The Girl in the Woods

Chapter 2

As autumn befalls the land, the whistling wind scatters the wilted brown leaves on the grassy path.

From the nearby town appear the sneaky Suranne with Gwyndolyn; her winged friend, they planned to sneak their way back to the woods without being discovered by Helga and the knights. But first, they had to cross the barrier where those who are oblivious of its repelling nature would be electrocuted and send them back to where they strode from.

Surrane ushered the fairy as they hid behind the boulder that could cover half of her body and see if a knight guarding the pathway. When she affirmed there was none, she beckoned to the fairy to stay quiet while they crouch and walked quietly to the small hut where they are living. But on their way, Gwyndolyn flew in front blocking Suranne's way. Suranne jolted and shrugged her shoulders. She is asking why the sudden action from her fairy friend.

“Why did you do that? And when did you learn that magical power?” Gwyndolyn asked curiously. Since they were chased by the men of Prince Darvyn, Gwyndolyn is bothered by the skill that she displayed.

Her green orbs widened in surprise. It’s out of her expectation that her winged friend will ask her about what he did to the guy in the nearby town.

“Uhm...I didn’t intend to do that, but I just did my luck...I mean...aahhh...I don't know.” Suranne herself doesn’t understand why she got the power to control things. They are just one of those passersby but their interest is caught by the guy who is doing magical stints. She was even more surprised when she strived to concentrate and she did it. As the excitement aroused in her, she continued to ruin the guy's tricks.

“What luck are you talking about?”

They jolted and gasped when suddenly, Helga appeared in front of them with arms resting across her chest. Helga is the mother fairy that raised both of them and serves as their mother.

“Oh....mo...mother fairy. You're here?!” Suranne, who recovered from shock quickly answered, stammering.

Helga's brows raised. She knows how the two of them do silly things sometimes. Seeing them both close to the barrier gave her a suspicion.

“Where did you two came from? We've been looking for you both,” she asked. She noticed the exchanging of stares from the two of them that raises her doubt that the two did something against their rules. She smirked.

“Ah...we....” Gwyndolyn panicked as she didn't know what reason they could tell.

Suranne to the rescue, she pushed her way forward closer to Helga, blocking Gwyndolyn gently with her arm to stay behind her.

“We’re just coming back from the stream, Mother.”

The stream she is talking about was one of the places that she always goes with Gwyndolyn meeting their adorable animal friends and sometimes going fishing or bathing after playing.

Helga nodded but was still dubious about the reason that Suranne presented to her. In her mind, she knows that the time will come, the girl they saved and raised will be curious about her identity as she grows up.

“Uhm! Mother.....” Helga stops when she is about to usher them back to their small hut.

“Yes?”

“Who am I?” Out of a sudden, Suranne asked the mother fairy who averted her gaze somewhere avoiding the truth to be revealed by her eyes. Her agitation didn’t escape from Suranne's sharp eyes.

“Helga..”

The silence and a bit of tension had broken when Frio came carrying a bunch of firewood. He then bows his head, hand on his chest when he sees Suranne staring at him.

“Good afternoon, Your Highness!” he greeted her placidly.

Suranne shakes her head as she looks at Helga and Frio alternately. She grows up without knowing anything of her identity and today’s events arouse her curiosity. She grows up that the only thing she knows is that Helga is not her mother. She is a fairy and they have a lot of differences, physically. So no one, even the dumbest one would say that they are related to each other. Frio always told her he is a knight in charge to protect her then, therefore, he is not her father.

“Ah...Suranne, let’s go!” Gwyndolyn tried to break her silence and the tension in between them by asking her to go with her, but she refused as she saw Frio walking away to bring the firewood to their small hut.

“Frio...” Suranne walked fast chasing him leaving Helga and Gwyndolyn in agitation. Frio continued walking and trying to ignore her. He knows what Suranne wanted from him because he overheard her asking about her identity.

“Your Highness, my answer is always the same.” He passes the firewood to Orlando who is waiting outside their hut and faces Suranne where her mouth is pouting, frowning. “Wait until the time will tell you who you are.”

“But, until when? I'm turning eighteen in a few months and the time you told me hasn't come.” She breathes as she is aggravated with the repeated reasons that the knight said to her. “Today, I found out that I have a magical power...

“How did you find out? Did anyone see it?” Frio cut her words, panicked as he heard what she had said. Worries flashed on his face.

She shakes her head. “Only Gwyndolyn,” she lied. “Now tell me, tell me why I got the power? I know you, Orlando, and even Kitler said you don't have the magical power. Then why do I have this? Why am I different?” She is woebegone terribly when Frio refuses, shaking his head. She moves her step back.

“I'm sorry, Your Highness!” Frio wanted to stop her but she moved back, turned, and ran as fast as she could, away from their hut. Upset and frustrated, she made her way to the hill where she and Gwnydolyn always stay when bored. She doesn't care about the steep and stony way up there, chasing her breath she continued.

Frio was left shaking his head and dejected. “We can't blame her for feeling that way. She is a grown-up now, but still has no idea who she was. If I am in her position, I will feel the same.” Frio looked behind to the one who spoke and saw Kitler eating the grilled corn that they got from the small farm they've been cultivating since they lived in the woods.

They've been in the woods since they left the palace to raise Suranne and secure her safety. When they were asked by the king to take Suranne, Helga met them at the back of the palace and took them to the woods. Helga then built up strong barrier spells so they will be invisible to the outsiders and protect them from the evil threats of Vixra and her allies.

