Dwarf Iris
The summer woods bound in foliage, rushing of a lone stream that scar through an oasis unseen from mortal eyes. Creatures natural and fae weaving into the cooling morn. Chirps of birds, chatter of the winds picking up, while a lone being on hoofed heavy abrupted steps mingled throughout the forest. Lips drafted against bounded reeds melody that echo back from stone to waters. Whispers of the greens, water, sky hummed brightly through the rising day. Even the hoofed being headed deeper in the cool shadowy depths away from mortal eyes. Along the fresh hollow stream bubbled a tocsin that made the nature soul peeked a lang ear as of a goat ear.
"Aye? A sleeping boy in these parts? Have he come in wilding the forest in blaze?" The goat man asked, rich and mirth, while placing his pipes into his weaved satchel.
The low tocsin melody plays, close to how the other played their reeds. Soft lullaby in each ripple.
"I see. Let us look to this. Are your sisters still with the boy?"
Another marshy tune returned.
"Good. Though let us hope it is just this."
Following along the stream. Woodlen creatures added to the distance realm, while nearing the clear meadows. Having the broken treetop of sun and harsh branches of shade angle around below a small being curled in of themselves. Dressed in fine, thin, silk robes now grass stain, ripped, and damp where sleeve ends met the edge of the stream. The hoofed man eyed as wiry fae inclined to the newcomer. With a wary sigh, the hoofed man neared the child.
The goat man took a glance, bowing in close while wondering a hand mere inches away from the still being. Wincing when meeting certain points of the body felt far worse than a simple fall. Casting a quick glance to make sure the child hadn't awoken, before laying pressure tips of his fingers near the boy's head. Letting another sigh echoed while a shiver run through his veins.
"Poor child." The goat man whispered, before carefully spacing between the two and more able to move the child off his side to his back. Chiming for a fae of beauty, made of moss and seedlings, near to help. Dainty as those thin fingers swerve a bound of plantation growing swiftly as a pillow for the boy's head.
The goat man looked to stream once more to the wet lullabies coursing to his ears.
"Aye, yes. The boy is harmless, see, even wingless. Tired and hurt. Unlike some of his people, we have no worries. Once he awakes, we tend and go from there."
True as the woods. The fae went on nature's waves. The goat man resting near with his reeds entertaining to the tree fae and birds. Now and then catches one of the siren nearing the boy. A smirk on his lips, while changing the tune of his pipes that made the siren snapped sight of night hue wide eyes to the other in unamusement. Few clicks were heard that drew a laugh from the goat man.
"Now, now little Naiad. That is no mortal male there. Do not be rue. Think of the heavens thought too your playfulness of their own. That is a price none should pay."
He hear the clicks again. A frown is made when the clicks return as the mere rested near the boy. A fair space between. Eyes wandered in a tighten curio; while the waters behind dip and ran up and around the kinked fin that blended as an invisible cast to waters as if the fae wore it like a low skirt.
The goat man was about to add another call of a crass remark, until large shadows glided over the torn open from the treetops. On instinct the fae hide, even if the river one near the boy was reluctant, but dive when the shadows circled around a third time. Even as the pipeplayer hid in the thick ivy of the fae's little Eden.
"I see him, Luci!" A voice called out, before even the looming dark figure landed before the boy. Soon followed a pale figure of same giant size, that it almost comically made the child seem even smaller.
"How is he?"
"Sleeping. Dirty. Odd smell. Basics, nothing too alarming. What do you think?"
The pale one kneeled to the boy, checking as unknowingly a fae before did. Creasing the forehead of the boy, soon picking up the child. Hushly the pale one spoke. "He's fine. Some of wounds healed as he slept. I can sense help of another. Thankful... but to be safe, we should go. Now."
"Right." The dark one answered back, glaring around the woods in suspicion. Elbowing the pale one to point a water nymph watching them with a look of fear and pounderment. Having the dark one adding. "We have an audience."
The pale one, Luci, eyed the fae wary. Unaware of a more threatening force in the woods if the water nymph was to become in danger.
