Eternal Forest

by Faith Naff

  Shimmer didn’t know what to do. She was still wearing her armor, but her sword had been taken from her by the soldiers that imprisoned her. She, like her centaurian comrade, was defenseless against these crazed warriors. “Run!” she shouted as she scrambled back to her feet. A wild swing of the soldier’s ax struck nothing but the night air as they quickly moved from its trajectory. They scurried away, only to be stopped dead in their tracks by another soldier wielding a broadsword and looking just as crazed as the other.

  Caught between two mad centaurian warriors, Shimmer and Kadek ducked down as the two soldier’s weapons collided above them with a loud clang and a bright spark. Kadek wrapped his arms around Shimmer and rolled out of the way with her while the centaur’s bodies smashed together. As Shimmer rolled onto her back, her eye was able to catch a glimpse of the soldier’s battle ax plunging deep into the neck of his opponent. The victim let out a gargled yell as he fell to the ground, his head barely attached to his body.

  Fresh off another kill, the soldier turned again to the fearful elf scrambling across the ground like a startled snake. Determined to not be distracted again, the soldier raised his ax over his head and suddenly thrust it forward. His grip released and the weapon sailed end over end towards Shimmer’s head. Instinctively, Shimmer brought her hands up to her face. She knew it was a useless gesture as the force of the projectile would smash right through her small hands and cleave her head in half.

  Suddenly, Kadek rotated his body, positioning himself directly between Shimmer and the approaching ax. With the small centaur directly in front of her, Shimmer could clearly see the look of shock and pain on his face as the projectile slammed into his back with a loud crack. Kadek’s eyes flew wide open as a trail of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

  “No!” Shimmer shouted. So many terrible thoughts went through her head. First, there was the horror of her new friend dying in front of her. Next came the realization that, if one of the destined were to die, their journey may suddenly find itself at a disappointing end. The Lady said that all must be together to unleash her army within the blight. She wasn’t even sure what that meant, and now she may never get the chance to find out.

  High above them, the centaurian soldier pulled a small sword from his belt. With his pray wounded, he prepared to go in for the kill. His momentum, however, was suddenly halted as his eyes rolled back in his head and his sword fell to the ground. As his limp body collapsed into the dirt below, Cricket appeared overhead with his bow grasped in his outstretched arm. “Quite enough of that,” he said to himself.

  “Cricket, help!” Shimmer shouted in desperation.

  Cricket descended down onto Shimmer’s shoulder. He wasn’t sure what he, or anyone else, could do for the fatally wounded centaur. All he could do was watch in gut-wrenching heartache as blood trickled down from Kadek’s mouth and pooled on the soil below them. “There’s nothing we can do,” he said softly.

  “Get… get…” Kadek struggled to say.

  “What is it?” Shimmer cried desperately. “What do you need?”

  Kadek took in a deep breath, a motion that was obviously very painful. “Get… this thing… out of me.”

  Shimmer was confused. “Removing the ax won’t save you,” she said mournfully.

  “Just… trust me,” Kadek replied with a smile.

  Still not understanding but willing to trust, Shimmer let go of Kadek and let him fall upon his own hands for support. She quickly raced around him and grasped the handle of the ax buried very deep into his back. Her fingers wrapped tightly around the leather wrapped handle and gave a strong pull. It took several pulls to get the blade to even start moving, each one jerking the poor centaur’s body violently. Still, she persisted as Kadek requested. With a final pull and a loud, suctioning sound, the bloodied ax blade emerged from Kadek’s massive wound. With the ax in her hand, Shimmer looked down at the injured centaur in awe.

  From top to bottom, the gaping, bloody wound on his back began to seal up. Little by little, the skin of his back knitted back together as his blood coagulated instantly. Soon, all that was left was a long, jagged scar, and even that mark began to recede into his skin as it lightened in color. Moments later, Kadek’s back was completely healed with no sign he’d ever been struck.

