UN/REMEMBRANCE

Writer's Note: This is a retrospective through the eyes of Maren Maylee. Passage is found through Chapters 45 & 46 of "The Fisher-Orc and His Voyage"! Minor spoilers ahead regarding Maren's backstory. Proceed with caution. Enjoy the reading.

THE TRAPPER:

The second group of my beloved friends continued to follow my lead as we proceeded to reach our goal of finding the others. As the five of us walked, the ground below our feet gave way unexpectedly. The ground was suddenly gone and the five of us fell down to a hidden trap which was ten feet deep. It took us at least a couple of minutes to recuperate after the fall.

“Is everyone alright?” asked my handsome elf as he attended to check up on me along with everyone else.

“Yes, just fine at the moment,” replied our orc friend: Orisimin. By whom, was feeling his body arch after the fall.

“This takes me back to when Terrance fell into a sinkhole when I first met him,” I had mentioned, getting deja vu.

“Yeah, I’m willing to bet that the sinkhole he fell in back then was man-made just like this one,” noted Sonas, our Honorable Knight.

“Right, you are,” I agreed with a nod.

“I am guessing somebody out there on this island must have made this fine craftsmanship just recently,” replied Leah the Lady Knight as she admired the trap right there and then. “I have to say I am truly impressed with how it looks. Not only did they do a good enough job of catching us off guard and falling into their trap, but they also managed to dig a perfectly good hole.”

“Indeed. my dear but let’s admire it all a little bit later. I’m glad you haven’t changed one bit, and that includes your fascination with traps. However, we have to find our friends,” nodded the Honorable Knight.

“Sonas is right. In that case, I shall get us out of here by carrying you all one by one,” I humbly volunteered.

“Alright, sweetheart. Thank you; you’re truly the best,” smiled my Arkcon.

“It’s no problem. After all: I am a fairy…” I smiled back.

Just before we were about to get out of our current predicament, the group and I could hear footsteps approaching. Without responding quickly enough, the five of us looked up from the hole we were in, and saw the figure who owned those footsteps. It was a slim figure with camouflage all around their body with a wooden mask on their face as they also carried a spear. The mask, outfit and spear were all man made as well. While the outfit itself was camouflage, it also had other tools carried around the trapper. From where we were, the five of us could see the trapper acquired two knives, a trowel, hatchet, dirt sifter and a couple of stakes. Upon the figure’s back was a bow with some arrows. The figure’s mask had two holes where their eyes were with some cuts and moss across the surface. Meanwhile the spear was a sharp weapon with some old clothing around the socket where the tip was. The rod of the spear had some carvings of zig-zag lines.

All of us then quickly brought out their weapons for self-defense without hesitation. One of us boldly asks the mysterious figure a question by which we were all thinking there. This individual was none other than me as I politely asked the trapper: “Excuse me, but who are you?”

The mysterious figure proceeds to take their spear and stab it into the ground. The figure then slowly grabs their mask and reveals their face. It was a beautiful woman with wavy black hair, emerald eyes and dimples from cheek to cheek. It was then I realized and recognized that face before us. And it’s all thanks to that one portrait back at home. I asked the mysterious figure in astonishment: “M-m-mom? Is-is that y-you?”

A FAMILY REUNION OF SORTS:

The lady in camouflage gave me a confused look from where she was standing and replied coolly: “I’m sorry but I don’t believe I’m your mother nor have we been antiquated.”

My heart immediately sank down to my stomach and feet. I could have sworn this was the same mother as in the portrait back at home. Water began to fill my green eyes but I regained my current composure.

I replied politely: “I’m Maren Maylee: Princess of All Fairies. I had a mother who was taken from me since I was a baby. My mother looks exactly like you. She had wavy black hair with green eyes that looked like a pair of emeralds. Anytime she smiled, she even had dimples.”

The trapper responded with a slight bow: “Hello Maren, my name is Karine. While your description of your mother is very close to mine, I still don’t quite remember how I got here. However, all I know is my name and that I used to be a fairy myself.”

“Karine was my mother’s name… But what do you mean by that you used to be a fairy?” I asked with a confused look. “How can one be a fairy but then not be?” I quite wondered this all to myself in mind.

