7 The Sage of the Forest

The following morning, Theo and Aria woke up with a sense of urgency. They had only one day to find the old sage before the storm returned. They decided to ask around the village, hoping someone would help them locate her whereabouts.

With a shared look of determination, Theo and Aria stepped briskly from their respective homes, their strides purposeful as they followed the dirt road toward the village's lively center. They saw many familiar faces—people they had known since childhood. They greeted them with a smile and a question.

"Excuse me, do you know anything about Grandma Elowen?" Theo, ever the inquirer, approached a baker busy arranging loaves. "Excuse me, do you know anything about Grandma Elowen?" he asked, his tone polite yet earnest. The baker looked puzzled. "Grandma Elowen? Who is that?" he asked.

Theo sighed. He expected this answer. The wise woman was not well-known in the village. She rarely showed herself, and most people forgot about her.

"She is an old woman who lives in the forest. She is supposed to be a sage or something like that," Theo explained.

The baker shook his head. "Sorry, I know nothing about her. Maybe you should ask someone else," he said.

Aria, with a spark of impatience, gently nudged Theo. "We must keep moving, Theo. Time isn't on our side," she urged, her voice a blend of resolve and urgency. She was more impatient than Theo. She wanted to find Grandma Elowen as soon as possible. She felt that the old sage could help them with their problem.

Theo thanked him and moved on. He and Aria repeated their inquiry to several other villagers, but they got the same response. No one seemed to know anything about Grandma Elowen.

As they continued their search, Theo spotted an elder sitting serenely on a bench near the fountain. His long white beard and the pipe in his mouth suggested a life rich with experiences in the village. Approaching the elder, Theo and Aria shared an encouraging glance, finding new hope.

Aria, taking the lead, addressed the elder with a mix of politeness and urgency. "Excuse me, sir," she inquired, "do you know anything about Grandma Elowen?"

The elder, looking up with a knowing twinkle in his eye, responded with a gentle smile. "Grandma Elowen? Ah, yes, I know her quite well. She's my sister, after all," he revealed, taking a thoughtful puff from his pipe.

Theo and Aria exchanged a surprised look, realizing they had unexpectedly found a direct link to the person they sought. The elder, sensing their astonishment, confirmed with a nod, tapping his chest with his pipe. "Indeed, I am Ewan, her brother. And who might you two be?" he inquired, his gaze studying them intently.

Introducing themselves, Theo and Aria felt a sense of anticipation growing. "I'm Theo, and this is Aria," Theo said, his voice steady. "We have come seeking knowledge about your sister, guided by the spirits of the Whispering Grove."

Ewan's expression turned contemplative. "Guided by the spirits, you say? That's intriguing. And what exactly did these spirits tell you?" he asked, his tone reflecting both curiosity and a hint of caution.

Theo took a deep breath before explaining their encounter with the spirits and their mysterious message. "They mentioned Grandma Elowen as someone we need to find. It seems she has a role in what's unfolding in the grove."

Ewan leaned back, a look of realization dawning upon him. "I see. It appears you are the ones she has been expecting," he mused, his voice taking on a reflective quality.

Aria, feeling a surge of hope, pressed for more information. "What do you mean by that?" she asked eagerly, her eyes locked on Ewan's.

The elder paused, his gaze meeting theirs with a mixture of seriousness and understanding. "Let me explain. It's a story that goes back many years..."

Ewan gestured towards the bench, inviting Theo and Aria to sit. He took a moment, gazing into the distance, his eyes reflecting a deep internal struggle. "This tale I'm about to share," he began slowly, "is filled with regret and a hope for redemption." He paused, taking a deep breath, as if gathering the strength to revisit painful memories.

He continued with a shaky voice. "My sister, Elowen, had a special gift. She could see things that others could not." After a brief pause, he continued in a husky voice. "She had a vision of the spirits that animated the grove. They were the invisible forces that shaped the world. She could hear their whispers, their warnings, and their wisdom. She wanted to learn more from them."

He lowered his voice and went on. "Elowen would often sneak out of our house at night. She would wander into the forest, following the trails of light and sound. She would talk to the spirits, ask them questions, and listen to their stories. She would also bring them gifts, such as flowers, fruits, or stones. The spirits liked her, and they taught her many things."

Ewan's voice dropped to a whisper: "The Grove's spirits bestowed upon Elowen rare gifts. They showed her how to harness the Grove's ancient magic—a force that could heal the gravest wounds, craft potent potions from simple herbs, and understand the silent language of nature itself."

He paused for a moment, and then he said it with a husky voice. "Maybe I was jealous... Elowen was a beautiful and clever young woman. She had a deep connection with the forest and its secrets. She was a sage and a healer who helped many people in need. She cured diseases, eased the pain, and solved problems. Many respected and admired her, but some envied and feared her."

