Aren
I can't believe I caught Ora kissing Max last night. Everytime she leaves on another date, I drive myself crazy wondering what she is doing with them. I worry that she is having too much fun and is falling in love, but I also worry that she isn't having any fun at all. She deserves to enjoy herself. After opening the locket, Ora and I decided it was time we made a visit to the dark forest witch. We snuck away this morning, only telling Gia where we were going, so she could cover for us. All we have with us are our school bags that Gia shoved into our arms as we ran out the door. Now we are working our way closer and closer to the Dark Forest. A shiver runs down my spine just thinking about it. I should never have agreed to bring Ora here, but I knew the temptation of learning more about her mom would mean she would go to the dark forest with or without me. I am itching to ask her about her dates, but I don't know if I can stand hearing her talk about them. She also doesn't seem to be in a mood for talking about romance.
"So… how are your classes going?" I ask tentatively.
"You did not just ask me about school."
"Yeah, I know that was lame." Conversation with Ora usually comes easily, but today things feel different, heavy. I know she is frustrated with only having partial answers about her biological mom and the locket, but I can't give her any answers. Before I can think of anything to say, Ora speaks up.
"If the moon goddess has been alive this whole time, why do you think she hasn't tried to help with the plague or famine? Why hasn't she helped with the population issues?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think the moon goddess is my mother?"
"I don't know."
"Do you think she abandoned me because I'm not good enough."
I glance over at Ora and see her eyes are starting to fill with tears. "Ora, you are good enough. I'm sure your mother had a good reason for leaving you." Ora just nods and we sit in silence, only the sound of our horses hoof beats for us to listen to. I guide my horse off of the road and down a dirt path, Ora following closely behind. Just before the treeline I stop in a small clearing and jump down. The trees of this forest are unlike any other forest I have seen. The trees are weirdly bent and knotted. They look like they are in pain.
"This is it, the Dark Forest."
Ora gets a determined look on her face and nods before she slides off of her steed. I pause for a moment to inhale the cool air before I walk around to meet her and take the reins to tie up our horses.
"Let's do this." She says and we enter the forest together.
Darkness closes around us and it's as if it is suddenly night time. The sun that was just shining is completely gone. I sling my bag off of my shoulder and reach inside hoping to find something that might help us. I am surprised when my fingers land on a flashlight. Gia must have foreseen that we would need one and packed it for me. Even with the light, the twisted roots keep finding our feet and tripping us, causing our progress forward to be frustratingly slow. I catch a glimpse of something moving from the corner of my eye, but when I look, all I see are trees. After only 20 minutes, I am exhausted and have small cuts covering my body. Ora isn't faring much better.
"Are you sure there wasn't any other information the witch gave you about how to find her?"
Ora sighs with exasperation. "Like I told you when you asked 5 minutes ago, all she told me was to go to the Dark Forest and she will find me."
"Do you think she was just crazy after all? Maybe she doesn't know anything and is just getting a laugh."
"Maybe, but I got the feeling I should trust her."
"I don't think she is coming today. Maybe we should turn back." I turn around and look back at the direction we just came from, only the path we had been following was gone.
"What the?" I take a step towards where I think we came from, and suddenly the forest jumps to life.
"I don't think the forest plans on letting us leave!" Ora yells as branches grab us and sling us off of the ground. I hear the slight crackle of wood bending and I feel the tree wrapping its branches around my wrists and waist. When I look down I realize I am now suspended twenty feet in the air. I frantically look for Ora, spotting her quickly tied up by the tree next to mine. The tree's roots break free of the soil and start to slither across the ground carrying us smoothly deeper into the forest.
"Any suggestions on what to do now?" Ora shouts to me.
"This may surprise you, but none of my classes covered how to escape moving demon trees." I shout back. "Are you injured?"
