The farmhouse was dark and shut up. The meadows were overgrown and seemed abandoned. The farm roof was crumbling at the back; it was covered in black plastic sheeting. They jolted over a ridge and Shadow saw it there.
It was silver-gray and it was higher than the farm-house. It was the most beautiful tree Shadow had ever seen: spectral and yet utterly real and almost perfectly symmetrical. It also looked instantly familiar: he wondered if he had dreamed it, then he realized that no, he had seen it before, or a representation of it man, many times. It was Wednesday’s silver tie pin.
The VW bus jolted and bumped across the meadow, and it came to a stop about twenty feet from the trunk of the tree.
There were three women standing by the tree. At first glance Shadow thought they were the Zorya, but no, they were three women he did not know. They looked tired and bored, as if they had been standing there a long time. Each of them held a wooden ladder. The biggest also carried a brown sack. They looked like a set of Russian dolls: a tall one – she was Shadow’s height, or even taller – a middle-sized one, and a woman so short and hunched that at first glance Shadow wrongly supposed her to be a child. They looked so much alike that Shadow was certain the women must be sisters.
The smallest of the women dropped to a curtsey when the bus drew up. The other two just stared. They were sharing a cigarette, and they smoked it down to the filter before one of them stubbed it out against a root.
Dusty, ancient wood, horehound, and sage, with viper’s bugloss, mugwort, chamomile, nettle, apple blossom, chervil, and ashes.
Marina Hazeltree –
I am so glad I got an imp of this one. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it has become one of my all time favorite perfumes. To me it has a freshly cut wood scent, balanced with something sweet and powdery. It simultaneously reminds me of the woods and the desert. It also gives me imagery of a dark fairytale or of the Wizard of Oz for some reason. Anyway, words can not describe this perfume, I just adore it.
hankins –
Wasn’t sure about this one but it grew on me (pun intended) It works well with a pumpkin spice lotion I use sometimes. Too bad Autumn is over now for it is a perfect scent for that season. Reminds me of some kind of sweet tobacco in a pipe but not overpowering
Erin –
Sweet, sweet sweet. Sickly sweet. All fig, no green. I found it a little nauseating honestly, but it is very identifiable as fig, which is interesting. If you’re into sweet, foody scents this is definitely for you!
grateful_mama –
I adore this scent! Out of the bottle it was fig and cocoa, sweet and rich. On the skin and dry, a hint of cassis and dark berry with warm, subtle spice crept in. After a few hours the fruit fades away, leaving softly spiced vanilla and cocoa with a hint of the original fig. Gorgeous.
phoenix.simms –
I fell in love with this one when I got a free imp of it in a Christmas order. It’s intense on me, but not overpowering. A spicy yet green scent. The fig is balanced out by whatever notes make this smell more earthy. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes warm yet green scents.
Rebecca –
For me, this is quite sweet and fruity (figgy?) in the imp, but as soon as it hits my skin a more resinous note takes over. It continued to evolve on my skin, lasting quite a while (which is rare for me). Complex and outdoorsy, and I wore it for yoga and it made me feel flexible and strong.
Lydia –
I got this one as a sample, so I was surprised to find it in my box and wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. It smells about the same on my skin as it does from the vial- earthy, warm, sweet, and…figgy. It’s a bit too sweet for my personal tastes, but I think it could ring out very well on the right person.