ELO

  Bree was slightly unnerved as the nymph walked upside down, their vines hanging, making them look like a wraith with two glowing eyes.

  Yavi leaped down in front of Bree, and Bree flinched as the nymph's landing was only a foot away. The tree nymph wrapped their vines around Bree. They said, "Bree would never be scared of her best friend. She and I are best friends. Saving your life means best friend status immediately. "Bree hid a smile as the elf rolled his eyes at the nymph who let Bree go from her life squeezing hug. "Have you been practicing with the seedling?" Bree nodded, and he signed to her, "Good, tell me about your nightmares." Bree hesitated; she told him about her nightmares but left out her third dream. For some reason, she felt that it was too personal, as if revealing a family secret. They walked to the glass garden, Tharin sat at the table. The elf took notes and then spun in his chair. He said, "Alright then, nothings changed, and that's okay. We will start working on magic first." He pointed to where he wanted her to stand, and Bree followed his direction, tripping over the hem of her pink robe. He said, "Focus your energy, feel it pooling on your fingertips." Bree focused, trying with all her heart to visualize every word that Tharin said. As she focused, Bree could hear Yavi clearing furniture and dusting, humming cheerfully as they worked. When she opened her eyes, all the books, tables, and maps had been moved. There was nothing left in the room but the great tree and the floating fauna in its glass containment. Birds perched, making a racket overhead as they complained about the changes. One thing that always surprised her about the glass garden was how clean it was. The birds overhead never seemed to mess, and they were reasonably quiet and well behaved. Feanu perched near her, watching with great curiosity. Tharin asked, "What did you do to heal Yavi, Bree?" Bree shrugged, signing to Tharin. "I don't know, I just wanted to help when I saw her." Tharin took notes sitting in a chair that looked like a woven tree. He looked at her over his glasses. "Look at these plants, feel for them, Bree. Feel what they feel. Be like an elf, my people can talk to the trees, believe in them, and they will resonate with you."

  Bree stared at the infected plants, she thought about the forest and all of the friendly fae. Most of all, she thought of Faelorn. Bree stared, and slowly, the plants vibrated. Tharin gazed, and to his excitement, he saw the miasma falter. The gray patches began to recede as if being pulled from the plants by sheer force. Bree was focusing calmly. Yavi knocked over a vase startling her for a moment. Bree shook her head, trying to forget the loud noise. She began to have a flashback. She saw a masked creature, his wolf body was deformed and blob-like. His stoic mask barely concealing a grinning twisted mouth beneath. He looked fatter than last time. Bree stopped focusing; she was cold all over. She started breathing hard. Tharin was shaking her, Bree snapped out of her trance. She couldn't talk. She trembled, Tharin served her tea, and after a while, she returned to normal. "I felt like I was doing it...and then I saw him. The monster from my dreams." Tharin ran his fingers through his hair. Yavi floated overhead; their face concerned. Tharin looked at the plants. "Bree, something is definitely happening. I felt it; you do have magic. The plants even look better. I fear the miasma has not been removed, though this further convinces me that your powers are connected to your psyche."

  Tharin's face was thoughtful. Yavi swung down and landed beside him. "While I was observing Bree, I did sense some anomaly. Tharin, I did get to work with human sages at some point in my life. While Bree is definitely gifted, I do believe that something is amiss. I sensed something evil."

  Tharin pushed the tea into Bree's hand. He said, "drink, I formulated it for your throat. It should soothe it." Bree was miserable; she thought she felt magic stirring in her blood. She could cure the forest of its infection, yet her broken mind stood between her and her goal. She sat disappointed with guilt on her face. Yavi cheered her up, giving her a hug. They said, "Don't be upset, everything will be alright, you'll see, these things always work themselves out if you try." Tharin rolled his eyes at Yavi's words. He said, "Honestly, Yavi, you've been asleep for four hundred years, how do you keep your optimism nymph? Don't give that girl hope; you could break her heart." Yavi was still cuddling Bree, they said. "You elves still have quite a stick up your bum to be so rude. I have seen many wars and terrible things, and always good finds a way. It blossoms and dies, and somehow it takes root deep in the dark waiting to emerge." Tharin sipped his tea, swirling his tea leaves, contemplating Bree and the nymph. Bree didn't mind how affectionate and friendly Yavi was, and it was welcome. Tharin told Bree to keep the robe and to expect snow for her next few visits. He escorted her to the door with Feanu, watching her leave. Bree wasn't sure what to make of his face, but she couldn't help but feel the elf was disappointed.

