Silver Rose

Chasilin

Dark green eyes. Huge dark green eyes. They silently peered between the dark shadows of the bushes. The two children stared back. They weren’t sure if they were imagining or not; if they should run or not. They didn’t want to be chased, but they didn’t want to stand there against the tree, paralyzed in fear.

Zander’s mind let go of enough fear to allow him to think. Slowly, his eyes took in their surroundings. They were in the woods. They had been playing there everyday since their parents would allow them out of their sight. In that time nothing had been in the woods expect birds and small animals. At least those were the only animals they were ever aware of.

Slow heavy breathing came from the bushes where the green eyes watched them. Zander counted six sets of eyes. One of the bushes loudly rustled. The children held their breath, waiting. When nothing happened, Zander’s mind began thinking again. They had to make it back to the village. If they could make it back, then men could come to their aid. Zander’s brain tried to remember how to get back from where they were. They played in this spot often, but the bushes kept rustling and he couldn’t remember.

Breathing rapidly, he slowly moved his body just enough so that he could turn his head and look around the tree. Behind the tree there weren’t any green eyes. The bushes stopped moving. Low growling from the back of several thing’s throats filled their ears. Zander’s heart stopped beating. It was the same growl his dog, Manny, gave right before he attacked a squirrel.

Without further thought, Zander grabbed his sister’s arm, ran around the tree, and into the woods beyond. A deafening roar from a thousand throats shook the air. Elsa screamed. Zander turned his head to make sure she wasn’t hurt. She was looking behind her at creatures that ran after them.

“Don’t look at them, Elsa!” Zander shouted.

Elsa turned her head. Tears spilled from her eyes, but she looked forward. They ran. Loud huffing and growling and the occasional roar stayed constantly behind them. They were too short to worry about branches, but bushes and tall grass and prickly shrubs slapped at their bodies. They stumbled on rocks and roots. And almost fell into a ditch they didn’t see until the last moment. The heavy huffing and growls grew louder. Zander didn’t know how much longer they could last. Already his legs hurt and his lungs ached. Then they ran through a stream Zander recognized. They were close to the edge of the woods.

Suddenly, Elsa tripped on a tree root. With a yelp, she reached out her free hand and grabbed Zander’s arm. Zander was pulled back as she fell and landed on top of her. Several of the things that had been too close to stop, tripped over the children and became a pile next to them. Zander sat up. Big dog-like animals with gray fur and green eyes ran toward them. They reminded him of wolves only they were bigger and with huge fangs that hung below their necks.

The rest of the things were untangling them selves out of their pile. Elsa and he couldn’t escape now. He looked up. They stood under a tree. There was a branch above them that they might be able to reach.

“Elsa,” Zander shouted, “quick! Up the tree!”

They stood up. Zander jumped up with one arm stretched toward the branch. His fingers brushed the rough wood. He fell to the ground and quickly picked himself up.

“Elsa, get on my shoulders,” he said.

The things were almost there. Zander bent down and Elsa climbed onto his back. Wobbling, he straightened out and Elsa moved onto his shoulders. She reached up and grabbed the branch. Still holding on to the branch, she used the trunk to walk up with her feet until she could wrap her legs around the branch. Then she pushed and swung around to sit on top of the branch.

“Zander!” she screamed looking down. The things surrounded him and the tree. Saliva dripped from their open mouths. Hot tears stung the rims of her eyes.

“Zander!” She screamed. “Help! Somebody help! Help!”

Zander squeezed the stick he’d picked up. His father had taught him how to fight with a rod, but it had been with a sack of flour on a pole. The sack never held the threat of hurting Zander like the animals around him did. Still, he tightly held the stick in front of him. He didn’t want to die. The thought of it brought a huge lump into his throat. He didn’t want to cry in front of Elsa, but she was already crying and screaming. There was no reason for him not to, so he let the tears pour out in his last moments of life.

The animal in front of him leaped into the air to pounce on its prey. Zander squeezed the stick and shut his eyes. Trembling, he waited for the animal to land on him and rip him to pieces. He felt its hot breath on his skin. Then there was a gurgling sound and a thud. He heard another thud and a loud roar. Thud! It took Zander a couple moments to realize that the thudding was not him hitting the ground with the animal on top of him. Slowly, he opened one eye.

