They walk hand in hand, admiring the sunset as stars slowly begin to appear in the darkening sky. 

“Isn’t it wonderful?  The birds are shining and the sun in singing.” 

“It sure... wait, what did you-” 

  Before he can finish, a sound fills his ears.  He quickly turns to the source and faces the forest. 

“Do you hear that?  It sounds like whispering,” he asks with a confused expression. 

“All I hear is the wind in the trees.” 

He turns around, wondering why his friend is so quiet.  Despite the sun still bathing the land in light, his friend is nothing but a shadowy figure standing far away. 

At the corner of his eye, he notices movement.  It’s the forest.  The forest is stretching out, closing in on him like a colossal maw. 

He takes off running.  As he tries to head to his friend, all he can do is watch as they move further and further away. 

Suddenly he opens his eyes, seeing nothing but black as he gasps for air. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay.  It was just another bad dream,” a deep and familiar voice tells him. 

“Henry?  Is that you?” 

“Of course.  Me Henry, you Rabor.” 

Despite his nightmare, Rabor can’t help but smile at the stupid joke.  He sits up and reaches out to the large figure sitting on his bed.  Relief washes over him as his hand touches the soft fur.  He launches himself at Henry and wraps his arms around him. 

“Whoa, watch the antlers buddy,” he teases with a chuckle, returning Rabor’s hug and stroking his head.  After a few minutes like this Rabor’s breathing returns to normal.  “Feeling better now?” 

Rabor nods his head.  “It had me so scared but I can barely remember anything.  You were there and there were trees-” 

“Don’t think about it.  It’s not good to dwell on such things,” Henry says with a stern voice, cutting off Rabor. 

“Are... you upset?” 

“Any dream with me in it should be amazing, not a nightmare!” 

Rabor laughs, “oh you!” 

“Since we’re up, might as well get to work.  Wouldn’t want any more bad dreams.” 

“Why does it feel like I’m being punished?” 

Henry only answers with a single chuckle as he leaves the room. 

Rabor jumps out of bed and his hooved feet make a satisfying clomp on the wooden floor.  Stretching, he walks across their room to the bathroom for a quick wash.  With that done, he throws on some clothes and heads downstairs. 

That familiarly yeasty smell instantly hits his nose and makes his stomach rumble. 

“Here.” 

He turns to see something flying at him.  Thankfully it’s moving fairly slowly and he’s able to catch it before it lands on the floor.  “A day-old croissant?  My favourite.”  Rabor looks up from the pastry in his hand to the big tiger in his apron with flour already almost up to his elbows. 

Despite his night vision, there’s something about seeing Henry in the light that banishes the last worries from the nightmare. 

“If you don’t want it, you can always go without eating,” Henry says taking a glance at Rabor. 

Rabor quickly takes a bite and Henry gives him an “I thought so” humph.  After quickly chowing down on the croissant, Rabor washes up, dons an apron, and gets to work helping Henry.  Having spent years living and working together, the pair operate like a well-oiled machine turning out countless baked goods.  Their rhythm is interrupted when a knock comes from the front door of the store. 

“That must be Remmy.  Can you go let him in?” Henry asks before returning to the dough he’s working on. 

Rabor quickly washes up and heads to the front.  Through the glass of the door, he sees it is indeed the young donkey.  He can’t help but frown seeing the little boy in a threadbare shirt that seems ready to fall off, and pants with worn-out knees and stained cuffs.  At least they’re somewhat clean this time, he thinks angrily to himself. 

He opens the door and greets Remmy, “good morning!  Let’s head upstairs and get you cleaned up, then we’ll get you something to eat!” 

Remmy gives him a big smile and runs off.  “G’mornin’ Mr. Henwy!” he says passing by the kitchen. 

“Good morning to you too Mr. Remmy!” Henry calls out as he hears Remmy pounding up the stairs followed by a much gentler set of feet.  Soon after, the sound of running water and laughter can be heard from upstairs. 

It doesn’t take too long until it seems bath time is over and Henry hears Rabor say, “don’t run down the stairs!  You could get really hurt if you fell.”  The little donkey appears at the doorway of the kitchen, now in brand new pale green pants and a light blue sweater, although both are a little too big. 

“Looking sharp there kiddo!  Go take a seat at one of the tables and Rabor will get you some food.  Then you two can get to work!” 

Remmy smiles and nods to Henry and then runs off. 

