Kosara thrashed and turned on her bundle of skins. The voice was tormenting her again. Not but a week had passed since it first appeared in her dreams and began beckoning at her. 'Come!' It urged her. But come where? Ko wasn't raised to believe in deities. Mama Yaga always said nature itself was a goddess-like existence to them. She always taught Kosara to respect and fear nature. Ever since she'd found the little girl abandoned deep in the woods.

	Ko had been so terrified. Coming face to face with the old woodland crone. She'd thought the monster had come the eat her alive because she'd been a bad girl. But then she'd remembered she hadn't been a bad girl. Not for quite awhile now. She'd even gone to the woods with her bigger sister to gather mushrooms for dinner. And than Sasa had said she'd heard a sound and had gone to investigate, instructing the younger girl to stay put. And Kosara had done as she was told. And had waited for her sister to come get her. And waited. And waited! But Sasa hadn't come back. Instead Mama Yaga had appeared in all her terrible glory. Vested in the disguise she used to scare people away from the more precious parts of the woods.

	And the decrepit old crone had taken the scared little girl in and raised her as her own. Teaching her the ways of the druid. About herbs and healing plants. About all things alive in the forest. And as the girl grew up, she learned how to hunt and how to give respect to the forest for providing them with game and fruit. And as she became a young woman Mama Yaga called on her one day and said it was time to pass on the mantle of 'Baba Yaga'. And she taught Kosara how to disguise herself and how to make her own disguises. Thus Ko became 'Baba Yaga', the infamous woodland crone that was said to eat little children who didn't listen to their parents and ventured too deep into the woods.

	'Come, and hurry!' The voice beckoned once more in Kosara's dream. The voice so persistent that the young woman woke with a start.

	"That dream again, girl!" The gruff, wizened voice of Mama Yaga inquired. She was handing her adopted daughter a cup with some tonic.

	"Mhm." Ko mumbled sipping on her tonic.

	"Don't talk while drinking." Mama Yaga scolded. "It's bad manners!" The old crone shook her head. "Why do you make me repeat myself?!" It was not so much a question as a parental complaint.

	Kosara swallowed and lowered her head chastised. "Sorry, Mama." She sipped some more of the nerve soothing tonic and continued. "Yes. It was the same dream again." Ko hesitated. "Only this time it felt more intense."

	"I know we've talked it over and none of us likes it. But maybe you should go."

	Kosara sighed. It was true that the two of them had discussed the call of her dreams. They didn't trust it and had decided Ko should ignore it. But it had been getting worse with time. Almost unbearable. So when Mama Yaga said maybe she should go, Kosara couldn't help but agree. The young woman nodded. "I agree. But go where?"

	"I suppose whoever or whatever put out the call will guide you in the right direction. You just take to the woods and follow." The crone stood up allowing Ko to do the same and begin preparing for the road ahead. "And you be careful, girl, ya hear!" The gruff voice of the old woman was surprisingly gentle and filled with emotion.

	"I will, Mama!" Kosara promised and hugged her old mother tightly, but gently. As she pulled away she smiled. "You've taught me well."

	"Aye! That I did. Now go!" And Ko was off.

[hr]
	As the druid traveled through the familiar woodland terrain she could feel the call getting even stronger and more intense. While at the same time the light of the day was beginning to dim. Ko lit a torch and continued onward, careful of her surroundings. Mindful not to disturb the forest creatures with her trek through their territory. At the same time she kept her eyes peeled for any druidic messages her fellow druids might have left. Mama Yaga had taught her to recognize and understand the language way back when she was still a little girl. But Kosara didn't see any druidic signs in this forest.

	What she did see however was something akin to a tower way in the distance, peaking through the foliage of the trees. [i]There! Go there![/i] Something spoke inside her and Ko made to obey, but as she put her good foot forward an invisible wall halted her progress. The druid's face scrunched up in confusion. "What the...?" She followed the obstacle in length in both directions. "Is this some joke!? First you call and now you won't let me pass!" Kosara was about to go into a fit of nerves when she heard Mama Yaga's voice in her head. [i]'And remember, girl, anger achieves nothing but distract you from your goal. Don't give into it. Whenever you feel it consuming you, sit on the forest floor, take in the smells of the trees and animals that surround you and let nature calm your soul.'[/i]

	Ko took a deep breath and did as Mama Yaga had once instructed her when she was a little kid and would get frustrated with her druid lessons. She sat on the forest floor, stabbed the torch near her, and allowed the feel of the forest to engulf her. And slowly but steadily she felt her anger and frustration seep into the soil. Not too long after she felt the invisible barrier disperse and the call beckoned yet again.

	"Aye, I'm coming!" She got up, took her torch and continued calmly towards the tower.