LOST

Selene continued to stare at the man in disbelief. She wished Bartimus was there with her; he would know what to do.

"Follow me your majesty. I'm sure he will find us if we lose our way." he said picking up a long stick.

The stick in his hand automatically shaped itself into a lovely walking stick with a dragon's head at the top.

"If only you could forge our path to the desolate village like that." she said unenthusiastically.

"I know my magic isn't as impressive as Bartimus' but you don't have to throw it in my face like that." he mumbled.

Selene sighed and turned away from him. She wanted to ask the man how he knew who Bartimus was.

"What are you? You were a tree back there and you protected me. Do you know Bartimus?"

"I am a forest spirit. Many people are unaware of our existence and I like that." he started walking away and Selene started following him,"As for Bartimus, I don't know him at all. The thing with is forest spirits is that we can read anyone's past, even a dragon. So in a sense, I know him."

"I see. So what do you know about him?"

"Shouldn't you know. Aren't you his master?"

Selene pouted her lips and crossed her arms. The man stopped walking suddenly and turned to another direction. Selene halted and waited while he looked around like a mad man.

"I think we took the wrong turn back there." he said.

"Do you have a name? Selene inquired.

"No. You can give me one, if you like"he said looking down.

Selene rabbed her chin as if in deep thought. The man looked at her expectantly. After a minutes' delay, Selene looked at the man smiling.

"Grand tree."

The man was about to protest but shut his mouth. 'Mmm the name suits me.' he thought to himself.

"Do you like it?" she asked innocently.

Grand tree did not answer and only started walking.

"I'll take that as a yes." Selene mumbled.

As she was about to follow him, Grand tree walked in the opposite direction of were he had been heading. She looked at him and shook her head in helplessness. This continued for same time until they found a small, clear route. It lead to a wider route and they followed it excitedly. They heard voices as the route became wider and it lead to a clearing. Soon they met a couple who seemed to be arguing about something.

Grand tree cleared his throat and walked up to them which caused them to stop talking.

"Excuse me." he said and cleared his throat again,"What seems to be the matter?"

The woman was crying and sobbing. The man was looking at Grand tree furiously and grabbed his wife's hand.

"Who do you think you are to ask us that question?" the man roared.

"I was just curious, that's all." he said waving his hands in front of him,"My daughter and I... we're just looking for a village. Seeing that you are here, I'm sure there must be one nearby."

Grand tree grabbed Selene's hand and dragged her away. Selene kept looking back and saw the slap his wife. She pushed Grand tree's hand away and run back to help the woman. She kicked the man's leg and pulled the woman to her side.

"What's your problem?! Why are you hitting her?" Selene asked.

"That woman deserves to die for what she has done! How could you return to your parents' house because I can't make you pregnant?" the man protested.

"Doesn't she have the right?" Selene countered,"She wants children and you can't do that for her so why are you stopping her?"

"I love her..... she's my world." he sobbed like a child as he lay on the ground.

Now Selene didn't know who to support. Maybe they should have kept on walking. Grand tree came to her side and took her away from the couple.

"Now do you know why I decided to leave?" Grand tree said crossing his arms.

"Not really." Selene answered looking down.

Grand tree raised his brawl as he looked at her.

"Really?"

Selene didn't want to answer so she changed the subject. She began to ask questions about Bartimus. What his age was, the place he was from, his family background and other things. Grand tree looked at her and walked away. She didn't say anything and just followed him.

They soon arrived at village. The place was rather lifeless. There place was covered in dead green, vines were growing all over the houses. They spotted a few kids playing with a dog that looked starved. Selene remembered the first time she saw a village and how she felt about it. But this place was worse than that. It was practically a settlement than a village. The houses were arranged in a circular pattern; about fifteen houses in total. There was a well at the center while the children were playing in front of one house.

"Is...this... desolate village?

"It's just a village that I don't know of. I thought you knew that we are lost by now."Grand tree said squinting his eyes.

Selene's jaw dropped. She looked at the settlement in front of her and she remembered Bartimus. As an unmarried maiden, it was wrong for her to miss a man, the way she missed Bartimus.

*

*

Bartimus looked at the blazing bushes around him. Fifteen wizards and ten witches had tried to take Selene with them, but he fought and was now exhausted. He closed his eyes to see if he could find out were she was but he realized they had never finished their bonding.

'Maybe I should try to find the forest spirit.' He closed his eyes again and tried to find them but for same reason the spirit wasn't responding. He frowned obviously knowing that they were lost. He sighed and raised his wings to prepare for flight.

The fire was extinguished by the gust of wind caused by his wind.

*

*

Selene looked at Grand tree as he conversed with an equally old man. She wandered if the man would give them a space to Lodge in for the night because he kept looking at Selene like she was a threat. Some elderly women had gathered. to look at the stangers.

"What do you suppose happened to them?"

"I don't know. With how his daughter is dressed, the maiden must have escaped from her husband's home."

"True. Will Mr Eli give them a room in the empty house?"

"I hope not. I don't like how she is scrutinizing everyone else....like she's some princess of sorts."

Selene smiled at the last woman's comment. She looked the woman up and down like the princess that she was.

"Selene dear!" Grand tree called out,"Come here!"

"Yes father." she answered.

Selene walked to Grand tree and Mr Eli. She was feeling so tired and she prayed the man had agreed to let them stay the night.