So Close, And Yet, So Alone. Part 1

A sequel to...

It had been nearly a year since Nestor had continued his education with The Conclave of Alchemists in the city of North Pomme. Tinka had found herself a nice position within The Conclave too; functioning as a sort of ambassador between the alchemists and the beings of the woods. She had certain protections in both places in both of her forms, and enjoyed the level of freedom and responsibility offered to her. She was a selkie of simple means and the Conclave appreciated the work she did. They let her keep a robe and her pelt in the garden shed under enchantment lock as she needed. Most of the time she didn't lock it. She had already scared off most of the student alchemists with her behaviors and Nestor only confirmed more disturbing rumors about her. Most selkies were considered desirable, sexy creatures; after the last year, most people looked at Tinka like demon to be respected and not insulted. Tinka and Nestor were bonded by blood, but the fun game of respect and a little fear among The Conclave went both ways. Nestor had developed an aggressive attitude about his spot in the laboratories, a favorite spot in the library, and the rumor on how he was admitted was never made clear to anyone. For this, he became known as 'The Cruel.' When people saw the pair in the Conclave, they would part in their path for them, even if they were laughing and joking. It was a wonderful change of pace from the years of skittish fear she had lived in for years in her deer form in the woods.

It was a late summer day at the end of one of Nestor's lab sessions, he scrolled a note and left it in Tinka's usual spot in the Conclave's gardens. He knew she'd be back before it was dark. When Tinka got to the shed, she slipped out of her pelt and put on the simple robe and leather shoes. She stored her pelt in the shed and saw the note Nestor left for her. Sometimes other Grand Masters would leave her notes with requests, but Nestor's notes were the most frequent.

Tinka-

It's been a long week, ciders at Hollow Hill.

-Nestor.

Tinka smiled at the note. Most of the notes Nestor left were often puns, riddles, or silly drawings, it wasn't as often anymore they had time for each other. He was her brother in all but name, she was glad to oblige his request. He's buying. She walked through the city streets to the Hollow Hill Tavern. It had been their favorite place ever since they had stayed there their first night coming to North Pomme. Tinka liked their food; Nestor liked their drink. She opened the tavern doors as the sunlight started to fade from the sky. She knew Nestor's silhouette at the bar, he was several inches taller than everyone around him and no one sat within three bar stools of him. Their cruel and evil reputations the two of them had developed was known at the tavern too, but the Cooks' who ran Hollow Hill Tavern didn't mind. Thomas & Doctor Rima Cook were happy, if not a little disturbed themselves. Rima was talking with Nestor as Tinka approached. "You see, if you puncture the vein here, the needle can't and won't move. You have to go in with the confidence you're going to get it right the first time," said Rima pointing to a spot on her wrist.

Tinka sat down on the stool next to Nestor, he looked both fascinated and a little concerned. "That's good to know, Rima. I will keep that in mind if I make the switch to bio-mechanical engineering."

"It keeps my patients happy. And it certainly helps with getting a good marinade throughout the meats," Rima said.

"If anyone knows how to flavor a cat, it's you." Tinka said as she got comfortable.

"I might be clever, but so is Thomas. Thomas and I are a team in every way," she sighed as she poured Tinka a cider. Rima looked down the bar at the thin, older man joyfully bringing out a tray of food to some patrons at a table; she sighed happily at the sight of him. She looked back at Nestor and Tinka, "You two know what I mean?"

"No." The pair said simultaneously.

"I don't usually let humans buck with me," said Tinka. She followed her comment with a long drink of cider.

"I don't have time." He took a belt of liquor and chased it with his ale.

By the time they put their drinks down and opened their eyes, Rima was gone to another part of the tavern. Nestor and Tinka were alone. Tinka peaked over at her friend. "You only drink like that when you've had a rough week. What happened?"

"Plant chemistry. I can't get my stuff to synthesize the way I need it to. I preferred the lessons on minerals, metal fusions, magnets. That makes sense to me." Nestor said downtrodden.

"Are you saying all the plants I've been playing fetch for you for have been going to waste?" She asked slightly annoyed.

"It's not a waste if I write down my results. A failed experiment is still an experiment. I'm still learning from it."

Tinka took a long drink of her cider and finished it. "What are you trying to synthe-te-size?" Tinka slurred slightly, less from drink, more from not understanding alchemy.

"Medicines and such. It's what Rima and I were talking about." He signaled to the other bartender to bring another round. "Medicinal studies is supposed to be one of the easier components of plant life. You wouldn't believe the bizarre looks I get from the other apprentices for not being as good as them."

