Disclaimer:see ch1

A/N: Living between cities and forests and bodies of water has its advantages, especially when inspiration is needed. That pretty much sums up how this came around.- Onoro (Elf Secretary, Wakabe Writing Firm)

Dokia: you are too sweet! I am glad that it hit all the right buttons, sad and creepy but beautiful. Just to clear it up, yes, the ghost woman singing was Eowyn, and the flowers were Simbelmynë. Not to worry, this story is going to go on, if I have any say in it. Thanks again!

Ruins and Whispered Touches Part 1

Harry Emerson could hardly believe his luck. Not only were he and his twin going on their first real camping trip without their parents, but it was also in the Firestone Valley, an extremely secluded and private forest nestled snuggly between a large mountain range, as well as guarded from the outside world by a river and a bog-like marsh, full of so much life and almost completely untouched by human hands; it was magical. They could hardly believe their luck at being afforded this great opportunity, especially during Spring Break.

The one downside to it all was that their best friend, Eric Lodge, was unable to accompany them. Or to be more specific, unwilling to go with them. He had flat-out refused to come, saying that there was nothing they could do or say to make him go the Firestone Valley, not even some of their best blackmail material. He refused to budge, and when prompted as to why, he shook his head, saying that they would find out soon enough. Henry, Harry's twin, had gotten a bit hesitant about going, but Harry wouldn't hear of it. They had been planning this trip since they were kids, and went on their first camping trip with their parents. It had always been a dream of theirs to do it on their own with friends, to feel nature all around them, to immerse themselves in it. And nothing, not even friends that suddenly turned squeamish and fickle over a camping site, would stop them.

Besides, they were well prepared.

They had not been idle while waiting for the day that they could do this. Both twins were skilled at hunting, and not just with a gun. Being from a family of archers had its benefits, and so they tended to favor the bow to the gun. They had also taken survival training from their uncle who used to live up in the mountains before he left them for the city. They had packed all their gear, made sure that their parents knew where they were going, as well as making sure that the rangers for that park knew about them.

So on the day that they finally got there, the two of them were dirty and tired from the long hike to the valley, but crazy happy. Suddenly, years of dreaming, months of good behavior without pranks, weeks of planning and days of polishing up last-minute details and three minor disasters that almost made it impossible for them to go, was all worth it. In the face of such beauty and life and pure and raw nature, all those headaches no longer seemed so important.

As the pair of them walked through, admiring trees strong and thick, filled out with age and strength that only the earth could ever know, Henry suddenly stopped, stiffening slightly as though he suddenly felt as though someone was watching him. Harry instantly picked up on his twin, and stopped walking, turning his body slightly so that he could look behind at Henry.

"Henry?"

Henry stayed still a bit longer, his eyes scanning his surroundings, before he shrugged and gave his twin a helpless smile.

"Don't tell me you're getting all paranoid because of what Eric said. Come on, it's not like there's something here that'll reach out and eat you. You heard the rangers; there hasn't been a single report of a bear, a mountain lion, or anything here for years. If there ever was one to begin with."

"Yeah, but-"

Henry suddenly turned sharply, looking behind him like he knew something was there.

"Henry? Don't get all creeped out all ready. We still have a week to stay here. You want to get creeped out, do it later."

"Yeah," Henry breathed, his eyes still on the forest behind him, staring as though he could will whatever was in there to show itself. Shaking his head after a minute, he gripped his backpack tighter to himself, and walked on, but threw one last glance back, wondering what was there.

It didn't take long for them to set up camp, but by the time that they finished, the sun was beginning to set. Deciding to call it an early night, the two of them quickly went into their tent, and got comfortable, making sure to leave the zipper undone, wanting to be able to watch the forest transgress from sun set to night, knowing that it was so much different from the city, where lights from lamps and houses would try to replace the fading light of day. Instead, they knew that the only lights that they would see was the stars that would shine down on them, and the moon in all her glory.

But just as the sun went down, so too did the last of the illusions of being alone disappear with the light.

Perhaps, Harry thought, the worst thing about being here with only one other person, was that when both of you were beginning to freak out, there was no one else there to calm you down. Really, they should have listened to Eric. He was always so much more knowledgeable when it came to places to camp and their back stories. Hell, he was the one that had initially gotten them excited about this place- he said he'd gone there once.

