The Rose of Landow: The Chronicles of Kel'Yght, #2

By Megan Chelette

In the modern era, Aeln are widely accepted to be extinct, that is, by anyone who believes they were ever real at all. In truth, the history of Aeln and mankind goes back far further than the Kelzen and Antlem—all the way back to the mother world from which all humans hailed from: Earth.

On Earth centuries ago, in the valley of the Hemwood, the Aeln first emerged from their home to dominate the realm of man. Two brothers, the fearsome Wolf and the sovereign Alder King, fought for supremacy of the Hemwood and the humans who lived there, but Aeln are not the only mysterious things lurking in the Hemwood. From the desirous machinations of man did something new from the murky soil emerge: the much coveted Rose of Landow.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Megan Chelette
• Release date: Jan 27, 2025
• ISBN: 9798227750709

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Megan Chelette

The Rose of Landow

Copyright © 2022 by Megan Chelette

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

Megan Chelette asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

First edition

Editing by Christopher Howie

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To my beloved sisters, Railey, Leanna and Bethany.

A strange and perilous tale as this seemed fitting for you.

Contents

Prologue

I. THRONES

1. The Warring Kings

2. Bleeding Tooth

3. Ester Rowan

4. The Tender Blooms

5. Arid Soil

6. Into the Forest

7. The King’s Court

8. Witchcraft

9. The Starving Rose

10. Mycelia

11. The Wilderness

12. Usurping the Valley

13. Three of a Kind

14. The Secret Friend

15. The Cup of Red

16. Lacrimosa

II. TRANSGRESSION

17. The Babe

18. The Ram

19. The Hare

20. The Stranger

21. The Angels

22. The Accursed

23. The Smoke

24. The Lightning

III. CROWNS

25. The Old Road

26. Blissful Ignorance

27. Kindling

28. Former Angels

29. The Kingdom For a Rose

30. Sinai

31. The Run for Eternity

Epilogue

Prologue

Planet : Earth

Brother Jonathan had lost track of the time. The sun had disappeared hours ago and while he believed he had heard the final bell ring only moments ago, it too had been a matter of hours. Many nights were spent inscribing by candlelight until his eyes grew weak.

He would have spent many more like this if he could. Owing to his productive nature, he was often the last one in the monastery to fall asleep, and that night was no different. Brother Jonathan put his pen down and rubbed his eyes, turning his head to the window on his right. The moon was not visible that night, but the stars sparkled gloriously. He smiled at them, half asleep already.

Before he realized it, he was rising to meet the stars. He was ascending from the darkened world below, lit only by the solemn glow of a candle’s flame, to a glorious night of shining diamonds. The stars, whirling above, turned to greet him. The closer he drew to them, the less like jewels they appeared.

They were a host of argent beasts. Among them were horses, lions, rams, bulls, birds, fish, and all matter of fantastical beings. Drifting higher above them all was a beast that filled the sky. Both his horns and beard were made of coiling tendrils. The grander creature did not greet Brother Jonathan with the others but kept his eyes fixed on the eternity stretched out above.

Brother Jonathan’s ascension halted on a silvery road of mist. A horned steed approached him. He introduced himself as Noel, and told Brother Jonathan not to be afraid of the giant above. The giant’s name was Dar’vehl and he was entranced by the whole of the universe that crossed into this realm. This place was Higher Rephidim, just below The Realm of the Moon or The Realm of Night.

From Higher Rephidim, Brother Jonathan would be pulled into Bahim and from there into Lower Rephidim, just above The Realm of the Morning, or Realm of the Sun. On the other side of Lower Rephidim, he would meet Babalabel, another great beast who kept her eyes fixed upon the sun. Her body was of fields and meadow and her head was crowned with clouds. From there, Brother Jonathan would wake. This was a journey countless before Brother Jonathan had taken and countless more after him would take.

Bahim was where men received visions. It was a place of omens and dreams. Brother Jonathan was mystified by it all but Noel assured him that he would not take the journey alone. The tides of Bahim were treacherous to those who did not know where to walk. It was the duty of the Aeln to guide the waking through the realm of Bahim. This was the reason for which they were born.

The vision that Brother Jonathan was to receive was not waiting for him in Bahim, however. That night he would be witness to a celestial catastrophe. It started just above them and spread downwards like tendrils of a black flame. The darkness was teeming with the fluttering of wings and a hum that was too quiet to hear until the wings were upon your eyes.

Foul spirits crept into Bahim.

