Effilia: The Soul of Arogha (A fantasy Adventure) by En Roberts

Author:En Roberts [Roberts, En]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-11-06T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

North to Doria

“Wake up, sleepy.”

Arabelle nudged Jaxon with her foot.

“You sleep like the dead. You are impossible to wake up! The Woodlings want us gone before first light. We’ve only got about thirty minutes before dawn. Lam’s parents will be here at any minute to escort us out.”

Jaxon rubbed his eyes and packed his things back in his bag. Lam was waiting by the doorway. He was shifting from foot to foot and seemed anxious to leave. Arabelle nodded toward Lam and lowered her voice so the Woodling couldn’t hear.

“He’s been like that since I woke up. I hope he settles down once we leave, or this is going to be a very long trip.”

Jaxon hoped so too, but he understood. This must be a huge change for the young Woodling. It had to be tough saying goodbye to such a close-knit family. Arabelle had never been that close to anyone, as far as Jaxon knew.

Mother Willow and Father Birch appeared in the doorway when Jaxon had finished packing. Sap was trickling from Mother Willow’s eyes, but Father Birch seemed unmoved. Neither of them said anything to Lam, Jaxon, or Arabelle as they turned and led them back out of the cavern.

Not a single Woodling came to say goodbye to Lam. They all turned their backs as if they couldn’t see them. It was as if, in their eyes, he no longer existed. Jaxon felt truly sorry for him.

They exited Ancient Tree just as the first rays of dawn were visible on the horizon. Mother Willow and Father Birch left them without a word. Lam watched them go for a moment and then bowed before Jaxon.

“Where are we going?”

Jaxon put a hand on the shoulder of the sapling.

“North. To Doria.”

Lam bowed again and then examined the three paths in front of them. He pointed toward the one on the left.

“This is the path we must take to go there.”

Whereas the day before, the Forest of Calm had seemed creepy and eerie to Jaxon, today he found them peaceful and inviting. He wondered if this went back to his having shared sap with the Woodlings. Even Arabelle seemed less jumpy and nervous than she had been.

He listened closely and was able to catch the conversations of the Woodlings who watched over the Forest from the tree tops. He realized that this was part of the source of his earlier unease. He had felt their eyes watching him, but he could never catch them at it, and he had no idea back then what they were saying.

Now, he not only could spot them, but he understood what they were discussing. He found a comfort in knowing that there were guardians above him, watching the path for danger. He was able to relax and enjoy the peaceful tranquility of the Forest.

It was a perfect day for a walk in the woods. The sun shone through just enough to keep things from being too cold, but the trees provided enough shade to keep things from being too warm, and a gentle breeze blew along the way.

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