The Untold Forest

by Elisa Menz

  He was too. All the exhaustion left his limbs, but he desperately craved to curl up in bed with his mate in his arms. They earned their rest and a lifetime of peace. However, before leaving the field, he had one more thing to deal with. Someone else came to meet them, to greet him into his new life.

  Flyg had also healed. She walked to them, holding Dröm’s hand, tugging him to move faster. Watching her, Hakken wondered if there was someone happier in the entire valley. She held the hand of the man she loved, who was alive and well. He understood her happiness all too well. They had freed her people; the truth had come to light, and they would now become a part of the half-breed society.

  “Maeve!” the mountain girl called. Her enthusiasm got the best of her when she let go of Dröm’s hand and ran to hug Maeve. She also left his arms to meet her halfway. Hakken let her go because he needed to meet someone officially. He extended a hand, smiling. “Welcome, Dröm. I’m glad to see you free and well.”

  The mountain leader took his hand almost timidly, as if he expected to be rejected once more. But as soon as Hakken’s grip tightened around his hand, giving him a firm shake, he allowed himself to smile back and let out a sigh of relief. “I thank you, Hakken of the River tribe, for saving my people.”

  The tribes gathered in the valley cheered and chanted. It was a glorious day. An auspicious day. They had overcome a deadly threat, freed innocent men and women, and survived unscathed, thanks to the power of the gods who granted them one last blessing.

  Hakken regarded the people around him, and in his heart, he realized life could not get better than this.

  CHAPTER XXXXVII

  DINNER AND THE STARS

  Maeve

  It felt like a lifetime since they had left the river village. To think the night before, they were all anxious, fearing the uncertainty of their future. Now they unhurriedly traveled back, Maeve walking hand in hand with Hakken.

  Around them, everyone bustled with excitement. Their friends and other village members chatted almost out of breath, amazed by the outcome of their crusade. Those who had returned from the afterlife were eagerly conversing or thoughtfully gazing around. The power the Ancients left for them had filled everyone not only with life but with vitality as well.

  The Forest came alive all around as if celebrating the end of the dark times. They had invited the mountain half-breed’s tribe to follow them back home. Hakken insisted, explaining to the elders even though they had been freed, this was not the time to merrily send them home and be done with them.

  Their bodies had been restored, but they still suffered. They had lived a nightmare for far too long, and they needed all the help and caring the tribes could give them. This was the time to heal their hearts.

  Maeve wholeheartedly agreed with him. She sensed how frail their newfound peace was. The dust had forced them to commit awful acts and witness their friends and family die. Right after the battle had ended, they all appeared so lost.

  The Quiet Folk people who marched with the horde for a little time quickly said their goodbyes after a tearful and hush meeting with Dröm. They assured him they held no resentment against his people, having experienced themselves the grip of the dust. Honoring their customs, they slipped unnoticed and retreated into the Forest to rebuild their village.

  Tyst met with their lost tribe members, and it embarrassed Maeve to realize she had judged the woman too harshly. Tyst might appear stoic and rough on the outside, but the tenderness and care she showed when welcoming them back were heartwarming. Maeve knew they would be fine, having such a caring leader protecting them.

  “What should we do?” Hakken mumbled by her side. When talking to the elders and Dröm, he sounded confident and determined. Now alone with Maeve, he allowed himself to show his concern.

  She as well wasn’t sure about the best way to help them. “Let’s make them feel welcome, for starters. They need to rest and calm down.”

  Her mate gave her a reassuring smile. Mate. She loved the word. Holding Hakken’s hand while heading back to their home was the most beautiful thing in the world. Maeve stood on her tiptoes, trying to reach and kiss his cheek, falling short by a frustratingly long distance.

  Seeing her struggle, Hakken chuckled. He leaned down to meet her, going for her mouth instead. “If you want a kiss, you only have to ask.”

  A short cough interrupted their flirting. They turned to find Dröm following close behind, Flyg timidly smiling at them while holding his arm. His mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to say something. “I’m sorry to bother... I’d like to talk to you two about...”