The darkness moved quietly; its soldiers flew swiftly. One by one, the argent beasts were snuffed out. Their light, absent from the sky, left a gaping darkness in their wake. By the time Noel and Brother Jonathan noted the dimming light, the soldiers of Fames were upon them. Noel was struck and his body fractured as though made of glass.

A shadow with a thousand arms fell over them, and his brother with a thousand of his own joined him. A horned beast that wore a flowing cloak of the richest red appeared, and a horned beast whose bones were laid bare appeared at his side. The drone of a million insects buried in the earth rose from below. The moon took on a baleful shine.

In terrible awe, Brother Jonathan realized it was no moon, but a great eye; an enemy, the enemy, the oldest enemy of all mankind. It was a demon. A Duke in Hell, and he was known as The Duke of Fames.

The Aeln, the natural born of Bahim, fell from the sky. Their brilliant forms shimmering as they descended. The claws of The Duke closed in around Brother Jonathan. He was intended to be the first of many to perish in the wake of this conquest.

He would have, had not the stars intervened. They converged upon the Duke like furious wasps of crystal and silver. The Duke dropped Brother Jonathan, who hurtled back down to earth with the remains of the night sky.

Brother Jonathan awoke with a start, hunched over his writing desk. He placed a hand over his heart and tried to calm himself. The candle at his side had burnt out long ago. Out of the corner of his vision, he noted a twinkle at the window. Brother Jonathan turned and beheld a shower of stars. They fell to the earth in a shimmering curtain from above.

To the blissfully ignorant, it must have been a beautiful sight. Brother Jonathan watched the stars fall with a terrible dread. Bahim the realm of dreams, was now home to demons.

I

Thrones

1

The Warring Kings

In that same country where Brother Jonathan lamented, there was a certain valley encircled by mountains. An indomitable forest stretched from mountain to mountain. The valley and the forest were eventually called the Hemwood by those who settled it.

There was one path in and out of the Hemwood; a narrow and rocky path between two of the surrounding peaks towards the south. From this path, a road had been paved. It was the only connection to the outside world from the valley.

The promise of uncontested land drew in three Lords from the outside. The first of them to try and settle the Hemwood was Lord Ephraim. It was he who carried out the construction of the road and raised the settlement that would be known as Landow. Finishing the road proved to be a monumental task. Time dedicated to the road meant it was taken from the establishing of Landow and the settlement was less than the Lord had hoped for.

Word of Lord Ephraim’s struggles reached Lord Dothenwel, who presumed Lord Ephraim had resigned in failure. He then, made the journey into the Hemwood and raised the settlement of Ettelburg. The Hemwood presented the same challenges to Lord Dothenwel and Ettelburg remained a diminutive settlement.

The last Lord who was ambitious enough to try and tame the Hemwood was Lord Amis. The Lords that had come before him were presumed dead, and so the settlement of Bostwick was raised.

The road commissioned by Lord Ephraim connected all three of the settlements. This single road was vital, as traveling through the forest was a treacherous feat.

Hindering the three Lords in total conquest were the true kings of the valley. The shower of stars carried not just the remains of shattered Aeln, but their progeny too. Those slumbering seeds of the last of the Aeln were cast from Bahim, their home, and into the waking world.

Two of which had fallen into the Hemwood and they came to be known as The Alder King and the other, simply, The Wolf. Although these two orphans of Bahim had been cast into the same valley, the two of them grew to be entirely different beings.

The one who would call himself Alder grew alone in silence in the shade of the trees. For a while, he was indistinguishable from any of the other trees. Construction of the road began and it just so happened that the road was right at Alder’s side. The road workers were his introduction to the human race.

He learned to speak from listening to the men building the road. Their language was coarse, informal, and so his speech was as well. It was a while before Alder felt comfortable enough to interject in the arguments he overheard.

The talking tree was met with terror at first, then with awe. Some men took ire with the speaking tree, they called him a demon and cried for his demise. The others had their fears assuaged when they came to realize that he was quite ignorant for a demon. The tree had many questions and there seemed to be very little that it already knew.

Some of the hard working men came to regard him as a funny friend. The only bright side to working long, tedious hours on the winding road. These kind men were happy to impart to Alder what little they knew themselves. As the working class, they were not well versed in culture or academics.

They did teach Alder how to fight like a man so he could answer the challenges against his life. And challenges did come. The lordsworn, the priests, officers from all three villages came against the speaking tree. Upon defeat, Alder did not take their lives nor their coin, rather he demand to be taught. Each enemy defeated was to offer knowledge for Alder’s reward. Many instructed him in the ways of combat so that he may grow in strength and skill.