Tinka took the glass of cider to drink as soon as it hit the counter. "Since when does that kind of thing bother you?"

Nestor took another belt of liquor. "I'm not sure. Just lately..." He trailed of but seemed to be trying to collect his thoughts. "'Nestor The Cruel.' It has a great ring to it, I know that." He took another drink of his ale. "Sometimes I need someone other than a sister or other students to talk about stuff with. Someone who doesn't know me, you know?"

Tinka saw the look on Nestor's face: a little withdrawn, tired, and something she had once known, loneliness. She reached over and scratched the middle of his back. "It bucks hard sometimes. And not in a good way."

"Yeah." He leaned on her shoulder in a tired way.

She gave his back a couple of pats. "I have an idea, if you're up for it."

"Hmm?"

"You need more plants and you want to meet some people? New people? People who don't know 'The Cruel'?"

"I'm listening."

"Come with me, into the North Forest. Bring your list of ingredients. I can introduce you to some unusual beings."

Nestor sat up and took another drink of his ale. "I see where you're coming from, but I kinda meant a woman. A human woman."

Tinka gave Nestor a playful sneer. "Yeah, I don't know any fair maidens who frequent the woods. Ones who also forage and like talking to animals," she spoke with thick sarcasm. "What the buck." She held up her glass and looked at him through it and observed the odd shapes.

"Point taken."

"I think you mean no one has taken your point in a while. Am I right?!" Tinka laughed hard at her own joke. Nestor laughed once and gave her a push. Tinka hit the floor with his shove and she laughed harder.

"If you're going to be that evil, I'm going to be Nestor The Cruel."

Tinka scrambled to her feet and sat back on the stool. "To be fair, I haven't taken a point in a while either. Doe selkies outnumber buck selkies ten to one. I haven't met another buck-selk in years."

"What about other human males or regular bucks?" Nestor asked.

"It's the same way you aren't attracted to every woman you see. I could be attracted to a human or a deer when I'm in either form, but--it's biological. It's chemical. It's attraction." Tinka turned on her barstool and looked around the tavern. "You see that half-elf over there?"

"Yeah."

The half elf man had long, rich brown hair, wore fine green, gold, and brown clothes, and was in the company of other elves and humans. "I understand that he is probably a fine example of his species. Doesn't mean I want to cross the species barrier for a good time, even if my human genitals might match up with his. Biologically, chemically, instinctually, nothing tells me I should. No more than wanting to have sex with this bar stool. And this thing is covered with pheromones."

"That is both revolting and clear. Is it bad to have so few options?"

"Better than having my pelt stolen by some man and made to be a human wife for the rest of my days." She shuttered. "That reminds me, if you could tell the other alchemists that anyone who touches the shed gets their fingers eaten by me, that would be great."

"You got it, Tink."

They raised their glasses and had another pint before heading back to The Conclave for the night. Nestor went to his dorm and Tinka slipped back into her pelt and slept in the garden.

Before dawn the next morning, Tinka went to wake up Nestor in her human form. She poked him in the arm, "Nestor."

He moaned happily, "Let me hit the priv, and I'm in." He opened his eyes and put on his glasses. He looked up at Tinka standing there and looked disappointed. "Oh, it's you."

"I told you to be ready this morning."

He looked out the window, "It's not even light out yet."

"Maybe in your eyes. To me, it's already clear out. Meet me in the garden. You have a list of the ingredients you need?"

He yawned. "Yeah. I'll be ready."

"Fifteen minutes. If you're not down that fast, I'll be back with a bucket of water." She walked away from him.

"Evil deer." He muttered.

He met her in the garden and Tinka was her deer-self when he got there. Nestor rubbed the tiredness from his eyes. "Are you ready?" Tinka asked chipper.

Nestor mumbled something unclear. The pair were on there way out of the Conclave walls and through the city. Nestor had his mug filled with coffee as they walked through North Pomme coming to life for the day. He waved to a cobbler friend and a metalsmith he knew from his old life. Tinka kept quiet and close to Nestor. They exited the city gates and Tinka breathed a sigh of relief. She got more relaxed the further they got from the city and the closer to the forest. "Every time I do that, I'm reminded why I don't like doing that."

"What? Walking through town?" Nestor asked.

"You never have seen me in my deer form in the city, have you?"

"Sure I have." He sipped more of his coffee.

"Outside of the Conclave walls?"

Nestor appeared to jog his memory for a moment, "Huh. I guess not."

