The Waterfall's Nymph
Chapter 4 - Only you...
He came back home by the sunset, he didn't had notice how fast the hours had gone, he had been so entertained speaking to Nymph in these last couple of hours, trying to explain to her what were the things he had brought in that day just as the backpack, the pencil and the notebook, and he had tried to explain to him what were they for. He laughed when he stared again at the sheets were the girl had wrote...or better say...scratched! That was nothing more than a couple of scratches! It made him remember the "drawings" Elisabeth used to do when she was younger.
He still didn't understand the reason why he was so interested in knowing her better, in showing her how the things in the world beyond the forest worked. Sulfus had the feeling that he had already seen her face in the past, her blue eyes, her blonde hair were somehow familiar to him, but he couldn't understand how could that be...it was...something impossible, her being familiar to him...because she had never left the forest...
He pushed away those thoughts from his mind and walked in home. He wasn't really hungry but he knew that if he didn't eat anything right now, later, in the middle of night, he would wake up hungry, so he choose to make a small effort and eat something. But something he was very sure, he was tired, since last he hadn't slept that well due to the successive dreams he had.
After warning his parents that he had returned and without delay to avoid them starting to ask him a bunch of questions like: Are you alright? Why did you take so long? etc..., he went to his room where he let his body sink in the mattress of his bed...he was so exhausted! It wasn't easy to do an hour and half of walk, back and forth, from his house to the forest and to the forest back home!
He sighed and closed his eyes, he had decided that from now on he would be taking his horse in his trips to the forest. He heard a small sound and looked at the bedside table, it came from his cellphone. He grabbed the object and saw the message that he had just received. It was from Kabale.
'Do you want to come for a walk with me, tomorrow?'
He allowed his head to fall hard upon the pillow, he didn't really want to go out with her...not at all! To him that relationship had died a long time ago...then why keep up with it? Why marry her, you ask? The answer is because he feels obligated to do so...ever since her father got him in that situation...
Tok, Tok
"Come in" he said still laying on his bed, he raised his head when the door closed, to see who it was. It was his mom. He laid the head again down on the pillow "I'm whole mom. You don't need to come check"
"Very funny" said Seraph as she sat upon the mattress of her son's bed "Where did you go today?"
"I went for walk" he answered calmly "I had told you, didn't I?"
"You know very well that it's not that what I'm talking about, young man" she said in a half serious tone, Sulfus rolled his eyes and sat up "You must have gone somewhere"
Sulfus remained in silence for a few moments, he knew that if he lied to her, she would find out with a mere look eye in the eye, yes...nothing seemed to escape his mother, she knew him well, after all, he was her son and a mother can understand certain things that other people can't understand.
"I..." he started "...can't say..." he confessed, looking away immediately
"Is it a girl?"
"Mom!" he exclaimed sounding on a hand surprised how fast she had found out but on the other he tried to sound incredulous as possible, trying to make her understand how "absurd" she was being "Where did you take that idea from?"
"I know you, Sulfus" she said, serious "For already 17 years I've known you very well, don't forget that you have been nine months inside of me"
"Still...I don't know where you took the idea, that I've been with a girl, from" said the young boy "Did you forget that I'm-"
"That you're engaged? Or better say, that you're chained to an engagement you don't even want to happen? No, Sulfus, unfortunately I didn't forget about that truth" Sulfus was a bit shocked with this kind of reaction of his mother, she wasn't like this...she was tender, sweet, understanding...but now...he could see the anguish and anger in her eyes...
"You don't have to go on with this. I may be the only one, but I know that you don't love Kabale like you loved before" Sulfus closed his eyes for a few moments before turning his head...
"I've got to do this for the sake of our family's name..." he murmured still without looking at his mother
"Sulfus!" tired of always hearing the same answer whenever she touched the engagement subject, Seraph took her son's face in between her hands and forced him to look at her, eye to eye "YOUR happiness comes above anything else, before knowing what people say about our family, I want to know, I want to make sure that YOU are happy! And I know that at the moment you are not" she leaned forward to kiss his forehead. Sulfus knew she was right, she was so right...he wasn't happy...but he felt that he didn't have any other choice but go on with this marriage...even if that meant to be unhappy...
