Wizard of the Wood

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24

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Rylir didn’t even comprehend what was happening after he responded to Essie’s question. One moment, she was sitting huddled against her wall, seemingly numb from fear and indecision – two things Rylir had never seen in her before.

The next moment, there was an undeniable spark in her eyes that could only mean she had some kind of plan working in the depths of her mind. In one motion, Essie had swept him off of his feet, literally, and had placed him on the desk.

“Thank you, Rylir. Now, stay put and stay safe. I’ll be back.”

Wait… what?!

She was already stepping away. Her hand was almost out of reach by the edge of the desk as she walked away back toward the door.

With little regard for his own safety, Rylir ran toward the edge of the desk and, haphazardly leapt. That breathless, weightless moment where he was airborne was one of the most terrifying things Rylir had ever done. It was also one of the most exhilarating things he had done since he decided to live with the Wizard of the Wood.

Plummeting through the air, Rylir reached out his hands and grappled with the air, catching Essie’s pinkie. Now hanging on for dear life, Rylir grasped tightly with all of his strength as he swung through the air.

“Essie!” he shouted. “Essie, don’t you dare leave me here!” Rylir’s voice accompanied by the pressure on her hand made Essie stop halfway through her stride and instinctually place her other hand over Rylir’s dangling body. Essie sighed and, with more effort than she anticipated, pried Rylir’s frame off of her little finger.

She held him delicately, fingers slightly splayed as he reoriented himself. The indignant glare he shot up at her was unexpected, but Essie refused to be phased by his expressions or his completely rash attitude.

“Rylir, this is going to be dangerous,” reminded Essie quietly. “As you stated, you can tell me what you see. When it comes to being my friend and ally, I could ask for no better than you. However, this is going to be a combat scenario. I may not know this for a fact, but I can sense this is going to be a challenge. You cannot combat them as I can, but you can put my mind at ease and stay here where I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you will be safe.”

“The only thing that is going to do is hurt me, Essie,” retorted Rylir. “Essie, we are a team, you and me. You said so yourself! I can tell you what I see. I can be that second set of eyes that you need. I’ll watch your back.”

“And if you’re injured in the process? Do you expect me to endure the guilt of not being able to keep you safe?” Essie countered.

“All the more reason for you to avoid getting hit or do something stupid,” Rylir shot back. “I’m not going to get hit or hurt, and neither are you. We can do this – together. That’s what friends do.”

The two of them held the other’s gaze for several moments.

Rylir might not be arcanely blessed, but Essie knew one thing for certain – she would be here all day attempting to be more stubborn than her handheld companion.

More importantly, Rylir said something that made her heart swell with pride.

Friend.

He said they were friends.

They were a team.

Essie, all her life, had felt alone – with everyone and yet completely isolated in her own way. Yet now, with Rylir, she felt seen and heard. She didn’t feel so alone.

In an instant, she remembered the words of her mentor from years ago.

*“Why do you choose to sit by yourself, Essie?” asked Kaven. He was standing on top of a large rock in a field of pansies that Essie had ventured into after one of their training sessions. The bright yellows and pinks and violets surrounded her, bringing beauty to the air around them. Essie looked back over her shoulder to see Kaven standing there, arms folded. She knew that look, and there was no chance of him leaving without an explanation.

“What is the difference? I am alone whether I am with you or on my own sitting by myself,” Essie stated. “Being with a group of people with hidden intentions makes me anxious. Being here among the flowers brings a sense of peace. Besides, you cannot be hurt by something like a flower.”

“On the contrary, have you not been studying how plants can be dangerous, lethal even?” countered Kaven. “Plants can be just as dangerous, if not more dangerous, than another sentient being.”

Essie thought about it for a moment before nodding reluctantly.

“I concede to your point,” stated Essie. “Then, perhaps, I like being alone. Perhaps I am meant to be alone.”

At her response, Kaven dared to scoff, which made Essie glance over at him curiously.

“Essleeahsayray, you have so much to learn. We are inherently social creatures. No one is simply meant to be alone just because we choose to despise others,” stated Kaven. “Despite everything I suspect you have encountered, I believe that it will simply take the right person to change your perspective on the matter.”

Kaven stepped off of the stone and walked up to Essie, using a burst of energy from a spell to lift him off of the ground to stand on her knee. Essie stayed perfectly still as Kaven held up a single finger, a signal for her to mark him and to mind his words because they would come back to be true later.

“Essie, one of these days, you are going to meet someone who wants to be your friend, who will be your friend whether you want them to or not, and you are going to have to make the decision of whether to let them into your life or dismiss them entirely. It may not be tomorrow or in a year from now, but it will happen. When that day comes, you need to be ready, because this person is going to be very special.”*

Essie smiled to herself as she listened to Kaven’s words ring out in her mind.

Kaven was right.

Rylir was very special.

It scared her to no end having him come with her, but the feeling she had when she was around him brought her the confidence she needed to win this fight against the unknown. She let a smile curl onto her face as she looked him in the eye.

Rylir, seeing this change in Essie, felt a conquering grin come across his face as well.

“Very well,” said Essie. “I shall bring you on the condition you will not allow yourself to be injured. Do you understand? I will do everything in my power to keep you safe, to keep everyone safe, but you have to promise the same. Do you agree to the terms?”

“Yes.”

Essie felt her smile broaden.

Rylir didn’t even hesitate.

Did he really have so much faith in her? Was he truly so confident in her abilities? In her?

There was no time to waist.

Essie, thinking quickly, grabbed a few potion bottles for healing from the nearby shelf before spinning around back toward the door.

“Then hold on tight. I’m not stopping until we reach the town. I have a lot of preparation to do if I’m protecting an entire town. I don’t know how you managed to swindle me into this, Rylir,” said Essie as she threw open the door and stepped outside before placing Rylir onto her shoulder.

Once again, she muttered the incantation and began sprinting down the face of the mountain back toward the town.

Rylir, clutching onto the fabric of Essie’s cloak, could only hope they would arrive in time and that he could be of some assistance to Essie as they sped down the snowy stones.