure that the one who was following her could keep up. She knew that her paths were not easy to follow, and to be true, there was no real path that could be seen with eyes that had not lived amongst the trees as she had. She smiled that relaxed, almost lazy smile of hers, whenever she waited, like there was no problem in the world that bothered her. Even as the light began to fade from the sky, and the song of night birds began to fill the air, soft coos that would ring out again and again, she knew where she was going. She had to stop more often as the dark encroached on them, but before long, the sight of her hut came into view.

It was a small place, but it was comfortable to her. The inside was split into two rooms. There was her own bedroom and a partition that separated the room for her kitchen and eating area. On the other side of a large wooden door, and through one of the windows, a flickering light could be seen. The walls were all made of stone, but the door and shutters on the windows were made of wood, the roof was made from sticks and leaves that were all woven together to make an angled mesh, tight enough to keep the wind and the water out of her face whilst she slept. "It's not much, M'Lady, but I call it home, and it is yours for the eve." She said, smiling as she pondered just how she would go about her work. For the moment, she thought she'd have to gain her trust... Then her magic could begin it's work.

Eva followed Dana carefully, making sure to tread where she did and when crossing the stream, to guide Jasper so that he held a steady footing. The strange woman seemed to know the forest well and although she was grateful for the assistance, she couldn't help wondering just how far into the woods Dana was going to lead her. However with the light fading behind the trees, Eva could feel the cold start to bite at her and she hungered for a warm fire and the comforts of her estate.

They travelled slowly, Eva doing her best to be courteous and kind towards her saviour. She had already planned to strike out early in the morning so that she didn't need to trouble the lady any further but had made a mental note to remember the way to her cottage so that she may return later with an appropriate reward. Pulling her cloak around her, she led Jasper through the deep green of the forest and onwards until they came to the woman's home.

Eva tried hard not to react to the sight of the downtrodden place. It was small and rustic, a far cry from the soft feather beds and elegant arches of her manor house. She kept her mouth shut and smiled sweetly when Dana opened the door to let her in. She took a moment to get accustomed to the light then pushed all thoughts of discomfort to the back of her mind. There was a fire here and likely food. All she needed was safe accommodation for the night and then she could be on her way in the morning. She glanced over at the curtain beyond which lay the bed and she wondered exactly where she would be expected to sleep but she said nothing, knowing that it would be rude to ask.

"Your kindness is far greater than the humble nature of your home," she said, expressing her gratitude. "Had it not have been for you I would have been stranded, lost within those woods and I dread to think what would have become of me. Thanks to you my saviour, I am safe for the night."

Safe, indeed. Dana smiled at the young Lady's kind words and closed the door behind her. "Not to worry at all, M'Lady. It's no trouble on my part at all, rather, you are doing myself a kindness by spending the night." She said, as she made her way around the small table, a chair on either side and a bowl, empty in front of one, to the fireplace. It was bright and warm, but she knew that there was no wood in it. In truth, the fire itself was Arcane in nature, a product of her experiments. It would burn forever more, so long as she willed it, and would be as warm or as cool as she desired. It was a marvellous piece of work, if she did not say so herself, but in these circumstances, she thought it would be wise for her to 'cover it up', as it were, so she threw a log of wood into the blaze.

"The nights can get cold, and it has been some time since I had company last." She smiled warmly, before she made her way to the curtain. "A night of conversation is all the compensation I could possibly desire." She drew back the curtain and on the other side, her bed was waiting. It was more a kind of raised box, but inside it was filled to the brim with duck down, covered by a sheet, and pillows fill of feathers surrounding it's perimeter. "While I don't have much, I make by with what I can." She said, smiling slightly proudly. "If it pleases you, make yourself comfortable. I'll start getting some food together, as I could only imagine you'd be hungry."

Dana knew that a meal would be the best time to begin breaking this one down. A few 'extra' ingredients would be enough to begin, she'd start with her mind first, and then work her way outward, to the rest of her body. She smiled as she thought to herself what she wanted to do, planning out the process in her mind. If she had been able to work with animals, turning them to creatures pleasing to her eye, and able to satisfy her desires, then a Human would have been oh-so-much easier. She made her way to a tall wooden pantry and threw it open. Inside there were all numbers of jars and bottles, filled with dried this, and vials of that. Spices and sauces, oils and herbs, she had more than enough to work with here, all her special 'ingredients' for the night's meal. She would, however, need something to put them on...

