Eir
The air shifted so swiftly it could have kicked the oxygen out of anyone.
My eyes grew wide, and even Nida froze in her steps. One could practically taste the tension between us all, and strangely, all shadows seemed to grow deeper, but at the same time, the forest around us looked greener and lighter.
Nida was the textbook example of beauty. High cheekbones, small chin, perfect skin, flawless actually with that magical sparkling green shimmering on her white skin. She had big green eyes and thick, blond hair flowing over her slender shoulders. However, Huldra is something else. Her blond and wavy hair looked like a wild waterfall. Her plumped lips smiled, and her round, heart-formed face reminded me of a little girl. Innocent, soft, and feminine features. Tiny freckles sprinkled over her little button nose; her skin golden like newly baked buns after a life beneath the sun. Healthy, approachable, and kind, that was my first thought. Until I saw her eyes, and then everything changed.
Her eyes were black holes, like deep swirling pits of darkness. The darkness stretched out and seeped through around them. From the side, it was nearly impossible to see anything strange about her eyes, long curved lashes, and round almond-shaped eyes, but the minute she turned my way, my heart skipped a beat, and I gasped in shock. There was nothing but black. No pupils, no white, her entire eye was black. The thick darkness swirled and shifted like smoke or thick oil, and it felt like she saw right through me. That is also when the rest of her appeared more evident.
Despite her innocent appearance at first, I suddenly became aware she was all but just that. Spiders and black snakes meandered in her tick hair, giving only a glimpse of black, green, and red bodies moving. Scales, fangs, and long hairy insect legs. Her long, slender legs morphed softly into small hoofs from her ankles. Even if she stood straight, a slight curve occurred where her foot turned to a hoof, completely changing her posture compared to mine and Nida's. Naturally, she leaned a little forward, making her look like she could attack at any given moment.
The cow-like tail flickered aggressively behind her. Like an angry cat, only her tail was held high, lifted behind her, peaking over her shoulder like a stalking cobra. I've heard of the tail, and it looks much like I've pictured in my head while reading about her as a kid. But the rest of her? There is no denying she is gorgeous. However, she reminds me more of a horror version of what I used to believe Huldra looked like. I managed to tear my gaze off her, only to end up looking back and forth between the two women.
Nida's muscles were tense, shifting beneath her skin. With her shoulders held high, I could also see her jaws clenching, loosening, and then clenching again. Huldra, however, looked a bit more relaxed. Her entire being reeked of confidence but also something else. Anger, disgust, or maybe just caution? I have no idea, and this makes me a bit nervous.
"Are you lost, snake princess?"
Nida's upper lip twitched as Huldra's soft voice filled the silence with a question dripping with poisonous sweetness. A cold shiver trembled through my body.
"No."
"Oh really? I seem to remember a certain someone loudly declaring that they would never, under any circumstances, set their foot in this forest of evil ever again."
The hissing sound that left Nida was like nothing I'd heard before, a horrifying blend of snakes and an angry cat with a throat problem. My heartbeats grew stronger and started hammering against my ribs as the tension grew. Huldra laughed back, and my confusion grew even bigger. Her laughter danced in the air despite her creepy and scary features- light and pure. Like a baby's laughter, it filled the air for a brief second, like tiny bursting soap bubbles filled with glitter and nothing but pure bliss and happiness. It felt so out of place, such a beautiful sound from a woman. I felt nothing but cold and darkness.
"Things change, times change."
Nida sounded like a sulking teen.
However, Huldra's demeanor changed, and with long bouncing steps, she walked up to Nida, almost circling her like a hungry lion, and I found myself holding my breath. This entire situation was so strange. Were they old friends? Enemies? Frenemies? With a frown that deepened with every second, my eyes followed the scene unfolding before me. This Huldra creature, loomed over Nida's shoulder before she walked around her again. Nida didn't move a muscle; for a second, I felt terrible for Nida.
A looming feeling inside my chest felt that Nida was scared, but she suddenly spun on her heels, stuck her nose right in her face, and sneered. Before I realized what I was doing, I had reached a line of massive old threes. Slowly, without a sound and without taking my eyes off the two women, I walked backward, away. For once, it almost felt like Drifta was here, guiding me through my subconsciousness. They were occupied with each other, and this was my window. No matter how curious I was about this Huldra woman, I didn't have time for this.
Taking slow, deep breaths, I backed into the shadows between the threes, letting the dense forest devour me. Hide me. It was choking all sounds and thoughts. My gaze was locked on them until the forest blocked my view; that's when adrenaline kicked in. Without thinking, I turned around and started running. I ran like my life depended on it for a while, with all senses on high alert.
Sweat ran down my back, and my hair stuck to my face and forehead. Gasping for air, my lungs burned, and my thighs trembled when I finally stopped. The grass was moist and cold against my warm skin. It had to be something with the air here; I'd been running for hours and was still alive. I almost laughed out loud. Human, for a while, I've been nothing but human. Lazy, weak and... I paused, normal. I had just been average, like I used to be, and I felt something resembling shame pondering this over.
"Follow the creak,"
I jumped to my feet and franticly looked around. But there was no one here. Nothing but a husky whisper that echoed through the forest traveled with the wind as the shadows grew longer. I recognized the feeling. The sensation of power and calm, and I went with it. Let my feet take me down alongside the wild little creak, deeper into the woods. Wordless whispers intensified, japing and growling animals. Insects and birds. The air vibrated with sound and movement. But I didn't stop before I reached the cave. The little entrance whispered my name and called for me, and I knew what had to be done.