Rick's feet ached, and while he easily held his balance aboard his tiny boat, here between the trees the uneven ground and the roots and stones slowed his walk down to a crawl. It didn't help that nightfall had turned the forest into a black maze. Rick barely managed to hold his bearing, glancing at the stars whenever a rare gap in the roof of branches opened up. He was supposed to be close to the witch's current lair now, but nobody had told him just how huge the woods near Roughwater were.
Almost nobody had been willing to tell him that there even was a witch, much less where she lived. The whole endeavor seemed like an elaborate hare and hound game, the only hints being hushed whispers from the corner of mouths, and Rick couldn't bear to hear the phrase "ain't got this from me, but—" a
