by Monica Duff
For as long as I can remember, the humans have gathered around fires and told stories. They would tell stories about their ancestors and their gods, and I would listen from the protective embrace of the forest. There was one story in particular that broke my heart every time, and it only got worse as the humans passed it down through the generations.
It started off as a simple misunderstanding. A man had wandered too deep into the forest and got lost. He had found himself at my cave in the heart of the wild. I could hear his stomach growling over the stream that ran through the rear portion of my rocky home. At the time, my cave had been hidden behind vines and tall shrubs, yet he still managed to wander in. The midday sun had burned my eyes as he stumbled in. I had spent much of my life cultivating the cave into a safe haven for those who also could not stand the sun’s rays; mushrooms and mosses covered nearly everything, and small salamanders and small birds all fled toward where I hid among the deeper shadows of the cavern, trusting me to protect them. The human yelled as he spotted the mushrooms, racing forward and shoving them into his mouth before I could even attempt to stop him.
The densely packed mushrooms were incredibly dangerous for human consumption, which is why I had moved them into my cave. I lunged from my hiding spot, knocking the fungi from the male’s hands. His eyes blew wide as he took in my frail form. He tripped over himself, trying to flee and ended up hitting his head. Fear raced through my heart, and I checked him for injuries. Thankfully, there was no blood. I waited for several hours next to the human, but he remained asleep. I could sense the sun setting, as did every other creature of the night. With a heavy sigh I picked up the male and set off for the human settlement. The fool should have never been so far into the forest. I had no idea how he even managed that feat of stupidity, but I did not wish him harm. He was a storyteller; I was sure that the other humans were missing him.
The orange glow of the humans’ fires chased away the shadows as I got closer to the sound of voices. The humans were concerned, and they should be. The sickness should set in about now. The male on my back groaned and shifted slightly. Every human froze as I entered their clearing; they had never seen me before. I was rather shy, seeing as how I looked almost nothing like them. The fear in their eyes broke my heart. I loved these little creatures. I set the male down as he groaned again, making several of the humans tense.
“He wandered into the deep forest and ate something he should not have. In the future, please refrain from venturing too far,” I grumbled, my voice guttural from disuse. A few of the females nodded vigorously and scrambled forward to collect the male. I quickly made my exit back into the safety of the deep gray shadows, believing I had done a good thing.
A few decades later, I ventured close to the humans again to hear their stories. They spoke of a horrid creature from the deep wood. They spoke of a feminine face with eyes too large and wholly black. A creature with stringy black hair that covered much of her moon pale skin that stretched over her too-long bones. They spoke of how she came into the village with her long, black tipped claws sunk into the shoulder of one of their warriors and snarled that he had intruded on her home. She had cursed the warrior for the invasion and had nearly killed him. They spoke of the unnatural bend of her dog-like hind legs and how she stalked around on her too-long arms. They say she wore the skins of bloodied dead animals and snarled with sharp, pointy teeth.
I remember thinking to myself that I had never seen a creature like that. I hardly met any other being that could speak human; the animals all preferred their own way of communicating. When the humans tucked their young into their shacks, I returned to the cool grays and deep shadows of the wood, realizing that dawn was far too close for my liking. The darkness softened into gray as the morning sun fought to clear the world as I ran. I leapt over a creek as I raced home. The reflection that gazed back at me shocked me enough to make me stumble. They had been talking about me. It hurt so much that they had painted me to be the villain. I hadn’t even done anything.
Years later I tried again. But this time the story painted me as a demon requesting repayment for the male’s trespassing and spreading a disease that nearly killed several humans. I stopped paying attention after that. These stories kept the humans from the deep wood, so I was safe to keep transplanting hazards there. The humans had no idea what I was doing. They did not realize that the pelts I covered myself with were a gift from their earliest ancestors, their gift for sharing my forest with them. Even if the humans forgot their promises, I would keep mine. I would continue to protect their descendants.
