In which Arthur makes a friend.
It became my daily ritual, going down to see the fairies that lived in the woods.
I enjoyed their company, not only for my amazement of their existence, but also since I felt so estranged from my family, they were a comforting alternative in my times of loneliness. They were wise when I needed guidance in how to deal with my family, and they were also fun and mischievous; helping to play pranks on my brothers when I was especially upset.
As I grew closer with them, they began to show me all around the woods and I learnt many things about nature, like how to tell what plants can heal, when fruits are edible, even how to make a shelter from the rain out of leaves. And it wasn't long after I turned six that they began to teach me the greatest of all skills. Magic.
Mind that, because I was a child, I did not understand the gravity of learning magic.
To a child it is everything wonderous; a power that evokes curiosity.
But to adults, magic is nothing wonderful.
It is dangerous.
And for humans, many things were dangerous.
As I began to understand more, I started to hear the things people said about magic and non-human creatures. They were scared of things not human.
They said there were monsters who roamed the earth.
I heard many times that there were evil, deadly beasts who attacked humans without provocation, that they would tear you to shreds, or eat you alive. I was afraid of the creatures even though I never found out what they looked like. Like wolves I supposed. Wolves were scary animals, so I associated the two easily. There were also demons, who preyed on innocent people for blood, and frequently kidnapped humans. For what I was unsure.
My mother would quickly send me to bed if she caught me listening in to my brother's hushed voices as they talked about such stories. She most likely thought she was protecting me. But she may as well be setting me up.
If I didn't know about the dangers out there, how would I know how to avoid them?
The problem was also that adults also kept a fear for the very creatures I had befriended.
I knew from experience that fairies aren't dangerous.
They kept me company in the woods, and taught me so much. So I also did not fear the idea of learning magic either.
How could something that the fairies used to build their homes and take care of the plants be dangerous at all?
So I began to learn.
The first lesson they taught me was how to make the plants grow. They had me stand there in front of a fallen tree; dried up and shriveled in death, and maring the beauty of the fairy's home. Concentrating all my efforts at the encouragement of my new friends, my arms stretched willing an energy that was so intangible I was hardly sure it was there the first few times I tried it. I became frustrated the third time, when I felt I was working my hardest, only to see nothing, and I almost gave up. But on the fourth day, I actually did it!
I was doing the same exact thing as I had before, but this time I felt it! It was like a rush inside my chest, and I aimed at the dead tree with a shock as for the first time a light produced around my fingers and I watched in awe as out of the bark of the greying bark, little buds were sprouted where there had only been wood before!
I stepped back, falling flat on my rump in shock before it actually hit me what I'd just done.
"I did it!" I shouted, my arms fling into the air in excited victory at the fact that I, Arthur Kirkland the fourth son in the Kirkland family, who'd always been picked on and neglected by my older brothers, was officially able to use the most sacred of arts!
"We're so happy for you Arthur!"
"Good job!"
For a moment I stood in shock as I looked at the tiny forms of my fairy friends. That was the first time I ever heard their voices.
I was so excited that I almost ran back home to show my mom what I'd done, when it occurred to me in a rush of panic that no, I couldn't tell my mom. I couldn't tell anybody!
I anxiously looked about as if I would see somebody there who would have seen me, who would jump out of the trees to exclaim that I was a traitor to all humans, a dangerous magic user who couldn't be trusted!
Nobody could ever find out about this.
After my first successful attempt at sprouting little plants, I practiced every day how to make the plants grow faster. It was pretty hard making them bigger; it took me several hours to get them to grow even three inches!
But I was determined! Every day I would be practicing my magic; if I couldn't go down to the stream then I would simply use my front yard, of course only if my brothers weren't home. I didn't want to get caught.
My family remained oblivious to what I was up to.
Aside from my mom who'd lecture me constantly about staying within the woods, I suppose they were already so used to me staying away from them, they hardly noticed that I spent my time deep in the woods. It certainly never occurred to them that I was playing with fairies and making flowers grow with my mind.
