Chapter 162: Second Guardian

As he held August's hand, Graeme's eyes caught the photo on the bedside table of his parents with him and Greta as kids—the one August had picked up to study that day when they were here to retrieve the Wagoneer.

"I still remember my parents' hands, even though they have been gone now for so long and I was just a pup when I lost them," his eyebrows pinched together. "My mother's were delicate and strong. She had more prominent knuckles," he recalled, running his fingers over August's knuckles. "And her fingernails always looked perfect. She never painted them," he chuckled, thinking of his mother. Effortlessly beautiful and always happy.

"And Dad's…" he started, but his voice caught. He looked at his own hands. They looked just like his father's. "I don't have to try to remember. Mine are the same," he whispered.

He stayed sitting like that, holding August's hand against his lips, until he finally decided to lay next to her. They needed to be closer. He wanted her to be assured that he was there if there was a chance it would bring her back sooner.

Graeme got up and carefully pulled the blanket and sheet down from under her so that he would be able to pull them back up and tuck them both in. This reminded him of being in her childhood room in Maiden Rock—of falling asleep on her bed and then having to quickly strip it and wrap a sheet around himself before Penelope unexpectedly arrived at the door.

That was still a conversation they had to have—about her mother—and he was not looking forward to it.

"Little Red," he said softly, climbing in next to her and cradling her in the crook of his arm before reaching for the covers. "Darling," he whispered and kissed her forehead. "If you need to rest, that's okay. I will be here waiting for you."

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August had walked down the hill to the crow's side and bent down, dipping her hand in the hot spring.

"Will you not call him to join you?" with some creaks of the earth breaking open to accommodate her, the root guardian was again by her side in the form of a woman.

"How do I do that?" August squinted up at the woman with the raven hair and lacey lichen dress.

Her guardian did not answer but only smiled gently.

August looked back down at the water and the reflections that danced off its surface in patches where the steam was not hovering. There was movement on the other side of the spring as something made its way through the underbrush toward the water. August stood and squinted, waiting for the creature to appear. She was safe in this place wasn't she?

"It is safe," the woman spoke next to her, answering the question that was in her mind.

"Then what is it? It looks big," August whispered.

"Either something coming for water or something coming for you," the woman replied.

August looked at her sideways. Did this forest root guardian woman need to be vague and mysterious all the time?

The woman giggled with her chime laughter to August's unspoken thought.

August, the root guardian next to her, and even the crow perched at her feet all looked toward the movement on the other side of the spring, waiting for whatever was there to finally make its way out into the open.

At last, a regal set of antlers rose up through the green underbrush and out into the sunlight. Only, the antlers were themselves made with light. Whereas the rays given by the sun appeared a warm gold, the antlers of this now more fully emerging stag were a cool, glowing blue.

It continued walking forward until it reached the edge of the water where it stopped and regarded the three of them on the other side. The steam rising from the spring made the breathtaking animal appear to be a floating apparition.

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August's mouth hung open. The stag appeared to have been cut from the surface of the moon itself, and it was staring back at her with white and purple petals spiraling up through the trees into the sky around it.

"He," the woman, her root guardian spoke softly, bending toward her.

"What?" August asked.

"You keep thinking of him as 'it.'"

"He?" August repeated and looked back to the animal that glowed like the moon.

After several moments of enchanted silence, the stag started walking around the spring toward where they were standing. The closer he came, the more the light shimmered from within him until he was standing right before her as a dazzling light so bright that August had to shield her eyes and look away.

When the brightness around her faded, she turned back toward the animal only to find that he was gone. And in his place was a familiar young face.

"Sage?!" August gasped. "That was—that was you?"

He was beaming at the look of surprise on her face.

"What are you doing here?" she squatted down and grabbed his arms.

"Sage helped create this place for you. Earlier when you were running away from the pack, he opened this space for you to be able to rest and reflect. And heal," the woman explained next to her.

"You did all that?" August gasped again.

"Yes, Luna," he nodded once and smiled. "You needed help. Moon Goddess helped me help you."

"You are alyko, Sage?" August asked, reaching up to touch his cheek as if verifying that he was real. He didn't answer but smiled back at her.

"What a remarkable young man you are," she said. "Thank you for helping me. This place is the most beautiful place I have ever seen."

"He opened the door for you," the woman said, "now you are the one filling it. But he is another kind of guardian. One that can help you find your way back if needed."

"Wow," August breathed.

Sage looked around at the petals that were still spiraling up around them. "It looks like Luna is healing well."

"How can you tell?" she asked, following his line of sight.

"The flower petals," he pointed.

"Is that what that is?" she asked in awe for him to nod.

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