“We need to follow oaks.” Madie said aloud. Adam looked at her with raised eyebrows and started to laugh.
“They must have hit you really hard, little one. I am the guide here, remember? Besides, you wouldn’t know what an oak looks like even If you would bump into one.”
A glimpse of the flickering light appeared again, but this time Madie saw it just behind Adam.
“I think there is one behind you.” She whispered. Adam turned around, barely visible in a dim moonlight and inspected the tree closely.
“All right, now you’re scaring me.” He replied quietly. “Let’s just pretend we will follow them. But there is one tiny little problem. There are most likely hundreds of oak trees in this forest.”
A flickering light appeared behind him, illuminating his messy hair and swollen purple eye. “Such silly guide. Just follow me, precious girl.” A single high-pitched voice whispered and appeared on a tree further away. Madie stepped up and gently pushed Adam out of the way. By the time she got there, the light was gone but soon reappeared on another tree further away.
“Oh great. You’ve gone crazy. Was all your common sense contained in those hair?” Adam mocked. But Madie didn’t listen to him and focused on the light, almost hypnotized by it. There was something about it that made her feel fearless, like If she walked this path many times before and knew nothing bad would happen. When she came close enough, she could see the light was actually a small bird flipping its wings very quickly.
“Do you know what type of bird this is?” she asked loudly, not sure If Adam was following her.
“What bird? There is nothing just dark forest surrounding us.” His voice was clear, as If he was standing right next to her.
“Look!” she pointed her finger to the direction strange blue bird patiently waited for them.
“Little one, listen to me very carefully. The forest can play tricks on your mind, which is now vulnerable because of all you’ve been through. There are no lights or mysterious voices.” Adam said and found her hand.
“Please, you have to believe me!” she cried into the darkness, more to herself than to him. Madie felt the pendant getting warmer on her chest, softly glowing. Using her spare hand to carefully take it off, slipping the thin string along her hand she let the stone touch Adam’s hand. She could feel how he tucked his whole body, as If hit by a shock, but she didn’t lose her grip and let the stone touch both of them.
“What on earth...”he whispered in disbelief and stepped towards the blue bird. “ It is some kind of fever, little one. We are either dead or soon will be.” The bird shrieked, letting out a mocking sound: “At least the girl is clever! Now come, hurry!” Madie quickly stepped forward, ready to follow the bird, but Adam swiftly pulled her backwards. He turned around to face Madie, cleared his throat and slowly spoke:
“Not so fast. Have you already forgotten about your super secret mission at Karol’s court? Or shall I gently remind you that two bands of robbers and slavers are after us? I’m really tempted just to leave you at this spot and walk away!”
“Fine, then go, I don’t want to hold you here against your will. You already have all my money, anyway.” She replied in quiet, but firm voice.
“Come on, little one! Listen to the reason. I am a real person with a good skill set to protect and bring you safely to the court. And yet you want to follow that flickering blue bird?”
“I’ve never said it is blue.” She replied with a smile and turned towards the bird, still seated on a branch, slightly illuminating their faces.
“Look Adam, let’s face the truth. All you’ve done so far was getting us into more and more trouble. And not to forget that we are totally lost. I think I have a better chance to survive and get to the court following this magical bird than to stick with you.” The bird released a sound similar to laugher and flipped its wings. Adam was strangely quiet and released his grip. His face was emotionless and in the blue light he looked almost like an ancient statue, forgotten long time ago in that random place in the forest. Madie was a bit afraid about his reaction, so she took one little step forward.
“I’m going with or without you.”
His facial expression was still the same and some other cheerful voice came from bellow: “He can’t hear you, pretty girl.”
“What...where...who are you? Show yourself!” Madie exclaimed loudly.
“I’m right here, sweetheart! I didn’t want to say anything in case that brute would kick me!” a tiny voice squeaked and something touched Madie’s right foot. She screamed and jumped, instinctively looking for protection behind the large oak magical bird was sitting on.
“Silly girl, meet my brother! He knows more magic that I do, but he is not as smart as he think he is!” The bird mocked and flew down to the ground.
