Starlight And Mist

Glen Haven

They walked out the grand front doors and found themselves in a sprawling forest. The trees were noticeably old and twisted with time, much taller than any she had ever seen. The forest was alive with movement and the usual sounds of a city; friendly chatter, those yelling to friends, and the tinkle of a bell in shops as patrons came and went. Eiris’ eyes widened as she noticed intermittent homes built into the sides of the mossy hills of the forest floor, their doors just as grand as the ones she had just come from. There were lanterns in the trees that emanated a warm glow, and she noticed with a start that there were wooden structures high above their heads built into the trees, connected by swinging bridges and winding steps. Most of the sounds came from above them as the inhabitants of the forests went about their business. 

The forest floor was covered in thick moss, save for a dirt path that cut through it, twisting and turning into a maze of side paths and main roads as far as the eye could see. A bird she didn’t recognize twittered and sang above them as they followed the dirt road. As they approached the heart of the forest, a large clearing came into view, and a large cluster of dwellings built into the hills. There were flower garlands draped across the doors, pretty pinks and yellows and greens. A large birch tree stood in the very center, alone. Its roots were large and stuck out from the ground. As they approached it, Eiris could see veins of silver running through it. A dull, rhythmic thumping seemed to be emanating from inside it. She shuddered and gave it a wide berth, following close behind Lorien. They kept up a steady pace until they arrived at one of the underground dwellings, its door open welcomingly. They entered as a small bell jingled above them, announcing their arrival. The hair on her arms stood up at the sound. The sound was not like a bell's; instead, it whispered to her, “You are here. Welcome. At last.”

She snapped her head towards Lorien, hoping he had heard it as well, but he was busy looking around the store they had just entered and didn’t seem to have heard anything unusual. She thought about turning around and running as fast as she could while his back was turned. Everything about this unnatural city screamed danger to her. But she needed answers first. She had to know why they had kidnapped her. And who they thought she was.  

She decided to memorize her surroundings in case they were important later. They seemed to be in some sort of shop. There were shelves on either side of the rounded room, each laden with strange objects. A golden spool of thread thinner than that of a spider's web, jewel-toned stones in glass jars, mysterious liquids that seemed to shift and take different forms before her eyes, golden droplets of light arranged on a platter, strange plants hanging in pots from the ceiling, hand carved wooden boxes full of small animal bones. In the center of the room was a small desk, the top cluttered with papers, books, quills, and crumbs of food. Stubby candles were melted to the surface, hardened wax pooling below them. What an odd shop. Who would ever need any of these things? 

“Einar. I have someone I want you to meet.” Lorien spoke as though he were conversing with someone in the room, causing Eiris to look around the empty room for who he could have been talking to. She braced herself, more worried than ever that her captor was addled. But before she could finish that thought, a man entered the room. Eiris turned to see who had entered, gasping as she noticed he was only half-man. The bottom half of him appeared to belong to that of a deere. His face shared the same soft, ethereal quality that Lorien’s did. His brown eyes were framed with long dark lashes, and his cheeks were rosy as if from exertion. His tawny brown hair was short and curly, with two long braids hanging over his shoulders. He wore an odd tunic that seemed to shift colors the longer she stared at it. The deere man sauntered in gracefully, a dazzlingly beautiful smile lighting his face.

“Lorien! I didn’t think I’d see you around here for a while! I heard you were sent to fetch-”

Lorien gave a subtle shake of his head, shifting his weight to reveal Eiris standing behind him.