Forget Me Not

Prologue

☽ ✧ ☾

She almost rode past it.

The feeling had started hours earlier, so faint she had mistaken it for weariness at first.

Then it lingered.

Steady.

Patient.

The further she travelled into the hills of Navarre, the stronger it became.

It wasn't hunger.

It wasn't danger.

Just something quieter.

A pull.

She frowned to herself and loosened the reins. The black mare slowed obediently beneath her.

For years they had wandered wherever the road led. Villages blurred into forests. Forests gave way to mountains. Seasons changed. Faces changed.

She never stayed.

She had stopped asking herself where she was going a long time ago. Most days, simply moving forward was enough.

Yet this...

This felt different.

She glanced towards the valley below.

Mist clung to the hills, softening the scattered rooftops of the village in the distance. Beyond them, ancient caves watched over the mountainside, little more than dark mouths carved into the rock.

She'd heard stories before.

Every village had stories.

None of them had ever made her curious enough to stay.

The feeling tightened.

Not painfully.

Almost hopeful.

She tilted her head, studying the trees ahead.

"Well," she murmured. "I suppose we'd better take a look."

Ailsa flicked an ear as if in agreement.

They left the narrow track, climbing through ancient woodland where twisted oaks reached across the path and moss covered every stone. The air smelled of rain and pine.

Then she saw it.

A small, weathered cottage sat half hidden amongst the trees.

It looked old.

Older than most things she still remembered.

Time hadn't been kind to it. Part of the roof sagged beneath its own weight and ivy crawled across the stone walls. One shutter hung crookedly from its hinges.

Yet the structure remained standing.

Stubborn against the years.

She dismounted slowly.

The silence here felt different.

Not empty.

Almost like it had been waiting for someone to arrive.

She walked the perimeter of the cottage, fingertips brushing the rough stone as she went. The walls were solid. The chimney leaned, but only just.

No one had lived here for a long time.

She pushed gently against the door, it groaned in protest before giving way.

Dust danced through the fading light.

A table stood beside the hearth, shelves still clinging to the walls beneath a fine layer of dust.

Her gaze lifted to the narrow loft tucked beneath the sloping roof, little more than rough timber boards reached by a simple ladder.

It was sheltered.

Quiet.

Abandoned, but not ruined.

It felt less like an empty cottage, more like a home waiting to be found.

She found herself nodding without really understanding why.

It needed work.

A great deal of work.

But time wasn't something she lacked.

A soft snort drew her back outside.

Ailsa had wandered to the edge of the clearing, lazily pulling at the long grass. The mare lifted her head as she approached, nudging her shoulder with familiar impatience.

She looked at her.

"What do you think?"

Another snort.

The corner of her mouth twitched.

"I know."

She rested a hand against the mare's neck.

"We've been looking for a long time."

She hadn't realised quite how true those words were.

Her gaze drifted back to the cottage.

She should have climbed back into the saddle.

Kept riding.

She always kept riding.

Instead, she stood there and listened.

Waiting for the strange feeling in her chest to disappear.

It didn't.

The cottage was four stone walls and a roof that needed saving.

It shouldn't have meant anything.

Yet she found herself imagining smoke curling from the chimney. Light behind the windows.

The thought surprised her.

She didn't push it away.

The pull remained.

It felt less like an invitation and more like an arrival.

Home.

🕯️ 💙 🌙

Well, welcome to a new adventure.

I've never written anything in the sci-fi/fantasy genre before, but it's one of my favourites to read, and if it's gay, even better. So it only made sense that my new Mafin fic would head in that direction.

I'm so excited for you all to read it and hear your theories as the story unfolds.

Now, a little hint: symbols are important in this fic, so keep an eye on these...

Past - ☽ ✧ ☾
Present - ☾ ✧ ☽

Blessed be,

Debbie