Generational Love

Once Upon A Time, there lived a young man named Gregor. One day, he and his betrothed decided to leave their quaint sparsely populated town establishment and move to a better-developed settlement to start anew. His betrothed, whose name was Arlo, suggested they walk on foot to save them more currency.

    The two said many a farewell. Some of who were more difficult or lengthy than others, but in the end they left by midday. Wearing simple shades of brown, they represented a typical commoner of the land. They both wore simple black hiking boots for their long journey.

    “I’m excited for the move,” Arlo addressed to Gregor.

    “So am I, I think we’ll enjoy this change of pace,” Gregor responded.

    “It’s the beginning of our journey together and I feel it’s suiting.”

    The lovers walked over the vast prairie lands away from their homes, clouds rushed overhead in a singular direction like the racings of a wild herd of horses. The air had sweltering heat that the wind barely blew away.

    “Oh-bother! I thought the weather would favor us this day,” Arlo exclaimed.

    “Apparently, that is not the case,” Gregor said examining the sky. “At least it makes for an extremely interesting conversation.”

    “Quite you… oh, and I thought it strange of Brenda to not show for a farewell. Weren’t you two friends?”

    “As children, perhaps, but not recently, not since I found you.”

    “You’re so sweet. Look, a crossing!”

    They saw an upcoming bridge that stretched across a wide brook; it appeared rickety and old as time itself.

    “Better go around,” Arlo suggested. 

    “No, it will take too long,” Gregor decided.

    The boys crossed the bridge slowly, it moaned with each step. Moss clung to the handrails and dirt caked the surface of the bridge. Gregor held Arlo’s hand leading him to the other end, which bestowed him a kiss on the cheek from Arlo.

After the bridge, it led the two inamoratos down a path that presented a large forest between themselves and their destination.

    “We should go around, it will be safer,” Arlo suggested.

    “No, it will take too long. Besides, the lush overgrowth will protect us from the rain that appears to be forming within the clouds as we speak,” Gregor decided.

    “You know, sometimes I wish you would listen to me,” Arlo desponded.

    Gregor stopped in his tracks and sighed saying, “Sweetie, I do, but I think this way is best.”

    “Then why don’t you suggest it instead of deciding it for us?”

    “I’m sorry my love. May we travel through the forest? It has a path…”

    “Yes, we can, thank you.”

    They embraced one another. Gregor stroked the backside of Arlo’s wavy chestnut hair as he held him. When they let go, Gregor absorbed the outlying landscape. A movement took place close to the nearest hill they had just passed, and then it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

    “I thought I just saw… Oh, never mind, it was nothing," Gregor said half to himself and half to Arlo. So, with that they entered the forest.

***

    A hooded figure manifested out of thin air within the deep forest. Taking a deep breath in-and-out, the figure began racing along the forest floor. Twigs snapped and caught on the cloak tearing bits and pieces of it. The owner appeared to not take much notice, but continued its canter weaving between the trees. It seemed to have a particular mission in mind, for it did not break its strides. “That was close, rather too close,” the figure uttered to itself.

***

    The forest brought a cooler temperature than the prairie. Without the sun’s relentless beam, the boys decided to wrap up with cloaks from their knapsacks. They connected themselves to each other with their hands and walked the winding forest floor following the worn down path.

    “Can we rest? I need a moment, these packs are heavy,” Arlo said.

    “You’re right. Even though it’s cool here, I’m still perspiring from the weight,” Gregor responded.

He wiped his brow brushing his shorter light brown hair away from his forehead. It stuck out wildly. 

    The same figure from before watched them from the treetops and leapt down. Just before it reached the forest floor, an unilluminated black smoke distributed from the bottom of its cloak cushioning the fall dramatically. Ending up in a crouched position, the hooded figure arose.

    “Who… who are you?” Gregor asked. He stood and walked in front of Arlo.

    “Why… you don’t remember me? How unfortunate, for you that is,” the voice was of a woman’s.

    “Your… your voice, it’s familiar to me,” Gregor responded.

    “Excellent! I was beginning to worry,” she responded with an almost childish tone of mockery.

    “What do you want?”

    “You see, Gregor, I've come to collect you.”

    Gregor withdrew slightly.

    Arlo stood up now and said, “You leave him alone!”

    “Sit down!” she snapped, her arms lifted up and fell down slightly. Arlo fell down from some unseen force.

    “Stop this,” Gregor yelled.

    “Make me… or, you can accept my demands…”

    “Which are?”

    “Leave him, and be with me, or suffer the consequences.”

    She removed her hood now revealing bushy tight blonde curls.

