The Forest Witch of Hoia Baciu

Secrets in the Woods

The morning sun filtered through the cracks in the shutters, illuminating the small kitchen where Emilia sat, absently stirring a pot of tea. The rhythmic creak of her grandmother’s rocking chair filled the silence.

“Are you listening to me, child?” her grandmother, Anca, asked sharply.

“Yes, Grandmother,” Emilia replied, though her gaze was fixed on the window. Beyond the modest garden, the edge of the Hoia Baciu Forest loomed, its trees swaying in a breeze she couldn’t feel.

Anca sighed and placed her knitting in her lap. “I’m serious, Emilia. You must never go into that forest. It’s not a place for the living.”

“I know, I know,” Emilia said, her voice tinged with impatience. “You’ve told me a hundred times.”

“And I’ll tell you a hundred more if it keeps you safe,” Anca said, her tone softening. “The forest takes what it wants, and it doesn’t give back.”

But Emilia’s curiosity was a stubborn flame. She had heard the stories of the Forest Witch since she was a child, whispered in hushed tones by villagers who claimed to have seen strange things among the trees. Still, she had always wondered if the witch was real—or if it was all just a tale to keep children from wandering too far.

Later that day, while collecting herbs for her grandmother’s remedies, Emilia found herself closer to the forest than she intended. The trees stood like sentinels, their gnarled branches reaching out as if to beckon her. Something about the way the shadows moved felt alive, almost inviting.

Before she knew it, she was stepping over the threshold, her feet crunching on the fallen leaves. The air grew cooler, and the familiar sounds of birds and insects faded. Deeper and deeper she wandered, until she came upon a strange clearing where ancient oaks stood in a perfect circle. Their twisted branches formed an intricate canopy, allowing only slivers of sunlight to break through. In the center of the circle, the air seemed to shimmer as if charged with invisible energy.

“Emilia!” her grandmother’s voice rang out, sharp and urgent. Emilia spun around to find Anca standing at the edge of the clearing, her face pale. “What are you doing here?”

“I… I was just looking,” Emilia stammered.

“This is not a place to ‘just look,’” Anca said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away. “That circle is where the witch dwells. Do you want her to take you?”

A Whisper of the Past

Back at home, Anca’s agitation lingered. She busied herself with her herbs, but her hands trembled as she worked. Finally, she sat Emilia down by the fire and began to tell her the story she had long kept buried.

“Lavinia was her name,” Anca began, staring into the flames. “She was once like me—a healer, someone who used the gifts of the forest to help others. But the villagers, in their fear and ignorance, turned against her. Crops failed, and children fell ill, and they blamed her.”

Emilia leaned forward, her pulse quickening. “What happened to her?”

“They chased her into the forest,” Anca said, her voice heavy with sorrow. “But Lavinia did not beg or run. Instead, she stood her ground. She called upon the forest itself to protect her, and it answered. The trees came alive, ensnaring her pursuers. But the forest did more than protect her—it claimed her. She became its guardian, its spirit. Now, she watches over it, and those who cross her path rarely return.”

For days, Emilia couldn’t stop thinking about the story. She tried to push it from her mind, but the memory of the shimmering air in the clearing tugged at her. What if the witch wasn’t a monster? What if she was misunderstood, just as Lavinia had been?

The Witch Revealed

One moonlit night, Emilia’s curiosity overcame her fear. She slipped out of bed, her heart pounding as she made her way back to the clearing. The forest seemed to welcome her this time, its shadows parting to guide her path.

When she stepped into the circle of oaks, the air crackled with energy. A sudden gust of wind extinguished her lantern, plunging her into darkness. And then, she saw her.

Lavinia emerged from the shadows, her figure both ethereal and solid. Her dark hair flowed like liquid night, and her eyes burned with a light that was neither human nor otherworldly.

“You should not have come here,” Lavinia said, her voice low and resonant.

“I… I wanted to see you,” Emilia managed, her voice trembling.

The witch tilted her head, studying the girl. “Few seek me out willingly. Why?”

“Because I don’t believe you’re the monster they say you are,” Emilia said, her voice gaining strength. “I think you’re more than that.”

Lavinia’s expression softened, and for a moment, she looked almost human. “And what do you hope to find here, child?”

“I don’t know,” Emilia admitted. “But maybe you do.”

Lessons of the Forest

Over the weeks that followed, Emilia returned to the forest, each time venturing deeper into Lavinia’s world. The witch taught her to listen to the trees, to understand their whispers and the rhythms of the forest. She showed Emilia how to heal with the plants that others overlooked and how to see the threads of energy that connected all living things.

But not all was peaceful. The more Emilia learned, the more she became aware of the forest’s fragile balance. The villagers’ greed and recklessness had left scars, and Lavinia’s power was not enough to heal them all.

“You must be careful,” Lavinia warned one evening as they stood beneath the ancient oaks. “The forest gives, but it also takes. Do not let it consume you.”

Emilia nodded, but she could feel the pull of the forest growing stronger. It was as if the trees themselves were whispering her name, urging her to stay.

A Reckoning

Word of Emilia’s visits to the forest spread quickly through the village. Fearful of the witch’s growing influence, the villagers decided to take matters into their own hands. One stormy night, a mob armed with torches and axes marched into the woods, determined to destroy the circle of oaks.

Emilia, sensing the danger, raced to warn Lavinia. When she arrived, the witch was already waiting, her eyes blazing with fury. “They will not listen,” Lavinia said. “They never do.”

As the villagers entered the clearing, the forest seemed to come alive. Vines erupted from the ground, ensnaring their feet, while branches lashed out like living arms. But the villagers fought back, setting the trees alight with their torches.

“Stop!” Emilia cried, stepping into the fray. “You’re destroying everything!”

Her voice was drowned out by the chaos. Desperate, she turned to Lavinia. “There has to be another way. Please.”

Lavinia hesitated, her expression pained. “If I let them destroy this forest, I will cease to exist. But if I fight, they will never stop.”

In that moment, Emilia made a choice. She stepped into the center of the circle, her arms outstretched. “Take me,” she said. “If it will save the forest, take me.”

The air went still. Lavinia’s gaze softened, and she reached out to touch Emilia’s cheek. “You are braver than I ever was,” she said. “But this is not your burden to bear.”

With a final surge of power, Lavinia sent the villagers fleeing, their torches extinguished and their hearts heavy with fear. When the clearing fell silent, she turned to Emilia one last time. “The forest needs a guardian,” she said. “Someone who can walk the line between its magic and the world outside. Will you accept?”

Emilia nodded, tears streaming down her face. “Yes.”

From that day on, Emilia became the new guardian of Hoia Baciu. The villagers spoke of her in whispers, just as they had Lavinia. But those who ventured into the forest found not terror, but a quiet peace, as if the woods themselves had found balance at last.

And in the whispers of the trees, Emilia could still hear Lavinia’s voice, guiding her as she walked the path of the Forest Witch.