The Woman of the Woods

Deep in the forest, as the mountains begin to ascend, a cave is nestled between enormous, moss-covered boulders. While my siblings keep their hoards high on mountaintops, I’ve found success concealing the entrance to my subterranean cavern at the base of the climb, where the trees are thick and difficult to traverse. My smaller stature has granted me speed and agility, allowing me to slip into the cave with the treasures I’ve collected. Dragons are few and far between, now, as the humans send armies to the hoards, no longer cowering in fear. Like me, they use their smallness for stealth, and have destroyed many dragons that had plagued their villages and kingdoms.

I, and many others, are quick to descend upon a dragon’s abandoned hoard. The territory, now determined unsafe, is sometimes claimed by a larger, stronger dragon, while the rest of us take what we can carry back to our own hoards. No attempts have been made by the humans to overtake my territory, well-hidden as it is. The other dragons may call it “cowardice”, but I call it “intelligence”. The forest offers cover and protection, and is rich with animals to hunt.

In addition to the cover of the forest, I only travel at night, my black scales blending with the night sky as I glide silently over the trees to the surrounding kingdoms where I find the beautiful riches kept by humans. From time to time, a group of them will bring their treasures right into my forest, travelling between kingdoms with wedding dowries and tradeable goods. I let them pass, sometimes, to create the illusion of safety, so more travelers will come.

This is what I initially thought I had come across, one evening as I slipped between the trees in search of a deer or wild boar to eat. It wasn’t quite dark enough to fly above the trees, but the sound of nearby heartbeats told me it would be a quick hunt. As I approached one of the human-made trails, the sound of hoofbeats and wagon wheels became clear. I moved closer curiously, keeping out of sight. Instead of a long caravan with armed guards walking with the carriages, it was one carriage drawn by two horses, making its way swiftly deeper into the forest.

Three human heartbeats could be heard along with the two horses. I considered leaving the lone carriage, likely not to be filled with treasure, but the five of them would make an excellent meal. As I considered this, however, I was caught off-guard as the carriage slowed down, and exited the safety of the path to travel into the trees. My interest piqued, I began to follow the carriage, remaining out of sight, to see what reason these humans could possibly have for leaving the path. After a distance, the carriage stopped, and the two passengers left the carriage to continue on foot.

I narrowed my eyes and craned my neck to see. Two heartbeats, but only one set of footsteps. It seemed one of the humans was carrying the other. A child, I realized as I was able to catch a glimpse of them through the trees, who appeared to be asleep. The woman carrying the child walked quite a distance, stepping over roots and fallen branches, until she was nearly far enough to lose sight of the torches on the carriage. It was here that she laid the child down gently, under a large, thorny bush, and turned away to go back to the carriage. I watched in astonishment as she and the carriage returned the way they came, abandoning the child for reasons I could not fathom.

I watched the child as they slept, not appearing to be sick or injured, just asleep. Other animals were drawn by their scent, but were quickly frightened away by my presence. I could have eaten the child, or continued hunting, but I was curious to see what the child would do when they awoke.

It wasn’t until the sun began to peak over the horizon that the child stirred. As she made her way out of the bushes, looking around in alarm at the unfamiliar surroundings, I was able to determine she was a little girl, with dark brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a pale blue dress. I knew little of the lifespan of humans, but she was certainly no infant, able to stand and walk on her own, and as she started calling out for help, surely old enough to speak.

All at once, she locked eyes with me, gasping and stumbling backwards into the bush. She pulled herself out of the bush again, pulling leaves and thorns out of her hair, and gingerly touching the scratches that had appeared on her face and hands. Tears began to form in her eyes, and she took shaky breaths, rubbing them from her eyes.

I was once again surprised by this child, as she did not begin to run in terror after seeing me. I moved around the trees to come closer to her, making more noise than I normally would to see if that would spur her into action. Instead, she looked up at me with watery eyes, and spoke.

“Can you help me? I’m lost!” she cried, unafraid of the dragon staring her down. “I can’t find my mother!”

She broke down then, sobbing and wailing as young children tend to do.

“You live here now, in the forest,” I told her, my voice a booming echo that I was unfamiliar with, as I hadn’t spoken to a human in centuries. “Forget your mother.”

The little girl continued to cry for a moment before she composed herself. “I’m Sarah. Can you help me?”

