ELO

by E. A. Cross

  Bakura understood, "is he alive?" Bree nodded, and Bakura sagged relieved.

  She turned to Elo,"Carry her back to the spring, get a meal in her. I will return before sundown. I must seek out Joltrun, and make sure Faelorn is alright. The herd rests with you, Elo. I know that this is a lot to ask, but I must ensure that the herd's future is safe. Much is moving and changing in the forest." Elo didn't look at Bree; she simply said, "Yes, marm."

  Bakura bowed to the fairy queen. "I apologize for the trouble she has caused you, queen" The queen shrugged, "I enjoy company even if it's a surprise. My fairies can help you search for Faelorn. I sense that he is not far away." Bakura nodded, following the glowing fairy's that lead her deep into the grove. Elo kneeled next to Bree; she snapped. "Well, get on already." Bree mounted Elo's back. Elo stood and gave the queen an awkward bow. "Thank you, queen fairy, I hope to see you soon." Elo turned and trotted away. Bree looked back, waving her goodbye to the queen as Elo hurried back to the spring.

  Chapter 17

  Elsewhere in the wood:

  Faelorn raced through the forest and trees. He was alone, his heart pounding in his chest. His mind lingered on the kiss; he thought about the way Bree had looked at him. He skidded to a halt, touching his lips. "You must control it, the spirit inside your body. Harness it. It is a blessing to keep all life in the forest safe. You must forsake your humanity to be one with all of nature and the fae." He remembered his teacher's words. Faelorn had always been confident that his destiny lay guarding the forest for eternity. He was the protector of all creatures and souls that dwelled there.

  Since he had laid eyes on Bree, he felt conflicted. His humanity had been shed, the lord of the forest was not to have a mate or children. As long as the spirit of the forest lived inside him. Faelorn could not mate. Despite this, he found his mind on Bree often. He loved her quiet laughs, the rough sketches of fae she drew. He remembered how her face was flushed when she had kissed him. Butterflies churned in his stomach.

  He stood alone in the forest. It was quiet; he could feel the spirits of peaceful fae around him. He loved being the forest guardian, but it was the loneliness that he liked the least. He listened to the silence, his heart sinking. Without him, the forest would die. He wanted Bree; he wanted to be a man again-Faelorn cringed he never felt that he was really a man. He had never known a woman. He had never felt an attraction to another person. Whenever he looked at Bree, he felt something stir within his spirit. Guilt gave him anxiety, if he continued to flirt with Bree. He might lose his grip on the forest spirit. Then who would protect the fae? Faelorn loved each and every good fae. He would give his life to the wild fae that was his family. He was raised by Joltrun, the predecessor of the spirit of the forest. Though Joltrun had once been human, he had long been removed from his humanity when he had adopted Faelorn.

  As a young child, Faelorn had spent more time with elves, pixies, and woodlings than with any other human being. He walked through the sun-kissed forest. His chest ached with longing. Despite many years of life, he was not fulfilled. He longed for human company. He longed to understand mankind. As much as he liked Bree, once she knew who he was. He was sure she would lose interest. Even with that possibility, he still wanted to spend more time with her. In winter, when she had laid in between life and death. He missed the nights that he slept warming her in the darkness. He had begun to find himself expressively lonely. The silence of the forest only made him more so. His mind wandered. The leaves crunched beneath his feet. Startled, Faelorn looked down at his hooves. What pained him most was finding the miasma in his forest. The disease was spreading. More and more, he found the molted patches of gray on the fae. The darkest, most dangerous corners of the forest were starting to be covered with ashes of miasma. When he entered these parts of the wood, he felt a horrible sadness. Faelorn closed his eyes. He was pained. He touched his chest; he could feel the pain of the life around him. He couldn't abandon the forest or his friends, not even for an intriguing female. The queen of the fairies, each day, Faelorn found that he sensed them less and less. These days the light fairies would hardly speak to him. When he tried conversing, they could only talk of healing for their queen. The one thing that his powers couldn't provide for the fae.

  Faelorn had begun to dread the night. He guarded the forest, a job he had been trained for since he was a small child. Faelorn found himself full of fear when the sun began to set. Witches were a plague on the forest, they were creatures of the night who fed fear and lived off lies. Lately, he could hear them whispering names of enemies that his heart had long buried. Anon...Anon ..Anon….