  *

  Bree made her way into the forest Feanu leading her home, and before she knew it, she was in the spring. All of the deer had moved closer to the edge of the woods. Elo complained as she trotted over to Bree. "Nobody can stand that spirits wailing, it's getting worse. At this point, unless we sleep in the forest. Nobody is going to get rest tonight." Bree agreed and covered her ears. The spirit was indeed wailing something terrible. Faelorn was still sitting by the spirit patiently coaxing it, although Bree did feel that he looked slightly frazzled and upset. Bakura was keeping watch over the herd, Elo warned her. "Don't bother, Bakura, dearie. She's watching for witches and bereaved. Times like this are when the herd is most vulnerable. Bree sulked; she had hoped to share tea with Bakura. Disappointed, she picked up Cael, who had run-up to her as soon as she entered the cave. Bree put away her things, and Cael hid inside her new robe, adding it to his pile of rags that made up his bed. The woodling was watching Faelorn. It was apparent that he had yet to make up with the lord of the forest.

  Elo transformed and served Bree dinner, which was campfire bread. Joltrun was settled in for the night. The old man squatted and ground wheat with a small mill. Bree helped him work. After the first three hours of wailing, she wanted to retreat into the forest. Joltrun shook his head. "This is no good, constant wailing is the final step. That ones gonna turn into a bereaved. Don't look so disappointed. We lose so many; usually, they turn before we find their souls. Poor Faelorn…"

  Joltrun smoked watching Faelorn work. Bree signed, asking,"is there anything I can do?"

  "No child, eat your bread. We wait. Soon it will be over." said the elderly man. Bree watched Faelorn. She lay down next to Elo, sharing bread quietly. The herd was sober and depressed. They lay away from the cave entrance, facing away from the screaming soul. Little Eli curled up beside his mother and hid his face in her side.

  Night fell, Bree's anxiety was through the roof. Elo's ears were flicked back in annoyance, even as a doe she could not sleep. Finally fed up, Bree got up and made her way to Faelorn and the spirit. Bakura growled "It is dangerous." Bree signed, "I have to try, what if I can make a difference?" Bakura snorted, "it is too late..." Bree, upset, signed, "Faelorn didn't give up on me, and I'm here. I can't stand by while that spirit turns into a monster."

  Bakura hissed, "At your own risk, you have been warned."

  Bree made her way to where the spirit lay. Faelorn did not notice her at first. She observed the spirit. It was an old woman; she could see the ethereal but human-shaped form. Bree looked at Faelorn, who was still attempting to talk, but every time he opened his mouth, the spirit would start wailing. Bree got up and immediately went to Elo. She signed "I need you," Elo stood stretching her slender deer legs. "I don't know what help I can be unless it's cooking or minding the others." Bree signed, "trust me, I think I can save her." Bree ran to Joltrun's campfire and asked for an empty cup. Joltrun raised an eyebrow but wordlessly handed over a clay cup from his pack. Elo followed Bree, and Bree asked her to revert to her human form. Bree jogged to where Faelorn sat. Faelorn snapped, "Bree go back, it's not safe." Bree, annoyed, signed, "I can help." Faelorn puffed out his chest. "Bree, go back. I don't want you or Elo to get hurt." Bree stomped her foot. "Move, Faelorn. I can save her. I know what to do
. You just have to leave." Faelorn was taken aback by her firmness. He and Bree stared at each other. Then she softened, touched his lips the signed, "please trust me."

  "what should I do?" Elo asked transforming into a woman. Bree signed, "She's a village grandma. Which means she probably afraid of Faelorn's beast form. She was burned at the stake. You can see the burns on her body." Elo flinched, visibly shaken. The spirit was something terrible to look at. "It was probably a male relative that put her through that…" Bree signed."Act like her granddaughter. Say 'grandma would like some tea,' in the nicest voice possible. Go to the spring and then take a cup to her." Elo stared at the grisly spirit. "I hope your right, Bree." She brushed her hair back and now with Bree encouragement. She went up to the spirit and said, "Grandmother, Marm, would you like some tea?" The spirit stopped wailing and looked around. Then abruptly continued screaming. Elo looked flustered, Bree said. "Tell her she has a fever, and some tea will soothe it," Elo shouted repeating what Bree had said. The spirit shrieked then went silent.

