• “Riona, I beg of you! Find him; find my son before it is too late!”

    Dawn rose, shedding light on to the branches. Dew covered the ground and life slowly began to wake. A woman of deep red weaved through the trees, their bare feet glided above the floor. Her long dark hair was pinned behind her long, pointy ears and cascaded down her back. A ring of silver encircled her brow.

    ‘Find him.’

    Riona stopped and stood at the entrance of a small clearing.. The Elder’s huntsmen said that they had last spotted the wild child laying here. That had been three days ago, the boy was now long gone. Riona walked further into the clear and knelt by a patch of flatten grass. It was in the shape a small child.

    “Aedus” she whispered, “Where are you my child?”

    She stood and walked on. The only noise she made was the dress rustling across the ground. The leaves were slowly turning colors around her; winter would be at the woodland areas soon. Riona looked down at the ground and saw another downed patch of grass. This spot was longer then the one she had found moments earlier.

    “Wolves…”

    A pair of feet pounded against the earth. They were approaching fast. Riona dusted off her gown and moved the band higher up on
    her brow.

    “Your majesty.” A voice called out.

    A tall man, walked into the clearing. He wore a green tunic and brown leggings. The man had long hair pulled behind his pointy ear, into the back of his head. He stopped just short of Riona. Quickly he dropped to one knee.

    “Your Majesty,” he repeated, “We have found the boy.”

    Riona’s deep purple eyes widen, she took a few steps towards the man, “Take me to him…”

    ~*~*~

    The child she was seeking lay in a thicket with two young wolves. They were wrapped around him, protecting and keeping him warm during the cold nights. Riona stood off to the side and watched them. A group of 4 men stood in the shadows, watching and waiting as while.

    One of the wolves looked up at her. It had a red face with dark brown markings. The wolf growled deep in its throat and laid back down.

    “He is not happy with you…” She muttered to her men.

    “My Queen?”

    “I think it would be best if you all went back to the palace…”

    “But my Queen!” One of them exclaimed, “We can not, it is our duty as Huntsmen to watch over you and our kingdom!”

    Riona turned and looked him straight in the eye, “I said leave!”

    “Yes my Queen…”

    They gave her a low bow and they all scurried off, disappearing into the shadows of the wood. Riona watched them leave and as soon as they were gone she turned around and watched the wolves. She walked towards them, but suddenly stopped when she saw another wolf appear out of a bush.

    An older female wolf looked at her with intense golden yellow eyes. Riona knelt to the ground and stared at the creature. Slowly the wolf walked over to her and gazed at her with question.

    “I am here to bring him back.” She said to it, “The child you have belongs with his own kind.”

    The wolf narrowed its eyes and backed away. The creature sitting in front of Riona was the one who found Aedus as a baby. She was the one who saved his life. The wolf tottered over to the two sleeping and nipped at them. She made a series of sounds and motioned for them to leave. Once they had left, she took their place and curled herself under the sleeping boy’s form. He way on his side, her paws acted as his pillow. Gently she ran her tongue down the child’s dirt stained cheeks.

    “I know you are close to him,” she moved closer to the mother wolf, “But it is time for him to come home…please?”

    The wolf nuzzled her face into the boy matted fiery red hair. After a few minutes of drinking in his scent, the mother looked up at the Queen and nodded. Riona carefully grabbed hold of the boy and moved his form into her arms.

    “Aedus…”

    Riona stood up and began to walk towards the palace. Before she left the small enclosure she turned around and looked at the she-wolf.

    “Thank you.”

    ~*~*~

    It was dusk when Riona made it back to her home. Aedus had slept the whole way, only moving a few times. Riona made her way through the maze of corridors. She came to a set of double doors with a vines craved into the dark wood. She walked inside and placed Aedus into a bed with light green covers.

    “Elwyn.” She called. A tall blond hair girl walked into the chambers. She curtsied to Riona and stopped a few feet away from her.

    “How may I help you your Majesty?” she asked in a soft voice.

    “I need you bring Lady Fion to me now.”

    “What?” Riona moved towards her, panic arising in her chest as she watched Elwyn move from foot to foot.

    “Your Majesty.” She began, “The Lady Fion has died.”

    Riona made her way to the vanity and sat down on the small stool. Her eyes shifted to the small boy lying in her bed. Tears began to flow down her pale cheeks. Elwyn moved to the Queen’s side and laid a hand on her shoulder.

    “She was to wait Elwyn. Fion was to hold on till I brought her son back to her…”

    Bright green eyes fluttered open and widen at the unusually space around him. Slowly the boy got up and looked around the bed chamber. His red fire stuck straight up as he crawled out from beneath the covers.

    Elwyn gently nudged Riona.

    “My lady…” she whispered, “The boy, he is awake.”

    Riona stood up and went over to the bed. Aedus jumped up and began to growl at her.
    “Calm yourself Aedus” She spoke.

    The elven queen reached out, trying to calm him down. He slashed out at her with jagged nails. Ewlyn flinched in the background, but the queen held her hand steady. Suddenly he made contact with her flesh, leaving three long ragged gashes on her hand.

    Ewlyn gasped, “My Lady!” She inched her way towards the door, “I will go get help!”
    “NO!” Riona looked down at her hand and then into Aedus’s eerie green eyes. “No Ewlyn, he is scared. Guards will just scare him even more.”

    Aedus jumped off of the bed, quickly moving himself into a corner. Riona shoot a quick glance at Ewlyn and then she knelt onto the ground. She inched towards him, her hand out stretched once more. Soon the queen found herself standing in front of the scared little boy. His eyes were wide with fear as her long, slender fingers combed through his hair. Her hand was warm and full of love and longing. He could also see that she was very sad.

    “Sleep Aedus,” She whispered as she stroked his head, “Sleep my child.”

    As she spoke Aedus’s eyes began to droop and his body slowly relaxed into her arms. Carefully, Riona placed him back into the bed.

    “Ewlyn,” She said, “I need you to get a room ready for Aedus.” Riona ran her hand down his dirty cheek and whispered, “From now on he will be living here in the castle.”

    Ewlyn nodded as she backed out of the chamber. Riona sat still and watched Aedus sleep, images of his mother flashed through her mind as the young boy slept peacefully. She gazed up at the opening in her ceiling and prayed to the Spirits of the forest.

    'Please let his future be peacefully. This child of yours has already suffered, do not let him suffer anymore...'