  He seemed to be awfully uncomfortable speaking. Flyg gave him an encouraging smile, and Dröm tried once more; his gruff voice was way too soft for a man his size. “I’m sorry. What I meant to say is... I thank you for what you are trying to do, but I don’t want to be more of a burden. You don’t need to invite us to your home, or to look after us. We have put our people back together in the past, and I give you my word, I will not rest until we are all safe and...! I will go back to the mountains now and work as hard as I can to—!”

  He became more and more agitated with each word, losing track of what he tried to say. Hakken stepped to his side and put an arm around his shoulders, chuckling and shaking him in a friendly manner. Dröm shut his mouth, paled, and stared at him as if Hakken sprouted a second head.

  “Hey... I understand,” Hakken said, “you keep trying to fix things on your own because you think it’s your responsibility.”

  Maeve always saw Hakken as a hefty man, but standing next to Dröm, he looked like a boy. She smiled at Flyg when the girl moved to take her by her arm, both walking ahead of their mates, quietly listening to their conversation.

  Hakken carried on. “I used to be the same. Well... not exactly, I didn’t try to fix anything to be honest. Nevermind… what I’m trying to say is, you don’t need to fear you’re asking too much or overstepping if we offer help. Some things we can’t do on our own.”

  After a while, both men lagged. Maeve sneaked a peek, finding Hakken talking nonstop and Dröm listening enthralled.

  Kniv trotted to her side and whispered to her. “I have no idea what might have happened to that boy while he horsed around in the afterlife, but I sure do like the quiet, brooding Hakken more.”

  “No, you don’t!” Maeve scolded him with a smirk. “You don’t fool me, Kniv. You have been beaming all afternoon, watching him taking control and bossing the elders around.”

  Kniv smiled and shrugged. “I know. I’m so proud of him.” He turned to her, alarmed. “Anyway, don’t tell him what I said! I’ve started to imagine him becoming our next patriarch!”

  Later that night, the village’s dinner was the weirdest, sweetest, and most awkward any river children remembered. Everyone was too happy to share their food with the mountain tribe, but it soon became apparent their guests were overwhelmed. There was a lot of thanking and apologizing. Sheepishness overcame even the most formidable warriors, and conversation developed a bit strained. But little by little, they relaxed. A quick laugh here. A smile. Grateful, shy tears. It was a tender moment.

  Maeve carefully assessed the emotional state of the tribes while ensuring Dröm his people were doing better. They sat together, sharing a meal while Flyg slept soundly next to Dröm.

  The mountain leader was curious about her—a human girl with magic.

  “The world has changed a great deal since last we met. I wished I’d led my people to reach the other tribes sooner.” Dröm kept relapsing into guilt and regret. “I fear they’re too broken now. I should have been braver.”

  There is a limit to how many times you can tell someone what happened is not their fault. Dröm would need to get stronger on his own, but meanwhile, Maeve could do something else to help. “If you like, I can meet all your people one by one. To help them cope. This probably affected everyone in different ways, so some might need extra care.”

  “You don’t need to—”

/>   “Yes, Dröm. But I want to help.” Dröm was a tough nut to crack regarding accepting help. “This is my home now, and I want to do as much as I can to make sure all my family is safe.”

  Dröm gave her a lopsided smirk. “Are all humans like you? I tried to kill you, I killed your mate, but you still find it in you to call me family.”

  She smiled back. “Tell you what... if you and Flyg visit often, I will officially declare you my brother.”

  Dröm let out a heartfelt laugh, drawing Hakken’s attention. He sat with Kniv and Regn, close to them. As soon as their eyes met, he sent Maeve a stunning smile. “I can see why he is so smitten with you,” Dröm said, “magic or not, you have a gift to make people hopeful.”

