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Scottish Highlands ~ 1891
Nick adjusted the kerchief around his neck. The sun was well past its zenith now, and its slanting rays were threatening the pale skin at his nape. He really should have brought a wide-brimmed hat, but his flat cap took up less room in his pack and he was under the mistaken impression that it was rarely outright sunny here.
He looked to the sky and out into the rolling hills of the Scottish Highlands, and estimated that they had at least three hours before they would need to make camp for the night.
“Nells,” he called out to his border collie, who was wandering and sniffing the ground a ways in front of him. “There looks to be a small wood up ahead. We’ll stop there for a rest and some water.”
His dog, always alert and attentive, listened intently, then trotted off when he finished speaking. He knew she wouldn’t get too far away from him. Her instinct was to herd, and since he was the only other living thing for miles, he was her only option.
About twenty minutes later, he caught up with Nellie, who had laid in the shade as soon as she’d arrived at the wood. He found a nice, sturdy tree at the edge to lean back against. He slung his heavy pack to the ground and unlooped his flask from around his neck, before sitting down with a grunt.
He pulled Nellie’s tin bowl from the top of his pack and poured her some water. She got up slowly and padded over to lap up a drink. Nick reached over to pet the soft fur at her neck, then took a deep swig from the flask himself.
He had last filled it at a small creek some 10 miles back, so unfortunately it was no longer cold, but it quenched his thirst all the same. He had another full flask in the pack, so as long as he found a water source by mid-day tomorrow, they should be alright.
As he sat, he stretched his legs out in front of him and pulled his toes back towards himself, giving his calves a good stretch. Being used to standing on his feet all day at the bakery was definitely coming in handy for this venture.
He looked out across the rolling hills and mossy covered rocks of the Highlands and took several deep breaths. There wasn’t another soul around, and it was just what he had hoped.
His friends thought he had gone mad when he announced that he was setting off to hike the Scottish Highlands for a month or so. Apart from the arduousness of the journey and the possible dangers of being in the elements, they didn’t think he should be alone right now. In fact, according to Imogen, it was the last thing he should be doing.
“Nick, I know you’re feeling a bit lost without your mother,” she said kindly, “but you need to be with the people who care about you. I don’t think weeks of isolation is going to be good, in your grief.”
“I know you don’t understand,” Nick replied to her and her brother, Christian. “I can’t really explain why, but I need to do this. It’s like something is calling to me and telling me that’s where I need to be.”
“Do you even know how to do a long hike safely?” Christian asked, clearly skeptical.
“I’ve written to the rambling club up in London and they’ve sent me some literature,” Nick provided, “including a survival guide. I’ve gathered most of my supplies — pack, tent, water flasks, lightweight cooking tools. I’m not just jumping into this.”
Imogen gave him a sympathetic look. “If you feel it’s what you need to do… But you know we’ll worry the whole time you’re gone.”
“I know,” Nick said with a warm smile. “And I appreciate your care and concern, but I promise I’ll be OK.”
“Will you send us a telegram as soon as you get back to civilization?” Christian asked. “We’d like to know as soon as possible when you’ve come out safe and sound.”
“Yes, I can do that,” Nick agreed.
Imogen reached over and squeezed his hand and Christian patted him on the back. Since his mother had passed in the devastating blizzard two months ago, he’d been completely touch deprived. His father had deserted them and returned to France when he was a child, and his brother had left for London years ago. These childhood friends were the closest thing he had to family anymore.
That conversation had been about a month ago. Once his preparations were complete, it had taken him nearly three full days to travel from Kent to Inverness by steam train. It had been a long trip, sleeping upright in a seat, since he didn’t want to spend his precious funds on a sleeper car. He had found inexpensive lodging for the first night, then hired a coach to take him to a farm on the edge of the Highlands, and he set off on foot from there. That had been four days ago.
Between the most detailed map he could obtain and a sturdy compass, he was relatively sure where he was. Approximately. Probably. He hadn’t seen another human since the first day, but that suited him just fine. This was exactly what he wanted.
Losing his mother was like losing his anchor. He felt adrift and unsure of where to go and what to do. She had been poorly for a while, but the unexpected blizzard, with drifts of snow higher than his head, had cut them off from getting more medicine or firewood. He’d held her hand as she took her last breath, promising her that he would be okay.
Once the snow had cleared and she had been buried, he went back to work at the bakery, because he didn’t know what else to do. He made simple meals, kept the house, and slept — albeit poorly — but he was just sleepwalking through life. The town was too big and too loud, and reminders of his life with his mother were everywhere he looked.
The urge to escape somewhere totally different had been strong. He couldn’t think of anywhere more of a contrast than the rugged Scottish Highlands. The vast sky, fresh air, and blanketing silence would be like a balm to his grieving soul.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nick must have been lulled by weariness and the languid afternoon warmth and drifted off for a bit. The sun had definitely moved when he opened his eyes, and he felt stiff and groggy. He shifted and stretched before looking around.
