The Witch of Koli Mountain
Reading time: 6 min
About this story: The Witch of Koli Mountain is a Legend from Finland set in the Medieval. This Conversational tale explores themes of Courage and is suitable for Young. It offers Moral insights. A young woman’s desperate search for her lost brother leads her into the heart of an ancient legend—where the mountain itself is alive.
The wind carried secrets.
It swept through the dense pine forests of Koli Mountain, howling through the jagged rocks and over the frozen lakes. It whispered in the ears of those who dared to listen, planting ancient stories in their minds—tales of creatures that walked unseen, of spirits that wandered the land, and of a witch who had lived for centuries, bound to the mountain like a ghost of the past.
To the villagers of Ahvenlahti, the name *Ilmatar* was spoken with both reverence and fear. Some called her a protector, a guardian of the land. Others believed she was cursed, damned to exist between the world of the living and the dead.
But all agreed on one thing—those who sought her either never returned or came back... changed.
Leena Väisänen had heard the stories her entire life.
And yet, here she was, climbing Koli Mountain, chasing after the legend.
She wasn’t looking for myths.
She was looking for her brother.
And she would not return without him.
The Path into the Unknown
Leena’s breath came in short, uneven gasps as she climbed higher up the rugged mountain path. The cold air stung her lungs, but she pressed on, her fingers clenching the edges of her thick cloak.
The night before, her younger brother, Juhani, had vanished.
He had always been drawn to the old stories, fascinated by the things that lurked beyond the veil of reality. While other boys had spent their time fishing or helping with the village’s winter preparations, Juhani had spent his nights staring at the stars, muttering about forgotten gods and spirits that lived in the wind.
The villagers had warned him—warned them both—to stay away from Koli.
But something had called to Juhani. And now he was gone.
Leena had found his tracks leading toward the mountain, half-covered in snow. He had gone willingly, alone.
So now she followed.
Alone.
The air grew colder as she ascended. The trees, tall and ancient, loomed around her like silent sentinels. The further she climbed, the quieter the world became. No birds. No rustling leaves. Just the whispering wind.
And then—
A sound.
A soft, melodic laughter drifting through the trees.
Leena froze.
Her heart pounded as she spun around, lantern held high, the flickering light casting long, trembling shadows across the snow-covered ground.
No one was there.
But she knew she was not alone.
She gritted her teeth and pressed on.
She had no choice.
The Shadow in the Trees
As Leena walked deeper into the mountain, the trees thickened, their gnarled branches intertwining like skeletal hands. The ground beneath her boots felt soft, too soft—like the earth had been disturbed.
A part of her whispered that she should turn back.
But she didn’t listen.
She couldn’t.
Then she saw it.
A figure, standing at the edge of the path.
Her breath hitched in her throat.
It was Juhani.
“Juhani!” she cried, rushing toward him.
But the moment she blinked—he was gone.
Only the trees remained.
Her chest tightened. Was the mountain playing tricks on her?
Or was she already too late?
The wind shifted.
And then came the voice.
Soft. Ancient. Familiar.
“You seek something, child.”
Leena spun, her lantern light flickering wildly against the dark trees.
A woman stood before her, cloaked in shadow, her silver hair flowing like water.
Ilmatar.
The Witch of Koli Mountain.
Leena’s fingers tightened around the hilt of her dagger. “Where is my brother?”
The witch smiled—a slow, knowing curve of her lips.
“The mountain has taken him,” she said. “Just as it takes all who listen.”
Leena’s stomach dropped. “What does that mean?”
Ilmatar stepped closer, her gaze glowing like embers in the darkness. “Would you like to see?”
Before Leena could answer, the world around her *shifted*.
A World Beyond Sight
The forest melted away, dissolving into shadows and light.
Leena stumbled, her body weightless, as if she were floating in a void. She reached for something—anything—to anchor herself, but there was nothing.
Then—light.
Not sunlight. Not firelight.
Something *other*.
And within that light—Juhani.
Leena gasped.
He stood just ahead, his face serene, his body wrapped in something *not human*. The air around him shimmered, as if he had become part of the very fabric of the mountain.
“Juhani!” she called, reaching for him.
He turned to her, his eyes distant, as if looking through her rather than *at* her.
“I hear them,” he whispered. “I *see* them.”
Leena’s blood turned to ice. “See *what*?”
“The ones who came before.”
She didn’t understand. “Come home. Please.”
Juhani only smiled.
Ilmatar’s voice echoed around her.
“He belongs to the mountain now.”
Leena spun to face the witch, anger flaring in her chest. “You took him!”
Ilmatar shook her head. “No, child. He chose.”
Leena’s breath came in sharp gasps. “He would never—”
“He heard the call. Just as you do.”
Leena staggered back. No. No, this wasn’t right.
But then, deep in her bones, she felt it.
A whisper. A pull.
The mountain was calling *her* too.
The Price of Truth
Leena’s heart pounded. She felt the weight of the mountain pressing down on her, whispering to her, luring her in.
She clenched her fists.
No.
She would not be taken.
She would *fight*.
Summoning every ounce of strength, she reached forward, grabbing Juhani’s wrist. “You *are* coming home.”
For the first time, something shifted in his gaze. Recognition. A flicker of the boy she had known.
The world trembled.
Ilmatar narrowed her eyes. “Be careful, child. You do not understand what you fight against.”
Leena held tight.
And then she *pulled*.
The void cracked.
The light fractured.
And then—
Darkness.
Epilogue: The Witch’s Legacy
When Leena opened her eyes, she was lying on the cold ground of Koli Mountain.
Snowflakes drifted down, melting against her skin.
She sat up with a sharp inhale—Juhani lay beside her, unconscious but breathing.
She grabbed him, shaking him awake. “Juhani?”
His eyes fluttered open. And for the first time, they were *his* eyes.
Leena sobbed, pulling him into a tight embrace.
The wind whispered around them.
Ilmatar was gone.
But her presence lingered, woven into the fabric of the mountain.
And though Leena and Juhani returned to Ahvenlahti, neither of them ever spoke of what had happened.
Because some truths were not meant to be told.
Some legends were meant to *live*.
And the Witch of Koli Mountain was not gone.
She was simply waiting.
For the next traveler foolish enough to listen to the wind.
