The River Witch

The interior of the old stone home was crowded with stuff: roots and plants were hung around the doorway, with bundles of sage and wormwood carefully bound with twine. A small open cookfire sat in the far corner of the room, coals banked as a bronze kettle was being heated, with a stone shelf built into the wall next to it containing a set of glass jars, including two tall cylinders of brownish liquid. Hitty recognized it as cargo from passing boats, likely found in the river, now trinkets of salvage along with trade goods such as clockwork devices and ivory carvings from the north to be sold in the markets of the Great Lake. The baubles and flotsam seemed to be set out as if on display. There was some clutter about, including old waterlogged chests and casks. The floor was covered in bulrushes and moss like a thick carpet.

A thin woman, clad in a loose robe but naked underneath, stood partially crouched in the room, her hands raised and claws extending from the tips of her fingers. She had long black hair partially covering her face, but her lips were pulled back in a surprised snarl. Alabaster skin with oversize eyes and small, sharp teeth gave her a demihuman look, and Hitty was now certain she was macâhcâhk, one of the shifting folk.

But Hitty could only take in the rest of the room from the periphery; her attention was instantly focused on the center, where Noah lay. He was not restrained, but his head slowly moved to the side towards Hitty and from his dazed expression she could tell he was still under the effect of whatever the macâhcâhk had used on him. He was naked on a sturdy table of old teak, his clothes on the floor next to him in tatters, having been cut from him by sharp talons.

Hitty felt her anger rising at him being treated so, but she kept her emotions hidden and turned to the woman, who was clearly about to attack.

“As I said, I ask for guest rights,” Hitty repeated. She held her unaaq in her hand, but she moved slowly and placed it next to the doorway, then held both hands up. “I bring no **** into your home and ask for the same in return. I have always heard that the shifting folk respect the same traditions about home and hearth that we Thuule do, that treating a guest is a sacred responsibility for all of us who live in such unforgiving lands. I know that to bring **** into your home would shame my ancestors and bring great misfortune onto me and mine.”

The other woman’s eyes narrowed, and Hitty worried she was laying it on too thick. But all the stories of the macâhcâhk, both ancient legends and more recent presumably factual tales, agreed that the shifters placed great store in the opinion of the spirits who watched from the next world and would not want them to curse her with bad luck.

“Very well, I accept you into my home, for now, but I do not offer guest rights to those who barge in unwelcome. If I judge you to have ill intent, I will kill you where you stand, and no one would blame me. So, what do you want?” The macâhcâhk’s voice was an angry hiss, and she kept her hands up, but her body did lose some of its coiled tension.

“I am from the river boat Nawyet, and I am here for my man, the steward Noah.”

“Your man?” the macâhcâhk said, as if Hitty could be there for any reason other than the naked figure on the table. “You are not bonded with him, he called to me! I… brought him here by invitation.”

An angry part of Hitty wanted to argue, to point out that the macâhcâhk had clearly stolen Noah from the boat, but instead she tried another tack. “No, we are not bonded, but Noah does have a contract with the boat and her crew, and I am here to ask he not break it. And who are you if I may ask? There may be a solution to this situation that benefits all, for while I am here first, I am certain the rest of my crew is coming. Some of them are from the south, and may not know our traditions, and they may insist that Noah honour his contract with them. They may be less… understanding.”

The macâhcâhk recognized the veiled threat, and she straightened, clearly worried about the thought of the rest of the Nawyet’s entire crew arriving at her door and not just one young Kuniq lass.

“In your language, I am called Kasagea. I am the river witch for this part of the Siqiniq, the Sun River,” the woman shrugged and gave a sly smile, “and this man saw me as I swam, and called to me. More than once. So, I have taken him to be my consort, as is my right. There are shiny human coins in that chest there by the door, take some of them and sell his contract to me.”

“Kasagea, the Thuule word for the river seals. So, you were swimming and you, er, caught Noah’s eye?” Hitty kept her voice polite and her expression blank.

“Aye. He saw me and called me ‘mermaid’ in my seal form, like the old sailors would. I waited for him while he was in the stone city, and when he returned to the wooden boat he looked at me and said he wished to be mine, that I was not done with him,” she said haughtily, her back straight.

Nodding her understanding, Hitty thought quickly. Clearly, Kasagea’s story flattered her greatly, but the macâhcâhk were solitary, and extremely proud, people. Some said they were related to the Ubyr, based on their pale grey or chalk white skin, but that was unlikely. The macâhcâhk were almost hermits, almost never living with others of their kind for long, and never living in larger communities, and they often simply took things they wanted and ignored the complaints of others.

And, if their human neighbors complained too much? Well, “macâhcâhk” was an old Thuule word for evil spirit, and they were capable of great mischief and outright ****. All of the macâhcâhk could change from human form into that of large animal and having an angry macâhcâhk turn into a 12 foot tall snow bear was usually enough to end any disputes.

