Forest Door

 

            Mary’s chest ached as the moving van pulled away. There went any chance of going back home. Now they were officially stuck in this new house. Tears threatened to fall and her throat constricted when she thought about her old house. Why did they have to move? Why did Dad have to get a new job? What was wrong with the old one?

            The house they had moved to was nice enough. It was built almost 100 years ago, but the inside had all been modernized. Their new backyard bordered a wooded area, which Mary was actually almost excited about. That was the one redeeming quality about this place.

            Staring at it now, she decided to go do a little exploring. She was supposed to help unpack and organize her new room, but that could wait. She darted off toward the trees before anyone could stop her.

            Their new house was already outside of town and the countryside around it was pretty quiet, but it became silent when Mary stepped into the tree cover. The breeze didn’t penetrate the interior, and the sounds of her family coming from the house were gone.

            Feeling slightly intimidated by the absence of sound, Mary carefully made her way forward. The air smelled a little musty as she trod on last year’s leaves. The sound of crinkling leaves seemed deafening in here.

            A path appeared through the gloom and Mary breathed a sigh of relief. Here was proof that civilization wasn’t totally absent. She walked along the path until she reached a small stream. The clear water flowed silently by. The path continued over a small log bridge. The sight of the water brought calmness to Mary, even though the woods continued to grow darker around her. The stress of moving and leaving everyone she knew seemed to melt off of her. She knew she should be getting back, but something kept pulling her forward. As she did, the silence lessened. She heard birds chirping off to her right, and the snap of a twig made her turn around to see a fox darting away.

            The further Mary walked, the happier she became. Beams of light filtered down through the trees to land on patches of wildflowers. After being so dark, the area grew vibrant with different colors of flowers. The birds that she glimpsed were brightly colored also.

            The path ended suddenly at a great big oak tree. It was absolutely enormous and looked ancient. Knots grew all along the trunk to surround what looked like a door. Curious, Mary reached out to touch it, and the wood beneath her fingers changed to become a door. A silver doorknob appeared, and she was just about to open it when a loud snap sounded behind her.

            Whirling around, Mary was startled to see a wolf sitting and staring at her. Her mouth suddenly dry, she took a few involuntary steps backward away from the wolf. How could there be wolves in this forest? They weren’t that far out of town, were they? Her imagination ran wild with stories of big bad wolves eating girls traveling alone through the forest.

            This wolf, however, didn’t move. It just sat calmly, watching Mary as she continued to move back along the path. The wolf wasn’t surprised when the girl finally turned around and ran as fast as she could back to wherever she had come from.

            The wolf sat there waiting until a bright blue bird landed on a branch near him and said, “The girl has gone all the way back to the stream, Maximus.”

            The wolf finally moved and nodded his head at the bird. “Thank you, Lancet.”

            “How did she get here in the first place?” The bird, Lancet, cocked his head curiously.

            Maximus took a deep breath. “She is different from the others. Did you feel it?”

            “Do you think she’s the one then?”

            “Hmmm. Maybe. If she had opened the door, she would have been.”

            Lancet ruffled his feathers. “Do you think she’ll come back?”

            Maximus didn’t answer right away, thinking. He stood up and walked to the place where the girl had stood a few minutes before. “If she is the one, she’ll definitely be back. Have the others keep a lookout for her and inform me the minute she crosses our stream again.” He darted off into the trees, leaving Lancet to fly off and spread the word to the other birds.

            The door on the tree was left cracked open, a bright light shining behind it, waiting for the one who would be brave enough to enter and face what was waiting within.

The Dark Forest

 

            The road swayed in front of Pierre as he wearily plodded along it. He was already completely exhausted, but the rain made it worse. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself. He needed to find a place to stay and get out of the rain. It was nearing sundown and he knew that it would only get colder.

            Shivering, he focused on putting one foot in front of the other. Suddenly the dirt road vanished, and he found himself standing on cobblestone. Looking up, he saw that he had reached the Abbey. Pierre let out a grateful sigh and hurried up to the main gate. He still had a long journey ahead of him, but he knew he would find shelter here tonight. The monks were always very generous.

