Fire and Shadow: Chapter 2 part 2

Novel / Chapter
Fantasy

Published November 23, 2011

Fire and Shadow

~ Switch: Luna ~

Luna wandered, her heart beating faster at every noise. She had stopped running a while before, and she had been walking hurriedly, constantly turning and craning her neck, partly watching for the gryphon. But it never appeared, and she kept watching for some break in the trees, the way out of the forest. Rima had told her to head home, but the gryphon was in the way, so she’d gone a little deeper into the forest first, running as fast as she could through the trees and always hearing the scraping of the gryphon’s claws behind her. Now, nothing but the barren branches of the trees and the dark green evergreen boughs met her gazes. When she finally stopped walking, exhausted, she heard nothing but the rustling of the wind through the branches and the occasional caw of a bird.

She was well and truly lost.

Luna shivered as the cold of the tree she leaned against seemed to soak into her bones. She had heard stories her whole life of folk lost in the forest. In her fairy tale books, usually they met a witch or a giant or some other kind of magical creature, bested them, and returned home, safe and usually with great riches. The other stories, though, the ones the soldiers told around the fire on cold nights, were the ones that came to mind now.

There were tales of gryphons and packs of trolls or goblins stalking lone walkers in the woods. She remembered best, of course, the stories of shifters, who would take the shape of humans and mislead travelers deep into their lairs, where they would return to their natural form. It was always too late then- the shifters had won if they got you that far, and they fed on the marrow from their bones. Then there were sprites, who led you on with illusions into bogs, and basilisks, who would creep up on you and with a single look turn you to stone. The stories were very exciting on cold winter nights, in the safety of the Citadel, but now Luna wished she had never heard them.

Somewhere nearby, a branch cracked, and Luna jumped to her feet with a start. There was a thump to her right, and she backed away, looking wildly for something to use for a weapon. Then another crack came, and Luna tensed, until she saw the snow falling from a tree, thumping as it hit the ground. Snow- the snow has scared her.

If she was here right now, Aelia would be laughing, Luna thought, and then laughed herself in relief.

Frightened by a little snow, Luna? she’d say. And then, like a warning in her mind, Luna heard Rima’s response.

What made the crack? she thought, and jerked her head up.

High in the branches above her, a set of three imps swung from the branches, crowing at each other. They looked almost like large, thin, hairless squirrels, jumping from branch to branch and scrabbling for holds with their small, sharp claws.

Luna thought back to the gryphon’s claws and shivered. Rima… what if the gryphon had hurt Rima? Luna turned again, trying to see back the way she had come, but the snow had been too stiff and thin to leave tracks in. She had to get back to Citadel.

She had heard, in her stories, at least, that imps could talk. Maybe it was true, and these three could tell her the way back to Citadel. They were supposed to be simple-minded creatures, so perhaps if she was friendly, they’d tell her.

“Hello?” she called loudly up to the imps, smiling broadly. “Hello, up there!”

The imps stopped mid-caw and looked down at her. One, who had been about to leap to another branch, lost his hold and fell several feet before catching onto another branch below. They leaned down, their round owlish eyes peering at her. Then the two higher up, looked at each other and gave a cawing laugh.

“Hello, hello!” they called back to her. “Hello up there!”

The one who had fallen looked angrily up at first, as if he thought they were laughing at him, but then he looked down and laughed as well. “Hello down there!” he yelled.

“Hello! Do you know the way to the edge of the forest?” she asked.

“Edge of the forest?” the two imps repeated, looking at each other and nodding enthusiastically. The other imp seemed older, and gave the other two a look that Luna had seen Rima give the younger girls when they did something ridiculous.

“Edge of the forest,” the older imp called back. “Way to the edge,” it affirmed.

“Yes,” Luna answered. “Do you know where it is?”

It stroked its chin thoughtfully, ignoring the other two, who were swinging around their branch, cawing and yelling, “Edge of the forest, hello edge of the waaaay!” in their hoarse voices.

Finally, the older imp leaped, landing on a lower branch that was closer to Luna. It eyed her curiously for a moment, but then its gaze moved to her shawl, humming huskily deep in its throat. It pointed to her shawl. “What that?”

Luna held it closer around her neck. The shawl’s bright red fabric cascaded covered her shoulders and provided the only warmth she had. “It’s a shawl,” she said cautiously, watching the imp closely. The imp stared back, its wide eyes riveted on the shawl. Slowly, she began to uncurl her fingers, and she held out the shawl, tantalizingly.