"No, I am fine." Ora struggles some more, but the trees hold on her is too strong. Eventually she gives up. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see where they are taking us." We continue forward suspended by the trees, until they reach a cottage in the woods. The small building is made of stone with ivy and flowers growing all over it. There is an attached sunroom on one side that is filled with plants, comfy looking seats, and books. The cottage is out of place in the Dark Forest and I am immediately weary of it. Standing at the front door is the oldest lady I have ever seen.
"Welcome, I am so glad you came for a visit." She says to us as the trees gently place us on the ground. As soon as I am free from the tree's grip, I jump to my feet and run over to Ora and help her up. Once she is on her feet she dusts herself off and then walks over to the witch and greets her.
"It's good to see you again, although the trip through the forest could have been a little smoother."
"I am sorry about that." The witch says with a cackle, that makes me think she's not very sorry at all. "My trees are here to work as guards and guides. When you arrived I told the trees to create a path for you, but when you tried to turn back, they may have gotten a little too handsy to bring you here."
"You could have just come to us, or told Ora about the trees."
The old witch just waves off my suggestion. "You got here perfectly fine. Now come in and let's talk." We follow her into the house and the door slams close behind us, a lock loudly clicking into place. I jump at the sound and run to the door to try to open it.
"She's got us locked in here. Hurry Ora, get away from her." I shout over my shoulder.
"Sorry about that, the door is automatic." The witch says, then she picks up a wand and waves it. The door immediately unlocks. "You are welcome to leave anytime you want, but I think we should talk first."
I continue to push on the door, but it still refuses to budge.
"It's a pull dear."
I switch from pushing to pulling and to my relief the door opens. I look back to make sure Ora is safe only to see she is stifling laughter and has taken a seat at the wooden table in what looks like it must be the witch's kitchen. Once she has gathered her composure, I give Ora a weary look, but her eyes tell me she won't leave until she gets answers. I sigh, close the door, and join her at the table.
The witch is banding around at the counter filling a pot with water and gathering some unfamiliar looking ingredients.
"Some tea dears?" She asks?
"Yes please!" Ora responds and I glare at her.
"No thanks. Neither of us should be drinking tea prepared by a strange witch who kidnapped us."
Ora elbows me hard in the ribs. "Don't be rude. Besides, she didn't kidnap us. We wanted to come here."
"Besides, you aren't kids, so it would only be considered napping you." The witch added.
As the witch continued to prepare some tea and what was now starting to take the shape of sandwiches, I looked around the small, cluttered space. She has shelves and shelves of books, glowing vials, vials filled with pink liquids and other vials that looked like they contained blood. She also had an umbrella stand filled with staffs and every inch of the place was exploding with plants.
Just as I am starting to get curious about everything the witch owns, she sets a tray down on the table ladened with sandwiches and a teapot. She pours us all a cup of tea before taking the seat across from us. "So child, if you are here, you must have figured out how to open the locket."
"Yes, but you said the locket would have answers. All it held was another riddle."
"It holds directions."
"Directions to what?" I ask.
the witch leans in and almost whispers, "The tree."
"What tree?"
Her eyes widen and she repeats herself, "THE tree." She emphasizes the word the, like there is only one tree in the world and we are idiots for not knowing.
Apparently, I am alone in this idiocracy, because Ora's eyes go wide and she gasps. "This locket is the key to finding the moon goddess's tree? I thought that was just a myth."
The witch leans back and takes a long sip of tea before responding. "It is a myth, but that doesn't mean it's not real."
"Wait, wait, wait. What tree?" I ask.
"Haven't you heard the story about the moon goddesses tree?" Ora turns towards me and asks.
I shake my head in response.
"My mom, well my step mom, used to tell me stories about the moon goddess and one of them was about how after the moon goddess disappeared, the shifters planted a tree in her memory. Many shifters went to the tree to pray and cry and try to connect with the moon goddess, and eventually the tree grew tall and strong with magical power from the tears of the shifters. The shifters continued to cry over the tree until a whole lake formed out of their tears around the tree. The tree became so powerful with magic and the whole area around it became embedded with magic. Many believed that the magic from this oasis would guide the moon goddess home and restore her magic to her."
