The Forest of the Secret Keeper

The flying creature was chuckling to itself, amused with itself at the memories of the humans running away out of the forest. It would not suffer their presence long in their domain and was satisfied in its action as it took to the air to return to its lair. The creature's view of the world was overlaid with lines of Essana, the living energy of the world that suffuses all matter in varying degrees.

The creature only enjoyed its aerial view for a few moments, when a tiny lilting melodic voice singing a familiar song that drew the flying creature's attention as it cleared the forest canopy to the adjacent clearing next to a pool of water, feed by a slow moving stream.

Curiosity piqued, it circled the clearing, watching the trees and bees moving about, but, in the afternoon sun, couldn't readily see the voice's source.

After a few turns, the creature decided to land, the surrounding foliage and undergrowth stirred up by the beats of its large wings, as it alighted onto its four legs with its his head down over the pool, allowing it a look at its reflection as it folded its wings around its body.

The weathered, scaly reptilian snout and face of a dragon, framed by spikes denoting it as male, stared back with blue eyes as it swivelled its head upon its long neck over the pool, taking in the bronze green-coloured scales as they reflected in the sunlight.

The dragon bared its teeth in a simulacrum of anger, the kind that set humans to running if they were stupid/brave/foolish enough to let him get that close. For the most part, its shadow, roar or its gouts of flame tended to send them scurrying away as it did only quite recently.

Turning away from its reflection, it continued its investigation of the clearing. It was now silent. The dragon pursed its lips in consternation as slowly turned around at the empty clearing.

"Oooooooh...... big!" A tiny voice spoke in wonder.

The dragon's eyes widened in surprise as it quickly shifted into invisibility as it turned its long neck around to bear its eyes to a large open log where, at an open end, was a child on all fours, its face directed up towards it.

As quietly as it could, the dragon moved away as it turned its bulk around so it was able to straighten its neck. It noted the child seemingly following, crawling out of the long and gingerly stand up on their legs as the face tracked the dragon's movement.

"Pretty colours!" Intoned the child, their face joyful in delight.

The dragon's look of consternation became that of surprise, snaking its head left and right on its long neck, watching the child's face following in rapturous wonder.

"This child can see me even though I am invisible." Realised the dragon, keenly surprised.

The dragon lowered itself on its haunches, as it brought its head down as close as it could to the child, noting details such as the curly blond hair, the fine yet dirty gown and the round cheeks.

It wasn't until the dragon's snout, breath held, was nearly touching the child, that the dragon noticed a peculiarity. Each pupil of the child's eyes were nearly white, which the dragon could only see by tilting its head down to look over its nose. The child was no taller than the distance between the dragon's nose to the bottom of its chin.

"The little one is blind but yet she can clearly see me somehow." The dragon raised a quizzical eyebrow.

As if in reply, the child raised its right hand and made a small wave. "Hi."

The dragon drew back its head, flabbergasted at being addressed, finding voice to reply in the human language. "Hello, little one. Are you not afraid of me?"

The child shook their head. "No..... you're pretty. I'm Ella." said the child, curtseying in their gown.

"Well Ella, my name is Zhaedrus." replied the dragon, somewhat bemusedly, tilting its head in a bow as he listened as Ella tried to replicate the sounds of his name.

"Can I just call you Zed?" asked Ella, somewhat frustrated.

"Hmmm, I'll allow it." nodded Zhaedrus as he suddenly remembered his reason for being there. "What were you singing just before, little one?"

"A song my mother told me." The child replied. "Why?"

"It sounded familiar. It is an old song." offered the dragon.

The child paused, seemingly in thought. "My mother would sing it to me but she also said that if I were on my own or lost, I should sing it so she would find me. I stopped when you came down."

Zhaedrus turned away for a moment as if listening to something in the distance before turning back to Ella. Sitting on his hind legs, he turned to ask. "I see.... How did you come to be in my forest, little one?"

"I was with a minder and his men." Ella replied matter-of-factly. "The minder said I was going to see a doctor to be made better."

Realising what he had just done in scaring off what looked like bandits, Zhaedrus was about to say so but something in Ella's voice bade Zhaedrus to ask. "You didn't believe him?"

