He was certainly out of his depth of experience. But as Teofil stepped into the clearing and dropped to one knee with his head lowered, a rush of attraction flooded Thaddeus, leaving him momentarily breathless. The simple gesture of Teofil paying his respects to the wood fairies was so gallant and chivalrous, it made Thaddeus appreciate him even more.
And he hoped his insistence on seeking out the Well of Tears instead of his mother, and having Fetter ask for him instead of broaching the subject himself, hadn’t lessened Teofil’s opinion of him. Thaddeus didn’t know what he would do if this exciting and amazing new relationship he had only recently discovered ended so soon because of something stupid he had done. What would happen if Teofil didn’t understand why Thaddeus had wanted to change course, or why he’d sided with Fetter? Would Teofil leave and return to Miriam and Thaddeus’s father? Would Thaddeus be forced to continue with Astrid and Fetter? Or, worse yet, what if Astrid decided to follow Teofil, leaving Thaddeus alone with Fetter?
As he watched Teofil’s broad back, just visible from the light of their campfire, the small glowing shapes of the wood fairies circled his head. Some zipped around him fast and angry, like disturbed hornets, buzzing past his ears and the side of his face. But Teofil held very still, head bowed, one arm resting across his upraised knee, waiting for the right time.
“The wood fairies look kind of angry,” Astrid said in a quiet voice.
“He can do it,” Fetter whispered. “He’s got a lot of experience talking with fairies.”
“He does,” Thaddeus said. “I used to watch him from my bedroom window at night. The fairies would circle his head the whole time he worked in the yard. I thought they were fireflies at first.”
“How could you confuse a fairy with a firefly?” Astrid asked.
Before Thaddeus could reply, a familiar sound came to him from the fairy circle, and it made him smile in spite of how twisted up his insides felt.
Teofil was humming.
It brought back comforting memories of the nights before he and Teofil had actually met, when he would lie in bed and the sound of humming would lull him to sleep. Now, the sound soothed and made him feel as if everything might turn out all right despite the odds stacked against them.
The fairies stopped flying around Teofil and arranged themselves into a loose grouping in front of him. Astrid took Thaddeus’s hand as they watched Teofil slowly lift his head. This was it. Thaddeus just hoped the wood fairies took enough pity on them not to lead them astray.
Teofil’s low tones drifted back to them through the trees. His voice was too soft for Thaddeus to make out what he said, no matter how hard he strained to hear.
After what felt to Thaddeus like hours but was most likely no more than twenty minutes, Teofil returned to the fire.
“Well?” Fetter asked.
“What did they say?” Astrid added.
Teofil looked at them, then fixed his gaze on Thaddeus. “The Well of Tears exists, and they’ve given us directions to it.”
Thaddeus let out a relieved breath and a laugh. Fetter clapped his hands together and did a quick dance in a circle. Even though Thaddeus was relieved, his feelings were tempered by a nervousness that Teofil would still be angry with him. They all took their seats around the fire once again, Teofil to Thaddeus’s right, but leaving a little space between them this time. He didn’t say anything, just stared into the flames, lost in thought.
“Hey, are you all right?” Thaddeus asked.
“I am. It’s just….” He looked at Thaddeus, and his expression was so sad Thaddeus felt a cold blade of regret push into his gut. “I wish you had felt you could talk to me about the change of direction.”
Thaddeus glanced across the fire to where Astrid and Fetter seemed to be trying not to listen in. He scooted closer to Teofil and lowered his voice. “I’m sorry for not asking you myself. I know I should have, but the risks that come with changing our course and the newness of what we have between us made me doubt myself.”
“You didn’t just doubt yourself, but me too,” Teofil said. “As if you didn’t think I would hear you out.”
Thaddeus dropped his head and closed his eyes. Regret built within him, brick by remorseful brick. He took a breath and lifted his head to look into Teofil’s beautiful blue eyes. “You’re right. I didn’t put faith in you or myself. Please accept my apology.”
Teofil nodded and did not look away. “You’re very important to me, Thaddeus. I want you to be able to trust me.”
“I want that, too. I’m sorry.”
Teofil’s smile was small, but it filled Thaddeus with hope and relief. “Apology accepted,” Teofil said.
Thaddeus smiled back and turned his attention to the fire. A host of emotions swarmed him, and he doubted he would be able to get much sleep that night.
“Are you two all made up now?” Astrid asked with a smile.
“Never you mind,” Teofil replied. “Pass me a mooshberry if you haven’t eaten them all.”
“Not many left,” Astrid said as she handed him a berry. “We should try to save a few.”
“We’ll find more,” Teofil said. “And we’ll need our strength for where we’re going.”
“Oh?” Thaddeus asked and felt a chill go up his spine. “It’s dangerous?”
“The fairies weren’t specific, but they told me some of what we can expect.”
“And?” Fetter asked.
“It’s going to be harder than finding a path to the other side of the Lost Forest,” Teofil replied. He looked at them each in turn, finishing with Thaddeus. “We should all try to get some good sleep tonight.”
“You’re scaring me a bit,” Thaddeus said with a nervous laugh.
“Good,” Teofil said. “We’ll all need to be cautious. I’ll take first watch, and the rest of you can get some sleep.”
They were silent as they stretched out on beds of fern leaves and moss. Thaddeus listened to the crackle of the fire and the sounds of small animals moving among the trees. His heart pounded, and his mind raced as he imagined all sorts of dangerous creatures waiting for them deeper in the Lost Forest. He fell into an uneasy sleep where animals with sharp claws and long fangs stalked him from the shadows of the woods while fairies danced in a circle over his head, laughing in their high-pitched way as they gave away his location.
Chapter 6
When Fetter woke him for the final watch of their first night, Thaddeus had been sleeping so hard he didn’t recognize him right away or know where he was. He sat up too fast and got a head rush, so he had to lay back down. Squinting to see better in the light of the campfire, recognition and memory trickled back, bringing with it a sense of alarm.
“Are we in danger?” Thaddeus asked. His voice sounded scratchy and tired, and he cleared his throat, startling himself with how loud it was in the quiet forest.
“Not unless you count intense boredom,” Fetter said. “It’s your turn to keep watch. Try to keep at least a little quiet and not attract every predator to our camp. You should probably add a couple more sticks to the fire, too.”
Thaddeus sat up, more slowly this time, and looked about. Teofil was close beside him, turned on his side to face Thaddeus and snoring softly beneath his blanket. Astrid lay on her back on Teofil’s other side, arm over her eyes and mouth slightly open as she snored quite loud.