"So what happened to the tree and the oasis?"
"That's the thing. No one knows. Just like the moon goddess, it disappeared."
"And Ora's locket is the key to finding it?" This time I direct my question to the witch and she nods. We both look at Ora and she pulls her locket out from under her shirt, staring at it in her hand.
"Why did my mother leave me this locket, and why did she even have it?'
The witch gently rests her hand on Ora's shoulder, before finally telling Ora the news and freeing me from my binding promise. "The woman who birthed you, is the Goddess Theia."
Ora stands up immediately, breaking the contact with the witch. "You are a loon." she then turns to me "Come on Aren, this was a waste of time. You were right."
I don't move and the witch catches Ora's attention with her next statement. "If you don't believe me, maybe you would trust your oldest friend." The witch then looks pointedly at me. Ora follows the witch's gaze and meets my eyes.
"Aren?" She asks.
I sigh. "Ora, she's not lying to you. Your mother really is the Goddess Theia."
Ora gasps and looks at me with betrayal in her eyes. "Aren, you knew, and you never told me. How long have you known?"
I reach for Ora's hand, but she pulls away. "I was promised to secrecy. I couldn't tell you."
"How long have you known?"
"Eighteen years."
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ora rages at me. "You've known pretty much my whole life, and you never told me." She stops yelling for a second and in a low dangerous tone continues. "Who else knows?"
"Just your parents, Jay, and some trusted servants."
"So just everyone I love kept this huge secret ABOUT ME from me?" Ora runs her hands through her hair and starts passing the room. "Why did you keep this from me? How could you keep this from me?" Her voice cracks as she asks the last question and it breaks my heart. It's not fair that we knew and she didn't.
"You're brother and I found out on accident. Your father never would have told us otherwise. When Theia came down to visit you, we didn't know she was your mom. All we saw was a strange woman in your bedchambers. We were only five, but we tried to protect you. We ran at brandishing our toy swords. She just smiled and waved her hand and our swords turned to bubbles. We continued to try to rescue you, but with another wave we stopped being able to move completely. A few servants hear the scuffle and altered your father. When he arrived we were shocked when he bowed to the intruder and instructed us to do the same. She explained that she was a goddess and that she birthed you. After she left, your father kept us and all of the servants who witnessed the scene in your room while he sent for a witch. Once the witch arrived she performed some kind of magic that prevented us from ever discussing the truth about your mother with anyone who didn't already know." I look at Ora pleadingly, hoping she will understand.
Her graze doesn't soften. "We will talk about this later." She frowns at me and then turns back to the witch. "Does this mean I am a demigod?"
"You aren't a demigod. Many believe you are the reincarnation of the moon goddess."
"What? Who would believe that?"
"I do." The witch tells her. "After the moon goddess disappeared, a powerful future seer had a vision of the future and wrote a prophecy. No one knows exactly what the prophecy says anymore, but it is believed that the prophecy said the moon goddess would be reborn and would return to the pool and the tree."
"In the hidden library I found, there was writing on the wall. We couldn't translate all of it but what we could read, 'She will walk the earth but return to the earth mother' Then there was a bunch in the middle that was too rundown and chipped, but the last line said, 'She will rise again only in the pool of her descent.' Do you think that could have been the prophecy?" Ora asks the witch.
"Yes, I think that is exactly what you found."
"What does it mean?"
"It means you need to find the pool." The old lady suddenly stands. "It's getting late, you should get going." I look out the window only to remember that in the dark forest, it's always as dark as night.
We get a ride back to our horses from the trees, who carry us a little more gently this time. As soon as we step out of the Dark Forest, we are hit with a wall of rain. We run through the now dark clearing, untie our horses and mount them.
I look over at Ora, who is already shaking from the wet and cold. Her shirt is sticking to her and I can see the outline of her hard nipples. "We aren't going to be able to make it back tonight. We should find an inn to dry off and wait out the storm."
Ora frowns and crosses her arms. "Fine."