Rabor enters the kitchen saying, “always on the run.  I don’t think I’ll ever get him to slow down no matter how many times I tell him.” 

A while later, Rabor leaves the store pulling a small covered wagon with Remmy following close beside him.  They head down the empty cobblestone street, which is thankfully still lit by the gas lampposts.  The pair continue on and eventually turn down a narrower street with houses instead of stores on each side. 

Rabor stops the wagon halfway down the block and heads around to the back of the wagon.  Reaching in, he brings out a covered wicker basket.  “Give this directly to Mrs. Knapp, and don’t forget this time to ask for the previous basket back,” he says to Remmy, giving him a boop on the nose. 

Remmy giggles and runs off with the basket. 

With two large baskets under his arms, Rabor heads to a house on the other side of the street and knocks on the door.  They must have been waiting for him as he hears footsteps immediately. 

Across the street, Remmy shouts quite loudly, “Mornin’ Mrs. Knapp!  He’s your bwead!” 

With a big smile on his face, Rabor turns back around and sees a large brown bear with a smile too. 

“He’s such a bundle of joy.” 

“He certainly is.  Here’s your order Mr. Ren.” 

The large bear takes both baskets and takes a deep sniff.  “Smells great as always.  Tell Henry to keep up the great work,” he says while giving Rabor two empty baskets. 

Rabor makes his way back to the wagon and sees Remmy running towards him. 

“I ‘membered!” Remmy shouts while waving a basket above his head. 

They continue their rounds with no issue and make their way back to the bakery once the wagon is empty. 

“Welcome back,” Henry says to them both with a big smile.  “I have some sandwiches prepared for you two.” 

“Yay sandwiches!” Remmy says, already running for a table. 

Henry joins the two of them for an early lunch.  They chat as they eat, mostly talking about how good of a job Remmy did. 

Once the little donkey is done eating, Henry says to him, “Remmy, why don’t you go wash up, and then you can go play with the toys upstairs.” 

Remmy practically launches himself off his chair and goes running.  He doesn’t make it far before coming back and saying, “thank you Mr. Henwy!” then takes off running once again. 

While Remmy is playing upstairs, the pair head back to work.  Now that Rabor is here, he mans the till so Henry can work uninterrupted.  On delivery days the store is fairly quiet and today is no exception.  Only a few customers come in, mostly just to buy desserts and other goodies. 

It isn’t until a few hours go by that the two see Remmy again.  He’s back in his tattered clothes standing in the doorway of the kitchen.  “I’m heading home now!  Thank you for evwything!” he says before running off. 

Henry calls after him, “don’t forget, you’re welcome here anytime Remmy!” 

A few more quiet hours pass and Henry lets out a deep sigh.  “I think that’s enough for today,” he says while stretching, making sure not to smack his hands on the ceiling. “Why don’t we close the shop early and do something?” 

With a concerned look on his face, Rabor responds, “are you sure?  It’s going to be closed all day tomorrow for my birthday.” 

Henry puts his large hand on Rabor’s shoulder and gives him a serious look.  “Do you think a day or so would bankrupt me?  Have some faith in my skills!” 

Rabor thinks for a moment.  “Okay, why don’t we go stargazing?  We haven’t done that in quite a while.” 

“Sounds good.  I’ll get the stuff ready and meet you at our usual spot.” 

“Let me help.” 

Henry holds up his hand.  “Nope.  It’s part of your birthday present so leave it to me.” 

Rabor doesn’t bother trying to convince him.  He just washes up and puts away his apron before leaving the store. 

The bakery is close to the edge of town so it doesn’t take him long before he sees his destination.  A few hundred feet off the main road the flat grasslands quickly rise in elevation, revealing the start of the valley.  The top is his goal, so he leaves the road and bounds through the grass.  As the slope changes, he barely slows down.  Thanks to his hooves he’s able to leap up the valley with ease. 

At the top Rabor looks down over the small town, watching people moving in the streets.  “Don’t see Henry... Probably hasn’t even left the house yet.”  Guess I’ll just sit and wait, he thinks to himself.  He looks around for a comfy spot and sits down in the grass once he’s found it.  Laying back, Rabor stares up at the slowly darkening sky. 

A gentle breeze blows over him, causing the tall grass to brush against his sides.  It’s all too relaxing and his eyes slowly begin to close. 

Just a moment later he opens his eyes but sees only trees in front of him.  He looks around and realizes, “I’m in the forest.” 