  Freshly regenerated, Kadek sprang to his hooves. He quickly turned, coming face to face with the bewildered elf and faerie below him. “Thank you,” he said.

  “Lady’s grace!” Shimmer shouted. “How did you do that?!”

  Kadek gave Shimmer a hand to her feet. “How else do you think a puny centaur like me has survived in this barbaric place for so long?” he asked with a smirk. “I’ve spent all my life being beaten, bruised, bloodied, and worse. The Lady blessed me with the power to regenerate, and it’s kept me alive all these years.”

  “That’s astounding,” Cricket said. “No wonder a little runt like you has survived this long.”

  “Shimmer!” shouted a welcomed familiar voice from amongst the chaos. Everyone quickly turned to see Valdin leading the charge through the warring centaurs with his sword outstretched and his clothes splattered with blood, thankfully not his own. Snowflake and Rosewood were close behind, moving fast to keep up with their human companion as he raced towards their lost companions.

  “Valdin!” Shimmer shouted with joy.

  Valdin dropped his sword as he reached her, allowing him to pull her into his chest in a tight, grateful embrace. “Thank the Lady,” he said softly. “I thought I’d lost you.”

  Shimmer gasped for air as Valdin held her in his arms. It was there again, the rush that took her breath away, the touch that made her skin tremble, the warmth that made her feel safe and at home. She felt all these things again, and now she had no question of what they meant. She wrapped her arms around his back and closed her eyes, letting a single tear roll down her cheek. “You’ll never lose me again,” she said softly.

  Kadek trotted over next to them, looking at Valdin with a coy smile. “Well, now I see what all the fuss was about,” he said playfully. Shimmer and Valdin released each other as Shimmer turned to introduce their new companion.

  “Everyone, this is Kadek,” she said.

  “Are you the centaur destined to end the blight?” Rosewood asked.

  Kadek nodded. “I am indeed,” he answered.

  “Fantastic!” Snowflake said with a joyful smile and hope-filled eyes. A loud crash behind them stole attention away from the reunion. Another centaurian soldier had fallen dead at their feet, the wide-eyed look of terror in his last moment forever left on his lifeless face. Shocked, everyone looked up to see Lord Ironhoof himself towering over them with his enormous sword in hand, stained tip to helm with the blood of countless centaurs that had dared to defy him.

  “You damned bipeds brought this upon us!” he shouted in terrible rage. “Your blight has destroyed my village!”

  Valdin glared angrily. “Your ignorance and pride have destroyed your village,” he said. “The blight will only follow to finish you off.”

  “Die!” Ironhoof shouted angrily as he lifted his sword high into the air. Before the blade could fall upon them, another sword burst forth from his sternum, sending a spray of blood out over the ground. The blade retracted and Ironhoof stumbled to his side, revealing the black-haired soldier behind him. The bloodied blade in his hand was familiar to Shimmer, for it was hers.

  As Ironhoof struggled to maintain his balance, the black-haired soldier dropped to his back knees and looked deep into Shimmer’s eyes. He held the helm of her blade out to her in trembling hands. “You came here with great purpose, didn’t you?” he asked weakly.

  Shimmer nodded. “I did.”

  The soldier swallowed a mouthful of blood. It was tragically obvious that he wasn’t long for this world. “You know how to end the blight, don’t you?”

  Shimmer nodded again. “Yes,” she said reassuringly as she turned to face Kadek. “And now that I’ve found him, we’re one step clos
er to riding the forest of it.”

  As Shimmer took her sword, the soldier placed his bloody hands upon her shoulders. “I was wrong,” he said humbly. “My arrogance and pride blinded me, and now they will be my downfall, but you must carry on.” From behind them, Ironhoof regained his footing and turned towards them with rage in his eyes. “Go now!” the soldier cried out. “I will hold him back while you escape.”

  “He will kill you!” Rosewood protested. “Come with us.”

  The soldier shook his head. “I am too weak and would burden your journey. If I am to help, let me be the sacrifice that sends you on your way. Stop the blight. Save our forest.” He let out a sigh as a small smile crossed his lips. “Save, the Lady’s forest.