  "A fever is what's burning me? I'm not on fire." Elo said, shaking with nerves, "Yes, grandmother, your sick with a fever. I'd like to bring you some cool refreshing tea." Bree felt Faelorn's eyes on her and Elo. He had moved to the forest, concealed by the trees. The herd of white deer, were watching ears pricking with curiosity. Elo took the clay cup and went to the spring. She dipped it in the water and offered it to the spirit; the spirit took the cup and drank. Elo and Bree both heard an audible gasp from the deer, but they daren't look away. The spirit wandered closer to the spring. "Child," the spirits said, "where did the spring come from? It's delightful."

  Elo playing along. "We brought you to the spring so that you could drink from it and get better." The spirit smiled, its horrible twisted face contorted. She said, "I would like some, I am so thirsty." Elo helped the lost soul by offering her her hand, not flinching when she felt it's cold touch. Bree watched the grisly sight; the wounds of the spirit's death were still visible. Determined, Elo held the soul as she helped her bend over and take a long drink from the spring. Bree stared at the waters; they were glowing, and for one moment, she saw the reflection of the King besides Elo and the spirit. Bree stared; he was magnificent, his thorn crown high over his head. The spirit got back up, leaning against Elo. Elo stayed absolutely still. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the spirit began shaking, and there was an explosion of light. Elo leaped back as a creature jumped from nothingness. The spirit was gone, and a white doe was left in her place. Elo had tears in her eyes. Bakura let out a loud call. The doe turned and ran to join the herd of white deer gathered around her greeting her like a long lost sister. Bree stared, "so that's how it's done..." Bree looked at her own hands. That had not been her experience; there were no celebrations of white does or happy greetings. She hugged herself. She felt left out. Why was her experience so different? She watched the does nuzzling and speaking in their language to a new member of the herd.

  Elo jogged up to her. "That was brilliant, I've seen Faelorn do it a few times, and Joltrun. How did you know?"

  Bree sat tired, she signed, "My village banned the practice but… when I saw her wounds and how burned she was. I recognized it. She was wearing a wedding veil. Some neighboring villages… they would burn the wives of men that have just died. Alive. It was an old practice. I recognized the stitching. Usually, the village men come for the woman, so she would think of Faelorn in those terms. She probably had a least one granddaughter, who would have served her. I thought that if we tricked her, or pretended, then she would believe. She seemed delirious, still stuck to her old life." Elo hugged Bree lifting her up and spinning. "You are brilliant. Bree," She transformed. "I'm going to meet the new member of the family." Bree watched as Elo galloped to the herd and joined the excited gathering. Bree smiled, hiding her jealousness; she hugged herself. Faelorn practically materialized beside her from the shadows of a tree. He asked, "how did you now, Bree? That was...wonderful." he seemed surprised that she looked upset. Bree looked up at him, tears in her eyes.

  She signed, "can we go somewhere alone?" Faelorn looked at Joltrun and Bakura, who was talking to the new member of the herd. Elo was busy chatting away excitedly among her herd mates. Faelorn picked her up, transforming. "There is a place, not far from the spring." Bree let him carry her and was surprised to find themselves beside a little pond. Ducks were sleeping on the bank, fireflies hung heavily in the air. Faelorn put her down with his vines. He transformed into a man and lead her to the soft grass. Bree lay down, and he held her. Bree quietly signed, "The herd doesn't accept me, do they?" Faelorn said quietly. "Bree they lost their bodies, they left their humanity. Their job is to grieve. The living are a painful reminder of what was. You still have your body and hope." Bree's lip wobbled, 'but they have bodies..." Faelorn explained, "They can look like their old selves but it doesn’t feel the same. The king's deer are citizens of this realm now, to them their old world has passed away. You, me, Bakura, we still wear our old worlds' skins." Bree thought of her failed magic. She signed, "Bakura's not like the herd?" Faelorn said gently, "No, shes like us. The king gave her the staff, her golden antlers. She is the leader and cant be turned into a bereaved. You will find your place. I did. Tharin even did, Joltrun did. You will too..." Bree let him hold her, and eventually, holding turned to kissing. Bree broke from his grip. She signed, "stay with me tonight. Don't go back to the forest. I just want to be held the rest of the night. I want to feel safe. I don't want to sleep alone tonight." Faelorn looked exhausted. "Joltrun will take the next shift soon anyways, I want to sleep. You promise not to tell Elo that we did this." Bree frowned, "We're not doing anything, just kissing, cuddling. I'm not ready too..." She turned red.

