Favours Ch. 03

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Robin's face lit up with excitement.

"Really?" he asked, grinning widely.

Tatiana nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, but he enveloped her in a bear hug. He crushed her tightly to him, obscuring her view of the forest around them. Out of the corner of her eye, it seemed as if the forest was spinning around and around, shades of green and brown whirring past in a blur.

Robin let go of her, and she gripped his arm to steady herself. She felt as if she'd been spinning on the spot, making herself dizzy and nauseous. The world slowly slid back into place, no longer moving in circles around her. The forest was around them still, but in front of them was a great tree. It was unlike any tree she'd ever seen. The wood was dark, and the tree had a wider girth than she'd seen before, the tree seeming to stretch out into the distance either side of her. Thick roots bore into the ground, tethering it firmly in place, and the trunk seemed to stretch up into the heavens. Set firmly into the centre of the trunk in front of them was a door, and circular windows dotted the tree trunk.

Taking her hand, Robin opened the door and pulled her gently inside. "This," Robin declared proudly, "Is my home."

Tatiana surveyed the room with her mouth agape. It felt like something out of a picture book. To her left, set into the wall, was a fireplace. Facing the hearth was a quilted, dark leather couch, with a matching chair. A wooden end table was sat between the two, piled high with various books and knick knacks. Towards the centre-left of the room was a small, round dining table, with four simple, matching chairs. Behind the table was an open doorway, which Tatiana could see led into what appeared to be a kitchen. To her right, a staircase curled around the inside of the tree. Underneath the staircase was a window sofa and lining most of the walls were book shelves filled with various texts. Plants seemed to hang from any spare space they could find, ivy trailing down the books, flowers growing out of nooks and crannies.

"It's not as extravagant as some of the other homes of those in the court, but it suits me well," Robin said. "Behind that door is the kitchen, and above us is my bedroom."

"It's gorgeous," Tatiana said, her voice quiet with awe.

He beamed at her praise and eagerly led her upstairs to his bedroom. A large four-poster bed sat in the centre of the room, covered in a dark blanket. Another fireplace lay to the left with a loveseat in front of it. To the right of the bed was a closed door leading to another room, and a large closet stood on the right wall.

More books and knick knacks were scattered everywhere, and plants grew from every corner of the room.

"You could stay for dinner if you like? I promise, no favours attached," he offered, bringing her hand to his mouth and kissing her on the knuckles.

"I think I would like that," she replied carefully. "And perhaps you can tell me more about the fey realm, and the Courts."

Robin grinned from ear to ear. He encouraged to make herself comfortable while he fetched them dinner, leaving her to her own devices. She followed him downstairs to the lounge area and perused his book shelf. She couldn't understand most of the texts as they appeared to be in a foreign language. After failing to find a book that she understood, she sat down in the window seat, and instead watched the forest around them.

Birds flitted from tree to tree, rabbits darting here and there. The sun was only just now dipping below the horizon, the shadows long and the trees bathed in a golden glow. She watched in awe as a stag emerged from the forest, leaping and bounding into the small clearing surrounding the tree. As she watched, the stag transformed into a man, though his antlers remained. The man approached the front of the tree and knocked on the door.

Robin emerged from the kitchen, annoyance on his face. He had two plates of food in his hand that he set down on the table, before opening the door.

No sooner had the door opened that the stag-man entered Robin's home. He had tanned skin with a reddish tint, and messy, brown hair. His features were deer-like, with a wide nose, and flat features. Like much of the fey realm, there was a peculiar beauty to him.

"Robin," the man greeted, holding a rolled-up parchment to Robin. "The King summons you to attend Court tomorrow evening."

Robin took the parchment reluctantly, unfurling and reading it with furrowed brows.

The man looked around, raising an eyebrow at Tatiana's presence. She closed her gaping mouth and gave an awkward half-wave. He gave a bemused half-smile in return.

"What's he summoning me for?" Robin asked.

"The Unseelie Court have been gathering their forces at their end of the Wild Woods. His Highness expects them to attempt to take the Wild Woods," the man answered, turning his attention back to Robin. "He's summoning all of the Lords and Ladies of the Court to discuss the matter."

"Tell Oberon I'll be there," Robin said resolutely, showing the stag-man out. The wooden door closed behind the stag-man with a heavy thud. Robin tossed the summons onto one of the many shelves and turned to Tatiana. There was a weariness to his features that wasn't there before.

"The Unseelie Court are the wicked ones, yeah?" Tatiana asked curiously.

