“I’m sure they will, won’t you?”, Elvin smiled, looking at the bird. It tweeted and ruffled its feathers, before hopping off and flying back to one of the trees.
“If you need help tomorrow, just ask to be lead.”, he told her then, smiling at Nox. He was happy that she wanted to come back to him.
“Until tomorrow then, Nox.”.
“A lot of people do! A lot of people don’t. And both is okay.”, Elvin hummed, smiling. As long as no one tried to hurt his forest, why would he mind if people thought he wasn’t real?
“Will you leave again?”, he asked then. He didn’t expect Nox to want to come here more often. He knew the world outside his forest was a lot more complicated, and humans didn’t have a lot of time -which he never understood.
Nox was petting the deer who had brought her pack back to her when Elvin asked the question. She smiled softly at him.
“I’ll have to go soon but I’d love to come back tomorrow and see you if you’d allow it, forest god”
“I’d love that!”, Elvin smiled brightly and nodded. He would be very happy if Nox came back again, he would like to be able to talk with her again. He didn’t exactly get lonely, but he liked company a lot.
“I’m here at the lake most of the time, so I’m sure you’ll meet me again here when you come.”, he hummed, smiling happily.
“A lot of people do! A lot of people don’t. And both is okay.”, Elvin hummed, smiling. As long as no one tried to hurt his forest, why would he mind if people thought he wasn’t real?
“Will you leave again?”, he asked then. He didn’t expect Nox to want to come here more often. He knew the world outside his forest was a lot more complicated, and humans didn’t have a lot of time -which he never understood.
“Oh, I don’t get cold. Or need anything, really.”, Elvin chuckled lightly, picking the pack up and offering it to Nox again. “Thank you very much, though. You are very kind.”.
Nox was nice, and he was glad the bird had let her to him. She was really nice, and kind, and he was glad he had gotten to know her finally.
Nox blushed at the compliment, not used to theme
“Thank you” she says, looking away but smiling shyly. Then a thought hit her, his voice sounded very familiar and a vague memory flooded her mind.
They thought of the night that they had got lost in the forest and how the wind whispered to them reassurances.
“Elvin? Were you the one who helped me out of the forest that night?”
Elvin seemed surprised for a moment, before he giggled softly.
“Of course I was.”, he replied, smiling up at her. “I’m sorry I hadn’t been able to lead you personally. I do adore children.”, he smiled warmly. He did, and he never minded it to let children see him.
“Why? Are you surprised?”, he asked, curiously tilting his head.
“Oh, I don’t get cold. Or need anything, really.”, Elvin chuckled lightly, picking the pack up and offering it to Nox again. “Thank you very much, though. You are very kind.”.
Nox was nice, and he was glad the bird had let her to him. She was really nice, and kind, and he was glad he had gotten to know her finally.
“Ah. It was indeed me.”, Elvin replied, laying his hand on his chest. “The forest is me, as I am the forest. When it is hurt, I am too. Even if I can’t be seriously injured or killed unless my tree is damaged, I feel what happens to any other tree in this forest.”, he explained softly. He smiled lightly at her concern.
“I’m alright. The pain lingers, but it will fade once the tree’s resin closed the cut.”. It didn’t leave any visible marks on him, but it hurt, and the pain lingered. But he would be fine.
Nox listened carefully as Elvin talked. It was clear he was still in discomfort. They unconsciously reached for their pack to get out a blanket but realised they had left it behind. They huffed, silently kicking themselves for leaving it.
“Is there anything I can do to help you feel better?” She asked, wanting to help the deity who had once helped her.
“You already helped me. There’s nothing more really you can do.”, Elvin replied with a smile. He was glad he had met Nox properly now, she was as kind as he had always perceived her.
“Ah, you left something behind at the sapling.”, he said then, turning to look at something else. A deer was trotting into the clearing, carrying Nox’s pack. It dropped it into Elvin’s lap, and he gently pet it in return.