"You don't see the way most people look at me when I'm in my pelt. I'm a monster, a freak of nature, a meal, or a whore to them."

"Come on." Nestor dismissed.

"Two men made eye contact with me while sharpening knives. One woman scowled. And when you were getting your coffee, a teenaged boy threw a rock at my neck and laughed. Being in my pelt in the city isn't safe for me alone."

"Why didn't you say so before?"

"When I hissed at a father and son who throw rocks, it doesn't change my evil reputation," Tinka was stoic.

"Maybe they do that because you hiss?"

"Maybe I hiss because humans throw rocks!" She yelled. "People--" She stopped mid-thought on the forests edge. Her ears twitched and the fur on her back stood. "Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Nestor said.

Before he could say both words, Tinka took off like a bolt into the woods, following the scent. What is that? She saw the newly broken in trail and followed the scent that drove her into the woods. It was intoxicating, strong, and clear. This was another selkie; a male deer selkie. She sprinted through the shrubs, weaving through trees, and leaping over logs and rocks. She was driven by the scent and needed to find the source. She got to the clearing where the scent stopped, an open field of lilacs in a late season second bloom. She knew the smell, and it overpowered the one she followed. The trail of the buck-selkie ended. She stepped up to the lilacs, taking an inhale of them in consolation. Disheartened, she followed her trail back to Nestor's calls.

The scent of the selkie faded against the volume of Nestor's yells. "Tinka! Tinka! Where are you?"

Her head hung low as she approached. "I'm here. We can go now."

"What was that about?" He put his arm over her back and gave her a comforting hug she could not reciprocate. "I knew there was something wrong after what you told me. If you needed to take off-- A little warning, you know?" Even in her deer form, he could see the sad look on her face.

"I thought-- It's not important. You have a list, right? Plants and such?" She refocused off the fading, intoxicating smell of the male, and back onto why she was there in the first place. Nestor spoke, reading off his list as they walked further into the woods together.

Some of the plants were close by the trail; Nestor collected them and made notes. The pair started to wander off the trail to look for more of the plants. When they came to a spot in the forest where the narrow trail ended to a stream that forked, Tinka stopped them. "I need you to wait here a minute."

"What? Why?" Nestor asked.

"If you want to get the last few items on your list, and some potential answers on how to use them, you're going to need permission, and I have to ask for it."

Nestor looked confused for a moment as Tinka crossed the stream and headed up the far fork of the stream. He leaned against a tree and waited. He pulled out a book and quill and went over the notes he had made.

"You'll need to be respectful, it's her forest, she's the one who lets you in." Nestor stopped writing. He heard the voice, a man's voice, an accent he couldn't quite place. The voice was strong and commanding, yet congenial, but no one was near him.

"Would you care to elaborate?" He didn't move a muscle in his body, but he began to slowly move his eyes around. Nestor didn't know who he was talking to, or what. He didn't spend a lot of time with non-humans besides Tinka. Their initial meeting became a life debt. He was incredibly careful of his non-human interactions from then on.

"The Tree Spirit. The one Tinka is bringing you to. She may not be a human like you. But she is most certainly her own person, and definitely a lady. One of the finest ones I've had the pleasure of knowing." He sighed after he finished speaking.

Nestor listened carefully and and scratched notes to what the voice said. "I see." He was careful not to answer in a clear affirmative. He carefully phrased his question. He still had no clue who or he was talking to, he didn't want to initiate a contract. He was stuck in a puzzle and he was one of the pieces and blind to most of the playing field. "What would The Tree Spirit say her experience with you is?"

The voice let out a booming, joyful laugh that seemed to echo all around Nestor. A singular, strong, soulful voice nearly sang out his laughter. "My dear boy, I would begin to tell you and you would die, decompose, and be reborn from the ground from which you sprang before I came close to being half way done."

"That could be a long time, I imagine," Nestor hesitated. Don't mess with fairies. You never mess with fairies. A trickle of sweat went down Nestor's temple and cheek.

The voice laughed again. "Ah, don't you worry, my boy, today is not that day." From 20 feet in front of Nestor, the figure moved. He started to walk towards Nestor. He had the build of a human, markings of human flesh tones among the grey skin tones, freckles both human brown and dark pebbles, a chest length beard, and long wispy but full grey-green-brown hair, a simple beige tunic, green vest, mended brown pants, and a leather belt large enough to be a piece in industrial, mechanical equipment. Somehow his looks were both shocking and normal. Why shouldn't this rock-man have two inch horns on his temples and lower jaw tusks? He had been leaning against a tree the whole time before Tinka had left. He plodded towards Nestor with a smile on his face. As far as Nestor could tell, this person was no more than five to ten years older than him. "My name is Bertram. I may be the Last Troll Prince, I may call this forest home, but is with Her say I am welcome." Bertram stuck out his hand to shake Nestor's.

