Chapter 7: Shy
"Why did you leave it with this man again?"
"Because he is known as the keeper of secrets!" Jake replied, as energetic as ever as he walked with a pimp in his steps through the forest grounds.
"Keeper of secrets?" Barns questioned.
"Yes, the keeper of secrets. In his words, there are many objects of magic entrusted to him to keep safe and secret"
"But if he is known as the keeper of secrets wouldn't someone evil have found him and attempted to grab his secrets?"
"Ah good question, my boy!" Mr Spades said as he patted Barns on the back, heftily. He fell forward slightly, not prepared for the surprise show of affection.
I shrugged at his wide-eyed look.
"I like you! Always with the right sorts of the question?"
"You see, my boy" Mr Spade continued, as if not noticing Barns response, as he pulled out an old book from his backpack.
The book abruptly levitated on its own as it flipped over to a marks page. An image hovered above the book of the forest me neared of a strange array of colours, not of the usual green or autumn colours.
From The bird's eye view colour splodges of pinks, blues, yellows, and much more colours showed as symbols for trees.
As Mr Spades, or Jack as he insisted on us calling him, waved his arm around the image before us, it moved to show us what he meant.
"The keepers of secrets is good at keeping secrets not just because he keeps these items safe alone, but with the help of multiple people"
"But... that isn't a secret then, is it?
"Exactly"
"Huh?"
"Don't you get it? What someone least expects when its comes to secrets is for someone who is such a good secret keeper to share it. But it is with purpose?
"You see my boy, even though he is the keeper of secrets, that does not mean on his land he keeps the secret alone or all of it?"
"What do you mean???
"You shall see when we get there?"
"Sensei..." I whispered as we continued walking
Barnes and Mr Spade continued talking in the background.
"Yes, pup?"
"Do you..." I asked, glancing ever so slightly to the corner of my eye at the shadow hidden in the corner of a tree branch.
"Yes," he said, keeping his eyes forward. His tone and volume are low as he walked closer.
"Should we be worried?" I questioned, not taking a liking to the eyes of the unknown upon us.
Sensei's jaw locked.
He doesn't know.
"How long do you think...?" I added, trailing off.
For half an hour? Ten minutes? It's hard to tell...
"Why don't we just ask?" Mr Spade abruptly said.
Sensei and I looked over at him in surprise as he headed off towards the owner of the eyes.
Panic lifted in me, something Sensei's glance shared before we shot out towards him.
"Wait!"
"Don't!"
We shouted in unison, but it was already too late.
Using his juggling balls, or magical crystals, he drew out the shadow to him.
They levitated around the small shadow figure almost threateningly.
"You there, do come out of the shadows!" Mr Spades called, his positivity not dropping from his tone.
"Jack" Sensei growled, as he stood prepared for an attack, as do I.
"Oh relax, I shall deal with this!" Mr Spades said, confidently, as he made a 'come here' hand motion.
Abruptly, the stones came towards him, pulling the reluctant shadow from the tree folds.
The creature fought back, howling as it tried to avoid capture.
"Now, now, let's not be so troublesome" Mr Spade, continued, increasing the force of is power.
A cry ripped through the air.
A child's cry.
My breath caught as realization struck.
"Stop!" I shouted, running forward.
Mr Spades, jumped in surprise, his power wavering just enough for the child to escape.
"Now why did you do that child?" Mr Spades said, frowning as he glanced at his broken trap.
Ignoring him, I made my way to the shadow who had run back to their hiding place shaking. Darkness covered their hiding place, making it difficult to see within, but then a realization hit me as I met with two orbs of light within the enclave of the tree. Their form is not of the normal. Instead, it seems to be made of the shadows they hid in, making it difficult to see them.
Hesitating, I knelt down before them.
"Hey," I said softly, reaching a hand forward. I can feel it's fear and apprehension in the air as I paused.
"It's okay" I continued, catching two orbs of light in the shadows "I don't want to hurt you"
The shadow child hesitated. Its form shook, but not with fear, I think; more because of uncertainty. Her eyes flickered closed, leaving me lost to her form, excluding the small sound of shuffling.
"I am sorry for my friend's actions. They were worried you were a threat" I said, keeping up my tone and leaving my hand up for them to take, palm facing up "But don't worry, I know you're not. I won't let them hurt you. They just need to see you are not something to be frightened off"
The shadows moved as the child seem to be coming towards me, ever so slowly.
With my other hand, I slowly reached into my back pocket. It followed my hand's motions, the tremble in its figure returning.
Quickly, I pulled out my secret stash of sweets.
"Here, would you like some? they are quite nice"
The trembling decreased but is still there as they do not make a move forward, simply glancing between the packet and me.
Taking a sweet myself, I plopped it in my mouth.
The child watched with interest as I bit down on the sweet releasing its sugars.
I smile.
"See" I continued, holding the pack out for them "It's all good"
Slowly, the child moved forward and into the light, slightly, and that is when their image became clear. Instead of skin, its form is a misty dark sort of colour, the perfect thing to blend into the shadows with. Its hair wavered and flew in the air above her as he eyes sparked with light, drawing you to them in the abyss of her body.
Carefully, it lifted a sweet from the pack and took a bite.
I watched her eyes lit up.
It quickly reached for another one, without hesitation this time.
I smiled wider.
"See, there is no need to be shy"
The child nodded happily before me, as Barnes chuckled.
"How did she do that?" Mr Spade whispered behind me.
I blushed at the awe in his tone.
Chuckling Barnes replied "That's Swift's magic"
"Magic?" Mr Spade said sharply "but I thought she .. you know, just Human?"
I felt a sting at his tone but continued smiling.
The shadow child caught my eyes. There is a pause as it kept my gaze before, ever so slowly, they moved forward into my lap.
"Yes, the simple magic of humans," Barnes said, his tone bitter but for all to different reason than Mr Spade "Kindness"
There is a pregnant pause.
"Ah..." Mr Spade said, almost awkwardly "I did not mean any offence"
"Then remain from sounding like it," Sensei said, gruffly as his hand is placed upon my shoulder.
Looking up to him, I kept my smile, now looser than before, as the shadow child moved from eating my sweet to playing with my hair.
And that's when I felt it again.
The familiar sense of eyes looking at us, still.
But this time it is different.
"Shadow" A deep voice called abruptly. It rumbled from all around us seem to be from all directions of the forest.
Immediately, the child stood and ran behind us.
As she reached the edge of the woods the shadows that danced there slowly split from their spot to form the shape of a... a man?
Unlike shadow, he does not stay in his shadowy form of dark shades but slowly takes one of similar skin to ours.
Like Mr Spade had done with the trees...
Reaching down, he lifted the child to his hip before standing tall to address us.
"I see you're back again Mr Spade," The male said as his warm brown eyes scanned us one by one. As they landed upon me they linger longer as he added "and you have brought friends, I presume"
Mr Spade stepped forward, a smile upon his face as he greeted the newcomer.
"Woodsman!"