The Forest stays as a Mystery

Bryce sighed while he kept watch over Elaine. However, something occurred before his eyes that he just couldn't comprehend. He scrambled to get up. Elaine had just suddenly disappeared into thin air. He blinked again, but Elaine was no longer there. He ran over to Miles in a panic to tell him about the situation.

"Miles!" He screamed. He tried to catch his breath while Miles turned around to look at him. "The girl disappeared."

"She what?!" Miles grabbed him on the shoulders and shook him. "I told you not to take your eyes off of her! Did you see where she went?"

"I swear I didn't," he said as he shook his head. "I just blinked once and then she was gone. I swear."

The look in in Bryce's eyes was not of a lying man, but Miles didn't believe what he said. He didn't waste another second on him and pushed Bryce away. He immediately went to the Duke to inform him. He found the Duke practice training with a few knights and even giving them advices. He didn't want to be the bearer of bad news, but it was no time to hesitate.

"Your Grace," he said with a serious tone. The Duke dropped his sword and looked at him. "Lady Elaine has disappeared."

The Duke was furious and ordered everyone to look for her immediately. Some walked around the premises on foot to search every corner where she could be and some got on their horses to cover further distances. A few even went through the road to check if she went in. There was only one thing on their mind.

'I hope she didn't go into the forest.'

The search went for hours and there was still no signs of Elaine. They found no footprints on the ground nor broken bushes that may be signs of her entering the forest. The Duke stayed by the spot where she was last seen, hoping she would find her way back. It was not possible for a child not to leave any tracks at all. The only tracks she left behind was at the exact spot she disappeared from. The Duke looked at the forest and felt a weird sensation. An overwhelming feeling as if he were in the presence of something otherworldly, something he wouldn't dare to go against.

It was already late in the afternoon and not a single person could find her. They could only come up with one conclusion which was that she had gone into the forest. But no one dared to enter it if they still hoped to live another day. The knights stood behind the Duke as he stared at the forest. They waited for his orders.

"I will enter the forest to look for Elaine." The Duke declared.

The knights were too shocked to speak, but they started to oppose his decision. They all respected the Duke and had followed him for a long time, but this was something they wouldn't be able to accept. The commander of the knights took a step forward and knelt down on the ground.

"Your Grace," he said with a calm voice. "You mustn't make any hasty decision. We cannot let you go into the forest."

The other knights grew silent and they hoped the Duke would listen to the commander. He had been working for the Duke for a long time and he was like a friend to the Duke. The Duke turned around and looked down at him.

"I will not rest until I find my granddaughter," he said. "I will wait here for days if I must, but waiting will not result to anything."

"But your Grace," the commander didn't dare to look up at the Duke. "You are of great importance to this country and we cannot afford to lose you."

"And I cannot afford to lose my family again."

All of them grew silent. This was a very sensitive topic for the Duke for he had not only lost his wife, but both of his sons too. The oldest had died in a carriage accident on a rainy day, while the youngest had ran away from home.

"However, you still have your other grandchildren waiting for you at home, your Grace."

The Duke felt torn. He knew he wasn't thinking straight, but how could he in that situation. Elaine must be scared to be alone in that forest. She must be tired too. And if a creature were to cross paths with her, what would happen then?

He turned around to face the forest again. He didn't want to think about it. He looked up at the sky and prayed to the Goddess for her to return Elaine to him.

"Please punish me, your Grace." Said a person out of the blue.

The Duke turned around feeling a bit irritated. He was in no mood for things like this. Bryce had his head on the ground. Miles had tried to stop him from doing so, but he wasn't able to. The Duke frowned.

"And how do you suppose I punish you?" asked the Duke, his voice sounding furious.

Bryce bit his lips and balled his hands into a fist and ended up grabbing some dirt while doing so. He felt responsible for her disappearance, but he had no idea what he was supposed to do in that situation. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off before he could.

"Your Grace!" shouted Miles as he looked at something by the forest with wide eyes. "It's the lady- lady Elaine has returned."

Everyone turned their heads to look at the direction he was looking at. They were surprised to see Elaine standing by the forest at the exact same spot she was last seen. She looked around disoriented and she still had twigs in her arms. The Duke rushed to her and took her into his arms causing her to drop the twigs.

"Oh, Elaine!" He said as he trembled. "I was so worried."

"Grandpa?"

"Yes, Elaine. I'm here, you're here." He was so relieved she came back. He didn't know what he would have done if she hadn't.

"Please punish me, my lady. I should have done better, watching over you."

Bryce said, still on the ground on his knees. The Duke lost his patience and shouted.

"That is enough! No matter what punishment you are given, I will never forget what had occurred on this day!"

But Elaine grabbed on his sleeves, making him look at her. She shook her head and looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please don't be angry at him, grandpa," she said. "It's not his fault."

"What do you mean?"

The Duke had calmed down and shifted his focus on Elaine. Bryce lifted his head in surprise. He wondered why she was defending him. He was sure she realized how he didn't like her at all. Moreover, it seemed she was aware she had just disappeared into thin air and it confirmed what Bryce had witnessed.

"It was the forest," she said. "It took me."

Everyone felt a shiver crawl down their spine. They couldn't help but look at the forest. The leaves rustled. It was already mysterious enough, but now it was causing even more questions to pop up. If it really did take her, why did it let her go back out?

The Duke had a hard time understanding, but he only shook his head. He knew he wouldn't understand even if he tried to.

"What were you doing in the forest, Elaine?" He asked instead.

"I-I don't know," Elaine stuttered. She tried to think back to what had happened and images popped up and disappeared at the same time. Her head started to hurt and she winced in pain. "I'm tired, grandpa."

"It's okay," the Duke said as he stood up. "Let's go get some rest. Today was a long day."

And with that, the event was never brought up again. The Duke carried Elaine to the carriage. He made a promise to himself, not to let Elaine near the forest ever again. Iris gave her water and food to eat. She was so relieved Elaine was back, she had tears of joy. The Duke ordered for the knights to move. They mounted their horses and got ready to go through the forest which would take about fifteen to twenty minutes, depending how fast they went. There was a town on the other side and their destination was an inn. Everyone was eager for a bed and a bath. They just wanted to forget what had happened. They were glad everything had ended well and couldn't wait to get back to the duchy.

Bryce was speechless. He was left with no punishment but was only reprimanded by the commander. From that moment on, his respect for Elaine grew and he decided to start calling her my lady.

The ride through the forest was silent as everyone stayed alert to their surroundings. They couldn't forget what Elaine had said. They would never see the forest the same way again. When they reached the inn, the knights couldn't help but scream with joy.

"Ah! Finally!"

The diner was full and loud. The best part was, the Duke had allowed them to have a glass of beer. There was nothing better that could relieve their stress. Elaine giggled as she watched them become silly and dancing on the tables. But the Duke didn't allow her to stay for too long and took her to the room to retire for the night.

The next day was full of excitement. They would arrive at the duchy by lunchtime and a long awaited rest would welcome them. They all prepared the horses and the carriage. The Duke told her about his three other grandchildren on the way. She had always wished to have siblings, but Elaine felt a bit nervous for she would meet her new family and hoped they would get along.