It was now late afternoon and the sun had finally returned. Nog had been sitting with his brother while he slept. Grog had fallen asleep almost immediately after Henry had successfully extracted the darkness from him. Henry was now sitting under the old oak with Bree in his arms. Bert sat next to them just staring out into the dappled shade of the trees. “Have you any idea where Ben is?” Bree whispered so as not to wake Grog. Bert shrugged. “Could be anywhere… never tells me nuffink… just goes off when it chooses him.” Bree shifted a little, having sat for a while now and feeling a little more than discomfort from the damp ground. “Can I ask what Ben does…? I know that you protect and maintain the woodland… but Ben… Well, he tends to do as he pleases.” Bert chuckled. “Ah… he does that alright… does as e pleases.” He paused. “But e is a good guardian… no… I’d say e’s a great guardian… e knows everything that’s appening around ere.” He shifted a little. “See… e as this gift… and can follow all living creatures through their own eyes… Can see every nook and in every corner of the woodland… if e wanted… e could ear everything we say right now.”
Just then, Ben walked into the clearing. “I don’t have use any of my powers to know that… I could hear your mouth a mile off,” he growled. Bert gave him a welcoming smile. “Ya back, then?” he said. Ben walked over to them both. “You have always been one for the obvious, old friend.” Ben answered and then sat down to inspect his paws. Bert watched with a smile on his face. He had disappeared sometime in the night, having decided to make absolutely sure that the woodland was safe again, but didn’t feel it necessary to tell anyone that he was leaving.
As Bert had explained to Bree, Ben had indeed spent the night looking through the eyes of many woodland creatures. He had tried to check every nook, every ride and every hiding place for danger, but could see or sense nothing, except… Something didn’t seem quite right at Nappers Wood, and it bothered him that he couldn’t quite make out what it was. There was definitely something out of place, but it didn’t seem to be dangerous. That said, it still bothered him enough to investigate it as soon as he had finished up here. Satisfied that his paws were now clean, he looked up to Bert. “Not much happening here… Thought the boy would have run off home by now.” Bree gave him a glare. “He is at home,” she said, with a tone in her voice which made it clear for Ben to be civil. Ben just sniffed. “What’s with the nymph?” he asked, but didn’t really expect an answer. Bert then told him about Henry and his visit with Acca, and that he allowed Henry to see his mother one last time, and then went about telling him how Henry had helped Grog to heal. Ben as usual didn’t seem interested or even too impressed: in his eyes, Henry was the host master and it was his duty to do such things. He had never looked for any praise or recognition for what he did, so why should the boy? Ben got up and sniffed the air, and without saying anything, he started to walk off again.
“Leaving us so soon?” Henry called out, sarcastically, as he opened his eyes. He hadn’t been asleep and was listening to what Bert had to say. Ben stopped and turned around. “We will be seeing a lot of each other from now on… So every second I can find to myself… I’ll take… Nothing personal.” He paused. “You done well, Henry Harris… your mother would have been proud.” He turned and started to walk off. “Be seeing you,” he called back. Bert stretched and got to his feet, yawning. “Spose it’s time for me to say my goodbyes… for now at least… As my o’mucker says… we’ll be seeing a lot of ya.” he looked at Bree and then back to Henry, holding out his hand for Henry to take it. “This is now ya home, lad… Stay with the girl and she’ll see ya alright…Ya mother knew what she was doing when she chose er to look after… It gonna be ard, mind ya… but you’re a strong lad.” He then looked to Bree. “Take good care of our lad ere.” She smiled and nodded. “Not to worry… I will.” With that, Bert turned to follow Ben.
Standing up, Henry watched as Bert disappeared into the trees, with Bree cuddled up in his arms. “We’ll see them again soon, my sweet,” she said softly. Henry sighed, for some reason he suddenly felt a surge of panic: although he still had Bree and the two brothers for company, he felt alone and vulnerable. What was he to do now? Up to this point, there had always been someone to tell him what to do next or what was expected of him. He felt the loss of his mother and Alfwald, his aunt and his best friend. What was he to do now? Bree held his arm tighter: being a soul-joiner, she could easily sense his emotions. Although she could understand why he was feeling this way, she was a little hurt that her company wasn’t enough for him. “Let us join the brothers,” she said in a jolly, upbeat manner, hoping to snap him out of his mood. Henry looked down to her and nodded.