The light illuminated a little thin man-like creature with large pointy ears and reddish hair combed into a ponytail on the top of it’s head. Large almond-shaped eyes seemed to be dark and wide mouth curled in a smile. Slim body was loosely covered with a short sleeveless tunic, emphasising long thin arms and legs. Madie stared at the creature with opened mouth and didn’t understand what was going on.
“Hihihi, my brother is only jealous! That boy is too angry and vain, just as you are stubborn and selfish. But at least you cannot harm me and my magic can work only at one human at the time, hihi. And you are protected by that mirror piece! “ he giggled and crawled forward like a two-legged spider. Madie screamed and tried to climb on the tree, but lowest branches were too high and she only managed to scratch her hands.
“Hey brother, I think that the girl with short golden hair is scared now! She was ready to come with me and now you’ve ruined everything with your hideous face and twiggy body!” the bird’s voice shrieked.
The tiny man bit his lower lips and rested his hands on hips. “I’ve only enchanted the boy so give me a break. I thought that she was smarter so I wanted to explain our mission, but obviously I was wrong!”
The bird shrieked, supposedly laughing. “This one and smart? Don’t you know that humans forgot us in their stupidity? This girl is just a messenger, a carrier of the shard that has found it’s way home. ”
The little man shrugged his shoulders and sadly replied: “I know. I wish it would be carried by someone worthy with a great parade and sacrifices, and not a short-haired silly youngling in ragged clothes.”
The initial fear and shock started to disappear. “Hey! I’m still here If you haven’t noticed. If you are insulting me, at least you can tell me you names!” The tiny man crawled toward her and smiled. “People used to know them, just as the name of our mistress Ab...”
“Abnoda?” Madie finished. Both creatures looked at each other with widened eyes. “I’ve heard the name before, but I thought it’s just an old women tale.” She finished and touched the pendant.
“Don’t you dare! Mistress is kind and noble, taking care of all life in the forest!” the thin man screamed, although to Madie he sounded more like a squeaking mouse.
His brother flapped his blue wings: “Don’t be so touching. What is important is that our mistress hasn’t woken up and we need you help.” Madie looked at frozen Adam and realized she would like to hear his annoying voice giving her an advise to ignore them and just go directly to the court. But the voice in her head was too loud and strong, connected with a picture of her father and dark green pendant. Her mother told her that secrets should be left alone and one shall focus on what is known. Besides, she remembered Emma saying that Abnoda can fulfil a wish and maybe she save her father... With a new found hope, Madie turned her face towards strange brothers and smiled:
“Very well, noble protectors. I will accept your call for help, just show me the way.” Both creatures shrieked in excitement and the bird flew up to sit on Adam’s messy hair, now resembling a nest.
“Silly girl, we can’t go with you. Our path is the one you cannot follow. The other way is through the ruined water in which many hopes were drowned.” He shrieked.
“What does it mean?” Madie asked with raised eyebrows.
“The rude man will tell you.” Twiggy brother giggled and stung Adam’s foot.
“Now we need to hurry up, brother, and leave the silly girl and the ignorant brute to catch up with us later.” The bird flapped wings and disappeared, leaving Madie alone again.
Her eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness, but her mind was running wild, trying to understand what just happened. The stories she was told, the legends she heard and thought to be a mere entertainment, had some truth in them. Magical creatures? Living being called Abnoda? The wish fulfilling stone? How could it be!
“Hey, little one, are you here?” Adam’s voice was thin and quiet, but scary enough to make Madie jump from fear.
“Oh, you’re awake? How do you feel?” she asked with trembling voice and tried to recognise his outline in the darkness. “I think I am all right. I’ve had a really strange dream about a woman singing at the Wishing well..” he said and bent down, in order to make a fire.
“Wishing well?” Madie asked with excitement. It couldn’t be a coincidence!
“Yeah, that’s how people call it. There are some old ruins around it, but the word goes it’s haunted.” He finished, lighting up the pile of leaves and branches. Madie could see his face was unusually pale and that his hands were shaking.
“Can you take me there?” she asked and kneeled down to the weak fire.
“So now we don’t follow oaks, but you want to make a wish?” he grinned.
“Maybe.” She shrugged. “But I want to go there.”
Adam just shook his head and sat next to the nearest tree, closed his eyes and smiled. “I guess it would be too late for me to wish I would have never met you.”
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