Secrets of Thornberry Woods

It’s been here this whole time and I never knew.

Silvina thought as she walked around the perimeter of the immediate area of the temple. Havell watched her, slightly amused at her wonder of the place.

You live in the cottage by the sea. He observes, which made Silvina pause and look back as she was examining the scenery carved into one of the walls. Yes...how did you know? 

She asks as she approaches him again and he smiled slightly. 

I pass along the edge of the forest sometimes near to the sea. I’ve seen your little cottage. It’s rather cute. 

Silvina felt her cheeks turn a shade of pink but then her eyes widened. “Oh...my chickens!” She said it out loud this time and quickly covered her mouth before she could say more. 

I need to go back and make sure they’re alright.

Havell shakes his head. 

The forest is still recovering from the fire and smoke. It would not be safe for you to return to your cottage now.

The concern and disappointment in Silvina’s eyes seemed to move Havell because he followed with, 

it would be safer for me to go and check on them for you. I can give a better assessment of the forest’s state this way as well.

Silvina was surprised but she wasn’t going to argue with him offering to help her so generously. 

Thank you. That’s very kind of you.

Havell nodded. 

Wait here. I shall return before nightfall.

Silvina nodded and watched as Havell turned and left calmly and quietly from the sanctuary of the temple. 

Once she was alone Silvina decided to explore a little more. It was early morning and normally this early she would hear her rooster crowing and seagulls cawing as they flew across the shores. Here though, there was nothing. Everything was silent. It was the most strange circumstance that she felt a little out of place actually. So unable to hear the morning melodies she went to explore the temple more, finding that it was actually much larger than she originally anticipated.

From where she was in the temple she could tell that this was once a great hall, from the statues that were lined on either side of her. Each statue, though crumbled, each resembled a different type of warrior or soldier. The only similarities there were between the statues was that they were all wearing hoods so she couldn’t see their faces. She walked thoughtfully along the line of guardian statues but paused when she heard something behind her. It sounded like a tiny little bell ringing.

Instinctively she turned around to see where the sound came from. Further back, all the way by the first guardian was a fox. Silvina squinted, noticing that the fox was a strange pale green. 

Is it ill? 

That was her first thought as she made her way towards it. She was sure to be slow and calm so as not to scare it. Once she was about ten feet away she crouched down and held out her hand as if she was trying to coax a stray cat in friendship. She was close enough now to notice that the fox wasn’t green because it was ill or strange, it was because it wasn’t a fox at all. It was a spirit. 

The fox turned in a circle, still looking at her and as it’s paws seemed to dance playfully she could hear the little ring of a bell coming from it. 

A noisy and playful little spirit. 

Silvina thought as she smiled but the fox didn’t come closer to her. When it spun in its little circle it scampered through a break in the wall. Silvina got up and quietly followed. “Where are you going?” She whispered out loud, assuming that it couldn’t just hear her thoughts like Havell. “Wait.” She tried to squeeze through the opening. It was just big enough for her to fit through if she shimmied a bit. Once she got through she started to follow the jingling spirit through what could be the temple courtyard but she saw it stop on the edge of the forest. Its tail flicked, causing it to jingle again. Silvina stopped though. Havell had told her to wait here for him. She looked back at the temple. She could find her way back, surely. 

She decided she would come back before nightfall, when she presumed Havell would return. 

The jingle of the spirit fox sounded as it dashed away into the trees. Silvina followed after it, wondering where it was taking her.