Robin nodded, as he made his way over to her. "If they had their way, the world would be a much colder place," he answered, wrapping his arms around her in a bearhug. She wrapped her arms around him, rubbing his back comfortingly. "It's troubling to hear that they're gathering forces at the Wild Woods."

"What are the Wild Woods?" Tatiana asked.

Robin smiled and released her from his grip. "I'll show you on the map after we eat," he said, his green eyes lighting up.

They ate what seemed to be some sort of pie, though she couldn't place what exactly. Like much of the food he offered, it tasted amazing and left her wanting more. They talked little as they ate, instead enjoying the silence, and the crackling of the fire that she hadn't even noticed he'd lit.

Afterwards, he tidied up their plates before bringing over a large map that he spread out on the table.

"This," he said, pointing to a tree marked on the map, "Is us, here. We're on the edge of Seelie territory here in the Glittering Woodlands, protecting one of the gateways to the mortal realm." Robin ran a finger up the map, pointing to a city drawn on to the map. "This is the Sunlight Citadel at the base of the Red Mountains, where King Oberon and the Seelie Court resides. Between us and the Citadel is the Meadowlands." Robin paused and traced a circle around a giant forest drawn on the map. "Here is the Wild Woods. It's largely neutral territory, but if a Court could control the Woods, they'd control most of the land here, and have access to who knows how many gateways."

Tatiana looked over the map. It seemed to be hand crafted, edges fraying slightly. To the South-East of the Woods lay a mountain range, and another smaller forest. A city was marked on the map, the Ice Crown, and the forest was labelled the 'Forest of Night.' Other cities and villages were mapped out, and she looked over it curiously. A river ran through the map, splitting the land into two distinct territories.

"Where are the other gateways?" Tatiana asked curiously.

"Well, the Wild Woods has many that are hidden away. It's constantly changing though, so a gateway today might not be a gateway tomorrow. My gateway is a constant, and we believe the Forest of Night is a gateway as well. Mine is the strongest though, which is why I guard it. And then there are other gateways spread out further back beyond the territory borders, but this is where the Seelie and Unseelie Courts collide."

Tatiana nodded, drinking it all in. She felt like she'd been transported to a fantasy novel. She was still having a hard time wrapping her head around all of it.

"Let's not dwell on it," Robin said cheerfully, rolling the map up. "As you said, you mortals like to get to know each other before they live together, and so I intend to get to know you properly."

And get to know each other, they surely did. Tatiana spent most of the night telling Robin about herself. Telling him about her shitty job selling cupcakes and coffees, about her semester spent abroad before she deferred a semester and never went back, about her ex-boyfriend and how she'd dumped him after being together since they were seventeen because she caught him with one of his friends that he'd always sworn up and down there was nothing more there than friendship. And he told her about his childhood, growing up raised by other fey and the forest. His affinity for nature magic, his friendship with the woodland creatures. The wars he'd already fought in for the Seelie Court, the battles they'd won and the battles they'd lost. Tatiana began to get the sense that Robin had lived for a long time, as he spoke about many of his tales.

In the early hours of the morning, they lay curled up on the couch together, their limbs a tangled mess. They had been silent for some time, enjoying the embers in the grate.

"Do you think you'll have to go to war?" Tatiana whispered, breaking the silence.

She stared earnestly up at Robin. "If the Unseelie Court are marching on the Woods?"

Robin peered down at her concerned face and sighed a heavy sigh.

"If that's what King Oberon deems wise, then yes, most likely," he said. Tatiana could see a lifetime of battle scars weighing heavily on the fey, and she reached towards him and kissed him gently on the lips.

"I hope you don't have to go to war," she murmured, resting her head on his chest. His lips kissed the top of her head, and the pair of them fell asleep in each other's arms.

---

Tatiana wasn't sure how she ended up back in her own apartment, but when she opened her eyes, she saw her cat's black and white face peering down at her with his ever-vacant eyes.

"Hello Lucy," she said, scratching him under the chin. The space next to her was empty, the only signs of Robin being the flowers he had gifted her. She sat up and stretched, disturbing her cat who gave her an unhappy look.

She checked her phone to see a slew of missed messages. Lots of voicemails from her ex, stupid memes from her friends, and a text from her boss asking her to work that day. She briefly contemplated saying no, but she did want the extra money. A quick text back to say she could do it, and then she started getting ready for the day. She got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. There was a note in Robin's familiar hand writing waiting for her.

