Forbidden Forest

by Tenaya Jayne

  ****

  Forest was fighting down the panic creeping up her body. She was unsure if they were lost or not. Had she taken a wrong turn? Syrus waited silently behind her. They stood on the edge of a large clearing that Forest had never seen. The trees appeared to have been cut down recently. This must have caused Shi great heartbreak. They had obviously stumbled upon an area where werewolves frequently gathered. The smell of them was everywhere.

  It looked like a place used for relaxation and revelry. The silver river snaked through the clearing, and she could tell where they used it as a swimming hole. The ground was flattened with footprints, paw prints, and a wolf’s partially transformed beast prints. Cold fire pits and forgotten or discarded articles of clothing littered the ground. Forest’s eyes carefully scanned the entire area. Off to their left was clearly the path the wolves used to travel to and from this spot. They would have to skirt that path at all costs.

  Syrus stiffened next to her. She had heard it too—voices approached down the wolf’s path. Forest momentarily froze as she considered fight or flight. Running would put the wolves on the hunt and that was the last thing they wanted to happen. Fighting was a good option if they weren’t too outnumbered. Hiding was impractical in such close range; the wolves would easily catch their scent. She listened closer, trying to determine how many might be coming when a familiar voice whispered in her ear.

  “Wolves are coming. You must hide, Forest.”

  “Ssshhhiiiii?” Forest hissed through her teeth.

  “You must hide,” Shi’s disembodied voice said again. “This way.”

  A light breeze sailed past Forest, lifting her hair. She watched the direction of its wake. Forty feet away, the leaves of a very large tree swayed in the ghostly breeze. It was the only tree the breeze caressed. Shi was directing them to safety.

  “Over here!” Forest whispered urgently to Syrus.

  They ran silently to the tree. Forest couldn’t see how standing behind a tree was all that great of a hiding place. Did Shi want them to climb it? Forest placed her hand on the trunk and walked around it until she saw the concealed opening. The trunk was partially hollow. She grabbed Syrus’ hand, and they both squeezed into the tiny crevice hidden in the base of the massive tree.

  Forest’s heart thundered in her ears. The wolves hadn’t spotted them but could this hiding place cover their scent?

  “Don’t worry,” Shi whispered in her ear. Syrus apparently couldn’t hear her. “They will smell nothing.”

  Forest exhaled in relief as she heard the wind pick up and blow their scent away. The dark confined space sandwiched her and Syrus together face-to-face. The pain that lay sleeping in both of their chests awoke and began winding searing ropes around their hearts. Worse than that was the knifing sting within the eyes. Forest winced in pain, and Syrus hissed through his teeth. After a long moment of agony, the pain eased and mutated into a pulling sensation that drew them tighter together.

  The two wolves tromping through the area were both in man form and grumbling to each other in broken French. They clearly weren’t there doing anything official or stealthy given the amount of noise they were making. Forest strained her ears to catch some of what they were saying.

  “Pour quoi suivons-nous Philippe du tout? Il est fou.”

  “We follow him because he’s crazy. Do you want to stand up to him? Oh…uh… parce qu'il est fou. Voulez-vous se tenir jusqu'à lui ? Did I say that right?”

  “Yes. I mean Oui. Je pense ainsi.”

  Forest was afraid that if she kept listening she might laugh when Syrus captured her mouth in a slow and devastatingly sweet kiss. She barely had enough room to pull her head back from his.

  “Are you crazy?” she whispered. “What do you think you are doing?”

  He smiled broadly. “Taking advantage of the situation. Duh.”

  “If those wolves discover us, we may both be dead.”

  “Exactly my point,” he said under his breath and captured her mouth again.

  Forest could have protested further, but her heart wouldn’t have been in it. So she merely sighed and sank into him. Mortal danger all around, and she couldn’t remember ever enjoying herself more than making out with him while squished into the trunk of that tree.

  A long time after the wolves had passed them they still had not resurfaced to the world, even though it was perfectly safe for them to do so. Syrus’ lips were so tender and intense; Forest could almost feel the folds of her brain unraveling.

  “We need to go, Syrus,” she said against his lips.