Ella shook her head. "Uh uh. Before he got me, I heard him talk to the mother's uncle about me, who asked him to take me from home while on a picnic."

"We?" asked Zhaedrus, amazed at Ella's eloquence but surmising her hearing would be augmented from her blindness.

"Yes, I was with my nannies while my mother and father were busy. " replied Ella.

"Your parents must be important people to have others take care of you when they are busy." said Zhaedrus.

"Oh yes, they are the King and Queen."

Zhaedrus stiffened as he realised he was in the presence of the daughter of the rulers of the kingdom, in which his forest was situated in at the border.

"Are you ok, Zed?" Ella looked up at him inquisitively.

"Uh yes." Again he turned away. Something was happening elsewhere in the forest that was sounding urgent. "But first, there is something I must attend to but I don't wish to leave you alone."

"Please don't. I can't see where the minder is. I don't think they were good people." Ella started to look distraught.

"The minder and his men are gone." Zhaedrus felt embarrassed at his mistake. "I scared them away, which means I'll take of you for now, okay?"

Zhaedrus smiled as he saw Ella beam at him, and turned his head to the sky above.

Looking back at Ella, he held out his right foreclaw, palm facing up, placing it before her. "Come, I'll have to carry you."

"Ok, but are you ok to walk with three legs?" asked Ella innocently.

Zhaedrus chuckled. "Little one, do you know about dragons?"

Ella shook her head.

"Well, I'm sure when you are older, you'll hear about them. For now, what you need to know is I can fly." With a flourish, Zhaedrus extend his wings.

At the sound, Ella turned upon the palm, squealing with delight at how she saw them.

"Now hold on." said Zhaedrus as he curled a finger towards Ella to hold onto.

Crouching down on his three remaining legs, readying to take off while curling his finger claws over Ella as she sat in his right palm. With a simultaneous downbeat of his wings and a shove against the earth, he shot into the air, a shout escaping his reptilian lips in joy, echoed by Ella's quieter sound of glee.

Surprisingly, Zhaedrus could feel the joy emanating from the child as well as some what of she was seeing. He suspected that, bereft of normal sight, Ella could see the lines of Essana, the energy that perfuses everything in the world.

"An empath and true seer at such an age." thought Zhaedrus, content with flying through to air over the trees.

******

It was a short flight to where the disturbance was. A bear and wolves were fighting over the carcass of a deer and the noise was disturbing the other denizens of the forest.

Zhaedrus landed in a small clearing nearby, not wishing to risk Ella by directly landing into the disagreement. He started towards the arguing creatures.

Drawing Ella closer to his body, Zhaedrus. "Are you alright, Ella?"

"Yeah." Came the tiny reply.

"I have to stop a fight, okay?" asked Zhaedrus.

He felt Ella tighten her grip around his finger. "Okay."

Gingerly, he snaked his way through and around the trees towards where the bear and wolves were at a seeming stand-off over the deer's body. Zhaedrus surmised that there have already been blows judging by some scratches on both the wolves and the bear.

Spying a nearby boulder, he carefully placed his right hand and opening his fingers. "Wait here, little one. Don't be scared of anything you hear, I'll just be talking to the bear and wolves. You can see them can't you?"

Ella nodded. "Sort of. They aren't as bright and pretty as you."

"No, I suppose not." He, being a dragon, was inherently a magical creature by nature and drew upon Essana more than non-magical creatures.

He made to move away but not before turning towards Ella. "Stay there."

Ella nodded again. Satisfied, Zhaedrus turned to the now waiting creatures.

With a series of vocalisations and gently prods into their animal minds, Zhaedrus made them understand that he was cutting the deer's body in half , to which the creatures agreed.

He was about to use his right claw to slice the animal but quickly thought better of it and keep it pristine for Ella. Instead he used his left claw and made short work of the deer.

Stepping back, he heard the animals' approval as they grabbed their respective portions.

He drew his head back in satisfaction, only to be interrupted by a squeal from behind.

Quickly turning around, he looked at the boulder that was Ella's perch only to see it vacant. But soon enough from behind, upon a rocky outcrop behind the boulder, Zhaedrus beheld the sight of a wolf carrying Ella away, the child's gown held in its teeth.

