The Dragon who became my Wife(Volume 1)

Part 9: The Guardian's Affection

*gasp* Henry ran through the forest, as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't know how far he had ran for, only where he's heading. The area where those Fireroot plants grow. He remembered seeing them back when she used to follow Arianne and her mother on their harvesting trip, and right at the time when he begin to fall in love with the forest.

His path ahead was illuminated by moonlight. Thank goodness that it was almost full moon tonight, and the light of the moon managed to shine through between the trees. He also had something else to help him find his way. a magical item, a 'torchlight', as they would call it. A small metal tube with a glowing crystal set inside it, capped with a lens. it emits a beam of light in a small cone in the direction that you point it.

He used them to look around and find those flowers Arianne mentioned. "Here it is." Henry said, spotting them near some trees that had fallen. He pulled out a small trowel from his backpack and begins to dig the roots up. "Be careful, the roots can be a bit hot to the touch." He remembered Arianne's warnings.

After uncovering the roots, Henry used the trowel to carefully lift them out and gently shoved them back into his backpack. after collecting what he assumed is an adequate amount of Fireroot, he begins cleaning up and getting ready to rush back to the herbalist's lodge.

Before he could start moving, though, Henry was startled by growls coming from a bush not far from his location. This time, he immediately reached for the knife he had on his belt and prepared for an assault. "Is the wolf back already?" Henry asked himself, thinking of that wolf that tried to attack him not too long ago.

All of a sudden, the growl turned into a howl and more bushes begins to stir. He brought friends, Henry deduced. "This is not good." Henry mumbled. Before long, a pack of eight wolves jumped out of the bushes and began to circle him. Henry struggled to keep track of all of them.

One by one, they started to pounce on Henry. He managed to avoid the first few strikes, but when one of them suddenly struck from behind, Henry lost his footing and plummets down onto the ground.

Then, one of them, a wolf with cuts and bruises all over its body, got on top of him. It tried to snap its jaws on him a few times, but Henry managed to block them with his hands. "Argh!" Henry cried out in pain, as he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.

He tried looking down, with his hands still blocking the wolf's head. To his shock and horror, the wolf had somehow managed to sink his claws into his left side, causing blood to gush out. "Goddammit!" Henry cursed, then used all of the strength he had left and pushed the wolf off of him.

"Tch." Henry winced in pain, putting his hand to the wound to try and stop the bleeding. The wolves are still gathering around him, all growling menacingly at him. He tried fending them off by waving the knife in his hand to threaten them,but it doesn't seem to work.

The wolves steps closer. Henry was getting nervous. There's no way he can take another one of their attack. Sweats run down his forehead, as he fought against the burning pain of his wound. *Growl* The wolves' leader snapped at him. Henry quickly turns his attention to it.

"ENOUGH!" A voice suddenly boomed. It came from behind him. then in an instant all of the wolves cowered,slowly backing away from Henry. When Henry turned towards the source of that voice, his eyes were met with the most surreal sight he had ever seen.

A woman, white as ghost. She stood there with her eyes closed. She seemed to emit a glow, bright enough to illuminate the area around her. Her forms appears ethereal, as Henry could faintly see the trees behind her right through a body.

"Leave. That is enough of you. This man is under my protection." She said, and all of the sudden all the wolves started running away,as if they understood her words."I'm sorry about that." She whispered softly, as she swiftly made her way towards Henry. Henry, weakened by his injury, collapsed onto his knees to the ground.

"Who, who are you?" Henry looked at the woman. "I believe the girl has spoken of me to you, my child." She replied. Then Henry remembered. This lady must be the forest guardian Fresia was talking about. "Why did you save me?" Henry asked.

"Why indeed." She returned the question with a smile. "I shouldn't have, for that would disturb the balance of the forest, and yet I did. Perhaps I have developed a liking to you." She said, putting her hands over Henry's left hand which is on the wound.

It suddenly glows with a soft light, and Henry immediately felt the pain subside. "There." She lifts her hand with a smile. Henry removed his and was shocked to discover that the wound has completely healed.

"Now, shall we go?" She said, turning her back on Henry. "Come," she held out her right hand to Henry. "Ah." Henry couldn't even say anything, because as soon as his hands touched hers, he suddenly felt a chill, and in mere moments, found himself back in front of the lodge.

"Thank the Earth mother," the forest guardian prayed, still with her eyes closed. "This place was close enough to the forest that I was able to quickly bring you back here. Henry rushed inside the lodge without thinking. "Here they are!" Arianne was taken  by surprise by his sudden appearance, bursting in through the front door.

Henry quickly took out the Fireroot out of his pack, and handed them to her. "Arianne?" Henry called out to her, when suddenly she fell silent and didn't take the herb from his hands. Henry looked up, and to his surprise, Arianne's eyes were glowing. "Don't fret, my child." Arianne answers, strangely with a voice that is not hers. "Are you?" Henry ask, realizing that it is not Arianne who is 'here' right now. She nodded.

"This child had close connections to the Earthmother, so I was able to borrow her body." The voice explains. I knew it, it is the forest guardian. Henry thought. "This one needs more than the roots to heal her." She said, moving towards the bed, where Fresia is. Arianne knelt down and placed both her hands on Fresia's chest.

It begins to glow, and Fresia instantly growled in pain. "Ergh." She cried out, though still not opening her eyes. after a few minutes, the glow subsides and Arianne stands up. "She should be fine now. "Just to remind you," he looks at Henry, "Dragon's blood are very dangerous to humans. It can eat through you flesh and bone. Make sure not to touch it again."

"Hey." Fresia suddenly speaks, "What are you doing here?" She asked Arianne. "I thought you said you couldn't leave the forest?" She smiled. Arianne returned the smile and all of a sudden,the glow in her eyes vanished.

"Ugh. What happened to me?" She asked. then she looked around and saw Henry there. "When did you return?" She was surprised. Henry was shocked. It seems she didn't remember what had just happened. Then it's true that it was the forest guardian that was here before. She merely used Arianne's body as a vessel.

"Fresia! Are you alright?" Arianne asks, when she suddenly find Fresia sitting up on the bed. Fresia just nodded weakly. "Thank the gods." Arianne sighed in relied, and swiftly turned her attention to Henry, who was just standing there, still trying to process everything that had just happened.

"YOU!" She shakes Henry's shoulders. "We. need. to. talk." She said, half shouting, all the while staring at him with furious eyes.