A Deal with a Stranger

Hazel

I walked through the woods with Gera flying lazily beside me, the leaves crunched beneath my feet, and the cool breeze ruffled my long blonde hair. Autumn was my favorite time of year, the changing leaves made me feel so alive, ironic considering they were dying. The shortened days made for longer nights and the stars always made me feel less alone. The other nymphs favored spring, rebirth, new life, and all that. While it was a beautiful time of year it just wasn't for me.

This part of the forest held a special place in my heart, these weren't nymph trees just regular non-magical ones that didn't mind my presence. They eminated life and freedom, there was no other life tied up in theirs beside the creatures who lived in their boughs. Envy and the unshakable boredom that dominated my days followed me, closer than Gera who flew near enough to be confused as my shadow.

Something inside me screamed that if I kept walking I might find something different. The image of the wolf popped into my mind and my stomach fluttered in anticipation. I shook my head, it was silly to think he'd be here now. Nymphs weren't supposed to come to this part of the forest, it was supposedly dangerous, but I'd been here hundreds of times and never found anything other than trees and woodland creatures. Maybe I was the danger they warned about.

At least the sweet little furballs didn't turn their heads and pretend to not notice me when I walked by. In fact, they liked me, and would often come and say hello, chirping happy songs about nuts and whatever else they liked. Except when Gera was with me, they were too smart to run toward an owl who would happily turn them into her next meal. She was a good familiar but she did put a damper on my burgeoning relationship with the chipmunks. 

Gera suddenly dropped out of the air and hovered in my face flapping her wings in alarm. The wordless link between us told me she saw someone out of the ordinary. My heart leapt thinking it might be him, Gera did fear the wolves. She wanted me to turn back, but that exciting feeling of something different was too much to ignore, maybe I could see him again.

I heard it then, the sound of leaves crunching beneath feet that were much larger than my furry friends. A beautiful girl stepped out from behind a tree. My hopes to see the wolf again were dashed, but the disappointment didn't last.

Her lips curved in a welcoming smile that immediately put me at ease, but Gera hooted angrily at her and tried to convince me to turn around and run. Her long black hair flowed around her like a silk sheet, ending at her narrow waist. She wore a floor-length forest green gown that complimented the purple eyes set in her lovely face. A thick fringe of lashes matched her hair and decorated her eyes giving her a mysterious, otherworldly beauty. 

"Are you a fairy?" She asked me, with genuine excitement lighting the violet depths of her eyes. She looked human, but as far as I knew their eyes didn't come in that color.

"I'm a nymph, so kind of." I told her with a shrug and fluttered my wings for emphasis. 

"That's amazing!" She gushed as her eyes ran over my glittering wings. "I've never met a fae of any variety before. Are you part of a court?" Her enthusiasm was catching.

"No, wood nymphs don't have a court. We stick to the forest, it's pretty boring. You're not human, right?" I asked her, in awe of the fact that I was having an actual conversation with someone without them looking scared.

She laughed with a carefree and melodic sound. "No, of course not. I'm a witch, I live in the human town with my grandma and work in one of the shops, but I look a little different when I'm there." She waved a hand and her purple eyes turned a lovely sky blue. "My name is Carmen, by the way."

"Wow! That's amazing. I've always wanted to visit the human town but, you know…" I trailed off as I gestured to my wings. "My name is Hazel." She took my hand in hers, shaking it. I never performed the gesture before and was a little awkward, but she smiled at me warmly instead of making me feel weird about it.

"I could help you with that, you know?" She had a mischievous glint in her eye that drew me in much more than it warned me off.

"Really, how?" She looked around to make sure there was no one lurking nearby.

"Well, I'm not supposed to, but I have a potion that will hide your wings for a little while. It's not too long, only a couple of hours, but you could go to the human town and look around before they came back." Pleasure ran through me at the thought of what she described.

"What about my ears?" I asked, gesturing to the pointy things on the side of my head.

She shook her head still smiling. "It wouldn't hide those, but your beautiful hair would." She reached out to me, fluffing my hair and covering my ears.

I flushed at the compliment. "What would you want for it?" I asked her, knowing I didn't have a single thing of value, and likely wouldn't be getting that potion. I didn't know too much about witches, but they did not have a reputation for doing things for free.

"You would just owe me a favor, that's all. Maybe I'll need an arborist." She chuckled at her joke. Two dimples apeared in her cheeks and I couldn't help the dazzling effect her laughter had on me. 

"What's that?" I'd read a good number of human books but none about arborists.

"They help dying trees." She told me gently, her kindness warming the hollow in my chest. I smiled, at least that was something I could do.

"If all you want is a favor, I could do that." I smiled happily. I liked to think of myself as a helpful nymph even though no one ever wanted me to help. I could do a favor for a kind girl who was willing to help a stranger.

She pulled a little vile out of her pocket. "I just need a strand of your hair." She opened the stopper and held the bottle up to me. I pulled out one long blonde hair and dropped it in, watching in amazement as it fizzled and disappeared, a little puff of smoke floated out, the same color as my wings.

"Take this with you to the human town, and drink it right before you're ready to go in. That way you can spend as much time there as possible." Her white teeth shined as she flashed me her perfect smile.

"Would you like to come with me?" I asked in a hopeful voice knowing the answer was probably no. There was something about her that made me want to be close to her. She was being much nicer to me than anyone I knew, but that didn't mean she wanted to become best friends.

"I can't." She shook her head sadly. "I'm supposed to meet a friend on the other side of the forest, but we'll see each other again soon." She took my hands in hers and the warmth of another person filled me with such joy I nearly shook. "Have fun, okay? I have a feeling you deserve it." She dropped my hands and turned, running off toward the other side of the forest. How nice it must be to have a friend waiting.

I walked toward the human town. the possibility exploded within me. It was only midday, the perfect time to test the potion. Gera flew beside me hooting unhappily. She didn't trust the witch and I guess I understood why she was wary, but she was so nice, and this was my dream. Even if it was only for a few hours, I was getting out of this forest. 

What was the worst she could do to me anyway? Even if she killed me, it wasn't as if anyone would miss me or I would miss them. A pang of guilt hit my stomach, Gera would miss me, but she would be okay without me, free to live her life as she pleased. The image of the wolf filled my mind and I shook it off, surely a stranger wouldn't miss me.

I was on the edge of the human town, far enough out of sight that no one would see me here. My hands shook a bit as I pulled the stopper out and swigged the potion. The acrid taste repulsed me, burning on the way down. I was lucky no one was nearby as I coughed, spluttered, and choked, but finally, it ended and I stood with no wings. I shivered as the anticipation raced through me, I could see him again.