I was almost grateful for the neglect since it meant I could continue without interruption.
But I have to admit it was also rather lonely.
My fairy friends were terrific, of course!
But the fact there was no one else I could talk to to, who I could show off my progress was saddening.
It is also more than likely that it was this loneliness that caused me to befriend him.
The day I met the boy with golden hair, I had been outside in the field picking flowers. Now, unlike my brothers would imply I was not picking flowers for the sake of it! It was research!
But there I was, stumbling along the grassy clearing, grabbing as many flowers as I could manage when out the corner of my eye a movement grabbed my attention.
I paused.
Standing on the other side of the clearing only a few feet away a boy, who couldn't be much younger than I was standing, staring at me curiously, his head tilted to the side.
I noted his golden blonde hair, parted neatly except for a small strand that curled up in the air over his forehead, the healthy glow of his skin, but most vividly the color of his wide blue cheerful eyes; they practically shone like the sky under his hair. He looked like the perfect little boy, standing there grinning and staring as if I were an interesting specimen.
And then I blushed as I realized how I must look; my messy hair scattered under the bright red hood of my cloak, covered in leaves, my dirty hands clutching a clump of field flowers to my chest.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" I shouted. Whoever it was, I wanted them to do away! This was my secret place, and I didn't need another child romping around and messing things up. He would probably scare away the fairies too.
But instead of shrugging and walking off like I'd expected him too, the boy merely smiled, and strode over.
Nervously my feet twisted at the ground, and as I glared at the boy, he stopped a few feet before me, and to my surprise leaned forward, softly plucking the flower I'd been aiming for, and as he straightened up he held it out, his teeth glowing in the sunlight happily as it bent towards me.
"Hello there! My name's Alfred! What's your name?"
I noted that his canines were larger than usual, but I was more preoccupied by the gesture to think further about his smile. I suddenly felt very nervous. I spluttered something out, my brain confused about whether I should be giving out my name or telling the boy to go away.
But he was still smiling as he looked about the clearing that I spent most of my days practicing my magic on.
"This place is so pretty! Did you make the flowers grow here?"
It took me a bit to catch up with the conversation and for the gravity of what he'd just said to hit me. He knew I used magic!
"Wh-what ever are you talking about, how can you know that I-"
Then I glared, I hadn't even done anything today! That meant-
"You'd been spying on me?!"
He laughed. It was a deep type of laugh that came right from his chest and made me blush even angrier. He caught my glare and it faded off into little chuckles that only served to irritate me more.
"Yeah, I was spying on you."
Huh?
"You're actually admitting to it?"
Did he have no shame?
His grin went wider if it was at all possible. Stretching his arms around the back of his head and moved to balance himself on one foot.
"Yeah, why not? I did see you the last time I was here. I thought it was pretty cool when I realized you were making that dead tree over there grow buds."
He'd really seen me do magic… and yet he wasn't running away!
"And you didn't think I was strange? That I'm dangerous?"
He paused, his arms moving down as he tilted his head to look at me curiously.
"Why would I think that?"
"Well, my brothers are always saying that magic is dangerous… so I thought-"
"Oh cool! You have brothers?! I have one too; although he's not that great. We're twins and I'm younger so everyone pays attention to him." He frowned, his arms crossing over his chest poutingly.
"R-really?"
Already I was forgetting that fact that he'd spied on me, or that only a minute ago I wanted him off my land. Not only did he like magic, he also had older brother woes. There was actually someone with whom I had something in common!
"Yeah, I guess he's not so bad when there's nobody to boost his ego but- hey!" Suddenly I found my hands being grasped in his, and I stared as he his face broke out into another one of those smiles that made my heart race within my chest. " I know! Why don't you come with me and you can meet him?!"