Grog was now standing up and seemed to be in quite good spirits considering how ill he was earlier. On seeing Henry and Bree approaching, he gave them both huge smiles. “Master,” he called out, “you look a lot better. Master heal Grog… thank you.” Henry smiled. “No need for thanks… I’m only too pleased that I could help.” Nog stepped forward. “Yes… yes… lot of needs to thank… Master saved Grog.” Henry knew he’d get nowhere arguing with them, so he just smiled. “So… what do you intend doing now?” Henry asked for the second time. “I mean, where do you both intend to go?” Nog looked at his brother and then back at Henry. “Stay with you master,” he answered, looking a little confused. “Yes, master… stay with you.” Grog affirmed. “Haven’t you got a home to go to… or somewhere you’d rather be… I’m in no danger now and have no idea what I’m supposed to do next… The shadow master is no more and the only thing I can do now is to wait for Acca to call me again… And who knows when that will be… you would both be better off doing your own thing than following me around aimlessly.”
Both Grog and Nog looked hurt. “It’s not that I don’t like your company… but…” Bree then tugged on Henry’s arm, indicating that she wanted to speak. “What your master is trying to say… is that we must have a little time to ourselves now that things are more settled…We need to rest and get to know one another better,” she said softly. “Grog… you still have a lot of healing to do… and Nog, so do you,” she continued. “Bree’s right… we all need to have some time out… You have both served me well… and you must be as tired as any of us… So go home… rest… and when the time comes for me to call you, we’ll meet up back here.” Nog looked at Grog and then said, “Master will call us.” Henry nodded. “I will… I promise.” Grog stepped forward. “But master doesn’t know how.” Henry smiled. “Your master does… I have the Wyvern to show me.” Henry walked over to Grog and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve had enough of this master nonsense… We are friends, are we not?” Grog nodded. “Yes, master, friends.” Nog stepped closer. “Friends for life, master,” Henry sighed. “Then friends should call each other by their first names… So from this moment on you will call me by my given name… no more ‘master’… right!?”
The two brothers didn’t look at all convinced but agreed anyway. “So,” Henry insisted. “Yes, Hen… Henry,” Nog stuttered. Henry looked back to Grog. “Well?” Grog looked a little awkward but nodded. “Henry,” he said, as if it was the hardest thing in his life for him to say. After a few hugs and handshakes, and having made Henry promise a number of times to call them, Grog and Nog stood back. “You will call us… mast… Henry,” Grog said, still unsure about leaving. Henry nodded. “I’ve promised that I will.” Bree smiled and gave them a little wave. With sadness in their eyes they both started to shimmer until eventually they were gone. For a few brief minutes, both Bree and Henry stood staring at the spot where two of the strangest but most loyal friends had just vanished, Bree took Henry’s arm again. “We’re finally alone,” she said, as she gently ran her finger over the large scar on his face. Henry looked down at her: they were still wearing their dusty ripped clothes and their hair and faces were unwashed. Goodness knows what he looked like, but to him, Bree was as beautiful as ever.
For the rest of that day Bree and Henry just sat under the old oak talking.
It was the first opportunity they had had since they met to really try and get to know each other better. Henry spoke first of his childhood and his life with his mother and how strict she had been on him over the years, and, more recently, how she felt that he should work for his uncle. The mere thought that his mother and uncle were no longer part of his life felt almost unbearable, and he had to compose himself a little before he could continue to tell Bree what he did with his spare time other than music and computer games. He had little else to tell her, but Bree was interested to hear of the technology he had in his home. Until the point when she met Henry, she had been forbidden to venture outside the safety of the woodland, and it had never been allowed for any woodland creature to mix or even speak to a human, and so to Bree everything Henry had to tell her of his life was new and exciting: cars, TVs, telephones and even electric lights fascinated her, and she questioned Henry on nearly everything.