Nellie wasn’t with him, but he wasn’t too concerned. She was probably exploring nearby.
“Nellie, here girl,” he called out. He waited but she didn’t appear.
“Nellie, where are you, girl?” he shouted louder. Still nothing.
His heart rate sped up as he stood and looked around, scanning the hills surrounding him. He could see far in all directions, except for the wood behind him.
“Nellie!” he yelled and let out a sharp whistle, trying not to worry too much.
He waited and listened and thought he heard a faint sound coming from the trees, so he headed in that direction. He knew she wouldn’t have gone too far, so he left the cumbersome pack under the tree he had been resting against.
The forest quickly grew more dense as he made his way deeper into the wood, but there were still shafts of afternoon sunshine streaking across the forest floor, lighting his way.
Every minute or so, Nick called out for Nellie, then headed in the direction of any noise he heard. He could tell by the angle of the sunbeams that he was heading roughly east. When he stumbled over a log half hidden under moss and ferns, he had to slow down so he didn’t injure himself.
A short time later, he heard what was almost certainly a yip from Nellie, but instead of from the way he was headed, the noise came from a 90-degree angle. He frowned at the change of direction, but turned and headed towards its source. Twice more, the sounds seemed to come from a totally different direction and he made course adjustments. Between listening intently and watching where he was stepping, he wasn’t aware of the mist that was creeping into the forest.
A few more calls and whistles and he could definitely hear Nellie nearby. He was single-mindedly focused on finding his lost dog and not on his surroundings. He hurried his steps, and finally noticed the creeping fog when the drop in temperature and moisture clinging to his skin caused him to shiver. He paused, really taking in his surroundings. He then realised that he had been aimlessly wandering in this strange forest for quite some time, and he wasn’t sure exactly where he was.
Nellie yipped again, so he turned to follow her sounds, but then paused once more. The hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He felt like someone was watching him. He turned around quickly, looking in all directions, but saw nothing but trees and greenery, other than a soft rustling of leaves in a breeze. He listened intently, but all he heard was Nellie, louder now.
He continued on his way and broke through a stand of trees to find his wayward canine companion sitting, happily oblivious, on a mossy green patch of ground in a small clearing.
“Nellie!” he cried and rushed over, crouching in front of her. She greeted him enthusiastically with a wagging tail and slobbery kisses, then calmly sat once again.
“Why did you wander off, girl?” he asked her, relief pouring through him. “You had me so worried, you silly dog.” He continued to pet her soft ears and kissed the top of her head, trying to soothe them both.
Nellie was sitting and staring into a dark patch of trees outside the clearing at the same time that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up once more. The overwhelming feeling of being watched washed over him again.
He stared intently in the same direction Nellie was, but saw nothing but trees. After a moment, the feeling passed and Nick stood to take in his surroundings.
This small clearing was surrounded on all sides by dense trees. Late afternoon sun barely breached the small enclosed area. Underfoot was soft, spongy moss with a few old, fallen branches and rocks scattered throughout. It was then he noticed that the rounded clearing was edged by a circle of little white mushrooms.
Nick had done some reading about local folklore and legends in preparation for his trip. The sight of an obvious fairy ring made him vaguely uneasy, surrounded as they were with misty forest. Obviously, fairy rings were nothing but fairytales, but it was still uncanny.
“Nellie, come on,” he said quietly. “Let’s head back to our pack before it gets any darker.” He turned in the direction he had come from, or at least thought he had come from, but Nellie stayed put.
“Nellie,” Nick said more sternly, “come. Now.”
Nellie whined but didn’t move.
“You are being very naughty today,” he chastised her, “and now….” He looked around them in a slow circle, dread creeping up his spine. “And now, I think we’re well and truly lost.” He muttered a curse word that he rarely used, but it seemed the only word strong enough to express his frustration and growing fear.
He crouched down by his misbehaving dog once again. “Nellie, girl, please,” he intoned. “Please tell me you know how to get out of here, because we have no food or water or shelter and I have no idea what to do.”
Nellie’s only reply was to whine, stare at a slightly different spot of the wood across the clearing and lay down. He bowed his head and took a few deep breaths, trying to ward off the panic.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Just as the beginnings of hopelessness were starting to wash over him, he heard a distinct rustle from the spot Nellie was staring at. He turned quickly and stared just as hard as she was. He saw nothing, until a branch swayed more than the gentle breeze would cause.
He held his breath and waited. A minute later, another branch moved a bit to the left and he detected the slightest movement in the shadows. Nellie was still laying happily in the moss without a care in the world, which reassured him slightly.
He could swear he caught a flash of bright blue peeking from behind the trunk of a tree, but when he blinked, it was gone. Surely he was imagining things?
“Hello?” he called out. “Is someone there?”