"That would explain the foam smell."
"I guess. Let's go before it plays its temptress soothes."
Those words were taken to heart, as the three holy beings were gone. All felt right in the woods as the life sprung back. Chatter, clicks, and withers in the world still spinning. The goat man finding it peaceful, ready to carry onward. Though still, the sight of the willfully blue water nymph black eyes stayed on the treetops. Now fixed, likely by the angels in a sign of thanks. Nothing else to it. All balance was in place and the world kept spinning.
Until some time later, the bright boy returned to the hidden away oasis, ankle deep in water. Clean and well. Skipping flat stones out the wider area of the fresh lake that fallen into the thin streams and loose running river that ended in a waterfall out in the distance. A valley of hills could be seen beyond the range of pine, ash, willow, and cider that hid tiny animals carrying on their days. Bounded of flowerbeds sorted in fairy circles here and there, untouched by the tall meadows and sparce cattails.
A pause of the splashing skip rocks, while the boy looked for new ones. Adjusting his hood now and then. Not aware of the forest eyes on him. Not even in the mischief twitch to the pipeplayer's ears. Raising the reeds to the his lips. Letting the somber eerie chimes reach the boy's ears. Shocking the boy to stiffen and turn quickly to the unnatural sounds compare to the nature's orchestra. Under the rim of the hood, scared dark eyes of wine aligned with bright jade eyes layered with a smirk.
"I take it, laddie, that you are far from home."
"I-I... what do you mean?" The boy tangled words to speak, cracking easily under the flimsy lie, though chancing to stand taller to appear brave despite the shiver in his form.
The goat man lulled the song longer. Watching the child remain wary. A stride of pride wringed in the boy's hands. While the furred god was in a sense of coy. Keeping to play, in steady steps to a large mossy boulder where the goat man sat as if his throne or just a mantle of relaxation. Nimble with each note that had the child near but never took a step out of the lake or mindful of the wistful livings within the lake.
The goat man took a pause to say. "As I said. You are not from here. Your lack of wisdom is disheartening, laddie."
"I have wisdom!" The child hotly resorted back, even if the heat wasn't seen in his stance that peeled more in a vice of sadness. The little stamper of the boy kicking the water in frustration, when the furred man shown a face of disbelief and continue to play. The boy spoke again. "I do know things. I am one of Sabriel's best students. Lore, history, language, and prosperity myth."
"Aye, and?"
"I know wisdom. Simple as that, sir." The boy stated boldly.
"Aye? But are they golden flees wisdom for the mistakes you made now?"
That made the boy come closer, uneasy with each step through the slick stone floor of the lake. The boy tries to keep his voice firm, but faulters in just a few words. "W-what? Mistakes..."
"First rule of the fae oasis, laddie. When in the elements of the unknown, be ready to face those who live in it. Such as the poor Pegaeaes and Niadas from your play." The goat man stated, motion for the boy to turn around.
At first, the boy reframed from doing so. Yet, has he kept his head down, slanted fear clenched eyes caught of how the water around his ankles rise and fall like ocean whitecaps. Catching to how a large looming shadow covered his own smaller one. The dripping clicks near his ear, flinched himself to his side view to see the web claw of a bottom-feeder lizard and sharp bird of prey. Eyes falling fully on the translucent being of water and being, twisted in long slick grass, assorted floret, wide dark sea lion eyes stare blankly back. His breath hitches when clicks ground as spike feral wiry teeth wrangled in an unhinged jawset and slipping fork tongue. The boy jolt back, when the nymph reached for him, falling into the deeper of the waters by a shocked filled splash.
The nymph gasped and carefully helped the struggling angel, frowning to the laughing maniac of a god. A low hiss was heard from the nymph, while the boy uncertain to take this kindness. Inching away at times when seeing those claws flex, but the boy could tell the malice was aimed elsewhere. Though in his troubles to escape, bumped into an unsettling familiar wetness. Looking up to see more water dwellers, ranging from humanoid to monstrous much as the first one. Hopping to his feet, uncovered with a wind whip disheveled, and swiftly got out of the water. Ignoring well of the cachinnation loon still perched on the boulder.
