Chapter 6: The Moon's Pull

Roots of Desire

Chapter 6 - The Moon’s Pull

Iveyna stood in front of the small mirror on her wall, the reflection of the room barely visible in the dim candlelight. Her father had gone to bed hours ago, and the house was silent except for the occasional creak of the old beams above her head. She had tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity, the weight of her thoughts heavier than the blanket that lay over her shoulders.

The moon was high in the sky now, its pale light spilling through the window like liquid silver, casting shadows that seemed to stretch and pulse with the rhythm of her own heartbeat. The forest beyond the town seemed alive in the night, its secrets whispering to her, calling her to the trees.

Her hand trembled slightly as she picked up her cloak from the chair. The dark fabric felt cool against her skin, and she pulled it around her shoulders, securing it with a quick knot at her throat. Her boots, worn from years of walking the paths near the town, were waiting by the door. With a breath, she stepped into them, the sound of the leather creaking beneath her feet almost drowned out by the pounding of her pulse in her ears.

Iveyna glanced over her shoulder, almost expecting to see her father standing in the doorway, his expression full of warning, but there was only the quiet of the empty house. It had been so long since she’d done something purely for herself; something that wasn’t for the survival of her family, or to please the people of the town.

But tonight, the pull of the forest was undeniable. It was more than curiosity; it was a need, a quiet hunger she couldn’t name. It was something far older than herself, something ancient that beat within her chest.

She stepped outside, her breath fogging in the crisp night air, and the world seemed to hush around her. The soft crunch of the ground beneath her boots was the only sound as she made her way toward the edge of town. The moonlight was her guide, illuminating the path ahead with its ethereal glow, but the forest loomed in the distance, dark and full of mystery, waiting for her to cross its threshold.

Each step felt heavier, as though the earth itself was pulling her toward the trees. She couldn’t turn back now, not with the whisper of magic in the air and the memory of the mysterious figure she’d seen in the grove. Her heart quickened, and the world around her seemed to fade into the shadows of the night. The forest was calling, and she couldn’t resist its allure any longer.

The forest swallowed her whole.

Beneath the moon’s silver glow, the towering pines stood sentinel, their jagged limbs reaching toward the sky like bony fingers. Shadows clung to the edges of the path, but the moonlight cut through in broken slivers, illuminating the way forward. Each step she took felt heavier, as though the forest itself held its breath in her presence.

Iveyna pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, the night’s chill biting through the thin fabric. She shouldn’t be here; not alone, not after what had happened. But something deeper than fear kept her moving forward. A pull, quiet and insistent, curling around her thoughts like roots through soil. It had begun the moment she first glimpsed the figure in the grove; an impossible, towering creature that should not exist. And yet…

She knew what she had seen.

Her boots crunched softly over fallen leaves, the sound swallowed by the dense quiet around her. The farther she walked, the less the world of the town seemed to exist. Here, the air grew thick with earth and moss, heavy with a strange energy that pressed against her skin. The wind stirred through the branches above her, but underneath it was something else; a faint hum, like a heartbeat too deep to hear but impossible to ignore.

And beneath that; she felt watched.

Iveyna paused, her breath clouding the cool night air. She scanned the shadows between the trees, her eyes drawn to the shape of an ancient oak standing tall at the edge of the path. It was larger than any tree she had ever seen, its bark blackened with age, gnarled roots twisting deep into the earth. Moonlight poured down over its thick limbs, casting long, jagged shadows that stretched across the ground.

Something about the tree unsettled her.

It hadn’t been there before. She knew this path. She’d walked it since she was a child. But this oak; impossibly large and looming; felt as though it had always belonged, as if the forest itself bent around its will.

Her fingers twitched toward the hatchet at her side, more from habit than need. As she took another step, her skin prickled with the sense that she was no longer alone.

"You shouldn’t be here."

The words brushed the edges of her thoughts; not spoken aloud, yet clear as if someone had whispered them into her ear. She spun around, her heart hammering, but the path behind her was empty. Only the rustle of leaves answered her.

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She shook her head, forcing down the chill creeping up her spine. Imagination. That’s all. But her hand lingered near the handle of her hatchet.

Still, she didn’t turn back.

Her gaze drifted again to the oak, the pull growing stronger the closer she came. It wasn’t just curiosity; there was something else, something beneath her skin that ached to reach out. As if the tree itself was waiting for her.

Iveyna stepped off the path.

The ground was softer here, rich and damp beneath her boots. She moved slowly, her breath shallow as she drew closer. The air thickened, heavy with the scent of earth and woodsmoke. The oak’s roots twisted like serpents, half-buried in the loam, and as she touched one; rough and warm beneath her fingertips; a shiver coiled through her body.

A pulse. Slow and steady. Alive.