  He shook his head back and forth. “I don’t think it’s quite safe yet,” he murmured crushing her mouth again.

  “Don’t you want to find the wizard? Get your sight back? Kick lots of wolf ass and become the king?”

  “All in good time.”

  “We’ve been here for over an hour,” she protested feebly.

  He smiled against her mouth before kissing her deeply again. “And I’m not even close to being finished with you.”

  “This is ridiculous, Syrus. Let me go.”

  Her tone had returned to its usual lilt. He sighed in defeat and they both grunted and pushed themselves out into the open again. Forest squinted in the afternoon sunlight. Syrus rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. Likewise, Forest stretched and took a few deep breaths of fresh air.

  Forest looked around, trying to locate the hidden path that the wolves play area had disrupted. They skirted the clearing before getting back on track. The scent of wolves was everywhere, but it all smelled old. Syrus followed her without a sound, and she could feel the outreaching of his senses, scanning for danger in a vast circumference around them.

  The day was wearing thin, and they needed to make it to the Heart before they stopped for the night. Forest’s body was set in motion like the gears of a clock. She pushed on steadily, though her feet ached and her stomach was empty. Comforted in the knowledge Shi watched over them, and with Syrus so focused on their surroundings, she could move them along quickly, their destination her only care.

  As the afternoon moved into evening, Forest’s comfort began to slip. The massive trees grew very close together, and their intertwining branches gave off the feel of being under a basket. They had covered a good amount of ground, and she was anxious to keep going, but her stomach was tugging petulantly on her esophagus. Syrus had not made a sound or spoken a word, but she was sure he must need a break as well. She was disquieted that they had met no one and nothing. She told herself not to buy trouble, but her instincts were growing jumpy.

  “Let’s stop for a minute,” Forest said quietly.

  “Fine by me,” Syrus replied emphatically, shrugging off his pack and sitting down against a tree trunk.

  Forest rummaged in her backpack until she found a granola bar. She practically shoved the thing down her throat whole. She washed it down with some Mountain Dew and fished out a bag of gummy bears from the side pocket of her pack. Syrus had finished off one of his bottles and was drinking deeply from another.

  “I found some gummy bears. Want some?”

  “Oh! Yes please!” Syrus said with childlike enthusiasm.

  Forest shook her head in amusement as she watched him over-chew the candy before feeling a pang of sorrow that they would be parting soon. She would miss him and the silly little ways he made her laugh. She fought down the urge to hurry them along and decided to take another few minutes.

  “Are you excited?” she asked.

  Syrus’ face went strangely blank. “I can’t let myself get excited.”

  “You’re just holding it at bay. You’re excited underneath.”

  “Yes. You’re right, Forest. But I’m trying to not be excited. I’m trying not to think about getting my sight back.” Syrus leaned his head back against the tree and sighed. “I smell water.”

  “Yes. We’re very close to the waterfalls.”

  “There’s more than one waterfall?” he asked.

  “Oh yes. The
re's the main falls, but if you know where to go, as I do, you’ll find a whole network of smaller falls with the most beautiful pools and caves. I like the smaller falls better because they are fairly hidden and provide privacy if you want to take a little dip.”

  “Hmmm. Taking a little dip sounds really good about now,” Syrus said with a little smile.

  “Yeah it does. You ready to go? Night will be here soon, and I want to get to the Heart. Maybe we’ll find Ol’ Maxi tonight.”

  Syrus got wearily to his feet. “I dare you to call him that to his face when we find him.”

  “Ha! I’ve done some stupid things in my life, but I think I’ll refrain from adding that to my list.”

  They began walking again. Again, Syrus stretched his senses out around them; Forest could feel it. It was like walking inside a bubble. She looked back at him and could see the strain around his eyes and in the tightness along his jaw. She continued to glance back at him to see when he would begin to feel the beating of the Heart. She was sure he would feel it before she did. Forest decided to circumvent the falls as they drew near them. If she detoured there, they would not keep going tonight.

  The trees pulled closer together. The ground cover became so thick that it slowed them down considerably. They had to walk over many layers of exposed tree roots and twisting vines. It was so compact and jumbled that for the first time since Forest had met him, Syrus truly looked and acted blind. His feet tested every surface before putting his weight down, his hands outstretched around him, groping through the space.

