Elements of Emotion

Chapter 5: Cheery Incompetence

Claw marks accented the paw prints that the young woman left behind in the damp earth. They led into the brush, close to where Caelian was sleeping. She had been eyeing him for a while now, curious about the pile of black and white feathers that were pressed up against the tree trunk.

She began to inch closer, pausing when a twig snapped underneath her foot. Seeing that the pile of feathers didn't stir, she continued to stalk closer and closer.

A scream pierced the forest, sending any nearby birds flying away in a panic. Having felt something jump onto him, Caelian had reflexively twisted and shoved away whatever it was. He scrambled to his feet, flapping his wings in a panic as he tried to maintain his balance. The person that had pounced on him was still sitting where Caelian had pushed her off, her head tilted to the side and staring at some feathers that were slowly drifting to the ground.

"What the hell was that for?!" Caelian shouted as he took a step back.

"Hmm, Evelyn disappointed. She thought you were a big bird. Oh well!" she said, seemingly unbothered by his hostility.

"What? Who is Evelyn?!"

"Evelyn is Evelyn."

"I don't know who—Ugh, who are you?" Caelian asked with a frustrated sigh as he folded his ruffled wings against his back.

She looked up at him with her bright green eyes. "Evelyn is Evelyn," she repeated.

"You're Evelyn?"

"Yes."

"Could've just said that," Caelian mumbled, calming down a bit. "Wait, you're... a spirit."

Evelyn stood up from the almost feral-looking crouched position she had been sitting in. She was a lot taller than Caelian—which wasn't exactly saying much, considering how short he was. Her hair was bright pink and fell down to her shoulder blades. She had long ears, and a tail that almost seemed bigger than her body, both sporting soft, pink feathers instead of fur. The tan skin on her legs turned black just above her knees, down to her tan toes on her paw-like feet. Her clothing was a mixture of colors, consisting mostly of blacks, blues and pinks, with hearts adorning her accessories.

"Yes," she said, placing her clawed hands on her hips and giving him a prideful grin. "Evelyn is fire spirit!"

"You're... not afraid of me?"

"No? Should Evelyn be?"

"Nevermind," he said quickly. "Uh, wait, you said you were a fire spirit? You're not from the Eternal Forest, then?"

"Nope! Evelyn is from the Scorched Lands, like other fire spirits."

"Oh," Caelian said blankly. "You couldn't help me, then," he said as he turned away.

Evelyn's hands fell to her sides as she watched Caelian begin to leave. He only got a few steps in before she dashed in front of him, blocking his way. He stiffened as she folded her arms with a frown.

"What?" He asked.

"Evelyn introduced herself, so Birdie should introduce himself to Evelyn," she huffed.

"Does it matter?"

There was a long stretch of silence as Evelyn stared at him expectantly. Caelian let out a reluctant sigh. "My name is Caelian."

"There!" Evelyn beamed, flashing him a toothy grin. "Not so hard to be polite, yes? Now, what is it Birdie says Evelyn can't help with?"

"Why ask my name if you're not gonna use it?" Caelian mumbled. "You're a fire spirit, you're not going to know how to enter The Eternal Forest."