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The bear nodded her massive head.He was quite handsome.
Raising an eyebrow, Raela looked sideways at the bear.“Do you know so many men that you could judge that?”
In my many long days, I have seen many men from many different walks of life. Most were wealthy and important. A few were handsome.
Seeing his chiseled face in her mind, with his dark brown hair and green-gray eyes, Raela thought he might be handsome. Her cheeks felt strangely hot at the idea.
Raela shook her head to clear the thoughts. “Auntie said I should never see or speak to him again.”
Your aunties love you and want to protect you.
“But I think they’ve been keeping things from me.” The bear’s sharp silence told Raela she was right. She shook her head, trying to ward off another wave of frustration and anger.
“What if too much protection is stifling? So much shade that I can’t grow?”
Many things feel stifling to the young and vibrant. It is also easy to drown flowers in too much water. But they do all things out of their love for you.
Raela inhaled, reminding herself of the values she had been taught. Obedience. Gentleness. Respect. She could be a good girl. An attentive, properly respectful young lady. But … She exhaled, releasing more questions. What about curiosity, the pursuit of knowledge and … and … keeping the forest safe? Those were good too. Wasn’t she a guardian of the forest? Wasn’t she its protector? Raela wasn’t trying to disobey. Just … to collect information. Observe and defend their forest against …. Against handsome intruders.
Raela picked at her thumbnail. “And what if I choose differently?”
All you can do is make the best decision at the time with the knowledge that you carry.The bear crooned, batting playfully at her cub.I trust your instincts, and the forest will protect you too. Just be wise, do not form attachments, and stay in the forest. I wish I could go with you, but I sense you need to do this on your own. I will always be here if you need me. Just call. And don’t worry about the wolf, the light seemed to like him too.
With that breath of permission, Raela rose to her tiptoes, kissed Mother Bear on her fuzzy cheek, and skipped down the hill, patting each cub in turn. Her instincts burned with curiosity. Her aunties had trained her to defend herself, too, if needed. But she needed to ask some questions.
And maybe, she would get some real answers.
Killian
“She’s not coming, is she?” Killian sulked with sunken shoulders as he stood in the center of the meadow. They’d waited too long; Killian had already missed his morning tutoring and might be late to lunch with his father, but he had to show Phineas he wasn’t crazy. Or maybe showhimselfthat he wasn’t crazy. But there had been no sign of the woman. The birds sang peacefully. The wind shifted gently. It was all exceedingly nonthreatening and decidedly unmagical. Killian pretended to ignore his feeling of foolishness.
“If Jax hadn’t been with you, I’d accuse you of making her up,” Phineas said as he broke tiny sticks and tossed the pieces into the bush ahead of them. “Too much drink, too little sleep. But alas.”
Jax flopped to his back as his paws batted a fly.She was real. But she is really not here now too.
Killian groaned. “Okay. We can head back. This was a fool’s errand.”
Yes. This is true.The wolf rolled to his feet and shook off the dust.
Phineas set a hand on Killian’s shoulder as he passed him. “I’m sorry, friend.”
Killian looked around the meadow one last time, begging her to come, but with a final huff, he turned after his companions. She wasn’t coming.
Head low, he studied the ground as he went. What would he say to his father to excuse his absence this morning? He was breaking the law, chasing a girl in the Forbidden Forest? Maybe she was a sprite, or a ghost, or …
From the side of the meadow, purple iridescent smoke caught his gaze. Gentle light filtered through the edge of the pine trees above. Below them grew a sweeping arc of glowing mushrooms, making almost a full circle. Killian had never seen a mushroom glimmer before. Most were brown and boring. He reached for it, wanting to bring it fully into the light so he could look more closely, but as he stretched out his fingers, the beam of light shone hotly on his hand, and two large blue jays screamed and dived toward his head. He reared back, stumbling into the grasses. The jays disappeared as fast as they had come, taking the light with them. He stood and searched the trees.
“Ra lonsha’ta bamme las’ho. Ha bet kuncham.”
Killian whirled toward the feminine voice, his heart hammering in his chest as she slipped out from behind the trees to his right. Her blue eyes pierced his soul, from which burbled a ridiculous amount of relief, along with a nervousness he had never before experienced, even while in court.
She says something about mushrooms and death,Jax translated.
“Better not touch those then,” Phineas chided.
“Uh, hello. Here. These are for you.” Killian pushed the bouquet of flowers toward her. They were a bit beaten up from his fall, and wilted from the lack of water, but pretty, nonetheless.
Her full lips tilted downward. “Toru ra kunch’at las’hi’as? Rana noma’at omnom hasha.” She glanced back at him, her brow furrowed.
