The sun has begun to set, and I've found myself much farther into the forest than intended. An easy foraging day, Adelaide said. Definitely back in time for dinner, Adelaide said.
I can't help but smack a tree branch in frustration when I pass the same trail marker for the third time.
"Hello." A masculine voice says from behind me. I whirl around. For a terrifying moment, I think some forest spirit has come to seek retribution for my violent actions against treekind.
"Hello?" My voice trembles.
A man steps out from behind one of the wider trees. He's large in every sense of the word, tall and solidly built. I'm surprised at how quiet he manages to be as he approaches. The stranger waves.
"Oh, hello! It's nice to see another person." I call out to him, waving back.
As he gets closer, the height difference between us becomes more pronounced. My eyeline is at his collarbone. The collar of his shirt is open, slightly damp with sweat. In the middle of his chest lies a green pendant.
My time with Miss Adelaide has me analyzing the crystal before I'm consciously aware. It looks like an agate of some kind, verdant and hand polished. I will my gaze upward. His hair is long, a loose braid pulling the front strands back.
"River." I offer my hand, and he shakes it. He has surprisingly soft hands.
"Sylvan." He says.
"Nice to meet you. Wish it was under better circumstances." Sylvan cocks his head to the side. I can almost see the question mark form above it. "I'm very lost," I clarify.
"Oh. I could tell." Sylvan gestures in the direction he approached from. "Been behind you for a while on the trail."
I groan. "That obvious, huh?"
"Don't feel bad. She likes to confuse people." Sylvan says.
Sylvan suddenly leans in. I flinch. It doesn't seem to deter him. He breathes in deeply through his nose, and his eyes light up with recognition.
"You know Adelaide?" He says.
I laugh, incredulous. "You can tell that from... what? The way I smell?"
He nods. "Good nose."
"Oh. Wow." The distance between us is negligible. I take a step back to restore my personal space. "Yeah, I'm Adelaide's new apprentice."
An awkward pause stretches out into silence. I clear my throat. "You, uh, wouldn't happen to live nearby, would you?"
"Yes, close. Why?" Sylvan says.
"Well, I know you don't really know me, but would it be possible if- uh, that is to say-" Good gods, get it together, River. "Could I spend the night?"
Sylvan looks caught off-guard. "With me?"
"Well, if not, that's okay." The heat rises to my cheeks. I rub the back of my neck. "I'm just... not really equipped to spend the night in the woods?"
He blinks a couple of times, then claps me on the shoulder. "No. You can stay at my house." The hesitation from before seems to have been abandoned. "A friend of Adelaide's... is a friend of mine."
The distance to his cabin is short - we're able to get there before the sun has finished setting. The façade blends into the landscape surrounding it, neutral stone tucked into a hillside.
"Nice place." I say as Sylvan fiddles with the lock. He grunts.
Inside, a fireplace dominates the room.
Sylvan gestures for me to set my bag next to the fireplace. "You can put your things there." In front of the brick hearth, the floor is layered with furs from animals that seem impossibly large.
"I have a quilt in the back. Come see if it's heavy enough."
I follow him through the closed door into a small storeroom. It looks like this is where most of Sylvan's possessions are when not in use. Clothes hang in one corner, canned foods line another wall.
Sylvan sorts through an oak chest. He pulls out a folded quilt from the bottom and hands it to me.
"Okay?" He asks.
"Yeah, this is good."
Sylvan holds the door open for me. I think he sniffs me when I pass by. I decide to not call attention to it.
"Thank you again for letting me stay the night." I say.
"No problem." Sylvan says. He follows me out, but seems to be distracted, retreating back to the storeroom. I can hear him rustle around for a while. When he finally comes out he's obviously agitated, wringing his hands.
"Sylvan?" He ignores me and starts pulling on his boots. I try again. "Everything okay?"
That garners a response. "Fine. Sorry." He continues lacing his boots. I think his hands are shaking, but I can't tell with the pace he's moving at. "Going for a walk."
Multiple follow-up questions come to mind, but I push them down. We're essentially strangers. I don't want to overstep. Instead, I say, "Okay. Be safe."
Well, now that I'm alone, I might as well get comfortable. I strip down to my undershirt and shorts. Getting underneath the quilt, I curl up next to the dying fire.
The furs cradle me. They're soft and vaguely scented with musk. I yawn. The exhaustion of the day threatens to plunge me into sleep. It's on this precipice of consciousness that I find myself staring into the hearth, wondering where my host has gone.
I dream of the moon, full and luminous, hanging in the sky. The pinpricks of starlight fall away under the moon's glow. Trees stretch upward towards its embrace.
I'm woken by a scuffling at the door.
"Hello?" I call out. My throat is scratchy from almost-sleep.
Sylvan? It sounds like he's having a hard time turning the doorknob. Is he drunk?
That train of thought is derailed as soon as the door opens and the silhouette of a werewolf takes its place. I shrink as far back into the fur pile as I can. The beast has to duck its head to get inside. Their nails click on the hardwood.
"H-hey there, buddy." The werewolf quirks their head to the side. It's difficult to tell how much the figure is understanding of what I'm saying, but they're listening, at least. "Are you lost?"
I notice a glint in their chest fur. As they move further into the room, I cautiously eye it. A pendant hangs around their neck. It's a familiar mossy agate.
"Sylvan?" My voice shakes.
The lycanthrope nods.
"Sylvan!? Holy shit." I regret letting my voice go loud when Sylvan reacts. He whines and shrinks in on himself, avoiding eye contact.
"Hey, hey, it's okay. I'll be honest, you scared me a little, but now that I know it's you, it's fine." I hold my hands up in placation. Sylvan perks up a little, but doesn't get closer.
Despite what I've said, the adrenaline from suddenly being in the same room as a 3-meter tall werewolf that I barely know hasn't died down. I find myself rambling. "I mean, you're letting me stay here. Hell, this is your place, you could curl up next to me and I'd understand."
His ears perk up at that suggestion.
