A Little Bit of Blue in Skies of Grey

Short Story - Home

2023

UK

The two Elves had been walking for what seemed to be an age. The older of the two surprisingly led the way with light, quick steps. While the younger Elf, Hedge Armstrong by name, seemed burdened by a huge weight, and he dragged his feet slowly across the forest floor. Despondently he thought about how his clan had turned their backs on him, how after his parents died, he had been abandoned and alone until the old Elf had approached him promising that he was the only one who could help him make sense of it all. Confusing him with tales of Magic and adventure, saying that he would teach him the ways of the forest. He looked at the old Elf trudging ever on before him, he was beginning to wonder if he had made a mistake in trusting him, whether he should just turn and run, but where would he go? what would he do? and so his feet continued to follow the old Elf, blindly pulling him on, but his thoughts whittled away at him and the more they whittled, the slower his steps became.
The unlikely pair traveled on until eventually they came to the edge of the forest and into a small meadow. A huge tree had fallen across the far edge of the clearing, weathered by time it had long since lost all its leaves and bark, and its bare trunk was a stark contrast to the green and browns of the forest behind it. As they approached Hedge noticed that some of the knots in the trunk had been cut out and replaced by windows.
In front of the tree a decking had been constructed out of some of its broken branches. A small set of steps led up from the meadow giving access to the deck, and he could see a
hammock, rocking chair, table and stool had been placed neatly on its surface. The old Elf didn’t hesitate but strode up the steps and pushed open the door which had been cut into the trunk of the tree exposing the hollowed-out interior. The old Elf swept into a low bow.
“May I bid you welcome, master Hedge. I am Oakleaf Rockmoss and what belongs to me, you may now call yours. What knowledge I have I swear I will share. What fate awaits you I shall endeavor to prepare you for. My protection, My home, for as long as you wish to stay, is yours, but for your part, be advised… Should you accept my proposal, you offer in return your unreserved cooperation and will follow any direction I give without question. From this day forward you will vow to accept me as mentor. This is the way of the Elf and needs no further binding or instruction and is for you to choose. Do you accept me as mentor, or do you require only my friendship and consent to stay as such?”
This took Hedge totally by surprise, Oakleaf projected such gravitas with these words that it felt as though he had reached a critical cross-roads in his life. He realised that things had changed and become very serious indeed. Doubts clouded his mind, should he accept Oakleaf’s offer? Should he be bound from this day forward? Anchored to this life, to the ways of a forest elf? to the promise of magic and adventure? Oakleaf was still bowed low, waiting for his answer. Suddenly, in that one moment, Hedge realised that his future life would be determined by the choice he made here, and deep down inside he somehow also knew that there was only one choice.
“You said yourself that I had a lot to learn,” he said in a very shaky voice. “Oakleaf
Rockmoss I am delighted by your offer, and I can’t think of anyone else I would rather have as a teacher. Please mentor me and accept me as your own.” he added with a tear in his eye.
The largest smile you could possibly imagine, swept across Oakleaf’s face and he pulled Hedge into his arms.
“Well said my boy!” He laughed out loud “Always best to get the formalities out of the way. Now come on in son. Welcome to your new home.” He let out another hearty laugh and gestured for Hedge to go inside.
Hedge stepped through the door and stood on the top of a small set of stairs that led down to a patchwork rug laid neatly at the foot of the steps. As his eyes became accustomed to the shadowy interior of the fallen tree he made out further details of the room in front of him.
The tree was indeed hollow and had been furnished with everything needed to feel at home. On the opposite side to the doorway a stone fireplace was carved into the trunk and a hollow branch served as the chimney. In the hearth stood a large copper pot resting on ironwork expertly crafted to hold it suspended over the grate. Racks of pipes adorned the mantelpiece which was edged at each end with a snowdrop growing out of a circular glass teardrop. The room opened out to include high backed easy chairs with the same patchwork upholstery as the rug. Candles in jars threw a soft flickering light across the room which seemed to go on and on through another area with polished walls stacked high with books. Tables piled high with scrolls, feather quills and papers filled every nook and cranny. Beyond this chaos, through an archway of tangled roots, furs of all kinds coated the walls, and a rough wood floor led on to what Hedge assumed could only be the sleeping quarters. His eye wandered to the other end of the tree trunk, just past the stairwell he was standing on. The trunk of the tree had either rotted away or been cut so that a huge hole in the bare earth was exposed. Roots and vines curled around the edges of the wood supporting it, from there they had grown upwards to about waist height and knitted together to form a banister and rails which ran around the edge and down another flight of stairs on the opposite side.
