Forever

         I found myself in a clearing in the middle of the wood. The leaves were just changing and beginning to fall. The smell of dead leaves danced heavily along the breeze and clung strongly to my purple cloak and green gown. Why I keep coming to this specific place is unknown to me, it is just a feeling, a nagging, in the back of my mind. Even when I am not thinking about this place I find my feet leading me here every time I step out of my cottage door.
         I sat on a log and rested against a wise old oak tree. He smiled at me and allowed some of his leaves to shower down into my long cinnamon colored hair. We have become great friends Father Oak and I, he greeted me with a deep ‘hello;’ a chorus of ‘Hello lady of the wood,’ followed from the surrounding trees. I moved from the log to a pile of leaves at the base of his trunk, he began telling me a story of a peculiar owl that refused to eat rodents of any kind. He worried about her health and the way the other owls must treat her because of this. The last thing I remember before drifting off to sleep was a suggestion to take her home with me and love her the way she should be loved.
         I was stirred awake by wetness upon my cheek and a sweet kiss upon my lips. I felt a paw rest softly on the top of my hand and opened my eyes to meet the gaze of a pitch black, ice blue eyed wolf. He sat before me and allowed me to pet him while I glanced up to see his master. He was broad and stocky in build. His black hair fell about mid neck; it had a slight curl to it and a sheen that reminded me of a raven’s feather. I recognized his all knowing eyes; they are the color of a deep blue ocean.
“Here I was wandering around my wood, enjoying a nice evening stroll; when Nox here decided it was a good idea to run off ahead and sniff around. He led us to a stunning woman asleep at the base of this here tree.” His voice was deep and smooth; it rolled through me, sending a series of shivers down my spine. “I am curious to know if she is lost…”
         I stood up and faced him with a tiny smirk upon my face. I pressed against him slightly and whispered in his ear.
“Last I checked sir hunter, this was my domain. The trees just allow you to wander freely. Riddle me this, do you leave a sweet kiss upon every woman who wanders the wood and falls asleep here?” I allowed him to wrap his arms about my waist and pull me close to him.
“No lady of the wood, I only leave a sweet kiss on the elves I spend lifetimes searching for. The elves I know inside and out, every single quirk, every noise she makes when I make love to her, and every dark secret she keeps. Today was just a lapse in judgment, you looked so sweet and tantalizing napping while the sun was setting…I could not help myself…” I glared slightly and punched him playfully in the arm; chuckling deeply, goose bumps rose upon my flesh while he pulled me into his lap.
         I closed my eyes and took in the scent of clove permeating off of him; we sat in silence for a few minutes, basking in each other’s company.  He left a sweet kiss upon my temple and let out a deep sigh.
“I have searched for you for many years now my love, it is unusual for her to put so much distance between us. I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find you again…” Kissing his cheek, I smile at him tenderly.
“It will not be so easy for her to keep us apart in any life my love. We made it a point the first time to take the serum. We will always find each other, whether she likes it or not. If we need to take it again we will.” A welcome silence fell over us; I played with each one of his fingers, kissing the tip of each one gently before intertwining my hands with his.
“Perhaps it is time to take the serum again my sweet fox.” I gave him a knowing smile and jumped off his lap to gather my satchel.
“I had a dream a year or so ago informing me that my love will return very soon. After that dream I started to gather all the ingredients needed to make the serum again.”
         I pulled out the aging leather bound volume that the spell was written in. The wind picked up with every page I turned, scattering a pile of fallen leaves around me in the process. Notes are scrawled across the aging parchment in various colors of ink. The page I stop on is titled ‘Forever’ and written in blood, a mix of mine and his. I kept the book open to the spell as I pulled out a pouch full of dried herbs and stones for channeling energies.
“I should have known you would have been prepared love. You always are.” Crouching in front of him, I pull his dagger from his belt in a single, slightly sensual movement. I grabbed the chalice from my satchel and readied my wine skin. He took the chalice from my hand and kissed the tip of my nose playfully.
“I will handle the wine and chalice; you ready the herbs and decide the best places to cut…”
“This is not the first time I have prepared this concoction…” He briefly put his hands up in defeat before pouring the wine and placing it on a nearby log.
“Should we try the palm like we did the first time?” This is my least favorite part. Drawing blood as part of a spell has never really sat well with me, it leaves you open to too many possible…and negative outcomes if you are not careful when doing so.
“The palm will be best, I would rather not scar your beautiful…assets.”
         I grin as he pulls me into a straddle position and removes the dagger from my grasp before I can make the cut myself. Kissing me deeply the building passion distracted me from noticing that he had placed the blade between our palms. A long stream of blood trickled down our arms as we broke the kiss and pulled apart, mixing the blood in the wine along the way. Silence took over us as I finished the serum. The most excruciating part of this task is trusting your partner enough to take it after you; that did not worry me this time.
“Are you ready my love?”
“As ready as I will ever be...” I dropped the final ingredient into the mixture and we took turns whispering the incantation in Romany. The bubbling of the chalice signified that it mixed, the change of the liquid from red to endless black showed that it was time to sip. We fell to the leaf colored ground moments later.

*in another time and place*
         A woman violently thrashes herself awake; blinking her eyes in confusion, she recognizes the antique four-poster bed and the satin sheets the color of spring grass. She wipes the sweat from her face with the deep violet suede comforter and pulls her sweat soaked pajamas away from her body. A man stirs beside her and wraps his arms tightly about her waist.
“It was just a dream sweet Willow, go back to sleep.”
“It felt like it was more than just a dream Blue…” He gives her what she can only guess is a pensive look.
“Perhaps it was. Regardless I am here now and I will stay awake until you are sound asleep again.”
“Do you promise?”
“Until death…”
         She smiles adoringly at her husband as he kisses her forehead before pulling her cheek against his chest. The steady thumping of his heart lulls her back to sleep as quickly as she came awake.