The forest was still. The wind was crisp and cool. It howled, as if to chase away its visitor. The air smelled a mix of burning leaves, dew and honey. The steps of Bay, an Andalusian horse breed sounded nearer and nearer, louder and louder. Bay has grown annoyed. He neighed. And if Jisoo imagined him in a human form, her dapple gray will probably plop down anytime protesting.

Jisoo had got down from riding her horse, aware by the exhaustion of the mammal. She caressed him, an attempt to calm the thirsty horse. Bay had been with her as far as she could remember. So small Bay was, he looked like a pet toy. Jisoo felt attached to it, laying her head on its body. Bay has a rare galaxical pattern on its body. Like skies at night and stars from afar. It wasn’t manly black. Nor does it magical white. It’s grey. And it’s beautiful.

Prim woods had dived in darker for nearing three and a half hours. She had not expected to be wandering as long as three bloody long hours. She had gotten rather… carried away. The pale girl had grown paler in the chilly air of Prim woods. She pulled up her riding boots high and hugged her red hood tight.

The calfskin water bottle she had had ran out of clean water. She could’ve drink straight out of dews on green leaves had she not worried of getting poisoned. Jisoo’s blue bleached dress’ train had turned to mud brown, probably covered of droppings. And in Prim woods, she hadn’t known whose beasts the droppings belong to. She shivered at the thought. Not of terror but of disgust.

Prim woods looked as dark as… Prim woods. Saying as dark as night is a very much understatement. Had it not for the moonlight, she couldn’t even make out the path for Bay to walk as well as hers. The silhouettes of tree branches creeped out looking like bony hands reaching for its passerby. Bay jumped at the hoot of an owl. Then a growl. Then a crow’s caw. Jisoo hushed and calmed Bay, attempting to hopefully quietly retreat to a different place. Anywhere is better than here.

Jisoo pulled Bay away. Her light brown eyes darted wildly, her breathe looked desperate. The thick fog in the woods had not done her much help. She never had a moment than now wishing she could see something. Anything. She had not brought a match let alone a torch. Jisoo could light up fire out of woods like her father taught but even the air felt dense of mist. “Darn it.” Fed up, she picked her train and pulled her horse faster, as if she had a where to go. But in fact she hadn’t.

Upon then, she heard a whistle. A song. Then a broken twig. Later a moving bush. She clutched to Bay tighter, her hands clammy. A whistle to her is like a growl to Bay. Not like in town where people entertained themselves to whistle to folk tales. An enjoyable hobby that her oppressed govern still allow.

But not in woods. People don’t whistle in woods.

Her eyes soon accustomed to the darkness. She still could not make out anything of the trees and bushes. And a silhouette of… something. No, not something. It’s rather someone.

Standing in front of bushes, her back faced Jisoo picking something of berries. Jisoo recognized the song she whistled. It’s a song of Donkeyskin. A gruesome tale of a king tried marrying his daughter. Jisoo hated that tale. It made almost none sense. She looked back at the girl. The girl had long black hair reaching just above her waist. Her ankle peeping under her pink dress. Jisoo smoothed her straight hair and approached the stranger.

And she must have heard her. She must have heard her footsteps and Bay’s too. She turned around. Before she did so, Jisoo had imagined the worse. A beast in the form of a girl. Body of a girl, face of a wolf. Probably a vampire rest bare too. Might even an Unseelie fairy too, a myth from the up north of dear ol’ Scotland. (she’d like to believe it’s not a myth.)

But no. The girl looked pleasant and cheery having a little welcoming Jisoo. She looked young and fresh and certainly not creepy at all. She ‘oh’ed of surprise looking at Jisoo (not because of her foul appearance, she hoped). “Hello.”

“Hello too. Now tell me, who are you and of what business you’re in here?” The girl had her hand on her waist, looking almost like Jisoo’s mother when she forgot to complete her errands. Jisoo gulped suddenly feeling edgy. felt dry. “I got lost.” She simply said and wished she hadn’t stuttered. Jisoo hadn’t realized her grip was still tight on Bay.

