Chapter 5: The Morai Tree

A whole new world.

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Violet screamed. She jumped to her feet and spun around to face the creature. It stood taller than any dog she’d ever seen, with greyish blue standing on its back. Its eyes glowed yellow as the moon above her, and lips curled back from its yellowed and black teeth. Tremors rumbled through Violet’s entire body as she stood only a few steps away from it.

Its legs rippled with muscles as it slowly stepped towards her. She heard growls resound from its throat. She tried to stand still, but her body shook too much.

“What’s your name?” the wolf growled. 

Violet blinked. She must be dreaming. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes. Everything felt so real; this couldn’t be a dream, could it? But animals don’t speak…

“I said,” the wolf growled, taking a step towards her, “what’s your name?”

“I—I—I—uh—” she stumbled over sounds and words. “Violet.”

“How can you see me?” he said. “What are you? You appear as a human, yet somehow you’ve strode into our world. Humans cannot do that. What are you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Violet said. Her body quaked more violently than she could ever remember. “I’m a human. I’m nothing more.”

The wolf stared at her, his eyes glowing against his dark body. His eyes travelled over her head to toe, then his snout moved closer to her and sniffed. Slowly, his lips curled back into something of… a smile? “Well, Violet,” he said, taking another step closer to her. “I don’t know how you got here, but I suppose I shouldn’t question a free meal any longer.”

She screamed as the wolf lunged towards her. She jumped backwards and began to run when suddenly a bright light enveloped her. Violet could see nothing but white light and felt prickles over her entire body. She tried to move but felt paralyzed. She screamed and wondered for a moment if she were dying, but the light disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness again, she felt her feet on the ground but saw dark lines and folds in front of her face. She simply stared for a moment, then reached out her hand. It was rough, like bark. She seemed to be standing in front of a tree branch. 

“Where is she?” she heard the wolf growl.

She looked up and saw above her, between several branches, the grey fur of the wolf. She covered her mouth as she realized he had grown ten times in size. 

His large head turned and looked around, and his damp nose wiggled at the end of his snout. “I still smell you,” he said, turning his head. 

Violet didn’t know what to do. She held perfectly still, watching the great beast sniff and look around. Slowly, his head came down into the branches and his nose only a few centimetres from her.

“There you are! You’re one of those abominable faeries!” His jaws opened and he snapped at her.

Violet screamed and darted away. Then she heard that small voice again.

“Fly! You can fly now! He can’t catch you if you fly!”

Violet looked around but couldn’t see where the voice came from. As she looked up, the wolf’s jaws snapped down at her again, and she leapt out of the way. She looked up and saw a large rock with a gap under it. She sprinted towards it and scurried under, sliding herself under onto her stomach.

“Stop running, you cursed faery!” the wolf growled. Then she heard him yelp.       

Violet peered out from under the rock. She faintly saw rocks hurdling towards the wolf and hitting him in the side and head.

“There’s more! Bloody faeries!” He tried to jump away from them, but they kept pelting him. He snapped in the air but kept getting struck. Finally, he fled.

“Fine! I’ll come back for you later with reinforcements. I’ll report your newest tricks to Lord Tarrowen, and he’ll come after you.” 

Violet listened as she heard the scrapping of his claws in the dirt and the crackling of leaves dissipate into the darkness. Even once silence hung in the air again, she didn’t dare move from under her rock. 

As she laid there panting and her heart drumming in her ears, she saw people appear. It seemed as if they were gently falling from the sky like snow, until Violet saw their translucent, feathery wings flowing from their backs. As their feet softly landed on the ground, they turned and looked down at her.

“You’re safe now,” a female one said. She stepped towards Violet. She had golden, blossoming vines painted on her arms. Her tall and slim figure bent to peer under the stone at her, her short dress of buttery rose petals hardly wrinkling. She smiled at Violet. Her eyes’ vibrant green colour reminded Violet of new plants bursting from the ground. Her brown hair tumbled over her shoulder, woven with greenery. “My name is Esme. What’s yours?”

Violet didn’t know if she should answer—the last time, she had nearly been eaten. Yet it seemed these creatures had somehow saved her. “Violet,” she whispered. 

Esme smiled and reached out her hand. “Please, come with us. I promise to explain everything, but first we must get to safety. The wolves won’t be long returning.”

Violet hesitated but crawled out. Whatever these creatures were, they somehow seemed safer than a pack of wolves.

“Who are you?” Violet said, glancing at the group of three winged creatures. “And what was that wolf? How did he get so big?”

“I promise we’ll explain,” Esme said, “but first we must go somewhere safe. You have wings now as well; you must fly with us.”

Violet scrunched her face up. “I don’t. I’m not like you, I’m just human. I can’t fly.”

The girl shook her head. “Not anymore.”

Violet opened her mouth to protest, but then felt a tickling sensation on her back. She turned her head and gasped as she saw the same transparent, feathery wings growing from her back. 

“But—how—”

“I promise to explain. But please, we must go; now, Violet.”

“But I don’t know how to fly!” she said, her eyes still darting around looking around for signs of the wolves.

“We’ll help you. Let’s go.” Esme turned to the boy. “Baen, take her other arm.”

Before Violet could protest, Esme and the boy took her arms and began lifting her. She saw he had gold vines painted on his arms as well. 

“Violet, use your wings as well!” Esme said.

Violet wasn’t sure how, but she thought about the wings at her back and suddenly felt them flapping. Flapping.She didn’t even know her muscles and bones could move in this way. She looked down as the ground fell away from her feet, and she had this sinking feeling she would cascade to the ground at any moment.

“Great job, Violet. We’ll guide you, just keep using your wings.” Esme turned her gaze forward to the girl flying in front of them. “Eowyn, lead the way to the Warren.”

Violet watched as the ground grew further from her feet and she moved up into the darkened forest. The other girl flew in front of them while Esme and the boy carried Violet along. She watched as they flew through tree branches and between leaves, the rock laden and moss-covered ground below rolling underfoot. Violet looked up and it seemed they were flying straight for a tree.

“The tree! We’ll hit it!” Violet cried.

“We’re going inside,” Esme replied.

Violet braced her body as they flew closer and closer to the trunk. Then she heard the girl in front of them say, “Moirai Tree, allow your people to come home!”

She heard a deep groan and watched as the knotted bark seemed to unfold and unravel before her. A dark hole opened, and they flew with Violet down inside the tree.

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