The boy sighed "I..." he started "...can't tell you precisely where I have been today...because I promise to not tell anyone...but yes I have been with a girl but not in the way you might be thinking! I'm...helping her..."
Seraph was confused "Helping her in what...?" again he released a sigh...
"Do you remember when I told you yesterday that I was dragged by the stream of the river back to land...?" the woman nodded "It was a lie...I wasn't dragged by the stream...that girl...saved me from drowning...and...I didn't know if she was real or just from my imagination...so today I went to look for her and...I found her. I...found out a few things about her...she can't talk, she doesn't know anything about the outside world, she has always lived in the forest..." he looked at his mother "And from now on I want to help her find out about the things she doesn't know...it's kind of a favor that I owe her, for having saved my life"
"I see" murmured the mother, Sulfus looked down and held tightly the cellphone where it was still visible Kabale's message...
"Kabale sent me a message...for us to meet tomorrow...and I don't know if I should go with her and not go to Nymph-"
"Nymph?"
The boy shrugged "Because she can't talk, I thought I should at last give her name..." Seraph smiled a little "I don't know what to do..." the smile on his mother's face disappeared a little
"Well...if you do want to go on with this absurd engagement...then you should divide your time. You spent a little with Kabale and then the other piece with that Nymph girl"
"How? Kabale won't let me go"
"Lie to her. Tell her that you're tired or something like that and if she comes here insisting, don't worry that me and your sister will take care of it" she said, winking at him, Sulfus smiled and nodded. Again Seraph kissed his forehead "Now rest" she stood up from the mattress and walked up to the door...she smiled without him noticing it...and this smile was because she had a feeling, who knows perhaps it was a mother feeling, that sooner or later this "Nymph" would mean something more to Sulfus than just a mere girl whose her son feels like he owns her...
The next morning...just as planned, Sulfus met up with Kabale, at the moment they were taking a walk around the city, she had her arm wrapped around his and a smile on her lips. Every people of the city knew their families: Zolfanello and Rosso; because they were the most richest ones from the zone, there was once a third rich family...but that was another story...unfortunately these same people loved gossips and so they released a lot rumors, most of them were false but people being how they are believed in everything they were told, about the two families, something that deeply annoyed Sulfus.
It was because of these rumors that he was "chained" to that relationship that for a very long time has been sentenced to an end. Someone had released a rumor that the couple, even though they were just 17, would get married very soon. The situation became worse when many reporters appeared in the Zolfanello house and before Sulfus could deny such sudden engagement, Kabale's father, who was in their house at the moment, Edwin Rosso, confirmed for him the rumor, which got the boy in a very difficult situation, because Edwin must have known that he would do anything for his family name...
"It's a beautiful day to take a walk together, don't you think so Sulfus?" asked Kabale with a very in love look while they were watched by the people of the city
"Yes, it is" he answered...he wanted to go to Nymph and show her the new things he had planned or even get to know more about her...wait a moment...why does he want it so much? No...he couldn't...he shouldn't! There is no way! It was a mere and simple favor, just that...anyway...he had to find a way to go back home, go get his things and then go to the forest.
Bingo! He had an idea!
Suddenly the boy started coughing, stopping the walk, which made Kabale stop walking too, she stared at him "Are you okay, Sulfus?"
"N-No..." cough "I...am not..." cough "...feeling very well..." the young girl placed a hand upon his forehead
"You don't seem to have fever" she commented, Sulfus pretended to sneeze a couple of times
"I...ever since I fell in the river that I've been feeling weird...I must have caught a big cold" he said, lying, trying to sound the most truthful as he could "I'm sorry, but the walk will have to happen another day, I better go home before I have fever"
Kabale put her hands on her waist and had a disapproving look, which scared Sulfus for a few moments, hadn't she believe in his lie? "Now, if you weren't feeling well then you shouldn't even have left home!"
Deep inside he sighed of relief "I...didn't want to bother you, not even ruin the walk, besides I almost didn't feel sick at all...I wasn't excepting to get worse so suddenly..." he said, adding another fake cough
Kabale leaned in and kissed his cheek "I would rather wait for the walk a few days and you be okay than having you laying down on a bed with high fever" hearing this, Sulfus felt a small punch on his chest...he was starting to feel bad for laying to her...she truly loved him, feelings that a few years ago he too had felt for her...but that now had died...
