Briar Rose

It was never a curse. Or a spindle. It was a tradition. As old as time itself and far more powerful than true love.

Briar Rose entered the forest to escape. She was tired. And the forest was her last change at finding sanctuary from it all. The last women to have come to the forest before her time was her Great Grandmother Aurora. They said she had slept for 100 years before true love finally found her.

But Briar wasn’t sure if she really believed in it all. The forest had likely let her wake up after after it had been restored. That was the tradition after all. For every generation of the Rose family, one female was to sleep in the forest for at least ten years to restore the forest and its magic. Some slept for longer, depending on how much destruction the humans had caused the generation before.

Most Roses went to the forest knowing who would walk them up and when it was time. It was a planned and perfect tradition. And well her story had become legendary, Aurora was not to be followed. It wasn’t done that way. And yet, Briar was in the forest now. Breaking with the plan and yet following her destiny all the same.

The forest greeted her as she followed the path to the old oak tree.

“Briar….” The trees were whispering to her. She could feel their curiosity.

She’d never been so determined to break with tradition before. And the trees, while they were her oldest friends, they didn’t understand her lack of faith.

She reached out and touched the willow on her left. Letting the connection flow into her she found herself stopping and resting her back against the tree. Letting her mind wonder as she closed her eyes.

“why are you so sure there isn’t true love?” it was a soft voice that trickled into her mind from the willow. Their souls tended to be soft and gentle. Briar sighed as she deepened into her connection. The willow tree shuddered as it took in her thoughts.

Briar’s parents had realigned their family tradition with the past and with the fae community as a whole. It had been love at first sight. Her mother, Thorna, has seen him and it clicked. She explained it as if her soul had known and like she was finally seeing the world in color again. And at first Briar had idolized her parents and their love. She’d looked for her own version of it everywhere. But in the end it never felt right. She was already so much older than her mother had been, and she felt like there wasn’t anyone out there for her. And the more she worried that she wouldn’t find someone, the more she wondered if she was actually worth it. And the older she got the more pressure she felt to find someone. Her family needed her to fix the forest soon. But they wouldn’t let her go in if she didn’t have someone to wake her up.

“It’s just created to much pressure. So I have to escape it and save them at the same time. I don’t think anyone is coming for me and if that means that I don’t wake up then…. Then how can I believe that true love exists.” Briar let the thoughts expand into the as other trees tuned in to listen. She could feel an overwhelm of both love and worry. The trees weren’t sure if the oak would be able to wake her up. Not when there wasn’t any proof that it was the oak tree that woke the Rose women or if it was their mates. If it was true love or if it was the magic of the forest. And most of the trees weren’t old enough to give her the answer. She had to make the choice on her own.

She felt the willow’s last whispers as she opened her eyes. It hoped she was wrong. And that true love even if it didn’t know it yet. Briar smiled as she moved along the path. It was a nice thought. That perhaps if she did sleep, she could be awaken by someone who needed her…. Wanted her even.

But even if she wasn’t she was going to restore the forest. And that had to be enough. She was born to do this.

She sat in front of the old oak and bowed her head.

“I am ready” She felt the oak stir as it acknowledged her. As it had her mother before and her mother before, and so on. Briar felt the line of all the women before her as if they were standing with her. At least a piece of them were imprinted in the forest. The oak breathed in and reached out to her. She felt herself connect.

“Well you are not the first to come without someone to wake you. I cannot decide if you are foolish or brave.” it’s voice was deeper than any she had heard. But it was warm.

“I’m running out of time. And if the forest isn’t helped. It could bring ruin to all the worlds. I am ready to protect it, to fix it.” Briar bowed her head down. She could hear the oak rumble as it thought to itself.

“It is your choice. I may be the oldest but even I have forgotten the first agreement of the Roses and the children of the forest. But I will be with you either way. I will not forget that you chose to sleep, even if it meant you’d never awake.” The oak’s words became a soft whisper as she felt the forest come in to meet her.

Her own power rooted itself into the soil. Reaching out to the roots of the others and connecting into something that was much older then she was. To the outside world she was a girl asleep on the forest floor under an impossibly old oak tree. But internally she could feel the entire forest. Each thing that breathed and gave into the earth was now a part of her. And she felt her own aura reaching into the places of the forest that needed the support.

While her body slept her mind hummed. Aware of the things that came and went. The animals that came and laid beside her, the gnomes that grew mushrooms by the trees and thanked her, the fairies that came with flowers and berries. And she remained sleeping as she observed.

“You find yourself unworthy of love. And yet each creature in this forest is more than happy to provide something for you. Even if it seems like nothing.” The oak mused.

As she slept the oak had been sharing stories with her of the others in her family, of the forest and of itself. And in return she told her own stories and spent time learning about herself. And her own power grew. "I suppose I could accept that I can be loved."

When he had entered the forest he wasn’t expecting to find himself. The trip was meant to be a rite of passage. Proof that he could survive on his own. But in the forest he found that it was easier to survive together. To listen to the sounds of the trees. While his books had taught him an awful lot about the forest that separated the worlds, it had never grasp the magnitude of the magic that was here.

“Sometimes you have to come outside.” One of the trees giggled to him as he rested in one of the glades. He found himself smiling as he thought about it. “I suppose you have taught me some things.”

He could feel the other trees shift in the wind as his connection with them filled with laughter. They’d become the easiest of the forest’s children to speak to. At least many of the young ones were. Some of the older ones could be a little more careful until they knew the individual trying to connect with them.