Nestor carefully placed his quill in his left hand and shook Bertram's hand. He remained careful and cautious in his phrasing. "My name is Nestor. I may be an apprentice alchemist. I may call North Pomme home, but I am hoping with Her say I am welcome."

Bertram laughed and gave Nestor's arm a slap. He was finally knocked out of place by Bertram's strength. Bertram didn't just look like stone, he was stone. Nestor stood back up straight and rubbed his now throbbing arm. Nestor was taller than him. "I understand what you're doing, but I am no fairy. I'm the most loquacious rock troll you will ever meet."

"So...you don't follow their laws or niceties?" Nestor rubbed his arm and started to relax.

"Ha!" Bertram pulled a pipe out and lit it. "You want nice? Go see a fairy. You want interesting? Meet literally anyone else."

"Wait--The Last Troll Prince? I know who you are. Tinka told me about you."

"Ah," he clicked his tongue in his mouth a couple times and took a puff of the pipe, "She's a ball of energy. Fun girl."

Nestor gave him a somewhat confused if not crooked look, "Maybe it's a species or culture understanding I am not following. Tinka and I are...adults of our species."

"When you have seen the rise and fall of empires, the growth and decline of the forest, the mountains themselves rise like your own offspring. Know this: I am the ferment of the Earth. I was here before man, and will be here long after man is gone. To me, to The Tree Spirit, even to the fairies, you're all children."

"Huh." Nestor took his quill back into his hand and took a note to what Bertram said. "Fascinating."

"Now that is a fine-looking quill." Bertram said.

It wasn't the scarlet macaw feather Tinka had given him, it was a fairly simple short hawk feather, had a built in ink fountain, and enough ink to get him through the day's notes. "Oh. This old thing? I replaced the tip on it with a finer point so the ink in it would last longer. Less of a chance of leaking."

"Ooh! It's a steel-head. I do enjoy a good quill." Bertram pulled a similar quill from his pocket with a bronze tip and a black feather. "This one is nice and smooth with a really narrow--"

"Again with the quills, Bertram?" Said Tinka as she crossed the stream to rejoin Nestor with Bertram. She looked to Nestor. "You know if you're not careful, he'll keep talking until your stomach growls. Then he'll offer you something to eat and I promise you, you will not want to eat it."

"Oh, it wasn't bad. You know I never go hungry. I never let anyone go hungry." Bertram said with a smile.

"Yeah. But Nestor here hesitated when he was given cat to eat. I don't think he would eat children of his own species."

"You eat children?!" Nestor said with shock on his face.

"Only the naughty ones, yet I never go hungry." Bertram gave his stomach a tap.

"And you ate...at his table, Tink?" Nestor asked.

"It's not cannibalism if we're not the same genus or species. I'm an omnivore and opportunist." She said without shame.

"Yet, I'm the one called 'Nestor the Cruel.'"

Bertram and Tinka looked at each other and spoke at the same time, "You want nice, go see a fairy!" They both laughed loudly after.

"Thanks for keeping my brother company, Rock-Father." Tinka said.

"Anytime, my child. Anytime." Bertram turned, puffed on his pipe and walked away from them.

Nestor hunched to Tinka's ear. "What was that? Your Rock-Father? Permission? Semi-cannibalism? Am-am I safe here?" Nestor asked nervously.

Tinka smiled and ticked her head for him to follow her. "Come on, Jacqueline is waiting. Did you think he was scary? Intimidating? Evil?"

"Uh, yes."

"But he seemed to like you just fine."

"We talked about fairies, quills, and he told me to be respectful of The Tree Spirit. She's her own person."

Tinka laughed a little. "You got that right. But if all of us: You, Bertram, and me, if we're all cruel or evil, has anything malicious happened to us at the actions of the others?"

"I guess not."

"We're not counting the Macaw incident?"

"To be fair, you said malicious. That was an accident!"

"Fine. But the point I'm getting to is this. If we usually get respect for our reputations. Jacqueline The Tree Spirit: might as well be a queen. She is more powerful than Willona the Wise. She is as old as Bertram. She knows more about the forest and life than we will ever comprehend."

"She sounds amazing."