  Shimmer swallowed her fear and sorrow. “I will,” she promised.

  “Die!” Ironhoof shouted as he took up his sword once again.

  “Get going!” the soldier shouted as he wearily rose to his hooves again. Shimmer and her companions ran for the eastern road and out of the village of Ironhoof. The sounds of clashing swords mixed with the cries of the dying, filling the air with a haunting melody of death. None could bear to turn around as they heard the final battle cry of a redeemed soldier with only one path left to him now, nor could they at the sound of the blood-spilling slash that sealed his fate.

  Chapter XVIII

  With the turmoil of Ironhoof’s civil war behind them, Shimmer and her fellow travelers marched on down the road as quickly as they could. At first, their hurried pace was to put as much distance between them and the bloodshed as possible. However, once the cries of the dying no longer echoed through the trees, a new realization crept into their minds. Their path now was northeast along the northern most roads in the Lands of Order. It was the road that connected Ironhoof to the human settlement of Medowgold, which sat at the northernmost edge of the Lands of Order. Very soon, they would be out of room to run from the blight. Once it caught them again, they would be in it until the very end.

  With night still upon the forest, Rosewood was chosen to lead the way, guiding them by the green light emitted from her staff. There was no time to sleep, not even to rest. Hours had passed and the blight could well have already consumed Ironhoof, or what was left of it. With its reach ever expanding, it would creep up upon them sooner than they could possibly imagine. Were it to find them sleeping soundly, they would be dead for sure.

  Shimmer walked alongside Valdin as closely as she could, though she dared not touch him. At least for her, things were now crystal clear. She loved him. She didn’t know if she should, if it was right, or what it would mean for her future should they survive this ordeal, but it was a fact she could not escape regardless. It was the hidden truth in the back of her mind that had forced itself upon her, and now she didn’t know what to do with it.

  While she was sure of her own feelings, Valdin’s were still a mystery to her. Each time she contemplated it, her thoughts returned to the goblin raid and how useless and annoying he had found her. But, just before these memories would crush her spirit, she would recall other memories that offered another perspective. She remembered how he held her as Snowflake prepared to sacrifice herself. She remembered her lessons with a blade at the crossroads until dawn. Shimmer was certain that Valdin no longer despised her, but did he love her? Could it even be possible that he felt for her as she did for him? She wanted so badly to know, but had neither the courage to ask nor the wisdom to even know where to begin.

  Other attentions were turned towards their new traveling companion. The centaur, Kadek, was quite a character with plenty of stories to tell of growing up in a culture radically different from what any of them had ever experienced. Rosewood and Snowflake walked on either side of him as Cricket buzzed overhead. Not only did his presence breathe new life and hope into their journey, it also served as a distraction from the looming evil creeping ever closer towards them. From the tales he told, it seemed that life in Ironwood was quite awful. Were it not for his ability to regenerate, he would likely have been killed long ago.

  “Don’t feel like listening to Kadek’s stories?” Shimmer asked Valdin in a desperate attempt to break their silence. They may not be having the conversation she wanted, but at least it was better than just being alone with her thoughts.

  “Not really,” Valdin answered. His eyes stayed forward as he talked and his body language worried Shimmer. Something was on his mind, something upsetting, but she didn’t know what. Whatever it was, she felt it was at least time to return a favor he had done for her.

  Reaching out towards him, Shimmer put a kind hand upon Valdin’s arm. “Something is troubling you,” she said.

  Valdin sighed. “It’s nothing.”

  Shimmer’s gentle hand upon his arm turned to a squeeze. “Don’t do that,” she said.

  “Do what?” Valdin asked.

  Shimmer smiled. “Be like me; close off and not let anyone else in.” Valdin gave no response, making Shimmer worry even more. Boldly she stepped in front of him, halting his advance and forcing him to acknowledge her. She knew it was risky, but her desire to comfort him overrode her fear. With a smile on her face she slipped her hands into his. “Tell me,” she whispered.

