by Toni Cox
“I would almost say you are enjoying yourself, Aaron. It seems the adventure life suits you.”
“I have to admit, the first few days within the forest were not my favourite.” Goosebumps formed on his arms just thinking of that very first day. “It changed. Surely you can feel it, too. We have had it easy ever since we set foot within the forest. The only thing we have not managed to do is find Maia.”
Rothea stopped in her tracks. “That’s it,” she said, laughing. “That is why we have not reached the edge of the forest. It is protecting Maia and preventing us from finding her, or at least it is delaying our journey long enough for her to get away.”
“How can that be possible?”
“Aaron, don’t be naïve. We know Maia was in this forest. We know this forest is enchanted. We are being purposefully delayed. The forest means us no harm, which is why you feel safe within it now, but it will not allow us to go any further either.”
“Then, what do we do now?”
“We carry on,” she said. “There will come a time when Maia is too far away to keep up the magic she has placed on this forest and it will release us. I am sure, once we are outside its borders, Wolf will pick up her scent again.”
“You think Maia is making the forest do this for her? That her magic is doing this?” Aaron asked in awe.
“I have learned not to underestimate Maia’s magic. I cannot say for sure that it is her magic alone doing this, but I am sure it is the reason. This forest has magic of its own and if Maia asked it to protect her from us, I am sure the forest would comply.”
“Can we then not ask the forest to release us? You have Earth magic. Will that not work here?”
“My magic is Water, but even if it was Earth, I am not that powerful.” She laughed again. “But you may be on to something. Come, let us get to camp.”
“I am?” he asked, following her.
“We shall ask. If all of us use our elemental magic to ask the forest nicely to release us, maybe it will listen. Even you can ask.”
“I don’t have any magic.”
“You think you don’t, but I think it is in there, somewhere.” She cuffed him gently on the arm.
Wolf bounded out of a bush to their right and greeted them by jumping up on Aaron. He staggered back under the wolf’s weight, but rubbed his shaggy fur while the wolf licked his face. He had formed a bond with the animal over the past couple of Quarters and it was seldom that he went anywhere without Wolf by his side.
“Come, Wolf.”
The wolf fell into step at his heels and they continued on to their camp. As the Scout said, the camp was ready to move. Rothea checked that everything was in order, before gathering them around to tell them about her plan. There were a few sceptical faces, but by now everyone was willing to try something new.
As they marched, Rothea instructed him on how to speak to the forest. Two years ago, he would have thought it silly, but by now he was so used to the Elves’ magic and so close to nature himself, he did not even think twice about it.
Around noon - it was so difficult to tell within the gloom of the forest - the Elves started to sing. Aaron recognised it as one of the songs they sang when asking the trees to accept a new tree house. He knew only a few of the words, but he learned quickly and was soon singing along with the Elves.
As the light faded, they made camp again. They had slipped into an efficient routine and soon the fires burned brightly and cooking pots steamed with the promise of food.
“I did not know you could sing like that,” Rothea said as they sat around their fire, waiting for their food to be ready. “You have a beautiful voice.”
Aaron glanced at her to make sure she was not making fun of him. What he saw in her face, however, was not what he expected. Surprise he could have understood, but the look of adoration she now gave him brought the blood to his cheeks. It wasn’t so much the fact that an Elf thought his voice beautiful that made him blush, but the fact that Rothea thought it was beautiful.
During their travels, Aaron came to know Rothea well and to respect and admire her. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty, and brave. It made him uncomfortable, at first, but he soon came to appreciate her company.
A pang of guilt struck him as he thought about Maia. She was the reason he was here. She was the one he loved. He frowned, a ball of bitterness rising up from the depth of his soul. Maia did not love him. He knew that now. As he searched his feelings, he wrestled that bitterness back down. For two years he had been trying to convince himself that Maia was still the love of his life. It was only now, during this journey, that he allowed himself to see Maia for who she was, and not for whom he wanted her to be. Maia was not the woman he wanted anymore. She was destined for other things and he … he had a new life to live.
Rothea’s eyes sparkled in the firelight and her lips turned up in a smile, waiting for him to reply to her compliment.
“I have never sung before,” he confessed. “I did not know I had it in me.” He laughed. “Maybe you’re right. There might just be magic within me, after all.”
Rothea reached out and put her hand on his. Her hand was warm, even in the frigid evening air.
“I know there is magic within you. You only need to believe in it.”
The cold air stung his hand when she removed hers as a Server came to bring their supper. “With your help, I may just find it.”
“I have no doubt, Aaron. Look how far you have come already. You now sit on Mist King as if you were born to riding. You hold your own against most of my men in a swordfight and you have made such progress with the bow. If the people of Shadow Hall could see you now, they would not recognise you.”
“It is all this hard training you put me through.”
“Am I too hard on you?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t change a thing,” he said, laughing. “Look at me. I must have put on two stone in muscle mass alone since you’ve been training me. My clothes are getting too tight.”
“I think they fit you perfectly,” Rothea said, looking down and dipping her spoon into her food. “I also like how you’ve cut your hair. It looks good.”