After that, Bree told Henry of her life: as far as she was concerned, it wasn’t as nearly as exciting as Henry’s had been. However, Henry didn’t feel that way: in fact, he was just as fascinated to hear of her life as she was of his.
Bree then spoke briefly of her parents, and, like her, both were woodland nymphs, and she hoped to introduce him to them sometime soon. She seemed to have had quite a simple life amongst other nymphs. She explained that there were three types of nymphs living within the woodland, tree nymphs, water nymphs and of course woodland nymphs. All had specific roles. Being a woodland nymph, her role was to tend for the woodland in general, and ensure that it remained disease-free. It was just then that Henry decided to ask a question that had been bothering him ever since they had first met. “Why you?” he said, stopping Bree in mid-sentence. She looked at him a little confused, “I mean, why were you chosen, above others…? You said yourself that there are hundreds if not thousands of nymphs my mother could have chosen from… so why you?” Bree shifted a little, uncomfortable with the question. For her, there was nothing to say: as far as she was concerned they were meant to be together and it wasn’t her place to question it, so for Henry to ask such a question was more than just hurtful.
Bree lowered her head but didn’t answer. Henry put his hand under her chin and gently raised her head so that she was looking directly in his eyes. To his surprise, she had started to cry again. “What is it?” he asked. Bree pulled away and shook her head. “You should never ask such a thing… I’ve never even thought of questioning our relationship… and neither should you… We are meant to be… That’s enough for me and it should be enough for you,” she answered, sounding hurt.
Henry still didn’t understand why she was reacting this way. As far as he was concerned, he had said nothing wrong. It wasn’t as though he was questioning their relationship, just how his mother knew that Bree would be right for him. “I’m sorry if I may have upset you.” Bree gave him an evil look. “Alright… I’m sorry that I have upset you… I’m not questioning us… You have to know that I love you and always will… It’s just… I wonder how my mum knew that we were right for one another?” He took Bree’s hands. “Look, I’m sorry… I’ll say no more on the subject…” He paused and turned her face towards him. “Pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Bree got up and brushed the damp leaves off her trousers. “Your mother didn’t have to find me… when the time came, she called and I answered.” She paused. “Unlike you… I had no choice… I was born to be with you.” She paused again and turned to walk away. “It may not be enough explanation for you, but it is for me.” With that, she walked across the clearing and sat some distance away. Henry sighed, got up and walked over to her. “It’s enough for me that you’re here.” She looked up and Henry gave a smile. “I love you so much… my sweet Henry!” Bree shouted as she jumped up into his arms. Henry held her tight. “You had better do,” he said, “because I wouldn’t know what to do without you.”
Sophia had spent most of the day replenishing a small part of the woodland that had been affected by the shadow master. It made her feel sick to the stomach just to walk around the woodland: so much damage had been done by the shadow master and its followers, and it would probably take her weeks, if not months, to replenish it all. She had decided to first repair the areas where the humans walked, which was mainly along the trackways and rides. The barrier she had put up around the woodland had now been dispersed, so people could now come and go as they pleased. Although Sophia had no love for humans, surprisingly, she did feel that the woodland was a sadder place without them. She loved to hear the children run and laugh through the trees as their parents chased and called after their dogs.
The more she thought about it, the more she realised that she didn’t hate humans after all. They were generally a good race: if only they could see past their own noses and look at what they were doing to this world. They were intelligent and had the technology to change the world for the better, but instead they followed leaders like lost lambs who squabble and fight over money, power and land, allowing these few inept and incompetent people to lead them into wars, whilst they sat on their high and mighty seats in safety and watched while others died or suffered. She recognised immediately that she was allowing her emotions and bitterness to take over her thoughts again. That was exactly what happened before, and it eventually turned her into a recluse, so she turned her thoughts instead to her sister, remembering her smile and annoyingly optimistic views on life, and instantly regretted the distance that she had deliberately put between them. She had always thought that Hazel would always be there, but now that she was gone, somehow she felt that a large part of her had gone with her.
