Spirit Fire - Amos

Chapter 23 - Where Am I?

I woke up on my back in a dense forest, a slight breeze crept by. Nothing stirred except for the tree branches above me. The soil underneath me felt soft and smelled earthly, which comforted me, reminding me of the farm.

     Home. But it wasn't home.

     No sun permeated the treetops but it still felt warm. I stood up and looked around. I was surrounded by trees. I felt the weight of the silver sword on my hip, I was still wearing everything I had on before. "Where am I?"

     "Maybe I can answer that." A man stepped out from behind a tree. I noticed he had thin pointed ears and an angled body clothed in a white with a gold trimmed robe.

     "Can you also answer where I am, where's my dragon, who you are and why I'm here?"

     He took a slight moment to think and then said, "Yes, yes, yes and no, not yet."

     "Okay . . . are you?"

     "Maybe."

     "Well . . ."

     "You haven't asked me to . . . properly."

     "Alright . . . may you?"

     "Yes." he smiled slightly. "You are in one of the three sister forests, I'm not saying which one for reasons you will learn, your dragon is waiting for us and I am Farwin, nice to meet you." he finished. "Follow me." He disappeared back behind the tree and I peeked around it. He was no longer there. I heard a Psst! above me, and I looked up. Farwin was on a branch in the tree.

     "How'd you . . ."

     "Sh!" Farwin interrupted.

     "What do you . . ."

     "Shh! Come with me." He gestured for me to climb up.

     "I can't." I flung my arms up.

     "Just try." he insisted.

     "Fine!" I trudged over to the base of the tree and started climbing, one little movement at a time. By the time I got to the first branch I was exhausted and Farwin was already across two other trees, jumping into another. His body effortlessly glided from on tree to another.

     "Hey, wait up!" I shouted and chased after him. No matter how hard I tried, I still couldn't catch up with him. "One more question Farwin, please." With that, he stopped, turned around and leaned against the tree he was on. He waited until I was closer until he slowly returned to leaping branches.

     "Yes?" he asked.

     "You didn't finish telling me who you are."

     "Yes, I did." He interrupted.

     "All you said was your name."

     "Exactly. You asked who I was. I am Farwin. If you asked about me, I would've said more."

     "Can you tell me about you?"

     "Yes." He said flatly.

     "Ugh. . . . May you?"

     "Yes. You know my name already. You may have noticed that I am an elf. I live in one of the three forests. I am here to guide you to the empress. And I am to be with you for as long as needed to complete your training."

     "Guide? Training? What?" I jumped in front of Farwin, stopping him in his tracks.

     "I'll explain later." He leaped over me and bounded away.