by B. J. Smash
“I probably would have healed if I didn’t have that iron touching my skin. I tried to tell her,” Drumm said.
I could tell that he was in a considerable amount of pain and it broke my heart. The sooner I helped him align with a tree, the better chance he’d have of recovering. The thing is…how was he going to walk to a tree? I surely couldn’t carry him.
I knew of a weight spell. Izadora had taught me how to lift things up from the ground and to her balcony. These had been light things though, like a pan or a tea cup. Drumm had to be almost two hundred pounds! But it was worth a try.
“I’m going to recite a spell over you. I won’t be able to lift you but perhaps it will ease the weight,” I said.
“Wonderful,” Minnie whispered, and her eyes grew bigger than saucers.
“Go for it,” Drumm said.
Lifting on his arm, I began to chant. According to Izadora, it wasn’t just about the words themselves but it was mostly the will inside the person reciting them. While I chanted the words, Minnie gave Drumm his belongings. His bow and arrows and a bone knife with a leather handle. He put the handle of the knife in his mouth and bit down. I assumed that biting down on something would help him with the pain.
“Weddy,” he said.
Minnie jumped to his other side and we lifted. She wasn’t going to be of much help. She only came up to his chest. But it was the thought that counted; and her big heart that helped Drumm focus.
I chanted and focused like never before. When he stood, he bit down on the knife and groaned. I didn’t want him to pass out and I chanted louder. The spell seemed to be working and his left foot never touched the ground. Minnie and I barely had to hold him up, we were just there to guide him while he hopped on his right leg. The spell was lifting his weight up!
Minnie’s granny was rocking in her chair. She still darned the same socks and as we passed by she spoke in a raspy but delightful voice. “You will save us.”
Lowering my chant, I turned to look at her.
“You.” She pointed at me. “You are sent from someone high up on the witches’ ladder. Someone with high rank. Someone who knows your self-worth.”
“What granny?” Minnie asked, confused.
“She…she is special. Her light…it shines so bright!” Granny pointed at me.
“Okay…” Minnie said.
“Good luck to you dear. And may all that’s holy bless you and light your path.” Granny dropped the darning needles and clapped her hands.
Not being able to break the chant—lest Drumm fall to the ground—I nodded my head and forced a smile. This old lady was creeping me out. Witches ladder? And I wasn’t all that special. I wished I could have explained that to her but there wasn’t any time.
Soon we were outside and making our way through a field of flowers and into the forest. We needed to get far enough away from the house, just in case Minnie’s sister searched for us. Although I had no doubt I could defend Drumm if I had to.
About a quarter of a mile in we decided to rest. We lowered Drumm to the base of a tree. As soon as he was aligned with the trees energy, I stopped chanting and Minnie started talking.
“Oh now that was interesting. What is he doing now? Healing himself with a tree? What? That is amazing!”
I smiled.
“I love animals. I want to be an animal doctor. Can you heal animals this way?” she asked, but never let me answer. “Can human’s do this?”
The answer was simple and she actually paused long enough for me to explain. “Yes. Humans can sit at a tree just like the elven do. It’s really simple. The only problem is, it might take longer. Humans can sometimes have layers of doubt to work through. The elven are taught this from birth. But it can be done.”
“Interesting,” Minnie said. “Are you a tree worshiper then?”
“Absolutely not. The trees were created by the Divine. They are meant to be our friends. We use their wood for our homes and to keep us warm in the winter months. And a lot of medicinal properties come from trees.”
“I get it,” she said, and she continued to talk on and on for a good hour and a half.
By this time, Drumm was relaxed and the color had returned to his handsome face, and I had learned everything about Minnie’s family, and everything that I needed to know about the town of Helsberg and more.
Apparently the town had been cursed by the djinn, although unintentionally, and the bottle only appeared for a few minutes every seven years.