            The monk that greeted him at the gate took one look at him and offered him a room. Nodding gratefully, Pierre followed the man as he led him through the Abbey. “You look dead on your feet, sir. Hopefully this room will be adequate for your needs.”

            Pierre didn’t have the strength to say anything. He removed his boots and collapsed onto the bed. He was asleep within minutes.

            The next morning, Pierre woke to the sound of birds chirping merrily outside the window. Feeling refreshed, he went to go find the monks to thank them for allowing him to stay there. He stepped into the hall and met a monk who appeared to have been waiting for him.

            “Good morning, sir! My name is Dom.” His face shone with happiness. “Would you care for some refreshment?”

            Dom’s happiness rubbed off on Pierre, and he felt his spirits lift. “Yes, thank you very much.” He followed the monk to a dining room where he ate a delicious breakfast of fruit and eggs.

            Dom seemed to wait patiently, but the moment Pierre was finished with his meal he asked, “Where have you journeyed from?”

            Pierre’s good mood vanished as he thought about the last few days. “I have travelled many days from my home to visit my brother. I’ve still got a ways to go, but it was a pleasure to rest here in your beautiful abbey.”

            Dom inclined his head in appreciation, but his face fell slightly when he realized that something was bothering Pierre. “Have you not had a pleasant journey?”

            Pierre shook his head. “It was well enough until I reached the crossroads just before the Dark Forest. There I was attacked by bandits and robbed. They knocked me out and left me there.” He rubbed the sore spot on his head. “When I woke up, I was only left with the clothes on my back. My horse and supplies were gone.”

            The monk’s eyebrows rose as Pierre told his story. “But the crossroads are at least two days’ walk from here. What did you do?”

            “I was determined to reach my brother’s house, and I knew that this Abbey was the closest place where I could get some help. But I had to go through the Dark Forest.”

            Dom hurriedly crossed himself. “That place isn’t fit for habitation. It’s the home of all kinds of wicked things.” He looked worriedly at Pierre.

            “Yes, I had heard stories, but it’s the quickest way here. I decided to just push through as fast as I could.” Pierre shivered. “I saw things in there that made me believe every story I’ve ever heard about it.”

            “What did you see?” Dom’s eyes widened in curiosity.

            Shivering, Pierre answered. “I was well enough traveling during the day, but the darkness brought out the wolves.”

            “Wolves?”

            “Yes, black wolves were circling around my small campsite all night. I was afraid to go to sleep, and I had to keep my fire high. I could see them, just watching me. They howled to each other all night, and I kept worrying that they would charge me. I swear I even saw one as big as a horse. When morning finally came, I set off as soon as I could. I ran most of the rest of the way here so I wouldn’t have to spend another night there.”

            Mouth wide in astonishment, Dom exclaimed, “Thank the stars above! Those wolves are what makes the Dark Forest so dangerous. They were studying you. If you had spent another night there, they would have attacked you. Not many people have seen the wolves and lived to tell the tale.”

            Hearing this, Pierre nodded solemnly. He thanked the monk for the Abbey’s hospitality and continued his journey. He now had enough supplies to reach his brother, and he couldn’t wait to tell him his story. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the danger that he had been in. He definitely wouldn’t be coming back this way. He would go around the Dark Forest even if it added days to his journey. It was worth it.

Wolf Battle

 

            Rowan ran faster than the wind when the report came from the scout. Lester’s warriors had crossed into Rowan’s territory. Rowan’s father, Sulfur, immediately dispatched his own warriors, with Rowan at the head. Lester’s pack had become increasingly bold lately. While on patrol, Rowan could see them just beyond his own territory. He didn’t think they would actually invade – at least, not until now.

            As the best warrior in their wolf pack, Rowan was confident that they could defeat Lester’s scraggly band. A thought grew in his mind, however. What if Dune had joined them?

            Rowan’s brother, Dune, had run away the week before. He and Sulfur were way too much alike and never got on particularly well. Things came to a head when Dune suggested that they take warriors into Lester’s territory to rid themselves of their thievery. For many months, Lester and his wolves would sneak in to Sulfur’s territory to hunt and chase prey into their own. No one had ever witnessed this, of course, but Dune was sure that it was happening. Sulfur wouldn’t listen, so Dune ran away and hadn’t been heard from since.

