Archive of Our Own ^beta

It was a windy day in the Dark Forest. Autumn leaves were starting to fall from the tree branches, turning the ground into a reddish surface. Most of the animals were sheltering within their nests and warrens as they felt the weather getting worse.

That morning, Bog and Marianne had been exploring the northern side of the forest, where the trees were more robust and the space around them was not so wide. If they wanted to return to the castle without taking the risk of being swept away by the wind, they had to make a detour through that area.
On their way, Marianne spotted a place she hadn't seen before. She felt uneasy but curious, so she stopped for a moment to have a look. It was a small clearing, surrounded by large, old trees whose roots protruded from the ground. The wind shook them in such a way that they looked as if they were alive. There was also a faint sound, like a whistling, going around the area; that made her shiver a little bit. A familiar voice made her react.

"Marianne! We must leave!" Bog was not far from where she was. Marianne nodded as she followed him again. Before going further away, she took one last glance back, still intrigued by what she saw.

It didn't take them too long to get to the castle. As soon as they arrived, Marianne sat down for a moment to catch her breath; the wind had become stronger by then, and flying that last stretch took her an unexpected effort.

"You okay, love?" Bog asked in a worried tone. He seemed fine.

"Uff..." she sighed. "I can't imagine how we would have made it if it wasn't for the trees... But it was fun!"

"I'm glad to hear that." He took a look outside. "It doesn't seem like the weather is getting better anytime soon. Why don't you stay for a while? I'll keep you company."
"Aww, such a gentleman" she answered giggly. "Would you offer me a drink?"

"By all means." He reached out his hand and helped her to get up.

They walked into the kitchens. Since no one else was there, the room seemed much bigger than it was, filled with lots of different utensils and mixed scents. At one side of the room, there was a large table and a couple of chairs. They got some tea and some berries, and sat down at the table, close to each other. After taking a sip, Bog was the one who broke the silence.

"Did you see something in the forest on our way here? I noticed you standing still for a bit."

"Oh, actually-" She swallowed a berry. "I did! There was this... glade we passed through. I don't know why but... there was something strange about that place, like it wasn't part of the forest. I don't know how to explain it. It made me feel kind of anxious for a moment." She looked at him. "Do you think it's stupid?"

"Oh, not at all," he answered calmly, looking at her. "In fact, what you felt is not unusual. It happens to anybody that goes in there"

"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"There's an old legend about that place, about the time goblins started inhabiting the Dark Forest. We call that glade 'The Breath of Unar'. I don't know if that name sounds familiar to you." He took another sip.

Marianne wondered for a few seconds. "Unar? Wasn't he... the first King of the goblins?"

"That's right!" He smiled. "There's where he was last seen. It seems that his spirit remains in that glade, protecting the old trees. Or at least that's what the legend says..."

"That's interesting!" She took another berry. "They taught us about the ancient myths. Although Unar's seen as a traitor in the fairy version..." She rubbed her nape with her hand, in a shy way.

"I'm not surprised," he mocked.

"I don't remember much about the details but... he knew how to use magic, I think? That's what I've always heard."

"True. They say he had healing powers, that's why he was also known as 'The Healer'. And he also had the ability to communicate with the forest." He smirked a bit. "What else do the fairy version says by the way?"

"Umm... In the fairy version, he's known as the 'Father Goblin' or... 'The First Dark King'. Which is funny considering he was actually a fairy." She laughed. "Didn't he kidnap Queen Eudora out of revenge?"

"The Mother Fairy?"

"That's her."

"Well, how amusing! That's not a very romantic thing to do to your lover," he said ironically.

Marianne almost spat out her tea. "The what?! Lovers?!"

"Didn't you know?" he laughed. "Unar and Eudora were in love. They met in secret for years. Then she got pregnant and made her husband believe that the child was his."

Marianne dropped her jaw. "That's... I've never heard that version! That's crazy! How... how can that be?!"

"It makes sense if you think about it: Unar wanted to rule his own kingdom and do things his own way. King Torkil was the legitimate king so he could never accept his brother's desires; he also knew that Unar was stronger than him and had magical skills. He had a lot to lose, so in the end, Torkil tarnishes his brother's reputation and makes him look like a monster."

Marianne listened carefully and then wondered for a while, looking at the table with her chin resting on her fist. Then she looked at him again, with a light smile on her lips.

"You know? I've never seen it that way!" There was a certain glow in her eyes. "Let me think what else I remember. So Unar went to the Dark Forest and found his own realm. Then he married... Essia? No... Hissia! The Mother Goblin. And they had one daughter, Odarka, who would be your ancestor..." she added as she pointed at him, and then paused for a second. "I wonder if Hissia or Torkil ever knew about him and Eudora... or their son..."

"Taran, who would be your ancestor" he replied, pointing at her. "Anyway, it doesn't really matter. We don't even know if they were real."

"But what if they were?" She sounded excited. "Just imagine. If this was all true, and Taran was Unar's son, that'd mean that you and I... are not so different. Fairies and goblins would come from the same forefathers. Don't you think that's amazing?"

He couldn't help but smile. "That'd be great. And controversial. Also, there are other versions."

"Such as?"

"I guess the fairy version says that Taran was Torkil and Eudora's son, and therefore he's considered the one who started the first dynasty, right?"

"That's the official version, yes." She showed a little smirk. "However... there's also one that says that Taran was an adopted child, because Eudora couldn't bear children. But I think they made up that version to protect Torkil's honour."

"Because he was the infertile one?"

"Because they said...he was gay."

Bog gave her a surprised look. "Oh? Okay, that's not what I expected... I mean- there's nothing wrong with that, but-"

"Yeah, but it wasn't something normal back then..." She got closer to him and leaned on his shoulder. "So... if Unar and Eudora loved each other, why did he get married to another woman?"

"He needed a queen by his side, and Eudora was married to Torkil. It was complicated for both of them."

"Yeah..." she sighed sadly. Love was complicated, indeed. She held his hand while he drew her closer to him. "Maybe we can visit The Breath of Unar someday and see if he can solve our doubts."

"If we get a real answer, I'll get scared to death!" They both laughed at the comment.

"Have you ever tried to find out if his spirit was really there?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

"A few times, when I was little. I never saw anything apart from the trees, but I felt the same as you. If his spirit is truly there, I guess he didn't have a good ending."

"Then," she stroked his cheek "Let's show him we can get a good start." They kissed softly as they hugged.

The wind started to die down a bit, carrying with it the fallen leaves. Further north, a whistling sound began to fade from that clearing, drifting through the old trees and getting into the Dark Forest.