Rowan's Rising Journey

“You haven’t seen her at all?”

Maylin’s mother, Hu, shook her head, her long lashes fluttering like black spider legs against her pale skin. She was tall and carried herself elegantly, much like her daughter. Her hair was long and dark but lacked the silky glow of Maylin's hair.

“Not since this morning.” She slowly put down her blue teacup on the glass table. It was painted with little pink flowers and entwined leaves. She looked up at Rowan, her yellow eyes shining with fear.

“Have you searched around more?”

“No. This was just our first stop.” Rowan looked out the round kitchen window at the green hills and blue, cloudy sky. “We’ll keep looking until we find her.”

“I’m so worried.” Hu’s voice was soft and wistful like a wind chime.

“Don’t be. My brother and I know this area very well.” Rowan assured her.

“He’s right,” Hawthorn added. “Ever since we moved here, Rowan and I have gone on an adventure just about every day. We know these hills and woods like its our own backyard.” He managed a small smile, yet his tone was not quite as confident as Rowan’s.

“Okay, well… let me find you some food to bring.” Hu opened a wooden cupboard above the sink and took out some rice crackers. She briskly walked over to the refrigerator and rummaged through various vegetables and fruits. “Do you boys like cucumbers? Or do you prefer apples?” She smiled sheepishly. “I’m sorry. My memory isn’t the best these days.”

Rowan and Hawthorn exchanged an uncertain glance. “We’ll take apples,” Rowan said, then graciously took the bag of food and water from Hu’s arms, hugged and thanked her, and turned to leave.

Hawthorn began to follow, then quickly turned around and asked, "Do you think you could look after Fencer and Minty while we're away?" He looked affectionately at the distracted animals. "Fencer might become bothersome to us," he said. "And you know Minty, she can get kinda feisty."

"Of course, Hawthorn," Hu said with adoration in her voice.

Rowan and Hawthorn thanked her again and continued out the door.

“Wait, Rowan...” Hu called out.

“What is it?” Rowan asked.

Hu paused, thinking. “By any chance are you friends with a lizard?”

"Uh, not that I can recall,” Rowan answered, confused.

“Oh. Well, there was a green lizard out on the porch this morning. He was making a weird noise, and it sounded like… like he was saying your name.” She stepped outside to search around for him. “Oh dear, it doesn’t look like he’s here anymore. He was quite friendly,” Hu said.

“Your wild imagination never stops growing, Ms. Yang,” Rowan said with a crooked, sorrowful smile. "...You and Maylin both." Rowan frowned at the ground, then started off when he realized Hawthorn was still searching for the mysterious green lizard.

“Thorn.” Rowan sighed. “Come on. May’s waiting for us.”

Hawthorn’s crystal eyes grew big as he quickly remembered their task. He ran over to his big brother, his black boots picking dirt up along the path.

The brothers, side by side, with sustenance on their backs, walked off into the cloudy afternoon.

-----

The flochin sounded bright and crisp like a fairy song. Rowan meticulously switched up the holes his fingers danced on on his emerald instrument. It was small and round with six holes, and Rowan liked to make up new songs on his adventures through the grassy hills. Sometimes, but not always, it seemed to summon his favorite mare, Huntress.

This was one of those times.

Tall and elegant, Huntress was a true bay - reddish brown hair on her thick body and a jet black mane and tail. She had the build of a Clydesdale but none of them knew what she actually was. She cantered over to Rowan, feathers flying on her black feet, as graceful as a ribbon of angels.

“My love,” Rowan cooed, scratching the base of her shaggy mane. “Where’s Champ?” he asked Hawthorn.

“Eh, probably at the barn, that lazy thing.”

Champ was Hawthorn’s favorite. He was a stout buckskin Highland Pony, and at 14 hands, Huntress significantly towered over him. Hawthorn loved him to death for his gentle and sweet nature.