Alder came to fashion a sword for himself out of wood. It was no more than a rather large branch, but it was hardy. He carved into into a approximation of a sword and with it he was well pleased. Men laughed at his sword of wood. This amused Alder greatly, as it often took only one well placed jab to send his much smaller opponents sprawling.

Alder found that he delighted in this sport in time. He began challenging tenacious looking foes as they passed on the road. Some opponents enjoyed the sport as well, others aspired to kill him.

Despite having lived most of his life as a tree, Alder was swift and quiet. When he wanted to, he could vanish into the woods as a shadow. The humans posed no real threat, even when they stormed his forest with axes, fire, and murder in their eyes.

His brother, Yena, also grew up along side the road. Further into the valley where the road dipped, there was a cave. The shadow that became Yena hid there for much of his infant life.

When the road was built by his den, he was drawn to the curious beings trampling the ground above. He watched men just as Alder did. He did not, however, speak with the laymen or commoners who walked the road. It was in the predators he found interest. Highwaymen and bandits, murderers and thieves. He watched men prey upon each other and cut down their own. They were hunters, like him. Like the wolves of the forest.

He then took his turn and began to prey upon man. He found hunting man to be much more thrilling than hunting rabbit or deer.

For a while, he was indistinguishable from an ordinary wolf. When he learned to speak their language, the sport became even more rewarding. When the humans found their assailant could talk, they assumed he could be reasoned with. Their desperate pleas delighted Yena.

Alder and Yena met on the road one fateful day when Yena’s hunt brought him too close to Alder’s spot. Alder hurried up the road to see what had transpired only to find a wolf man tearing the flesh from the bones of a poor vagrant.

The two regarded each other in silent awe for a moment. Despite how differently they looked, the children of Bahim knew each other from a glance. Both Aeln thought they were the only ones of their kind before that moment and it had been a striking revelation.

The awe quickly turned to anger for Alder. The human lay slain and was being devoured by his own kin. He took up the blade he had used to duel the humans and began beating his brother with the flat side.

Yena yelped and screamed in pain. It was his turn to cry for mercy then, and his brother was as just as merciful as he had been. Alder drove Yena off the road and chased him deep into the woods before losing him.

Yena burned with hatred and humiliation. He had to retaliate. His regular hunts became an all day occurrence and he devoured any and every person he met. At first it seemed as though he was eating to quash his shame. It was not so.

Yena began to grow. The more he ate, the stronger and larger he became. He did not stop his mad feasting until he was as large as a carriage when on all fours. When he was satisfied with how large he had grown, Yena sought out Alder to reclaim his lordship over the forest.

When they first met, Yena was as a beast and Alder was as a man. Yena had since become something not of beast or man, but a monster.

He fell upon his brother’s rooting place and attempted to rend the heart from his chest. Even with sword in hand, Alder could not best Yena in a contest of strength and was forced to disappear into the forest. Yena pursued relentlessly, his jaws snapping all the while for his brother’s heart. Alder would not be found, however. The wooden king was wind and shadow and not a soul could trace him when he ran into the shade of the forest.

Whereas Yena gorged himself in the face of defeat, Alder took to reasoning. He worked out how his brother had become so much larger and decided Yena had to be denied his prey. Alder was no longer strong enough to fend off Yena himself, but there was another way. Alder began taking people from the road.

He took them into his veil and hid them in the shadows between trees. Yena could not smell them, could not hear them, could not see them. The humans stolen from the road never returned to the villages of man. They remained in the shadows of the forest and were eventually spoken of as The Children of The Alder King.

The road where so many disappeared was deemed cursed. Villagers from Landow, Ettelburg, and Bostwick came to speak of the horrors in the surrounding wood. They spoke of a Wolf who could talk like a man, and who wore human skin to deceive the foolish; he was a Wolf who could swallow a man in a single bite.

They spoke of The Alder King, a shade in the forest who stole away wives and children to his hidden kingdom somewhere amidst the trees. The men who once knew Alder as a friend shrank from the sight of him. His branches had become sharper. His face had become narrow, gaunt and a quiet anger had settled over him. They did not know what changed between them and The Alder King, but they feared him now as much as they feared The Wolf.

Alder did not mind being misunderstood. The humans never understood him much from the start—but he would be obeyed. For their own sake, they would follow him when he called or they would be left to The Wolf. This vicious tug of war, this race for prey, was how The Alder King came to acquire a particularly troublesome daughter.

