Fiction Friday - Woodland Creatures - a short story
Carmen woke early on Saturday morning,
breathing a deep, relaxed sigh. Saturdays were the best days of her life.
Monday through Friday she articulated, gesticulated, frantically took notes,
ran wild missions around town, and slept in her tiny, cramped studio apartment
in the city. Reading the dry depositions of a lawyer’s life in addition to all
of the physically stressful work kept her up late in the night.
Nearly
every Friday afternoon, however, when she felt the strain, pressure, and
emotions of the week wearing down her buoyant soul, she turned her thoughts and
plans to the one person that she knew could ease the daily grind. She would
leave her cell phone in the desk drawer and pack a small traveling bag to go
visit Lexia at their country villa.
This
morning, like most weekend mornings in the country, Carmen gazed out of the
brilliantly clear picture window beside her bed.
She let the tiredness and aches of the workweek drain out of her system and recharged her body with the incredible view. She took in the green, rolling hillside and the deep emerald of the pine forest against the pink eastern sky. The sudden movement of Lexia’s piebald breaking across her field of vision jumpstarted the rest of her system and she quite literally sprang out of bed to begin one more incredible Saturday.
Carmen
stepped through the door to the bathroom, admiring the brilliant carvings on
the thick wooden door, as always. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror and
pressed her flyaway curls against the side of her head, making faces in the
mirror as she waited for the tub to fill. After a refreshing bubble bath, she
headed down the stairs to Lexia’s room to wake her up so they could eat
breakfast together.
After
Lexia had fixed a big bowl of Cheerios and a generous plate of fresh, sliced
strawberries, she pressed Carmen for the stories and events of the days they
had spent apart. As Carmen talked, gently stabbing at her slightly burnt vegetable
omelette with her fork, she grew more and more relaxed and settled into the
quiet country home, spreading her arms wide and free in the spacious sunroom.
“Lex!”
Carmen was so excited with her sudden thought that she interrupted her own
story. “Did you ever take that hidden trail through the woods that you told me
about, to see where it went?” Carmen’s crystal blue eyes filled with a sudden
and mischievous glint.
“I
thought that you said it could be too dangerous, because we don’t know who owns
that land,” Lexia flung her spoon down in mock anger.
“Dangerous?”
Carmen’s eyes narrowed passionately. “I laugh in the face of danger, I laugh so
hard I cry, and then I jump on a horse and take that new trail you were talking
about.” She started laughing to prove her point, but Lexia stopped her before
it went too far. “Besides,” Carmen added, “I know you don’t usually listen to
me if I tell you something is dangerous.”
“Well,
that is true.” Lexia responded with a sly smile of her own. “I had originally
planned on riding out there on Thursday, but it rained pretty heavily, so I
caught up on some editing and even worked on my own story a bit.”
“You
were working on that new children’s story you told me about last month?”
“Yeah,
it was the one about the good goblin family. I need to meet with my illustrator
soon though, because I had some new ideas for how the goblins should look, but
my internet server is down again so I couldn’t do a video conference like I
wanted to.”
“Lex,
I’ve told you a million billion times that you need a more reliable Internet
service if you’re going to work from home out here in the middle of nowhere.”
“Well,
that’s the problem though, isn’t it Carmen? That it’s the middle of nowhere?”
Lexia amended her story, “Well, it’s not exactly the middle of nowhere. I have
neighbors a few miles away. We just have a really big estate.”
They
both paused in their conversation to remember their decision to purchase the property
from Arlen Dobbin. Arlen, the original owner, was a construction contractor, and
seemed like a lovely man. His eyes were bright and humorous, his wavy black
hair brushed against his small ears as if doing the best it could to look rough
and tumble without needing a cut. He had remodeled what was originally a long,
skinny one-story house into a brilliantly designed villa with magnificent views
of the property. Horse trails criss-crossed beyond the pasture and a lake
sparkled at the northern end of the property. The driveway wound around ancient
oak trees and the “mother-in-law” suite in the remodeled attic would fit
Carmen’s needs as well as Lexia’s.
Although
it seemed strange that such a nice man would give up such a beautiful property,
the real estate broker had hinted at possible gambling problems, although it
was hard to believe once you heard the man speak. Despite his appearance (he
definitely looked like he was in the construction business), he spoke with a
throaty Irish brogue that Lexia and Carmen both found fascinating and extremely
masculine.