“You have to grab the bottle quickly. It doesn’t stick around that long,” Minnie sat on a tree stump. Her knees were together but her dress was crumpled to the side. Her nails were short and had dirt beneath them. She reminded me of me. My sister always said I was a tom boy but I didn’t think so. I just couldn’t sit still for long and I loved to roam the woods.
“I will do my best to get the bottle,” I said.
“I know you will! I’m so excited about it. I want my mother and father back. My sister is fine and I love granny, but I miss my folks. Once you get ahold of it, you will save the town and it will go back in time to the beginning!” Minnie said.
The way she talked made me want that bottle more than ever. I wanted to help Minnie. I wanted to get her sister’s fiancé back. The pressure was on.
She continued to talk about the djinn bottle. “There is a mystery surrounding the bottle. The bottle itself appears in an eagle’s nest on top of a rocky hillside on the edge of town. But the territory that is cursed, is found behind us.” She pointed in the direction to which I had just come from. “Everyone calls it the Death by Depression forest. The pixies are the only ones who ever dare to go in there.”
“How do you know its called the Death by Depression forest?”
“I’ve ventured in there before. Just for fun. But it was not fun. It made me cry and the pixies helped me out. They told me never to return there. They might not see me and I would probably die.”
I felt sorry for her. She had probably thought of her parents the whole time she’d been in that cursed forest.
“I, too, talked with the pixies. They sent me through there because it’s a short-cut,” I said.
“They talk funny, don’t they? I love it,” Minnie said, and when she smiled she had a dimple in her left cheek.
The whole time we conversed, Drumm listened. At the mention of the pixies and Death by Depression forest, he said, “Sounds like you’ve been having too much fun without me.”
“I know right?” I said with humor.
“Anyway, no one knows why that area is cursed, when the djinn bottle appears five or so miles north of it. And a majority of those below the cliff that you just came up, are cursed to roam the night as werewolves. They don’t come up here too often but when they do, my sister shoots ‘em,” Minnie said.
“Unfortunately, I know about the werewolves firsthand,” I said.
“You do?” Drumm asked.
“Yup,” I said.
“I figured you did. They are nasty creatures. But you’re tough. I can see it,” Minnie said.
I smiled. I didn’t know what to say to that.
“Anyway, it’s a mystery that no one ever makes it to the official race. They all die in the forest. They never make it out,” Minnie explained.
“That’s not good. Must be the werewolves,” Drumm said.
“Must be,” Minnie replied.
The forest darkened and we prepared to say our goodbyes to Minnie as the sun lay low in the sky. The little glowing lights from fireflies were everywhere in the trees and shrubs. There was a chill to the air and it smelled fresh and earthy. It was a magical moment.
“My sister will be returning soon. You better go. She’s going to be mad,” Minnie said.
But before we bid her good-bye, she asked Drumm for a souvenir. It was plain as day that she had a crush on him. “Can’t I have something to remember you by?” She was looking at his wrist when she asked.
He wore two braided bracelets. One had been a gi
ft from me and the other he’d made himself when he was a young boy. He undid that one and handed it to her. “Wear it to remember us by,” he said, but it wouldn’t be me that she would remember. Not so much anyway.
She put the bracelet on her wrist and turned to leave. “Oh, get hidden before the sun sets. Even though the werewolves don’t come here often…they sometimes do. But they usually spend their time in the valley tormenting anyone they can.”
My throat tightened when she said this. Lucian and Solstice. They were right in the heart of the things.
***
Drumm and I nestled into a cozy nook at the top of a giant maple. His breathing was normal and his hip was nearly healed. It had taken several hours for this healing to happen. Normally, it would take at least twenty four hours for something major like this. Maybe even longer. But Drumm wasn’t normal. He had a bond with the forest that other elven did not. He was special in many ways. He, himself, held healing qualities and when combined with the trees spirit there was no stopping him. Unless there was a curse involved, such as with Aunt Clover and her foot.
During this time he asked why I was so sad. “This will soon be over,” he comforted me. I lifted my chin and explained why things were so horrible.