"She is. But don't be mistaken. She can be as soft as a southern breeze or as angry as a hail storm. She has a will of steel. She is not to be crossed. She does not speak to most humans. When I say I ask permission, it is for an introduction. You have to earn your own respect with her."

"And you're telling me this now?"

"She's telling you this now," said a woman's voice.

Nestor and Tinka came to a stop in a circle of oak trees. Branches swung around them. The first few leaves on them were starting to turn yellow for the season. The woman's voice had similar effect that Bertram's had: a singular, powerful, yet congenial voice that seemed to surround them.

"Jacqueline. This is Nestor the Cruel, the one I told you about, the Apprentice Alchemist, my brother." She gave Nestor a head bump into his arm. Unfortunately, it was the same spot Bertram had slapped him and he winced to her push.

Nestor looked around at the trees and couldn't see where the voice had emanated from. He didn't know how to properly address her. He tried to emulate the situation again. "Hello Jacqueline." He glanced to Tinka to see where she looked and tried to look in the same direction as her. "I am learning alchemy and am having difficulty with plant studies. Tinka mentioned your vast knowledge. I was hoping you would consider helping me, if you're willing."

"I have been told," Jacqueline spoke. Nestor still couldn't tell where her voice came from. He began to think the forest was playing tricks on him, perhaps Jacqueline specifically, as a test. "Do you have a good reason why I should help you?"

"I--um, the books in the library have failed me. My medicinal plant studies go poorly. I can't imagine a greater source for knowledge on the subject than thee source. "

"Offer her your flagon," Tinka whispered to Nestor.

"Seriously? It's fortified wine."

"That's perfect," she whispered loudly.

"Um, Jacqueline," He took a step forward, he wasn't sure if it was actually the correct direction. He took the flagon off himself and held it in his hand. "I have some fortified wine to share, if you would like to...enjoy it."

A happy gasp emanated from the trees. This was not a breeze; this was a clear inhale. From one of the high up branches, she leaped to the ground. Jacqueline stood up straight from her landing. She was a tree spirit taken a human-like body form: twisted oaken branches with leaves sweeping through her body, acorns protruding every so often from her, and a clear face looking right at Nestor. "Port or Brandy?" She asked with a smile and wide, welcoming branch-arms.

Nestor uncorked the flagon, "Port, with cherry. The season for them just ended, but I'm sure you knew that." He held out the flagon to her.

"For the black cherries, yes." She reached behind herself and pulled out the largest acorn cap Nestor had ever seen; it was bigger than a Champaign saucer. Jacqueline poured the port into the acorn cap and sipped it. "Now the ground cherries, those are just coming up. Oh, that's good. There are some chocolate tones in there." She took another sip topped up the drink, and handed the flagon back to him. "Come. Ask me your questions, and I will show you more than you ever imagined."

Nestor glanced back to Tinka smiling and following them. Jacqueline showed Nestor around the forest. The parts lost to man for a generation. Old abandoned gardens that had plants that were unnatural to the forest, but she kept attending to them as a hobby. Jacqueline paged through Nestor's notebook and gave him samples of plants from both her garden and the forest. She made notes in his failed experiments for fixing them. Nestor lit up with all her help. "Jacqueline, this is amazing. I can't begin to thank you enough for all this. For all you have done. For all this will do to help me in my studies."

"You remind me a little of a Druid I know. A human with a thirst for knowledge tends to be a good one," Jacqueline said with a smile on her face, sipping the last drops from her acorn cap.

Tinka laughed until she snorted. "He has a reputation to maintain. He can't let people know that 'Nestor the Cruel' is a good person."

"All in moderation, Tink." Nestor said.

"You bring another port like that, some seeds, I'm happy to make a trade for knowledge or other plants anytime." Jacqueline offered.

"You have my thanks again." Nestor said as he began to walk out of the circle of oaks.

"Tinka!" Jacqueline called to her. She whispered in Tinka's ear and it twitched a couple times. Tinka looked at Jacqueline with a stunned face. Jacqueline smiled.

"Thank you! Thank you for everything." Tinka said as she leaped towards Nestor.

"Anytime My Deer child. Anytime."

Tinka and Nestor retraced their steps back towards the main trail of the forest. "What was that about," he asked.

Tinka tried to hide her excitement, "Oh, just forest gossip. She just confirmed some information." She giggled a little.

"Care to elaborate? Anything I can help with? I might know about it."

Tinka laughed hard. "Put it this way: in the last year, have you asked me for help once in your alchemy studies?"

"No. I have no reason to."

"Same answer, brother."

"Fair enough, Tink."

Continue to Part 2