They
had purchased it the very next day. Lexia had been the one who wanted to “sleep
on it.” They were mostly paying for it with her money after all, using the surprisingly
large bonus she received for her first novel. Carmen still had a few law school
debts she was working on, and all of her pro bono work made her budget even
tighter, but she helped as much as she could with the mortgage payment.
Carmen
interrupted Lexia’s reverie by throwing a thin green windbreaker at her. “Let’s
go right now. I’m tired of spending relaxing Saturday’s. Let’s have an
adventure.”
“Sure
thing, Carmen.” Lexia, always prepared, threw together a lunch for the trail
and ran to the barn to get the horses ready. When Carmen finished brushing her
teeth and fixing her hair, Lexia already looked like a model equestrian. Her
hair hung to her waist in a thick blond braid and her cheeks glowed pink in the
cool morning air. Her brown riding pants and peasant blouse gave her the
appearance of stepping out of the past. Carmen felt almost out of place as she
threw herself atop her own plain brown mare. It was midmorning when they left
the pasture.
The
pine forest seemed even thicker near the unknown trail, and the mood changed
quickly. Even Carmen’s usually boisterous laugh seemed flimsy in the thick,
moist air. The pine needles muffled the horses’ hooves and Lexia peered into
the unnerving gloom. Both of them loved fantasy and fairy tales, and they
enjoyed feeling as if they were wood sprites in their home forest. Today,
however, the forest did not feel like it belonged to them.
As
Lexia, riding several yards ahead of Carmen, turned off the path, onto the
property that she knew did not belong to her and nudged her horse into jumping
a small log placed purposefully across the intersection, she looked back at
Carmen. Carmen watched her disappear through the thick branches clogging the
mysterious new trail. Then, Carmen heard a shrill scream that seemed to come
from all directions at once.
After
the briefest hesitation, Carmen threw her head back and dug her heels into her
horse’s flanks with a passion. When she thrust aside the branches, the bark
tearing her thin fabric coat, she looked wildly around. She found nothing.
Lexia had disappeared into thin air. Without really thinking about the fact
that Lexia had the food and water, the cell phone and any other emergency
supplies, Carmen looked down the narrow winding path and decided to find out
who or what lay at the end, hoping to find Lexia somewhere ahead of her. As if
she were following a leprechaun to find the end of the rainbow, she set out to look
for her best friend in the whole world.
At
noon , she realized that her
search would likely prove fruitless. She began to imagine Lexia sipping hot tea
back at the house already, safe and sound. Her stomach growling almost forced
her to turn back, but the sound of running water drew her just a few yards
farther. She tied her horse loosely to a tree near the small gentle stream, and
brushed her hand across the side of his neck as he bent down to eat and drink.
She finished off the last of the water in her small bottle, and looked
cautiously at the stream. The water appeared to be clear, and it was moving,
which she knew was a good sign. She weighed her choices carefully, she could
either possibly go without water for the rest of the afternoon, or risk intense
stomach pain from polluted water. She opted to take a chance on the crystal clear
stream.
After
filling up her canteen, and lovingly stroking the tired horse for a few
moments, she remounted and took to the trail again, renewed in her
determination to find Lexia. At about 3:00
in the afternoon, Carmen still saw no trace of Lexia on the trail. Loneliness
slowly became as palpable as the humidity while the shadows gradually
lengthened across the trail. Just when Carmen was deliberating on turning back
and setting up a search party for the next day, she spotted the dark shadow of
a tall building in the distance. She urged her horse a little faster as the
wind picked up.
In
only a few more minutes, she found herself standing in front of a building
every bit as magnificent and imposing as Lexia’s country estate. Three stories
tall, it towered above even the tallest pine trees, and Carmen wondered why it
was not visible until she realized that at the frantic pace she had been
traveling she was likely thirty or forty miles to the northeast of Lexia’s
land. She was somewhat shocked that she had not run across a house or a road
before now.
She
pulled her horse to a halt, searching the meadow, wincing at her soreness as
she craned her neck around to get a better view. She was not used to riding as
much as Lexia. Even the two hour commute to and from Lexia’s house on the
weekends couldn’t prepare her rear end for this horse’s rough treatment of a
most sensitive body part. She shrugged the kinks out of her back and raised her
darkly lashed eyes to the cloudy sky in a plea for help with any part of her
current situation.