The whispers are louder than last time, almost a shout, but he still can’t make out what they’re saying.  Who cares about some whispers?  Where’s Henry?  “Henry?!  Where are you?!” 

“Over here.” 

Rabor can barely hear him over the whispers but is able to determine what direction his voice came from.  He takes off running through the forest, trying to head straight while avoiding the trees and roots.  The trees begin to thin out and a large, dark figure can be seen standing on the grass outside of the forest. 

Just as Rabor is about to exit, something at his wrist halts his progress.  With the sudden stop, he loses his footing and hits the ground with a thud.  He looks at his wrist and sees what appears to be a large hand covered with bark grabbing it.  The bark continues up the arm, which stretches impossibly far into the darkness of the forest. 

“Let me go.” 

The arm begins pulling him back. 

“Let me go!” he cries out, digging his hooves into the ground.  Struggle as he may, it does nothing to stop the arm.  While still trying to pull back, Rabor begins to smash his fist down on the hand.  The bark flies off in pieces, only to reveal light brown wood underneath.  He continues to beat at the hand but does very little damage to the wood. 

While focusing on the arm, he loses his footing and trips over a root.  The arm continues to pull, dragging him along the forest floor.  He looks back and sees Henry’s figure disappearing into the darkness.  Reaching out with his free hand he hopes that somehow, he’d be able to reach. 

Rabor suddenly wakes up out of breath and feeling quite hot.  In the dim moonlight, he notices the grass around him.  I’m still on top of the valley, he thinks to himself while blinking away tears. 

The grass isn’t the only thing he notices.  There’s an unfamiliar pressure on his chest.  Looking down, he sees a large striped arm holding him in place.  He turns his head and sees Henry’s familiar face. 

“Henry?” he calls out quietly.  There’s no response other than slow, steady breaths.  Oh, he must be sleeping.  Rabor’s vision begins to blur as more tears well up in his eyes.  He grabs Henry’s arm and pulls it tighter to his chest while snuggling closer to the sleeping tiger. 

He stays like that for hours, enjoying the warmth radiating from Henry’s body, listening to his gentle breaths, and feeling the rise and fall of his chest pressing against his back. 

Rabor’s peace is disturbed when he notices a change in the tiger’s breathing. 

Henry begins to move, taking his arm away from Rabor.  He sits up, stretches, and scratches his stomach. 

“Henry?” 

“Rabor?... What’s going on?” Henry asks with his eyes closed and face scrunched up. 

“We sent star gazing, remember?” 

Henry continues to scratch his belly.  “Oh, right.  I found you asleep.” 

“Seems like your brain is waking up.” 

“That sounds suspiciously like an insult but I’m too sleepy to care,” he says with a huge yawn that shows off his mouth full of sharp teeth.  He wobbles to his feet and walks off.  “Just going for a pee.” 

Rabor lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding.  “I need to relax, he isn’t going to disappear,” he says quietly to himself.  Despite the words to himself, Rabor feels more at ease once he sees Henry again. 

“Before I forget, happy birthday!” Henry says with a big grin. 

Rabor smiles backs and says, “thanks, although I don’t feel any older.  I definitely don’t feel wiser.” 

Henry places a hand on Rabor’s shoulder, “you’ve just officially become an adult.  There’s plenty of time to become wise... like me.” 

“Okay, whatever you say grandpa...” 

“Hey!” Henry tries to grab Rabor but the deer is too fast and dodges his grab.  “Such speed!  Maybe I am a grandpa...” he sighs to himself and hangs his head dejectedly. 

Rabor chuckles and rolls his eyes.  “Looking pretty good for a grandpa.” 

Henry smiles and gives him a wink.  Putting his arm around Rabor’s shoulder he asks, “enough about me, this is your day.  What do you want for a present?” 

He looks up at the kind tiger’s face and feels his own grow warm.  Quickly looking away he says, “I’d like to visit somewhere.” 

“Is that all?” 

“Yes, that’s all I want,” he says still with his head turned away. 

Henry removes his arm, “okay.  Where do you want to go?” 

He sounds disappointed.  Should I have asked for something more extravagant?  “I’d like to go to the Sacred Forest... Today.” 

“That’s quite the trip.”  Henry thinks to himself for a moment then says, “we might make it there before the sun sets if we rushed.” 

Rabor nods his head and says, “yes please.” 

Henry grumbles and begins packing up the few things he brought.  “Some notice would have been nice.  It’s hard to enjoy a trip when you’re rushing.” 