“Thank you very much dearest.”, he told it.
“Ah. It was indeed me.”, Elvin replied, laying his hand on his chest. “The forest is me, as I am the forest. When it is hurt, I am too. Even if I can’t be seriously injured or killed unless my tree is damaged, I feel what happens to any other tree in this forest.”, he explained softly. He smiled lightly at her concern.
“I’m alright. The pain lingers, but it will fade once the tree’s resin closed the cut.”. It didn’t leave any visible marks on him, but it hurt, and the pain lingered. But he would be fine.
Elvin blushed slightly, not used to something like this. He didn’t think much of himself, he couldn’t do all too much. Nothing really impressive, he thought.
“Please, there’s no reason for kneeling and such.”, he told her, smiling lightly. He was glad to see her again, remembering the last time he had she had been just a child.“It’s a pleasure to meet you properly, finally. Thank you for all the trees you gifted us.”, he said, shifting so he sat cross-legged. “I’ve just grown to be a little forest deity.”.
Nox looked up when he spoke and stood up walk up to him. She crouched down and reached out her hand, smiling widely and eyes shining.
“There’s no need to thank me, kind deity. My little saplings are my thanks for the night you led me out of the forest. My name is Nox Oakwood, daughter of Ulric and Astrid Oakwood. May I ask your name, sir?”
Elvin smiled, taking her hand and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it.
“Call me Elvin.”, he replied with a smile. Elvin, the same name the forest bore, friend of elves. Named by the people believing the fair folk resided in the forest, though there was only the tree sprite -who had grown to be the forest’s deity.
“Thank you for saving our tree. I’m incredibly grateful.”, he said then. It had happened a lot in the past, but grew fewer and fewer over the years, as the forest grew, and Elvin grew more protective of it.
Elvin blushed slightly, not used to something like this. He didn’t think much of himself, he couldn’t do all too much. Nothing really impressive, he thought.
“Please, there’s no reason for kneeling and such.”, he told her, smiling lightly. He was glad to see her again, remembering the last time he had she had been just a child.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you properly, finally. Thank you for all the trees you gifted us.”, he said, shifting so he sat cross-legged. “I’ve just grown to be a little forest deity.”.
The bird tweeted, ruffling its feathers. It was aware Nox was welcomed in the forest. It hopped from the branch and flew to the next tree, landing on a branch and tweeting again, waiting for Nox. It continued doing so with Nox following behind it, always checking to make sure she was there.
It took quite some time to get through the forest and into its heart. But once they were close to the clearing, the bird didn’t wait to fly into it and to Elvin, still resting on the ground beneath his tree.
“A visitor?”, he asked quietly, listening to the bird tweet to him. It had let Nox to him? “I told you to giver her my thanks, and not where I am. Naughty birdie.”, he chuckled softly anyways, not really minding it. He trusted Nox.The clearing housed the crystal clear lake, where a lot of animals peacefully spend their time in the sun or water. At the edge of the clearing grew the oldest tree of the forest, under which Elvin laid.
Nox ran the last part of her small journey to keep up with the little bird but then stuttered to a stop when they came into the clearing. They slowly turned in a circle and took everything in.
“Woah!” She gasped, seeing the forest in a whole different light with the surroundings before her. She turned to see a figure at the base of a giant tree. There was an aura about the figure as she walked up to him.
Elvin carefully pushed himself up to sit again, leaning back against his tree. The dark brown cloak he wore was hiding hist clothes mostly, though it was obvious he was bare footed. His hair long and messy, some twigs, leafs and even flowers tangled in it. Two branches, like antlers, grew from his head, growing a few little green leafs, and pink flowers. They were decorated with a few trinkets, crystals, feathers, hand-crafted items he had been gifted from the town’s people.
The little bird that had lead Nox settled onto Elvin’s branches, not bothering the deity in the slightest. Tweeting happily away. “I can see her, you know?”, he told the little bird, smiling softly, before he returned his attention to Nox.
emptynarration 