Realising that the child didn't know the danger she was in, Zhaedrus drew upon the Essana about him and yelled. "STOP!"

The wolf paused suddenly in its tracks as if frozen, causing Ella to start swinging back and forth. The child was laughing.

Zhaedrus came up to Ella and the wolf, placing his right palm beneath the child.

"DROP." commanded Zhaedrus.

The wolf suddenly moved and opened its jaws, releasing Ella into Zhaedrus' palm.

"GO." Zhaedrus glared at the wolf.

Yelping as if struck, the wolf ran quickly away.

"Bye, doggy." Ella waved at the wolf as it soon disappeared in the trees.

It was then Zhaedrus heard a sound not unlike the growl of a canine. He protectively curled his fingers once more around Ella as he looked for another wolf that was audacious enough to challenge him, but he saw none.

He then heard the sound again and realised it came from between the fingers of his claw. The source was Ella.

"Are you alright?" asked Zhaedrus.

Ella pursed her lips. "I think I'm hungry. I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"Oh? What about the picnic?" quizzed Zhaedrus.

"The minder and his men quickly came to get me at the picnic before I ate. There was shouting and I couldn't see clearly what going on but next thing I knew, I was here in the forest." replied Ella. "The other men were getting food ready, while the minder took me to the pool."

Zhaedrus sighed to himself, acknowledging once more to himself that he was responsible for the child's current predicament. It was then he noticed that he himself was hungry and, now being closer to his lair than the bandit's camp, he made a decision.

"Well, it won't do for us to be on an empty stomach. My home is nearby and we can eat and then sleep for the night." explained Zhaedrus.

Ella looked hesistant. "I've never been away from mother at night before."

Zhaedrus brought his right palm as close to his head as he could so Ella could see him. "It will be dark soon, little one. I will figure out how to get you to her tomorrow, okay?"

There was a pause before Ella nodded.

Zhaedrus headed to where he landed before, from which he then took off to head to his lair, taking in the sight of the setting sun, allowing Ella a view of it that drew a gasp of amazement. Satisfied, he angled for his lair.

******

Zhaedrus' lair was an underground tunnel that lead to a cavern at its end, the tunnel mouth itself opening to the side of what would have been underground stream if it weren't for the fissure to the ground above.

After landing gently on the stream bank, Zhaedrus walked over to the tunnel mouth and allowed Ella to walk onto a flat rock from his palm. He spat upon a wide indented rock nearby an oily substance that started to burn into a flame, illuminating and warming the cave near Ella.

"I will be nearby. I just have to get you a few things for our meal." said Zhaedrus. Ella sat upon the edge of the rock and dangled her legs, her feet only scant inches above the ground.

In short order, he carefully picked up a large bowl and small chalice, both made of gold, and a robe of fine thick fabric, and returned to Ella, whom he bade to sit up so he could place the robe on the rock followed by the small chalice.

He judged the chalice as small enough to act as an impromptu bowl for Ella, who appeared delighted with the bowl and the now comfortable seat.

Satisfied, Zhaedrus set about to take the large bowl to fill it with water, followed by a sojourn above ground through the fissure, but not before assuring Ella of his quick return with a surprise.

Indeed, he returned with a branch that he broke off from a pear tree bearing fruit and deposited near Ella, with some force resulting in some fruit to fly off to the ground.

After embedding Essana around the chalice so that Ella may see it better, Zhaedrus asked her to hold it up, as he gingerly picked up some of the fruit, the first couple suffering from his lack of practice dealing with such.

With the bowl half full, Zhaedrus then said. "I have a surprise but it is one of my secrets that I would like to show you, if you'd like?"

"Yes, please." Ella practically jumped upon his open hand before holding on once more.

Holding his claw to face forward, Zhaedrus made his way through the tunnel.

"Dragons hoard things. For the most part, it is made up of treasure like gold and jewellery but especially gold" Started Zhaedrus.

"You mean like in there?" Ella pointed to an alcove that contained man-made things, from which he gotten the items from before, some of which were magical in nature and hence obviously visible to Ella.