I tilted my head at her. Her lower lip quivered, and she took gasping breaths, even as she tried to calm down. I could have eaten her, or abandoned her there to fend for herself, but she continued to intrigue me.

“I will take you somewhere safe, and feed you. I can teach you things, as well. As long as you promise never to steal from me. If you do, I will eat you.”

“I promise,” she whimpered quietly.

I knelt down and helped her climb onto my back before taking her back to my cave. There, she was delighted to find all of the treasures in my hoard, and set up a place for herself out of some satin and velvet pillows, on a high outcropping of rock.

From then on, I cared for her, bringing her berries and cooking meat with my fire breath. I taught her to read the human language that was found in the books I’d gathered, and taught her how to move through the forest and hunt for herself. On her own, she studied the creatures of the forest, as well as the little fairies and brownies that inhabited parts of it. She became quite capable of navigated the forest alone, and eventually began to learn to use the weapons in my hoard, favoring a long knife and a bow and arrow.

She asked me about my kind, as well. My scales, and the two horns on my head, were a solid inky black, but I told her about the other dragons with brightly colored scales, some that glittered just like the piles of gold in our cave. Sometimes, in the night, she rode on my back as I flew over the trees and around the mountains, though I never took her on hunts to the villages.

With the books she read, she never forgot about the humans, although she did come to forget her family and her life before the forest. In the beginning, she asked me questions about where she came from, and I told her all I knew. A woman brought her to the forest and left her to die. I didn’t know why, and neither did she, but she did believe the woman was her own mother, and cried sometimes in the night from the pain of abandonment and betrayal.

Eventually, she became aware of the travelers and hunters that sometimes came into the forest. She watched them curiously, but was quick to evade them if she was ever seen. I wondered if she would ever approach them, perhaps ask them for help, or to take her back to human civilization. I reminded her sternly, more than once, that she had outgrown her own blue dress, and was clothed in gowns that I had acquired from hunts and other dragon’s hoards. If she left with these dresses, I would consider it a theft, and I would hunt her down and eat her. She seemed unafraid of this threat, having no intention of going back to the people that had abandoned her, but I knew that one day she would crave human companionship.

I knew this day was approaching, as she cared less and less about my fellow dragons and began to study humans more, reading my books and asking me what I knew. She watched in fascination as wedding parties and merchants travelled through the forest, trying to remember what it was like to live among humans.

Soon, I began to hear the rumors spreading among the humans, about the Woman of the Woods. They spoke of a well-dressed maiden that watched the hunters and travelers, but would disappear if pursued. Speculations ranged from the maiden being a wicked fairy or witch that would lure men to their deaths, to a kind spirit that offered protection to travelers. This was true, in a sense, since I had refrained from attacking any humans that the girl came across. I worried that witnessing my attacks would turn her against me, although she was well aware of what I did when I refused to bring her along.

My interest in Sarah grew into a sort of affection. I had never lamented my solitude, but her company was appreciated. I knew she loved me like a parent, the only caretaker she could remember. My fondness for her was not to the same extent, but I did care for her wellbeing, and I knew I would miss her when she died. However, I was not jealous of her interest in other humans, only concerned that she would betray my location, whether intentionally or not.

One day, as I expected, I listened to the heartbeat of one lone hunter, and the heart of Sarah drawing nearer to it. I listened closely, preparing to do away with the hunter if it came to it, but observing from afar for the time being, once again enamored with the strange behaviors of humans. The two approached each other cautiously, but soon found themselves in close company for several hours. Sarah did not leave the forest with him, nor did she bring him to our cave, and when his heartbeat joined that of his horse and sped away, Sarah waited until he was a safe distance before returning.

I commended her on her wisdom in keeping our location a secret. Sarah was bashful and almost apologetic to have been caught spending time with another human, but I assured her that such affairs were her own concern, so long as my rules be respected. She seemed happy about this, and spent the evening dancing around and grooming her long hair.

In the coming weeks, Sarah went out frequently to meet with the hunter. Sarah always went to their meeting place first and left well after the hunter did, and assured me that she had never revealed that she resides with a dragon. However, she did not say anything else about their conversations. I wondered if the hunter tried to convince her to take him to her home, or to leave with him, and if he hadn’t, why not?

I became curious as to what they talked about. Partially out of suspicion, and partially for the entertainment of it, I decided to follow her next time she met with the hunter, at a distance where I could hear what was spoken between them, but they would not be able to detect me.