Rabor gives him a sheepish grin.  “Sorry... and sorry about the stargazing.  You brought all this stuff and I just ended up sleeping.” 

He shrugs his shoulders, “it’s not much, just some blankets and hot chocolate.  You needed the sleep and as strong as I am I wasn’t about to carry you all the way back home.”  He looks over to Rabor and sees he still has a sad expression on his face.  “If anything, I should apologize.” 

“What for?” 

“For falling asleep while on guard duty.” 

“I think we were fine.  It’s hard to imagine anyone messing with a sleeping tiger.” 

“My parents sure didn’t seem to mind...”  There’s a pause before they both start laughing.  Once the laughter has died down Henry says, “I’ll take these few things back and meet you on the road.” 

They walk down the valley together and once they reach the main road Henry leaves Rabor and walks into town.  Thankfully the wait isn’t too long and Rabor sees Henry coming back, now with a satchel over his shoulder.  With a long walk ahead of them, they take off at a brisk pace. 

It doesn’t take long before Henry grumbles, “it’s a good thing we both have night vision but it still isn’t great to travel at night.” 

“As I said before, I’m sure we’ll be safe.  I have my guardian tiger by my side after all,” he says, grabbing the tiger’s arm and hugging it close. 

Henry holds his head up high and puffs out his chest. 

Rabor chuckles and lets go of Henry’s arm.  He’s a little shocked when Henry reaches out and locks arms with him, although the shock is quickly replaced with gratitude and a thankful smile. 

They continue walking and eventually, the sky begins to lighten, turning from black to an inky blue.  With the coming of the dawn, the stars begin to disappear one by one. 

Having walked for hours, the sun is now shining at their backs, casting their long shadows across the road. 

“Need a break, Henry?  We’ve been walking for quite a long time.” 

Henry turns his head to Rabor with a grin and says, “tigers do sleep a lot so a break would be nice.” 

They walk off the rocky road and find a place in the grass to sit.  Henry reaches into his satchel and pulls out a waterskin.  After taking a long drink he passes it to Rabor. 

Rabor pauses for a moment, looking at the glistening mouth of the waterskin.  He gulps and lifts it to his mouth.  After a quick drink, he passes it back.  They sit for a few more minutes, passing the skin back and forth.  Eventually, their break comes to an end and with a sigh, they get up and resume walking.  Without a word, they link their arms together once more. 

Slowly but surely the sun continues to rise high into the sky.  Around noon their quiet walk in suddenly interrupted when they hear something behind them.  Turning around, they see a large object on the road off in the distance. 

“Must be a wagon,” Henry remarks.  “Do you think they’ll give us a ride?” 

Rabor shrugs his shoulders, “if we’re lucky.” 

They continue their walk, although now at a slower pace. 

Over the next few minutes, the sound of hooves striking the ground becomes louder.  Eventually, the covered wagon pulls up next to them and the driver calls out, “whoa!” to their horses. 

They both stop and look up at the smiling boar.  He’s dressed in plain grey clothing, which almost matches the grey hairs on the top of his head. 

“Where are you two lads heading?” he says with a rough but kind voice. 

“The Sacred Forest,” Henry replies. 

“That’s quite the trip!  Although, I suppose it ain’t so bad for young'uns such as yourselves,” he says laughing to himself.  “Well, today must be your lucky day.  I can take you right to it.” 

“Thank you so much!” Rabor says with a big smile. 

The boar waves off the thanks and just says, “hop in and we can get going.” 

They move around to the back and Rabor is immediately caught off guard when Henry grabs his hips and lifts him off the ground. 

“Whoa!” Rabor chuckles while grabbing onto the wagon.  “Thanks for the lift,” he says stepping into the wagon, making sure his antlers don’t catch on the cloth covering. 

With his height, Henry has no problem making it on, although the wagon creaks loudly under his weight.  “Let’s hope it holds,” he says smiling at Rabor. 

The old boar shakes the reigns and with a “yay!” the wagon takes off with a jolt. 

Henry takes off his vest and lays down spread out on the floor of the wagon, taking up most of the space. 

“Geez, I guess I’ll just stand,” Rabor says looking down at the tiger. 

Henry moves over a little and pats the spot beside him. 

“Sweaty tiger... Better than nothing I guess.”  Rabor gets down on the floor and lays back, his head resting on Henry’s arm. 