For a moment the prospect of going someplace new glimmered in my mind but then I remembered how impossible it was. My mother would never let me go too far from home. She was hardly comfortable with me wandering around the woods by myself. If it were one of my brother it would have been no problem, but as it was the prospects of getting permission and the guilt I would feel if I just went kept me there even while the other boy tugged on my hands in excitement. He much have caught the look on my face however as he stopped tugging, although I noted he didn't let go of my hands.
"Oh… you don't think you can go?"
I nodded, feeling slightly ashamed as his smile flickered off his face, but then just like the sun peering from behind a cloud the smile was back on his face. It was comforting.
"Well, that's okay! He's not that great anyway. Come on! Let's go play!"
I found myself being dragged all around the clearing that'd become my second home, and playing with another boy who'd just appeared in my like only a few minutes ago. But as we made mud patties and stomped around in the water, it felt as if he'd always belonged there.
It wasn't until later when the sun was just starting to set over the treetops that we heard it.
It was a noise I'd never heard of before, like a slow drawn out whine that pierced the air, and made my hair stand on end. We looked up from the mud fort we'd built, I in fear and confusion as to what that noise was, but Alfred in disappointment and another expression I couldn't place. I assumed it was fear as well.
"I have to go home now."
His voice was strangely quiet for his rambunctious character. But I nodded, realizing that I should probably head home too, still on edge from the noises.
"Okay… do, you think you'll come back sometime?" I paused, my face heating up in embarrassment as I realized that I really looked forward to playing with the boy again.
"N-not that I care if you do or anything…" I added hastily.
He gave me that heart stopping smile once more and I clutched the ends of my cloak anxiously, before he surprised me by stretching out his arms and pouncing on me in a tight hug.
"Of course I will! I'll come back as soon as I can! Maybe tomorrow if I can manage it…"
I avoided his gaze as the warmth that spread over me brought a smile to my face, that I quickly tried to change to a frown, my face feeling hotter.
"Well, y-yeah! Although it's not like I want you to!"
He laughed at that, giving me one last squeeze before he ran, waving back as he went back into the trees where he'd appeared, and idly I wondered if it had been a dream as quickly as he disappeared, as I tried to ignore the ghost of his arms around me.
My fairy friends smiled as I walked back towards the stream, giggling happily amongst themselves as I said goodbye. Walking home I felt almost a double portion of the excitement I'd felt a year ago on the day I discovered fairies.
That night while my mother scrubbed her arms off trying to get the mud and dirty and leaves out of my hair and face, I could hear my brothers in the next room from where I sat soaking in warm water, wincing at the hands rubbing against skin.
"Bloody hell! What in the world were you doing out there Arthur?!"
I ignored that while I tried to listen, they were talking about monsters that have been roaming around the village lately.
"Earlier old man Jenkins said he heard howls coming from the other side of the forest."
"You don't think they'd actually show up here do you?"
"Nah; those beasts are smarter than that, they'd go for the village before they attacked a tiny cottage. With the four of us, including dad we'd cause a mite more trouble than we're worth and they know it!"
"Still, I wonder what they've come for?"
"Mayor says they're probably planning to attack soon…"
"Blimey. I never thought we'd deal with Lycans over here."
At the words my ears perked up in worry, and I glanced up at my mom, who was still trying to get a badly tangled stick out my hair.
"Mum, what's a Lycan?"
Her scrubbing halted and she glared towards the door, yelling at my brothers to keep it down in there, before she continued.
'Now, honey, there's nothing to worry about. You let the adults thing about such things."
"Yeah, but what are they?"
She sighed, successfully getting out the stick and moving on to my arm.
"They're wolf people darling."
My eyes widened in horror. Of all the animals in the world, Wolves were the scariest. They were everywhere in the books I read as a child; stories of children who got eaten by wolves for being naughty, and fearfully I wondered about the noises from that day. I wondered if Alfred was alright!
I didn't dare to tell her what I heard however; if she knew I had heard Lycans in the woods, she would never let me go back and I would never see my fairies or Alfred ever again!
Instead that night I sat up in bed near my window, worrying about the safety of the boy I'd met that morning.