Her mouth went dry. No tree should feel like this; like it was watching her. Like it was…aware.

And yet, she didn’t pull her hand away.

Woodward felt her touch as keenly as if she had placed her hand against his chest. Her warmth pierced through the cold weight of his rooted form, a spark igniting deep where no light had touched in years. He should pull away. He should retreat into the earth, sever the connection, and leave her to the path she had chosen.

But he didn’t. Instead, he lingered.

Her touch stirred something dangerous within him; something far older than his duty to the forest. He told himself it was curiosity. That she was an anomaly, nothing more. But the truth twisted against his thoughts like vines too thick to cut free.

She was his to watch. His to guard.

And as she knelt closer, brushing her fingertips along the bark, his magic coiled tighter around her. Not to harm; to mark. A flicker of power passed between them, delicate as breath. He felt it spark through her blood, resonating with something ancient buried deep inside her; a connection he couldn’t yet name.

But it was there. And it was his.

Iveyna drew in a sharp breath, pulling her hand back. The warmth faded the instant she let go, leaving behind a cold ache that sank beneath her skin. She stood, heart pounding in her ears, and cast one last glance at the oak before stepping back onto the path.

The forest felt different now; less empty, more alive. As though something unseen moved with her.

And still, she did not turn back. With the moonlight guiding her steps, she pressed deeper into the woods; unaware that the forest itself followed.

Moonlight spilled silver across the forest floor as Iveyna slipped beyond the last edge of town. The cool night air clung to her skin, heavy with the scent of damp earth and moss. Her father would skin her alive if he knew she was out here; if he knew where her feet were leading her. But the weight in her chest, that restless ache, pulled her forward. She needed answers.

The path into the forest was different at night; quieter, heavier. Shadows twisted around the trunks of ancient oaks, and branches trembled softly overhead. The lantern she carried flickered with every step, casting jagged streaks of light through the gloom.

Still, she didn’t turn back. Something was out here; he was out here. The memory of that fleeting touch in the blacksmith’s yard still clung to her skin. It wasn’t just a breeze or a trick of the night. Something had been watching. He had been watching. And that knowledge stirred something deeper; a reckless curiosity tangled with something else. Something darker.

What kind of man haunted the edges of the forest like a ghost? And why did she feel like he had been waiting for her? A branch cracked somewhere behind her.

Iveyna froze. The sound was distant, but heavy; too heavy for any small creature. Her heart kicked against her ribs. She cast a glance back toward town, the warm lights barely a distant shimmer now. The forest stretched behind her, vast and endless. Nothing stirred.

Still, the feeling remained; an unseen presence pressing against her senses. As if the very trees were watching. She forced herself to move forward, deeper into the woods.

Each step felt like a test. The air grew thicker, the scents sharper; rich earth, living bark, and something else beneath it. Something old. The wild grass brushed her calves as the path faded into a tangle of roots and stone. But even as the way grew treacherous, she didn’t stop.

Somewhere ahead lay the Grove. And she would find it. Yet, as the minutes stretched, the forest began to resist her.

A low-hanging branch snagged at her hair, pulling her to a sudden halt. She cursed softly, freeing herself with a sharp tug. Further along the path, the ground shifted; roots coiled up from the earth as though to trip her. The night wind stirred, cool against the heat on her neck, carrying a faint whisper that sent a shiver trailing down her spine.

Leave.

The word was not spoken aloud, but she felt it; a presence brushing against her thoughts. Testing her. Warning her.

She ignored it.

Iveyna pushed forward, brushing her hand against the hilt of the small knife tucked against her belt. Her lantern flickered again, dimming under an invisible weight. Something in the forest didn’t want her here.

And yet, something else did.

A pulse; slow, steady; throbbed beneath her feet, like the heartbeat of the earth itself. She paused, crouching low to press her fingers to the ground. The sensation surged against her palm, familiar in a way that made no sense.

She should leave. She didn’t.

A shadow moved at the edge of her vision; something massive and slow. Her breath caught, heart pounding as she turned toward it. For a moment, the moonlight broke through the canopy, silvering the rough bark of an oak; an oak that hadn’t been there a breath before.

The tree loomed, its thick branches tangled like outstretched arms. Its bark was smooth and pale beneath the light, too vivid, too alive.

Her lips parted in a silent question. Was it him? Her pulse quickened as she took a step toward it.

The air shifted. A deep, primal energy slid along her skin, wrapping her in something unseen; something possessive. She didn’t understand why, but the feeling tangled low in her stomach, drawing her closer.

And then; nothing.

The pulse vanished. The presence faded into the stillness of the forest. The oak stood as any other would, unyielding and silent.

Had she imagined it?

Frustration burned in her throat. She should turn back. But instead, she pressed on; deeper into the woods, toward the place where she had first seen him. If he was watching her, she would find him.