“Lucian is not fine. He is having seizures. The only thing protecting him now is the magic cigarettes that Izaill gave us,” I said. Drumm’s expression didn’t change. He didn’t particularly care for Lucian but they got along for my sake. After all, Lucian wanted me to be his girlfriend and this caused Drumm to barley tolerate him, and I couldn’t blame him.
It was when I told him about Solstice and his near death experience that his face turned down. I think he loved that horse as much as he loved me.
“We may have to forgo the race and return to them. These werewolves that you speak of…they are bad,” Drumm said.
“Are you insane? We can’t let someone like Ella or Ish McTish get the bottle. I highly doubt that William or Tom will get their hands on it.” I sighed, and then continued, “No. You must return to them and I will continue on by myself. It is the only way.”
“I will not leave you,” he said so firmly that I thought it was a lost cause to argue with him but I persevered.
“You will. I will be fine. I’ve made it this far. I am not a little girl. You and Izadora think that I am and I resent you both for that,” I said, but I was only getting started. “You two hide things from me. What is this about my grandfather? Is he dying?”
Drumm swallowed hard and I knew the answer.
“Why?! Why didn’t you tell me?” I said.
“Just simmer down, Ivy. Izadora said it would be best to tell you after the race,” he said.
“Izadora!” I said. I don’t know what got into me but I’d had enough. Something about my grandfather dying and me being the last one to find out, caused me to snap. I gave Drumm an ultimatum right then and there. “When we get back, I’m outta there. I’m headed to Hy Brasil. And you…you must make a choice. Me...or Izadora.” I had had enough. Their secretive ways had pushed me over the edge. No, I wasn’t exactly close to my grandfather but my mother was, and I was close to her. They should have told me but they did not trust me enough to tell me! To me, withholding information was as bad as lying.
“If you don’t trust me. Then I do not trust you,” I said.
I might as well have slapped him. The edges of his lips turned down and his shoulders slouched. “It is only for your own good. We do not want you to think of anything negative. It will cause you to be distracted and you will get hurt.”
“See. You don’t trust me. I’m finished with you guys,” I said. I started to move away from him but he pulled me back. Only this time, instead of sitting next to him, he pulled me onto his lap.
“If I must chose; I chose you.” His turquoise eyes were warm and enchanting. He gazed deeply into my eyes and perhaps my soul. All of my anger melted. I felt like we were lifted above time and space, and that we were the only two beings in existence. Cupping my face with both hands, he pulled me in for a deep, lip-locking kiss. I felt as though fireworks were going off inside my stomach. My legs tingled and so did my chest, but I think my chest tingled because the elven stone lit up like a light bulb.
He dropped his hands and pulled me into a bear hug and I flung my arms around his neck. Soon, our kissing seemed a little rough but it was only because I couldn’t get enough of him.
This was the most passionate we’d ever been; but we were sorely interrupted when the howling started, as the werewolves bayed at the moon. Our mood was ruined and all I could think about was Lucian and Solstice alone in the middle of a field inside a hole.
The howling was far off in the distance but it carried in the wind. They sounded like they were right where Lucian and Solstice would be hiding. I watched the stars shifting position while I sat silently next to Drumm, tears in my eyes. The howling went on non-stop for a couple of hours and I felt like I had to do something about it.
“Drumm. We can’t just sit here any longer.” But I knew if we left now, we’d have to climb down the cliffside and make it through the dark Death by Depression forest. It would be pointless to try. We’d never make it by sundown.
“They’ll be fine. You said they have the cigarettes. They’ll remain invisible…at least for tonight.” Drumm put his arm around me and squeezed. The warmth from his body comforted me but I still remained terrified inside. Lucian and Solstice were a big part of my life and Ian would be heartbroken if I let his nephew die.
