The Whispering Wood

(An excerpt from the novel, The Underwater Whispers, written by J. Flessa circa. November 2020)

Autumn colors painted the Terlingwain Valley, as the deciduous forest began to give way to the spindling shadows of winter. Cut through the middle was an oddly spring-like scar that edged the border of The Sylvan River.

Dead autumn leaves crunched under the bare feet of a woodland elf child as she crept through the shrubbery. Lillian shifted a branch carefully out of view, locking onto her younger sister standing on the rocky riverbank, hair pulled into two buns atop her head.

Lillian paused, midnight eyes ever vigilante like a cat stalking a mouse. She smiled to herself, rolling her eyes. Not falling for your trap.

Bird song filtered through the trees, as sunlight broke through the clouds and shone a spotlight onto Annalee. Her round face was upturned towards the sky, violet eyes shining. A gentle breeze whistled through, rustling the spring trees, and scattering leaves from those that had given way to renewed life.

A twig snapped under foot, and Annalee whipped around just in time for Lillian to tackle her with a roar. They tumbled together until they reached the water and were shocked by the chill.

“Still fell for it,” Annalee snickered, managing to sit on top of her sister as they came to a halt. She scrambled away, kicking up water as she ran alongside the rushing river.

Lillian rolled to her feet, short and messy brunette hair scattering droplets as she shook her head. With a wicked grin at her sister she gave chase.

“I still got you,” Lillian shouted after Annalee.

Lillian’s feet slipped against the smooth stones and she kiltered sideways into the current. She righted herself, sitting up, shaking her head again. Water streamed down her face and into her eyes. A blurry hand came into view.

“You okay?” Annalee asked. “Don’t want to get swept towards the waterfall.” She gave Lillian a soft smile as she loomed over her.

Lillian reached for her sister’s hand to get up, but instead pulled Annalee into the water next to her. With a mad cackle and a screech, they both splashed each other, laughing.

Beginning to shiver, they helped each other out of the river and made their way into the trees. They chased each other through bushes and around trunks before slowing. They kicked at the browning leaves as they pushed their way through The Whispering Wood.

“Mam isn’t gonna be happy that we’re all wet,” Lillian managed through a sneeze. “We’re going to get sick.”

“And whose fault is that?” Annalee giggled, bumping shoulders with Lillian. Annalee pulled at her buns and let her blondish brown hair fall in waves around her before attempting to wring the water out. “Either way, Mamaí never stays mad for long. She doesn’t like to be mad.”

“I know that.” Lillian rolled her eyes as she wrung out her simple linen shirt, and squeezed water from her linen shorts to the best of her ability.

As they continued to pick their way through the trees, the forest parted in their presence. Like a crowd the oak trees crawled out of the way, and the shrubbery bowed back from the two elven children passing through.

The tree line broke and they entered into a glade of wildflowers, with an unnaturally large oak tree standing at the bottom of a cliffside. The enormous tree’s branches were wide enough to hold a small cottage house if one wished. And off to the side was a sectioned off small garden.

Set into the base of the tree was an open entranceway, and leaning against the frame, a lithe woodland elf woman stood wiping her hands in a cloth. Her blondish brown hair fell in long waves as her ice blue eyes looked over both of her daughters with a small smirk.

“Went for a swim, did we?” Mama asked.

A grin spread across Annalee’s face as Lillian looked sheepishly at her feet. Mama waved both of them to come inside.

“Let’s get you two cleaned up before you both catch cold.”