The ride is quite relaxing.  The rhythmic clopping of the horse’s hooves, the gentle swaying of the wagon, and the warm sunny day make it hard to stay awake.  Rabor can no longer keep his eyes open, and even the odd bump in the road isn’t enough to keep him from dozing off. 

Rabor opens his eyes and stares at the dark cloth ceiling above him.  Tilting his head, he sees Henry staring back. 

“Hey there sleep head,” Henry says with a smile.  “Time to get up.  We made it.” 

Rabor pushes himself up and lets out a big yawn.  “I can’t believe I fell asleep.” 

“I can.  We had a long trip and the ride was quite relaxing,” he says as he steps out of the wagon, causing it to bounce up a few inches.  Once again, he grabs Rabor by the hips and helps him down from the wagon. 

“Thank you for the ride mister.  It saved us a lot of walking,” Henry says with a big smile. 

“Yes, thank you very much.” 

The old boar once again waves off the thanks and shakes the reigns, getting his wagon moving once again. 

“Oh!  Do you have everything Henry?” 

Henry does a quick check in his satchel.  “Yep, it’s all there and I have my vest,” he says holding it in his other hand.  He quickly folds up the vest and sticks it in his satchel. 

“Aren’t you going to put it back on?” 

“Oh?  Are you sure you don’t prefer this?” he says gesturing at his broad chest. 

Rabor stares at the pecs which are bigger than his head and his eyes begin to trail down to the narrow waist.  Once his eyes reach the top of Henry’s pants, he quickly looks back up.  Henry is staring at him with a big crooked grin on his face.  “W-whatever!  Do whatever you want!” Rabor says walking away while Henry laughs. 

“Looks like we made good time.  There’s still over an hour before the sun sets,” Henry says, holding his hand up to the sun. 

Rabor doesn’t respond and continues walking toward the forest. 

With a frown, Henry jogs up the path to catch up.  Although calling it a path might be too generous as the only sign it exists is the grass being slightly shorter than the rest.  He quickly catches up and locks arms with Rabor once again, who doesn’t seem to protest. 

“This is the forest from my dreams,” Rabor says with a hushed voice. 

“So that’s why you wanted to come here?” 

Rabor nods, not taking his eyes from the forest. 

“How can you tell it’s the right one?  It looks pretty much like any other.” 

“I can feel it,” he says as they stop near the edge of the trees. 

He shrugs his shoulders, “I don’t feel anything... Although, it does seem too dark for the time of day.”  The light from the setting sun casts the surrounding area in a golden glow but the forest is nearly dark as the night just a few feet in. 

They stand there for a few minutes not saying anything, just staring into the darkness of the forest. 

Breaking the silence, Henry says, “you don’t have to go in.” 

For a moment Rabor says nothing, then sounding a bit sad he says, “I do.”  He starts walking, pulling Henry into the forest with him. 

“Huh, another oddity,” Henry says motioning to the ground.  “The path in here is wide enough for the both of us and has hardly anything growing on it.  I guess if there’s anyone taking care of this place, they care more about the inside than out!” he says with a chuckle but Rabor remains silent. 

They continue to walk in the silent, dark forest.  As they walk, light begins to stream through the treetops and birdsong can be heard all around them.  Henry walks with a frown as he looks around the forest but decides not to voice his concerns. 

Ahead of them, they can see a large clearing through the trees.  As the path widens, they step into the open area, which is bathed in the light of the midday sun but the sky above them remains dark.  The clearing extends more to the left in which a tree unlike the others stands. 

“What’s a willow tree doing here?” Henry asks despite his better judgement.  He gets no answer as he watches the dangling leaves sway in the wind.  As they twist and turn, the leaves give off a faint silver sheen.  “It is quite pretty though,” he says smiling down at Rabor. 

Rabor nods his head and they continue walking, exiting the clearing and returning to the narrower path of the forest.  After a while of walking, the path once again begins to widen and reveals another clearing.  This time the clearing extends to the right with another tree as the focus.  The trunk is split near the ground into many smaller ones, each having grown away from the others.  The growth of each trunk seems to have been random, some having even grown downward at points.  At the end of each trunk is a large spherical group of blue-green leaves. 

“Do you know what kind of tree that is?” 

Rabor shakes his head. 

With a frown on his face, Henry says, “I’m starting to think that maybe we shouldn’t be here.” 

Rabor just pulls him along and they exit the clearing, leaving the wonky tree behind.  Just like last time, it doesn’t take long before they come across another clearing.  Although this clearing doesn’t have a tree, just a flat patch of grass. 

