Romance Fan Fiction / Original Stories Fan Fiction / Fables/Fairytales Fan Fiction ❯ Slowly Disapear ❯ Elder tree ( Chapter 3 )

“You'll have to excuse Alex. I simply don't know what has overcome him Miss - ?” Sir Mallot left he sentence just trail off as a way to inquire as to a name to call her.

 

“Ari; Ari larim.” Short and simple, Sir Mallot figured that was all he was going to get out of her, well that and perhaps a few more growls at the other wolfs.

 

“Well Ari, I have a job for you. But I'm afraid that it requires your wolf and I don't want to push you, having no clue for how long you ran and all.” Straight to the point, he tried desperately to get even the slightest amount of information out of her tightly pursed lips. Though he knew it was futile, truth be told she may not know it, or believe it for that matter, but he truly did care. Not only did he have an exceptionally big heart but he also had an Eagle's eye for those in distress.

 

A run through the woods might do her good.

 

“I ran plenty but my muscles need to be worked out or I'll be sore all week, it's not that I don't want to run but I may not have the energy for it.” Yet there was pleading in her voice upon the word run and her glance towards the woods told him he had thought correctly, she needed to run.

 

“Wolf form is preferred but this task can be accomplished by a human form, though it will take longer in the latter of the two. Don't wear yourself out, I don't want to have you stuck in the woods and have it be my fault. Your task is very simple, due to my dwarven nature I can not reach the sought after object. Don't look at me like that, as if I aren't embarrassed enough with out the looks.” He gave her a pointed stare when her look of amusement didn't immediately fade, but he regretted it when her face contorted in fear of God knows only what. Indeed she was a frightful lass. “Don't look at me like that either lass, I have the heart of a grandfather and I take humor in good stride, you need not be afraid of me. Besides what could I, Sir Mallot dwarven old guy, do to a majestic wolf such as your self? Nay you surely could whip my hide, but between you and me this gets out to no one. Or else I'll be teased to no end by the very pack that I have helped raise.” He sighed and shook his head at the very thought. Ari's face returned to a calm yet amused look, and for the first time in years she suspected her eyes held a twinkle.

 

“Now as I was saying-“, Sir Mallot continued, “Your task entails the finding of a certain type of plant, you might be familiar with it, Aconite. Better know as Monkshood. Though normal Aconite grows upon the fertile soil of the decomposed forest floor, the Aconite I seek is much more unordinary. It is nestled high in the branches of the ancient Elder Tree, which rests in the center of this particular outcropping of the forest that my cottage is situated in. It blooms but once every three years and my dear this is the third year and my stocks have run out. I need three sprigs of the plant taken from the highest branch of the Elder tree, be warned though the tree will not give up the enchanted plant easily for it and the Aconite are guarded by pixies, blighters the lot of them but they posses the ability to make me laugh.” There was a kind smile upon his face and then a look of amusement as he conjured up memories of when the pixies had played various tricks on him.

 

“Though you need not fear a fight, they should relinquish their defensive nature. All you have to do is tell Grand'da Dwarf Mallot sent you.”

 

Ari couldn't help it, she had managed to listen intently up until the Grand'da Dwarf part and then her husky voice fell from her lips in throws of laughter, shaking the very foundation in her bare feet.

 

“Yes, yes very funny I know.” His amusement not only showed on his wrinkled face but it also colored his voice causing it too lower slightly half an octave, his laughter was rich and deep. Quite a change from his usual frail yet strong voice.

 

Ari's toes dug into the dirt and the wind ripped around her moaning through the tree's surrounding the Wood and stone cottage. Her laughter still rose high above then before being carried away upon the wind.

 

They were finally done laughing, though they still held broad smiles, both were standing across from each other encased in silence.

 

“Are you sure you will be able to make it to the tree and back, you could always do it tomorrow.” Sir Mallot uncrossed his arms and shoved his hands roughly into his plaid vest pockets. His well worn shoes rubbed in the dirt.

 

“I'll make it, I think you for taking me in Sir Mallot, and you shall not regret it.”

 

Without another word she was leaping through the air, light as a feather, a wolf before she even touched down.

 

What a magnificent sight to behold. White as snow was her fur, and her eyes were as bright as moonlight, pale yellow in color.

 

Sir Mallot found himself staring in awe as she passed, her fur rippling in the wind and her paws kicking up dust. What a sight indeed.

 

Û°Û°Û°

 

The Change, the most glorious thing to her. The revealing of one's soul and wolf.

 

She flew past Oaks and Conifers kicking up pin needles. She had missed this, the rush, the feeling of being unstoppable. The joy. Running had once been the only joy to her, until she ran without thought. And now the place where she ended up was her joy.

 

Û°Û°Û°

 

White fur clashed with green scenery, there one second gone without a trace. The wolf ran aimlessly, heading for the middle of the forest, leaving dust in her wake. Had some stranger been looking from afar they might mistake her as a renegade angel flying low through the tree.

 

Animals stopped to watch this wonder as she passed them, dodging trees and thorns, ripping leaves.

 

Puffs of air ran past the wolves open jowls revealing pearl white teeth, free of blood stain.

 

She stopped, breathing hard, but feeling no repercussions as per her over exertion of her haunches.

 

Rays of sunshine streamed through the cover of the leaves over head, causing patches of light to illuminate and yet shadow certain parts of the forest. Birds could clearly be heard chirping their delight in the heated pools of light.

 

Before long she was on the move again, not a single thought on her mind.

 

Again she raced past trees, the colors all becoming a blur until suddenly they all disappeared, and she was left to skid to a stop in a wide clearing alight with sunshine and green with grass.

 

Below her paws she could feel the loose earth; she savored the feeling running her claws back and forth in it, making deep crevices, she could almost feel the earthworms scuttle away from her. Her eyes quickly flashed to take in her surroundings, pale yellow reflecting green.

 

Û°Û°Û°

 

Grass blades danced in the wind, each one a different color, unique in their own way. Acorns dotted random spots in the green sea, some so far from mothering trees that it was a wonder how they had managed to escape so far into the clearing, although with all the squirrels weaving their ways through the branches it became an easily solved mystery.

 

But these were far from the most extraordinary features that chose to grace the clearing with there presences. Amid the mass of tree's ranging from Oaks to Sakura tree's blossoming with Cherries, bright red dots pinned against heavenly lush pink, amid these many and rare types of tree's stood what could only be seen as the queen of the forest.

 

She stood over fifty feet tall, her branches spread wider then her length; thinning out and resulting in a fading of shadow into light, the perfect conjoined match. There are no other trees like her, with her ancient birth and life no other's survived as long as this, and the knowledge of her past had been lost long again, many years before even the time of the wolves, before magic.

 

The wind whispered through her leaves, playing a silent melody like a sad violin serenade, weaving around the clearing; demanding all attention, until the breeze died down ending on a long low note, the enchantment was broken. She was a ship commanding the sea of green surrounding her.

 

Age had worn many a marks upon her skin, she stood strong, the wind had bent her branches, and she grew relentlessly. Her gnarled roots took firm hold in the earth disappearing far below the surface ensuring her ability to survive during drought, living off of the earth's own plentiful ground water rich in vitamins and minerals, silently the earth gave and gave, and took none.

 

Nearing her trunk thick rose bushes grew, their thorns acting as the Elder's protector, who would ever know that it surely was the other way around. Patches were torn from the Elder's bark and branches, yet she had not a single fallen limb.

 

Small blue flowers could be seen blooming up in her highest branches, surely over fifty feet from the grass softened ground.

 

Several owl holes dotted many of her branches, and birds nestled high, singing their tunes.