2

Bleeding Tooth

The Lord of Ettelburg was a man by the name of Dothenwel. He was not a well-liked man by any means, even when compared to Lord Ephraim of Landow. He was particularly reviled by his manor’s staff. Not a soul breathed who despised the Lord more than the little maid who worked there with her mother.

Helena Russet was but a child, the daughter of Eleanor Russet. Helena was put to work as soon as she was old enough to follow simple instructions and treated to the same indifference as the rest of the staff despite her age.

The only special care taken with her was that she was never allowed to tend to, much less be in the same room as The Lord’s daughter at any time. This may have been to discourage the children from forming bonds with one another. It may have also been so that no one would mark the resemblance between the two. Unfortunately, both of the girls took after their father.

The Lord’s desire was met and then some, as Helena came to despise his daughter almost as much as she despised him. She knew The Lord’s daughter was living well. She had frocks, friends and dolls while Helena had nothing. Her mother never bothered to deceive her into believing that things would be better for them someday, nor did she encourage Helena to hope so.

The maid’s daughter spent her brief life in bitterness until the day came that she and her mother were tasked with a unique errand for The Lord. Without explanation, her mother was given The Lady’s clothes to wear and told to take their carriage down The Old Road.

Helena was surprised and delighted to find she had been given one of the dresses belonging to The Lord’s daughter. Not just any, but the one she was most fond of: A white and red dress of much lace. Even the drabbest of her gowns would have been stunning when compared to any of Helena’s clothes. To be given such a fine gift thrilled the small maid immensely. She could not comprehend any ulterior motive but her mother was quieted by a growing suspicion.

They were not to drive the carriage nor to oversee its journey. Their only task was to serve as passengers. The carriage was none other than the Lord’s personal coach. Naive that she was, Helena celebrated while her mother was consumed by grim wondering.

There was, of course, no refusing their Lord’s demands so mother and daughter were sent down The Old Road. The day before, Lord Dothenwel received a summons from Lord Amis in Bostwick.

Lord Dothenwel had been made privy to a conspiracy plotted against him and his family by a handful of servants in his manor. Upon learning the Lord and his family would travel, they arranged to have his carriage robbed on The Old Road. During the robbery the Lord Dothenwel was to be killed. The Old Road’s treacherous nature was well-known by all, so his untimely death would be met with no particular scrutiny.

Rather than choosing to expose said conspiracy, the Lord decided he could take advantage of it and send two loose ends to be tied up instead. He and his family would take to the trip shortly after.

None were permitted to leave the manor the day the ladies departed, and the conspirators watched in dread. Two of their own were sent into a trap of their own making.

What was, at the time, the finest day of Helena’s life ended in disaster as the carriage was overturned. Helena had been bouncing in her seat, unable to contain her excitement as the carriage pulled away from the manor. She turned and smiled at her mother.

Be still, Helena! her mother quietly scolded.

Oh mother! I cannot be still! Look around us!

Be quiet child, something is wrong. Something is very wrong, her mother muttered.

What could be wrong? You look lovely! You always should have had a dress like that, Mother! You look like a proper lady! Helena turned to look at herself in the window’s reflection, —and I look beautiful as well!

These are not gifts Helena, her mother assured her, We will be made to pay for this somehow.

But how? We have nothing to give. Lord Dothenwel knows that, surely. Or is he a great buffoon? Helena frowned.

That tongue of yours will only make things worse! her mother snapped.

He cannot hear me from here, Helena scoffed.

Her mother boxed her ears and she said no more about it. Helena was not eager to spoil the trip with an argument and her punishment was quickly forgotten as she watched the manor disappear behind them.

The carriage was embraced by the woods surrounding The Old road. Brigands and mercenaries were uncommonly found on The Old Road, for even they feared The Wolf and The Alder King. They did not stray far from the road, not even to set up their ambush. It was a weak fail safe, but the pay for the job was good and the idea of killing the Lord Dothenwel had its own appeal. Profit was exalted above wisdom and so they waited.

One of their men stood just in the treeline and watched the road. This end of the road was flat and he spotted the carriage’s approach from a significant distance. He had been told the carriage he was looking for would have a lamp on the front left corner. The driver insisted on keeping a light with him even during the day when he was forced to travel down The Old Road.

The spotter reported to the bowmen and took his place with the rest of the brigands further up the road. The bowmen were hidden just off both sides of the road. While it would only take one arrow to get the job done, the second man was there in case of a misfire.