“Why don’t we have a rest here?” Rabor says, pulling Henry off the path. 

“Why’d you pick here?” he asks looking around.  “I don’t even see one of the fancy trees.  Wouldn’t it be nicer to sit under one of them and have something to eat?” 

Rabor doesn’t say anything. 

“T-this is fine though!” he says, taking a few quick steps and sitting down on the grass and patting a spot in front of him. 

Rabor walks over but doesn’t sit down.  “There’s something important I have to tell you.” 

“What a coincidence, so do I!” 

“O-oh...” Rabor says, unable to contain his surprise. 

“Who should go first?” 

I should.  That way it would limit the pain, for both of us.  “You go first,” Rabor blurts out.  His face twitches into a grimace just for a moment before turning into a forced smile.  He thinks to himself, sorry Henry.  My heart is just too curious. 

Henry reaches into his satchel and pulls out his closed hand.  Reaching out to Rabor, he opens his hand and reveals a silver ring.  It seems to almost glow against the black of his paw pads. 

“A-are you proposing?!” Rabor asks with wide eyes and mouth hanging open. 

Henry chuckles.  “I suppose it’s a proposal of a sort.  In tiger tradition, you give a ring to someone you want to court, which will hopefully lead to marriage.” 

Rabor’s face scrunches up as tears begin to blur his vision.  He covers his face as he begins to cry. 

In a flash, Henry is standing and grabs Rabor in a tight hug.  Rabor hugs him back and cries into his chest.  They stand just like that as Rabor lets out all the emotions that have built up inside him. 

Slowly, Rabor’s sobs begin to subside, although neither is ready to let go.  After a deep breath, Rabor lifts his head and looks up at Henry. 

Henry places his large hand on Rabor’s face and wipes away the tears from his eyes. 

Rabor smiles, lets go of Henry, and wipes his wet face with his arms.  “I should have gone first.  Sorry for being selfish.” 

Henry smiles and just shakes his head. 

With a deep breath, Rabor tells Henry, “I was born here in the forest.  Although, it’s more accurate to say the forest gave birth to me.” 

Henry looks at him with a confused expression. 

Rabor can’t help but smile a little.  “I’m a tree spirit.  When we are born, we must leave and grow as a person.  Once we are of age we return and take up our duties.” 

“What duties?” 

Rabor pauses for a moment to think, “life.  The special trees we passed, along with the others further in, actually grow somewhere out in the world and are responsible for their land’s wellbeing.  Without them, life struggles to survive.” 

Henry lets out a deep breath.  “I think I understand.  This is very important, and something you must do.” 

“You believe me?!  Just like that?” 

“Well... For the past few nights, you’ve been glowing in your sleep so...” he says scratching his head. 

“Oh.  Ya, that might do it.” 

They stare at each other and can’t help but laugh. 

Once they stop laughing, Henry asks, “so, if this is a special place for tree spirits, can anybody come in here?” 

Rabor’s cheerful expression quickly fades.  “No.  Only children are allowed, and only if they are accepted by at least one of the spirits.  Once they come of age and enter, the spirits can no longer sense them so they will only find an ordinary forest.” 

“B-but, I’m here!” Henry replies with a forced smile. 

Rabor shakes his head.  “A very special exception.  I guess you can say I opened the door and you walked in with me.” 

“I can just stay h...” 

Once again, Rabor shakes his head. 

“I see.  I guess this means this is the last time I’ll see you.” 

Rabor can barely manage a nod before the tears begin to flow.  He turns his back to Henry and says, “just so you know... I would have said yes.” 

Henry clutches the ring in his hand tighter.  “Thank you,” is all he says as his voice begins to waver. 

“Close your eyes, Henry.” 

He takes one last look at Rabor before shutting them tight.  Soon a light fills his vision, making him cover his eyes with his arm.  The light disappears as quickly as it came.  Henry slowly removes his arm and opens his eyes. 

Rabor is gone.  Now in front of him is a ten-foot-tall tree, with an even wider umbrella-like canopy of leaves.  Henry walks up to the tree, placing his big hand against the thick trunk.  The orange-brown bark is smooth under his paw pads, while the dark brown stripes are a bit rougher. 

“Hm.  A bit on the nose, don’t you think?” he says with a sad smile.  With a thud, he falls against the tree and slides down to the ground.  Quietly he sobs, giving the tree a half-hug. 

