One With the Trees

Chapter 2 Different...

That's Travis -------------------->

Fionn POV

Ahhhoooooo ahooooo ahoooooo ahooooo
"They are getting ever closer" papa Beak says. "Do they really seem different?" I ask the trees. Yes...yes...yes...I hear many trees reply.
As I begin walking toward the eastern border I hear many plants and trees say, "Careful child. You don't know what there intentions are."
"Yes you must be careful. They are wolfs after all. Even if they didn't seem different they would still be dangerous."
"Child take care they could be scavengers."
"Of course my friends. I just want a peak," I say "and besides they may be very friendly who's to say." I said with a smile.
I've lived in this forest my entire life which in have estimated to be 17 changing of the seasons, according to the plants and elder animals. In all the 17 changes I've been here we haven't had many large groups of animals pass thorough and when they do they are normally hurt. This is a very strange occurrence, so it interests me greatly.
"Are they still heading this way?" I ask the trees around me.
Yes they are heading directly toward the center of the wood.
"The center, are you positive?"
Yes little one.
Healthy animals don't visit the center of the wood it's a place only hurt animals go. The springs there are pure and can heal wounds and illness quickly. I've made it my home, because that's what I've done my whole life is heal the forest. They mustn't visit there if they drink the water there and they are unhurt or like me immune to the magic there, they could die. Those who take from the spring greedily will be punished as the water spirits have told me many times. I protect the springs and warn new animals in the area of the dangers of the waters.
"Maybul will you lift me up into your higher branches?" I ask.
"Here you are," she says sending a vine around my waist and lifting me into her higher branches.
"Thank You!" I say.
"Are they still heading this way?" I ask the trees around me.
"They are close."
Close...close...
I hear wispy voices say.
Like a tree with a bullet stuck in its trunk I suddenly feel pain shoot up my arm from where it's resting on Maybul. Screams from a tree about a mile off to the left ring through the air.
"W-what are they-y doing?" I ask the plants.
They have stopped and are camping for the evening it appears.
"There are a few young wolfs that have broken off from there pack they are scratching trees and breaking branches...fooling around." A older tree says angry.
This puny red one just ripped up one of my sprouts! I heard Gladius scream!
Ungrateful...hurt trees...get rid of... I hear murmurs from all around.
"I'm on my way calm down I'll try to speak with them and if that doesn't work you may do things your way. How about it?" I ask the forest.
Yes...hurry...fix hurt...!
"Can you create a vine bridge for me, but make sure it's hidden so they don't see us coming."
The trees vines begin weaving and swaying and unweaving. It forms about 3 feet in front of me and weaves as I walk toward Gladius. As I get closer and closer I begin to smell a wounderful smell like no other I've smelled before. Pine...river...spice...the list goes on and on. I ask the trees to set me down 50 feet from the small clearing the wolfs are in and walk toward them downwind so they won't smell me. I've Been told by wolves before that I smell like the forest mixed with the scent of a baby deer. Coming from a wolf it was never comforting. They always make me feel like prey and my deer instincts tend to take over when faced with a predator; however, this is my job communicating the forests feelings to those who cannot hear it's voice. I must bravely face these wolves with no fear or surely they will harm me. Predators are always keen to sinceing smaller animals fear. They see it as weakness and weakness tends to lead to being seen as food. Now that I'm 10 feet from the clearing I can feel there spirits better. I could tell they were different earlier;however, I did not realize just how different until just now. It feels...there spirits feel...split but one at the same time. It's like there body's occupy two souls that are different yet one and it's as if there souls are connected to those around them. There are 5 wolves in the clearing. All seem to be about the same age. One red male is chewing on a branch of a sapling. Another brown and cream male is laying in the sun. Two wolves, one brown male one gray female, whose spirits are connected by this yellow, orange, red swirl are chasing each other stepping on saplings and ripping up roots with there claws as the play. It is the last one that gives me pause. He is the largest of the five. He is sitting atop a large boulder looking, watching over the others. There is something about him that sucks me in. I feel as if his soul is a magnet to mine and mine to his. He is a wolf but something else. They all are something else, and I realize this to late.
"Who's there?" The large male calls out through his head. He gives a short but firm bark. The other wolves start and look around nervously surprised. "I know your there...I can...feel you." He calls out once again through his head. The other wolves look surprised at his stating he can feel me, but it's no surprise he can most animals since me from further away so it's odd the others didn't while he did. He must be one of there higher ranking wolves. Good then he can speak the the leader and secure the plants and animals safety while also informing the rest of there pack about the water spirits who don't take kindly to greedy visitors.
I step into the sun light from the shadows slowly and there faces and energy become horrified and nervous.
"I'm sorry, I did not mean to startle you I only wish you to stop hurting the trees and there saplings." I say calmly. I slowly move toward the saplings that have been hurt and uprooted and begin to heal them. I brush my hands over the scratches on the trees bark, growing moss and wood to help the tree along. "The trees don't take kindly to animals uprooting there hard work, creating these saplings!" I say nicely.
All five wolves have grouped in the center of the clearing near the boulder the leader sits on. He just stares wide eyed. They all do. "How are you speaking to us?" They ask all at once.
This is a normal question. Younger animals I have found have never met someone like me. "I just can. This is my forest...the area I protect, and I have come to tell you this is not a place to harm the trees. I also would like to inform you of the springs. They are not to be drunk from with out reasonable cause. They are poison to anyone who is undeserving of their healing properties. The water spirits will not tolerate any thievery. "