"Indeed." Intoned Zhaedrus. "I too like gold but of a different sort."

As they ventured further in the tunnel, what started as a low hum grew in intensity until it was now a buzzing sound until the tunnel opened into a large cavern filled with bees, the walls covered with their industry and produce. Zhaedrus turned his head to Ella, her face one of wonder.

"Have you ever heard of or tasted honey, Ella?" Zhaedrus asked.

"Oh yes, I like the taste." replied Ella.

He slowly swept his arm bearing Ella in arc before him. "This is my secret, little one. I hoard honey which is gold in colour. And we shall have some with our meal.

"Yaayyy!" the girl clapped happily.

Identifying a suitable sized amount of honeycomb, Zhaedrus drew near with his head and held his mouth close, until smoke started billowing out of his nostrils and waved it near the honey, pacifying nearby bees.

"What are you doing? asked Ella.

"Quietening the bees. They attack if you don't do see and their sting can still hurt inside my nose and mouth if I am not careful." Zhaedrus bit into the chuck of honey and levered it away from the wall.

Making their way back to the other end of the tunnel, Zhaerus once more deposited Ella upon her prepared perch, as he broke up a tiny portion the honeycomb into the chalice.

Gesturing her to try it, Zhaedrus waited until she tested the honeycomb, who found it to her liking and tucked into her meal of pears and honeycomb. Zhaedrus followed suit with his honeycomb.

After their meal, Zhaedrus guided Ella to the bowl of water to wash and they both settled down for sleep.

Lying on the robe upon the rock, Ella asked "Tell me a story? I learn my words from stories."

"Well you are well spoken for your age." said Zhaedrus as he decide on a story.

It was one from a long time ago about a man who, although not blind, could see as Ella does, which allowed this man to go train in a temple to gain abilities that went with such sight, such as healing or foretelling rain. However, one night, some refugees had come to the temple, a fair number of which were orphans including one baby that wouldn't settle. Hearing of the baby's plight, the man went to hold and sing to the baby until they went to sleep.

"What did the man sing?" asked Ella sleepily.

"I believe you know the song." Zhaedrus started to hum the very song that Ella had that drew his attention earlier in the day. It was indeed familiar to him, a song of Essana weavers, an order that practiced, in effect, magic.

Zhaedrus hummed until he was sure that Ella had fallen asleep. Seeing that she had done and was safe, he rested his head and drifted off.

******

It was a sleep filled with dreams of fairies, spirits and even a white stag, however the voices of two men talking came in, the change abrupt enough to wake Zhaedrus from his slumber.

"I do not dream." Thought Zhaedrus. He looked down on his upturned right palm, now covered with the robe upon which was the sleeping prone of Ella. He realised he was somehow seeing her dreams.

He closed his eyes and replayed what he saw and realised he was seeing Ella's encounters with other magical creatures. However, when he reached the voices of the two men, he focused on the content.

"You will take the child at the picnic tomorrow and take her to the next kingdom to an orphanage." A stern commanding voice said.

"Of course, my lord, but she is but a child and surely of no threat to yourself." A subservient voice replied.

"No, not yet, but she may in time."

"Why, my lord?"

"She sees things that concern me. For now, I have convinced her parents and nannies that they are mere fanciful imaginings of a child that could be easily misconstrued by visitors."

"Very good, my lord."

"Now, leave, I must check upon the child to see if she is responding to my treatment before her parents return for her."

Zhaedrus looked upon the child with concern, but she seemed to be sleeping fitfully enough.

He watched until he found sleep once more.

******

The noise of splashing woke Zhaedrus, the light of a new day coming through the fissure in the ceiling above. He realised quickly that his palm was empty and turned to spy Ella in the stream.

Seeing that she was safe, he quickly went into the tunnel before coming back out to her.

"I had to go." Ella said.

"Go?" Zhaedrus was momentarily confused until realisation hit. "Oh, you mean...."

Ella nodded.

"Well, if you are finished..." Another nod. "Come forward so I may dry you."

As Ella stepped out of the water, Zhaedrus spoke a string of words in an ancient language, that cleaned and dried Ella by the time she stood before him, her attention drawn by the dance of the Essana around her before they stilled once more.