  Faelorn's brother was long dead. His soul had disappeared. Stolen, gone from the forest. Sometimes in the corner of his eye, he thought he saw his monster of an adopted mother. She was buried in her coffin, he reminded himself. She had been dead for hundreds of years, and he would never have to think of her again. Faelorn whirred; he heard breathing. He searched for his foe, tense ready to spring into action. He broke out into a nervous sweat. The trees were darker than they ever where—the ashes of miasma creeping into the soil. Faelorn heard a growl, and a creature jumped at him. "Pretty..." it screamed, "You belong to me, you belong to me, Faelorn." He tore it in half, his whip-like vines covered in black blood. The creature died, dissolving to ashes. It had been a bereaved, one that hadn't finished turning. Half witch, Half rot. It moved to reach for him pathetically.

  He heard a male voice say, "There are more and more of them every day."

  A great buffalo materialized out of the shadow. Faelorn jumped nervously. He exclaimed, "you startled me, Joltrun."

  "You don't even recognize your own father, boy." Joltrun sighed. Faelorn stared at the withered buffalo, he said, "Of course, I do..." Joltrun tossed his horned head, he grumbled, "I know, I'm elderly now. Most of the forest spirit now lives within you."

  Faelorn stood awkwardly. He remembered hundreds of years ago when Joltrun had been healthy, young, and muscular. It had been him, a little boy looking up to a giant creature. Back then, like Faelorn, Joltrun preferred to have a centaur body. Now he transformed into a shriveled old buffalo to travel. It was the last shred of the forest spirit that still lived within him. Until Joltrun passed, Faelorn would not inherit the full power of the forest spirit. Faelorn looked at his aging father, worried. Though he fought with the old man often, he was worried about losing him. Joltrun stared at Faelorn’s new scars. Concerned, he neared closer to Faelorn, inspecting him. He whispered, "I heard that you were attacked…." Faelorn shivered. "I was..." Joltrun stared, "that girl she was with you," Faelorn tensed. "Yes. I took care of the witches. I killed them all. Bree is safe, she is in the fairy groove, the queen is with her." Joltrun circled him anxiously. "The queen healed you," Joltrun growled. Faelorn snapped, "I said I'm fine. I was defending the grove. There must have been at least thirty witches, a coven summoned from the darkness." Joltrun growled. "The queen is in a bad way. They have the infection, their body if it is to survive, needs to keep all of their energy to themselves. You know this, why would you rely on them to heal you?" Faelorn stomped "I didn't want them to heal me. It was the forest's spirits instinct to survive. I was so injured, I wasn't thinking," Faelorn said guiltily. It was a half-truth. He couldn't bear to worry, Joltrun. He didn't want his father to know that the darkness was inside him. It was a thing he fought every night. His rage and hate kept trying to turn him into a bereaved. His past trauma haunted him. He had to be strong for his father, the herd, the fae, and Bree. Joltrun took a deep breath, he said, "Faelorn, don't let it happen again."

  Faelorn shook his head, "It was an ambush, Joltrun. Bree was in the wood by herself. The witches must have been watching the spring, hoping for one of the deer to wander close. They attacked her. I did the job you taught me too. I protect the weak and defenseless, human or fae." Joltrun shook his head, clearly upset, he muttered, "Foolish girl, I suppose you didn't have much choice. Bakura and I will have to watch Bree more closely." A painful silence hung i
n the air; Faelorn was still shaken by the attack. Talking about it made his chest tense with anxiety. Faelorn said softly, "Do you think my mother is alive. Could my old family have somehow brought this upon us? The last time the forest was sick, she was the cause." Joltrun shook his head, "She cannot escape her coffin, even if it were to be opened. The magic that binds her prevents her from escaping. Only you, Tharin or I could enable her to leave it." Faelorn winced. Joltrun said gently, "I checked, her coffin it's still buried; I believe that something from the outside is doing this" Faelorn turned, looking towards the fairy grove. "It's not Bree. She loves the fae." Joltrun shook his great mossy hide, coughing. "I didn't say that it was Bree." Faelorn's guard dropped. Trembling, he said, "Father, I don't know what to do. I am finding more bereaved every night; it's been so long since I have saved a soul from the depths of darkness."