Gray and white furry animals were attacking something a few feet away. The something was flinging them into the air and they were landing on the ground with a loud thud. Finally, there was only one left. Now Zander could see that the something was a someone. The person’s back was to him and all he could see was a dark blue cloak and long brown hair. The person grabbed the animal’s fur and flung it into the air. The animal landed a few away. None of the animals moved. Zander wondered if they were dead.

“They’re not dead,” the person said.

Zander looked up. A young woman grimly smiled down at him. She reached out a hand. Somehow, from fear or relief, he had fallen on his knees. He took her hand and she pulled him up. Then she looked up at Elsa. She put both arms up and helped Elsa down from the tree. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Elsa turned and wrapped her arms around Zander. Although he didn’t like being hugged, this time he hugged her back.

The woman silently watched them. The children held on to each other until their breathing and heart rates slowed down to normal. They let go and wiped the tears from their faces. The woman put a hand on each of their shoulders.

“Would you like me to walk you home?” She asked.

They nodded.

“Do you live in the village?” She asked.

“Yes,” Elsa said.

The woman took their hands and walked in the direction of the village. Twice, they had to go around one of the animals and the children immediately clutched her cloak and held on tightly. They feared that the animals would suddenly leap up and eat them. After they put the animals behind them, the children continued to look over their shoulders every so often.

“Don’t worry,” the woman said, “they won’t rouse for awhile.”

“Are you sure?” Zander asked.

“Yes,” the woman said, “but avoid these woods as long as you can. Something moves in the air and they are no longer safe.”

“What were those things?” Zander asked.

The woman didn’t say anything for couple of minutes.

“They were Wolmens,” she finally said, “a kind of wolf. They are very large as you saw, and very dangerous. They have a superior sense of smell and can smell things that once were and are no more. It had been thought that they no longer existed in… in man’s world.”

“Wolmens,” Zander whispered to himself.

As soon as they left the woods, the children felt normal again. They let go of the woman’s hands and skipped through the meadow. After the meadow was a short piece of grassy pastureland and then the village. They were halfway through the meadow when the woman suddenly called for them.

“Children!” She shouted. “Children come here, quickly! Quickly!”

Fearing that the wolmens had awakened, the children ran back to where she stood a few feet away. As soon as they reached her she pushed them behind her. They timidly peeked around her body to see why. A swarm of big bugs flew towards them. The woman put her hand up and the bugs stopped in front of her.

“Give the children to us!” one of the bugs demanded.

“No,” the woman said.

“You must give them to us!” the bug said.

The children peered up at the bugs. Elsa gasped. They looked like little humans with large, colorful wings—fairies.

“We have the charge of punishing humans who mess with the creatures of other worlds.” The fairy said. “These children have brought the wolmens upon us. It is your duty to hand them over so that we may punish them.”

“You know as well as I do that these children have nothing to do with the wolmens in the woods.” The woman said.

“We know what we have seen,” the fairy said, “and I, Xanith, personally saw these children bring the wolmens from deep in the woods toward the meadow. That has put everything in this vicinity in terrible danger.”

“I understand that,” the woman said, “but that gives you no reason to take your anger and fear out on these children.”

“But if it hadn’t been for them the wolmens never would have—“

“Never would have what? Gotten this far? Xanith, we both know the wolmens would have found their way eventually. We both know the children didn’t ask the wolmens to come. A hungry wolmen will go to great lengths to eat and these wolmens were very hungry. So hungry that they couldn’t even chase these children correctly, which bought the children time. I sensed the chase when you did I’m sure. But unlike you, I couldn’t watch two defenseless children be killed.”

“They are only human children!” Xanith shouted.

“Human children, fairy children, they are all children and have done nothing—“

“Humans and fairies are not the same!”

“No, they aren’t, but—“

“Humans and fairies are not the same!” Xanith shouted again. “And I would expect you, of all that lives, to understand that, Fauye.”

“I do understand, Xanith, more that you could imagine. But you are angry and don’t see clearly. The blame for the wolmens being in the woods is upon the wolmens. They are there now. I have entrapped them for two days and you may do with them as you like.”

The woman took a step forward.

“I want the children,” Xanith said slowly, angrily.

“You will never have the children,” the women said. “Mark my words, Xanith. I will put my seal of protection upon each of these children at the next dawn. Before then, I will be with them every moment. If you dare to even look at them in that time, you will feel the wrath of a Fauye.” She took step toward them. “No one has angered a Fauye in over 3,000 years. It’d be very shameful if another fairy was the first.”