Although Aaron had enjoyed his hair longer and tied at the back, it became difficult to manage without regular showers. A few days ago, taking his hunting knife, he had cropped it close to his head; similar to his style on Earth, just more unruly. He thought it a bit of a mess.
He took a bite of his own food; he did not know how to respond to Rothea’s praises. He was not a shy man and self-confidence came naturally to him, but this current situation brought a blush to his cheeks as if he was a teenager. His normal, charming and witty self retreated from the onslaught of Rothea’s compliments and left him completely tongue-tied. He barely managed to smile and nod to acknowledge she had spoken.
They ate in silence for a while. Never before had they felt uncomfortable in each other’s presence, but today he could have cut the atmosphere between them with his sword. He was relieved, yet saddened, when Rothea finished her food and excused herself to retire for the night.
Scolding himself for not engaging her in conversation and keeping her by the fire longer, he took Wolf with him when he went a ways into the forest to relieve himself.
“What am I to do, Wolf? Am I imagining things? Does she really like me? I feel like a boy, all giddy and a bundle of nerves. I didn’t know I could still feel like this.”
Wolf tilted his head as he spoke, listening.
“I need to put it out of my mind. We cannot travel with something like this hanging over us. Maybe, if she still feels the same when we get home, we can revisit this … whatever this is, at a later date.”
Wolf yipped, followed by a soft growl.
“I know, Wolf. You probably have no idea what I am saying. I’ll be all right, don’t worry.”
Wolf growled again, deeper this time. Aaron looked at him, taking note of his stance and body language. The wolf stood to attention, his tail straight out behind him and his
nose pointed towards a gnarly tree a few paces ahead of them. Aaron looked at it with narrowed eyes, his hand on the knife at his belt.
Wolf took a few steps towards the tree. He still growled, but now his tail wagged. The animal was torn between uncertainty and curiosity, making Aaron wary. He knelt beside Wolf and put his arm around him.
“What do you see, Wolf?” he whispered.
Wolf whined and licked his face before resuming his watch of the tree. Aaron could still not see anything, but had learned to trust the animal. If Wolf thought something was there, then there was. The hairs on the back of his neck stood erect as Aaron stared at the tree through the darkness, but could feel the tension leaving the wolf, now trying to worm his way out of Aaron’s hold.
He let go and Wolf trotted forward. The wolf approached the tree with deference; half crouched, with his tail wagging between his hind legs. When he reached the tree, he sat down and whined.
A black shadow separated from the tree, moving in such a way Aaron could not decide on its shape. Goosebumps prickled his skin as the shadow bent and reached for his wolf. With wide eyes, Aaron watched as the thing stroked Wolf’s fur, uttering strange noises as it did so.
Finally, the thing stood tall again and came forward. In the darkness that surrounded them, it was difficult to tell the black shadow from its surroundings and, had it not been for Wolf’s relaxed attitude towards it, Aaron would have run.
When the shadow came to halt a few paces from him, Aaron saw its eyes for the first time. Trembling, he stood his ground as he felt it probe his mind. It was a gentle touch, yet violating at the same time.
Aaron blinked as images of Maia, safe and sound, flashed through his mind. The idea to abandon their search took root in his mind as he was shown the way out of the forest.
Wolf came to stand with them and the shadow bent to touch the wolf one last time before turning and disappearing into the darkness as if it had never been.
Rooted to the spot, Aaron stood for a long time wondering what had happened. Looking for Maia did not seem so urgent any more, but he now knew exactly where to go to reach the western edge of the forest. He could not remember why they wanted to get to the western edge, but knew it was the closest exit from their current location.
Mentally shaking himself, he urged himself to move. It had become fully dark by now and he used the flicker of light from the campfires in the distance as a guide. Wolf walked calmly by his side.
“How do you know?” Rothea asked in the morning when he told her the way to the edge of the forest.
“The Riven told me,” he said without knowing the answer before he spoke it.
“The Riven?”
“Yes. He has been preventing us from leaving the forest until now. He has looked into my mind and has decided it is now safe to let us go. He has shown me the way and has asked that we leave as soon as we can.”
Rothea looked at him with big eyes. First shock, then respect crossed her face. Finally, a smile appeared on her lips.
“You spoke to a Riven. I have never known anyone who has spoken to a Riven.”
Rothea was obviously impressed and word spread quickly around camp. Those who had until now only seen Aaron as the strange Human, soon fell in line with those who already respected him.
They packed up camp quickly and every time someone passed him, they called him My Lord and nodded respectfully. The change in the Elves’ behaviour unsettled him at first, but as the day went by, they fell into a new routine and he realised he liked it.
They now treated him with as much respect as they treated Rothea and, as he was the only one who knew where they were going, came to him for counsel every time the path split, or they crossed a patch of forest where there was no path to follow.
As the light began to fade within the forest, Rothea muttered about setting up camp. Once they decided on a place to stop, Aaron peered into the trees ahead and saw a red glow. It had been over a Moon since he had seen the sunset and it took him a moment to realise what it was.