Yellow
and orange wildflowers speckled the field of tall grasses stretching down a
gentle slope to the house. The path continued through the field toward the
imposing structure, and Carmen followed it. While she was still a few yards away
from it, the thick front door swung towards her. She nearly ducked in fear, but
her curious eyes stayed on their target. She realized with a sigh of relief
that the person standing in the doorway was none other than Mr. Dobbin, the man
who sold them their property.
“Hello?”
He called out to her, thumping a cane along the edges of the doorway. “I heard
someone there. Please answer me.”
Although
at first confused about the presence of the cane (and the unexpected man at the
other end of it), Carmen answered him as politely as possible. “It’s me, Mr.
Dobbin, Carmen Buckley. My best friend Lexia bought your house just a few
months ago. Are you alright?”
“Your
voice doesn’t sound familiar, I’m sorry to say. I was blinded several months
ago, but I’m sure I would recognize your voice or your name if I’ve met you
before.”
“What
are you talking about?” Carmen scolded, “We spoke to you; you complemented Lexia’s
hair. I noticed that you had the darkest blue eyes that I’d ever seen, they
were almost purple.” She squinted up at his eyes, but, in the shadows, they
were too dark to see.
“Well
then, if we haven’t been formerly introduced, my name is Keary Dobbin and this
is my castle.” Carmen said nothing about the word castle. Although it was a
rather large mansion, she wouldn’t classify anything as a castle without a
moat, high walls, a dragon, a drawbridge, and many knights.
“Keary Dobbin?” Carmen’s incredulous gaze
would have penetrated any eyes but his. “Well, we must have met your brother,
then. He looked exactly like you. His name is Arlen Dobbin. He’s a contractor.”
“What
is a contractor? My brother, you say?
Well I only have two sisters, no brothers. And I don’t recall any Arlen’s in
our line.”
“A
contractor, in the construction business. Well, he used to live just down the
path from you, so I think he probably would have visited you. It’s a fairly
long day’s ride.”
“Your
horse does sound out of breath from the journey. Would you care to stable him
and join me for an afternoon meal? I normally eat very little, but I’m suddenly
famished.”
He
disappeared inside, and Carmen glanced behind her. In the glare of the
afternoon sun, she could barely make out the path through the waving grass. Her
stomach grumbled loudly. She knew it would be a long trip back home, so she
headed into the nearby barn and struggled with the chores that Lexia always
made look so easy. After properly cooling down and brushing her weary animal,
Carmen cracked open the front door and entered the house.
“Good
afternoon, Carmen.” Keary shrugged broad shoulders as he spoke, not even
bothering to turn to face her. “My cook has prepared a light meal.” Toasted
bread, soft cheeses, sliced vegetables and fresh herbs covered the small table.
Carmen sat down at the only other chair, and said a quick prayer for Lexia
before grabbing a tall, cool mug of fresh water and fixing a sandwich.
As
she bit into the toasted bread, she noticed the cook standing in the corner.
His eyes looked malicious in the shadowy light and long red scars marred his
forearms. His uniform was dark green, an unusual shade, with a yellow crest of
some sort across the shoulders. Carmen, ever fearless in courtroom battles,
eyed him back, and he soon turned to the kitchen returning to whatever duties
might await him there. Carmen thought to herself that he looked more like a
jailer or warrior than a cook or servant.
They
ate in silence. Carmen glanced up from her food often to get a closer look at
this man. She could see now that Keary and Arlen only slightly resembled each
other. Keary’s eyes, while clouded and sightless, still gave an appearance of
fierce pride, with a deep worry wrinkle between his eyebrows. His hands seemed
soft like an artist’s, yet his body strained with the muscular cords of a
trained athlete. The moment of silence was broken by a warrior’s battle cry and
the sound of hooves beating a path toward the front door. With the noise as
this new arrival seemed to be making, Carmen knew how easily Keary would notice
a visitor, using only his hearing.
Keary
and Carmen both ran to the doorway, reaching the knob at almost exactly the
same time. She glanced at his eyes in surprise, expecting them to be smiling
down at her, but they remained empty and sightless, and she watched him steel
his nerves before casually opening the door. Carmen peered around his shoulders
to catch a glimpse of the person making such a fuss. She stepped forward in
surprise as she saw Lexia, riding at full speed through the pasture, with a
long bow slung across her shoulder, and her long hair unbraided and flying
behind her in the wind.
