The witch's family had never been wealthy so she didn't want the mage to expend money frivolously. Her daughter was worth a great deal of gold, but there wasn't enough to pay for the mage's payment. Money mattered little to the mage, but he needed the gold for his occupation.
"The mage wants for my daughter's return and I need the gold for myself and my family. I do not wish you to kill the man, nor do I discuss the price of her return. You will get the gold and I will get my daughter."
For the sake of money, you reluctantly agreed. "It will only be the coin you offered the witch. You can have the rest once my friend and I have apprehended the mage. We are both very skilled in the art and can handle his magic if need be."
You must agree and the mage agreed too. You had to fulfill the terms, or you didn't get the money. The mage had killed many a person and could be quite skilled. You were no amateur and were trained in the art of battle. One warrior was as good as another and you had full confidence in your skill.
Then you agreed to the terms.
The day of the search would be soon. The mage's daughter was a petite young lady of twelve or thirteen. She was bright and had the soul of an artist. The mage loved the girl and didn't want her to face the hardship of war. She was to be kept safe and that was to be your job.
The plan was to take the girl to the mage's family's home, away from the war-torn city. Once there, you would find an ally and receive some food. Once you had a full coin purse and had the girl safely in your care, you would leave their home and return to the witch's home.
The mage's home was in the middle of a forest. The terrain was tricky and parts were rough. Narrow trails and tall trees grew by dangerous passes. The mage would have the best defense for his daughter. You didn't see the forest as the worst place for a child, but you had to agree with the mage on the matter of what was best.
You reached the edge of town and saw the magic. The mage's home was high above the earth, far away from the town. You headed out of the village, past the magic they called light, and headed through the forest.
As you walked, you noticed the dark forest ahead. The trees grew so side by side, the forest was so dark. The forest was full of terrors, and you didn't wish this on your daughter. You didn't want her to face such dark, dangerous creatures. Perhaps you shouldn't have agreed, but you had to fulfill the terms of the coin purse.
You walked by the road, to your left. To the right was the forest. Ahead of you, up the narrow trail, a group of bandits walked aimlessly. It was dark, so you had to keep your sight on the men's weapons. Once you were around that group, you spotted the light. Some men had made camp and there was a bonfire nearby.
"We'll rest here for a bit, girls." The bandit leader shouted as he gestured down to the fire pit. "Let these men cook our food and we can take a little break. We'll be at the mages soon and then we can continue."
The men began to set up camp. They were a group of thieves and were wanted men. The uniforms were dark, with blackened coals for their eyes. They ran their hands through their hair and pulled their capes back. You couldn't see the colors: the men had blacked the colors so no one could see. You saw the armor and the swords. You had to keep your eye on the men. If they saw you first, they would kill you on sight.
As the men prepared their dinner, they began to talk. They talked about living in the forest and how they didn't want to do that. They talked about how they didn't like the forest, how it was dark and without purpose. Secrets were deeper in the darkness and everything was out there where you could never see.
"This forest is not a place for man." One said. "We tried living here and it was the worst time of our lives."
The other bandits nodded.
"I agree. We should've left when the tower was burning."
"Yes." The others said.
"This place is nasty." Some others said.
"Aye, we're more tired than tired, and a good rest is what we all need."
"When the tower was burning, I saw them. Giants."
"Giants? Like the ones in the town, the ones on the mountain?"
"No, these were different, but it was just the once. They were gigantic. Like we are, but taller, so much taller."
"They were looking to kill, too. How big were they, though?"
"Both of them were as large as you, but shorter."
"That's strange, though, I've never seen them before, but others have." The others replied.
"Well, we could always sleep in them, though it will be hard. They'll probably be there."
"We have the magic of the forest. We could always back up."
"I don't want to sleep near them, though. Don't you have a curse you can use?"
"Yeah, but I don't know if it will work. The bigger they are."
"We can always try, though."
"I agree, however, we should rest. No sense running off right now."
"We should rest, too."
The bandits sat down and put out the fire. They stuck the logs into the damp ground, sealing the embers. Once they had the fire put out, they began preparing food. It was good to know they were getting food even with the search. Perhaps things would go well for everyone, but what about you? You didn't have the coin purse, so you couldn't get yourself any meat. The child was in charge of the coin purse. You were only there to bring them home.
You looked to your right, the forest was as dark as ever. All you saw was trees and blackness, but you could see the giants in your head. You knew they were there, somewhere; they were hidden. Where were they?
"Hey, you over there, you want some food?" The leader shouted. You had to decide. You were hungry and without food, you couldn't keep walking. You were going to have to walk all the way back to the town and then find a way to tell the witch.
You were two days away, but you had your doubts you would make it. You knew you were going to miss the rest of the money. Sometimes, you felt more like a burden. You didn't want to burden the witch, though. She had you there to watch over the child. You didn't know why, but you thanked the gods you didn't have to face them on your own.
Looking to your left, you saw a trail that you could take. You had no trust for the bandits and worried about the ones at their camp. You headed down the trail and turned back.