They met early one sunny morning, while the sky was light, but the dew-covered forest remained in the shadow of the mountain. Sarah waited for her hunter in a small clearing. She sat on a flat rock surface, her hair gently billowing in the breeze. She was wearing a cream-colored dress with gold trimming, which she spent far too long deciding on, and several pieces of emerald-encrusted jewelry. It was clear that she wanted to look her best for him.

The hunter arrived and greeted her familiarly, and the two exchanged quiet greetings for some time. The conversation that followed was relatively uninteresting. The hunter, who Sarah called “James”, asked her about her life in the forest, and she spun tales of befriending the animals and exploring the land. She told him of the rivers she would swim in, waterfalls and cliffs with magnificent views. They walked together a bit, and I had to move to stay out of sight and to be able to hear them. After several hours, I was convinced that James’s intentions were only to indulge in the fantasy of a romance with an ethereal legend of the forest.

Then the conversation took a turn. Innocently and gradually, amidst reactions of marvel over the fairytale life Sarah described, he began to inquire about her origins, how she came to live in the forest, and eventually, about her home. He asked her about where she slept and cared for herself. When Sarah responded with a giggle, “the whole forest is my home,” he pointed out that she was well-groomed and dressed, wearing different clothes and jewelry each day, and must have somewhere safe and warm during the winter season.

Sarah began to waiver in her resolve, finding it harder to brush off his questions. James asked her about her parents, if she lived with them or if she was an orphan, and Sarah eventually revealed the story of her mother abandoning her here. James spent a great deal of time expressing his sympathy and comforting her, which quickly lost its novelty. I watched the sun gradually sinking lower in the sky, hoping the conversation would end soon, but not wanting to miss anything in case Sarah told him more.

It turned out to be beneficial to stay. As James continued to mourn of Sarah’s loneliness and lack of companionship, Sarah finally confided in him that she had a friend helping her. Naturally, James pressed for more information about this friend, and Sarah revealed that this mysterious friend was a powerful magical entity which needed to remain anonymous.

James gave a very dramatic speech about how fearful he was of this entity, and that powerful beings such as the one described were often tricky and manipulative. Sarah could not see how clearly he was lying, but I was immediately suspicious of his theatrics. It seemed to me that he was unsurprised by this information. It was only a matter of time before the humans tracked me back to this forest after the devastation I caused to their villages. Perhaps this hunter intended to use Sarah to get to me from the beginning.

I had a few options. I could eat him right then and there, and be done with it, but it risked upsetting Sarah, who would then have the power to seek out other humans and lead them to my cave. I could leave and find a new home, with or without Sarah. Or I could continue to observe the humans, at the risk that James return with an army of humans to destroy me.

I was an old dragon, closer to the end of my natural life than the beginning of it, and I had little fear for death. However, like old dragons, I held my treasures jealously, and I was furious to think of this hunter or any others having it.

An unsociable creature, I did not have friends, or even allies, really, but as Sarah forcefully pulled the conversation in a more pleasant direction, I was able to convince the forest brownies to find out more information for me about this hunter, and any rumors spreading about the Woman of the Woods, or about myself.

The brownies did not disappoint. It turned out that a price had been put on my head. Instead of sending an army, a nearby kingdom had proclaimed that the man who slayed the dragon would be married to his daughter, a beautiful princess, making him the crown prince and eventually, the king. Rumors circulated that the Woman of the Woods must know the dragon’s hiding place, unless she herself was the dragon using some magical disguise. Furthermore, I learned that several men before had tried to get close to this strange woman, but she had thus far evaded them.

There must be something special about this hunter James, I thought to myself. I felt an unfamiliar sense of anger at the unjustness of him taking advantage of Sarah like this. If he was really after the princess’s hand, what would become of Sarah after his plans were carried out? I thought of ways I could get rid of him, but sighed tiredly when I thought of all the other men who would come to try what he had failed.

I wondered if the princess was sitting high in a castle tower, staring wistfully out the window, awaiting her brave dragon-slayer. How could a man want her, over the passionate, adventurous Sarah? James would have his crown, and his kingdom, but he would be trapped in a dull and monotonous marriage to an empty-headed princess.

A wicked idea crossed my mind.

