An Enchanted Place

This is a continuation of the story begun in The Crossing, the title of which is now being changed to The Forester. For those of you who haven’t already read them, or for anyone who wants to refresh their memory of what happened, here are the links to Part One, Part Two and Part Three, Part Four and Part Five. Each part is only 250 words, so they don’t take too long to read. Enjoy!

The Forester – Part Six
Genre: historical: early C13th England

Dair awoke with heart pounding, the events of the dream, a jumbled mess of memories, playing through his mind. He forced himself to calm, leaning back against his bedding.

It was over. He was home. And safe.

The familiar sounds and smells settled him: him mother’s even breathing, the snuffling animals in their pens.

The fire had burned low, only glowing embers remaining to warm the building. Whilst mostly recovered from his trials the chill continued to bother him. Clutching blankets tightly around his shoulders he rose and added fresh wood, encouraging the flames to return. Some days he wondered whether he’d ever feel warm again.

His mother continued to sleep. Even resting, her grief and exhaustion showed. She’d cared for him unfailingly over the past weeks – sometimes smotheringly so. It was as if she feared letting him out of her sight.

Today she would have to. Today he was leaving to join Randel and his foresters.

He would have left before, had he been permitted, but his mother and the forester had been adamant that first he rest and heal. Only now was he willing to admit they’d been right. But the outlaws who’d attacked them were still free and he was sure he could find them…

It was still several hours until dawn but sleep would not revisit this night. He dressed, gathering his belongings into a rough knapsack.

And he waited for his mother to wake. He couldn’t leave without wishing her farewell.

Word Count: 250

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I thought I’d give you a slightly calmer, less tense installment this week. Dair has been through so much in the previous few that I thought he’d like a little down time before we return to action scenes in the forest. As I’ve mentioned before, this has grown a lot beyond the initial story (hence the change in title). Whilst I haven’t planned out the plot in any detail I do have lot’s of ideas. Hopefully this whole thing will eventually be edited and turned into a novel. If this happens the previous five parts together would be Chapter One. We are now moving into Chapter Two.

Next time: Dair meets Randel’s foresters.