Page 39 of Must Love Moss and Moonshine
Aelderin raised a brow.“The usual challenges don’t bring you halfway across the world in the middle of winter.Come now, out with it, youngling.”
I felt my resolve break.I set my mug down and looked up at him.“I think I’ve fallen in love.”
He didn’t respond right away, his gaze steady and unreadable.“Go on,” he said, his tone curious but not unkind.
“She’s a Sylvan.She… She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”
A faint smile touched his lips.“I see.”
I swallowed hard, the words tumbling out.“The forest let her through.She was injured and needed my care.A connection developed between us.But what if I’ve convinced myself it’s love because I’ve been alone for so long?Our solitude can play tricks on us.Have you ever felt…lonely?”
“Often,” he said with a light laugh.He leaned forward, his hands resting on his knees.“When you’re with her, do you feel at peace?”
“Yes.More than I have in years.”
“And does she seem at peace with you?”
“She does,” I said.“But she has a life, one filled with friends, a thriving business, and a caravan of people who love her.What can I offer her?A lonely forest and an empty cabin?”
Aelderin’s eyes softened.“You offer her yourself, Kellen.”
“But what if that’s not enough?”
“What if it is?”
“What if I’m just lonely?”
He sighed, leaning back in his chair.“Loneliness can make us doubt even the truest things.But love… Love is not about what we lack.It’s about what we’re willing to give.If this Sylvan has brought light intoyourworld, perhaps it’s because you bring it tohers.Don’t let fear blind you.”
His words settled in my chest like a stone, heavy but grounding.I nodded, though my heart still felt tangled.
Aelderin rose and took the mug from my hand.“We all grow lonely from time to time, youngling.But we don’t all have the fortune of falling in love.Maybe meeting this woman was not coincidence.Maybe your forest knew what you needed and brought it to you.If she passed through the enchantments, there must be a reason.And love is a very good reason.”
I rose and took Aelderin’s hand.“Thank you, Elder.
“Of course,” he replied then led me to the door.
I paused a moment before I departed.“Elder Aelderin, if you don’t mind me asking, have you ever been in love?”
“Many times,” he replied with a laugh.“It gets damned cold in Brunndale in the winter, and the hollow trees exit on many beautiful, sunny beaches where one just might find a merwoman waiting.”
“Elder,” I said in surprise.
He laughed.“I’ve had many warm nights, young Kellen, but a mate for life…that is something else.Don’t linger here with me.You have more important matters to attend to,” he said then opened the door.
“Thank you, Elder.”
“Be well, Kellen.And bring your Sylvan to meet me.”
“I will.”I slipped back into the frozen forest to the hollow tree near Elder Aelderin’s cottage.I set my hand on the tree, willing myself home, my heart full of hope.
* * *
When I returnedto my cabin, the warmth of the hearth greeted me, but the emptiness of the space hit harder than before.Marvelle chirped from the bed, hopping to the edge as I set down my cloak.He looked at me, his fuzzy expression questioning.
I sat down at the table and picked up Tansy’s belt.I opened one of the pouches, finding the forest quartz inside.I held it up, letting the firelight dance across its greens, golds, and browns.It shimmered like sunlight through leaves, alive with the memory of her.
“This,” I told Marvelle, “would make a beautiful ring.”