    “Brenda?” Gregor incredulously gasped. He turned up his face in a scorned expression and scoffed withdrawing his gaze from her.

    “Fine, you leave me no choice,” she spat affronted by his attitude, “if I can’t have you, neither can he. I will set upon you a force beyond your control!”

    She flung her right arm into the air. Her sleeve spun around flying up her arm revealing pointed dark amethyst nails. A strange darkened light flickered beneath them sending neither gas nor smoke, but some peculiar substance straight towards Arlo. Brenda practically cackled at her assault. Rising her right arm and whipping it around her head, she disappeared with a swishing sound followed by a flush of blackened smoke.

    “NO, no-no-no. Arlo, what’s happening to you?” Gregor shouted. He seemed to be asking this question to no one in particular.

    Arlo was shaking violently on the ground. He suddenly ceased with a blank appearance settling upon his face. Gregor held a face of sheer horror as he felt for Arlo’s pulse, it was present, but it was faint. Gregor began to weep heavily, for fear of the loss of his love allowed doubt to settle within his heart. 

    He began to pray, what else could he do? He removed his cloak and rolled it up under Arlo’s head acting as a cushion for him.

***

    A wisp glides through the treetops. It was little and glowed such as the tiniest candlelight. It floated through the leaves resting on a bush, but it’s movements weren’t that of an inanimate object. It began gliding straight towards Gregor.

    “What is that? Stay back!” Gregor yelled at the approaching light.

    “Fear not child, I am a faerie from the nearby glen. Your tears are mighty loud, the Devine compelled me to assist you," the faerie said. She was quite small in size and was adorned by a leaflike attire. They were of dark brown colors and appeared rather stiff.

    “Th-thank you,” Gregor uttered through tears, “my, my betrothed, he lies uncon—“

    When he looked back down, Arlo had clearly aged by at least ten years. Gregor’s eyes widened and he was taken aback.

    “Ah, it appears a witch has cast a nasty aging spell.”

    “Brenda… a witch, I never knew… We used to be close friends, I hadn’t known she fancied me so. She’s changed.”

    “I know of the cure for this ailment.”

    “You do? Pray, do tell me how to find and receive it?”

    “Of course, there is an old women up yonder,” she said pointing up at a far away hill to the left of where they initially entered the forest, “it is said that she can restore what was stolen, and therefore has the gift to restore your mate’s youth, but only if the seeker be pure of heart.”

    “Hmm, convenient.”

    “Shush! I shall stay here and protect him. Now, go!”

    Before he left, he took a long look at Arlo and stroked his hair. He seemed to be aging by the minute, so Gregor left immediately without any hesitations.

***

    After several minutes, Gregor did not know of the actual time of day it grew to, for the trees heavily concealed the sun. Somehow, the forest was still not dark. Up the winding road, Gregor could make out a cave engulfed by trees. He trudged up the growing incline dodging roots along the way. Before he could reach the cave, shouts came from his right. He looked around wondering what situation was unfolding before him. Someone was shouting for aid, so Gregor snuck into the right side of the forest to seek them. In a small clearing lay a hunched figure resting atop the forest floor. Fearing that this was Brenda deceiving him, he hid behind a tree and called out asking the person’s identity.

    “OH! Heavens, you frightened me, I am Edana,” said the woman from the ground.

    “What can I help you with?” he responded.

    “It’s my cane, it broke in two and I fell.”

    “Here," he said, walking up to her now.

    Her voice wasn’t of Brenda’s, so he assumed it wasn’t a trap and held out his hand lifting her up onto a nearby log. “Are you the woman that’s supposed to return what was lost?”

    “Ahahaha oh, no, I’m afraid not my boy, I was journeying to her until my cane broke.”

    “I’ll make you a new one.”

    “Thank you, youngster.”

    Gregor quickly went a few yards away to find a long branch. Knowing his time was short, he found the first suitable branch. Once he found it, he received a knife from the woman with her permission and carved it into a more suitable cane. He discovered from the woman that the mysterious person from the hill heals one individual within one period of time. Then she moves locations to administer to different persons who are in need. Gregor sighed and made a decision. 

He said, “I think you should visit her, you were going before me until your cane broke, it’s only fair.”

    “Really? You’re ever so kind!” she said pulling him down and embracing him from her seat. “Wait, why were you going, dearie?”

    “Oh… Just for a minor reason, you deserve it more.”

    “Thank you, I was robbed and the bandits injured my leg in the process some time ago, my leg was taken from me by the injury.”

    She embraced him once more, and before heading off to the cave by herself, she bestowed a gift upon Gregor. 

