Chapter 8: A Complicated Day

That Englishman's house always seemed larger and more grandiose with every visit, but unfortunately, the problems that led the Guardian to stop by the manor grew larger as well.

The first visit was very simple—the young boy in the manor now was one of the dwindling few who had even heard of the Emerald Woods, so the Guardian felt it was an obligation that he would at least tell the boy the tales of the grove were true. In a twisted way, maybe that would make up for all the children who never saw the Woods, and perhaps through Alfred, the Woods would start to be believed in again.

Still, that one visit, at first simple in nature, grew as disproportionate as the warts on a toad's back. Soon after, the Guardian realised that simply telling the boy he existed would not do, and that he would need to bring Alfred to the Woods one way or another.

He appeared before the boy again, in the town, to give him that maple leaf, one that, with a flick, would blow a gale strong enough to summon the Guardian right in front of him. That way, if the boy ever asked to see the Emerald Woods, the Guardian could bring him there swifter than shooting star's dust.

However, towns can easily get children lost, and the town Alfred was in was no exception.

So the Guardian stayed. It wasn't an awful experience with Alfred, and it had even felt like, as they weaved through town, an adventure. So the Guardian couldn't blame a thing on the boy. Not Arthur, either, as he must have been worried sick that Alfred was gone, and exhausted when he had to scold the boy he had just found.

The Guardian could still hear the splash he made when he fell in the fountain, and remember the guilt he felt as he scampered away, and recall the disappointment that buzzed like flies in his head that his wish to bring energy back to the Woods and feel the joy of a child seeing the Woods again disappeared as soon as he heard the tone in Arthur's voice towards the boy.

It just meant to be a complicated day.

Hullo! It's the author here, deciding to put the notes at the bottom to avoid distracting you from the actual story. If you got this far, thank you so much for reading my stuff! I'm not a big-time fanfic writer, so it does mean quite a bit to see some recognition. If you're feeling like I could use some help though, sending a review is a good way to give me some advice.

Also, another big thank-you for my friends who keep asking me to update!

Thanks, you guys!