Xanith hatefully glared down at the two children. Zander and Elsa hid behind the folds of the woman’s cloak.

“You win this time, Fauye. But we will be watching these woods and meadow very closely. You can’t save all the humans.” Xanith said. “Zebor amie!” He shouted at the other fairies.

The fairies circled the trio once. Then they flew off in the direction of the woods. The woman and the children watched them until they disappeared behind the trees.

After the encounter with the fairies, the woman and the children swiftly and silently made their way to the village. Zander and Elsa continued to hold on to the woman as they walked through the village. They passed by many people they knew, but wouldn’t say a word even when some of the villagers spoke to them. After awhile, Zander realized that the woman was leading them through the village. He wondered if she knew where they lived.

“Do you know where we live?” Zander asked.

“No,” the woman answered. “I thought if we passed your house one of you would say something.”

Zander nodded.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “we haven’t gotten there yet.”
Soon they left the village and came to a huge open gate with large walls on either side of it.

“Do you live past these walls?” The woman asked.

“Yes,” Elsa said, “our house is at the top of the hill.”

The woman looked up. The walls began at the foot of a large grassy hill. A little further up, there was another giant wall. She couldn’t see what was behind that wall. A wide cobblestone road led from the bottom of the hill up to the top wall. The trio began walking. The children let go of her cloak, but would only walk a couple of steps in front of her. Many trees, bushes, and wildflowers cluttered the landscape on both sides of the road. It reminded one of a small wood except that small stone buildings were found amongst the trees. Halfway up, they came to a large stone arch over the road. Four armored men stood by the arch and four other men stood on a walkway on the top of the arch. The children waved at the men and kept going. The woman slowed down and watched the men watching her.

“Come on,” Elsa called to the woman.

The children waited while the woman caught up with them. Then they continued the journey up the rest of the hill. As they neared the wall, they passed more people. Mostly they were men in armor, but now there were those on horses. There were also other people, mostly men, who walked up and down the road. The woman saw that there was a large drawbridge. They began to cross it. Many people were coming and going across the drawbridge. Although it was large enough to hold ten broad-shouldered men in a line, the only place where people weren't walking on it was at the edge. The children walked across like people who did it everyday. The woman was more careful. The bridge went over a deep moat filled with murky water. The woman carefully directed her steps and balance to be sure she didn’t fall.

Finally, they were across it and past the giant wall. Many people milled about in what was a large courtyard. There were thatch roofed buildings and stables. There was a small church and what looked like a little market. Beyond all this was another wall, this one smaller than the first. She could see the walls and roof of a large building.

“There they are!”

“Elsa! Zander!”

The children turned their heads in unison. A black haired woman in a short light blue tunic, dark brown hose, and high boots walked toward them.

“Momma!” The children cried.

They ran to her and wrapped their small arms around her waist and legs. Surprised, the woman put her arms around them. At her touch, the children burst into tears.

“What is it?” Their baffled mother asked.

The children talked, but through their tears and muffled, whining voices, their mother and those around her, couldn’t understand one word.

“Why don’t we go into the house and get you something warm to drink,” their mother said, comfortingly. “Then you can tell me all about it.”

The mother pried the children’s hold from her legs enough so that she could walk. Then they, and a few curious others, walked past the other wall, out of sight.

The woman watched them go. She had never seen a woman wearing men’s clothes. When she was younger, in her own country, men and women dressed alike—A long colorful robe, under which they wore a long tunic and dark hose and shoes. But this was not her world. Here there was always a big distinction between what the men and women wore.

The woman pondered on it for a few minutes, then shrugged her shoulders. She looked around her. Some people were staring at her clothes. She had chosen to wear her native clothing. Her long blue and green robes were very different from the short tunics and dark hose the men around her wore. There were a few women, but they all wore simple dresses and caps. The woman gave them a small smile, then turned to leave. She got to the drawbridge and stopped. She couldn’t leave. She told Xanith she’d place her protection upon the children at dawn.

She really wanted to get on with her journey, but there was no telling with fairies… especially Rieas. Someday, they’d test her words. If they found that she had lied, it would mean devastation for the children. And her credibility (and that of all Fauyes) would be ruined. She needed the Rieas to know that she was a serious fairy who was true to her word. Someday she might need their help, and there was nothing more despicable to a fairy than a liar.