  Faelorn sprouted horns in embarrassment, he signed, "Not that… not at all. Joltrun will not approve of us." Bree touched his face, then signed, "Is it because you are the Lord of the Forest?" Faelorn nodded. "My job is to the forest. If we become involved. The spirit that gives me my powers. Who knows what he will do, he might abandon me." Bree nodded, signing. "I just want to sleep beside you. I feel alone, Faelorn. Today more than ever." Faelorn stroked her face. Softly he said, "Just for tonight." Bree kissed him deeply. She signed, "tonight..." for the first night since her arrival. Bree's sleep was not plagued with nightmares.

  Chapter 24

  For the next few weeks, Bree worked diligently on her lessons of the fae. Joltrun taught her fae anatomy. "Did you know that woodlings has six toes on each foot? Some variants have horns on their heads." He paced lecturing, showing her a scroll of a strange creature. This is the Hibistusk. A rare plant mammal hybrid of nature. Fearsome predatory, while not evil, dangerous. Only the Lord of the Forest should approach as humans will definitely be eaten. Bree took notes till her hands ached. For her daily lecture, Faelorn brought her fae of all stripes and sizes. Some fae were bizarre and alien in appearance, while others looked eerily human. Bree practiced her advanced elvish signing with Faelorn and Elo.

  Elo herself was finally conquering the first elfish sign book. She looked at Bree scrolls with curiosity."I might even take up reading! This is so much fun." Bree lessons were becoming more challenging. She would wake early morning for lectures and do chores midday. In the afternoon, she would practice archery with Cael on her back. Eli had begun to join her regularly, learning to hold his own bow. All summer, her life formed a familiar pattern. Bree cooked, cleaned, and hunted at the edge of the forest. Elo stuck close to her side. It was every fourth day that she would leave for her lessons with Tharin. Every time Bree visited, they attempted what they had in the second lesson.

  Bree tried to use her magic to cleanse the miasma. Every time Bree felt the magic in her blood flow, and the plants would grow and bloom, she would see the monster in her mind. Often after hours of toiling with Tharin, Bree would leave more frustrated than before. Bree was desperate to save the home of the fae. How had she saved Yavi? She could barely push away a few spots of miasma on a single leaf. What ma
de matters worse, Bree began to notice the marks on local fae. It was small, but as the week went by, Bree saw that the black spots were spreading. She forbid Cael from leaving the cave, making him stay with Eli when she left to gather in the forest. Cael had a huge fit, but when Bree showed him the plants with the miasma, he abruptly stopped and cried. She held the little woodling. Elo translated her words. "If anything happens to you, Cael, Bree couldn't live with it. The forest is enough to worry about..." Bree wiped her eyes when Cael looked up at her and gave her a thumbs-up sign, indicating he understood her. The woodling sulked in his bed and was happy to eat endless mushrooms and fruit that Bree gathered for him. She worked relentlessly to feed herself and Joltrun. Every day, Bree was either hunting or learning.

  It had been two weeks and a day since her last lesson with Tharin. Bree tried not to be anxious as she worked on her latest project. Fall was begging to creep into the forest. The miasma covered leaves were beginning to fall. Bree longed to go deep into the woods and visit the fairy queen, but she knew that the wood was off-limits unless she was hunting.

  Faelorn saw her less, only stealing kisses when Bree managed to get away for a few moments. Lately, Joltrun had begun to shadow her and Elo when they went searching for food. Today's hunt had been successful; Bree had shot down a wild red buck. Elo helped her carry her kill home, but she refused to clean the venison meat. She said, "I'm sorry, love, it's just the principal. The buck looks, well like my herd brothers." Joltrun helped her take most of the kill to dry inside his smoke shed attached to his cabin. She used her elvish dagger to dice meat for the nights dinner. Elo chopped vegetables, the cave was quiet, the herd of white deer grazed outside. Bakura kept watch, sitting atop the waterfall.