A/N: don't forget, black lives matter! go to blacklivesmatter.carrd.co for more information and things you can do to contribute to the movement. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The days following their departure from the witch coven were some of the grimmest any of the girls could remember. Although it wasn't nearly as cold as it had been before they entered, the weather was still not beautiful and ideal like it had been in the witches lands. The food and company in that safe place had made their time there all the more special. 

Luckily, now the trio had many more resources than before they entered. They could gather food much more easily, knowing what was edible and what wasn't. Plus, having their familiars around for the extra company, getting to know them and their quirks, brought a little of the witch magic back to their dismal journey. 

"I can't believe I thought so poorly of witches before I came," Chaewon spoked as they trudged along. The path beneath them looked untreaded upon in many years, with dead leaves almost covering its whole expanse, but clearly in its prime it had been well used. "Everything I was educated about them was untrue." 

"What did people say about witches?" Yerim asked, and Olivia listened closely as well. Neither of them had ever been studiously educated, instead being sent to work with the knights at the orphanage. They were really curious about Chaewon's education and especially her ability to read and write. In fact, if the girls didn't end up getting in trouble, Chaewon had promised Yerim that she would teach her how to read and write (and that she would introduce her to Princess Yeojin; she had a theory that they would get along really well).

"My tutors said they ate babies," Chaewon explained. 

"Babies?" Yerim cried. 

"And controlled the weather," she added. 

"I can see that..." Olivia said. 

"Not in a good way though. My tutors said that witches would make poor weather on purpose to ruin crops." 

"Ruining crops and baby eating? That's not at all like the witches we met," Yerim said. 

"I wonder why they would ever think that..." Olivia mumbled. 

"No matter. Once I go back I'll set the record straight. Perhaps the lords will say I've been put under a witches spell, but I don't care. I'll be the queen after all, and what power will they have? I'll make it safe for the witches to be in this kingdom," Chaewon explained. 

"That'll be so nice!" Yerim cried, but Olivia was not so happy. She had grown to hate the idea of Chaewon ever going back. All she wanted was for Chaewon to stay here with her, build a life together, just the two of them. Based on what Chaewon had admitted at the witch coven, for a brief moment Olivia's new dream had seemed like a real possibility. 

But ever since that night things had been different. Chaewon had not grown cold, just a touch distant, although she kept a friendly and happy veneer. Maybe she had been able to see Olivia's thoughts and had been disturbed by them, or maybe she did not actual mean what she had said. Olivia didn't know, but the reasoning behind it didn't matter much. All she knew was that her brief dream had been dashed from her. Anyways, nothing could ever be as wonderful or magical as their time together at the coven. 

"Oh no," Yerim suddenly whined, pulling Olivia and Chaewon out of their thoughts. Before them was a massive lake, stretching almost as far as the eye could see in front of them. It sparkled and gleamed in the cool fall sunlight, but it's water was not clear, and the girls could not see how Olivia deeply groaned, and all of their familiars dashed off into the forest. 

"What are we going to do?" Chaewon asked. 

Olivia sighed. "We have no choice but to walk around." 

"Can't we just make a turn?" Yerim whined. "We don't really have a set destination anyways." 

"Whatever way we turn, we will end up back on the main path," Olivia answered. "And the main path is probably swarming with knights and troops of the castle. You're not ready to go home, right?" She turned to Chaewon. 

"No way," Chaewon answered. 

"So we must," Olivia sighed. "Anyways, I know there are a few businesses a ways forward. There we may be able to get some refreshment and bedding we couldn't have out here in the woods." 

"But it'll take so long!" Yerim groaned.

"Hello, my pretties," a croaky voice spoke quietly, interrupting their argument. The trio turned to see a small boat washed up on the shore, and what appeared to be two older women manning it. "We've heard your tale, and we would like to help you. Would you like a ride across?" She offered. 

"Yes!" Yerim cried excitedly, starting to make her way over before Olivia tugged her arm back. Yerim pouted.

"But we don't have any money," Chaewon admitted.

"It's no issue, no issue with us, really," the other woman spoke. Chaewon and Yerim smiled but Olivia glared at them. 

"What do you want from us?" Olivia asked, and the older ladies laughed. 

"Nothing! Just to provide a bit of help." 

Olivia sighed; something about this whole thing felt wrong to her. 

"We can't," she mumbled to Chaewon and Yerim. "I have misgivings." 

"Come on, do you really wanna walk all the way around this big lake?" Yerim whined. 

"Plus we weren't sure about the witches and they turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to us. Let's get on. It'll be a nice break from all of the walking," Chaewon added. 

Olivia sighed again; it was hard to argue with that logic (plus it was beginning to get hard to say no to anything Chaewon asked of her). So Olivia picked up her things and followed Chaewon and Olivia to the boat. 

"We accept your offer," Olivia said lowly. 

"Great!" One of them cheered in a voice that sounded a little too not old ladyish for someone dressed up like an old lady. The other lady touched her hand, and Olivia's eyes widened. But neither Chaewon nor Yerim seemed to notice this, so Olivia passed it off as a figment of her imagination. 

Once them and their things were on the boat the ladies pushed off of the shore, and to all of their happiness they seemed like good sailors. Despite their age they were hardy, controlling the small boat and sending it straight to the opposite shore. 

Chaewon and Yerim were chattering to each other, but Olivia still couldn't ease her heart. 

"What brings you to this lake?" One asked, just to be polite. 

"That's our business," Olivia grumbled back. "What are you two doing on this lake?" 

The two old ladies made a face. "That's our business as well then," another answered. 

Olivia glared and leaned back under the sun. "How did you come to possess a boat?" She asked as they rowed on. 

They looked to each other then back at Olivia, as if trying to come up with an answer. 

"Um...our husbands were fisherman! But...um...they're dead now!" One spoke. 

"Why are all of the questions directed at us two, poor old ladies who are just trying to give you pretties a helping hand? Perhaps you should be quiet and accept our help." 

Olivia glared, her eyes slits. Yerim and Chaewon paid no mind to this exchange, splashing at the rippling water. "Perhaps I would be quiet if I could believe that you ladies are who you say you are." 

The three all looked at each other, sharing a tense and silent exchange. 

"Is it time?" The dopier of the two mumbled, for only the other to hear. 

"I mean, now it is," the other answered. 

Olivia sat up at this quiet exchange, looking around her. By now the boat had reached the exact middle of the lake, so distant on all sides that it would be impossible for any of them to swim to shore. They were stuck. 

Watching the water Olivia noticed the boat stop moving, quickly trying to get Chaewon and Yerim's attention, slapping their backs. 

"Huh? What?" Yerim mumbled, the three turning until they all gasped in shock. 

Instead of the two old ladies there were two young girls, a few years older than the trio, staring back down at them. They wore fierce expressions, their old lady disguises tossed at their feet. One had brunette hair, whereas the other's hair was pitch black, and both were breathtakingly beautiful. Both had long swords, pointed directly at the trio. 

"Give us all of your posessions. If you don't, you'll either have to face the cold of the lake or the wrath of my sword," the brunette spoke lowly. The black haired girl started giggling before covering , but none of the trio noticed. 

Chaewon simply gasped. 

"Pirates?" Yerim cried. 

Olivia turned to her companions with an expression of utter pain. "I told you so!" she groaned.