A Leaf Taken

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“This leaf will bring you luck,” he said, then laughed wickedly. “No, it won't bring you luck, but it will allow you to become invisible so that you can enter the castle unseen.”

I did not know whether to believe him or not. Men of his kind could rarely be trusted, and I had travelled too far and for too long to have everything come crashing down around me now.

“You seem doubtful,” he said. “I am hurt that you cannot find it in your heart to trust me.”

“It is not my heart that is screaming warnings,” I replied. “It is my head. Why would anyone trust a ranger of the forest? You do not have a reputation for treating your own kind fairly.”

“If by 'own kind' you mean fellow humans, then you are correct. Why would I treat a species who so flagrantly disrespects the forest and all that lives in it? A species who kills without thought or care.”

“Disrespect? Kill? Why even you hunt there for your food,” I scoffed.

“Both I and my fellow rangers do so with respect and with gratitude,” he answered. “And besides, that was not the killing I meant.”

He scowled and avoided my eyes. I feared I may have been overly liberal with my accusations.

“I have no grudge against fairies and elves,” I said softly. “And I do not condone the hunts that my people seem so willing to support.”

He was very silent. I did not know what else to say. Suddenly he sighed and shook himself as if from slumber.

“I know. That is why I decided to help you.”

He broke off a small piece of leaf.

“And since you do not yet trust me ..”

He chewed the piece of leaf and swallowed. I watched in amazement as he faded before my eyes.

“See, it does work.”

Almost immediately, he faded back into existence.

“But you will need the whole leaf if the invisibility is to last for any time.”

He held the leaf out to me, and I took it. What did I have to lose?

Inspired by a prompt from Cynthia Morris in her quarterly Free Write Fling.