  They fell in peaceful silence, interrupted by the comforting crackling fire and the merry voices around them. Maeve raised her gaze to the stars, the beautiful face of a troubled child flashing in her mind. “What would become of them? Of Pouri?” She asked out loud, not expecting an answer.

  Dröm grew quiet for a moment, gazing at the same stars. When he finally allowed himself to speak, she recognized a sorrowful tone in his voice. “After all the time I spent under Pouri’s grip, her mind slowly unraveled for me. I guess it was inevitable. You can’t spend so much time sharing your thoughts without letting a thing or two slip.”

  Maeve listened as he closed his eyes, and she sensed him struggling with the memory. He didn’t try to forget. Dröm sought to come to terms with it.

  “It always baffled me how no emotions came from her. She was as cold as a rock underwater—” he shuddered— “but beneath the sterile facade, I recognized something. A little pain, almost trivial, but constant. Only today, I realized, she missed her siblings.”

  Dröm sighed. “All this pain and death because a little girl missed playing with her brother and sister.”

  But that wasn’t quite right. Pouri was not throwing a tantrum; she was not breaking toys to call their attention. She had been pivotal in their efforts to shape their world, to achieve balance. She felt useful, needed, only to be cast aside when they no longer required her power. “I’m not sure I agree with you, Dröm. You can’t take away someone’s purpose and expect them to go sit calmly for eternity.”

  Maeve wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on top of them. The hour grew late and sleep weighted her eyelids. She let out a yawn. “I don’t pretend to comprehend the heart of a goddess, but I believe we all need to be valuable. Useful.”

  Dröm caressed Flyg’s hair, staring at her lovingly. “Am I useful?”

  It sounded like one of those questions you ask yourself, but Maeve had a perfect answer. “Dröm dear, you are the leader of your tribe, the guide they will turn to when they feel lost. You raised them from the ashes of war before, and you will do it again, with everyone’s help this time.” Maeve gave him a playful nudge. “You are useful.”

  The huge, scarred, mountain half-breed leader smiled with authentic joy. “And you, my dear sister, will become the healer of this Forest, sharing your kindness and helping us all to overcome the darkness. And I know without a doubt, your mate will need all the strength you can give him when he becomes the leader of the Children of the River tribe.”

  CHAPTER XXXXVIII

  EPILOGUE

  Regn

  Five years later

  It took him longer than usual to travel back to the village that spring. The weather had been lovely, the roads quiet, and he ran as fast as ever. The only thing to blame for his delay was the absurd amount of gifts the Warlocks and the tribe leaders forced him to accept.

  Regn took the responsibility to tour the villages to ensure proper communication among the half-breed tribes. Mostly, to make sure the new mountain half-breed’s settlement had everything they needed. He also often visited because Maeve asked him to keep an eye on them.

  Dröm still clung to the belief he had to do everything by himself. Unable to convince him, the other tribe leaders sent ‘diplomatic delegations’ to maintain strong relations and improve trade. These visitors usually ended up building huts and helping with winter preparations.

  Eventually, Dröm figured it out, accepting the extra hands and sending back gifts to each village.

  They had decided to move their home from the mountain range. After all, they initially settled in that inhospitable place to be isolated from the world and other tribes. Now, the bond between the half-breed villages was stronger than ever, including their long-forgotten mountain brothers.

  Dröm and his people built their homes near the former Red Moon Valley village. It was a painful reminder of what they had done, but despite the other leaders insistence, the mountain half-breeds still felt the need to atone for their sins. So they turned the ruins into a flowery shrine in honor of those who lost their lives.

  It would take many years of hard work, but Regn was confident they would thrive. He just saw them, shared meals and stories with them, and they were happy. As happy as they could be. Still, Regn could tell many of them were burdened with guilt, and he hoped to address this when he returned home.

  So now, after a long, heavily weighted journey, he sat with the patriarch of the Children of the River, letting out a sigh after completing his report and handing the many gifts from the tribes. “Thank you, boy!” Kniv laughed. “And don’t worry, we’ll send you along with a cart next time. These people are far too generous.”