“What
are you doing, Lexia?” Carmen yelled loudly toward her. “I’ve been looking for
you in the forest for hours, and here you are, riding up like a wild banshee
from the same path I’ve been searching. What has happened to you?” Carmen’s blue
eyes nearly lit the dry grasses on fire as her gaze leveled on Lexia, who
stopped and dismounted quickly. Lexia ignored Carmen, dragged her horse to the
barn, and returned only a few seconds later, obviously not bothering to unsaddle
and rub down her beloved horse.
“Carmen,
I don’t have time to explain. Do you remember that time you mentioned your
worst fear was encountering a band of druids in the forest? Well, let’s just
get inside, lock the door, and I’ll tell you the rest in a slightly safer
environment.”
Carmen
laughed only briefly before realizing what Lexia’s sincere eyes meant. “Keary, this
is my friend Lexia who I told you about, our property borders yours. She has
some story about druids I presume, so let’s get her inside and out of harm’s
way.”
Keary
grabbed Lexia’s arm, wrestled her through the doorway, and then slammed and
locked it. “I’m Keary Dobbin, and I’ve been fighting a ruthless band of dwarves
for three years. They started out trying to take over the castle and my army
killed off half of their forces. Unfortunately, their nasty witch friend stole
my sight and turned most of my men into wild dogs temporarily, leaving them to
scratch each other to death. England
“England England
“You
can call me Lord Keary, since you’re so obviously discourteous, but I can tell
from your strength of arm and the bow you carry that you may be an asset to us
after all. Sir Lachlan, call up the knights and prepare for battle.” The
battle-scarred man that Carmen had assumed was merely a cook popped his head
out from the kitchen to agree with his lords commands and then ran swiftly down
a long, dark hallway to muster what Carmen could only assume to be a ragtag
group of wounded men.
Keary
led Carmen and Lexia into a small, windowless sitting room. Expertly perching
his large frame on a velvet seat with no arms or back, he motioned Carmen and
Lexia to sit on a small couch across from him and waited patiently for the
story. Lexia looked around fearfully for a moment, and then quickly spilled out
her story.
“I’m
not entirely sure how I got separated from Carmen. I went through the bushes
and my horse suddenly started to run off the path. At least I thought I was off
the path, until the trees thinned out a bit, and I saw I was on a very narrow
trail. After traveling the trail for a few miles, I saw a meadow with a small
caretaker’s cottage.”
“What
about the scream I heard?” Carmen asked, “And I traveled on the path all the
way here, you couldn’t possibly have found a meadow and a cottage. I looked for
you. I truly did, as soon as I heard the scream. You were nowhere to be found.”
“Carmen,
I normally let you interrupt my stories, but this is not the time to do so.”
Lexia tapped her foot as she continued. “I figured you would come along
whenever you good and well felt like it. I thought you were behind me all the
time until I got to the meadow and you never came out of the woods. It was too
narrow to turn my horse around while I was traveling on the path. Moving along
in my story, the cottage in the meadow turned out to be vacant. Hot coals were
in the fireplace as if the inhabitants had left in a hurry. I moved along
quickly, sensing that danger might be afoot. I began to move into the woods, I
feared being exposed in the open field. Suddenly I heard a movement to my left
and the swift metallic rush of an ax as it flew past my head and thudded into a
tree beside me. And I didn’t scream until that moment, so you couldn’t have
heard me scream that quickly.”
“I
know it was a warning throw, because otherwise I probably would not be here
today. I heard a sharp human whistle from behind the tree and followed the
voice. A thin young woman with blond hair pulled me into a safe alcove and
handed me a weapon from her small stockpile. She handed me this longbow, which you
know that I can use fairly well. We held off about a dozen dwarves, but we
heard them sound a horn to call for reinforcements and she told me to continue
down this path to a castle and bring the army, she held them off valiantly, but
I don’t know how much longer she’ll last. Moreover, since all I’ve found are
this house and a blind man, she’ll probably be captured or even killed soon.”
