Some Girls Wander
PG. 12/24/2009.

The Black Forest seems to have been designed to hold secrets and forgotten things, and this particular grove is no exception: consecrated to the dokkalfar by foolhardy, short-lived boys, it is now a tiny gateway: a keyhole, if you will. His Elders told him there was no such place, that all these had faded away, or if not, were long lost, never to be found. They were wrong.

Julian has all the time in the world, and it's frustrating, bitter time. He creates projects and schemes like humans eat meals. This particular quest, to find this little keyhole, has taken centuries. The marvelous thing is, the actual discovery managed to line up perfectly with another of his projects.

He takes just the right shape to act as a key. He fits himself through, and reshapes to a form that pleases him.

He steps out into the sun.

*********

Katerina is happy to be out in the sunlight, out of her sickclothes and in a new dress. Gudren insisted on brushing her hair first, but now that the chore is done, she has been allowed to roam.

Her father is a guest of Count Eberhard, in the southern state of Wurttenberg, at his summer home in the forested mountains. They have been here three months--summer is almost over--and she has hardly set foot outside. Her nursemaid has warned her not to stray far, for fear of wolves, but like all sickly children, Katerina is hungry for adventure.

She picks up flowers, leaves, tree bark, stones and puts them into the pockets of her apron. She loves the textures of things, the weight of a rock in her hand, the prickle of a jagged leaf edge. Katerina sing-songs under her breath, frustratedly tucking her long hair behind her ears each time it falls. She purses her lips as she smashes an ant on her arm, scrubbing with her finger to remove the brown stain.

She walks on, through glade after glade of green and brown, delighting at all the new things she is discovering, all the sights, and the wonderful feeling of taking a smooth, deep breath without hitch.

*********

He has been watching her for at least a year, through the veil between the worlds, from the isolation of his frozen realm. The glow of her skin, the radience of her hair, drew him like a beacon. A clean, pure child, innocent and beloved and delicate. Katherine von Swartzchild is a blazing fire at which to warm his cold.

Humans are so terribly fragile, so frail, and he constantly alternates between fascination and disgust at this. How do they live, in those decaying bodies, for such a brief time? How does their world feel to them?

This little girl is all these questions, concentrated, refined, and if only he would hit the right roll of the dice, she could help him answer them, too.

And now here he is, with the real earth under his feet, the enduring, vibrant trees rising above him. All things decay and yet it seems the breakdown is so much more dignified here. More purposeful. These things he smells on the wind...he cannot really smell them, not like humans can, but at least here the sources themselves are real.

Illusion can be so tiring.

He can almost smell her, he thinks, but that must be his eagerness talking. He knows she is near, but not possibly as near as all that. He can hear her soft voice in his mind, only in his mind--but she is definitely near.

He walks.

*********

Katerina settles under the apple tree, sorting through fallen fruit for something undamaged enough to eat. She is too short to reach even the lowest branches. She hums to herself, sorting the rotten apples in piles, now and then wiping her fingers hastily on her apron. The midday sun makes her prone to sleepiness, but she fights it off stubbornly.

She gasps when she sees the man, perhaps more frightened than if he were a wolf. She hasn't seen anyone since she went out after the midday meal. She covers her mouth and irrationally hopes he doesn't see her.

"Hello there," he says, his voice's rhythms like her father's, not like those of the Count's court at all.

"Hello sir," she says, stumbling up from the ground to courtsey at him. "Good afternoon."

"It is indeed a wonderful afternoon!" He smiles, cheerfully, and calmed, she smiles back. "I see you've found yourself a cozy spot. I've been walking a long way, and am in sore need of a rest. May I join you?"

She nods, stepping aside, and then a thought comes into her head. "But only if you pull down some ripe apples for me!"

"It's a deal," he says, laughing. He picks four apples, quickly, deftly, and seats himself. "Please, sit and share these with me."

And she does. The two of them gorge themselves on apples. He is a polite, fastidious gentleman, not at all like her father or nurse, but perhaps somewhat like the stableboy back home. She has met few children her own age, but the horsemaster's son is young enough to play games with her now and then. She chatters with this new man, showing off her collection of rocks and leaves and things, and he compliments her, listening, telling her amazing stories about gods and monsters and giants. He tells her his name is Julian, "like the Emperor," and asks her all about herself.

Finally, she gets the courage to ask: "Will you play a game with me?"

"Of course!" he says, and he looks surprised in that way that grownups do when they're pretending to be surprised to make you happy. "What would you like to play?"

"Hide and seek!" she announces, at once. "It's my favorite."

"Well...all right." Julian gets an expression on his face that she can't quite figure out, and then he adds, "But only if you'll make a bargain with me."

She considers. "Okay. What are your terms?"

"Hmm." He seems to think. "I will play with you, but only if you will come visit my home afterward. It's not too far, and I have sweets that I've been saving for just such a little girl as you. Your home must be some distance from here as well, but if you came with me, I could bring you home myself and save you the walk."

Katerina looks back the way she came. It seems much darker and lonelier than it was before, and the day is far from over, so what would be the harm in a little more time spent away?

"Okay," she says.

*********

That magic word. He will keep her; he will treasure her, protect her from all the dangers of his world. He will give her her heart's delight. He will adorn her in furs, give her games to play every day. He will show her windows to all the wild places in all the worlds, share his stories with her. He knows, if given the chance, he can keep her illness at bay. He knows it.

In turn, she will adore him. She will light his days with her smile, keep him warm, keep him from being alone. She will fascinate him. She will teach him. She will assuage his hunger, and he will hers.

He will keep her for his own.

Fin.

send feedback