Haunted Forest

After journeying around the countryside for about a month I came across the village of Luxeror.  I have actually never heard of this village before and so I decided to check it out.  I found the people who lived her to be nice, but leery of strangers.  I was not that surprised because most small villages in the frontier lands were skeptical of outsiders.  I was wearing a long hooded  dark brown cloak and the hilt of my sword stuck out for all to see.1

I decided to set up for the night in the local Inn.  It was mostly used by the merchants from the other villages in the outskirts and so it was kept up far better than the Inn's in the cities which were houses for gamblers, sailors, and thief's.  I was none of those things but they had no way of knowing that.  I was simply a stranger and therefor was not to be easily trusted. However, they did give me a room and a hot meal of which I was thankful.2

While eating the first good meal I had in a while I over heard many conversations.  The most interesting of which was of the forest nearby.  The merchants claimed it was haunted by a demon who looked like a woman.  They said that she lured men into the forest and tempted them with a magical pool, then she would kill them.  Frankly, I doubted there were any demons in the forest but the tails were interesting.3

I walked over to the merchants and asked "Has anyone ever tried to find and kill this demon?"4

They all were startled for they did not hear me walk over.  On even choked on his ale.  Then they began to laugh.  "Your new here aren't you?" one of them asked.  He wore a red robe of what appeared to be a fine material, but it was fading and worn in spots.  In fact, upon looking at them they all had fine outfits that were fading and worn.  Apparently in this area the money did not flow as freely as in the cities, but they also seemed to make a decent pay.5

"Yes, I am."  I said.  "But, it seems from your conversation that the forest would be a much quicker rout and that traversing around it is a waste of time and money.  Ridding the forest of this demon sounds like it would fetch a fair amount and I would have though that many adventurers would have attempted it by now."6

"Yes, many have.  None have returned though.  Ti's truly a haunted forest.  I would advise you not to be so foolish as to attempt to go in there."  He had a stern look on his face and a hollowness that told of great grief.  I had the feeling that he had lost someone close to him in that forest.  It was enough to send a shiver down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.7

"Well, I shall be sure to avoid the forest then."  It was a lie but I wanted to make the old merchant feel better.  I could tell he had warned others before, and they went anyway.  I did not want him to worry over me, I had followed many such stories and have never encountered any demons before.  I have seen many things before, but never anything that I could not handle.8

The merchants set off the next day and I stayed in the Luxeror a few more days.  I talked to many of the villagers about the forest and took on small jobs to pay my fair at the Inn.  The villagers had little information that was useful.  And many of the accounts differed from person to person.  So, after buying some supplies I decided to head out into the forest and find out what truth there was to the stories.9

After purchasing some supplies and finishing the various jobs I had been doing, I decided to head out into the forest.  I started out first thing in the morning and did not sense anything threatening.  The forest was quiet and peaceful, but the air bitterly cold.  It started to snow that night although it didn't look like snow at that day.  Still, I kept going because the snow was coming down slow and not building up to much.  I found many animal tracks but no sign of human or demonic presence.10

After the third day the snow started to fall a little harder, and the wind picked up.  I could hardly see my own hands, and could not find any wood to start a fire.  I would turn back, but my tracks were filling in almost as soon as I make them.  Also, with such low visibility I could not be certain of which direction I was heading.  So I kept going on.  After a while I lost the feeling in my hands and feet and was worried about them becoming frost bitten.  At this point the sky was so dark that you could not tell day from night so I was unsure of how long I had been walking.  11

With the water I was carrying having froze over and not having found any streams or ponds I was out of water.  I knew I would not last much longer like this.  After who knows how long I had started to give up hope.  I accepted my fate and cursed my own stupidity for going into the forest when a blizzard was coming.  But I still was puzzled as to how it came so quickly and with no warning.  I admit this is unfamiliar territory to me, but I have seen many such storms and knew how to tell if12

one was coming or not.13

Finally, I was at the point that I was walking because  I had no where to stop.  My strength was fading and my resolve was as well.  I pushed threw a few evergreen trees and saw a pool of water.  I had not frozen over and the ground adjacent to it was green, as if the snow had not fallen upon it.  I walked into the water and reveled in its warmth.  I could feel my hands and feet again and my strength surged back threw my sineus muscles.  I let its energy flow threw me and took comfort in it.  14

I suddenly felt another presence nearby and my hand clenched the hilt of my sword.  I looked around and out of the blanket of white a figure appeared.  It was a young woman, slender and beautiful.  With an angular face and pale gray eyes.  This must be the creature that the merchants and villagers had warned me about, but I felt no evil or danger from her.  I slowly got out of the water and my hand dropped from my sword.  I do not know why, but I felt completely comfortable around her.15

I then realized why the men claimed this forest was haunted.  Her beauty was bewitching and her purity was intoxicating.  I thanked her for allowing me to bathe in her pool for I knew it was hers to protect.  The water had a magick in it which I could feel flowing threw my veins.  I then became aware of why the others who entered the forest had perished.  The forest was enchanted and if anyone stayed in it a blizzard would sweep in.  This girl was of the fairy race, and the humans must have feared her.  But because I did not come with anger or hate or a desire to rid the forest of this magick I was allowed to experience its magick.16

The fairy lived in our world, but not entirely in our reality.  They could shift back and forth and when this girl felt threatened she would pull back into her other reality.  Because the other men who had entered this forest came with ill intent in their hearts or greed, they never found her or her pool.  And so they perished in the blizzards.  I was spared because I was only looking for the truth.  But to have met a fairy, I was truly blessed.17

She then gave me an option, to remain with her and protect the forest, or to go back to the world of men and forget what I had seen and experienced.  The choice was not hard though for I was always a loner.  I never truly fit in the human world,  All the corruption and evil was disgusting to me, and it was ever present.  So I told her I would stay, and I remained with her and protected the forest.18