Giles' Keeper

I smile as the familiar owl coasts down the trail, circling up high to return to my side. It’s so majestic. I’ve grown used to seeing the stunning creature, its brown and gray feathers feel so soft every time it brushes my cheek tenderly. The horned ears pointed and tipped black, its intelligent eyes watching me every night. I wonder if it’s Giles’?

“As if!” I sigh at the thought, it’s been a few days since I’ve been able to return, Papa hasn’t been sleeping as soundly as I’d like. Does he know I sneak off at night now?

‘As if what my sweet soul? What amuses you so?’ The wind tickles my ears with his voice, the smooth regal cadence makes my belly flip, excitement warms my heart.

“The owl is back, playful as ever… It makes me think of you.” Back to my mind tainted with madness. The wind sings, blowing my hair backwards and I feel the caress of fingers over my lip, a seductive tease that paints my ears pink.

‘It does?’ The smile in his voice flips my heart. How can he make me feel so many things yet be so mysterious? Hidden to my eyes.

“Yes. I think it guides me to you… I’ve seen it watching me at the farm. It’s a fun game to find him.” Even when he sleeps he’s near. I’ve stumbled into the horned owl nestled in the tool shed. I wonder if it’s made a nest in there?

‘These woods aren’t safe at night, guidance from above is safer.’ He assures as the owl circles, its golden eyes meet mine with its intelligent stare. The bird dives low, wings outstretched wide as it shoots for a field mouse. I smile watching with glee as it screeches.

“So an owl is your choice of guide?” I ask, feeling cheeky as I try to dig into the mystery that he is. So few answers…

‘I think the owl is intrigued with the new prey in his home.’ He chuckles softly, the wind draws me towards the cavern. ‘Is that blood that I smell my sweetness?’

“Your sense of smell is so strong Giles’ I know I’ve been terrible in getting out this way. I wanted to bring a large hunt.” I admit shyly, glancing at the four rabbits I’ve scoured, I pray to get a turkey or a doe. A doe would be ideal… I can only imagine how starved he is.

‘What has you so twisted up my soul? I’ve sensed your upset.’ Giles murmurs.

“I’ve been trying to get out here to bring you food… Papa’s been staying up later and later. I worry he knows I’m disobeying him.” I wonder if he ended talking to Mrs. Gingham. By the time I returned home it was late morning, he was already busy in the barn, had turned out Mable. She was gimping badly, had some awful stone bruises.

‘Disobeying him?’ Giles questions, the wind picks up slightly, the smell of campfires meets me, the warm smell soothes my upset. Is that Giles’ way of saying he’s with me?

“Papa forbids me from coming to the clearing… Why would he do such a thing? He has to know how important it is to take care of you.” I frown. He hasn’t even attempted to come out here since then. The owl screeches it’s upset as the wind picks up, blistering my cheeks, the scent of smoke deepens as if it’s burning embers.

‘Edger can’t forbid you from me my soul. You are mine just as I am yours.’ I can hear the angered growl in his voice, rage whips the wind around, throwing the owl careening off course, its wings struggle to regain control.

“Why do you call me that?” I ask, the strange nickname makes my belly clench and my heart flutter. I thought I was his Keeper, nothing more. My question must throw him off as the winds settle ever so slightly.

‘My soul? Because that is what you are to me. You are my soul, the missing part of me I have craved for a lifetime.’ He answers truthfully, sincerity clear in his voice. The missing part of him? The trees open up to showcase the clearing, the wheat colored stalks sway in the gentle breeze. I watch with a smile as the owl circles the mouth of the cavern to land on its rocky perch above the pitch darkness.

“A lifetime? That seems to be a bit much Giles’.” I laugh softly, not understanding the true capacity of his words.

‘What is so funny my soul?’ He asks softly as a rolling plume of smoke drifts lazily from the cavern, the gray tendrils dissipate in an interesting dance with the wind.

“A lifetime makes me think of a story- you are far from a story, a mystery maybe.” I concede with a shrug, my hands work at the knots holding the rabbits to my weapons belt.

‘If only you knew the legends that surround my people.’ He sighs, the wind sends the owl upward, flying a circle above the clearing with a screech of upset.

“The legends? Do you mean your family history?” I pause by the cave, no longer afraid of the darkness. I wonder what his home is like? If the inside of his cave is cozy… he must get cold during these harsh winter nights.

‘Settle my soul, let me tell you a story passed down through my family.’ I sit down, tucking my skirts under me as I stare at the rabbits in my hand.

“Before you start I have a question.”

‘What is it that you crave to know my sweetness?’ His voice rumbles soothingly over the cool air, the smell of a fire meets me faintly.

“Do you like the pelts and feathers on your… meals?” I ask shyly. Giles’ chuckles softly.

‘I have not known anything else… Why is it that you wish to know?’ He speaks gently, his voice piqued with interest.

“Well, I can’t imagine it being tasty- in fact I’d imagine it’d be rather off putting. I think I’d rather starve.” Bleh. The thought of the feeling of fur in my mouth makes my skin crawl with goose flesh. Giles’ chuckles softly, I can imagine him shaking his head and smiling with amusement.

