Freya - Chapter 2

I hid in the dense undergrowth, silently watching my haunted bungalow. I'd been back many times since the night I first ran in terror from the spirit, never daring to venture closer than the edge of the property, hoping that this time the deep rumbling voice would be silent.
"Come closer, girl. Don't be afraid."
My heart pounding, I turned to run again. But I'd be back. Tomorrow the full moon would give me strength; I'd confront him then.

The following evening, bolstered by a few handfuls of Uncle Marlin's buzzweed and the full moon at my back, I boldly stomped up the steps to the roof where I'd first heard the voice.
"Who are you? What do you want?" I bravely yelled into the stillness.
"Mmmm..who am I? An interesting question, " came the rumbling response. "It has been so long since anyone asked me that. I have been asleep for many ages. Only recently have I awakened, sensing the magic that entrapped me has somehow returned. You may call me..hmmm..Silvanus. Yes, that is a good name. As to what I want, isn't it obvious? I want to be free. You may start by clearing this choking overgrowth so that I can feel the sun once again."

My bravado was quickly fading. What should I do? He spoke with such longing when he talked of feeling the sun. I just had to help him. I gave a few futile tugs on the overgrowth, but the roots were entwined into the wooden deck like glue.
"Silly girl. Is is possible you don't even know so basic a spell?"
Then he whispered strange words in my head, a spell I knew wasn't anywhere in my father's spellbooks. I drew my wand and repeated after him...

...and watched in delight as the roots uncurled themselves, and branches drew back of their own accord, until the center of the roof was free of vegetation.

I was amazed to see a moondial revealed, a twin of the one beneath the reception hall.
"Is this what you are looking for?"
"Hmmmmm? I do not recognize that object. I fell asleep long before it was placed here. But you have done enough for now; I can sense your power is waning. Return tomorrow, we have much to do."

The next day was my birthday, but I was eager to return to Silvanus. So I got up early, and braced myself with buzzweed to prepare for a day of clearing at my soon-to-be new home. For Silvanus had promised, that if I helped him, the house be mine, and he would bother me no more.

That evening I returned just in time for my birthday party. I had eventually retrieved that cake pan for my mom, and she had done an amazing job with it. Jaxon and his mom were there, and my Uncle Marlin.

I should have been happy; everyone else was happy for me. But I couldn't stop thinking of my future, and which of the wolf boys I would eventually have to choose.

I grabbed a piece of cake and plodded downstairs to the kitchen to eat, alone with my thoughts.

Unfortunately, I wasn't alone for long. by the time I finished my sweet dessert, my Dad and my Uncle Rudy had followed me down. I shuddered in disgust to watch Uncle Rudy devour his cake. There was no way I could ever be happy living with a wolf. I didn't know how Aunt Aster put up with it.

After coming to that point, I reluctantly realized my only palatable option was Jaxon. He really wasn't that bad. A little hairy, but at least not a wolf. And his music was out-of-this-world.
"So, what do you think? Shall we give this a try? See how it goes?"

He readily agreed, and I leaned in for a little kiss to seal the deal.

He looked so happy. I hoped I wouldn't disappoint him too badly. I told him about my new house, conveniently leaving off the haunted part, and he promised to stop over and see me.

The next morning I packed up all my favorite things - my old stuffed bear, the painting my Grandmother Moonflower had done for me..

..and of course the telescope my dad had given me for my thirteenth birthday. I didn't use it much anymore, but it still held sentimental value, and maybe it would come in handy some day.

Then I hugged my baby brother goodbye, and set out for my new home.

I was getting more proficient with my new spell, and soon had the choking overgrowth under control. Strange, that this place was so badly overgrown - and I soon discovered that it was not my imagination. The plants here seemed to grow at twice the rate of anywhere else on the island.

Always as I cleared, I watched for any sign of the herbs that I was sure had to be here somewhere. Sure enough,  I discovered several dry, wilting plants under the thick growth that had covered the roof. Their roots were so entangled in the wood, I didn't think I could transplant them even with my spell, and Silvanus agreed, so there they stayed.