            Rowan shook these thoughts from his mind and called out, “As soon as we see them, we take out their chief warrior. When that happens, the others will scatter without a leader.” He heard yips of approval from those running beside him. They reached the White River, and Rowan could smell the other wolves, along with…was that Dune?! He led his warriors along the scent trail, which followed the river for a while, and then headed onto an old trail that would lead them straight to the rest of the pack.

            Rowan let out a howl as he charged off, with seven other wolves following him. He had to reach the invaders before they got to the den.

            Suddenly, a gray and white shape slammed into Rowan from the side. He was forced into a side roll, and then the other wolf was upon him. With a yelp, he recognized who it was. “Dune?” he asked incredulously.

            Dune looked down at him with a furious scowl on his face. “You fools walked right into our trap,” he said scornfully.

            Rowan shook himself and went into a defensive stance. “What have you done?” His warriors were fighting other wolves who had similarly ambushed them. Snarls and yelps filled the area as they tried to fight back. They fought well, but they were outnumbered. At least 15 of Lester’s warriors were engaged in the battle.

            “Father never listened to me,” Dune said bitterly. “All he wanted to do was hide, but Lester knows that you have to fight to make things better. There’s a spot for you with Lester, if you would like it, brother.”

            Rowan snarled, “I will never betray my home! You have made a serious mistake!” He leaped toward Dune, and landed with his paws in Dune’s chest.

            Dune immediately rolled backwards, but righted himself and smiled back at his brother. “You’re going to have to do better than that, Rowan!” The two started to circle each other, each letting out low, threatening growls.

            “Take your friends and get out of here, Dune,” Rowan hissed. “I will do whatever it takes to protect our home.”

            Dune let out a low laugh. “Look around you.” His eyes gestured to Lester’s pack. “We outnumber you at least two to one.”

            Rowan knew the odds. He also knew that if the leader was taken down, the rest of the pack would retreat. Dune seemed to be the leader. Only he would have known about this other, secret, trail to their den. Rowan was the best warrior in their pack and had scrimmaged against his brother many times. He always won, but it had all been done in play. He had never hurt his brother before. If he wanted to save his pack by taking out the invading pack’s leader, he would have to kill or seriously maim Dune.

            Rowan groaned inwardly. It was the last thing he wanted to do, but he would do whatever it took to protect the others. He tried to reason with Dune one last time. “Please, don’t do this brother. Call out the retreat and lead these other wolves out of here.”

            Dune’s face was determined as he said, “I will not come back to be pushed around by Sulfur. My future is with Lester. He actually listens to me, and I’m going to follow him!” With that, Dune sprang again at Rowan.

            Rowan met the attack. He was ready. The fight between them was furious, filled with shouts, savage barks, and soon, blood.

            When it was over, Dune lay at Rowan’s feet with a gaping wound in his side. He was alive and breathing heavily, but he wouldn’t be able to run anymore that day.

            Feeling sickened, Rowan looked down at his brother. The wound was serious, but he should be able to recover, in time.

            Rowan let out a victorious howl and cried, “Your leader is down! Leave now, while you still can!”

            Of the 17 wolves that had come with Dune, only 10 were still standing. They immediately retreated back toward the river. Rowan’s warriors had suffered their own casualties. Almost all of his seven warriors were down, and a few would never get up again. Rowan let out another triumphant howl, but this one was tinged with sorrow. His home was safe, but he knew that things would never be the same again.

            Dune recovered, and was allowed back into the pack, but he was demoted to the lowest rank. He knew that he owed Rowan his life. He never again challenged his brother, but he avoided their father ever after that. Rowan eventually became chief and was a good leader, and a fierce warrior. Lester never challenged them again. Rowan was glad, because he secretly thought he could never go through an ordeal like that again. War was horrible, and he had definitely seen enough of it.

A Dark Night

 

        Barry had spent much longer than he planned to at the town gathering. The rest of his family went home hours ago, but he wanted to spend more time with his friends. As the oldest school-age boys, they felt like they ruled the town. They spent hours together, playing games, and just having fun. After finally saying Good Night to them, he started for home.

        The town square had been bright with a large bonfire and merrily burning torches, but outside that circle of light was a deep darkness. Barry’s farm was only a mile and a half away, but tonight that seemed like 20 miles. The half moon shone down her feeble light behind a mass of clouds.