"Still feeling cocker now, laddie?" The furred god wheezed after finally catching his breath. Leaping down from the boulder, strolling in mirth to the boy sitting curled on the ground, shaken. Though that quickly faded when catching the boy's face, bruised and ghastly that without the blemish would have blended with the blindly robes.
The goat man eyed over to hearing wisps of the tree nymphs. He waved them off to the depths of the woods, while pressing forward, soon squatting down to the boy's level. Firm grasps the boy's face to examining the discoloration and wafer-thin. Staying gentle as he could when the boy let a whimper and squirmed.
"Hush child. I may spin circles around the most common man. Yet, a cruel god I am not."
"I-"
"Hush." The goat man waved to the fae to gather items, while the boy felt his face tingle from the warm spikes and silk tender pobes under the wound.
"I know wisdom."
"Aye, and I have some more for you to listen on now. And that be quiet and let us help, laddie."
"Why?"
The goat god glance at the child before handling the herb mixture, whispers uncertainty. "Good question."
It was swift after that. The goat god took care of the angel, ushering the boy out of the woods in time to see one of the familiar larger angels before. Quick by the winds, the boy searched around for the god, frowning to that and the scowling from his doyen. Just another moment of time coming and going. The world still spinning. And that's where the goat man left it.
Until the many times again the boy found his way back into the oasis. First it was to apologize to the water nymphs with bits of fine holy silver bits.
"An angel using a mere's weakness, how kind of you."
"You're tone tells me another. I temp them not. If they wish to throw back at me, that's fine."
"Then why come back at all?"
The goat man was only given a cold shoulder, which was fine. It only made certain chances of pranks easier. Next was the boy was taking notes on the fae, ruffled as before, yet kept his distance and wary never took the offerings from a certain water nymph.
"Despite such a look, it's a different kind art to beauty." The youth said one day as the lone friendly water nymph humored the child.
Writing down quickly of how the scales around the gilled darken. The nymph giving clicks, chirps, and a purr when the angel reached out to examine closer, though some of the hand study, was likely mark as petting to another.
"Shall the woods leave you to private?" The goat man asked with a chuckle from his usual perch.
In returned, the boy blushed and tried to glare at the god. Though the fae made it easy to just whisk a trail of water to splatter the god. Letting the god only laugh at their displeasure. The amusement was far from over.
The boy even willed a few comebacks to the goat god, nothing harsh but hardly not childish, it was making those times even more entertaining. It was small times of that. Days and nights at random the boy came, to visit or observe. Yet, not one moment it was a sign of animosity, from what the fae told the goat god. The child was only a babe that they could pick from. One moment struck the goat man, one evening catching the boy glancing and posing in front lake's reflection after another session of healing. Answering randomly to the frisky water fae.
"I'm fine. Good as new. I am sure it won't last."
The boy glance over, when hearing the nymph's sad clicks and chirps.
"Do not be sad. From what I understand from the mortals, homes can be like this. One does not to have to hold standers and treasure the good. I have those whom I care about up there. So being their quip won't be forever."
More clicks came and the nymph drew something in the soft dirt for the boy to see.
"Oh, my brothers don't need to know. I can't keep troubling them with my problems. Though, I'm not blind that they might know my nicks with others. In time, that's all I need. My growing wisdom and some day my wings will make it, not easy, but worth the troubles. I can handle rough bullying a while longer. For my brothers and my sake. I owe them that much."
The goat god headed away, not catching anymore of their conversation. Baring a rare peace offering to the angel of sweet berries deep from oasis. The boy wary as always, though in giving to other offerings from fae, it wasn't just food and lovely stones that in more of a survival trait made by a place that should let that seed of doubt come and grow.
It came full rounded when one twilight hour, the child finally approached the goat god by a small firepit that overlooked the side of the lake, on top of a hollow grove. The goat god played his pipes, minding little of the child standing near. Hands fidgeting, body twitching against the light breeze passing by, while those dark eyes stay to the ground.
