The Last Healer (Revision)

Chapter 1

Ariella

Thousands of trees surrounded me, making it impossible to see anything more than the barks of the trees and the canopy that danced above me. The birds sung from the trees as they made their way further south for the winter that was rapidly approaching. Leaves and sticked littered the ground as hidden thorns bit at my feet while I walked, searching for some sort of water.

A twig snapped behind me and I whipped around, ignoring the sharp in my back from the bruise I gained just a few days prior. A deer's head poked out from behind a tree, it's dark eyes searching the forest for predators. It glanced at me, but quickly looked away as if it was not afraid. Not that I blamed it. I was small and frail, my clothes were tattered, and blood slipped from my feet, staining the leaves below me. I wasn't a threat to it in my state and I was sure that it knew that.

A few moments passed and the deer finally took a few steps forward before disappearing in the trees on the other side. I smiled sadly before turning and continuing on the path, hoping that it would eventually lead to some kind of water. Countless squirrels scampered across the trees and the forest floor, gathering its food for the winter.

"Ariella." A voice called and I smiled in relief as I recognized the voice.

"Rika." I muttered, searching for the spot where I had heard her but was only surrounded by trees.

"Ariella." The voice came again from the right and I stared in that direction, hoping that I could find my friend. "Ariella, come to me." I nodded mindlessly as I carefully dove into the trees and followed the voice that began to hum. After a few minutes, I found myself staring at a small lake, the trees above were perfectly reflected by the water.

"Rika!" I exclaimed as my eyes fell on my friend. A girl, around my age, stood by the water, her feet barely submerged in the lakes edge. "How do you always find me?"

"I will always find you, Ariella." Rika told me before motioning to the water by her feet. The sunlight shifting on her brown hair as she moved out of the way. "Come and drink, my dear. You have been through much."

I nodded and collapsed by the lake's edge, eagerly drinking the water as it soothed my parched throat. Her hand stroked my hair as I drank and, when I was done, I leaned back and smiled at her.

"You poor thing." She whispered as she knelt beside me, hugging me as tightly as she could. I leaned into her, closing my eyes as I relaxed in her grip. "It is not fair for this to be happening to you, my dear." She muttered in my ear. She pulled away and smiled again. "I wish that there was more that I could do to help you."

"I do not mind." I muttered to her and she laughed sadly.

"Where will you go now that they had abandoned you?" Rika questioned and I shrugged and turned to stare at the glistening lake. "That will not do." She chided, rising from the ground and looked at the lake with sorrowful eyes. "I guess I must call for help." She turned on her heel and strode away before I could say a single word. When she reached the forest's edge, she turned back to me and smiled. "You must stay here, Ariella. I will be back by nightfall."

"Wait-" I called but she simply smiled and walked away, disappearing into the trees. "Why does she always do that?" I pouted, pulling my knees up to my chest as I stared at the lake, listening to the birds' song. After a while, my eyes grew heavy, my body grew numb, and I laid myself on the lake's edge and watched the leaves dance above me.

"Ariella?" My father's voice called as he poked her head into the tent and a smile sprawled across his lips as he saw me. "Why, there you are! Why aren't you playing outside?" He cooed, kneeling beside me. "It's a beautiful day and there are plenty of butterflies to chase after."