The lady, who I believe is my mother, next takes out her bow and arrow, then turns around and shows us down from that pit her back. From where fairy wings were, they were both horrifically cut off with only a little slither of it still attached on the shoulders.

I heartbrokenly grasped trying not to cry my eyes out. This is a fairy’s worst nightmare! After a couple of deep breaths, I then asked while also trying not to crack my voice: “Who has done this to you?”

“I don’t know that much but someone did this to me while I slept,” said my poor mother as she puts back her bow and arrow.

“It must have been the human who captured you. When you were gone, they said that a human took you away. Never to be seen again,” I noted.

“You know, now that you mentioned it, I have been having strange nightmares regarding a mysterious figure. That figure looks like a human but I can’t make a face. It’s been an occurrence for a long time,” said the trapper of my mother thinking all about it.

“Do you happen to know where this human is?” I asked as I was really upset about what happened to my own mother. I wanted to give that human a piece of my mind. I've had a lot of anger and resentment towards this person who had done this to my poor mother. I was sure my dad would feel the same way.

“I unfortunately do not,” my mother said as she shook her head left to right.

“You must have developed amnesia when your wings were stolen from you,” I also noted.

“That’s possible. Especially considering I only know small fragments of my memories such as my name and my race,” nodded my mother who became a trapper.

“Don’t worry mother. My friends and I will help you as much as we can.”

“I’m still sorry that I don’t remember you but somehow I feel like I can trust you. Maybe it’s because you’re a fairy. They say you can always trust one especially in the Forest of Guidance where the fairies will help find others their way home.”

Aforesaid, I replied: “That’s great you at least remember our home. It’s all good that you don’t remember me right now. No worries. Mind letting us a hand?”

“Absolutely. I’ll give you a vine so you can climb up at once. You all stay put; I’ll be right there.”

“Okay, mom. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Maren.”

Karine, my mum, then brings out a vine so the five of us could get out the sinkhole. I could have just simply flown out with the wings she was given but I awfully felt bad for my mother enough already. So instead, I decided to climb up the vine that my mum lent over.

Once my friends and I got situated, each of them introduced themselves to my mother: Karine.

“I’m Orsimin Wate, the fisher-orc.”

“The name is Sonas Erce: Captain of the Royal Knights in the Northern Kingdom of Rissidell.”

“Leah Ovtre is the name, and I’m the Lady Knight Captain of the Alladornis Guardians.”

“My name is Arkcon: Ranger of the Forest of Guidance. I also happen to be your daughter’s boyfriend.”

Each one bowed to mum. She just smiled and replied: “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. Why must you bow though?”

“In honor and out of respect for the Queen of All Fairies,” replied Sonas respectfully.

Mum gave a confused look and replied: “I’m sorry but I still don’t know what any of you are talking about.”

“Maybe this might help,” I said as I then unhooks my emerald dragonfly necklace that was still around my neck. Thankfully it wasn’t lost after all this time as we had traveled through the sea including that shipwreck all of us just endured. I then showed my mother the jewelry and asked her politely: “Do you remember this somehow?”

Mother Karine was thinking there as she looked at the necklace with a strange look. She eventually replied there: “What a beautiful necklace! It really matches your eyes, Maren. Who gave you this?”

“You did a long time ago when I was just an infant,” I mentioned calmly.

Karine (mum) looked deep into the necklace and thought hard to remember such a thing. She looked at that necklace while thinking until she was given a slight headache.

“Mom, are you okay?” I asked as I comforted her there.

“Yes, my dear. I’m alright; just a slight headache is all,” replied the trapper/mother of mine to reassure me. “But I’m sorry yet once again. I do not remember this at all.” She then gives the necklace back to me as I then places the jewelry back around my neck. Deep down, I was devastated, yet I remained patient for my mother.

“It’s all good, mom. I completely understand. Whatever that human did really took a number on you in order to lose your memory.”

“Good, and many thanks. And yeah, they sure did. I’m still trying to process all of this. So what brings you all here?”

Suddenly there was a bell ringing and mum looked at the direction of the sound. “What was that?” asked my beloved Arkcon looking around.

“It’s one of my traps that triggered off,” replied mum, all serious like that even her brows arching. “Come now, and follow me.” The mother of mine quickly grabs her spear and the five of us then follow her into the rest of the island’s forest.