  Joltrun stood next to him. "We do what we can, and we trust the king; this is his forest after all." Joltrun nuzzled Faelorn's shoulder. Faelorn tried to look embarrassed and not comforted. Joltrun said, "you will see, boy. The forest will overcome. We wait, we watch. I am working hard on a remedy." Joltrun walked towards the grove.

  "I will be attending to the queen, please, son be careful. Keep an eye on that girl. If you notice anything strange, anything inhuman. Report it to Bakura or me." Joltrun left, and Faelorn watched his father go. He knew he could not tell Joltrun that he had nearly turned into a bereaved hours earlier. He was too ashamed. His duty was to protect the forest, uphold his adoptive father's legacy, and serve the king's spirit. It didn't matter what Faelorn wanted, even if it was human companionship. He must protect the forest at all costs. Still, the kiss lingered on his lips, making him feel pain. He had never felt this way scattered, torn, and distracted from what was supposed to be important. Faelorn reluctantly walked deeper into the forest. He would need time, time to think away from Bree. He transformed into his beastliest form and began to search the wood, stalking for souls and the bereaved.

  Chapter 18

  Elo did not talk to Bree the entire day. Bree didn't blame her. She supposed it was because Elo had gotten in trouble because of her actions. Sinking into depression, Bree slept and ate, curling up under the furs of her bed. Elo ignored her, guarding the cave, chatting with the other members of the herd. Bree practiced her sign language and eventually fell asleep with her book on her face. Once more, Bree was plunged into a nightmare. The fog rose, thick branches of the blackened trees clawed at her naked body. She breathed hard wandering, through the forest.

  Once again, as many of her nightmares began, a wolf with clear icy eyes followed her. He was enormous, his rotting hide reeking, his face a skull. Bree ran, wandering the never-ending forest. Sometimes she dreamt of her parents calling for her, sometimes it was her siblings. More often or not, there was nothingness, a still silence filled with dread. During her nightmares, her throat burned with fire. Bree woke in pain. She got up on shaking legs and practically dunked her head into the spring.

  Elo watched her saying nothing, normally after a nightmare, the deer woman would comfort her. Instead, she turned her back to Bree and sat facing the herd. Bree ignored her hurt; she supposed she deserved to be shunned. She decided not to sleep and sat at the edge of the pool, watching fish swim. Her mind drifted to the kiss with Faelorn. Her lips tingled when she thought about the shared kiss, and her loins ached if she thought about it for too long. Bree found herself quickly sinking into depression. Faelorn undoubtedly hated her, and Bree was certain that her friendship with him was ruined. She crawled back into bed; she was sore from her fight with the witches.

  The next few days, she didn't sleep well or eat well—however, Cael and Little Eli were good company. Eli's mother, Moira, seemed to take pity on Bree. Allowing her to play with him as much as she liked. For most of the day, Bree entertained Eli. She taught him how to sign and showed him how to whittle a flute out of a fallen branch. Cael, who was much like a child, was also entertained by Bree.

  Bree wondered why the little woodling had abandoned Faelorn and was now her constant companion. She didn't mind and welcomed the woodling. Even going as far as to make him a little bed to sleep beside her at night. The days past uneventfully and Bree began to recover from her injuries. Two weeks from the day she had been attacked. Joltrun sent her a letter by Tharin's falcon. The message told her to resume her lessons, giving her new material to read. He would be visiting to test her soon. As for Bree's sketchbook and her entries on the fae, it was lost to the woods. Elo wouldn't let her retrieve the fallen book. The changeling snapped at her, angry that she even asked to search for the sketchbook in the woods. Elo snapped, "Why? So that you can get eaten by a witch, the nerve of you to even ask," Bree had to hide her tears, and Elo bitterly avoided her. Eventually, on the third week, Bree stopped sulking and started thinking. After spending the day chasing Eli and fishing in the spring, she stayed up late by herself. Bree read by candlelight, and Cael slept in his tiny mock bed. Spotting Bakura coming home from the woods, Bree got up and started walking towards the golden herd leader. Elo shook herself awake, snapping, "Hey, get back here, Bree." She stood in front of Bree, blocking her from leaving the entrance. Bree coldly signed, "Elo, I'm going to speak with Bakura." Elo and Bree stared at each other for a long moment. Bree pushed past her. She approached Bakura, she saw that she looked exhausted. The herd leader smelled of sweat, and her fur was disheveled. She straightened her drooping head as Bree approached. 'What is it, child, are you well?" Bree shook her head and signed, "Bakura, I have something to ask you?"

