Forget-me-not: Northern Outcasts

p.22 The spirit guides

That same day before the sun said goodbye, the same dove appeared in front of the two, cheeping at them and tilting it's head then bobbing it up and down, curious, they followed it once again, leading them away from the desert and the ocean and deeper into the forest where the green swallowed the whole place. Soon, the darkness replaced the green, and the two had to stop for the night, but the dove continued cheeping at them as if saying they have to keep going, it even pecked on Caith's skin just to get their attention. A little annoyed, the two stood up once again, walking into the dark.

"Arrgghhh!!" Caith groaned as she tripped again on another rock, she's starting to lose her patience and wanted to take down the dove for dinner. They lost count of the hours already but the annoying bird wouldn't let them rest.

"It would be easy if there's light you know!" she growled at the dove that's cheeping at her still. The bird tilted its head to the side then flew above their heads, it circled in the air numerous times and suddenly glowed, then it flew around them and everything became luminous. The branches glowed brown while the leaves and vines are green, flowers are of different colors, Sith flapped her wings too, making it glow in gold, fairy dusts spread in the air giving more light to their eyes.

"Sorry, I totally forgot it can do that." Sith said biting her lip when Caith raised an eyebrow at her as Sith hid her wings again.

The two continued their journey still trailing behind the mysterious animal with the new found light, they climbed rocks and crossed small creaks. Only the dove's cheeping and the silent whispers of the forest is heard by the two for they cannot find the right words to say in all the madness. While Sith would stop every once in a while to admire their surroundings, Caith would scold her to stop fooling around, the red hair didn't mind though, she just shrugged every time the Shaman yelled at her.

"Caith! Look at this!" called Sith when she came across a beautiful bush with little flowers of different colors, she cooed at the sight. Caith rubbed her temple impatiently at this.

"Sith, we're not here for sight seeing." she said a little annoyed.

"I know, but look at this place! It's beautiful." Sith said smiling widely, Caith was about to retort but the small girl ran past her towards a meadow filled with different kinds of flowers and butterflies, the full moon is now seen unlike in the forest where it's light barely shine past the trees. The gentle moonlight shine at the plants that adorned the meadow, Sith ran to the middle arms spread wide as she turned in circles with her eyes closed facing the night sky. Caith shook her head following the Guardian, who stopped turning and faced her with a bright smile against the moonlight. But seeing the Shaman not returning the smile made her lose her own.

"What's wrong?" asked Sith with a worried face, Caith snorted.

"What's wrong? This is wrong! We are stuck here, tired and not getting anywhere and you just have to be a child cooing at everything you came across!" yelled Caith to Sith's face, who gaped at her angry red face.

"I know you're frustrated-"

"No you don't!" Caith looked away laughing bitterly.

"This is you! With the traveling and the exploring and finding something new, and I'm not, I'm sorry, I made the wrong decision. I shouldn't have agreed to take this responsibility." said she and was about to leave but Sith yanked her arm forcing her to face the Guardian once more.

"What the hell Caith, where is this coming from? I get it, you're tired, but so am I, you're confused and I am too. Yeah I'm goofing around but come on, this is a place like no other, if I didn't know any better I'd say this is on the other side. Well, without the spirit beings and all." said Sith looking at the Maiden whose eyes are focused on the ground, then they snapped back at Sith woth surprise.

"What did you say?" she asked, Sith groaned rolling her eyes.

"There's so many of them, I can't remember all." the red hair whined while pouting causing Caith to laugh.

"There's my sky." said Sith smiling at her, Caith pulled her and kissed her forhead.

"Thank you, you really are my Guardian." she mumbled to Sith's forehead but backed away when electricity traveled between them Sith stumbled backwards as the Shaman watched her confused. Sith knelt down as her chest tightened, Caith cannot do anything but to watch her, not really having idea what to do.

"Sith what's wrong?" she asked, the Guardian looked at her meeting her with blood red glowing eyes, she stepped back terrified.

Just then, a huge falcon casted a shadow upon them, it flew above in circles before diving towards Sith and engulfing the Guardian, Caith was pushed back when it flapped it's huge wings at her. The Shaman just watched as the falcon covered Sith as if protecting her child, then in her eyes, the falcon glowed just like the dove, but instead of white or gold, it's light is fiery red, like flames devouring the entire meadow, all voice are stuck in Caith's throat as she watched magic happen before her eyes.

A low growl took her attention away from the show when the same panther appeared behind her, but instead of attacking, it just walked slowly towards her looking directly into her eyes, Caith fell down on the grass while the panther walked on top of her. The Shaman gasped when the same different blue colored eyes met her own, and the realization hit her, the dove that appeared was hers fom the beginning, the one that's carved to her arm band. The grey panther that has eyes the same colors as hers that she fought, and the falcon with blood red eyes.

Xira once told her that the spirit world doesn't really have spirits always, for they only appear to those who owned them, and these three are their spirit guides, the panther touched her forehead with its own and backed away slowly, Caith stood up and petted it's head, a low growl was its response and then the same dove landed on its back. They watched the glowing red light as it slowly dimmed down and when it disappeared, so does the dove and the panther, leaving Caith and an unconscious red hair lying on the flowers.

"Sith!" Caith called and ran towards her lover.