    “I received this from a friend, it is said to have defensive powers against dark magics, I am not in need of it, and it’s the least I can do for you since you aided me,” she said, then handed him what looked to be three roots intertwined together which was roughly a foot long.

    Returning back down the hill with an aggrieved mood, Gregor sighed out deeply. There was a shaking in his breath. He feared it would be too late for Arlo, and this new gift wouldn’t heal him, or the woman would have simply used it for herself. He started walking down the slope until a figure rose out of thin air behind him. Gregor whipped around.

    Upon his first glance he said, “Brenda!”

    She responded, “Why yes, I was thinking to myself, ‘Why should I only kill Arlo? It’s Gregor I want,’ so I’m back to take what’s mine.” She raised her right hand emitting a purple smoke towards Gregor. “Goodnight," she said with a chuckle and a maniacal smile.

    Gregor raised his arms, preparing for the worst, but the smoke merely wafted around him and dispersed into thin air.

    “What?!” Brenda asked incredulously.

    Gregor gazed upon his recent gift and smiled, maybe it really works? Brenda bared her teeth in an animalistic anger and tossed an arm once more into the air formulating a scarlet fireball and hurtling it at Gregor. Gregor raised his switch into the air holding it perpendicular to the attack that ended up simply bouncing off him from some invisible defense. Brenda practically growled. She then consecutively launched fireball after fireball toward him with each hand in a continuous stream of flames. He slowly withdrew down the hill dodging each shot as she sent them, following step-by-step.

    “You can’t continue this dance forever!” she taunted. They slowly moved back down the hill, Gregor knew they were growing closer to where Arlo lay, and Brenda was right, he couldn’t do this forever. Brenda threw up both of her arms to emanate an amethyst lightning from her fingertips. Gregor was forced to kneel from the sheer force of her assault. Brenda bared her teeth in what Gregor thought was some form of a twisted smile. He swung his switch in a counterclockwise motion on his left and diverted the lightning straight back towards her. She shrieked from the pulsing electricity surrounding her body.

    “This can all end Brenda, heal Arlo!” Gregor demanded.

    Brenda released her face and started to crumple, her arms retracted her attack. She sighed and looked forth. The lightning had ceased, but smoke still rose around her cloak from the attack. They could see Arlo’s boots in the near distance, still dormant upon the ground. Brenda waved her hand.

    “There, it is done.”

    “How do I know you aren’t lying?”

    “You don’t, but I guess you’ll just have to see.”

    Gregor grimaced.

    “So, what now, Gregor? You can’t let me go, I’ll always come after you.”

    Gregor simply curled his lips in response. Arlo came behind him now and embraced him with such force he nearly knocked Gregor over.

    “I’m so glad you’re all right!” Gregor said tearing up.

    “I am too, and what is she still doing here?” Arlo asked, his voice full of contempt. They both looked at each other, ready to begin a discussion. Before they could, Brenda stood saying, “Sorry to break up this happy reunion, but now I think I shall end you both, two birds one stone—“

    Her sentence was abruptly cut short by a dagger making contact with her throat. She toppled over backwards and remained still upon the ground.

    Gregor’s mouth gapped open. Arlo gave a smirk and said, “That’ll shut her up, you know she would just try and kill us over and over again.”

    “I know,” Gregor responded, “what I really want to know is, how did you learn to throw like that?”

    “Oh, you know, mother always wanted me to be safe. She was village champion at throwing knives for five years running.”

    All Gregor could do was smile and chuckle at their predicament. The faerie floated over to them.

    “You both did so well! I decided to remain out of that, for you two needed to fight your own battle. Both figuratively, and apparently—“ the faerie trailed off slightly looking down at Brenda continuing with, “—literally fighting your own battles.”

    They thanked the faerie thrice more for her assistance and left Brenda where she remained.

    After a few minutes, Gregor broke the silence by saying, “You know, I almost forgot something. My grandmother lives in the city we’re heading to, we can ask her for a place to temporarily retire at until we find a homestead of our own.”

    “Nah, I don’t think that’s the safest option…” Arlo said with a smirk. Before Gregor could protest, Arlo finished with, “I’m only jesting, mocking you from earlier, my love, of course we can stay with her. I’ve decided it, you see.”

“Ohh of course, I understand now. I see how it is, Mister Snarky.”

    They chuckled to each other finally exiting the forest. The city lay far on the horizon. The clouds still appeared bleak, but it did not give our heroes a downcast mood. Nothing could change that for them now. Heading to their destination, hand-in-hand, ready for their next chapter to begin.

THE END