Page 22 - The Flickering Cauldron Magazine - April 2022

The Hedge Wytches would have died out, through either persecution or just plain bad life luck, were it not for the fact, they knew there were others, like them, they knew why they were there, they saw the Fey Folk, they kept the Pact.
The Pact holds true to this day thousands of years later, the Wytches do still keep watch, they still proffer Gold once a year. Not all the descendants of the original thirteen survived down through the generations, but enough, just enough do still live on.
The first War of the Fey Folk and Man, took place during the second full moon of that year, the Pact was agreed during the third full moon of that year, and the Fey had all travelled to the new realm by the sixth new moon.
The Fey Kings journeys in our realm twice a year are now the stuff of legend, to our modern calendar he can move on the full moons nearest the end of April and October only whereas his subjects can travel for a night each full moon journey from one portal to another.
Sometimes, or so I am told, not all decide to go back to their realm, some stay for a moon or so, curiosity? Trickiness? Who knows?
What I do know, though, is that the Fey King still looks to ensure that Man's side of the Pact is kept, The Fey may live in a facsimile, a beautiful and peaceful facsimile, but they are as aware now as they were thousands of years ago, that is only a facsimile.
Spare a thought for the Watchers, the Hedge Wytches as they are sometimes called, everyone’s value is not always obvious from a first glance.
There also needs to be more Rock Cakes in the world!
22 | The Flickering Cauldron® Magazine - The Watchers