Seven years had passed since the fall of Avonland.
Alan was no longer the frightened boy who had watched his kingdom burn. Under Merlin's supervision, he had spent years learning the fundamentals of combat, survival and magic.
His education began with books. He studied history, geography, mathematics, ancient languages and the traditions of distant kingdoms. Merlin believed that a warrior who understood neither the world nor his enemies would eventually become a victim of his own ignorance.
Physical training was considerably less forgiving.
Alan learned to ride horses across difficult terrain, wield a sword, shoot a bow, wrestle and fight without weapons. He trained in rain, snow and scorching sunlight. When he became exhausted, Merlin ordered him to continue until his movements were no longer dependent on strength alone.
"Your opponent will not wait until you are comfortable," Merlin often reminded him.
Alan was particularly skilled with a sword, but he had a dangerous habit of allowing his emotions to dictate his decisions.
His desire for revenge made him impatient.
Merlin recognized this weakness and decided that Alan's first expedition would be a test of judgement rather than strength.
One evening, he summoned the young prince to his chambers.
"My prince, you are ready to undertake your first journey."
Alan stood before him, wearing his training clothes and carrying the sword he had received upon completing his initial lessons.
"Where must I go?"
"East, beyond the great mountains, into the ancient forests of the Slavic territories. There lives a witch known as Baba Yaga."
Alan had heard the name before.
"Why must I find her?"
"Because she possesses something you need."
"What is it?"
"A horse unlike any other. It is swift, intelligent and capable of surviving journeys that would exhaust an ordinary animal. However, it belongs to Baba Yaga, and she does not surrender her possessions without demanding a price."
Merlin approached a wooden table and unfolded an old map.
"Your journey will take you through several villages before you reach the forest. Find a small settlement at its eastern edge. There, you may encounter a girl who once escaped the witch's household. She knows the paths leading to Baba Yaga's dwelling."
Alan studied the map carefully.
"What should I expect?"
Merlin's expression became serious.
"Do not mistake her appearance for weakness. Baba Yaga is old, but age has not diminished her powers. She commands the creatures of the forest, and even the trees surrounding her dwelling may become your enemies."
He handed Alan a small leather pouch containing provisions and a compass.
"Remember something, Alan. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is the ability to think clearly when fear threatens to control you."
The following morning, Alan departed.
His journey took him through mountain passes, dense woodlands and unfamiliar settlements. He travelled on foot whenever the terrain became too dangerous for a horse and slept beneath trees when there was no shelter available.
After thirty-one days, he reached a small village bordering an enormous forest.
There, he found an elderly woman living in a modest wooden cottage. She listened carefully as Alan asked about Baba Yaga.
At first, she refused to help him.
"Many have entered that forest," she warned. "Few have returned. The witch eats those who displease her, and her servants obey her without question."
Alan explained that he meant no harm to the villagers and only wanted to acquire the witch's horse.
The woman studied him for a moment.
"You speak like a prince."
Alan said nothing.
Eventually, she agreed to show him the beginning of the forest path.
Before he departed, she told him the story of a young girl who had once escaped Baba Yaga's household through kindness and cleverness.
The girl had been sent to the witch by her cruel stepmother, who wished to be rid of her. Before entering the forest, however, the child had sought advice from her aunt.
Her aunt instructed her to treat the forest's neglected servants kindly.
The girl followed that advice. She fed the starving dogs, oiled the rusty gates, tied a ribbon around a birch tree that threatened to strike her and gave the witch's neglected cat a piece of ham.
When Baba Yaga revealed her intention to eat the girl, those same creatures helped her escape.
The witch pursued her, but the girl eventually reached safety.
Alan remembered the story.
He realized that Baba Yaga's power did not necessarily come from the creatures surrounding her. It came from the fear she had cultivated among them.
He entered the forest alone.
The deeper he travelled, the darker the surroundings became. Enormous trees blocked the sunlight, twisted branches stretched across the path, and strange webs covered the trunks.
Eventually, he discovered a clearing.
At its center stood a peculiar wooden hut supported by enormous chicken legs. A fence made of bones surrounded the property, and human skulls decorated its entrance.
Alan approached cautiously.
"Hut, turn your back to the forest and your front towards me," he whispered, repeating the words he had learned from the village woman.
The hut creaked.
Its enormous legs shifted, and the entire structure slowly turned towards him.
A door opened.
Inside sat an elderly woman with a long nose, tangled grey hair and eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness.
"Who are you?" she demanded.
"A traveller who has lost his way."
Baba Yaga smiled.
"Then come inside, my dear boy. Travellers should never be left outside in the cold."
Alan stepped through the doorway, keeping his eyes on the witch.
He had already noticed three things.
An old beehive hung from a nearby branch. A three-headed dog guarded the entrance. And outside the hut stood a magnificent black horse, its body covered in scars and its eyes glowing faintly red.
That was the creature Merlin had sent him to find.
Alan knew better than to approach it immediately.
Instead, he placed fresh flowers inside the empty beehive, offered a piece of meat to the three-headed dog and left a loaf of bread near the horse.
Baba Yaga watched him from the window.
"What a thoughtful little visitor you are," she muttered.
She disappeared into another room.
The moment she was gone, the three-headed dog approached Alan.
"Leave this place, master," it whispered. "The witch intends to kill you. Take the horse and flee before she returns."
Alan was startled but did not hesitate.
He climbed onto the horse, loosened its restraints and urged it towards the forest.
The dog opened the gate.
Behind him, Baba Yaga emerged from the hut.
"THIEF!"
Her scream shook the trees.
The witch raised both hands, and the ground trembled. From the depths of the forest emerged a gigantic troll, its body covered in moss and its arms thick enough to break tree trunks.
It charged after Alan.
The prince urged the horse forward. Its speed was extraordinary, but the troll was closing the distance.
Then the beehive came alive.
Thousands of furious bees descended upon the creature, attacking its eyes, mouth and exposed skin.
The troll roared, stumbled and crashed into a fallen tree.
Alan escaped through the forest.
He did not stop until the witch's screams had disappeared behind him.
For the first time, he understood that winning a battle did not always require killing an opponent.
Sometimes, a little kindness could accomplish what a sword could not.
He had acquired his first companion.
And somewhere behind him, Baba Yaga was already planning her revenge.