"A moment, I'll be right back. Warm yourself, and be comfortable." She said, as she stepped out into the night. She made her way around to the other side of the hut, and reached down to the metal rung she knew was there, lifting a door that lead underneath the house. A place to store meats, enchanted to preserve what was inside, hidden beneath her house. She picked out several slices, and returned above-ground, entering her home not five minutes after she'd left, and approaching the fire. She pulled down a pan from beside the fireplace and threw the pieces of meat within. "I hope you don't mind at all? It is fresh, from this very day, in fact." She explained, before she set up a small stand, pushing it into the fire with a stick, and then placing the pan on top of it. After a few minutes, a sizzle filled the room and the mouth-watering scent of cooking meat followed.

Eva tried to make herself comfortable in the small house. The furniture was rough but well made and so she took a seat by the fire, grateful for its warmth. She smiled as her willing host disappeared to make dinner and get supplies, leaving Eva alone to contemplate the evening. She figured that she was competent enough to hold a conversation with this stranger and if that was all that she required for her kindness, it was only right that she provide it.

As she warmed, she took off her cloak and sat in her blouse and skirts, glad to be near a warm hearth and out of the cold that was creeping into the woods now that the sun had set. She looked over at the woman's bed and found herself wondering what the sleeping arrangements were to be tonight. The bed was big enough for two but she had not expected to have to share her bed with another person. The floor was rough and covered in sawdust, it was hardly an attractive proposition. The bed, although as basic as many other things in the home, seemed comfortable and Eva tried to resign herself to sharing it with her host. It had been a long time since she had shared a bed with anyone, let alone a woman. Hopefully she would be a heavy sleeper. She looked back from the bed and realised that she had grown quite red thinking about the prospect. Feeling flushed, she took a look around the house, being careful not to poke into too many hidden areas.

Within moments though, her host had returned with fresh food, ready for cooking. She watched Dana prepare the meat and place the pan on the fire, conscious of her grumbling tummy.

"No, I am grateful for any meal you provide," replied the lady. "You have been kind in granting me shelter and now you feed me as well. Truly I have been fortunate in meeting you."

She looked about the room again, feeling curious about some of the bottles and artefacts that were gathered in various corners. "May I enquire as to what it is you do Dana? You seem to have so many interesting things in your home that I am not familiar with."

As the meat seared in the pan, Dana had returned to the pantry to look through her special 'spices', wondering just which ones she'd want to use for this meal. Truth be told, Dana did not require that much sustenance. She had learned that in the absence of the use of her abilities, they seemed to sustain her longer than an ordinary person would have been able to, with much less food. It was an odd trade-off, but it was not one that she ever truly complained about, as it made living as she did, quite a bit easier. She pulled a jar out, and then another, followed by a stoppered vial, before she heard her guest's question.

Looking over her shoulder with a small smile on her full lips, she thought about it. "Hmmm... Quite a lot, and quite a little, really." She said, cryptically, before she turned to the cooking meal, seasoning with this and that, before she returned all to the pantry. "I was an outcast in my home village, and I felt far more comfortable with the wood, than I did with the people I grew up with." She explained as she leaned closer to the pan, inhaling the number of scents that were mixing. Truth be told, they did smell quite appetising, but she knew that she didn't want to eat that particular mix. She smiled as she thought of what would be going through her guest's mind soon enough.

Potent aphrodisiacs, as well as a few herbs that would induce a lowering of inhibitions. She had a number of brews that would have made it all much easier, much more direct, but then... She wanted the girl to truly enjoy what Dana had planned, and she couldn't do that if she had to tie her down and force her. No... She'd have her wanting it, soon enough.

"So... I made my home out here. I've been living here for a good half of my life. The entire wood is my home, truly. The birds and beasts my family, though, it does lack for conversation." She said with a warm smile as she turned back to the young woman sitting by the fireplace.

Eva folded her hands in her lap and listened attentively to the woman's tale. She didn't seek to judge but she couldn't but help be curious what she might have done to become an outcast from her village. Decorum prevented her from asking though. This lady had rescued her from the woods and was now feeding her and providing her with accommodation for the night. To pry into her personal life would have been plain rude.

"I would imagine the birds and the beasts to be fine company up to a point," she replied, imagining spending hours in the woods with them. "I do not think I have ever been to this part of the woods before, have you been here long?"

The food that Dana was cooking smelt good although she did wonder what all the spices that were being thrown into the pot were. She meant to ask but her stomach rumbled and she felt surprisingly hungry. It was probably best not to ask too many questions when her host was generously feeding her.