Chapter Four
Braveheart's mind was in a frenzy, he was running through a forest, he had forgotten who he was, and why he was running, nevertheless he continued seemingly tirelessly. He tore through overgrown areas without a thought, tearing his skin, he barely noticed as he ran for what felt like hours without a single rational thought entering his mind, he knew not where he was going, all he knew was he needed to get away from wherever he had come.
Braveheart was in fact running towards the center of the forest rather that the exit, and as I said before the farther he went the more dense and dangerous the trees and undergrowth became, he was a sight to be seen, his eyes unnaturally wide in terror, his arms severely bloodied from his countless scraps and scratches, barreling through the forest like the madman, he consequently was. He ran until he could run no more, he broke through a particularly dense bramble and was confronted with light.
Undine though at first considering the clearing and the cottage calming and peaceful soon after becoming acquainted with what she called the shadow of the forest began to understand why their former occupants had live in such fear of the place. It was as if the longer you stayed the more in tune you became to the magic, for the clearing, the cottage as well as the entire forest were completely saturated with it, it seemed to be inhabited by strange little men that would barley reach to Undine's knees. They'd scurry about the forest from tree to tree always watching with their beady little black eyes it was unnerving, and yet Undine couldn't look away. For as they watched her, she in turn watched them.
She soon took to looking at everything in a new way, the fish were no longer just fish but great big things longer than Undine herself, and the birds became reptilian, no longer chirping but roaring, swooping down at her and then disappearing from sight. Yes, she began to see the place for what it was, a place full of magic, but not magic as it once had been but a magic altogether different, a magic with happiness and beauty thrown from the mix.
She was beginning to wonder how much longer her banishment could possibly last when she began hearing strange noises coming from the forest. Not strange in the usual kind, no squawks in the middle of the night or voices whispering her name but a kind of hum the reverberated through her mind. She watched for a time until it became apparent that it was the little men, they were talking, and scurrying with vigor, they seemed to be anticipating something unwelcome, what she could only guess. They seemed to become aware of her curious gaze and began to move with more stealth, not that it helped much, for they were squat clumsy stocky things and their stealth really did nothing but trip them up. They began falling and rolling into one another, when one ran into another, the one that had been hit would turn his face purpling wonderfully and hum loudly at the one lying on the ground looking incredibly abashed. Undine giggled and the little men disappeared behind the trees.
Early one morning Undine awoke to a great crashing coming from the forest, though not as curious as she would have been around the time of her arrival, she nevertheless went to see what had happened. She stepped from the cottage to see a man that is a human, on his knees just outside the cover of the forest. He was awfully wounded, and Undine felt she could help him but in her was instilled the fear of humans that had passed from generation to generation of the mere-people. He looked so helpless she thought, and so with a resolve she felt she could not somehow completely claim as her own she went to him kneeling before him. His eyes opened revealing the eyes of a man whose mental ability and been pushed to their limits and beyond. He stared for a while and then suddenly fixed his crazed eyes on her.
"Who are you?"
He said just before once again falling into the only haven that was left to him, unconsciousness.