I felt a thrill in my heart, like I hadn’t felt since I was a young dragon finding my place in the world. What entertainment, Sarah had brought me, since she first came into the forest. And now, I came to the climax of the story, one which I would create myself, no longer a passive observer. I would fall, soon, into the embrace of death, but not before ensuring the prosperity of my ward, and the downfall of he who dared challenge me.

I told Sarah, one morning as she set out to meet her hunter, to enjoy this day with him, but tell him he would have to skip the next day’s visit. I had something to show her, and she could see him the following day. Predictably, Sarah was dismayed to be separated from her paramour for longer than necessary, but she was intrigued as I explained that there was a place in the forest she hadn’t seen yet, which she was sure to be enchanted by. It had been so long since I’d brought her to explore a new place, she soon warmed up to the idea.

I let her run off to meet James, careless now if she decided to reveal the location of my cave. He could not possibly be prepared to lay siege to my hideout, and would return home again to prepare, if Sarah told him what he wanted to know. I only needed one more day.

Sarah woke early in the morning and skipped around excitedly, dressing in the more practical clothing she used to wear when exploring the forest. I was struck with a sadness, seeing her. She was like a pet to me, but more. A daughter, I suppose I would admit. And I knew that I was the only parent she had ever known. Surely, she would mourn my death. But all things must die, even she knew this.

The place I brought Sarah, riding on my back between my wings as I slithered through the trees silently, was a magical spring in the heart of the woods, so deep into the thick trees that day turned into night. On the way, I told her a story she’d heard many times, about how she came into my life. This time, however, I told her how I felt about it all; intrigued and entertained by the unexpected behaviors of her mother and herself, and how what had spared her life was my own curiosity. I admitted to her for the first time that I had come to love her, and that I was glad to have taken her in.

Sarah knew that dragons, especially old ones like me, spared little energy for emotions. This break from character had her on edge. Before further conversation, however, we arrived at the spring, and she was distracted by the ethereal blue glow that emanated from the bubbling water, illuminating the small pond that collected before it bled out into streams. I instructed her to bathe in the spring, and she obediently stepped into the water, wading out to the deepest point and fully submerging herself.

As she gently scrubbed away the grime of the forest, I channeled my own magic into that of the spring, binding her to me. I created a curse on my hoard, so that if anyone, human or dragon, exited the cave with an object from my hoard, they would die. The exception, of course, being Sarah. As she exited the water, I told her that when I died, the treasures would belong to her, in this way ensuring that it could not be stolen by the humans or appropriated by other dragons. Even after Sarah died, the curse would remain.

Sarah was ecstatic, and talked on the way back to the cave about how she was happy with the way her life had turned out. Her tone became mournful, however, as she considered the possibility of outliving me. She had known for years that her natural death would likely come decades, if not centuries, before mine, but that I was an old dragon, and my end may come sooner than expected. I did not tell her about my suspicions of the hunter James, but I did remind her of the possibility of humans coming to slay me to protect their kingdoms.

This seemed to concern Sarah, and she spent the remainder of the evening meandering around the cave pensively. I wondered what she was thinking about, but I didn’t press her to share. The next morning, Sarah went off to meet with James, and I once again followed to listen in. Unsurprising to me, in this meeting, Sarah and James discussed Sarah’s origins and living situation more thoroughly. Sarah revealed how she had been abandoned as a toddler, and that a “magical creature” rescued and cared for her. She told James that she feared revealing her home for the safety of this creature. James cunningly insisted that he felt gratitude for this creature and wanted to meet them to thank them for caring for his sweet Sarah, for keeping her safe and fed.

Sarah seemed anxious at first, conflicted, but soon relented. I nearly hummed audibly in surprise by this turn of events, as Sarah proclaimed her love for James and her desire to trust him. She led the way, showing him to my cave. I continued to stay out of sight as I watched them. Sarah led him deep enough to see the enormous cavern filled with sparkling gold and jewels, the various levels of rock covered in my collected treasures, the flat outcropping where Sarah made her bed. There would be no denying it, James must recognize this place as a dragon’s keep.

She became frightful, suddenly, insisting that now that he had seen it, he must leave immediately, before I returned. She told James that I would be angry if I found out about this betrayal. James tried to comfort her, but did agree to leave. Sarah stayed in the cave while James made his way to return home. This time, I did not make an attempt to conceal myself, waiting in the trees as I silently watched him.