“Well we need to feed that one. Clearly very much hungry, are we?” She pointed at Bay who had his tongue out for who knows how long. The girl stepped closer forward and petted Bay’s head. Jisoo could have backed away but she detected no threat. She looked very much innocent to her. “Come, my hut is not too far.” She hustled and walked fast ahead. Jisoo had to wait for a moment and two to decide if she is following. She looked at Bay and he looked back in confusion. She then trailed the girl’s tail.

Jisoo probably should’ve followed earlier because now she couldn’t make out the girl’s babbling. “There’s nothing really in my hut. Just the basics. Don’t expect anything lavish or even sweet little cot in a forest. Oh no, sir. But it’s very warm, yes. And very much affectionate too.” With a basket full of berries on her right hand, she walked through the little pathway made of little stones. And there it was. Yes it didn’t look as lovely as in fairy books but it’s sufficient.

The girl looked back to Jisoo at their front door. “I’m Jiae, of course. Very rude of me not saying it earlier. And you are?” She extended her hand. Jisoo took it and felt constant warm. “Jisoo.” Jiae shook it. “Good to know. Come in, come in. Sit, sit. Tie up that little poor thing near the tree. Yes, yes that tree. Tie it loose. Now come in, come in.”

Like Jiae’s hand, the little hut radiated a mild heat of it. Jisoo looked for a fireplace in the living room. She couldn’t see any of it. Probably in the kitchen. There was only one long couch in the front. It could have been Jiae’s bed too. There was a pillow in a potato sack and a dull thick blanket too. Not much of anything else really.

Jiae rushed out with a plate of water to feed thirsty Bay. Jisoo straightened her posture. When Jiae came in again, she had rushed to the kitchen once more. “You see, I had dinner prepared for myself tonight and hadn’t cooked anything more. But we can share, correct?” She carried a plate of crispy roasted meat in front and smiled at Jisoo. She had smiled not too wide, her nose scrunched up a little and her pair of glistening eyes gone. Her smile was cute. “I caught a deer two days ago and there’s still some left.” “Oh no, I wouldn’t want to spoil your dinner. Please, have it for yourself. I only wished for some water so I could carry on my journey.”

Jiae had replied from her kitchen again. “Nonsense! You’re bony as stick, you should have some meat before you run along. I just picked up fresh berries一 these are very lovely. Freshly picked by the owner herself, that’s right.” Jiae offered a cup of water for Jisoo. “Here you go.” Jisoo gulped down and it felt hard. It felt thick. She wondered if it is polite to ask for some more water to fill her bottle.

Jisoo looked out. The forest was still black and now smelled like fog, berries and roasted meat. Bay had sat down and comforted itself to a light sleep. Jisoo immediately felt sorry for her horse. Should she stay over for the night? It’s getting late no doubt that is.

And then she smelt something. Something foul. She looked down. “Ah.” Jisoo lifted her feet when she realized she stepped on her train. As if it wasn’t already bloody dirty anyway. She tched and poured her water on it. The mud might fade a little. “I hope it gets off.” Jisoo hated doing laundry. And that’s never for a reason. The water flowed, and the dirt flowed along like the Great Flood that had happened in Nysa. It was horrible and had wiped off all the barns, town markets, and loads of farms. Not to mention the ruined houses. A castle was all that left stand tall. The king’s pride, the people’s treasure all went down with the flood. The water was of yellow and brown, something unpleasant to see. Much less to smell. “Urgh.” Jisoo bent down and pulled her train.

And there she saw. A bloody hell one too.

She saw a clean shaved femur stared back at her. Then a rib. Human rib with clots of blood between each bone. A skull looked as of used in old sorcery. Her breathe cut short. It smelled metallic as often as blood do. “Remind me again of what were you doing in the woods.” Jiae emerged from the kitchen and served berry with sugar cream dished. Jisoo sat up straight. And it was too late when the edge of an axe almost smash her neck.

A crooked smile was on Jiae’s face. “Too bad, I would very much like had you not seen that.” She aimed for Jisoo’s long limb. By a nick of time, she managed to dodge and ran through the front door. Bay shot up from his short nap. Startled, he had ran after Jisoo towards the again dark Prim woods.

