The Forest's Secrets || Fairytale! AAF

Chapter 3

Two days have passed since Peter had talked to Andy, who asked for him to meet back up in 60 hours to check on Peter's wounds.

Peter carefully descended down the mountains but stopped before reaching the ground. He saw two of the queen spirits guards walking by. He waited a few minutes after the guards left before climbing down.

"Kid, are you here?" Peter asked, looking around.

He then heard something in the trees. When he looked, Andy jumped down from the tree, stumbling a bit from impact.

"Smart hiding kid. Not even I knew where you were." Peter complimented.

"Thanks! I climb trees all the time back home."

"You're from the Elven Woods, right?" Peter asked as Andy examined his injuries.

"Yeah... How'd you know?' Andy asked.

"Well, you're an elf and elves commonly live there."

"Yeah, I know. But how do you know about the Elven Woods if you've been here for hundreds of years?" Andy questioned Peter.

"Kid, I may be almost 1000 but those woods were around since before my time," Peter informed.

"You're almost 1000 and you are younger than the woods?!"

"You sound surprised."

"I am," Andy said. "I never knew that and I read lots of books about our land and dragons, though the dragon books don't feel truthful to me."

"Of course, they wouldn't to you. They may be-" Peter stopped and listened around.

"What?"

"Kid, follow me."

Peter lead Andy up some of the steep mountains. When they got up a bit, some guards came by.

"Come on, kid. My cave is safe than out in the open." Peter said as he lead Andy up to his cave.

When Andy entered the cave, he was shocked.

"How does one live and make a home in a place so bare?" Andy asked.

"This is made to be punishment. Not a blessing kid."

As Peter walked around and then eventually sat, Andy noticed something off.

"Hey Peter, shouldn't dragons have horns? And if so, why doesn't one of your age have them?" Andy asked curiously as he resumed treating Peter's wounds.

Peter was silent for a while.

Andy noticed, "Sorry if I offended you..."

Peter spoke up. "No, you didnt kid, but to answer your first question, Yes dragons have horns."

"Then why don't you?"

"I don't have any..."

Andy looked at him. "Peter, why are you lying?"

"I forgot you can find lies..."

"Do you not want to talk about it?"

"As of now, but I promise to tell you eventually kid," Peter vowed.

"Okay..." Andy said as he finished checking on Peter's wounds. "I had to clean your injuries again but they are healing at least."

"So meet you back in 60 hours again?"

"Yep." Andy thought for a moment. "Am I the only company you've ever had, Peter?"

Peter looked at Andy. "No, you're not the only one. A young fairy used to come to visit me but when it started to get too dangerous for her to get here... I told her not to come back for her own safety..."

"Oh... It must have been hard to say that but you had good intentions."

"She's just a kid and I don't want her to get hurt."

"Yeah, I mean I would do the same with my friends." Andy then thought of something. "You said she was a fairy, right?"

"Yes...?"

Andy walked to the cave entrance which faced north and looked slightly to the east. "I thought so."

"What are you talking about, Kid?"

"I can see Fairy Cove from here. Fairies mostly live there."

"Why are you telling me this, kid?"

"Well," Andy thought. "Seeing the cove might make it feel like your friend is visiting you. Make you less lonely."

Peter smiled. "That's very kind of you kid, but it's time for me to get you down the mountain so you can go home."

"Alright." Andy agreed as he followed Peter out of the cave. As he followed Peter, he almost fell countless times but Peter never stumbled.

"Maybe he can traverse the mountains because he's been here for a long time..." Andy thought as he almost fell again.

Peter made sure the coast was clear before leading Andy back to solid ground.

"Here you go, kid. Better get home before those guards spot you." Peter warned Andy.

"Thanks for leading me down the mountain."

"Don't mention it. You'd need a dragon to guide you through the mountains as my kind helped make them."

"I actually read something about that. That's why they are called the Dragonite Mountains, right?" Andy asked.

"Yep. You know, if I were to die anywhere, I would want to die here on these mountains."

As Peter spoke, Andy noticed Peter's arm was bleeding.

"Peter, your arm is bleeding."

"Huh. I must have cut my arm while guiding you down the mountains."

"Here, I can bandage it," Andy said while grabbing some bandages out of his satchel, wrapping them around Peter's arm, covering the wound. "There you go."

"Thanks, kid but you should go now or-"

"Halt, you miscreants!" A voice came from behind them.

The two turned around to see at least four guards, all looking at them.

"You, young elf, what are you doing here? Don't you know it's forbidden to be here, let alone with that dragon?!"

"Y-yes sir, but he was injured so I wanted to help him..." Andy stated hoping they would accept his reason.

"Still, it is against the Queen Spirit's orders to be here. You both shall be brought before her." The guard stated. "Seize them."

"H-hey! Let me go!" Andy shouted as he tries and fails to fight against a guard who restrained him.

Two of the guards tried to restrain Peter but he fights back in fear of what would happen if he were to be brought before the queen spirit.

Andy could only watch as the two guards try to restrain Peter, but he noticed something was off. Peter wasn't fighting back in anger or aggression. He was fighting back in fear. He DIDN'T want to be brought before the queen spirit and Andy couldn't blame him. If he was in Peter's place, he would be fighting the guards off in fear too.

"Get away from me! Leave me alone!" Peter shouted as he fought back being restrained.

Eventually, one of the other guards struck Peter on the head with the blunt side of their weapon, knocking him out and they were able to restrain him. Two of the guards carried Peter while another escorted Andy to make sure he didn't try to take off and walked towards the castle. 

During the walk to the castle, they went through a few villages. As they went through the villages, the creatures of the villages saw Peter and were scared but when they saw Andy, they called him a traitor to the forest and some other unpleasant things. Andy could only look at the ground as they walked through the village. 

Eventually, they were at the castle placed before the queen spirit and she DID NOT look too happy.