Today, such a precaution was unnecessary. Just as the horses appeared before him, the bowman shot an arrow into the passing flank. The scream of the horse let his partner know he hit his mark and both men cleared their positions as the horses crashed into each other.

The one who was shot recoiled into the second, and the carriage caught up to the slowing horses, spurring on the panic that had come over them. The bowmen dashed from their positions further down the road so as not to be caught in the crash.

Helena’s wonderful morning had been brought to an abrupt end. The carriage jerked and rattled, and before she could even cry in alarm, the carriage was thrown onto its side. Helena screamed and her mother took her into her arms. Her mother shielded her from most of the broken glass. As the carriage slid across the stone road, Eleanor was dragged along the stones, quickly shredding her lovely dress and the skin beneath it.

Though this had not been the first carriage wreck the brigands had caused the noise this time around caused their hair to stand on end. The Wolf was in these woods. The Wolf might have heard.

Once the carriage was still, they hurriedly silenced the anguished horses that were left mangled and screaming on the road. Once the horses were killed, it became apparent that not a sound was coming from the carriage.

One of the bowmen climbed on top of the toppled carriage and pulled the door open. The inside of the carriage was a mess of wood shards and broken glass. From a glance, it did not look like either of the passengers made it.

There is no man with them! he shouted to the others after a moment.

No man? Where is the Lord?

He is not in here.

Where is the carriage driver? Check him!

The mangled body of the driver was found quickly, but to their dismay, they could not identify him as Lord Dothenwel.

Is this the wrong carriage?

It can not be! They told us to look for the light!

There is only a woman and a child here.

It must be the Lord’s wife and child.

So where is the Lord?

He must have stayed behind. Check them. We will demand a ransom.

Eleanor had not survived but her daughter still drew breath, shielded from the worst of the debris in her mother’s arms. It took a few moments to rouse her. They did not wait for her to regain her sense before binding her. The noise from the horses had been more than enough to set them on edge. They could not allow the wails of a child to echo throughout these woods. The Wolf was out there.

Helena began to struggle upon seeing the carriage. Her arms were bound and the lead was held firmly by one of the brigands. He gave it a sharp tug when she tried to hurry to back to the wreckage. None of the men bothered to explain to the girl that her mother was dead. A prisoner was owed no such kindness.

The daughter of the Lord Dothenwel was to be taken for ransom, but Helena would not come quietly. She was dragged along the stone road, kicking her legs and screaming in protest. The brigands would not allow such noise and she was then gagged. The one with her lead tried to carry her some of the way but her writhing made her impossible to keep a hold of. They stopped only once to beat the child into submission.

Helena’s temper flared, but she quickly relented after that. She was allowed to walk on her own again, bound by rope to the men who had kidnapped her. As the sun began to sink in the sky the band of thieves hurried her along. The road was no place to be at night. They need only to reach within a mile of Bostwick and then they could cut through the woods to their hide out. It would be a short trek but time was running out.

Despite the hour of walking, Helena was still dazed. She did not mark the change in the air around her and barely felt the long, bony fingers that removed the gag from her mouth. It took her a moment to realize she had been freed.

Her confusion was brief and replaced with a terrible awe as she beheld a giant was now walking by her side. His foot falls made no sound, as though he weighed no more than a leaf. This tall, skeletal form appeared to be made of bark. Over his head and shoulders he wore a gray shawl that streamed shadows behind him. It may have been the angel of death itself, Helena thought. Or something far worse.

A quiet voice came from under the shawl, Where are these men taking you, child?

Helena stared up at the form for a few moments. She tried to speak but her voice failed her. The giant raised a hand. She shrank from him but he gently patted her head. It was meant to be a comforting gesture but his hand was large enough to hold her entire head. She shivered.

I do not know, she quickly replied, They have not told me.

A moment passed and when the giant did not speak again she beseeched him, Please…have you seen my mother? Our carriage crashed back there. I do not know where she is.

The giant stroked her head a moment, Your mother has passed. It is a greater mercy that she did not live to suffer what will happen now.

Passed? That cannot be. Where is she? Helena demanded.

When I left her, she was still in the overturned cart.

You left her?! How could you! You must go and get her! Tell her where I am! Tell her to help me! Helena began, raising her voice.

The giant brought his hand down on her head again. Though he placed his hand gently upon her, her voice died in her throat.

There is no time for hysterics, child. The worst has yet to come. Helena did not say anything so he continued, The reek of death is in the air. The Wolf comes.

Helena’s eyes widened.

This seemed to amuse the giant somehow, Ah, so you recognize the peril you are in. He comes now. He is on the road behind us.

