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Chapter Four:
Twink and Bark
After what had happened between me and Laird’s family was a thing I wanted to forget. I could only want to forget but I could not wish it. Wishing is only for those who believed in faerie tales. My lord raised me to be a sensible girl. I am quite sure of that. However, I’m moving off the subject at hand aren’t I?
Hiero comforted me as we walked away from the village. I felt like my heart could just split into many pieces. Not only was Laird dead…but now his family was known for housing the little girl who murdered his killers. I am a murderer now, soon people will be chasing after me. But…It wasn’t entirely my fault! I just…I don’t know how to explain it but…I just snapped. I can hear you laughing at me Helm…Please stop. Please get out of my head! Get out of my…!
The regal wolf looked up to me as he licked my hand. I stopped in my tracks, regaining my sense of reality. “I…I’m sorry Hiero…Am I ignoring you?” I asked him with a small smile. His tail wagged and he woofed at me. I nodded my head and started to walk again. We were walking on a long dirt road. I had lost my food and water when we left the village. My throat was parched and I could barely see what was in front of me. Is that…what they call an oasis? Why…That’s impossible!
I frowned lightly. This was what my lord called mirages. Something or someone was testing me to see the truth. It wasn’t there! I knew it! I’m not heading toward it! “Hiero! Come on this way boy. It’s just an illusion.” I told him while my head spun around.
This didn’t look good. But it seemed suitable that a murderer would meet their end here in the desert. I fell to my knees onto the dirt ground. My feet hurt…My legs hurt…my head hurt…my heart hurt…I just want to sleep.
Hiero stop licking my hand…I just want to sleep…
Just want…
To…
Sleep…
“Why are we doing this again?”
“Well she might know what that pretty man is doing in our forest!”
“For the last time…He’s not pretty! He’s stupid, he’s ugly…Twink you only like him for his looks!”
Twink?
“You’re just jealous because you can’t be as pretty as him Bark! You’re the ugliest Nymph!”
Bark?
“Them’s fighting words sister!”
A wolf barked loudly. Water was splashed on my face as I regained consciousness. I looked up and saw the pink faerie and the green nymph from back behind the wall. They both looked at me with wide eyes as I sat up and leaned against Hiero for support. We were at the oasis I had thought was a mirage.
“I guess there was an oasis here…” I said softly, breathing in the smell of green leaves.
“Oasis?” asked Bark, who played around with his green hat. “You see those in the desert missy! This is a spring!”
“Or a pretty pond!” chipped in Twink, who held a pink flower in her hand. She flew up to my face and handed it to me. “A flower for a flower.” She told me with a wink.
I took the flower and smelled it. It smelled heavenly, must be the unique habitat that contributed to its upbringing. “Thank you!” I replied and took out a small bottle. I began to fill it up with water.
“So…” The green nymph clasped his hands behind his back and looked away from me as he spoke. His voice reminded me of the wind you hear in the forest and when the trees rustle and talk with each other. “What’s that ugly boy doing back in the forest?” he asked her.
“Ugly boy?” I asked, confused.
“He means the pretty boy Alice! What’s he doing to our forest?” Twink glared at Bark before returning her gaze to me. Her voice was full of melody and I wanted to eat something sweet just listening to it.
“You know my name?” I asked them both.
“You’re very pretty!” Twink gushed, sitting on my right shoulder.
“Who cares!? We know everything about you Alice but we want to know why that bastard is destroying our forest!?” Bark exploded in volume. He jumped onto my left shoulder and tugged on my ear.
Why…?
“Because it took away someone he loved dearly.” I answered in a surprisingly monotone voice. Closing my eyes, I shook my head. “I don’t really know but I want to find out too, I’m curious.”
Twink sighed in my ear. Hiero snorted and curled up next to the spring and started to have a snooze. I stood up, startling the two small beings and started to collect the orange fruit from the tree. “Excuse me…” Bark looked up to me from the ground.
I looked down to him. “Is there something the matter?” I asked him. “I answered your questions already.”
Bark nodded his head. “I know that. And I’m grateful for it. But…” He pointed to another green nymph on the tree. “Aren’t you going to ask permission to take the fruit? It’s his tree after all!”