        Without consistent light, Barry was forced to move slowly down the path. After a while, he came to a junction where the main road was wide and open, and a smaller road led straight through the woods. Barry hesitated for a moment but then he walked decidedly onto the smaller path. This path may be darker, but it would cut off half a mile of the distance that he needed to go. Having taken this road countless times before, he knew the way. But soon, the trees moved in around him and he had to really slow down and step carefully. The darkness felt oppressing as it surrounded him.

        Trying to only focus on the path, unbidden thoughts came in to Barry’s mind. Everyone knew the legend of the Master Wolf around here. Barry had grown up with stories of a monstrous black wolf that lived in these woods. His own parents used the legend to keep their kids in line. When he was younger, his mother would warn Barry that if he didn’t do what he was told, the Master Wolf would come and get him. Those kinds of threats worked on small children, but Barry had wised up and dismissed the legends as fairy tales.

        Now, however, Barry thought of the other stories surrounding the Master Wolf. Some of the old timers in town talked about the giant wolf as if he were real. At the gathering tonight, a few people laughingly talked about the mystical legend, but Old Bill had told his story of how he had seen a great big, black wolf in these very woods when he was just a boy. He had run away before the creature knew he was there, but he had a story to tell for the rest of his life. He said the wolf was bigger than any other he had ever seen, and it was prowling around the forest.

        Barry gave an involuntary shudder as he thought about other stories that claimed the Master Wolf was a protector of the forest and would defend his charge with violence if necessary. No one had seen the wolf for at least 50 years, but there were always a few stout believers of the Master Wolf.

        Barry tried to pick up his pace as he moved deeper into the forest. He felt increasingly like he was going blind as the darkness grew more intense around him. His whole body now felt like a taut bowstring as he hurried on as fast as he could. Suddenly, an owl hooted nearby, and Barry nearly jumped out of his skin. He took off running, and only stopped when he got smacked in the face with some low hanging branches.

        Somewhat dazed, Barry shook his head as he tried to get his bearings. He realized that he was no longer on the path. Groaning, he turned around to face the direction that he thought he had come from. After sever minutes of walking, however, he still hadn’t found the trail.

        He was now trying hard not to panic. How could he have let this happen? He should have gone home with the rest of his family. Furious and scared, he continued on, praying that he was going in a direction that would lead him out of the forest.

        Stumbling over tree roots, he suddenly heard a low growl off to his right. Heart in his throat, he veered off to the left to get away from whatever it was that he couldn’t see, and tripped over a fallen log. He landed hard on his hands and knees as he tried to catch his breath.

        Overhead, clouds moved away from the moon, and suddenly Barry could see. With relief, he saw that he had fallen onto the trail and that the trees were starting to clear, just ahead. Letting out a whoop, he jumped up and felt pain in his ankle. It’s only a sprain, he thought, as he gingerly ran his fingers over it.

        Taking a deep breath, he carefully stood up again, taking care not to put his full weight on his hurt foot. He started to limp along the path, but again he heard a strange growl. Fearing what he was about to see, Barry slowly turned toward the noise and felt his insides disappear. A hulking great beast watched him from just under the tree cover. Barry could see its shining eyes focused on him, and could just see the outline of its massive furry body. It was the biggest wolf that he had ever seen, probably bigger than a bear. He drew in several ragged gasps until he realized that the beast wasn’t coming after him.

        Barry took a hesitant step along the path, away from the beast, and the wolf followed him with his eyes, but otherwise didn’t move. Barry continued to walk slowly, turning around with every step to make sure the hulking wolf wasn’t following him.

        Finally, Barry left the tree cover and felt blinded by the moon’s light after his dark time in the forest. Relieved beyond words, he saw his family’s farm bathed in soft moonlight. As he hobbled toward it, he thought about the legends again. Did he really just see the Master Wolf – Protector of the Forest? If he had, he didn’t seem to have anything against Barry. Maybe he was just making sure a scared youth found his way out of the forest. Whatever the case, Barry knew that he would never discount the legends again. Also, he would never ever take the shortcut in the dark. Once was enough for a lifetime.