Harry frowned when he realized that. Yes, Eric had said he'd been to Firestone Valley. When he was younger. In fact, it was shortly after they'd become friends, back when they were all still in single digits, before even fifth grade. Harry remembered a bit of it. He remembered how excited Eric had been, the way that he had bounced around for weeks, and how disappointed and jealous he and Henry had been when their parents had refused to let them go with Eric and his family. It was what had inspired them to do this, he suddenly realized. It was what had prompted them to dream of it, to research the Valley in the first place. So why was it that now they were here, they both felt like there was something more?

He rolled onto his sides, frowning as he noticed something from the outside of the shelter of his tent. Through the thin but strong barrier of the tent, he noticed, for lack of a better word, a glow from outside. It was not particularly powerful, nor was it did it seem to come from any particular direction, but it was still there. And it was raising Harry's hackles like nothing else did. He quickly turned back to Henry, who had his nose literally buried in his book, eyes trained on the words before him, purposefully blocking out the rest of the world, determined not to spook, despite his earlier misgivings.

"Henry!"

"What?"

"There's a light outside."

"No there's not," he denied, without looking up.

"Yes, there is."

"No, there isn't."

Here, Harry got too irritated with his denial and ignorance to stay verbal and so transitioned to the physical. He reached out and quickly bat the book down, his open hand slapping the book down with an audible WHOOP! Then, when his twin finally looked at him, he nodded his head toward his side of the tent. Henry's eyes widened as he took in the soft glow from outside, and then blinked owlishly at it.

"What the hell is that?"

"I don't know."

The two of them stared at the glow for a while longer in silence, unwilling to bring any attention to themselves, in case it turned unfriendly. Harry began to fidget in his sleeping bag, needing to do something but unsure what. Henry had yet to look away from the lights, trying to figure out what it was. Finally, it became too much for Harry, and very quickly, he wormed out of his sleeping bag and reached over to the pile of clothes that he kept on his side, and quickly began to change.

"What are you doing?" Henry hissed, brows slightly furrowed in worry. He really did not need to deal with his twin's foolhardiness, especially on their first night alone there.

"I'm going to go see what it is." He was tying up his hiking boots, making sure they were tight before he started rummaging around for his flashlight.

"Now?"

"Yes now."

"But we don't know what it is!"

"Exactly. If we go find out now, then we can know what it is we're dealing with."

Silence for a moment, beyond the shifting of clothes and gear, descended upon them before Henry sighed in defeat, and started getting dressed as well. As soon as both of them were armed with flashlight and crossbow, they both quietly crept out of their tent, making sure to leave a flashlight on inside so that they could find their way easier. As they exited the tent, they looked around, frowning slightly. There was no light source close by, and what they could see was a soft glow from further inside the forest. Looking at each other, they nodded, and pointing their flashlight down, started walking toward it. It took them some time to get close enough for the light to become more than a soft glow, but as they did, it felt as though the there was something in the trees, watching them. Not like an animal, but like something intelligent, but not malevolent. A bit curious perhaps, but almost distant. Instinctively, they both pulled together, walking side by side when they could, and staying close, becoming unnerved by what they felt. Finally, they came to a clearing, where there seemed to be a kind of light that spread over what was before them.

And what was before them seemed impossible.

"Is that a... a statue?" Henry said, face the image of surprise.

"How can you tell, under all that foliage?" Harry asked, tilting his head to the side as he brought his flashlight up, running its light up and down statue. It was a strange thing to see, especially since none of the data that they had been able to find on it said anything about the land coming into the hands of men or the ruling of a culture that dared to mar its surface, to tear up trees. In fact, it was mostly left alone, except maybe the borders but even then it was only for the most basic means of survival. So to find these signs of civilization, finding proof of another time still above the surface was nothing short of amazing.

"Look," Harry whispered, as he pointed his own flashlight out beyond the covered statue that had held their attention for a while now. Through the foliage and stranglehold of weeds and growing trees and flowers and the power of the earth and plants, they could see that there were more things out there, more signs of people that had once lived there, still standing, even if the state of its decay was such that most looked like it was nothing but a means for the plants to grow.

"This is awesome," breathed Harry, a smile stealing over his face. But Henry did not feel quite the same. He kept looking over his shoulder, turning around, and looking around.

"Harry, let's go."

"But Henry-"

"Harry, now. There's always tomorrow."

Harry opened his mouth, ready to argue, wanting to explore now, under the light of the moon, to see everything. But looking at his twin, and seeing the blatant discomfort he was in, was enough for Harry to give in. Henry had always been more sensitive to things, having a kind of sense that warned of dangerous places, which complemented Harry's sense of dangerous people. So if Henry was feeling like this wasn't right, then he would follow.

Like Henry said, there was always tomorrow.