Adele's Stories

The trees dipped and swayed as I walked through them, the breeze following me gently. Their leaves turned green in succession as I passed by, my fingers trailing over them lightly. Purple, pink and red flowers blossomed in my footsteps and blue and white bulbs emerged from the bushes. I smiled as rabbits and deer tentatively poked their heads through the brush trying to discern if spring had yet come. The large white deer beside me assured them winter had ended.

Verin was the constant companion of the Mothers of Nature. That’s what we called ourselves, based off the human legend of us; Mother Nature. Really we were just a family of elves with the best jobs. I and my mother before me and her mother before her and so on, bring the changing of the seasons. My mother had retired last year and finally passed the torch on to me. I had been apprenticing for years but now I am officially Mother Nature.

Walking through the forests with Verin beside me always made so happy I was born into the nature elves. The ocean elves and sky elves are cool, but nature is by far the best.

Verin nudged me with his shoulder and directed me onto another path. I smiled at his guidance and coaxed the flowers around us to bloom. The path widened before us and we soon found ourselves before a frozen river. Verin nudged me forward and we walked across the river together, the ice melting behind us revealing the crystal water hidden beneath.

Woodland creatures emerged from the trees behind us, tentatively bending down to test the water. As we reached the other side the trees seemed to sway in welcome, begging us to bring them back to life. Before I could reach the trees though, Verin stopped at the bank and turned his head to look behind him. Curious, I turned to look too. The animals had all scattered, rushing through the brush in fear. I turned to Verin concerned.

He shook his ahead and stamped his foot. It was a warning. I took a step back, looking around uncertainly. Verin turned his head to look at me. The look in his eyes told me to run. Why did I need to run? I couldn’t leave Verin here alone to face whatever it was that was coming.

Verin huffed and pawed at the ground. I knew what that meant too. If I didn’t leave now he was gonna make me leave. Choking back tears, I turned and ran. The forest turned green around me as I ran, struggling to keep up with me. I took quick notice when the deer, rabbits, squirrels, and other woodland creatures began running beside me. But what we were running from I had no idea.

We didn’t stop until the trees ended and we emerged onto the meadow surrounding the elven village. I spun around the face the forest as elves emerged out of their homes and gathered around to see what at all the ruckus was about.

The forest had come alive with the rebirth of spring, recovering quickly from the speed with which I had to do it. We stood together, animals and elves, as we watched the smoke appear above the trees. There was a collective gasp and we heard the loud noise of what we could only assume was a human machine. We’d seen and heard them occasionally at the edge of the forest, but never this loud or this close.

But just as we feared it would find us, the noise stopped. It was hours before we were brave enough to investigate. There was evidence of a large something having been in the forest but that was about it. I knew the only reason the forest was still standing was because of Verin. But Verin was no where to be found.

In the years to come the humans would spread around a legend of a large white stag who protects the forests, but no one had ever caught him. And that didn’t stop them from invading the trees. But every now and then there was a story of a mysterious presence forcing them back.

But the elves never saw him again. From that day on Mother Nature brought the changing of the seasons on her own.