Sophia knew that, without her sister, life for her could never be the same again, but she was determined to make the most out of her life. No more the recluse, she was actively going to help Ben and Bert care for the woodland and aid her nephew if and when he needed her. Even though she had a newfound determination, Sophia still felt strangely empty and alone, and for the first time in her life, she felt as though she needed to be with someone. She had always lived alone and had preferred it that way, but now she was unsure of herself and of her future. Her feelings towards Mylon had affected her more than she had at first realised. She missed him so much, but at the same time, she cursed him for waking up emotion in her that, until recently, she had managed to subdue. She craved his company, his reassuring manner and his smile… Just thinking of his smile made her heart jump a beat. She had made up her mind: once she had finished here she was going to visit him and tell him of her feelings for him. He might not feel the same for her, but at least she would know where she stood. The uncertainty of his feeling towards her was almost as unbearable as being apart from him, and she needed to put her mind at rest one way or the other.
Having spent the past few days healing the woodland, Sophia felt that it was time for her to make her way back home, a cosy little place that was nestled within a large yew tree. Although she had been busy most of the day healing, she wasn’t feeling at all tired. In fact she felt refreshed, a welcome side effect whenever she used her healing powers. But as she approached the clearing around her home, she sensed that someone was ahead, waiting. She slowed her pace and inched forward whilst sending out her senses. Whoever it was, they were not trying to conceal themselves. “Aunt Sophia,” Henry called out as she entered the clearing, taking Henry by surprise. She rushed forward, leaped into his arms and hugged him so tightly that poor Henry found it difficult to breathe. “I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, making no effort to hide her feelings. She stood back and took his hands. “You will come in,” she said, sounding almost like a plea. Henry nodded. “We have nowhere else to go… so.” Sophia smiled. “So you would like to know whether you can stay,” she said, now with a different tone in her voice.
For a second or two she didn’t answer, allowing Henry and Bree to think that she was about to say no, but then she smiled. “Of course, dear nephew… you may stay as long as you wish… This is your home.” S
he took Bree by the hand. “Now that you are family… it’s your home, too.” Bree leaped into Sophia’s arms. “Thank you… thank you!” she shouted, realising what she had done, and then quickly stood back. “Sorry, my lady,” she said with her head lowered. Sophia placed her hand gently under Bree’s chin and lifted her face. “No need for apologies,” she said, smiling, “and no more my lady… As I said, we are family now… So why don’t you call me Aunt Sophia?” Bree’s smile beamed across her face. “Aunt Sophia,” she said.
Once inside, Sophia and Bree immediately set about making up the fire. Although it was cold outside, surprisingly, Sophia’s little home felt warm and cosy even before they had lit the fire. Henry walked over to the old armchair and picked up a green cape that was lying over its arm: it was the cape his mother was wearing the night they left their home. He put it up to his face to rub it over his cheek: he could still smell his mother on it. She had always smelt so sweet. Bree and Sophia stopped what they were doing and watched as Henry looked down at the clasp.
Running his fingers over the Wyvern, he thought back to that night and how wonderful she looked. Sophia walked over to him and placed her hand gently on his shoulder, taking the cape in the other. “May I keep it?” she asked softly. Henry looked up into her eyes and for a second said nothing. He then offered it to her and sat down quietly in the chair. Sophia took the cape into her bedroom and lay it gently over her bed, then joined Bree in making a hot drink and broth. “Let’s eat,” Sophia said, trying to sound upbeat. Moments later found the three sitting around her small, round table, tucking into a bowl of hot vegetable broth. Sophia placed her spoon down and said, “Right… what shall we do tomorrow?” Henry looked up from his bowl of broth and glanced over to Bree with a confused look on his face. “Would you both like to join me…? I have a lot of work to do and could do with the company.” Bree nodded in agreement, so Henry shrugged his shoulders. “Sure… we’d like that.” Sophia smiled, picked up her spoon and continued with her meal.
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