So, this Kasagea was able to shift into a great seal, and clearly she had noticed Noah on the boat and followed him until she saw a chance to simply take him, while perhaps pretending to herself that it was what he wanted too.

“I see. I am afraid I cannot take money for Noah’s contract, the crew would not accept that,” Hitty said apologetically, “but perhaps there is another way?”

Scowling, Kasagea took a step toward the table. She had a strange, delicate, almost bird-like gait as she hopped over and looked down at Noah, who was looking around more alertly now. “I need his seed for a spell, the only man of my kind for a hundred leagues lives as a moose most of his time and we had an argument years ago and no longer speak. My sisters are also of the river like I am, but there are no males.”

Her pale body beneath the robe was thin, but Hitty knew she was strong enough to pick up a grown man and carry him. She had a thick triangle of black hair between her legs, and small breasts that showed as she moved, and her gaze was fixed on Noah’s cock as she ran her hand along her stomach slowly.

Hitty licked her lips nervously and said, “You have the same beliefs as we do, I think. You know about inua, the soul of all people, animals, and plants. All life is equal, and we all share a common soul. But we must kill animals to survive, even though animals have inua just as we do.”

Kasagea looked puzzled, her large eyes wide as she looked at Hitty, but she gave a sharp nod.

The young sailor continued, saying, “We only succeed in the hunt if the animal chooses to give its life as a gift in return for respectful behaviour on the part of the hunter and her community. That is why I was taught that after a caribou has been killed, we pour fresh water in its mouth so that its inua will not be thirsty and it will tell the other caribou of the respect shown.”

“Yes, it is the same with my people. When I take a charr from the river I do it honour before eating it.”

“Of course, most stories of the macâhcâhk talk about the importance of honour and how the spirits watch us and curse those who break their word.” Hitty did not mention how many of those stories from the Thuule perspective told of how the shifting folk were capricious and willing to renege on a bargain if they felt they could.

“I have a deal for you. This man, Noah, owes our boat service. You want his seed, and I say we let him choose. He can give you his seed, I can milk him for you, so his essence is given freely. His inua will be clear and his seed extra potent for you, far more valuable as a gift.”

Hitty was being careful, trying to avoid the fact, obvious to all, that Noah was kidnapped by the proud shapeshifter who intended to take him regardless of his wishes, if he was even conscious when she rode him. If Hitty could maintain the fiction she felt it was the best chance to convince the river witch it was in her interests to avoid a fight and accept a deal instead.

The witch pondered it. Hitty knew she would be tempted by semen freely given - and may suspect that Noah would not be interested in a woman who did not look quite human with her fish-belly pale skin, unusually large eyes, and sharp teeth.

“If you provide his seed, happily given, to me I will let you leave without trouble, and the man can leave with you as well if he wishes. I will not pursue, and I will not attack you in my home except to defend myself.”

This was close to an admission that Noah was not exactly here of his own volition, and Hitty could see him turning his head slowly to look at her. He was more alert now, but still groggy at best. Hitty ran through the river witch’s words but did not want to imply she did not trust her ‘host’.

“Very well. I accept the terms, on my honour as a sailor in good standing from the village of Iipuri. I, Hitty, daughter of Jissika, granddaughter of Ticasuk, swear to it. And if I break my word, may the spirits curse me.”

The macâhcâhk was looking more pleased by the moment, and she replied, “I, called Kasagea, vow as well, on my honour.”

Noah was moving slightly, his head turned to Hitty. She knelt beside the table and took his hand in hers, her head close to his. She spoke softly, but not so much so that the witch could not hear her.

“Noah, tatik, can you hear me?” she said. He nodded, his eyes moving around the room, and she continued, “Do you know where you are, have you heard?”

He nodded slowly and spoke, but his words were in a language she did not understand. He stopped, shook his head, and then tried again, “Yes. Hitty. My head hurts, I can’t help you, I feel really tired and I can’t skip, you should leave me if you have to…” His eyes flicked over towards the witch, who watched impassively.

“I won’t leave you, I never would,” she said automatically, “but we have made a deal if you accept. If we provide our host with some of your seed, she will be happy, and we can go back to the boat. Do you understand?”

He sighed, his eyes fluttering, “I guess? I don’t remember what happened, but I trust you Hitty.”

She leaned closer and kissed him on the lips, softly. “Thank you, love, I promise you I’d never hurt you or let you be hurt if I could help it.” Her free hand gently pressed onto his stomach, and she rubbed him softly, saying, “You are cold Noah, I will warm you up and you can give your seed to this woman Kasagea, she wants it badly.”

He nodded, a small smile on his face, “OK Hitty.”