“I’ll let you have it if you show me the edge of the forest,” she said. “Edge of forest, me and you, and I give you the shawl, yes?”

The imp jumped again, landing on the ground in front of her. It was bigger than she’d thought- about the size of a large cat. It reached out a long thin arm and stroked the fabric. “Pretty,” it said softly, and then looked up at her. “Yes, edge of forest, yes, we go,” it said.

The imp bounded off into the woods, and after wrapping the shawl around her shoulders once more, she went off after it, running to keep up.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry,” the imp called, looking back frequently. Its gaze was focused more often on the shawl’s bright fabric than on her, but Luna tried to keep a reassuring smile fixed on her face.

Luna didn’t know how long she’d been running after the imp before she noticed the forest getting lighter. The trees were growing farther apart, but they were taller and older than the ones she knew. Perhaps it was a different part of the forest, on the other side of Citadel. Luna hurried as the imp pranced forward, and then suddenly, she saw the sun. Truly smiling now, Luna followed the imp past the trees and into the open ground.

The Citadel was nowhere to be seen.

They were in a wide glen, a clearing almost entirely covered in a thin layer of snow. As she looked around, her heart sank. Trees lined the entire clearing, trees that were taller and older than any she’d seen before. This wasn’t the true edge of the forest; in fact, if anything, she was farther from it. She was even more lost than before.

“Shawl?” the imp said, and Luna looked down to see it crouched at her feet. Its eyes flicked back and forth from her face to the shawl. “Edge of forest, see? Edge of forest, end of trees. Shawl, please.”

Luna looked around and shivered. “No,” she said, stepping away. “This isn’t the end of the forest, take me to the outside of the forest. Then I’ll give you the shawl.”

The imp scowled fiercely. “Not fair, not fair, promised, you promised,” it muttered, its hoarse voice more of a growl.

“No!” Luna said, backing away from the imp and toward the tree line. “I said the edge of the forest and this isn’t it. Please, show me the way and I’ll give you the shawl.”

The imp growled, and eyed her. Then it leaped into the air, heading straight for her face. With a shriek, Luna jumped away, and the imp flew past her so close its skinny tail whipped her face.

It landed behind her, and Luna whirled around to face it. It sat on the ground, its face now a picture of smug happiness, wrapped around in her red shawl. Luna put her hands to her shoulders, but the cold she could already feel told her that it was gone. The imp must have grabbed it as it jumped past.

“Give that back!” she yelled, angry now. The imp looked up and made a snorting noise. With another quick bound, it leaped toward the nearest tree, landing low on the trunk. By the time Luna reached it, though, the imp had climbed into the higher branches, and sat wrapping the shawl messily around its arms, like a bird arranging its plumage.

“Come back!” she shouted, but this time the imp didn’t even deign to look at her. It simply sat up and jumped into the next tree, then the next, and the next. Within a few moments, it was nothing but a slight flash of red far above her. Then it was gone.

The silence settled in again on Luna, and she shivered. She wrapped her arms around her, but without her thick shawl, the cold seemed much stronger.

“There was nothing,” she remarked suddenly, “in any of those stories about imps. You’d think they’d warn a person.” She sniffed, from more than just the cold, and then she couldn’t stop. She burst into tears, sobbing against the base of the tree. It was hopeless now; she was deeper in the forest than anyone would come, farther than anyone she’d known had ever been. Home and the warm, crowded halls of Citadel might as well be on the moon, she thought. The thought didn’t help; it only brought on a new wave of tears, and Luna leaned against the tree and covered her face with her arms.

When she looked up, some time later, the light had changed. It was difficult to tell with the clouds hiding the winter sun, but from the light that did come through to the glen, and the grumbling of her stomach, it seemed to be well into the afternoon now. Luna wiped away the last few tears that wandered down her cheeks and sniffed loudly.

She looked back into the forest, but it seemed even darker than before and unwelcoming. With a sigh, she turned away and began walking deeper into the glen. The snow here was deeper, at least six inches. Luckily, she had worn her boots when she went out this morning and walking through the snow wasn’t too difficult.

The glen was large, and roughly oval-shaped. Large bushes and shrubs made it difficult to see the other side, but somewhere closer to the middle, Luna could hear the sound of water splashing. She stopped, listening. It didn’t sound very large. Perhaps it was a small stream- at least she could get a drink of water.

