Day 26 - Fey
#26 of Hypnovember 2020
A brief encounter with something very old, and very interested in you.
It was the most beautiful red feather you'd ever seen. Just laying there, steps away from the parking lot. You thought you'd just pick it up.
Then, inches from your hand, a gust of wind lifted it up, floating it gently, gracefully, a few more paces into the trees. A thin, stone path in the autumn leaves, one you'd never known existed, lead you right to the little treasure.
Only for another gust to lift it up, up, up, and send it drifting, lightly, down and down, deeper into the woods, into the trees. You followed after it, without really knowing why.
You weren't sure how long you'd been following the feather when you finally managed to catch it. You held it gingerly in your fingers, almost in disbelief that you'd succeeded. When you looked up, you realized just how deep you were.
A silvery mist hung around you, and above you, you could see the stars, and the moon. How could it be night? You'd just left work moments ago.
Your eyes were drawn to a figure in front of you. The mist seemed to part around him, seated, in a throne made of twisted wood. A deer, smiling at you. You approached, timidly.
There was another here. A wolf you vaguely recognized was quietly walking in a circle.
"He's looking for himself." The deer said, drawing your gaze back to him. "Did you find you yet?" He called to the wolf, amused.
The wolf stopped circling and smiled blissfully at the royal deer.
"Not yet." He said contently. Peacefully, even. Like someone who'd dedicated their life to getting something just right, and could feel they weren't far off.
"Keep looking, my dear." The deer said. "I'm sure you're around here somewhere."
His eyes fixed back on you. You noticed he had... too many. A third one, centered between the ones you expected, watched you intensely. It was so... bright.
"You have something for me, don't you?" He asked. You nodded sheepishly and stepped forward, handing him the feather. He took it gently from your hand, examined it, and hung it from the tip of his antler.
"Very good, thank you." He praised you, and lifted his hand. "You may kiss."
You leaned forward and gingerly held his hand, looking up at his eyes to find certainty, and hesitantly gave his knuckles a kiss.
They weren't his knuckles. You weren't sure how, but you were prostrated before him, kissing his hoof. You pushed yourself up into a kneel, and he giggled at your confused expression.
"A little turned around? Aw, poor thing." He tutted. "You looked so happy kissing royalty, too."
You opened your mouth to speak, but couldn't find any words.
"Oh no - did you drop something?" He asked, seeming genuinely concerned. "Maybe my wolf can find them for you. He's very good at finding things."
You looked over to the wolf, still walking in a circle.
"Don't be shy. I'm sure he'd be delighted to help you." The deer assured you.
You approached and gently tapped his shoulder. He turned and smiled at you.
"Have you seen me anywhere?" He asked you.
You pointed to your mouth and spoke silently.
"Oh! This must be yours." The wolf said, handing you a leather-bound book. You opened it.
It was... your memories. All of them. Even the things you couldn't remember. Your childhood, your words, your... name.
"Such a sharp memory you have." The deer praised you, running his fingers through your hair. You were kneeling before him again. Maybe you never stopped?
"Think about the walk here. How did you reach this place? What did you see on your way? What did you hear?" He asked you, still petting you softly, humming as your memories manifested.
The gentle rustle of the wind, the red feather. The stone path lit through the branches, growing dimmer and dimmer. The autumn leaves. So colorful. So vibrant. Everywhere.
The deer plucked one out of your hair. Bright and yellow. You reached out and held it with him.
"Very nice. May I have this?" He asked you, though he knew the answer already.
"Of course." You mumbled automatically. He smiled and patted you on the head, then hung the leaf from one of his antler tips. Then, satisfied, he looked down at you, and smiled wide.
Five eyes. Not three. Five. Four flanking one. One. Yellow like the leaves. Then red. Then...
You stirred awake. You'd dozed off in your car. You were thankful you hadn't tried to drive anywhere, sleepy as you were. You reached up to rub your eyes and felt something in your hair.
Carefully, you lifted it out, and studied it. A golden leaf.