His crying eventually fades away and his arm slides off the tree as he falls asleep. 

Henry stirs from his sleep.  Waking up, he shields his eyes from the sunlight.  Still groggy, he wobbles as he stands up.  Looking around, he quickly realizes he’s standing at the edge of the forest.  He turns around and gazes into the overly dark forest.  “I’ll come visit!” he shouts, knowing no one can hear but still hoping that it might have reached him.  Turning around, he begins to run down the path toward the road before the tears can start flowing once more. 

Looking out on a very familiar landscape, Rabor almost wishes trees could yawn.  Who knew that to do your job as a tree spirit, all you have to do is exist?  He sighs internally, watching the days go by.  Suddenly, almost as if an answer to his prayers, he hears someone call him.  He moves in a direction that can only be described as inward, and the sight before him changes to the Sacred Forest. 

“There you are.  Thought I’d have to get up and give your trunk a knock.” 

“Sorry Willow,” Rabor says as he steps out of his striped tree and stretches.  He can nearly reach the top of his tree as he’s now over seven feet tall and has a magnificent pair of moss-covered antlers.  His once skinny body has become much more muscular, although it has still kept its slender appearance.  It’s almost entirely on display as he’s only wearing a leafy loincloth, which is only there out of habit.  This also allows a good look at his fur, which has taken on the orange-brown colour and dark stripes of his tree. 

Still stretching, he looks over at the willow tree beside him.  He’s unable to see the spirit through the dangling leaves but knowing they are there asks, “is there something going on, or did you just want to talk?” 

“It appears we have a visitor today,” Willow says in a slow, methodical voice, one that isn’t exactly masculine or feminine, young or old.  “It seems you didn’t sense their presence.  Most likely because you’re still so young,” Willow says with a quiet chuckle.  “This doesn’t happen too often, plus it’s your first time so I thought it would be a terrible shame if you missed it.” 

Before Rabor can even thank Willow, the space between them starts to grow and the tree disappears into the forest.  The confused expression on his face disappears as he shrugs his shoulders.  “Guess I’ll thank them later,” he says as he sits down and leans back against his tree.  He concentrates, trying to sense the visitor.  Nothing seems to change or feel any different and yet Rabor suddenly hears: 

“HELLO?” 

It’s a deep male voice that Rabor doesn’t recognize.  “Obviously, of course, it’s not him,” he says giving his head a shake and with sadness in his voice. 

Even though the visitor isn’t an adult, Rabor still has to accept them if they are to meet.  He thinks about letting them in but changes his mind.  After all, there’s only one person he wants to see. 

“RABOR?  ARE YOU THERE?” 

In an instant, Rabor is standing with his ears swivelled forward.  Without a second thought, a path forms in his clearing, connecting it to the forest.  It feels like an eternity but it only takes a few seconds for a dark figure to appear on the path. 

As they approach the clearing Rabor calls out, “who’s there?” 

When the figure’s large ears stick straight up it leaves little doubt as to who it is. 

“Remmy!”  Rabor takes off at a sprint and in a flash is upon the figure, lifting them and spinning them around.  He pulls them into a tight embrace and continues to hug them until he feels pats on his back and hears their muffled voice. 

The donkey comically gasps for air as Rabor sets him down and apologizes. 

“Look at you!  You’ve grown so tall!” Rabor says rubbing the donkey’s head, causing the large ears to flop around. 

“I could say the same,” he says looking straight up for extra effect. 

“Oh, I don’t count.  And it looks like you did more than just grow up, you grew big!” 

Remmy smiles proudly and flexes his arms, making his biceps rise considerably. 

Rabor reaches out and squeezes the arm.  “I’m impressed!  I can barely get my hand around it.  With muscles like these, I bet you could give Henry a run for his money!” 

Remmy laughs and says, “I doubt it!” 

Rabor notices something is off but he decides not to mention it, at least for now.  “I’m sure you need a rest so why don’t we go sit by my tree and you can catch me up on everything.”  With Rabor’s arm over Remmy’s shoulder, they walk over to the tree and sit down in its shade. 

“As you know, my mother didn’t take very good care of me.  There was something wrong with her and it only got worse over time.  It was about a year after you left that she got so bad that she didn’t even know I was there.” 

Rabor reaches out and grabs Remmy’s hand.  “I’m so sorry about your mother.” 

Remmy squeezes Rabor’s hand and says, “thank you but it’s alright now.  As terrible as it might sound, I’m thankful it happened.” 