  “Why is it like this all of a sudden?” he asked.

  “It’s the ribcage protecting the Heart. We're very close.”

  Syrus took another ten paces and stopped short. The protective bubble popped. Forest looked at him. He was feeling it now. His skin covered in goose bumps and his hair stood on end.

  “Forest,” he whispered, “there’s a …I feel…wow…it’s like a buzzing through my whole body. The force of it is astounding.”

  “Just wait till we get closer.”

  Syrus moved faster, drawn to the Heart like a magnet. As they approached, Forest began to feel it as well, only she didn’t feel buzzy. She felt the pulsations like a cold burn that shot right through her with every throb. The trees and foliage were so thick around the Heart that it hid the marvel from sight, until you were right upon it. She was sure Maxcarion would be close.

  Forest spotted the Heart and paused, watching the black flames dance. She had feared it would be so. The last time she had seen the Heart, the flames had been green. Regia’s Heart was manifesting sorrow. Syrus stood next to her and took her hand.

  “Describe it to me, Forest.”

  “Oh, well…” She said rather breathlessly. “There are twenty trees of the Heart and they stand in a perfect circle around the manifestation. The trees are all identical, and they are all as clear as crystal so they look like they are made of the fire they protect. Their leaves chime the music the manifestation bids them. Do you hear it?”

  “Yes,” Syrus whispered reverently. “It’s heartbreaking.”

  They stood there hand in hand, silently experiencing the personal affects the Heart had on them. Forest began to feel drained as the Heart pulled energy from her, while Syrus had never felt more alive or powerful. He began to pull her forward, but Forest dug in her heels.

  “It’s too painful for me, Syrus. I don’t want to get much closer.”

  “It’s painful for you?”

  “Yes, very.”

  “It’s not painful for me,” Syrus said.

  “I can see that. You’re practically radiating.”

  “You stay here. I want to go to it. I have to.”

  Syrus’ hand slipped from hers, and she watched him as he moved slowly towards the flames. The only thing she could think of was that it was affecting him like this because he was a mage and his powers were somehow tied to the world’s spirit.

  Syrus reached the Heart, walked between the crystal trees, and stood in the fire. Forest didn’t move, mesmerized by the sight of him standing in the manifestation. It seemed like he was there only a few moments, but when he returned to her, the night had fully fallen.

  Syrus was wrapped in what felt like strong static electricity, but apart from that, he looked unchanged.

  “What happened?” Forest asked.

  “Other than the fact that I feel terrific, I can’t really say anything happened. I didn’t know if it would kill me, speak to me, or bless me in some way, but there is no deity in the fire. No singular personality.”

  “So what is in the fire?” Forest asked.

  “Emotion. It told me nothing, but I certainly felt. I don’t understand why it exists, but it seems to be the accumulation and outpouring of the world’s emotions.”

  Forest smiled at him. “That’s why it is called the Heart.”

  “So what do we do now?” he asked.

  “We backtrack a little to the hidden area of the smaller falls and we make our camp there.”

  They walked hand in hand again. The throbbing in their touching palms was painful, but Forest didn’t pull her hand away because his excess of energy began to feed her lack. She held tightly to his hand as she reminded herself again that their time was almost over, and the knowledge began to choke her. How could he not know they were mates? Would she have known by now? If she had not seen her true form reflected on his eyes, would she have guessed?

  Forest found a small sheltered area amid some towering boulders to make their camp in for the night. Would this be their last night together? She wondered sadly, as she laid her sleeping bag out on the ground next to Syrus’. She looked at the two separate sleeping bags side by side and was seized with the urge to zip them both together. If he touched her tonight, if he kissed her, if he acted at all amorous, could she refuse him? Could she refuse herself and the desire of her hard and battered heart?

  Maybe the real question was not if, but did she have the guts to take something for herself? Just a few hours, that’s all, a few hours to feel worthy, a few hours to feel loved.

  Forest’s breath shuddered, and everything inside her pulled to the center like a fist. It was nothing more than a fantasy, she told herself. To indulge would carry too high a price. She took a deep breath to relax the clenching inside her. The fist slowly eased open and then hung limp. She was simply exhausted.