"Just...what are you?" The red male who was chewing on a branch asks. "Me? I'm merely just a healer and communicator of sorts I can understand the language of souls." I answer with a calm smile. The leader slowly jumps off his boulder making me nervous and jittery, but I do my best not to show it. The wolf is even more beautiful up close he is pitch black with a blue shine to his coat he is the deepest black a wolf could be. He slowly walks toward me.
Don't back up! Don't back down! Stand tall! I keep repeating this in my head. As he walks closer I realize he is much larger then I originally thought he was. Massive...he is taller then me...with his head bent looking down at me. When he is less then three feet in front of me I realize that I've been taking small steps towards him as he took massive steps toward me. His eyes are blue...bluer then the sky, they are a summer storm with cobalt...beautiful...I feel myself gravitating toward him. Then suddenly standing before me is a amazingly beautiful captivating human boy! No a man! Human my mind screams! And I'm backing up and being grabbed by vines from nearby trees and I'm lifted. I realize they are pulling me away from him. He has started growling and following underneath the trees as best he can. And for whatever reason...a gut instinct I think..."Please let me down." I ask the trees.
Disapproval is discussed throughout the forest, but the whole time I'm thinking. He's like me...they're like me. I'm finally able to speak to actual humans or half humans.
The vines loosen and set me on the ground 10 feet from the man.
"I'm sorry. The trees are very loving and protective of me." He just grabs me and pulls me into a hug and smells my hair and for the first time I realize the amazing scent I've been smelling is this man. "Mate," he whispers into my ear, breathing in my scent, and holding me tight in his warm arms. Suddenly I feel a cold wet nose sniffing my hand at my side. "Mine!" The black wolf suddenly yells at the red wolf who yelps and backs up quickly.

"Why do I feel like I shouldn't stop touching you or like I shouldn't ever leave your side?" I ask him. He takes his glare off the red wolf and smiles as he looks down at me "Because...we were made for each other. Mates are meant to stay at each other's side till death and forever after. We are meant to be together."
I just nod and smile slightly.

Ahoooooo ahoooo ahoooooooooo
Howls rise in the air and the man's arms tighten around me. "How do you feel about meeting my pack?" He asks.
"I don't know...how many are there?"
"Over 100." He says calmly like that's normal. Maybe that's normal for shapeshifting wolves like these guys.
"What!" "100!" "100 people!?" I respond eyes wide with fright.
"Hey, it's alright. I'll be right there the whole time." He says smiling.
"No! No, no,no, no, no! I can't do that! You don't understand I'm a deer!" I state in hysterics on the verge of hyperventilating. "It took everything I had to confront a small group like you guys! There is no way I'd survive a whole pack of wolves staring at me! I'm sorry but my instincts won't let me! It's impossible! I mean I've never even spoken to anyone but you guys! Y'all are the first humans I've ever spoken to!" Half way through my nervous breakdown speech I had started crying.
"Shhhh...shhh it's ok you don't have to meet them all today, but you must come with me. My wolf will not let you leave his side." He Said stroking my head gently. Just this small action helped calm me down immensely. Which both scared and thrilled me. How are relationships supposed to work. I've observed human hunters before but there is only so much information you can get from watching them camp and walk around.
I was still teary eyed when I looked up into his eyes and from what i saw there I knew my answer.

"Okay."

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