"Have you learn well, laddie?" The goat man asked, tricky smile that lip the pipes once more.
The angel nodded. Taking a seat when the god motion him to. Letting the fire crackles filled the silence along with the reeds lullaby.
"I do not know if it means anything, sir, but any remarks I said before. I meant none."
The goat god chuckled, placing the pipes on his lap, tending to the fire before speaking. "Aye, all in good fun. Barely a stick in my neddy."
"Some fae told me that's how you spend many nights. I was not sure what they meant by that, sir."
"Aye? Of course they would. Reminds me of something." The goat man let loose a crooked smile, speaking a tad louder. "May in the willows know that their bark is used well for cooking." Having a snicker heard as the ruffle of the woods wounded as if a large wind broke through. Adding last. "Pay them no mind, laddie. They enjoy to make realms of my life into larks for others."
"Ah... understood..."
"You do not know me. Do you?"
"Should I?"
"Anyone with a twist in their core and heart, aye. An angel babe like you, nay."
The boy's face brighten and tongue tied while the words sink in. Which only gave the goat god another titter of laughs.
"Forgotten that you are older than appear. Wisdom is only good as owlish to thy whims. What have you learn in your ways, laddie?"
The angel didn't answered right a way, reaching to the fire in seeking warmth. A deep crease down on his brow, lips also in bow. Thinking, leaving eyes laying to the flickering flames. The goat god choosing not to pry, play another melody. Having each note get lost into the deep dark scapes of the forest.
"The melo sounds so sad." The boy said, tossing a dose of aged tree bark into the fire, rising and falling to the sudden gust.
"Does it?"
"Yes."
"A tale of love sounds sad to you? What a dreary mind you must have."
"I try as I might. The talents of music is deafen on me. I can't even play the trumpet, despite they say that was fitting to me. I'll stick to my scrolls and quill."
"Now, do not give up like that. Music is another branch to knowing and growing knowledge. Believe I. What of your voice?"
"I have earn trust in this forest. I refuse to lose it, you inflamed rake."
The reeds hink in tone, before the goat man huffed out a slowly pitcher laugh. Echoing out. "Bold you become, laddie. Listening to the fae are we now?"
The boy just blushed, before strutting out with the firmest of a damp left. "I-I... well yes, the trees weave tales of a w-world I know none of. Y-y-yo-your epics are usually tarnish by their... titles. I will be honest to that some were funny. Slip of the tongue. I honestly did not..." The boy stopped and hid his face in his hands. Muffling out. "I am very sorry, sir."
"Aye, laddie. You did pick up something. Though, back at hand. The virtuoso in me cannot let this be. You learn of myth but there is more to our world."
"I am understanding the lores of your people and the mortal's eye. I do not about this kind of teaching, sir."
"All fine and good. But, not enough, I can for certain you have a song. Everyone does, how to express it is just expand to ourselves. Who ever gave you what you know now, doesn't hear your song."
"I don't know, sir-"
"Give me time. I will expand your knowledge in a newfound way. See this as another lesson like any other." The goat said firmly, leaving no room for argument, before playing a different song. Eyeing the boy in silent questioning.
Which in turn, had the boy peak in form. Tilting his head in thought, listening to the song. Carding his long tong hair. Closing his eyes, letting the notes seek in, before answering with. "Passion?"
The sudden pause to know it was the wrong answer, the goat god lost for words, soon saying in awe. "War is made of passion. How does your mind twist, laddie?"
The boy just shrugged sheepishly, that only brought the inner fire to the other.
"Laddie... mark your days. I'll make you into a composer, so help the gods and Almighty blast on me."
"Why?"
"As I said. You have a song and you thrive for wisdom, aye?"
The boy nodded.
"This is just another form to expand from it. You trust fae in their teachings. Trust I?"
"I... very well. Once more please, teacher?"
"Good. Also, Pan will work just fine."