Looking out of the fissure, Zhaedrus heard a cacophony of noise that indicated there were humans once again in the forest. Unsure what to make of it, he turned to Ella.

"Are you hungry?" Zhaedrus asked.

"No, I picked more fruit and ate it." replied Ella.

Zhaedrus nodded in acknowledgment. "Good, there appeard to be more people about in the forest. I will deal with them first before I'll take you home, okay?"

"Okay." Said Ella.

Securing Ella in his right claw once more, he rocketed out of the fissure into the morning sky and flew around to get his bearings.

To his surprise, the spoor of the humans were towards where he had encountered Ella and the bandits yesterday and made his way to the same clearing.

Landing quietly, he let Ella alight from his palm, bading her to be silent as he made himself invisible and listened.

"The blaggard is pointing through the trees beyond, Your Majesty." It was the stern voice from Ella's dream.

To Zhaedrus' surprise, he again heard the song but this time from a mature feminine voice.

"Momma!" shouted Ella.

"Did you hear that? That was Ella!" There were shouts as what sounded like a troop crashed and hacked their way through the woods.

Into the clearing came a small party of eight, a blond haired woman of regal bearing, a robed man with black flowing hair that had the air of magic user, a bound and gagged man that Zhaedrus recognised as the one nearest Ella yesterday and what looked like five guardsman. All were dressed in adventurer's gear, the woman and the robed man's attire looking more upper class than the rest.

The woman went down to one knee, tears of joy in her eyes. "Ella, my daughter, come to me, follow my voice, you are safe now."

Ella looked at the party, taking in what she saw.

"I can see you momma." said Ella, who then turned to look up at Zhaedrus. "She is beautiful."

Zhaedrus' head bobbed up and down once in agreement.

It was then the robed man spoke. "The poor child must be delirious from hunger. She couldn't possibly see you or us."

Ella looked at the man. "I don't like him, he's not nice and is ugly."

"I am most certainly not young lady." Huffed the robed man.

"Asimir, calm down...... Ella, who are talking to?" Asked her mother, looking concerned.

"Zed, he's a dragon." Ella pointed up.

"Your Highness, this is preposterous. I have repeatedly told you that your child is seeing things and letting her mind be filled with figments of her imagination." said Asimir.

"I assure you that I am not a figment." Zhaedrus dropped his fascade and let his words grumble as if it were an earthquake.

The whole party took a step back at the reveal, some pointing their weapons at Zhaedrus. The bandit from yesterday looked like he was about to faint.

Zhaedrus fixed them all a look before settling upon Ella's mother. He bowed before addressing her, concentrating on pronouncing his words as eloquently as possible. "Your Highness, I am pleased to make your acquaintance and have had the joy of hosting your daughter for the past day."

Ella's mother looked surprised at being addressed. "I.... I thank you for watching over my daughter, Ellaegis. I am her mother, Queen Alina. Whom am I addressing?"

"In due time, I will say my name but first I must address the cause of the misadventure that led to your daughter being in my care." replied Zhaedrus.

Queen Alina furrowed her brow as she looked at Zhaedrus before looking at Asimir and the bandit. "Oh, from my understanding of what our head court mage Asimir has said, that a party of bandits took the opportunity to steal my daughter away to ransom her."

Zhaedrus spoke. "I believe that is a fabricated falsehood."

A nervous looking Asimir. "Your majesty, I heard the words myself from this bandit."

"I would like to hear them myself. Guardsman, remove the gag from the prisoner." commanded Queen Alina.

She waited until the gag was removed. "Now speak.

The frightened looking bandit tried to mouth words only for now sound to come out.

Asimir looked somewhat relaxed until Zhaedrus spoke. "TRUTH."

As if a dam broke, the bandit quickly rambled and confessed that it was all a plot masterminded by Asimir to remove Ella who was a threat to his plans.

Queen Alina looked angrier and angrier as Asimir looked more and more terrified.

"It is the truth. I have heard it from Ella's memories." said Zhaedrus.

Queen Alina slowly turned to Asimir. Panicking, Asimir suddenly had a dagger in his hand and lunged at the queen faster than anyone expected.