[i]I've filled your pantry with food to tide you over until I can see you tomorrow -- just don't let anyone else eat it. [/i]

She smiled, opening the pantry to investigate. He'd left all sorts of biscuits, scones and pastries for her. It was more than she needed to get her through the day, but as she took a bite out of a biscuit, she definitely wasn't complaining.

Her cat yowled at her, waiting to be fed. She gave him another scratch between the ears and topped up his still half-full food bowl.

The rest of the day passed by in a blur. She ate, she showered, she went to work, she sold mediocre cupcakes and coffee, she came home, she fed Lucifer again, read her book, and she crawled into bed. She listened to the drunk voicemails her ex left her, as he went from apologising profusely to calling her a frigid bitch, deleting each one as she went. She checked in with her friends and family and tried her best to imagine what Robin would be up to. She googled the fairy courts, to come up with little that interested her. Mostly folk tales and speculation. She wondered what the Sunlight Citadel looked like. Did Robin miss her? She missed him. She drifted to sleep with visions of castles and forests and men marching to war.

The next day passed much the same, with no new notes from Robin. She ate, she showered, she went to work and sold more cupcakes, she came home. He was going to see her that day, according to the note he'd left. After she got home from work, she showered and touched up her makeup and styled her hair. She felt kind of silly making herself look nice for him when he'd seen her a mess, but it was something to while away the time while she waited for him to arrive.

But the shadows lengthened, and the sun set, and no sign of Robin. Tatiana felt a bubble of anxiety swell up in her stomach. Had he forgotten her already? She doubted that was likely, she still owed him favours after all. Had something gone wrong? She took a deep breath. Surely, he had just been asked to stay longer at Court than he anticipated.

But as the next day came and went with no visit from Robin, the anxiety in her stomach grew. After she finished work on the third day, she drove her car to the forest. It was night by the time she arrived, her headlights flickering in the darkness. The trees seemed to loom over the road, their spindly branches reaching for the car like claws. She let out a small sigh of relief as she turned down a road and ended up at the bridge. The 'private property' sign hung over the bridge, and she frowned. Both times she had visited the private property hadn't been there when she arrived.

She stared down the bridge and took a deep breath to steady herself. It didn't feel as inviting as it usually did, but she put that down to the darkness surrounding her, only the pale glow of the moon lighting her way.

Tatiana crossed the bridge and started following the path. She called out to Robin, her voice echoing through the trees. She could hear her anxiety as her nervous voice bounced back to her. She swallowed anxiously.

A cloud drifted across the moon, blocking the pale light guiding her. A shiver ran up her spine, and she felt eyes on the back of her neck. Tatiana turned around, trying to peer into the dark of the forest when a black mass flew at her with a screech. She screamed and covered her face with her arms as a flurry of feathers and claws raked at her skin, drawing blood. She ran from the assault, shielding her head with her arms and her eyes squeezed shut.

She ran into someone with a thud and opened her eyes in shock. She could barely make out their features in the darkness, but hope fluttered inside her. The cloud had drifted further past the moon, beginning to shed a pale glow on the forest around them. She could make out a mop of dark hair atop the head of the person in front of her.

"Robin?" she asked, as strong arms wrapped protectively around her. A wave of comfort washed over her, and she flung her arms around him. "I thought something had happened to you! You said you'd visit in your note; did something happen at Court?" Tatiana felt herself babbling anxiously. The last of the cloud drifted lazily past the moon, letting the last of the pale moonlight shine down on them.

She looked up at the person in her arms as they remained silent, and instantly recoiled at the unfamiliar face. They grinned devilishly down at her, their grip strong.

"Robin?" the figure said, mimicking Tatiana's panicked voice in a cruel mockery as they held fast despite her struggling.

"Let go of me!" she yelled, flailing against their grip as hard as she could.

"Let go of me!" the man said in Tatiana's voice. Terror welled up in her chest, her mouth going dry as she did her best to kick herself free from their iron grip. She kicked out as hard as she could, causing the man to recoil as her foot connected with their shin with all of her might.

She took advantage of their pain to break free from their grasp and turned and ran back the way she had come. She stumbled over roots but managed to keep her balance. Tatiana risked a glance behind her but couldn't see them pursuing her.

She turned her vision forward and screamed as a dark bird raked its talons across her face. She felt it's sharp talons rake across her eyes, slicing into her skin with a sting. The world around Tatiana began to go dark, patches of it winking out of view. She kept running, stumbling and tripping over roots as her own voice mocked her from the shadows. The remnants of her vision began to blur, and she tripped over a thick root. Tatiana tumbled down a hill, the world going dark.