Keary
stood suddenly as squeaking metal echoed through the stone hallway. Several
dozen heavily armed men poured into the large entryway with military quickness
and precision. They stood at attention as Keary and their leader, Sir Lachlan
spoke briefly to Keary. “We have nearly 50 fighting men, Keary. I think we can
finally defeat the dwarves now that the witch is gone and our men recovered from
the spell. If you had not sacrificed your sight to save our men, we might not
have an opportunity today.”
Keary
shrugged with the resignation of a man who knew the difference between
sacrifice and obvious duty and responsibility. “Let’s just take care of the
matter at hand. Get the women safely into the stronghold and then we can be
off.”
“Were
you not listening at all, dude? There is already another woman holding off an
entire army of dwarves. You need all the help you can get and we need to leave
now.” Lexia spoke the words both fearfully and passionately.
Keary
paused for a moment. “The blond woman you speak of is of no concern at all to
me, but I understand taking risks when necessary. You may come along.” He
paused and turned toward the last place Carmen had been standing. “Do you have
a weapon you can use as well?”
Carmen
had already moved toward the small, heavily armed group of men and borrowed an
axe, a helmet, and a small shield. “Let’s go!” Her voice echoed painfully in
her head since she was already wearing the helmet, and only muffled words
reached Keary and Lexia, but they understood. Within minutes, a steady stream
of men and the two women began running down the path, following Lexia’s
directions. Keary moved swiftly between two heavily armed foot soldiers who
wore several rows of small bells as part of their uniform The bells jingled quietly
enough that he could follow them, but not loud enough to attract attention in
the roar of the battle.
About
a mile down the path, a brief jog from the castle, they encountered the blond
woman in an offensive retreat. She threw a small explosive device from her
quickly dwindling stockpile, and then paused in her retreat, with sword drawn.
She was slowing them down enough so that Lexia would have time to gather the
troops, yet drawing the dwarf army closer and closer to the castle with every
retreat. She heard the small army gathering behind her, threw one last explosive
device, and then rushed behind the first line, looking for Lexia or Keary.
“Hello,
witch.” Keary said, as he slid his knife blade against her throat. He ignored
the sharp gasps of both Lexia and Carmen. “Did you think you could get away
with blinding me, and I wouldn’t know who you were? I can smell your disgrace.”
The
blond woman looked unconcerned, “Keary, you know that I didn’t blind you. I’ve
been your servant and friend for more than six years. The only reason I didn’t
come back sooner is because you forbade me. You said that if you every felt my
presence in your castle again, you would have me executed. It wasn’t my fault
that the spell to save your men cost you your sight. I couldn’t have known. You
knew the risks involved better than I did. Moreover, I did kill the witch for
you, and the spell we used did save your men. Won’t you even open your heart a
little for me? Or won’t you at least open your eyes?”
As
soon as she said the word ‘eyes,’ Keary blinked sharply several times. The
dwarf army was rapidly closing in on the front lines, and Sir Lachlan, ignoring
Keary and the blond woman for the moment, issued the order for the battle to
begin. The archers sprayed the advancing line with an avalanche of arrows.
Lexia hid behind a tree, firing a few arrows of her own from time to time.
The
battle was fierce, and began to look as if it could continue indefinitely.
Keary’s men were battle-hardened already, and fought with the passion of those
who know the effects of a long and deadly war. In the first 15 minutes of
fighting, the knights killed and wounded dozens of dwarves, but Keary did not
appear in the midst of the battle. He stood silently, now behind the entire
army, staring at the woman in front of him. His eyes blinked rapidly and small
tears formed at the edges. “Maria.” He whispered, “Maria.”
The
woman hugged him fiercely. “Keary,” she said, “You know I have always loved
you. I was invisible to you for so long, but I truly had no idea that the spell
would cause you to lose your sight. I only knew that it could save the friends
you loved.”
“No,
Maria.” Keary said, “I always loved you, I just ignored my feelings. We have
been living out here in the wild lands of England
“I
think I blinded myself when I said those words. I blinded myself with the
slight jealousy I felt, with the love I held deep inside, with the pain I felt
on behalf of my men. I blinded myself by feigning ignorance of you all those
years. Nevertheless, that’s not why I said your name just now; I said your name
because I can see you. Not just in my head as I have for so many weeks now, but
I can truly see you.” Now he was shouting, “I can see!”
