Chapter 20：The Forest Spirit and Oscar

Dawn's father owned a small stable with just ten horses, so she had learnt horse riding. There were reins to hold and saddles to sit and keep yourself in place. What would she hold on over here? His hair? And how come his ears became longer? Her mind went into a tizzy.

She started to search for any semblance of reins, but nothing came into view. Scared, she asked, "I hope I am not hurting you."

Arawn laughed and twitched his ears. "No you are not," he answered and kicked his hindquarters and took a huge leap before galloping at high speed.

Dawn thought she would fall off, so she clutched her dragon, but surprisingly nothing of the sort happened and she found her legs clinging to his body for life support. The scenery around her vanished fast and when they were about to reach the hut, Arawn stated to pace. Dawn thought that her pet dragon would become scared, but it was rather enjoying the ride. It was now sitting on her shoulder and had spread out its wings and balancing on its feet as if to feel the air.

"These are the Falshire Forests," Said Arawn as he began to pace towards the interior into the dense woods. "Can you take me to the place where you found him?" asked Arawn after a pause.

Before she could say anything, a flicker of points, of the place where the remaining eggs were, came cautiously through the connection.

The dragon withdrew its wings back in fear after revealing the location.

Dawn gulped sensing the fear and replied to Arawn, "I don't remember." She didn't feel safe to tell him about that place, sensing her pet's emotions. Her answer brought relief to the baby dragon and she also felt safe for him.

Arawn's pace set into a gentle trot. "It's okay, don't worry. We will just check out these forests and then go back in an hour."

"Okay," came a soft reply.

They went to various places but everywhere it was the same—the wild flowers, soft breeze carrying their fragrance and meadows that stretched till the horizon. They entered an area with thick trees. "This is the center of the meadow. Sometimes, if you are lucky, you may get to see pixies or other out worldly creatures," said Arawn as he removed a thick creeper in the way and cantered. Soon they came to a small quiet pool. Its waters were so clear that they showed the life beneath. Several clusters of fish running around and hiding in the planktons, large fish lazily swimming and weeds floating with sparkles around them. It looked so serene that it calmed Dawn's mind. Her worries seem to dissolve completely. She started to hop off to step in the water when Arawn stopped her, "No! Don't get down." She stopped with a shock but didn't ask any questions.

As they walked across the lake in complete silence, she heard birds chirping and perhaps the flock was very large because it was a cacophony. The chirrup came nearer and suddenly she saw a large number of yellow birds flying through the trees. Dawn's breath was caught in her throat when she realized that golden yellow birds were transparent. She could actually see the other side through the birds, only that the scenery appeared to have a yellow filter. The entire visual was mesmerizing. Some of those broke from the flock and came above her head. They circled her and pecked at the baby dragon and then flew away leaving her with a heart that froze and then pounded. It was a feeling of euphoria. She was unable to find words for this experience. When the birds had all gone, she asked with a shortness of breath, "What was that?"

Arawn smiled. "That's the spirit of the forest. It manages the balance of the mythical lands. It travels from one corner of the earth to the other. I think they acknowledged your pet."

She could feel warmth though the link.

They reached home soon after. Arwan left and Dawn went to the kitchen to make dinner for Cole. The dragon played on the counter and then crawled up to Dawn. It coiled itself around her ankle as if that was its safe haven. Dawn chuckled and moved around with it. When Cole came, it had crystallized much to Dawn's disappointment.

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Next few days went smoothly. New schedule of her classes came out for fall. She found herself getting fascinated by the basics of the finance subject. In fact she even thought of majoring in it. The stock markets engrossed her completely.

Dawn practiced her golf along with Elize and others in the team and no one talked about Niall or Cire.

It was one day when Dawn was collecting her notes from the desk that she felt someone staring at her intently. This had become a routine from the past two weeks. The brown haired boy, Oscar Ó Gráda would stare at her after the classes got over, she would look up and smile at him, he would nod and she would leave the class.

It happened that day too. She collected her books and looked at him. He smiled immediately and she returned the favor. She stashed the books in her bag and hurled it over her shoulder.

"Hi!" came an enthusiastic greet from Oscar.

Dawn stopped in her tracks. Her head jerked back in surprise. "Hello," she said in a velvety voice.

Oscar rose from his chair and hurried towards her. "Hi, I am Oscar," he said as he extended his hand towards her.

"Hi," she replied, shaking his hand softly.

"I was wondering if we could talk…" Oscar said and then stopped to scratch his head. "I mean I meant to talk with you for a long time, so if you have time—" his voice trailed off.

"Sure," Dawn replied even before her mind processed what she had to say. She bit her lips immediately.

"Great! Let's go to the cafeteria?"

"Okay," she nodded.

Dawn realized that Oscar was a pretty talkative person. He kept talking throughout the time they took to reach the cafeteria.

This routine went on for one more week and the two became comfortable with each other. In fact Dawn started to look forward to him.

"You and Oscar seem very close these days," Elize noticed and remarked when they were practicing in the golf course. Her putt went straight in and she made a par.

Dawn giggled. "He is nice." She putted for a birdie. A warm feeling filled her heart and she radiated. She touched the bracelet he had presented her. It was a cheap one from the market that had small trinkets hanging around, but she liked the thoughtfulness.

"He surely is!" Elize took a deep breath. "Whatever happened to his previous girlfriend, Mairin?" she said in a tight voice as she placed the putter across her shoulders and walked to her golf set.

Dawn stared at her. She didn't know what to say. The revelation came as a thunderbolt to her calmness. "Mairin?" her voice quivered. "Who is that?" she went where Elize was. The other girl sat on the green to position her ball according to the slope for the putt.

"She was Oscar's girlfriend. I have seen them together a number of times in the town making out with each other. The last I saw them was a week back." Elize dropped the putter in its slot in the golf bag and looked up at her. "But my news could be stale. It is possible that he has broken up with her."

There was a dull ache in Dawn's heart and doubts about what Elize said. She held her breath. Very quietly placed her putter in the bag even though on the inside the warmth she felt all this while shattered into shards of ice. She gulped her emotions that had choked in her throat and strained to croak, "He must have broken up with her."

In the next hole she made a double bogey. "Who is Mairin, though?" she asked.