‘It isn’t a problem for me my sweetness.’

“I want you to try one without the pelt on first, then you can decide.” Giles only chuckles in response to my stubborn nature.

‘May I continue now my sweet soul?’ He teases softly and I blush at his words nodding silently. Can he see me from the darkness? Is he blind maybe? Out of curiosity, I refrain from answering verbally, listening as rocks crumble to the cavern floor, the sound echoes out as I grab my dagger to remove the rabbit’s hide.

‘In a time far before your own, the sky was filled with wings, ones that stretched across the sky to hold a mythical creature, filled with the magic of the earth.’ His deep voice starts, the even tone melts into the night and I’m enamored. ‘Dragons roamed the sky freely, watching over the woodland creatures, from gnomes and fairies to the animal shifters that resided within their creatures. It was a homogeneous time, where only love was held for earth and her creatures.’ He sighs wistfully, a cloud drifts from the cavern.

“Dragons? And fairies? Animal shifters? Aren’t they legends Giles’?” He chuckles softly.

‘The world is so vast, who’s to say what’s a legend and who’s to say what breaths besides the earth’s goddess herself?’ He questions with wisdom. ‘Kings grew their Kingdoms, their people flourished widely, when the ground began to be claimed for territories greed took over the minds of humans. Innovations grew their wealth of knowledge far beyond what nature offered freely.’

“Creatures of legends?” I ask as I toss the first rabbit into his cavern.

‘The creatures with the magic of earth work to keep their minds pure, to give more than they take from nature and one another. Human Kingdoms grew their territories. They saw the magic mother nature had given to the most generous of races; the ones pure of not only heart but of mind.’ He explains softly as the rabbit disappears into the darkness.

“Humans wanted the magic for themselves? Like witchcraft?” Giles’ laugh is more dark in tone this time.

‘Witchcraft only became feared when human’s could not gain what they wanted by theft. It was ousted in an effort to banish those stronger than their weapons. The dragon’s that touch the sky, graced by magic were first, easy targets so large they could be wounded. It was a massacre, blood skies as the dragon’s blood rained down on the kingdoms. It started the war between creatures of magic and humans.’

My eyes stray towards the sky and I wonder what it would’ve been like, to see such magic in the sky, massive creatures of peace flying above your kingdoms. Just like a fairy tale. “It rained blood?”

‘Blood rained from the skies, mortally wounded dragon’s cried in pain, their magic seeped from their blood and tears, it strengthened the humans, magic grew within their kingdoms around the fallen bodies.’ He growls, the ground shakes and the owl takes flight with a screech of displeasure.

“They murdered them?” A thick cloud of steam is driven from the cave in his upset.

‘Soon it wasn’t just dragon’s that fell to their cruelty, fairies were captured, shifters tested on- all that mattered was innovation to the human’s and their kingdoms. A revolution began, dragon’s took cover, shifters blended with the humans, fairies stopped flying. Everything changed.’ His voice brings my attention back to the cavern as my heart leaps to my throat. This doesn’t sound like a legend anymore.

“A revolution?”

‘Yes, the life we lived amongst humans ended. Peace no longer existed, humans fought to capture, murder and take what belonged to creatures of magic. Our families were brutally slaughtered in greed, we stood to lose everything to humans.’ The fate of the creatures stood on the line. He keeps talking in the first person… Does that mean… No, that can’t be… All of a sudden all of the strange habits he keeps become more apparent.

“They wanted the magic for themselves?”

‘They all wanted to be the most powerful, invincible to the world. Dragon’s fought to remain safe, to keep alive and protect their family. It was bloodshed between dragons and humans, amongst all races. Dragon’s have been labeled as harshly as shifters, we are rogue animalistic beasts out seeking blood of anything that moves in our paths.’ I stare in shock at his words. Is he saying he is a dragon?

“Are dragon’s hunted because of their magic?”

‘We are hunted just as anyone else, we have taken to the cover of legends to regrow our species as we pray to find the homogeneous times we once lived in.’ I look at my hands with a frown.

“Will the world ever find peace again? Between races I mean.” Why am I talking as if these are more than legends?... Because it makes sense to my heart.

‘The war of races will never be over, our time of peace has ended, all we can pray for is to find a time of understanding, maybe in the years that we live and breathe we can come to a treaty that all races can live under without fear of being hunted.’

“Why are people so hateful?” I ask confused, no longer sure if it’s just a story he spoke of. Surely no one’s imagination is that cruel…

‘Greed corrupts the mind to want only what they see worthy my sweet soul… The mind is a dangerous place to get lost in.’ He mutters, the wind picks up as he falls silent, the strong scent of smoke deepens as a cloud billows from the cave. ‘I believe you are needed to start home my soul… For the moon is falling once more.’

My eyes raise to the sky and I blush. “You’re right, thank you for the tale Giles’... Did you enjoy your rabbits?” I ask mostly amused. He chuckles quietly, the wind softens as does the smell of fire.

‘You may convince me to see it your way on the matter. Now get home before the moon sets, some sleep will do you good.’

“You too Giles’ rest well, I’ll try to return tomorrow.” With luck Papa isn’t up until the early hours of night.