My eyes widened and I stepped away, tripping over Hiero and falling to the ground. “Goodness!” I stood up quickly and bowed. “I am so sorry! Please forgive me!”
“That’s nothing, you’re lucky she didn’t drown you when you took her water…” Bark pointed over his shoulder to a finned little girl floating above the water. She glared at me with crystal blue eyes.
“I’m sorry again! So sorry! Please forgive me, everyone! I was just taught that I could take from nature what I needed!” I felt so embarrassed that my cheeks reddened to the colour of cherries. My lord, what have you forgotten to teach me!?
Twink shooed the two beings away, saying sweet things to bring peace to them all. She looked to me and smiled brightly. “Maybe you can help us! We’re looking for a special plant!”
“A special plant?” I asked Twink. “What kind of special plant?”
“It’s the Wishing Flower!” Bark explained. “If one finds the Wishing Flower and takes a thorn from it’s stem and plants it elsewhere, it will grant wishes for you! One for each thorn!”
“Really? That sounds wonderful! Good luck with your search!” I stood up and looked to Hiero. The wolf noticed my signal and got up, shaking his fur and taking drinks from the pool of water. I didn’t see the water faerie appear so it would seem that Hiero had asked for permission.
“But Alice, we need your help! To gather information!” Twink tugged on my ear. “Please! Pretty please! With sugar on top?”
“Why can’t you two ask yourselves?” I asked them, greatly confused by why they need me to help them.
“Well, we choose who we want to see us. Even then, that person must have a strong magical persona.” Explained Bark, yet again. Is it just me or was he the smart one of this team? It would do best if I left a comment like that unsaid. These two...they reminded me of something...
Far away...
“Alice, people will ask you one day…if you could help them.” My lord and I sat on a gazebo outside the mansion. I sipped my tea and dropped three drops of cream into it.“My lord has instructed me to never talk to strangers.” I noted, staring down into my cup of tea.
He laughed. It was my favourite laugh. It seemed to just spring forth from his heart and ring out into the forest. He looked to me, one eye showing through his long ebony hair. “But sometimes in order to gain, one must give. This can be in the forms of food, water, hospitality or even one’s self.”
“Really?” I asked him in curiousity.
My lord nodded his head and looked toward the trees. “Have I ever told you about the ocean?”
Was he changing the subject? I shook my head, just to go along with him. “No you haven’t my lord.” I answered.
“Would you like to know what it sounds like?” he asked me, getting up off his chair and placing his hands on his knees, looking at me at eye level.
I nodded my head eagerly. Stop the suspense my lord! I want to know! Show me! I got up and took his outreached hand. He took me to a clearing far into the forest. I was told never to go over here but with the lord, surely I have permission!
Looking to him, I watched as he stretched his hands over his head. “Picture a colossal amount of water in your mind Alice.” He instructed me.
I did so. It just stood there. Not moving…Then I heard it. The wind picked up. The trees rustled and spoke with one and another. It sounded wondrous. In my mind, waves lapped onto the shore of my pretend picture. The sound seemed to melt perfectly with the sound of the trees. It sounded so real! It sounded…
“Just like the ocean.” My lord smiled as he cupped my cheek in his hand. Was it magic that he used to make the wind? “Was it a good feeling Alice?”
“Oh it was a very goof feeling my lord! Thank you so much! I’ll treasure this feeling always no matter what!” I replied earnestly. “No matter what! It’s a promise!”
My lord’s smile dropped. He looked away. “Alice?”
“Yes my Lord?”
“Don’t start making promises you can’t keep.”
I snapped back to reality. That wasn’t such a fond memory…I looked back to Bark and Twink. Promises…I looked to the tree and the pond. Permission…I looked at the sky. Giving one’s self…for a cause.If I made a wish on that plant…I could wish for it to get rid of this aching heart and be able to return to my lord a lot more soon!
I smiled and nodded my head, turning to Twink and Bark. “I’ll help you!’ I told them, a grin crossing my face. “As long as I get a wish on a thorn! I’ll help you find it and that…”
“That’s a promise!”
