In the Moonlight

“Sariel, I don’t think we should be this far away from the town…”

Sariel barely glances back at her companion, a grin on her face. She keeps walking northward – there’s a clearing in this particular part of the forest that the moonlight can peek through and illuminate on a night like this.

It’s very pretty, and that’s exactly what Sariel is going for. “What’s wrong, Marian? Worried?”

“Worried? Me? Absolutely not!” Marian says, but the wind rustles a few leaves unexpectedly and the yelp that escapes Marian’s mouth does not help her case. Sariel at least has the decency to stop walking and turn around. She knows they’re close to the clearing, all Sariel needs to do is convince her to go just a little bit further.

“Aww, don’t worry love, I’ll protect you.”

“You? You’re the woman who convinced me to walk into a forest well past sunset for a ‘surprise’.”

“You wound me, Marian. Besides, it’s a good surprise. Trust me,” Sariel says, extending a hand out for Marian to take. She eyes it mock suspiciously before rolling her eyes and taking Sariel’s hand.

“Fine," Marion starts, "but if I die, I want everyone to know that it’s your fault.”

“Good thing you won’t die then.” Sariel pulls Marian further into the woods. She takes it slower this time, acts more cautious in an attempt to put Marian at ease.

Eventually, they reach the clearing. There’s a small pond in the middle, still water reflecting the moonlight above, illuminating the clearing all the way to the edges of the treeline surrounding it. There are fireflies floating gracefully through the night. A mix and match of blue, green, and red light from the different species.

“This is the only part of the forest where all three of these species gather,” Sariel says, voice a whisper. She tugs Marian into the clearing without resistance.

Marian looks around in awe, mouth slightly open as her free hand goes to cover a gasp. “It’s beautiful…” she responds. Were it not for Sariel’s impeccable hearing and the fact that everything else in the forest is silent, she might not have even heard Marian speak.

“You know what else is beautiful?” Sariel asks, moving slowly, so as not to startle the creatures floating about the clearing, until she comes to stand directly in front of Marian.

“If you say me…” Marian says. She tries to sound irritated, but the smile and blush on her face is a dead give away to the opposite.

“Well,” Sariel says, leaning in to close the gap. Their faces are mere inches apart. Sariel can feel the ghost of Marian’s cold breath on her skin. She lets herself grin. “I would only be telling the truth.”

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