Only
seconds later, Keary grabbed a long sword, rushed through the small break in
the front lines, and began to sweep aside the dwarves with powerful strokes.
Within minutes, his knights had rallied for the final push. They captured the
dwarf leader, who then ordered the remaining dwarves to surrender. Just like
that, the battle was over.
In
their imagination, Carmen and Lexia had originally thought they would be
disappointed if the battle were not long and patriotic. Yet now that they were
actually a part of the battle, the relief when it was over was indescribable. Carmen
and Lexia supported each other on weak and tired legs as they walked back
toward Maria. Keary and the men were busy tying up the dwarves, and discussing
their options for disposing of them. The women spoke little, but merely shared
the quiet knowledge that they were all alive.
The
next day, a small band of knights piled the captured dwarves in a rough, wooden
wagon, and began the several day long journey to the nearest town for the wise
elders to dispose of the dwarves as they saw fit. The remaining knights spent
some time getting the castle and woods back in order, and planning their own
journeys home to nearby cottages and villages. After all, the “castle” truly
was not large enough to hold more than a large family comfortably for a long
period.
A
few days passed, time itself was blissfully ignorant of the changes Lexia and
Carmen had experienced. One morning, Maria and Keary were sitting side-by-side;
exchanging admiring glances, and generally ignoring anyone else in the
vicinity. They had recently announced their engagement and were planning a
wedding in only a few short weeks. Carmen and Lexia sat on nearby chairs,
wondering what they should do about their predicament.
They
had lost themselves in this strange land and grown to love their new friends. They
often had heated discussions about whether or not to try to go home. Lexia
often rode her piebald along the forest path towards the original gateway. Yet,
she never seemed able to pinpoint the exact spot where their world had changed.
Carmen had fewer concerns. She basked in the freedom and relaxation for hours
on end. No frenzied court arguments or endless paperwork existed in this world.
She could garden in the walled courtyard, practice her own archery, and laugh
and talk with Lexia for hours on end.
One
day, Lexia finally convinced Carmen to ride with her along the path. Lexia
desperately wanted to be home to be closer to her family and other friends. She
thought that Carmen might be more familiar with the spot where “the scream” happened.
They stopped at the crisp, cool stream to water their horses. Carmen gleefully
pointed out a beaver a hundred yards upstream. Lexia gasped with the close
proximity to the large, unusual animal. One of the things Carmen loved most
about this magical land was their immersion in all things natural. It was
something she lacked in her “citified” life back home. In their few short days,
they had spotted countless deer, birds, the inevitable squirrels and chipmunks,
rabbits, woodchucks, and numerous other wild creatures. She felt at home and
peaceful here.
Without
warning, the piebald broke free from Lexia’s loose hold on its reins, and
bolted down the path. Carmen immediately sprang into action, mounting her own
horse, and helping Lexia up behind her. Together they galloped off after the
piebald. In just a matter of minutes, however, the piebald vanished. Carmen
immediately stopped in her tracks.
“Carmen,”
Lexia said, “You know as well as I do that this is our chance to get out lives
back. It’s our chance to go home again.”
Carmen
looked down the path, but she could not make herself push the horse any
further. She didn’t want to go home. She wanted to escape from her old chains
and live in this wild land forever. She wanted to be free. She craned her neck,
feeling a slight strain. “I don’t want to go back Lex. I thought I did, but I
don’t want to. I can’t stand the thought of losing this place. Isn’t it what we
always dreamed about? I don’t want to go back, I don’t want to go back, I don’t
want to go back.”
“Carmen,”
a foggy voice spoke from above her. Then more sharply, “Carmen!”
Carmen
blinked several times. “Wh – What? Who is that?”
“Are
you okay Carmen?” Lexia’s concerned eyes peered quizzically down at Lexia from
above. “You’ve never overslept before. Most weekends you’re up at the crack of
dawn. Are you okay?”
“I
was asleep?” Carmen asked, looking down at her nightclothes in disbelief. “It
felt so real. You don’t remember any of it?”
“Did
you have a dream, Carmen? What was it about? You know I’m always up for a good
story. Tell me everything.” Lexia pulled a nearby chair closer to the bed, and
waited while Carmen cleared the cobwebs from her thoughts and tried to pull
together her tumultuous emotions.
“It
all began while we were out riding our horses. You were riding the piebald…”
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