Now, I happened to find another sulphur tuft, smirking to myself as I carefully pressed my magic into the soil, convincing the fungus to bundle itself on the surface of its soil. I wrapped the tendrils around my waist and told the fungus to hold on as I stood. I easily towered over the humans, so I could understand why they feared me. The deep gray of midnight began lightening. A heavy sigh left me as I stood and lopped home. My cave was even more lush now. What had once been herbaceous vines were now woody tendrils that crackled lightly as I nudged them aside. I set the sulphur tuft down where the last one had resided and shook my head. I hated those mushrooms, but I could not just kill a living thing because I did not like it. It would upset the forest.
I pulled the woody covering of the entry aside and let out a few loud clicks, standing aside as the colony of bats that lived here swept in, screeching in joy as they settled along the walls. They told me of their hunts as I gently nudged the fox resting on the moss nearby; her breathing was labored. She was getting ready to have her pups and had come to me for protection from the wolves while she was out of commission. I smiled gently as she cracked an eye open; it would not be long now. I hummed gently as the bats finally settled and quieted. They are such gossipmongers. In the back of the cave, where the noisy stream had once been, now rested a calm lake that was home to dozens of little creatures. They all flitted around in the water, rejoicing at my presence. They may not be able to see, but they always greeted me when I returned. I ran my fingertips through the water, letting them know I saw their joy, and they all settled back into the water. Small blue glow worms dotted the ceiling with false stars.
A large pile of freshly tilled soil sat up on a ledge. I have no idea how it got there, but with all the small gifts the animals of the forest left me, I was sure it was from one of them. It was the best place to sleep in the entire cave, and the critters always left it for me and tilled it every night while I was out, leaving it fresh for when I returned in the morning. I climbed up onto my ledge and curled up quietly and was soon fast asleep.
I awoke to angry chitters from the bats. Their loud complaints overlapped with one another, leaving me rather confused. I silently dropped from my ledge and saw that someone was pushing the woody vines aside, letting in the angry glow of the setting sun. A hiss left me as the glow hit my eyes and burned. The figure quickly stepped inside and let out a surprised squeak. She was beautiful. Lightly colored, long hair fell in waves down to her hips, framing her heart-shaped face. Her body was generously curved and accentuated by the flowy white dress that was loosely cinched around the waist with a simple braided belt. Eyes the color of fire darted around, staring at each creature she had disturbed with the light.
“Is Tenebris here?” she asked, squinting as if she could not see. Her body let out a gentle glow, and I realized she was not as human as she looked. She jumped and swatted at a spider who became curious and attempted to approach. He dodged and ran into the crevice he had made his home in, and anger filled my blood.
“Who do you think you are?” I snarled, my throat catching on the words. I stalked forward, teeth bared and stood over the fox as she attempted to guard her seven newborn kits. She was exhausted and could barely stand, but she let out a rather fearsome growl. The female glared into the dark, clearly still unable to spot me.
“I am known as Arielle, Lady of the Light. I am looking for the one the humans call Tenebris, the Keeper of the Deep Wood.” She tried to shield her eyes as if that would help. She didn’t attempt to come any deeper into my home, but she was not scared. The last of the harsh sunlight finally filtered away, returning the little bits of light that crept through the tendrils to their usual soft, moonlit grays.
“You must have the wrong place. There is no one here by that name, and seeing how this is my home, I would like you to leave. Humans do not like me,” I rumbled, a slight hiss in my voice that I did not quite expect.
“Would you mind stepping out with me? If this is your home, then maybe you can help me find Tenebris.” She sighed; she seemed rather exhausted, her glow dimming slightly. I silently stalked forward, grabbing her arm and yanking her out of my cave after me. In the slowly darkening light of the dusky sky, her gaze finally found me; her surprise was evident in every aspect.
“You lied to me. You are the Keeper of the Deep Wood,” she gasped lightly, seeming to be rattled.
