REWRITE THE STARS

REWRITE THE STARS: ZEE

My mother had told me that tale to guard against me from wandering into the trees, but it had quite the opposite effect, and now I was catapulting into that very forest searching for something, for someone.

The breeze had picked up, the air chillier than before as it whistled through the branches. Pulling my jacket tighter across me, I could feel the feathers attached sway against the fabric on my thighs. The see through lace and sequin vest I wore under it didn’t provide much warmth, but definitely gave a viewer a taste of what I looked like beneath my clothes. The all white ensemble, made of the finest materials the land could offer, was finalized by my father. Your future bride needs to know all that you can give her.

White. Future bride. Engagement party.

Ma would have never wanted this.

Stopping in front of the wooden line before me, I was almost there now, to the open space within Zennu, having followed Polaris to the very edge of the woods. It was dense, the foliage and the remaining space blending together until all you could really see was black. There was little to guide you once you entered, the tree coverage blocking Polaris. From experience I knew that the only sound you would hear is your own bated breath, your heart pounding as blood rushed through your ears, and the occasional snapping of twigs as you tried to keep your footing. As the minutes ticked by, you would start to feel like you were suffocating, not knowing where you came from and not knowing where you were going. But from the very beginning, I had felt a certain pull within my chest, almost like a melody of chimes nestled in my heart, that directed me toward the clearing.  Believing in my instinct, I followed it now, walking into the inky thicket, hoping I would never return.

***

I saw his magic before I saw him.

The white, baby pink, and light orange balls were floating everywhere. Most had a flame in the middle, creating infinities of warmth that collectively made the air comfortable, homely even. The air shimmered faintly and I could hear soft music playing, mostly acoustics. It was magical.

I felt the right side of my lips lift, a small smirk now on my face as I found who I was looking for.

Nhu, my love.

Taking a second to drink him in, I slowly made my way toward the young elf that was sitting on the plaid blanket in the middle of the clearing. I watched as he followed his own creations, seemingly in awe of the beauty he had created around him. A white ball drifted toward him. Reaching out his hand, it became a puff of smoke as he closed his hand around it. Cutely giggling, I also giggled too.

“Happy Birthday, little one.”

Nhu’s big blue eyes looked up at me, turning into crescents as he realized what was happening. “Hia!”

Leaping up, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders. In return, I snaked my arms around his waist, tightly holding onto him as I hugged him back, repeating. “Happy birthday, little one.”

Moving slightly away, I reached with one hand to rub against his pointed ear. “New armor?”

“Yeah, it was a gift from my brother! Do you like it?”

Gently swiping against his ear, the new armor was pure silver with the smallest crystals embedded so that it glimmered with every movement. There were intricate etchings at the bottom as it curved around his ear, ivy and flowers that curled around each other before disappearing into the gems.

That was one of the tellable signs of an elf, of course, their pointed ears, but the one I enjoyed the most were their eyes, shades of blues and greens never found in humans.