Off this balcony small doors were placed where branches had once spouted out from the trunk of the tree and Hedge could only guess at the myriad of supplies and provisions that were hidden from view in the rooms that the doors obviously opened on to. Oakleaf bustled past Hedge and following the stairwell down called up to Hedge “Feel free to look around, I’ll get the fires going and pop on a bit of tea.” Hedge followed him down and entered a new room where the Elf was kneeling at another fireplace where sticks and wood curls stood ready to light.
“This place is amazing.”
Oakleaf looked around and smiled. “Glad you like it. You don’t live for as long as I have
without a few home comforts” he said rubbing his hands together. A shower of sparks fell from them and ignited the fire which instantly sent waves of warmth through the dwelling. He flicked his hand and small embers rose from the fire and danced around as though blown by an invisible wind. Each ember landed softly upon the wick of a multitude of bottled candles dotted around the place or floated off to land on the piles of tinder laid in each of the fireplaces, each candle or fire sparked to life filling the trunk with a soft glowing light, and a warmth that filled your soul.
“You have got to show me how to do that,” Hedge gasped. He felt a new respect for Oakleaf and if truth be told he was somewhat awed by the fountain of sparks produced by him.
“Plenty of time for that son.” Oakleaf winked and slapped Hedge on the back, a few stray embers had settled back on the Elf’s hand and Hedge felt their heat through his tunic.
“Come on,” Oakleaf said brightly before wandering off down the room, unconsciously dodging round twisted vines and roots which formed pillars that supported the weight of the skeleton tree that formed the roof. Everywhere Hedge looked, the living vines and roots crisscrossed the walls and floor. They sprouted from the walls, forming shelves that were filled with books, scrolls, quills, and small ink bottles. They wove themselves into high backed easy chairs and tables of every size that were tucked into every corner. Just as Hedge was thinking, “How big is this tree?” they stepped through a doorway into what would have been the main canopy of the tree. Branches crisscrossed the room, and a long table hung from vines at its centre. Along one wall a large stove stood with a pot of tea just coming to the boil and some crumpets warming in a pan on the top.
“Be a good lad and get the butter will you” Oakleaf said pointing at a small door on the other side of the room. Hedge did what was asked and retrieved the butter from the room, although he took a few minutes finding it among the cold meats, salads, milk, honey, and cream stored in the room which had a leaf floor and walls silver with frost. By the time he had made his way back out to the kitchen, Oakleaf, who had plated the crumpets and poured the tea, was now sitting at the table waiting patiently for him.
“Take a seat, son,” he said, “and we will get things up front and squared away.”
Hedge sat down and waited to be offered a crumpet, knowing better than to just help himself, but was pleasantly surprised when Oakleaf gestured for him to help himself and so he eagerly did exactly that.
“As I said before” Oakleaf started, “Now that you have officially accepted me as mentor, what’s mine is yours.” He waved away Hedge’s thanks. “I’m nothing if not fair,” he continued, “but don’t think that you are in for an easy ride. Tomorrow your training starts and it’s going to be tough!”
“Training for what?” Hedge asked through a mouthful of crumpet.
“Well, for starters I am going to train you how to be an Elf. Then I’m going to train you how not to be an Elf. And after that I will train you how to forget what I trained you for,” He said with a sly grin.
Hedge couldn’t think of a response to that.
“But first things first,” Oakleaf said. “I’m taking you to visit the forest squirrels. Nothing and no one knows more about the forest than the squirrels, and they have already agreed to take on your night training. Of course, you’ll have your chores to do first so eat up and find yourself a room. After you get settled in I’d advise you to get some rest. We’ll be up early so I’ll see you in the morning” Oakleaf stood and crossed the room, only stopping to relight his pipe from the stove before heading for the door. Hedge couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Wait!” he shouted. “I thought you said you would be training me? How am I supposed to train with you if I’ve got night training, whatever that is, with the squirrels and chores to do in the day?”
“Ah well you see,” Oakleaf answered, “That’s the bit of blue in skies of grey isn’t it? I’ll train you on your days off!” He chuckled to himself as he left the kitchen, leaving only a feint mist of pipe smoke following lazily in his wake.
Hedge sat back in his chair and let out a long sigh. He had no idea what lay in store for him when his training began, but he knew it would make a fine tale one day. Taking another crumpet he looked around, he had never felt more comfortable in his whole life, it was as though he was meant to be there, as though he was finally… home.