“Let’s go.” Rowan clicked his tongue at Huntress. She followed willingly.

The pathway leading up to the barn was a gradual incline. Sometimes it would lightly rain, causing marshy bogs, so they would always wear boots to ensure good footing. Some time last year, Rowan had lost his footing and rolled all the way down this same hill. They called this hill that led up to the barn Grass Hill. Hawthorn had had a better name for it, Hoofking Hill, but Rowan had insisted on his choice. ““If you start giving everything epic names, they will lose their true meaning,” he had explained to Hawthorn. Hawthorn had asked him why he thought he was so wise all the time, to which Rowan replied, “Because I am. Or maybe I just think I am.”

Occasionally, Hawthorn would suggest to him that maybe he had been spending too much time with Maylin. That was when Rowan had realized that his brother longed for more love and attention, and from then on began to include him more. It had been hard after their mom’s departure and their dad’s descent into madness, but Rowan knew to try his best to ensure sane stability for him and his brother’s environment.

With their studies brought to an end, and a new life in the quiet countryside, they spent most of their time together venturing out onto new paths, playing in the dirt and grass, befriending new animals, exploring trees, rocks, cliffs, streams. They wanted to know the landscape on which they played, for once, and to finally call it a familiar home.

The barn was now in sight. It was a small barn. Most of the animals preferred to roam wherever they wanted, so it wasn’t very useful. Now they counted a few goats, a few cows, Champ, and Champ’s horse friend, Fantasia. Champ and Fantasia were almost always together. Fantasia was also a Highland Pony; beautiful, ebony, and mildly possessive.

Rowan headed straight to the tack room while Hawthorn struggled to break Champ away from Fantasia. The black mare threw her ears back and stomped her feet in displeasure. Rowan could hear his pleading brother in the background- “I’m sorry, girl! Let it be!”

Rowan would have laughed at the silliness of it all on any other day, but today, the thought of Maylin hurt his heart. Solemnly, he brought out Huntresses’ huge saddle and cinched her up.

He leaped back inside and found her bridle, tangled up with the others.

“Upon the hill the blue witch sings,
to the painted sky above her;
The shadows of his mighty wings
doom his dream, his lover.”

Rowan softly sang his mom’s favorite song as he untangled the reigns of the bridles. He was so lost in the images in his mind that when he finally heard the strange sound, he jumped.

“Rowaaaaan,” the voice said.

“Ah!”, Rowan jumped again.

The lizard curled its tail around a metal bridle hanger on the other side of the room. It was bigger than most lizards he had seen, about the size of a shoe. Its skin was light green with a hint of blue in some parts, noticeably its throat.

“I’ve been loooking for you,” it said, turning its head to look at Rowan with its left, bulging eye. “My vision is really bad these days, so I’m thankful for your curious singing.”

Rowan stood there, bridle in hand, staring wide-eyed at the animal. He had seen plenty of strange things in his life, but never a talking animal. The voice in his head told him to get away as fast as he could, but he did the opposite.

“…Why are you looking for me?” he asked. His mind started recalling the odd things Ms. Yang had said to him earlier that day.

“My name is Donnelley, and I come from the Otherworld. I am here to guide you on your quest.”

“The Otherworld?”

“Yes.” Donnelley crooked his head. “It’s an interesting place, less serene than this one. Yet, it is simpler.”

“Simpler?” Rowan asked, shocked. “How?”

Donnelley’s thin reptilian lips formed a slight grin. “Everyone expects and accepts whatever happens in the Otherworld.”

Rowan, speechless, brushed his brown hair out of his eyes and threw the bridle over his left shoulder. He creeped a few steps over to the lizard, carefully unwrapped his feet from the metal rack and picked him up, placing him on his right shoulder.

“I’ve never been a reptile guy, but I’m willing to change that.”

In silence, they left the dusty tack room, and Rowan finished tacking up Huntress.

He smiled secretly to himself, happy to have made a new friend.