“I was never given a name or title. I am simply the guardian of the forest,” I snapped, yanking my hand back from her skin. She was so warm, it nearly burned my sensitive skin. The bats awoke in full and began crying for me to free them for their daily outing. An exasperated sigh left my chest as I yanked open the wooden tendrils, and they all quickly fled. Angry squeaks came from inside as a bat got stuck, I glanced inside and found that the fox female had caught one and was trying to put it down. My foot hit the stone floor hard, causing the female to drop the bat and sprint past me. My cave was a safe place for everyone, and I made sure it stayed that way.
“I believe you are mistaken. The humans fear you greatly, they say you are a murderer, that you killed dozens just for having the audacity to travel beyond the fire light.” Arielle crossed her arms and popped out one of her hips, like I had seen plenty of human mothers do when their young do not listen.
“I never killed anyone, the idiot decided to get lost and wandered into my cave where he chose to eat a mushroom that is not palatable for humans. I returned him home otherwise unharmed and they decided I was their villain,” I snapped, allowing the wooden vines to fall back into place.
“I came here to end the scourge that had haunted the humans for centuries before I arrived, but I feel like there may have been a mistake. You seem…gentle,” she said, her shoulders sagging slightly. She was young, I realized. A goddess, but a new one. Of course, the humans would send a new, eager goddess to end the forest guardian. Idiots.
“I have guarded this forest since the first humans appeared here. They made a deal with me. They gave me pelts and gifts in exchange for my protection for them and their future generations. Those humans are only still alive because I removed everything too dangerous, including the mushroom that male had eaten.” Her gaze softened greatly as she listened; my voice was getting smoother with the more words I spoke.
“Then come with me. Show the humans you are not what they believe. Why have you let them believe these lies for so long?” she pleaded, reaching out to grab my arm, but I jolted away.
“Their fear keeps them out of the Deep Wood. Here there are too many dangers for me to protect them from. It is easier this way.” Arielle considered this, then she began to cry.
“Please come with me. Talk to them, you should be celebrated, not feared.” Her tears steamed as they fell from her face, lifting away in light wisps that glowed in the moonlight. A disgusted scoff left me. A quick glare at the goddess and I was running, running into the trees towards the human territory where I could continue my work silently guarding the humans. I did not need their praise; I got enough from the animals. I did not need their friendship; I was a solo, shy being, scorned for centuries. The humans would not accept me either way. Deep rooted hatred was nearly impossible to get rid of.
When the sun began creeping over the distant horizon, I called the bats home and settled in next to the fox kits. Their mother had returned sometime in the night to feed them, then apparently left again to refill her belly. Her kits were beautiful, all curled up and sleeping. I ran gentle fingers along their backs, using my magic to bless them. They would never venture too close to a human now; they had better instincts. When their mother returned, I moved back to my bed of freshly tilled dirt.
When I rose in the evening, something felt…off. Scents filled the air that I did not recognize, and fear settled in my throat. I quietly ran for the cave entrance and yanked open the woody fronds and was stunned silent. All around my cave entrance, gently glowing in the moonlight, were glass beads and straw dolls. There was stained glass hanging from the nearby tree branches. Gentle chimes rang out when the wind shifted the boughs. One of my long claw-tipped hands rested on my chest as the typical grays of night were now mixed with all sorts of color. Small, hand carved wooden animals sat in a pile, surrounded by an assortment of wildflowers and in the middle of it all was Arielle.
“I hope you do not mind. I explained to the humans what you told me. They wanted to give you all sorts of stuff, I made sure they were safe as they came here, and I made sure they did not disturb anything. They swore they would keep to their area, but they believe they have centuries of cruelty to make up for.” She twisted her hands in front of her stomach as she clumsily explained. A strange feeling prickled at the backs of my eyes and when I reached to rub them, my hands came away wet. They did not hate me. I looked up into the eyes of the Lady of Light and croaked:
“Thank you.”
Author Bio
Monica Duff is a fantasy writer who grew up in rural Iowa. She is currently working towards her Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation and Ecology at Iowa State University. Although science is her main focus, her love for all things fantasy still dominates a large part of her life. She spends her free time either trekking through the woods or daydreaming about new things to write about.