Helena glanced over her shoulder. The long stretch of road behind them was already disappearing into the darkness of approaching night. She could see no one there. The giant’s hand gently pushed her to face the road ahead.

It is better if you do not see him. You may excite him into giving full chase.

Is he not chasing us now?

No, he is trailing not too far behind.

Helena glanced behind her again. This time she spotted a form on the road. It was not the form of a wolf, however. It appeared to be a woman in a bloodstained dress.

Mother! Is that mother? she whispered loudly.

The giant glanced behind. She then heard a long and pained moan come from under the shawl. Once again he turned her face away. He did not explain himself.

She stole another glance and began pleading, Mother—it must be her! She was not dead! You were mistaken! Please—you must free me! I have to go to her!

A loud hissing came from beneath the shawl. The giant exhaled an angry breath. Helena recoiled but a moment. Not even the giant could quiet her now.

Please! If you will not free me you have to help her! We live in Ettelburg—we are servants of the Lord—

Child— came a sharp reproach.

He drew a long breath and restated, Your mother is dead.

How can you say that? Look! Look behind us! That is her! It must be! Helena assured.

What do you see? the giant suddenly snapped, Tell me! Can you see her eyes from here? How large they have become? Can you see her teeth? How long they have become? Can you see the black fur protruding from every cut and tear in her flesh? I tell you, child, your mother is dead and The Wolf comes!

Helena stared up at the giant. Perplexed. His outburst seemed unnoticed by the brigands ahead of them. In fact, not one of them even seemed to see the stranger walking among them. Was she the only one who could hear him, she wondered.

In a growl, he explained, "The Wolf will stay behind for now—stay until this company stops to rest or make camp. In the cover of darkness, he will come to you first. It is for you he wears that terrible disguise. It is your scent he is following and he got that scent from your mother’s corpse."

Helena said nothing. She did not understand what he was trying to say.

These criminals left quite a scene on the road behind us. Dead horses and mangled bodies. The stench of blood drew him quickly, I have no doubt. Death excites his appetite, and in his haste, he thoughtlessly consumed everything only to realize that he could track down more prey if only he could catch a scent. He recalled the last thing he ate, and from her, he caught your scent. He then followed this road to you. He will come no closer, not while there is still daylight, but when night falls, you will be unable to recognize the beast wearing your mother’s skin! He will bid you follow him into the woods, to save you from this peril, and once you are just far enough he will devour you where you stand. Your screams will alert the others and send them running. He will then pick them off one by one at his leisure!

Helena was left speechless by this terrible premonition and the giant cackled humorlessly,I have seen it before and I will see it again so long as you humans are so easily fooled!

Helena slowly turned her head back. Was it just her imagination or was the form of the woman shambling after them.…moving faster now?

Oh, has he heard me? What large ears he has! the giant snickered sourly.

W-What am I to do? The Wolf comes for me? she stammered.

The giant exhaled another long breath. His anger had left him and his voice was quiet again.

I have come to offer you an escape, child. I can save you.

Helena glared at him, Why—why did you not say so from the start?! she demanded.

This salvation will come at a price, he replied darkly.

Price? But I have nothing! I have told you! I am a servant of the house of Lord Dot—

The price will be your freedom, child. I can take you. I can hide you where The Wolf will never find you, but from these woods, you will never leave again.

Why not? Helena asked.

Because, child, you will become a part of these woods. Just as I am.

It was now that Helena knew who walked beside her. It was The Alder King. It was all too much. Her eyes watered and her face turned red.

That is not fair! Why must I be stolen by The Alder King? Why must I be taken by these terrible men! Why must I be hunted by The Wolf? I have done nothing wrong! I am but a maid in the Lord’s house!

She had stopped walking and the brigand pulled her lead. Her shouting alerted the others.

Who has freed her mouth? Gag her again!

With a grand gesture, The Alder King removed his shawl. He now stood upon the road in his full glory. He was crowned by sharp branches and a fan of them grew from his shoulders and back to frame him forever in the dressing of the woods. More impressive than his crown and its leaves were his eyes. The whole of his eyes were a vibrant green.

The rogues were stopped dead in their tracks by the sight of him. Helena’s temper failed her and she shrank before The Alder King. He scowled at her and then jerked his head towards the end of the road. Helena followed his gaze and found the distant figure of the woman was closing the distance. She was now running on all fours like an animal and with an alarming pace. Helena screamed.

"The Wolf COMES," The Alder King repeated.

If The Alder King had not been enough, his declaration