Page 38 of Must Love Moss and Moonshine
I watched him and felt my chest tighten.He missed her.Her warmth.Her voice.Her laughter.He missed the presence she’d brought to this cabin, the spark of life that lit up this quiet, shadowed forest corner.
I stared at my hands, rough and calloused from years of tending the forest.I thought of the vibrant world she came from, full of music, laughter, and companionship.Her caravan was a place of connection, celebration, and joy.Her world was shifting, ever-changing.I looked out the window, seeing the light of the silvery moon.
Tansy was like the moonshine…and I, well, I was moss.
She was light and movement, shifting like the moon’s silver glow, illuminating everything she touched.Always glimmering, but never the same.I was rooted and still, clinging to the same stone for years.She moved, and I stayed as I was.What right did I have to ask her to stay in my world of shadows when hers was so full of life?
“What do I do, Marvelle?”I whispered, my voice breaking and tears streaming down my cheek.
The squirrel twitched an ear but didn’t lift his head.
The truth was, the moment Bromir arrived, I’d felt the old hardness return.The walls I had built long ago to protect myself from loneliness came rushing back, closing me off from the ache of her leaving.It was easier this way, I told myself.If I let her go, she could live her bright, expansive life without the weight of my solitude dragging her down.
But that wasn’t what I wanted.
What I wanted was to hold her close.I wanted to go to Moonshine Hollow and tell her how I really felt.
Instead, I had let the hardness in me rise up and take over, coloring our last exchange with hesitation and retreat.I had seen the confusion and hurt in her eyes as she left.She had reached for me, and I had pulled away, my own doubts and fears drowning out everything else.
Glimmer.
That was the word she’d used when her memories began returning.I’d known what she meant.Among my kind, the glimmer was the recognition of a soul’s twin, a deep bond beyond words or logic.And yet, doubt clawed at me.What if my loneliness had blinded me?What if I had fallen in love with the first woman to show me warmth after years of solitude?Was it love, or was it desperation?
I buried my face in my hands and wept.For the first time in years, I felt the absence of my kin acutely.Dryads were meant to live in connection with the forest, but not with one another.But I had been alone for so long.Perhaps too long.I needed the advice of someone who knew our ways.
Marvelle stirred, lifting his head from the blanket and looking at me with dark, questioning eyes.
“I need to go for a while,” I told him, quietly.“I won’t be gone more than a few hours.If there’s any trouble, the forest will let me know.”
He chirped softly and settled back into the folds of the blanket, his small presence a bittersweet comfort.
I rose and went outside, the crisp autumn air stinging my face as I stepped into the twilight.The world smelled of damp leaves and pine, the forest alive with the whispers of the evening wind.I approached the hollow tree, placing my hand against its rough bark.The wood was cool beneath my palm, but the magic within thrummed faintly, a living heartbeat.
“Brunndale,” I whispered.
The tree began to glow faintly.Taking a deep breath, I stepped into the hollow, letting the forest’s ancient magic pull me away.
* * *
The cold hitme the moment I stepped through the hollow tree into Brunndale, the forested island located to the north in the Frost Islands.Snow blanketed the forest floor, untouched and shimmering under the pale light filtering through the pines.The air was sharp, biting at my skin, and the scent of frost and pine sap filled my lungs.I pulled my cloak tighter, my boots crunching softly against the packed snow as I made my way toward the cabin nestled under the great tree ahead.
A golden light flickered from the frosted windows, and smoke curled lazily from the chimney.Just as I reached the door, it opened, and Aelderin stepped out.His pale green eyes fixed on me with warmth and surprise.
“Kellen,” he said, his voice as deep and steady as the roots beneath the snow.“I didn’t expect to see you here.It’s been a long time.”
I bowed my head slightly.“It has, Elder.I thought it was time to visit an old friend.”
He smiled, though his gaze was sharp.“And you’ve come all this way just for a friendly chat?”He chuckled softly.“Come inside before you freeze solid.”
The warmth of his cabin was immediate, sinking into my bones.The scent of dried herbs and pine resin hung in the air, mingling with the crackle of the fire in the hearth.He gestured for me to sit near the fire, then poured me a mug of nettle tea.
“How fares Silver Vale?”he asked as he settled into his chair.“Still thriving under your care?”
“It’s strong,” I said, grateful for the safe topic.“The moonshine flowers bloomed well this season.The brownies… Well, they keep things interesting.”
He laughed, the sound like the creak of an old tree.“Brownies always do.And how are you, Kellen?”I heard the tone of suspicion in his voice.The elder leaned toward me, his weathered face studying me.
Although I had come here for help, I hesitated.I sipped my tea and stared into the fire.“Nothing of great importance.Just the usual challenges of being a guardian.”