Not wanting to lie to her any longer, the boy nodded and retired as fast as he could, he had to go back home to get his backpack and then discretely go to the stables that belonged to his family to get Basilisk, his horse.
He entered home and was about to go upstairs to get his belongings when he came face to face with his mother who was holding his backpack, she was smiling at him which he smiled too while taking the object from her hands and putting it on his back, he thanked his mother, who answered him with a kiss on the head, before going to the back door of the house, path that would take him to the stables. When he entered there, he saw all the horses of his family, each one of their own stall.
He walked up to the first stall and inside there stood a big black horse. Sulfus opened the door and walked up to the horse, he caressed his mane "It has been a while since I last rode you" he murmured as he took the reins that were hanging on the wall of the stall, he put them on the horse and then put on the saddle, saddling the animal. He grabbed the reins and slowly pulled him out of the stable, looking around to make sure nobody saw him since he was supposed to be sick.
The boy got on the majestic animal and guided him out of there. He jumped the small fence that surrounded the zone of the stables and guided the animal towards the forest. He had missed riding Basilisk, it has been months, no...almost a year, since he last rode him! Riding that creature made him feel free as he run, usually, without a destiny but now he had one.
Usually when he went through that path by feet, he would take about an hour and half, but now he had just took about twenty minutes, yes, Basilisk was still fast as he remembered. When he got to the cavern he noticed the entry that usually was covered by a big rock had now a bigger entry. He smiled...Nymph had done what he asked her to do yesterday before he left, he had told her that from now on he would be taking his horse there and for that the entry would have to be bigger so the animal could fit in and enter.
He grabbed Basilisk's reins and took him inside the cavern, in a few minutes they were on the other side, he looked around, there was no sign of the wolves, probably must have gone hunt to the forest. When he got near the lake, he tied up the reins around the branch of a tree and approached the edge of the lake, he sat down on the grass before placing two fingers inside his mouth and whistle loud, the sound echoed through the place and even scared a few birds who flew away. This was another thing he and Nymph had settled, once she heard his whistle, it meant that he had arrived.
He looked around but didn't see her "Hey! Nymph it's me!" he yelled, his voice once again echoed through the place, a few minutes went on and he keep looking around him, looking for her. And that's when he saw her, there she was, on the top of the big waterfall that should have 15 meters in height! She waved at him and he smiled, waving back "Come on, get down!" he saw her nodding, then she disappeared from his point of view which made him think she was using a path to get down the waterfall.
But what he less excepted happened, he saw the girl again but only for a few seconds because she jumped, literally, down the waterfall. Sulfus' amber eyes widened "Are you crazy? I didn't-!"
SPLASH
"...meant for you to get down like that..." he completed the phrase, now soaked wet from his head to his feet...however he had seen the graceful way Nymph had fallen in the water. Speaking of her...where was she? He didn't see her stepping out of the water but nothing was showing either that she was still down there "Uh...Nymph?" he murmured as he looked around...no answer "Nymph?" this time he approached the crystal water but saw no silhouette...he sat back down on his knees and crossed his arms "You better be ok because I'm not-!"
SPLASH
The dark haired boy came to the surface as fast as he could, spitting out water, in front of him appeared the blonde hair of Nymph followed by her face, well half of it since she had the other half in the water as she made bubbles. Sulfus opened his eyes and looked at her a bit angry.
"This was not funny, you scared the hell out of me!" she simply keep up making bubbles underwater, the boy could have sworn that even his own horse was laughing from his situation, Sulfus pointed at him "And YOU, shut up!" he turned back to Nymph "Are you going to stay there making bubbles?" as soon as he said that he received a spit of water right on his face, she smiled e put a facial expression that indicated she was laughing from his face "Oh so you want to play? You have messed with the wrong person, girly!"