  *

  Bree sat beside Bakura, who transformed into her human form. The woman looked as if she hadn't slept in days. Her hair frizzy, her robes were as frumpy as her fur had been. Bree said, "I've had time to think about what I want. I've decided I want to stay here; if that means joining the herd and accepting the kings offer, then its what I want to do." Bakura seemed surprised.

  She said, "that means passing on and never going back home or leaving these woods as a mortal." Bree nodded, she signed, "I like the people here, I love the forest. Even with its dangers. I want to help, and if that means..."Bree's hands shook. She was too emotional to sign. Instead, she projected her thoughts to Bakura. "If that means passing on and never going back to my village, so be it. I have nothing left there anyway. I will pledge my loyalty to the king." Bakura said, her face thoughtful. She asked, "do you even know the king?"

  Bree signed, "My grandmother believed in the fae and all the stories her father and her father's father told her. The King of the Forest was a legend that I heard from her many times. A long time ago, nuns were persecuted by slavers, they prayed to their God, and he sent them into the forest where they became white deer that could never be caught. It was said that to lay eyes on a white deer, it was a blessing from God. It was said that their God's spirit took the form of a spirit with a crown of thorn…"

  Bakura looked at the stars, then to the ocean that lay far from the spring and yet close enough for her to barely see. She said, "It won't be easy; our souls were sent to this realm because of our spirit's restlessness. Something weighed on us, and we weren't allowed to move past death. If you go back home, you could still live a full life and pass on without spending eternity there, possibly being hunted by witches. Most of us, Bree, would be burning in hell if we did not have this realm to escape to."

  Bree nodded, "I understand, that is what the bereaved are. They are the souls of humans that chose evil. Souls that hated goodness so much they rejected living. They turned to despair and died becoming pure wickedness." Bakura nodded, "That is one way to look at it. The human souls that become the white deer are more complex than that. Some souls turn away from good because of the misery they where put through on their worlds. They cannot forgive or look at the planks in their own eyes. When you die, there's only truth. You cannot lie, not even to yourself."

  Bree asked, "Other than the bereaved, witches, and myself, nothing can really hurt me in this realm. If I became
a white deer, it would be safer than being human. Is that correct?" Bakura's eyes were sad when she looked at the forest. "There are other things, Bree, that hunt the white deer. Fallen evils that are far more wicked than you nor I could understand." Bakura continued, "The elves left because of the dangers in this forest; they moved to other lands to flee these evils. Though I believe that to be foolish. No matter what realm, whether it's filled with fae, witches, or man, there is always a danger. Evil seeks to twist good. Even if you were to give up your mortality and stay in this realm. A witch or your own troubles could twist you into a bereaved." Bree looked Bakura in the eyes and signed, "I think I've proven that I can survive a witch attack. I may not have killed all those witches, but I did escape the one that captured me. I didn't let fear decided my fate. I used the elfin dagger to maim her." Bakura was impressed; Bree looked down embarrassed. "You can ask Faelorn if you'd like. I shot down two others who were hurting him." Bakura said quietly, "You've come some way from the woman Faelorn carried from the woods in winter." Bree shrugged, "it's better to fight, even if it means death. Even before I was a slave, I was terrible at standing up for myself. I always let fear decided my fate. Weeks ago, when I took the dagger and stabbed that witch, I was able to get through my fear of the first time in a long time." Bakura's voice was steady, "when the time is right, the king will come, and your fate will be decided. It is the way of things in this realm. If your heart chooses to stay, then you will change and become part of the herd. That I am certain of, but if your heart lies elsewhere, you will find yourself at risk of turning into a bereaved." Bree nodded, "I am sure that this is where I belong." Bakura took a deep breath, "Bree, I haven't been honest with you. I don't know what's going to happen to you. You are different; you are only half dead. Promise me, sweet child, that you will put your heart on the side of good." Bree looked to the forest and nodded quietly.