A Stag

Elize couldn't believe what she was hearing. It just didn't make sense. "As a keeper of the Fulshire forest, you have control over the people who can enter and who cannot."

A grin appeared on Arawn's face. He leaned back again in a leisurely way. "Yes, I have that kind of control."

Elize chuckled as she stared into his hazel eyes. Her chuckle turned into a short, soft laugh. "No one has control of the forests. It is nature. What you are saying doesn't make sense."

Arawn twisted his mouth and then tilted his head. "You really don't know much about Lore, do you?"

Elize didn't answer. She actually didn't know anything about the Lore. She had hardly stayed there for a month.

Arawn said, "Every enchanted forest in this world has a keeper, and I am the keeper of Fulshire forest. Only I can take you around this wilderness and only I can give you permission to explore this wilderness. No one, and I mean no one can enter or exit this forest without me knowing about it. And this is the reason why the Fulshire forest is still one of the most well-preserved forests of this region. Have you ever heard of humans camping here? They don't, because the authorities don't allow them according to an ancient treaty."

"But I know that Dawn's dragon, Quetz, was born here and that she could come and go out of it as she pleased. So, what you are saying is bullshit!"

Arawn's brows knitted in anger. He growled, "Don't even compare yourself with Dawn," he said harshly. "That girl was born for a purpose. She was born for a lot of purposes. You can't even fathom the importance she and Quetz hold in this realm." His voice had thickened with anger. "When her parents bought that small apartment at the edge of the Fulshire forests, something in these forests triggered. When she entered the forest on her own volition, and without my knowledge, I knew that the girl had a lot of importance in the Lore. Do you know that dragons choose their riders? An egg hatches only when it senses its rider. And that's what happened to Dawn. Quetz sensed his rider and hatched in her presence. That egg was dormant for thousands of years. It wasn't a chance encounter that Dawn came to him. It was all destined." Arawn stopped to gauge her reaction. He didn't like that she compared herself to Dawn. That girl had gone through so much. She was alone and battling as a neotide when all the world was against her. "So, yeah! Don't compare yourself with the girl. And by the way, Quetz can't go out of the enchanted forests. He gets converted into a green crystal."

It took a long time for Elize to understand what he said. She knew that Lore was a place of hell, but this—this was a lot to take. No one spoke and there was no movement from either of them.

After some time, Arawn said, "You are here because Caleb wants it. I like that man and I like his brother Daryn a lot. He is married to Dawn. Both of them have undergone a lot together. I am doing all this for them. So, you better stay here until Caleb returns. Once he returns, you are free to go to hell from my side! But until then, you will stay here, whether you like it or not."

Irritation surged through her veins. "That's enough!" she snapped. "I am not going to stay here, no matter what. You can't hold me against my will. I will get out of this place now!"

Arawn chuckled and shook his head. "You can try all you want," he said and then got up. He smirked, "Other than me, only the gods of this forest can help you get out." He turned to leave. "I am leaving. If you need my help, just write a note and keep it on the table. I will come." Arawn stepped towards the door, turned the knob and was about to leave when Elize shouted.

"Wait!" She got up and stalked him. "You have to take me with you and drop me back to the town."

Without paying heed to her words, Arawn opened the door and stepped out, closing it with a bang. Apparently, he was not in a good mood.

Elize followed him to the outside. "Stop. You can't leave me alone in this wilderness."

As he stepped out in the snow and darkness, he said, "Don't worry, no one can harm you. There are way too many spells around this house to keep the beasts away. Your husband has ensured that."

"Don't call him my husband!" she snapped. To her annoyance, Arawn ignored her words and started running towards the fence. A few meters before the fence, he leapt and when he landed on the other side, he had turned into a centaur.

Her mouth dropped open. She didn't know what was more of a shock—the fact that Arawn was a centaur or that she couldn't leave this place without his permission. The centaur trotted a little and turned to look at her. He dipped his chin in a bow and said, "The horse you rode that night was me." Saying that, he took off in the darkness of the night, and Elize was left with a stunned expression. She continued to stand there for a long time, trembling. Her stress returned like it never left her. She grabbed her shawl tighter, trying to felt an ounce of warmth, but all she felt was… loneliness. Her heart pounded too loudly. She had to get out of this place even if she had to find the gods of the forest. With a heavy heart, she turned back to the cabin. She climbed the steps when a movement caught her eye. There was a flash of white, followed by hooves crunching on snow. She whipped her head to the right and right there to her utter disbelief was standing a white stag with the most beautiful pair of horns she had ever seen. Goosebumps pimpled her skin.

The stag angled his head to see her. And see her intently, as if asking her to come to him.