Jisoo sprinted out, looking back almost each time. She turned breathless, every air in the world could not fill the panic in her lungs. She hid behind an old rhu tree, its bark big enough for Jisoo’s lean frame. She caught her breath and put her palms over . Bay wasn’t with her anymore and she didn’t know how to feel of it. Bay could’ve been in the hands of Jiae. Bay could’ve run for help. Bay could’ve been eaten by the carnivores of the woods. Bay could’ve come and rescue her. Jisoo could not think as rational.

Her ears perked up. She heard a movement. A clash between sharp axe and defenseless trees. A whistle came after. This time it danced along the tales of Rumpelstiltskin. Jisoo clutched her chest. “Oh honey, it’s very much useless for you to salt away. Hush now, come along.” Jiae singsonged. “The way in woods I know oh so well like it’s the back of my hand. I’ll find your steps, I’ll hear your breath and I’ll smell your blood.”

Jisoo took a deep and long breath. Her eyes as sharp as the axe.

“There’s a beast in my heart and it scratches and scratches and it hurts to keep it hidden.” Jisoo chirped along, springing from the hidden. Jiae smiled and Jisoo smiled. It wasn’t pleasant, the smile. Malevolent smirk more like it. “That’s my good girl, is it?” Jiae’s bloody axe rest upon her shoulder.

Jisoo marched towards the girl, rather lifelessly. As if being possessed. As if she’s a zombie herself. And she wasn’t anymore. Jisoo roared and dashed to the axed girl. She pulled out a dagger from her hood, aiming for the other’s heart. Jiae sneered. Oh, what a twist of tale.

Jisoo kicked her hands, disarming the deadly weapon afar. Jiae pounced onto her, holding Jisoo’s left hand away. She grabbed the dagger away from Jisoo and she too is now weaponless. Jiae was on top, strangling Jisoo with all her might. To break and twist and snap like a broken twig. Jisoo felt her breath taken away. She collected herself and threw a punch to the girl. Jiae’s gums bled and she looked more hunger of blood. Jisoo looked for her heritance dagger and it laid untouched six feet apart her. Jisoo scooted herself but Jiae took her by the legs and dragged her body. A ragged cut decorated her chin. “No!”

Jisoo turned her body and tried to kick her enemy. Jiae took her axe and swung it to Jisoo’s ankle. Jisoo snarled and growled. Her left ankle turned to an open wound. Jisoo gritted her teeth and booted the laughing girl away. Enraged, she stood up with the axe stuck on her ankle and she bit Jiae’s cheek. Jiae snarled in pain and Jisoo shoved her head and managed to tear her cheek into a bloody wound. Jiae tried pulling the axe of Jisoo’s ankle but to her dismay had failed miserably when Jisoo stepped on her palm with her heels creating a perfect square shaped cut on her otherwise perfect palm.

Jiae turned frantic when Jisoo dashed towards her dagger. She jumped on the half limped girl with a rock in her fist. Jisoo growled when it finally hit her head. Jisoo turned around and took Jiae’s head to hers. A loud bang heard. Jiae stepped backwards unsteadily as she hit a tree. Jisoo had her dagger and aimed for Jiae’s heart.

Jiae coughed up blood. Her legs turned jelly and she was down on her knees. Jisoo tore open her chest. Blood spurted on her pale face. Her hood turned darker and darker as she stabbed deeper and deeper. A “K” initial on her dagger shimmered in the dark. Jisoo dipped her right hand and ripped Jiae’s heart out. She threw the blood soaking organ to feed the beasts of Prim woods.

She finally caught her breath. And she noticed something was gone. “Oh Bay.” She singsonged and the gray dappled horse immersed from the woods. Her smile was dark.

“Let’s head to Home.”

Jisoo walked home to Nysa. She looked horrible, her dress with patterned blood and brown of nature. Her hair messy with twigs. But the axe on her ankle wins the crowning wound.

 There was no knight in shining armor of to rescue. Much less a damsel in distress. There was just a horse and quite possibly even two villains.

And the tale of an axed knight begun. Soon, they were singing about her too.