This story is by Jude Garnier and was part of our 2024 Spring Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.
Once there was a village named Croesffordd, which bears its name because of the crossroads at the edge of the forest. One path led to the unknown, the other led back to the village through the woods. It was common knowledge that if you ventured into the unknown, you would come back with no memories of your time away, suffering from an inconsolable grief that you wouldn’t know the causes. Little did the villagers know the path led to the kingdom of Elfame, the last home of the faes and those who choose to stay.
Alasdair was a guardian of the crossroads, a role he took seriously. His duties were simple: he had to discourage the villagers from taking the path leading to their kingdom. The fae enjoyed confusing the men and women who ventured at the crossroads. Through illusions or manipulation, he usually succeeded in his mission. When some ended up choosing the path to the unknown despite his tricks and warnings, he would accompany them to the gates of Elfame. As time passed, the hardest moments for the fae were to deal with the villagers who sought for their loved ones that never returned from the unknown, for the existence of the kingdom had to stay hidden.
All changed in an early morning, as crisped steps on the path covered by fallen leaves woke the fae from a nap.
“I am Eòin from the village of Croesffordd. I come to meet with the creature, spirit, ghost or demon, whom haunt this crossroads… Show yourself!” This man had done his homework, or had read too many fairy tales, piquing Alasdair’s curiosity as he sat by the ruins of a wall near the path.
Eòin was one of those people the fae liked to observe. They usually ended up tired of waiting and leaving at some point, but the next morning the man was still there and had set up a small tent and a campfire. As days stretched to weeks, Alasdair kept observing Eòin, who would be away only for a few hours every day to bring back food from the village. The fae figured that the man would be gone by the first snowfall.
Eòin never left.
When the first flowers in the trees bloomed, Alasdair decided to finally reveal himself.
“You are a brave man to camp out alone in those woods, Eòin.” He said without preamble, bowing as Eòin rose from his sitting position. “I am Alasdair, guardian of this crossroads.”
“You took your time to answer my call.”
“I like to make myself desired,” answered Alasdair, not shying away from flirting. Eòin didn’t seem to be taken aback as he looked at him from head to toe suspiciously.
“My sister left for the unknown a few months ago, and I want to take her back home.”
“Oh.” Said Alasdair, genuinely surprised. “You’ve waited for so long, and I’m afraid I cannot help.” He declared, a hint of sadness perceptible in his voice. “Why did you not ask about your sister from the start?”
“I suspected you would attempt to convince me to go back, and I was hoping someone or something could shed a light on what is happening in this place. No one ever mentioned the existence of a guardian at the crossroads.”
“You are more clever than others. Revealing myself to you is a way to reward you for your patience. I’m sorry I can’t tell you more.” Alasdair said, barely convinced by his own words. “And even if I could, it is not up to you or me, but your sister, to decide if she wishes to come back to your village.”
“I’d rather have her giving me an explanation.”
“Then you will have to take the path leading to the unknown to find her.” Alasdair said. He didn’t have to stop the man from going into the unknown, and yet, he could feel his heartache at the idea. “If you chose to go into the unknown, you will face a choice to make.”
“A choice I doubt I can make willingly.”
“All humans are unique, but the ones who enter our realm choose to stay of their own free will.”
“If you have to choose between living in a new place or live with constant pain and sorrow for an unknown reason, what would you choose?” Alasdair had never thought about it that way, he always thought life in Elfame was worth anything else that the world could offer.
“Choosing a life of peace, abundance and equality, away from the sufferings of the world, is easy.”
“I’ll see for myself if this life is truly worth it.” Alasdair felt a sting. The Eòin’s word hurt more than he expected. He never questioned the life he had in Elfame, nor the sacrifice the men and women made by choosing to stay. He watched the man packing his belongings and once he was ready, he turned to the fae. “Lead the way.”
As they walked through the forest, Alasdair felt himself dreading for the moment when they will reach the cliffs where Elfame stood. Once the city finally appeared behind the woods, he heard Eòin let a noise of awe in front of the beauty of the place. When they reached the gates of the city, Alasdair could feel a certain sadness, but he swallowed it, a smile stretching on his lips.
“I hope you will find your sister Eòin, if you choose to stay for a while, we will see each other again.”
Alasdair came to visit as frequently as his duty as guardian allowed him to. Eòin seemed to be happy in Elfame, though he had no intentions to stay indefinitely. He would have long conversations with his sister about going back to Croesffordd, where their family was waiting for them.
During that time, Alasdair and Eòin also formed a friendship. The fae would sometime come home to the fresh smell of baked brioches, and they spent their evening on the edge of the cliffs dreaming about the world far beyond the borders of Elfame and Croesffordd.
“Have you ever thought of leaving Elfame to travel the world?” Asked Eòin one evening.
“Not really. Why would I want to leave this place? Your world is full of wars and hurt. This kingdom has been my home for eighty-four years now. It is the last home for my kind, therefore, to protect it, no humans can leave with the memory of this place.”
“What about the grief people seem to inherit?”
“I’m afraid it is a side effect of the spell.”
“I see…” They both felt silent. The rumbling of the waves crashing at the feet of the cliffs seemed suddenly louder to Alasdair. “I will forget about you.”
“Yes, you will.”
Months later, when Eòin and Alasdair met that night, the man handed him an envelope.
“Mòr and I decided it was time for us to go back home. We will leave tomorrow. Alasdair, I wanted to thank you for your hospitality and your friendship.” A sad smile stretched on the fae’s lips. He also had a present for Eòin, Alasdair pulled out two small vials from his bag.
“These contain the tears of a fae. When you are about to walk through the gates, drink it. It will counter the spell.” Eòin hesitated.
“You are trusting me with the secret of your kingdom’s existence…”
“I am.” The man embraced the fae in his arms before taking the vials from his hand, shoving them in his pocket.
“If we make it out of here, I will come and visit you where we first met.”
Alasdair chuckled, knowing that Eòin was a man of his word. They said their goodbyes that evening, parting away when the sun slowly had risen above the ocean.
Once there was a village named Croesffordd, which bears its name because of the crossroads at the edge of the forest. One path lead to unknown, the other lead back to the village through the woods. Little did the villagers know Alasdair was a fae whose duty was to guard the crossroads.
On a warm midsummer afternoon, the guardian was resting on the branch of a tree when he saw a man stopping by the ruins next to the crossroads.
“I am Eòin from the village of Croesffordd. I come to meet with the creature, spirit, ghost, devil, whom haunt this crossroads… Show yourself!” Silent fell into the woods, piquing the fae’s interest. The stranger was looking around before clearing his throat. “Come on, Alasdair, show yourself!”
He appeared before him, stunned.
“How do you know my name?”
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