“Let’s not stop here,” he said, leading Mist King onwards. “The edge of the forest is but a mile ahead. Let us carry on and sleep in the open tonight.”
Eager, they marched on and reached the treeline twenty minutes later, catching the last rays of the sun before it set behind the mountains.
“Thank you, My Lord,” the men said as they filed by to set up camp in the clearing, Rothea standing beside him, smiling.
“You have done well, Aaron,” she said when they were alone. “You have led us out of the forest and given the men a chance to look at the sun before it set. Thank you.”
“I only followed directions,” he blushed again under Rothea’s praise, “but even I am glad to have seen the sun. I do not understand how the forest can be so lush within without ever seeing the sun.”
“Magic, Aaron,” Rothea laughed, and he laughed with her.
“Shall we retire, My Lady?” he asked, and gestured for her to go ahead.
“Aye, My Lord.”
They saw to their horses before settling at the already established fire. Their tents stood in a large circle around the main fire, with smaller fires set out between the tents. For the first time in a long time all sat together, instead of spread out at individual fires between the trees of the forest.
The mood became more festive as the evening wore on and someone produced a flagon of wine.
“Tomorrow, we shall hunt,” Rothea announced to the delight of everyone.
They had been living off their rations, as they had not been able to hunt anything while inside the forest. Only their animals had eaten well - the forest provided a variety of herbs and grasses for the horses to graze on - and Wolf had been allowed to hunt birds and rodents.
Even Aaron was looking forward to a juicy, grilled piece of meat and he went to sleep that night dreaming of hunting a stag.
He woke to the sound of people moving outside his tent and quickly dressed and then unlaced the opening, sticking his head out to see what the commotion was. He blinked rapidly in the bright light of morning.
“Good morning, Lord Nightingale,” Rothea greeted him. “I see you slept well.”
“I did, indeed. What time is it?”
“Well past sunrise.” She laughed. “Don’t worry, you are not the only one who slept better last night than many a night in the forest. Come, there is porridge for breakfast, but the sooner we eat, the sooner we can go out to hunt.”
Aaron did not have to be told twice. They ate their breakfast in a hurry and then saddled their horses. Ten of them would be going, while the rest remained at camp, including Wolf. Aaron shouldered his bow and tied his quiver to Mist King’s saddle.
They rode out towards the north until they reached the end of the valley. Rothea knew this part of the mountains well and led them higher up, riding until mid-morning. When they reached a pebbly river, they stopped to water their horses, before riding on through a narrow canyon, which led to another valley.
This valley was wooded and they soon rode through the shade of tall pines and cedars. He did not mind being in this forest. The scent of pine needles accompanied them and sheltered them from the cold wind that blew across the mountains.
Finally, the group split up, riding on in pairs to hunt. Rothea guided her horse to beside his, and quietly reminded him of everything she had taught him about hunting while they were in the dark forest.
Aaron remembered it all and the bow in his hands did not feel as alien as it once had. Soon, he managed to point out the spoor of a deer and they followed it for a while until the spoor became invisible on rocky ground.
They continued on through the forest, now silent, looking for signs of their prey. Aaron thought they might not find anything, when suddenly the horses’ pricked their ears forward.
Rothea motioned for them to halt and Aaron gasped softly when he saw the stag in a sunny clearing about a hundred paces from them.
The stag stood with its back to them, looking towa
rds a river in the distance. Something held the stag’s attention and he did not notice the two riders approaching. Rothea checked the wind, but it blew towards them and would not give them away.
With an inconspicuous hand motion, Rothea signalled for him to dismount. They left their horses behind and continued on foot, using the trees as cover as they stalked the deer. Aaron’s breathing became rapid as his excitement grew and he tried to calm himself, talking steadying breaths as Rothea had shown him.
When they were only fifty paces away, the stag’s ear twitched and they stopped in their tracks. The stag lowered his head and they thought he was going to graze, but then he looked up again, fixing his stare back towards the river.
They continued, slower than before, careful not to startle the stag. Finally, only thirty paces separated them from the animal, and both knelt beside a tree and notched an arrow. Rothea nodded to him, giving him the go-ahead to shoot first.
Aaron breathed in deep, then exhaled long and slow. As the last of the air left his lungs, he let his arrow fly. It was a perfect shot. The arrow left his bow with a twang to fly straight and fast towards the stag.
With eyes wide and now breathing heavily, Aaron watched as the stag startled at something coming from the river. It turned on the spot, darting off into the forest to its right before Aaron’s arrow could find its mark.
Rothea stood, frowning, looking towards the river. Aaron rose from his knees, upset at his misfortune, but concerned about what had scared the stag away. Rothea looked worried and he followed her gaze.
“Run!” she suddenly shouted and pulled him backwards by his sleeve.
Glancing back, Aaron saw nothing as they hurtled towards their horses. Mist King stood firm as Aaron put his foot in the stirrup, but he could tell the horse was agitated. The moment they were both in the saddle, the horses galloped back the way they came out of their own volition.
