Baba Yaga understood the longing for the woods, for it was in the darkness of the forest that she had always resided. However, her realm was a world in and of itself, the darkness between this world and the next, transition and rite of passage for any youths who could endure the impossible things Baba Yaga would set them to. She understood that the 21st century carried a new darkness with it, harrowing places in the imagination and in the cities where no one but the bravest dare tread. It was in these blind spots she resided. Always. She had slipped into the glamor of 'wandering bag lady' in the middle of the twentieth century, knowing, seeing, the benefits that would offer her.
So the loss of her house and her suffering the plight of a frigid fall season were, at best, her own doing. "Ah, yes, I have been through much. Haven't we all?" Said, in a bittersweet yet pointed way, after sipping down a hearty bit of the cider. She picked up the spoon, trailing it through the thick soup for a moment, bringing a spoonful to her lips, and slurping quietly, minding her manners. Celtic lore and the Russian stories from which she came had been painted in a variety of different lights and colors over the centuries, a palette of hideous misinterpretation and religious fervor claiming and changing knowledge over something for which there would never be proper understanding. So yes, they had been through much, these two, and perhaps that is why she felt Merlin a kindred spirit.
Her features brightened and warmed with each sip of soup and cider she took - and, if one peered closely, the lines on her face became more subtle, smoothed. "Thank you once more, Merlin. I promise not to trespass what space you deem... personal." She smiled inwardly, her words carefully chosen. Her brows rose slightly in delight as she spoke. "And, I will cook for you. Food has always been a specialty of mine, you see. My house will find a niche for itself, and I will find it when it is ready to be found. I fear the thing is confused by this century."
She paused in thought.
"Why ever would I worry about things while staying in your generous company?"