“How is your journey?” Frio asked, looking intently at Kitler like he is expecting to hear good news. They agreed to send Kitler to reconnoiter around the Kingdom of Asteria, currently known as the Zurn Kingdom under the ruling of the evil queen Vixra and her ally, Moki.

“Nothing new. Cruelty and merciless ruling still reigning on their heads.”

Frio heaves a sigh and shakes his head like losing hope for the kingdom, but deep inside him he knows one day, the kingdom will be back to where it used to be.

Meanwhile, Suranne reached the top of the hill where she and Gwyndolyn always stayed and played when there was nothing to do at their place. Gwyndolyn secretly followed her and stayed from afar looking at her pitifully. She knows the feeling of existing but knows nothing about herself. She is an orphan and she feels alone sometimes though she is treated like a family by Helga and the knights. Still, she is longing for the love of her family. The people she can run to, anytime she is seeking the love of a real family.

“Suranne...” she got her attention when she thought she was calm. Suranne turned in her direction and looked at her expressionless, but turned her gaze quickly to a different direction. The afternoon breeze added the serenity of the place that helped to pull down herself.

“Why can't they tell me who I am?” Suranne heaves a sigh. As she grows up, she doesn’t understand why she has to wait for the right time that they keep telling her to know herself, her true identity. She is turning eighteen and she is getting mature to understand things.

Gwyndolyn flew and landed in front of Suranne. She looks at her trying to console her.

“I think Frio and mother fairy wanted to tell you your true identity but by rights, they won't. Let’s wait for the right time that they said. You’re almost eighteen. I've waited that long too to know who I am,” Gwyndolyn said as she remembered how she also tried to know her identity by asking Helga almost every day who she is. She became an orphan at a very young age and her size and appearance made her wonder who she is. Why does she look different from others in the palace? Why is she cannot be with other kids like how they normally play and she is just watching them from the side? She often remembers how she envies those kids who can freely run around. However, Helga introduces her to other creatures of her kind and she gets used to them and forgets to ask about her identity.

Suranne wipes her tears and tries to be cheerful as they used to do on that hilltop which they named; Fernhill because of the wild ferns that surround that part of the hill. They had fun chasing butterflies and playing with adorable animals around.

“Gwyndolyn, what's in there?”

Out of the blue, Suranne asked, pointing to the darkness of the South as soon as they sat down on their favorite spot when they were tired of playing. It has two rocks surrounded by beautiful flowers where it overlooks the Southern and Northern parts of their realm. The only part that Helga didn’t put a barrier spell on was a very steep rock wall where nobody wishes to get down and climb; otherwise, anybody who falls on that cliff will be dead. At the bottom, rocky ground and ferocious animals are waiting for someone who will fall there to be their prey and for a meal.

Gwyndolyn averted her gaze and wanted to escape from Suranne's curiosity about the place, but she asked her again. They didn’t come to the place once, it’s often, but she is wondering why all of a sudden Suranne got curious about the place.

“Gwyndolyn!”

“Ah...eh...” Gwyndolyn pouted her lips and rolled her eyes before she took a deep breath. “Okay...that is the Kingdom of Zurn. It is formerly known, the Kingdom of Asteria.” She said, but hoping that Suranne won't ask for more information about the Kingdom.

“But why is it so dark?” Then she looked at the other side, at the North. “And there, bright and lively even from afar?”

Gwyndolyn rested her chin on her little hands and looked up at the sky, thinking if she was going to answer Suranne, if she was going to tell the story of the Kingdom.

“Gwyndolyn!” Gwyndolyn jolted when Suranne called her attention and poke her with her finger.

“Yes?” She pretended that she didn’t hear anything.

“I am asking you? Why does it seem that you are avoiding me? I mean, my question? Is there something you all are hiding from me aside from my identity?”

Suranne felt like they didn’t trust her at all. She is frowning, resting her arms across her chest with mouth pouting. Gwyndolyn then decided to answer her queries, however, she must be mindful that she won't break her promise to Helga for not telling the whole truth to Suranne. She remembers vividly what happened a long time ago, but she won't tell Suranne what she witnessed.

“Kingdom Asteria is a known Kingdom because of the King. His compassion and humility to his people made him gain respect from other Kingdom, but.....”

“But what?” Suranne seems to lack patience and asked. She is curious about the kingdom and the reason why its appearance now is quite different compared to the Northern Kingdom.

“But there are people who weren’t happy with the ruler of the kingdom. They plotted a rebellion against the King,” Gwnydolyn heaves a sigh. “I barely remember what happened that day as the mother fairy dragged me to help people who were escaping the palace.”

Suranne who is listening intently fell on deep thought. Gwyndolyn stops as she notices her friend who suddenly became quiet.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“What happened to the people then?”

Gwyndolyn swallowed a lump on her throat as she was trying to stop herself from crying whenever she remembered what had happened to the Kingdom after the King had fallen in the hands of his evil wife and his brother Moki. She is too young then but as she grows up, she manages to ask Helga once when she heard her talking to the knights about the Kingdom.

“Poverty, merciless killings, no justice, and all devilish deeds are reigning the Kingdom since the new ruler seated on the throne.” Gwyndolyn gritted her teeth with anger, the only she can feel the moment she remembers the evil queen. She once wishes too for power so she can help the people of Asteria, but she is just a small creature who lives a simple life and doesn’t have at least a magical power to fight for the queen. She knows well that the queen is the daughter of the known wizard that made her successful in luring Moki to her machination against the King.

“I wish someone will help the people to restore the Kingdom,” Suranne said in a flat tone. “If I have only the power to help, I will help them restore the Kingdom so the people will have their freedom and peaceful life.”