But the children had left with their mother and she didn’t know where they went. She didn’t know how long she stood next to the drawbridge contemplating on what to do. She wondered if she should ask someone. But, she wasn’t sure about their names. She hadn’t thought to ask them herself. Their mother had called them, but she didn’t pay attention because at the time she didn’t know the woman was calling them. Maybe she could describe them, but that idea was shot down when she noticed other dirty, dark haired children in tunics running about.

Sighing, the woman leaned against the cold stonewall. If only life weren’t so complicated. She looked down at her hands. They were completely healed of their burn marks, but she still remembered the fire she burned them in. She had set her own barn on fire eight years ago to stage her death. She had taken care to make sure several people saw her go into the barn and that those in it had left before she closed the doors. Then she “accidentally” knocked a lantern over into the hay. She used a little magic to make the fire grow very quickly. In a matter of seconds, the entire barn was ablaze and she was screaming for help. She could hear voices shouting beyond the hot flames.

Carefully, she surrounded her body with a cold spell that formed a dome around her. She knew the fire was too far gone for anyone to save it… or her. She gave out a few cries of “pain and agony”. Then she veiled herself in invisibility. Picking up an axe, she hacked at the back wall. As she got an opening wide enough for her to go through, a chunk of the ceiling fell. A fiery piece of beam fell at her. Startled, she put her hands up to stop it. It took by so much surprise, she let go of the cold spell. Without the protection of the cold spell, the hot flames burned her upturned hands. A loud scream from searing pain escaped her lips. Throwing the beam aside, she quickly replaced the cold spell, but the damage had already been done.

She was a healer and the instruments of her ability were useless for four years. Because her hands were so sensitive, and because they slowly had to regain their power, it took them an unnaturally long time to heal. When they had, she ran off to Talis, the dark forest. There she hid away in cave trying to decide her next move would be. Finally, she left the forest on its east side away from Brovan and into the country of Chasilin. Now she stood in this foreign country wondering—

“Hey! Lady!”

She looked down at the face of a young boy.

“My parents want to talk to you,” he said.
She recognized him as the boy she wanted to find.

“Come on,” he said leading the way through the crowded courtyard.

They passed the last wall. In front of them stood the building she had seen. It was a huge wood and stone castle that went up three stories. The woman stopped to see the roof of the worn brown building. A soft moist hand grabbed hers.

“Come on,” the boy said.

The woman allowed him to pull her along.

“Boy,” she said as they neared a door.

“Yes?” He replied without turning his head.

“What is your name?”

“Zander.”

She nodded as she made a mental note of the name.

“Zander, do you live in this castle?”

“Yes,” he said.

Now they walked down a narrow hall. The woman saved herself just before walking into a wall as Zander made a sudden right into a doorway. They walked into the middle of a cozy room with a fire roaring on one side. In front of them sat Zander’s mother, the little girl, and three men. Some men and women stood along the other wall.

“Here she is!” Zander announced.

“We just want to talk with you,” Zander’s mother said. “Would you like to sit?”

Zander rushed to get a chair and had it at the woman’s knees before she could answer. With a smile, she sat down.

“Can we offer you anything to drink?” She asked.

“A cup of water please,” the woman said.
Zander’s mother and the men exchanged surprised glances.

“We have other beverages,” the mother said, “wine, beer, ale, milk even… whatever you want—“

“Warm milk will be fine,” the woman said.

Zander’s mother smiled and one of the men against the wall left the room. The woman knew the humans’ water was rarely clean enough to drink, but she could cleanse it with a dip of her finger. Yet she saw that the mother was being hospitable and didn’t want to poison her guest with their water.

“My husband and I want to thank you,” the mother said. “Our children told us what happened… in the Handirk woods…”

She trailed off. Her demeanor was one of a person who was rarely at a loss for words. But now she seemed as if she’d never learned how to speak.

“Val and I don’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t been for you.” A man next to the mother said. “We weren’t even aware that there were wolves in Handirk.”

“There aren’t any wolves,” the woman said.

“But Zander and Elsa said they were attacked by wolves.” The father said.

“They were attacked by wolmens.”

“Wolmens?”

“They do resemble a very large wolf, but do not be mistaken, these are not wolves. Wolmens are very cunning and swift. They also have big appetites. You’re village is in danger.”

“What?!” He yelled.

She cringed. That hadn’t come out the way she planned it in her head.