He noticed me with a start, staring fearfully into my eyes as I watched him. When I made no move to attack, he hesitantly mounted his horse, still keeping an eye on me, and finally sped away. I let out a soft sigh. One or both of us would be dead soon. Within a few days, I expected.

The humans continued to surprise me from the moment the carriage bearing a child Sarah exited the safety of the path and into the woods. I was unsure how this situation with the hunter would play out, and eager to discover it, even if it resulted in my demise. I was concerned about Sarah’s fate, but ignorantly assumed that her strength and resilience would guarantee a positive outcome for her in the end.

I once again accompanied the couple on their rendezvous, out of sight, the next morning. James, as he often did, brought food to share with Sarah, and this time he brought a bottle of wine and two goblets for them. I chuckled to myself as I watched Sarah take her first taste of wine, curious to see how she would react to the bitter drink, but was surprised when she revealed that she had been given wine before by the brownies. I chuckled again, realizing that she was more rebellious than I’d thought.

My mirth was cut short as Sarah paled, her breathing and heartbeat quickening. She sat up from where she had been laying on her side and clutched her stomach, convulsing in pain. She looked up at James, frightened, as she began to choke, turning blue. James watched on without a trace of remorse.

I was stunned, for a moment unable to take action, before becoming enraged, both by the arrogance of this young hunter, and at the injustice of having beautiful, charming Sarah’s life ripped from the world just as it was beginning. Sarah fell to her side, gagging as she tried to take in a breath.

I could have eaten James right then and there, but the wisdom of a dragon my age kept me from reacting rashly. I leapt from the trees and reached the pair in one bound, swiping James out of my way with a flick of my tail, and leaned over Sarah to look into her eyes.

She met my gaze with fear, but her expression became calm, comforted by my presence, before her life left her body. I stared for a moment longer, tilting my head as I experienced grief for the first time.

My thoughts on death are much different than that of a human. From the books I’d read with Sarah, it seemed that humans considered death, even in its inevitability, to be the absolute worst possible outcome, to be avoided at all costs and mourned above all else. On this I disagreed. The death of a loved one is painful, but in the end, just another experience in life. However, the circumstances of Sarah’s death were deeply unjust, and I was angered by the actions of James.

James recovered himself, drawing his sword and charging at me. Instead of engaging, I scooped Sarah’s body up, and hurried her back to the cave, where she would be safe. As now a bound part of my hoard, no one could remove her remains from the cave, and she would rest here safely in the only home she remembered. I laid her gently in her bed, where she looked peaceful as if asleep.

In a strange way, I was grateful to see the end of her life. She would not know the grief of losing her family or her home, and I could die peacefully knowing that she would not face life without me to protect her. But her story was not over yet.

I turned my eyes to the entrance to the cave as James emerged. He paused for a moment, awestruck by the glittering treasures illuminated by the torches along the cave walls lit by my dragon fire. I tilted my head curiously as he took a moment to bend down and pick up three gold coins, feeling the weight of them in his hand, before he faced me.

I did not give him the satisfaction of battle, instead coming to lay quietly in front of him, baring my throat to his blade. He tensed, cautious and confused, before deciding that the loss of Sarah was enough for me to lay down my own life. One quick slice, and the end was imminent. I collapsed to the floor, allowing my blood to seep over the jewels and coins. As I lay dying, I used the last of my strength to laugh menacingly at James, who in turn gave me a smug grin.

“Laugh all you want,” he taunted. “All your treasures are mine, as is the throne. Soon I will be king, a beautiful princess on my arm and a dragon’s worth of gold in my treasury. You’ve lost everything.”

His boastful speech only made me laugh harder while I still could. I fought off the calm, comfortable embrace of death for a few more moments, listening as he exited the cave, stuffing his pockets full of treasure as he went. Just as I’d predicted, he froze the moment he crossed the threshold into the rocks that concealed the entrance to the cave. His heartbeat sped up, but his breathing had nearly stopped completely.

He forced out a few choked gasps, fighting for a moment before falling to the ground in agony. I listened as the magic took his life, even as he seemed to understand what was happening to him and tried to crawl back into the cave with the cursed treasure. I let my body relax, finally hearing his death rattle, and allowed myself to be carried into death, thinking to myself, what a fantastic ending to the legend of the Woman of the Woods!