He continued with a gasping voice. "One day, a terrible storm struck the village. It was unlike any storm we had ever seen before. It was fierce and violent. Thunder and lightning shook the earth and sky. The storm destroyed houses and crops. It killed animals and people. It lasted for three days and three nights. It did not stop. The villagers were terrified and desperate. They did not know what to do or where to go. They prayed to their gods for mercy, but they received no answer. They looked for someone to blame, someone to punish. And they found her."

"They accused her of causing the storm and angering the spirits of the grove with her magic. They said she had betrayed them and sold her soul to the evil forces of the forest. They gathered outside her house with torches and pitchforks. They shouted and cursed. They wanted to kill her and end her curse."

He continued with a pained expression on his face. "Elowen heard their voices and saw their faces. She felt hurt and was terrified, but she was also angry and sad. She did not understand why they hated her so much or why they believed such lies about her. She had done nothing wrong—nothing but help and love them."

He paused for a moment as if reliving the scene in his mind. He swallowed hard and went on. "Ellowen tried to reason with them, to explain herself, and to prove her innocence. But they would not listen or see. She realized she had no hope in the village anymore. She had to leave or die."

He looked down at his hands, clenched into fists. He shook his head and said, "She grabbed her book of prophecies, the one that told her about her destiny and the fate that awaits the world. She also took some of her belongings, such as clothes, food, and tools. She packed everything in a bag and ran out of her house."

He raised his eyes and met Theo and Aria's gaze. He saw the shock and curiosity in their faces. He sighed and said, "She ran towards the forest, hoping for shelter and safety there. But she was unaware that a few villagers had followed her. They chased her furiously with their weapons and hatred. They wanted to catch her and kill her."

He closed his eyes and shuddered. He whispered, "She reached the edge of the forest and entered it. She knew it better than anyone else. She knew its paths and secrets, its dangers and wonders."

"My sister hoped to lose them there, to find a place where they could not find her. But she had no idea that they had a guide. Someone who knew the forest almost as well as she did. That person.....was her brother."

He paused again as tears filled his eyes. He looked away from Theo and Aria, ashamed of his actions, and murmured, "Yes, that's me, her brother. I don't know why I did it," he said softly.

"Perhaps I was jealous of her gift. Perhaps I was afraid of her power. Perhaps I was angry at her for leaving me behind. Perhaps I was just a coward who wanted to fit in with the crowd. Whatever it was, it was wrong. It was unforgivable. I betrayed my sister, the only family I had left. I betrayed the spirits of the grove, who had been kind to me too. I betrayed myself and everything I believed in."

He stopped for a moment as he sobbed quietly. He glanced at Theo and Aria again, longing for a little sympathy or understanding. "But she didn't die," he said. "She survived. Somehow....she survived. She used her magic to protect herself from the fire, to heal her wounds, and to escape from the forest."

"Later that night, when everyone else was asleep, she came back to me. She knocked on my door, and I let her in. I show her face and body, covered with scars and burns.", he said as he lowered his gaze.

"Then she showed me her book of prophecies, the one she found in the cave long ago. She told me everything: what she knew, what she remembered, and what she believed. She told me that she forgave me. She loved me. And that there will be a time in the future that she needs my help."

Ewan finished his story with a sigh. He looked at Theo and Aria with a pleading expression. "I'm sorry, kids. I'm so sorry for what I did. I know I can never make up for it, but I want to try. I want to help you find Elowen. I want to help you stop the dark force. I want to help you save the world."

Aria's eyes were wide with a mixture of shock and empathy. "How could such things happen?" she murmured, her voice tinged with sorrow. Theo, meanwhile, furrowed his brow, his mind analyzing Ewan's words, a cautious skepticism lingering in his gaze.

They felt sorry for him but also angry at him. They felt curious about Elowen but also wary of her. They felt hopeful about their mission but also scared of it.

They looked at each other, searching for an answer. "Can we trust him?" Aria whispered. "I don't know," Theo whispered back. They looked at Ewan again, who was waiting for their response.

"Please, kids. Please give me a chance. Please let me show you that I'm not a bad person. Please let me take you to Elowen's house," Ewan said.

Theo and Aria's hesitation was palpable. Trusting Ewan posed a dilemma; his tale was a tapestry of sorrow and betrayal. Yet the urgency of their quest left them with few options.

Elowen's knowledge was vital, and Ewan, despite the shadows in his past, was their only link to her. A heavy silence hung between them as they grappled with the decision.

At last, Theo gave a slight nod, the action more of necessity than confidence. "We have no other choice, Aria. For now, we follow him."

Their agreement was silent, carried by their shared resolve. As they stood, their steps were cautious, trailing behind Ewan with a wary eye. They knew the journey to the forest was inevitable, yet their trust in their guide remained as tenuous as the whispers of the Grove.

They did not know what awaited them there.

They did not know what Elowen would say or do when she saw them.

They did not know what the dark force would do when it found them.

They did not know what the future would bring. But they knew that they had to face it together.