“They will come here in less than a week. Your walls will not hold them.”

“Our walls have held back armies of over five thousand men and now you’re telling us that some wolves will get past them!” The father said with a smirk. “That is absurd!”

“They are not wolves, they are wolmens!”

“I don’t care what they are—they’re animals! Thank you for your concern, but I think my people are well protected.”

“Your people? I see… Your Grace, with all due respect, I don’t think, I know your people aren’t protected from the wolmens.”

A man entered carrying a platter with a mug on it. He lowered it in front of the woman. She took her warm milk and slowly sipped from it. Before she began talking, she had planned to inquire about the ruler of the village. Now she saw that father of the children was the ruler. That saved her some effort, but if she had known at the start, she would have given the information differently. She finished her milk and the man servant took the empty mug.

“Miss, I thank you for saving my children, but I can handle these wolmens,” the ruler said arising to show that the meeting was over. “I’m sure you want a reward. Stay here and three days from now I’ll have it prepared. Herk, show this young woman a place to stay.”

A man dressed completely in green stood up and walked over to her.

“Follow me,” he said.

The woman didn’t move.

“Don’t worry,” the little girl said standing by her, “my papa is the king. He will take care of the wolmens.”

The woman smiled down at the child.

“What is your name little girl?” She asked.

“Elsa. What’s yours?”

“I’m Mara. How old are you?”

“Seven. How old are you?”

“Elsa!” Her mother said sharply.

“I’m not sure,” Mara said. “I suppose I’m 230-something.”

Elsa giggled.

“That’s impossible,” Zander said.

“Is it? Do you know how old those wolmens were?” Mara asked.

The children shook their heads.

“60 years, I guess. Where I come from, we have many wolmens and they live for 100 years!”

“What about the fairies?!” Elsa asked.

“Elsa, I already told you there weren’t any fairies. They don’t exist!” Her father said.

“Did you see the fairies with your eyes, Elsa?”
Mara asked.

Elsa nodded.

“Did you see them Zander?”

Zander looked over at his parents. Then his uncertain eyes looked back at Mara.

“I-I don’t know,” he said, “maybe… I thought so…”

“You saw them, Mara! You talked to them!” Elsa said. “Momma, Papa, Mara talked to them! Now you have to believe us!”

“Your parents may not believe you, but that’s ok. You know what you saw… remember that. Whether any human believes it or not, fairies do exist. In fact, there are two of them in this room right now. And both understand the seriousness of the wolmens in your woods.” Mara heard the Gommoth shift his feet.

“Who are you?! What do you know?! What do you want?!” The mother shouted, standing.

“Valencia, there’s no need to—“

“There is much need, Alder!” Valencia said to her husband. “This woman is not what she appears to be. I don’t know how, but I can sense it! She is trying to tell us something and we’re not listening.” She turned to Mara. “I don’t know who you are, but tell us what you know.”

Mara didn’t speak for a long time.

“Do you recall the stories of how humans fought against fantastic and magical creatures?” Mara asked.

“Of course, but those are old children’s tales,” Alder said.

“They are told to your children, but the history behind the tales is true. Over 3,000 years ago, man fought and won a savage war against fantastic races. Since then, these creatures have been banished. Talis is the boundary on your western border. All humans who go in it die because many creatures live in it. All these creatures hate humans because of what they did to their ancestors. The wolmens are one of these races. For 3,000 years, these banished souls wouldn’t dream of stepping out of their prisons. But now something calls them.”

“What? Why?” Valencia asked.

“The same thing that called all those creatures to annihilate the nation of Kirst, and to throw the eastern parts of your world into turmoil.”

“You mean to say that all those countries are being attacked and killed because some… some force is behind it all?” Alder asked.

“Possibly,” Mara answered.

“Who is it?” Valencia asked.

Mara shrugged.
“You’ve heard the thought whispered in the night wind. It grips your heart and fills you with terror. When the time comes, you will know it.”

“Do you think these wolmens have some kind of connection to the creatures in the east?” Valencia asked.

Mara didn’t believe they did, but she couldn’t pass up this moment of opportunity.

“It’s very possible that they do,” she said.

The room was silent.

“King Alder…” Herk loudly whispered, “we can’t allow what happened in Kirst, Danow, and Clairmont to happen here if we can do anything about it.”

King Alder nodded his head.

“What do we need to do?” Alder asked.

Mara sat back and smiled.