"STOP!" A young tiny voice commanded.

Asimir's dagger was a mere inch from the queen's throat.

"DROP!" A second command.

The dagger clattered to the ground.

"Don't hurt my mother." said Ella.

Zhaedrus couldn't hide his surprise as the girl had tapped some of his strength to wield Essana to stop Asimir.

Recovering quickly, Queen Alina bid the guards the bind and gag Asimir. She ordered them to take them away as she turned her attention to Ella and Zhaedrus.

A guardsman stayed back. "Are you sure its safe, Your Highness?"

Queen Alina. "If my daughter is safe with the dragon, I'm sure I shall be fine. Now please go and wait at the carriages."

"Very good, Your Highness." The guardsman walked away as the queen ran to her daughter and wrapped her in a hug.

As he did so, Zhaedrus once more spoke a string of words that passed over the Queen's head and went out to the guardsman and the others beyond.

Holding Ella, the Queen turned as she noticed Zhaedrus' intonation. "I am a little out of practice in my ancient language but did you just cast something about forgetting and changes?"

"My standard precaution, Your Highness. Those men will forget about my participation, indeed my presence, in this manner. I like to keep myself secret so I may continue my duties as keeper of this forest."

"I see, what will they remember?" Queen Alina asked.

"When you get back, as far as they are concerned, they successfully recovered Ella.... I mean, Ellaegis and stopped an attempted coup by this Asimir." explained Zhaedrus.

"And us?" Queen Alina and Ella looked up at Zhaedrus.

Zhaedrus sat on his hind leg as he looked down at them both. "I made you both exempt. Ella's youth will cloud her memory in time, so I would like to leave you, Your Highness, with the memory as well as advice and a gift for Ellaegis' wellbeing."

"Ella!" Pouted Ella.

"Of course, my sweet." Queen Ella held Ella closer to her. "I will accept."

"First, my name to go with the memory. I am Zhaedrus, a dragon ascendant and former Essana weaver."

Queen Alina's eyes widened. "Dragon ascendant? You mean....."

"I was human once a long time ago. Part of the Temple of Essana Weavers to the south at what would be the border of your kingdom. Which brings me to my advice....." said Zhaedrus, who shifted a moment. "When Ella reaches the age of twelve, bring her to that Temple for she indeed does possess the gift required."

"She really stopped Asimir just then?" asked Queen Alina incredulously.

"Yes, but I wouldn't worry about it repeating. Child learn to copy what they hear all the time, its only just with her gift and my presence she was able to do what she did, which brings me to my other advice." Zhaedrus stopped as if to clear his throat. "Continue singing that song to her. Its an old Essana weaver song that'll help maintain and focus Ella's ability as she grows."

"I thought it was just an old song. It has been in my family for generations." said Queen Alina.

"I suspect one of your ancestors may have had it sung to them, perhaps by an Essana weaver. And now the gift." Zhaedrus let out his tongue from which something fell to the gift. He spoke again the ancient language as Queen Alina went to pick it up.

Holding it up before Ella, Queen Alina saw it was a small medallion with imbedded crystals tied to a loop of string. She looked to Zhaedrus for explanation.

"It is for Ella to wear so that she may continue to see when she leaves the forest." Explained Zhaedrus.

"I don't know what to say but thank you on my and daughter's behalf." said Queen Alina.

Zhaedrus nodded and drew himself up. "You are both welcome and are as such if you wish to enter the forest."

He paused as if listening to something a little away. "Now you must go. Your men are getting restless."

"Time to say goodbye to your friend, Ella." explained Queen Alina as she noticed her daughter's look of concern.

Zhaedrus lowered his head until with reach of Ella's arm. "Goodbye, little one."

Ella reached both arms out to Zhaedrus' nose. "Do I have to go?"

"I'm afraid so." Zhaedrus's head turned slightly. "Goodbye, Your Highness."

Ella waved slowly, holding back tears, as Queen Alina retreated, bowing once. "Thank you and goodbye." She turned and walked away, with Ella looking over her mother’s shoulder.

“Bye, Zed.”

Zhaedrus nodded and watched until the undergrowth obscured them from view, listening until all was forest noise.