A cold nose nudged at the palm of his hand. He looked down at the small she-wolf he had befriended early on in his adventure. He wasn’t sure how old she was, but she must have been lost when they’d found each other. She’d cautiously followed him after head had shared his food with her. And while she still jumped if he moved too fast, she’d been nosing her way into his heart and bonding with him. He would have to take her with him when he left the forest. Otherwise he might be leaving her to die.

“I should name you one of these days.” He looked into her dark eyes as she let out a whine. His brows furrowed. The small wolf pup jumped up on her paws and ran a few lengths away before returning again with another whine.

“She wants you to follow her.” A voice like glass echoed by his ear. He jumped back in surprise at the tiny blue fairy that was linger where his head had been. Her tiny face looked bored. “He would have eventually figured it out.” A tiny green fairy appeared on the back of the wolf pup. The blue fairy seemed to sigh as if she was horrified to even be near one of the fae.

“He might be fae. But it would have taken him way to long. Come on now. We haven’t got all day.” The blue fairy jester towards the path. He gave both of the fairies a once over before he decided it was best not to argue with them. But it didn’t stop him from asking questions.

“You’re not about to get me lost are you?” well he was trying to joke, the slight crack of his voice gave him away. The green fairy laughed as the blue fairy huffed, “That’s wisps you air head.”

“Oh leave him alone Azuela. He’s only been in the forest for a month.” The green fairy chipped.

“No way. He’s denser then the last one that need help! He’s been here a whole month and he hasn’t even bothered to share with any of us or even present himself. And the trees aren’t helping him with it. They’re too caught up in him.” Azuela tossed her hands up and fluttered down onto the man’s shoulder.

“I…” he began but Azuela cut him off. “I know I know. The fae are getting worst with their teachings and it’s not your fault that your manners are horrible. But if you want the forest to connect with you, and I mean all of the forest. You have to be a little more generous when you take its food.” She rattled on.

The green fairy flew up to sit on his other shoulder as he followed the wolf.” His face was older then Azuela’s but seemed to bare a similar resemblance.

“Don’t mind her too much. Her own manners aren’t the best either,” he shot her a look before he continued, “we really haven’t seen many of your kind these days anymore. All stuck up away in your castles. We really only see the Roses. But it’s been nice to see someone still willing to come into the forest and try to connect. Even if it is with a bunch if amber trees. They tend to be a little whimsical and forgetful when it comes to teaching. But they aren’t a bad starting place.” his voice came out the way you’d expect a teacher’s.

“Dad we don’t have time for a history of the fading connection of the forest and the fae. We have work to do. It’s been a 100 years already and at the rate your going. It will be a 100 more.” Azuela flew off of his shoulder and waved her hands as if to say come on now.

“100 years isn’t that much time.” He pointed out. Azuela seemed to deflate in the air as her father chuckled.

“She is right though. We are on a tight schedule. The forest is brimming with magic and we aren’t about to repair the relationship of the fae and the children of the forest anytime soon. And you my boy need to wake her up.”

“Wake up who?” he stopped walking and tried to look at the small man perched on his shoulder. Azuela flutter up by his face and crossed her arms. “Are you sure this is the right one?” She looked at her father. “You can see the connection line on him too Azuela.” Her father shook his head. She rolled her eyes as she pointed into the clearing. “Her. You are going to wake her.”

He found himself looking where she was pointing. At first it didn’t make much sense, the old oak surround by millions of flowers that couldn’t possibly be growing next to each other. but the more he looked the more he felt drawn to the clearing. Azuela let out a breath of relief as she watched his boots start moving again.

He felt like something was pulling at him. Almost like it was an answer that he needed to get. A piece of some puzzle he hadn’t realized he was working on it. He couldn’t really explain the feeling. Just that he needed to be in that clearing.

When he saw her he thought the world had stopped for a second. As a clear sharp sense of knowing awakened inside of him. Something radiated off of her that spoke to him. He sank down to the ground beside her and gave her shoulder a slight shake. And once more when she didn’t stir.

“Your hopeless.” Azuela groan as she fluttered about. “Have you never read anything about the Roses? The Sleeping Beauties?”

“The children’s story?” he looked at her. Azuela flew up to his face causing him to cross his eyes.

“Of course it had to be someone who doesn’t even know the history of the other worlds. Could she have picked worst.” She mumbled as she flew down to the sleeping women and flung her hands at her face. “KISS her! You have to kiss her dummy.”

At first he shook his head. But then he felt the connection. Something pulled at him and a voice spoke deep in his mind. “I am quit ready to wake up. And tradition is tradition. So if you don’t mind kissing me. I can explain it later.”

He looked down at the women who was sleeping. And maybe he was going a little crazy having been in the forest for so long. But there was something deeper in him that trusted her voice. He bent down and softly kissed her cheek. Azuela was almost having a melt down in the back. But he watched as the women’s eyes opened and she smiled at him. He found himself smiling back at her.

“That worked! I thought they had to actually kiss! What was that.” Her little voice was buzzing with annoyance as her father laughed at her.

Briar looked up at the man who had woken her, “You know I’ve been calling you for awhile. It took you long enough to get her.” She told him. He looked bewildered. She laughed. And he found himself smiling.

“I really hope I’m not suppose to be running.” He blurted out. He heard Azuela groan at him again as the women laughed at him. “I get it. I didn’t understand it either. I still don’t not really. But how about we start with our names and go from there? I’m Briar Rose.”

“Well Briar Rose. I’m Toran.”