Gradually as I worked, and I became familiar with Silvanus' rustling voice, the strangeness dropped away, and he became more of a friend. With many Hmmmm's, he asked, and I told him, of how the magic of the island had almost faded to nothing, and of the Great Storm, and then of Oakheart's appearing, and the slow return of magic since. He asked many questions about Oakheart then, about where he had come from what he had brought with him. I didn't know the answers, though, only that he had brought seeds that had revived the dying village. That didn't seem to be the answer he was looking for, though.

One day, soon after I moved in,I followed the sound of his voice to an especially dense thicket. He showed me where to clear in the garden to reveal a real fairy house! I'd heard of such things from my mother, and I was thrilled to find that one, at least, still existed.

"Eeeee! Thank you! You are the best!"
I had to try it out right away. I didn't make myself small very often; daddy said it bothered people. But I didn't think Silvanus would mind.
"Hmmmm.. You are a strange little thing, do you know? At first I thought you were a witch, but you are not quite a witch. But not quite a fairy, either."
"I'm both! My dad is a witch, and my mother is a fairy."
"Hmmmmm.... fascinating. Things have changed much since I fell asleep. I would not have thought that was possible."

True to his word, Jaxon stopped by almost daily. He wasn't much help with the clearing, though, and when I told him about Silvanus, I could tell he didn't really believe me.

He did offer to help me fix up the little broken boat that was half buried in the beach.
"Could you? I'd be eternally grateful if you'd help me with that, Jax!"

"Anything for you, Freya. You know how I feel about you."
I did know. And it made me feel a little bad, because I didn't think I could feel the same. But what else could I do? Maybe in time I would learn to love him.

While Jaxon worked on the boat down at the beach, I followed Silvanus' voice to new discoveries. He was looking for something, he said. Something that would lift his curse and free him. He wouldn't, or perhaps couldn't, say what - only that I'd know it when I found it. As the days passed, he became more insistent. No more Hmmmm's and Mmmmm's, it was 'Clear here. Search there.' And I was getting tired of it.
"Here, Freya. An opening under these bushes."

Sure enough, under the bush was a set of uneven stone steps leading down to a long forgotten cellar. A strange bluish glow emanated from the walls and ceiling, providing enough light to see a few ancient chests, and a thick patch of overgrowth covering the far wall.

First off, I checked the chests. Nothing but a few shells a gem or two, and a tattered piece of what looked like the corner of a map. Nothing I could see that might be a clue to lifting a curse. Then I started uncurling the vegetation matted along the back wall.

Much to my surprise and delight, I soon uncovered a small hot spring. I quickly shed my clothes and sank into the warm water. I could barely hear Silvanus from here, and took full advantage of it, spending the next few hours relaxing. I was not looking forward to reporting the bad news, that once again my search had met with failure.

The next morning I woke myself up with an extra handful of cinnamon. I knew Jax would be over soon to celebrate the finishing of the little boat.

"The boat looks great Jax. Thanks so much. Let's go try it out!"

"Are you sure about this, Freya?"
"Yes! This is great, isn't it? You did a wonderful job. No leaks at all!"

"I mean.. well.. what I mean is... isn't this pretty dangerous? What if a storm comes up? I can't swim, you know. I was never allowed in the water when I was a kid. Can we turn around now?"
I sighed unhappily and turned the boat back around. I had thought maybe tonight I'd finally get up the nerve to ask him to spend the night, but now the mood was gone, even with the double dose of cinnamon. I'd just have to try the boat out on my own, later.

That evening I got into the worst argument with Silvanus that I had ever had.

"That boy takes up too much of your time. You should send him away. We have work to do."

"What work? I've searched everywhere, there's nothing here. Nothing. No where else to look. Besides, I like Jaxon. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were jealous."

Silvanus laughed then, a low rumbling laugh that made me even angrier.

"Oh, Freya. You know you are just toying with the boy. And there are plenty of places to search, now that you have a boat."