“Why is that?” Rabor asks with a confused expression. 

“Since she could no longer care for me, Henry was able to officially adopt me.” 

Rabor’s mouth opens in shock before quickly turning into a big smile.  “That’s fantastic!  I’m so happy for you!” he says bouncing Remmy’s arms up and down with excitement. 

“It was thanks to Henry that I got to have a life like other children.  One of the best parts was getting to go to school.  Although I was much happier when I finished and could help at the bakery full-time.” 

Looking confused, Rabor asks, “you finished school?  Has it really been that long?” 

“Y-yes... Are you alright?” 

Seeing the worried look on Remmy’s face snaps him out of it.  He waves it off and says, “spirits are very long-lived so we experience time differently.  It seems like hardly any time has passed and yet at the same time, I've become terribly bored from all the time I’ve spent doing nothing.” 

Remmy smiles and says, “who would have thought a tree could get bored?” 

“I know, right?!” he says and they both start laughing.  “One benefit of my boredom is that it makes your company even more enjoyable, and speaking of, what took you so long?” he asks with a grin. 

The smile leaves Remmy’s face, and he looks away from Rabor. 

“I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean-” 

Remmy shakes his head.  “I guess it was almost two years ago now that Henry got sick.  No one seemed to know what was wrong with him and nothing they tried really helped.  And just a few months ago he...” 

Rabor holds his arms open as tears begin to fill his eyes.  Remmy jumps into his arms and they hold each other tight as their cries turn into wails of pain.  The entire forest has gone silent just for them, giving them privacy to mourn. 

Their tears have run dry but the hurt remains.  They continue to hold each other tight and little by little their sobs fade away. 

Rabor has his head resting on top of Remmy’s and gently rubbing his back.  The pain in his chest has become more bearable with the shedding of tears and the remembrance of happy times with Henry. 

“Rabor?” 

“Yes, Remmy?” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner.  When you left, Henry didn’t really say anything.  He said I’d have to wait until I was older,” he says quietly, still sniffling back tears. 

“There’s no need to apologize.  I’m not mad at you or Henry.  In fact, I agree with his decision.” 

Remmy moves away just a little and wipes his face with the sleeves of his shirt.  He looks up at Rabor with a smile and an expression of relief.  “When he got sick, he told me that he had written a letter in case anything happened to him.  Just a few days ago I worked up the courage to go into his room and found two letters in a box underneath his bed.”  Reaching into a pouch on his belt, he pulls out an unopened letter and hands it to Rabor. 

With caution, Rabor slowly reaches out and grabs the letter from Remmy.  Henry’s words feel heavy in his hand. 

“My letter told me everything that happened the day you left, among other things,” he says smiling to himself.  “I believed every word and came here as fast as I could.” 

Rabor holds the letter close to his chest and says, “one day I’ll have the strength to open this.”  He gives Remmy a sad smile and rubs the top of his head.  “Thank you for bring it to me.” 

Remmy nods and asks, “can I stay here for a while?” 

“Of course, I’m not just going to kick you out!” he says with a laugh.  “Although... Once you leave you shouldn’t return.” 

Remmy’s expression becomes one of disbelief.  He stands up suddenly and asks, “why?!  I’m not an adult yet!” 

With a sigh, Rabor says, “I’ve been gone for over a decade.  I don’t want us to get attached again just for us to say goodbye.” 

Remmy turns around and begins walking away. 

“R-Remmy?!” 

Without turning around, he asks, “these sacred trees look after a part of the world, right?” 

“Yes...” 

“And they exist not just here but in the part of the world they look after.  That means yours is out there somewhere and I’m going to find it!” 

With a shocked expression, he says, “Remmy, please don’t do-” 

“Too bad!” he interrupts.  “I’ve made up my mind!  Once I find you, I’m going to talk to you every day!  That way you aren’t bored anymore and neither of us has to be alone!” he says unable to keep his voice from wavering at the end.  He takes off running down the path. 

Just as Remmy reaches the edge of the clearing, Rabor shouts out, “Mount Heldora!” 

Remmy stops and turns around. 

“Mount Heldora.” 

Remmy smiles, wiping tears from his eyes.  He nods, turns around, and runs out. 

Rabor smiles while he holds Henry’s note tightly against his chest.  He walks back and disappears into his tree.  Once again, he stares out at the familiar sight of his land.  This time, with hope in his heart.