  Valdin closed his eyes as he gave a little nod. He knew he would have done the same thing in her shoes. Shimmer always had a way of getting to his core no matter how thick the shell he put around it. “We’re going to Medowgold.”

  Shimmer nodded as the pieces started coming together. “We’re traveling through the human territory, but only on our way to Stonemouth.” She stepped out of his way and released her grip on his hands. Valdin continued along the path, but caught her right hand just before it could slip away. The action puzzled Shimmer, but gave her a warm feeling that coursed through her soul. Hand in hand, they continued on after their companions.

  “I’ve spent my life wandering all over this forest,” Valdin said as they walked. “I’ve traveled the Tri-leaf roads, I’ve explored the wilds of the elven territory, and I’ve hiked the eastern mountains. Truth be told, I’ve even explored a bit of the Savage Lands.”

  Shimmer’s eyes went wide in shock. “You went to the Savage Lands?”

  He nodded. “More than once.”

  “Why? It’s so dangerous. When I think of the horrible creatures the blight pushed into Moon-hollow I…”

  Valdin laughed a bit. “I don’t disagree,” he replied. “It was very dangerous. I’ve had more than one run-in with goblins, trolls, even balisekts.”

  “So why go?” Shimmer questioned again.

  “Because it was still the Lady’s forest,” Valdin responded. “It may be primal, savage, full of the most unsavory creatures to roam the trees, but it’s still a part of the Lady’s world and blessed by her divine grace. I’ve wanted to see as much of the world as I can, but I’ve never desired to go to Medowgold.”

  “You’ve never wanted to see how the other humans live?”

  “I know how they live,” Valdin scoffed. “They clear the forest to build their homes. The make fields to garden instead of trusting in the bounty the Lady provides in the wilds. They think that by taking themselves out of the wilds, they can hide from the real world. It’s a despicable way of living that I’d hoped to never see with my own eyes.”

  Shimmer looked off to the north as her mind searched for something to say. It was a situation she had not considered and she cursed herself for not anticipating what should have been obvious. Valdin’s travels had taken him all over the forest, but she had never left her home territory until now. The only humans she’d ever interacted with were the Harmonious and it was easy to forget just how differently they lived from the rest of their kind. Of course, these reflections also reminded her of just how poorly she had looked upon the humans in her village before the blight.

  She opened her mouth to say something, not sure what would come out, but paused as a movement in the blackness between the trees on the northern edge of the road caught her eye. The motion made
her freeze in place. No one else seemed to have noticed it, but she was certain something was out there. “Did you all see that?” she asked to no one in particular.

  “See what?” Kadek asked as he and the others paused.

  Shimmer released Valdin’s hand as she took two cautious steps towards the northern wilds. She couldn’t see the mysterious presence lurking in the darkness, but somehow she could sense it. As her feet reached the edge of the road, a familiar face emerged from the shrubs and into the faint moonlight. “Wyndelle?” Shimmer whispered into the darkness.

  “Wyndelle? Who is that?” Kadek asked as he looked to the others in confusion.

  “Shimmer has an imaginary friend,” Cricket said with a roll of his eyes.

  “Hello again, Shimmer,” Wyndelle said as she crept out onto the road. The dryad’s body appeared as it always had, like a small tree made into the form of an elf or human and set free to roam the world on its own two legs. “It’s been a while since we last met.”

  “Why are you here?” Shimmer asked.

  Wyndelle extended her branch-like hand out towards her. “Take my hand,” she instructed. “There is something I must show you before the end.”

  Shimmer was puzzled. “The end of what?” she asked.

  “Take my hand,” the dryad instructed again. “All will be explained.”

  Shimmer didn’t know what to make of Wyndelle’s instructions, but this servant of the Lady had never led her wrong before. Not knowing what to expect, she reached out and touched the bark-covered skin of Wyndelle’s arm. As their bodies made contact, the world suddenly went dark.