He started splashing her with the water and she did the same to him, he laughed as he splashed her and could see the funny expression on her face, if she had a voice she would for sure be laughing as much as he was. The blonde haired girl stopped splashing him and tried to swim to the edge "Don't you think you're going to get there before me!" he swam after her and once she tried to get out of water, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back in the water, he let her go and tried to do the same she did before but the girl grabbed his by the shirt and pulled him back just like he had done to her.
The game of the two went on for long minutes, both not seeming to get tired from such a game, on the contrary, they seemed to be having lots of fun. Now they were both sitting on the edge, she smiling and he couldn't stop laughing, they were both soaked wet! He shook his head a couple of times which sent a few drops, coming from his dark hair, towards her, she put her hands in front of her as if trying to protect her body from the water. He stopped laughing and sighed.
"Great, I'm soaked wet" he said without stopping to smile "I better take off my shirt before I get seriously ill" and he did that, he took his short sleeved grey shirt, without noticing the girl was staring down at him as he did this, he didn't even noticed she was blushing a little before the view of that marble chest. He stood up and grabbed the wet shirt, putting it on the same branch he had tied up the reins of his horse, he caressed his mane and turned towards Nymph who was looking between him and Basilisk with hesitation "Come here, he won't hurt you" she, little by little, did as she was told and approached the animal. Sulfus took her hand in his and slowly approached it to the horse's mane, he moved his hand in sync with hers, caressing the animal, he slowly released the girl's hand and let her explore the soft black fur of the creature.
He smiled when he saw her approach her face to the horse's mane and lay it in that same place, he had no more doubts that she had a special connections with animals, she loved them, no doubt of it...and that was visible in the way she treated her dear wolves, animals that once he had been told that were cruel and savage creatures but that he now knew they were like only to protect each other and if nobody meant to harm them, they wouldn't harm them either...
He suddenly frowned and his smile disappeared...his happy look was replaced by a painful, sad, melancholic one...but he still didn't stop looking at Nymph...Nymph...why did she remind him so much of her...? They were very similar in look, he had to admit that...but now even her attitude was similar...he missed her...that person that was taken away from him too soon...that important person to him, so fragile, so innocent, so young...who left too soon...she was so small, barely had time to explore the life...he couldn't even say goodbye to her. Sulfus closed his eyes painfully, trying to push away those thoughts away from his mind...
That's when he felt something soft snuggling in him, he looked down and came face to face with two wolf cubs snuggling in his legs, the smile returned to his lips as he crouched down and caressed their grey fur, the small cubs cuddled in his hand and licked it, he laughed a little. He sat down and the two cubs jumped on his lap, he keep caressing them under the happy and sweet look of Nymph who had never stopped to look at the scene.
The two cubs started jumping on him and licking him, he laughed and fell backwards while the two animals keep playing with him "Ok, ok, that's enough, it tickles!" he said between laughs, Nymph walked up to him and picked up one of the cubs who moved his little paws happily, they looked like two puppies, Sulfus stood up and held the other cub.
"They're cute..." he said, smiling "and very playful" the girl smiled and took his hand that wasn't holding the small cub, she started guiding him through a path, which gave some curiosity to Sulfus, they seemed to be walking in circles but in truth they were walking on a spiral hill. Soon they reached the top and the boy quickly understood that they were in the same place where she had been before she had jumped down the waterfall. Both approached the edge and sat down there, each one still holding a cub, Sulfus smiled before the beauty that stood before his eyes, that place was for sure magnificent...and...somehow it gave him peace, without any pressure on his shoulders, when he was there...unlike when he went outside and felt again the pressure of the eyes of society and his engagement on him...
He sighed as he continued to look at the view, a small breeze moved through his rebel hair "So..." Nymph looked at him just as he looked at her "...this is your world..." he murmured, a smile appeared on the girl's lips and she nodded, he went back to look at what was standing in front of his eyes "It's...beautiful...and very pacific..." he closed his eyes "You know...sometimes I wish I could be free like you are...to not have any kind of worries under me and be just a free spirit like you are..." Nymph took one of his hands and smiled at him, a small smile appeared on Sulfus' lips while a small thought crossed his mind...
'You remind me of her a lot...only her could make me feel like this and now it's only you who can do it...could it be...that you represent her spirit...?'
TBC...