Luna was about to start forward when another sound stopped her, mid-step. Somewhere nearby, in the same direction as the stream, someone was singing. It was a wordless song, but bright and lively. The voice was like that of a young woman’s, but it had a sense of age to it, almost as if the song had been going on for a long time, and the singer was tiring. As she listened, the tune peaked, the singer gracefully touching the higher notes before swooping back into the melody. Luna stood, transfixed, listening almost in disbelief. Then she began running forward, pushing aside branches and weeds that grew high around her.

“Hello!” she called. “Hello, don’t go! Wait!” A few moments later, she burst out of the bushes into a small clearing. A small stream cascaded gently through it, cutting the clearing neatly in half, and on the far side, a woman sat on a boulder. Her eyes were closed and her face was turned to the sky, as if she was enjoying the warmth of a summer day, although the sun was hidden behind clouds. As Luna emerged into the clearing, she stopped singing and turned to face her. “There you are,” she said, her voice still musical. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

For the third time in as many minutes, Luna stopped dead in her tracks. The woman’s skin was green, a pale, leafy shade of it, but unmistakably green. Her eyes were wide and light brown and they seemed to glow slightly. Her hair was long, covering her like a cloak, which was fortunate, Luna thought, as she didn’t think the woman was wearing any clothes.

“You’re… you’re a sprite,” she breathed.

The sprite looked back and smiled. She wasn’t a young sprite, Luna could tell. Her face was crinkled with lines, although they didn’t make it look any less beautiful; they seemed to give the sprite an air of antiquity, like a majestic statue that had weathered with age but had withstood the test of time.

“Of a sort, I suppose,” the sprite answered.

She leaned forward and seemed to flow down the rock, her shape moving sinuously until it reached the ground, where she once again became a woman. Where she touched, the snow instantly melted away, revealing fresh green grass dotted with flowers. “I’ve been waiting quite some time for you,” she said, as if reprimanding. Her tone was heavy with solemnity now, and she gazed up at the sky as if afraid it would rain.

“Waiting for me?” Luna repeated. “How did you know I would come?”

The sprite looked back down at her and tilted her head. “It was in the stars,” she said, “as are all other things.” Her hair fell all the way to her knees, Luna noticed, and was made up of hundreds of shades of brown and gray and green. It was obvious now that she was not a woman, and not even human; her shape was different, lean and thin, almost like a sapling.

“There is something you must do for me,” the sprite said, looking once more at the sky. “I am getting too old, and my power fades,” she admitted. “I can no longer see the stars, or know when the time is ripe; but like the woods, I feel the end of my season approaching.”

Luna said nothing but watched the sprite as she approached, grass and flowers springing up in her wake. She stepped carefully across the stream and was soon so close to Luna that she could see the leaves and feathers woven into her many-colored hair so closely they seemed to grow out of it.

“What do you need me to do?” Luna asked, cautious but curious. This could be a trick, she thought, remembering the soldiers’ tales. But of course, in fairy tales, the main characters were always rewarded for doing a good deed. She supposed it couldn’t hurt to find out what it was.

The sprite looked at her, scrutinizing her with eyes the same shade of gray as the winter sky. “This land is mine,” she said, “and much has been given for it. There have been many sacrifices. Very many, and very great.” Her eyes darkened, and Luna sensed a deep and bitter sadness in her voice. “Do you understand the nature of true sacrifice, daughter of earth?”

Luna’s breath caught in her throat, and she felt uncertain. “I… I don’t know. I don’t understand what you mean.”

The sprite leaned back, still watching her closely. “This land is yours as well, I think,” the sprite continued after a moment. “Your people have poured their blood in its rivers and onto its soil for so long, we are practically relatives. Do you love this land, daughter? Would you give up anything to save it? That is why I called you here today, to ask you this question and hear your answer.”

Luna said nothing. She was growing less and less certain of herself and her safety as the sprite continued. Her tone was not threatening, but her words carried a sense of doom with them that frightened her. She took a step towards the forest, but the sprite put up her hand to halt her.

“Listen,” she said. “There is something very powerful coming… something ancient. It is his season soon, and he is coming to take back this land. I will not be able to stop him- I have seen it in the stars,” she finished sadly.

“Who?” Luna asked, her curiosity rising again. “Who is coming? What do you mean?”

