Page 15 of The Hidden Guardian
Leaves crunch as he approaches and he sniffs me. “Rrokay?”
“No, not okay.” I lift my spare arm and give him a thumbs down. “I’ve lost anyone I’ve ever loved, I left all my worldly possessions besides what fit in my backpack behind, I’m being chased away from the only home I’ve ever known, and I have no idea where I’m going or what we are going to do there. You don’t even speak English, and I just followed you into the woods. You could murder me. Or … worse.”
I look up to meet his eyes. He listens intently, quietly.
“I think I might be losing my mind … granted, people are trying to murder me, but why am I following you?” I drop my hand from the tree and step toward him, “Why do I trust you in here?” I point to my chest.
He watches me with the same intensity he put into making the shoes before pointing to the tree behind me. “Rawe-tum. Grrr-an.”
I follow his finger, turning back to the tree trunk. Where my hand was just sitting has now blossomed with ivy. It’s tendrils swirling and growing up the length of the tree.
“What is that?”
He nods with a smile.
“I did that?” I gasp, “I made that ivy grow?”
“Rawe-tum. Grrarrran. Grrrd-iann.”
“Grr? Grrd-an? Garden?”
He shakes his head and tries again, “Grr-dah-eee-an.”
“Gah, G-Guard-ian? Guardian. I’m a Guardian?” I piece it together. “Autumn is Guardian. That’s what you’re saying, isn’t it?” Guardian. Where have I heard that before? Mother. Mother had mentioned I would be Colton’s Guardian growing up. After she passed, I always thought it was some sick joke that she had predicted me becoming his legal guardian.
Renall gives me a thumbs-up.
“What is a Guardian?”
He snorts before reaching out and touching the vine of ivy. He plucks a leaf off and rolls it between two fingers. Almost immediately, his fingers redden and blister.
“Oh no, poison? Did I make poison ivy? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to …”
His lip quirks up into a sly smirk. “Rawe-tum, tsk, tsk, tsk.” His voice has a twinge of amusement. His fingers calm almost immediately and the redness fades in an instant.
“I had no idea …” I pause at his smile. “Wait? You’re not mad?” As I say the words I realize he’s teasing me.
Renall stands there studying the rest of the ivy, a look of wonder across his face, and I get the feeling he wasn’t expecting this, not from me.
“What the hell did I just do? How did I create that? And why is a so-called ‘Guardian’ making things that don’t protect, but cause harm?”
“Rawe-tum, rokay?” He returns his attention to me, giving me the thumbs up in question.
“I mean no, I’m not okay right now. I have a lot of questions, but you have no idea what I’m saying. So …” I sigh defeatedly, “Sure, I’m okay.” I return his thumbs up. He grabs it and kisses my hand before shaking his head and turning around to dart off again. With one final inspection of the poison ivy crawling up the tree, and then a glance at my hand which looks as it always has, I follow him to who knows where.
* * *
By nightfall, I have way more questions about what I did to the tree and why Renall thought it was the best thing since indoor plumbing. He didn’t set any traps or grab any nice rabbits before sitting down and making camp tonight. The wind has picked up, and he’s been sullen for an hour or so. Not like it’s much different from his regular personality, but still.
Unlike last night, he doesn’t build a fire. He makes quick work of finding the mossy side of a tree and motioning for me to have a seat. Without another word, he positions himself against the tree across from me and surveys the horizon behind me.
Grabbing my empty stomach, I tuck my knees into my chest and try to get some rest. The night is colder than last, or maybe it’s just because we are out in the open and not in a cave with a nice warm fire. I’m starting to miss my nice comforter Colton got me for Winter Solstice last year. Its blue-and-white-checkered pattern also has a sherpa lining. It kept me toasty even when our fire went out. Colton never slept with a blanket. Now I understand why. I suffer through it, tucking my knees tighter, and wrapping my arms closer. It doesn’t help. Chills sink into my spine, and I begin to tremble. My teeth are chattering before I know it. There’s no way I’ll last all night like this.
“Rrrrenall? Cccan we have ffffire?”
He opens one eye before shaking his head once in the negative, then pauses for a second before rising to his feet. He takes a few steps closer to me. What the hell is he doing?
A few steps in front of me he falls on all fours. His body vibrates again as the wind shifts around him. The patches of hair on his chest and face expand and grow. His tan nose expands, widens into a snout. Ears darken and elongate. In a blink, Renall’s wolf form stands eye to eye before me. I don’t recall him being this big when I carried him into my house. He’s huge from this angle. My whole body can probably fit into his jowls. He towers above me, his fur darker in the moonlight—but his eyes are the same green. I should be terrified. I should run because this is a predator in every sense of the word. But just like in the woods, I know he won’t hurt me. Those green eyes watch me, waiting for me to process before he makes a move.