  In the end, the villagers chose Kniv as the new patriarch after the old mother’s passing two years ago. All the talking about Hakken leading their tribe died out as soon as the war ended, and he returned to be his old laid back self.

  Regn smiled. “I don’t mind. They seem to enjoy stuffing things in my pockets and way over my head.”

  After pouring two cups of freshly brewed tea, Kniv settled on the ground. “All is well, then?”

  “As well as you can expect. They went through a peaceful winter, and Dröm hopes to finish building before summer. The village is looking well, and there are so many young children, you can hardly speak without screaming over their voices.”

  “Sounds like a lovely place to be.” Kniv blew away the steam from his warm cup. Ever since their visit to the Warlocks, he had grown fond of their tea. Finn often sent bulky packages for him, full of dried leaves.

  Regn chortled, fighting the urge to lie on the ground to sleep. “You should join me next time. I’ll throw you to the children, and we might have some peace.” He was less than thrilled with the memories of loud infants, hoping to have a few quiet months before visiting again.

  “How is Dröm?” Kniv shared his concern for Dröm’s peace of mind. Their last meeting left him troubled, and he had asked Regn to be especially vigilant about him.

  “Flyg and his children are a blessing for his heart, but even I can see there is still a lot of pain in him. And in many of his people.”

  Kniv raised a curious brow. “Should she pay them a visit?”

  “I’ll ask.” Regn knew exactly who he meant.

  Smiling, Kniv waved a hand at him. “Go now. I can tell you are eager to meet them, and I won’t delay you. Thank you for everything, boy.”

  Regn left the hut, stretching under the afternoon sun and taking a deep, refreshing breath. The coolness of winter still clung in the air, but the sunny day’s warmth gave the flowers a push, making them bloom earlier.

  Before heading to his destination, he made a quick detour to deliver a present Flyg sent to Mynte. Both women engaged in some weird competition to give each other the most fragrant oil. Regn hoped this would settle the score because he hated smelling like roses all the time.

  Carrying a bundle of knick-knacks, he took a familiar path heading away from the village. It wasn’t long until he reached his destination—a peaceful meadow near a songful creek. A lone cabin stood in the distance, surrounded by swaying trees and neatly arranged crops of vegetables and herbs.

  Since he could never plan how long he would stay in each village, his arrivals often c
ame as a surprise. Regn did his best to be stealthy, but there was no way to trick her sharp instincts. However, she was not as sneaky as he. As soon as she discovered him, Regn heard the rapid footsteps running in his direction.

  He tried to hide his smile and act oblivious, but when the girl jumped to ambush him, he turned to catch her in his arms. “Oh, no! I’ve fallen prey to the mighty hunter once more!” He announced, twirling with the child before settling her on the ground. He dramatically stumbled, while the golden-haired girl giggled in delight, clinging to his side. Regn picked her up with one arm, settling her safely on his hip.

  “Uncle Regn!” Her amber eyes beamed at him, making him feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Laoise had recently turned three years old, and she was the spitting image of her mother. Except for her eyes. She had Hakken’s amber eyes. The little girl was as fast as any half-breed 3-year-old and just as dauntless. A little smaller than the other children, but what she lacked in strength, she made up on recklessness.

  Which was probably why Hakken was on the verge of a nervous breakdown most of the time. He was, as usual, extremely overprotective of his women.

  “Hello, little light! I missed you. Did you miss me?”

  Laoise laid her head on his shoulder. “Yes! Papa said you would visit soon. I’m hunting!”

  “Are you? What are you hunting?”

  The sweet child threw her arms around his neck. “Skinny nomads!”

  Regn burst out laughing. She was as kind and unexpected as her mother, but she had shown an unfortunate tendency to inherit her father’s sense of humor. “Where are your mom and dad?”

  Laoise raised her head, looking ahead toward a flower patch. She lifted her arm and pointed without a trace of doubt. “There! Near the pretty flowers.”