“He is of the sea, as I am of this island,” she replied. “And if he is not stopped, this island and all upon it will perish with the rising of his tide. So I ask again, do you love this land, daughter of earth? Would you give up anything to save it, to save your kingdom, your people, and your family? Would you?”

Luna lowered her eyes, thoughts racing through her head. Her mind filled with pictures; images of careful, loving Rima; of her father, his eyes tired after many years of guiding their people; of the Citadel in summer with cool northern breezes snapping their flags; of the Forest in winter, with the full moon silvering the snow; of the families finally rebuilding after centuries of war; of the fields finally bearing crops again. Yes, she loved this land, and her people- how could she do otherwise?

“Yes,” she answered, “yes, I would give up anything for my people. Although,” she admitted, hesitating, “I am afraid.”

The sprite looked at her for a moment, then nodded. “That is alright,” she said, smiling softly at her. “Bravery is being afraid, but still doing what is right. And now, here is something for you. I saw in the stars many years ago that you were the one I could entrust with this.”

She reached into her hair and unwound a braid that hung close to her face. She removed something from it and hid it in her fist, and then held her fist out to Luna. “Here,” she said, and opened her palm.

She held what looked like a small stone, but it glowed brightly, a bright green that seemed to come from within. Luna put out her hand, and the sprite dropped the stone into it.

The instant it left the sprite’s hand, the stone darkened. The light went out, and Luna found herself holding a dark green stone, rough and unpolished. “What happened to it?” she asked, looking up.

The sprite simply shook her head. “The talisman will show the way when the time is ripe,” she answered, “and with it you must untangle the darkest shadows, for they are the source of the danger.”

“What does that mean?” Luna implored, but the sprite turned away and began walking quickly into the brush.

“Wait!” she called, and the sprite stopped. “Can you help me get home? I can’t help you if I don’t get home,” she added.

The sprite tilted her head again as if in thought, then came back. She approached Luna, who took a step backward, but the sprite didn’t stop until she stood right next to her. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes and facing to the sky. For a moment, Luna lost sight of her face; the sprite suddenly looked very like a tree, the lines of her skin like bark, her arms like branches, and her hair the leaves. Then she lowered her arms and wrapped them around Luna, and she was shrouded in the sprite’s hair.

A sound like a whistling wind came from outside, but the sprite’s hair stayed still. She opened her eyes, and they gave off a glow in the narrow space between them.

“Do not forget, daughter,” she said. “Do not forget the talisman. It protects against the darkness, and the sea will not touch you. And this will clear your vision, so you may see the right way, which is invisible to others.”

She lifted her hand to Luna’s face and smiled again. “Close your eyes,” she said, and Luna did. She felt the sprite lift her chin and then gently touch her eyelids. As she did, it was almost as though Luna could see through them, and her vision was filled with a bright green glow that remained even as the sprite removed her fingers. It disappeared as she opened her eyes.

The whistling outside stopped and was replaced by the quiet of the woodlands. The sprite pulled back her arms and stood up straight, and as her hair fell back Luna saw they were in the woods again, at the edge of the forest. It was almost as though the daylight streaming past the trees was too bright, for Luna squinted against it and held up a hand to shield her eyes. She looked back towards the sprite, but she was farther away now, retreating back into the forest. She was leaving, and it seemed like she was taking the light with her, because everything began to fade away into darkness.

“Wait!” Luna cried out, peering now into the rapidly encroaching darkness that seemed to be eating up the forest around her. “Wait, don’t leave- I want to know. What is your name?”

The sprite turned back for a moment, and smiled at her. Her eyes were now a bright, vivid green, looking almost like two gems hidden in a tree, tucked into the furrows of the bark. “I have many names,” she answered after a pause, “but you may call me Meytra.” Then she stretched out her hand before her face, palm towards the sky, and blew across it, as though she was blowing a kiss.

Luna felt a warm summer breeze, and suddenly she was filled with an immense feeling of tiredness. Barely conscious of her actions, she lay down on the floor, her eyelids growing heavier by the second. “Meytra,” she whispered to herself, fighting the urge to sleep for one more moment to look at the sprite one more time. The last thing she saw before she closed her eyes and was the bright green of Meytra’s eyes smiling at her before she turned and disappeared among the trees.

Then darkness swallowed everything around Luna, and she let it, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

End of chapter

Continue to next chapter Fire and Shadow: Chapter 3 Part 1