A Surprising Spring

Chapter Ten

A woman was walking along a path in the forest, her face crinkled up in thought. She was moving slowly, not taking in any of the blossoming trees around her or the birds that called to each other from branch to branch. Her light brown hair was loose around her face, her coat a dark purple waterproof over jeans and boots.

A few hundred metres farther along the path she was slowly walking stood a man - although not a mortal man. His eyes were looking away from her, towards a figure sitting by a stream, but he became aware of her approach. Not letting himself be seen, Bastien turned his head and leaned backwards out of the tree he was perched in and saw her coming. Something about her intrigued him, so he jumped down silently and leant against the trunk, waiting for her to draw nearer.

Katy had just walked past the tree when she paused, catching something out of the corner of her eye. Slowly, she turned on her heel to look behind her and saw the fair haired Messenger standing there nonchalantly, a grin on his face, as if he’d been there the whole time.

“H-hello?” she said curiously, not moving.

Bastien pushed himself effortlessly into a standing position, his eyes locked with hers. He stood about a foot taller than her five-foot four frame. She swallowed nervously, her throat suddenly dry.

He held out his hand. “Bastien. Lovely to meet you…”

As she shook his hand, noticing how small her palm was inside his fingers, Katy was sure that his eyes actually twinkled. “Katy.”

 “What are you doing around here?” There was something about the way he spoke that stopped him from sounding nosy, just friendly and curious. Katy stopped herself from feeling like she should have to account to him. She wasn’t seven and he definitely wasn’t like any teacher she’d ever had.

Her eyes flickered to the clearing just beyond them, remembering her purpose. “I came to… see someone.”

Bastien raised an eyebrow. “What a coincidence - so did I!”

She frowned. “I don’t have to tell you anything else. It’s a public path, you know.”

The Messenger shrugged. “Of course you don’t. If you’re off to some woodland tryst I’ll let you go without another word, although-” he leant in closer, “-I’d have to admit to feeling a little disappointed.”

Katy felt her cheek flush and, feeling idiotic, she struggled to know how to respond.

“However,” Bastien continued, standing upright, “I have an inkling that you may be here on a similar mission as you are, and I think we could perhaps join force…” He had thus far resisted the temptation to slip into her mind and uncover the truth, and his resolve was fiercely tempted when she frowned and looked away, deep in thought.

Rolling her shoulders backward, Katy clearly came to a decision. “Tell me what you’re doing here and we’ll see.”

Again, the Messenger cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know, that could be rather dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” she frowned, her eyes once more darting towards the figure by the stream. “How so?”

Throwing away any instinct of self-preservation and a whole library full of rule-book, Bastien held out his hand to lead her a little farther away from the Sprite’s clearing. “Let me explain.”

~~~

A short while later, Katy was sitting, shock evident on her face, staring at Bastien whilst he waited for her response.

“I knew it!” she half-shouted, her eyes still wide and bright with surprise and wonder. “I knew it!”

He looked at her questioningly.