The barking and howling continued well past midnight and then stopped. I finally closed my eyes for a few hours of fitful sleep. When I opened them, the sleepy sun was creeping up over the horizon and the sun’s shiny rays were glistening through the mottled orange and grey clouds. The white fog that flowed through the morning forest was illuminated with shimmering golden hues. The air was moist, cool, and smelled lightly of rain and damp earth.
It was peaceful, but it was not meant to last.
Drumm apparently had been up before the crack of dawn searching for blackberries. He had a shirt full of them as he returned and stood at the bottom of the tree. I had to doubt that he slept at all last night, and it amazed me how he could run on no sleep.
“Breakfast,” he smiled up through the long thick limbs of the tree.
I climbed down, jumping from the last branch and stood beside him. He smelled of the forest. A woodsy, piney smell. His golden hair was all in place, hitting right above his shoulders. I don’t think he ever needed to comb it. Every pore on his face was perfect and his skin glowed with health. I oftentimes wondered what he saw in me.
My face felt dirty and I still had a small welt on my nose from the pixie slap that I’d received from Oona. My own hair went every which way and had about three knots in it right this very second. I had taken my braid out late last night for something to do…something to occupy my mind. It was a big mistake. I didn’t have a comb. I raked my hands through it and began to braid it again, but really, at the moment I didn’t care what I looked like.
Drumm placed a blackberry up to my mouth. Just as it hit my lips, we heard a scuffling coming from the bushes. I had just finished braiding my hair, when whoosh, out flew two pixie’s. It was Oona and Tullia. It was evident that they’d been in a hurry to reach us. Oona’s dandelion puff was half gone, and part of her nakedness could be seen through the remainder of the white puffy seeds. Tullia’s daisy petal dress was half torn off.
“You come with Oona! Big boy not well,” Oona screeched in a high pitch voice. She hovered about a foot from my face, grabbing her short pixie hair in her hands. Purple dust scattered over my shoulders and down the front of my shirt. This was a sure sign that she was excited. Pixie’s shed dust when they were overwhelmed or happy. Their emotions can’t be contained.
“Big boy shiver and shake!” Tullia said.
“We come to tell you…you must help. We flew all night to get you,” Oona said.
“Stupid DBD fores
t. I hate forest! It frighten a pixie to drink,” Tullia said as she pulled out some sort of handmade acorn flask and took a giant swig of the contents inside. She then wiped the back of her mouth with her skinny little arm and handed the acorn to Oona. She finished the liquid off, shaking the acorn vigorously above her mouth to get the last drop.
Drumm and I exchanged looks. My eyes were begging him to go to Lucian and Solstice. He tilted his head and bit his bottom lip. I didn’t think I was going to be able to convince him to leave me behind but after a minute of my pathetic staring, he sighed and said, “Okay. I will go and try to help your friend…and protect him from the wolves. But it is Solstice that I worry about.”
A rush of energy flew up my spine, arms and neck. I knew he could easily handle the werewolves and so could Lucian…if he could stop having seizures. All we had was one more day, and I could race for the djinn bottle.
I quickly hugged Drumm and while my face was buried in his chest I said, “Thank you, Drumm,” and I meant it was all my might.
“Ivy.” He pulled me back so he could look at me. “You must be careful. You have one more night out here in the forest. Do not trust anyone and stay hidden. When you get to the final race…run like you’ve never run before. Get that djinn bottle. And then we can go home and forget this ever happened.”
“I will. I will get the bottle,” I said. But first, I’d have to make it out of the forest alive.
The whole time Drumm and I were talking, I could hear Oona and Tullia discussing how Drumm had the appearance of an angel and how ravishingly handsome he was.
“Good luck.” I shook my head, but the corners of my lips went up.
“Oh he nice man boy. Big arm,” Tullia said.
“Ooo! Tullia…look at butt,” Oona giggled. They were being candid as pixies often were.
Drumm must have heard them as well. His face tinged red. He shook his head and said, “Pixie’s hush. They’ll be no talking on our journey.”