  “Forest?” Syrus was standing high above her on one of the boulders protecting their campsite.

  “Yeah?” there was hardly any strength behind her voice.

  “Could we go to the falls before you go to sleep?” he asked.

  Her arms hung like dead weight at her sides, and her head felt thick. “I don’t think I can right now, Syrus. I’m just too tired. Let’s go in the morning, okay?”

  “Okay,” he said easily.

  Syrus jumped down next to her as she crawled into her sleeping bag. She could still feel the energy he’d gleaned from the Heart pulsing off of him. He probably wouldn’t need to sleep for a week. He sat down next to her and stroked the hair off her forehead. She was three-fourths asleep already.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.”

  “Yes, and Shi will protect us.”

  “Really?” Syrus asked.

  “She saved us from the wolves today. She’ll keep us safe.” Forest’s words were slow and slurred.

  Syrus said something in reply, but Forest didn’t comprehend the words; she was tumbling through the darkness and the mist.

  Syrus waited until he was sure that Forest was sleeping deeply. So, Shi was protecting them? Well, if the dryad ghost/goddess of the wood was watching out for them, he couldn’t see any reason why he shouldn’t take a little stroll down to the falls alone. It wasn’t that far away, and if there was a problem, he could be back in a moment’s time.

  He got up and walked out of the protective circle of boulders before using the same incantations to open his eyes as he had back at Forest’s house so he could look at
her while she was sleeping. Forest didn’t stir an inch as he whispered the words over and over, nor was she disturbed by his quiet moan of pain as his pupils released and opened.

  The darkness was a blessing; it eased him into processing what he was looking at. At first, there were only shadows and shapes, and then gradually his sight grew stronger until it was like looking through very dirty glasses. Excited and energized, Syrus loped off towards the sound of the waterfalls.

  The night sky was clear overhead, the moon buoyed up by the surrounding stars. The whole wood around him felt empty. The vacant feeling was alarming, but he reminded himself that they were secure in Shi’s protection. The light from the falls ahead undulated through the trees, making everything around it appear to be underwater.

  Syrus’ breath caught in his throat as the falls came into sight and involuntary tears instantly welled up and ran down his cheeks. It was the most astounding natural beauty he had ever seen. Silverlight was an apt name, the proper name, the only name for this place. He had never seen water with these properties before. It had the same opalescence that other Regian water did, but it moved slower, as though thicker, and the violet/silver light was not a reflection on the water. The light came from the water itself.

  He breathed deeply, enjoying the fresh fragrant air, heavy with mist. If only he could gaze upon all this clearly. He would come back here once his sight was restored and spend a good amount of time. He stepped into the water not minding that it soaked the bottoms of his pant legs. The temperature was perfect to refresh without giving a chill. It felt like his skin gulped the water up, and the pain in his feet from walking barefoot all day, was gone. The stones around the water’s edge all glittered and sparkled, imbued with the water’s light. He understood why this place was constantly fought for over the eons. And his mind snapped into, ‘I will be king someday’ mode. Wouldn’t it be fantastic if the Wood could be made neutral like Paradigm? Open for the enjoyment of all? Could such a plan be executed successfully? Surely with Forest’s help and her connection to Shi, it could be done.

  Syrus wished he could stay there all night, but his sight was fleeting, and he wanted to look at Forest again before it was gone completely. He sighed sadly, taking in the beauty, but now that the idea of looking at Forest was back in his head, he found that more enticing than the falls. He hurried back to their camp; his sight growing dimmer every second. He landed on his knees next to her, she was still sleeping deeply. He had expected her face to have changed since he’d first seen it, but it was the same.

  Even though he had a mental image of her that he looked at constantly in his mind, the blurry reality in front of him affected him as strongly as it had before. His lungs constricted, and again he felt it was entirely unfair. A force so strong he couldn’t even give a thought to holding against pulled him to her. Just one kiss was all he needed to ease this terrible ache. As the last glimmers of sight faded into blackness, Syrus pressed his lips against hers.

  Forest did not wake.

  Chapter Sixteen