No one answered, but he didn’t really expect them to. He noticed that the mist that had been creeping in while he was searching for Nellie had filled in between the trees, all around them. If he picked the wrong direction, they were definitely going to get hopelessly lost, trying to get back to their supplies.
Then there was a more noticeable rustling sound, several branches moving, and the flash of blue once again.
“Who’s there?” Nick asked, trying not to sound frightened, which he most certainly was. He (and Nellie) continued starting for a few more moments, when Nick’s heart began to race in earnest.
Delicately pulling a branch to the side were long, elegant fingers. The same bright blue flashed again, and this time he could tell it was an eye.
“Who…” he started, but his voice cracked a bit. “Who’s there?” he tried again.
The creature? person?…stayed absolutely still, watching him warily. After what felt like minutes, but was likely seconds, they moved forward a bit more, slowly and cautiously. What followed was a slow emergence, with stops and starts to stare intently at each other in silence.
Eventually, Nick could discern what appeared to be a man, with dark, practically black, curly hair. He was tall, lithe and somewhat ethereal and had the most strikingly-blue eyes Nick had ever seen.
Nick’s knees were starting to ache in the worst way, and he needed to stand. He put his hands on the ground and very slowly started to raise himself. The figure took a half-step back, but didn’t retreat.
Nick held his hands out in assurance, trying to indicate that he was no danger. After staring into each other’s eyes for another few moments, the man resumed his slow emergence from the trees. As he continued to show himself, Nick realized that his clothes were entirely made of vines and leaves and blended in almost seamlessly into the forest background behind him.
The man stopped several feet away, scanning Nick intently, from head to foot, just as Nick was doing to him.
“Hello,” Nick said quietly.
“Hello,” the man said back, but it sounded more like “hallow” His voice was light, like bells chiming, and sent a pleasant tingle down Nick’s spine. The figure was absolutely mesmerising.
“I’m Nick, and this is my dog Nellie,” Nick offered.
The man tilted his head and a small smile crossed his face as he looked down at the border collie, who didn’t seem to find any of this strange.
“I am known as the Ghille Dhu,” he replied to Nick. Nick was pretty sure it was Gaelic, and sounded like ‘ Gilly Doo’ .
“I…don’t know what that is,” Nick admitted.
The man’s eyes sharpened and his chin raised. He looked imperious and majestic. “I am Ghille Dhu, the Fae of this wood, and you have entered my territory.”
Nick was shocked. Surely this man was in jest.
“Fae are just fairytales,” Nick said, trying to be confident in his statement, but his voice wavered slightly.
“Most fairytales have an element of truth in them,” the figure retorted. “And it is not wise to argue with the Fae, in general, but especially not in their home.”
Nick snapped his mouth shut. He couldn’t explain why, but power and magic practically radiated from the elegant creature. There was something about the voice that mesmerised him, drew him in, and held him.
The mythical creature was gorgeous, in an otherworldly way. His eyes were a bright and shining cerulean. Nick had thought Imogen had the bluest eyes he had seen, but she had nothing on this creature.
“My apologies for my rudeness,” Nick said, trying to soothe over his indiscretion. “I was not expecting to encounter Fae folk here.” He bowed his head in respect and muttered “Or anywhere, really,” to himself.
“It is true that encounters with humans are far rarer now than in the Old Days,” the Ghille Dhu conceded. “Most of my kinfolk have retreated from the land of Man to the Fae world.”
“Do you live there, as well?” Nick asked, his natural curiosity overriding his nervousness.
“No, I do not,” the man responded, somewhat clipped. When Nick stayed silent, he continued. “I do not enjoy court politics or the endless, petty squabbles for position and prestige. I prefer these woods, where it is quiet and I am beholden to no one.”
He considered Nick, his otherworldly eyes seeming to see right through him.
“Why are you out in the woods all alone?” he inquired.
“Oh!” Nick was surprised by the question and rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit. “My mother died recently and the city was too loud and too crowded. I needed somewhere open and empty, where I could breathe and think, I suppose.”
“It seems unwise to travel an unknown forest with no supplies,” the Ghille Dhu said. “Humans are not particularly known for their….hardiness, when it comes to the natural elements.”
“I have supplies! I’m not an idiot!” Nick objected. “I woke up from a doze and my dog had disappeared. She never strays far from me, so I went looking for her, expecting to find her in short order.” Nick looked around the wood, at the thick trees and silvery mist hugging the ground, feeling that creeping sense of hopelessness again.
“The sounds I was hearing kept changing direction, then the fog rolled in, and I got turned around,” Nick admitted. “I found her in this clearing, but by then I wasn’t sure which way I had come from. And that’s when you found me.”
“My woods do tend to toy with humans,” the ethereal man smirked. “You can be such amusing creatures.”
Nick frowned. He didn’t like being likened to a plaything.
“Can you…?” Nick began. “Can you show me the way out?” he asked, trying to imbue his voice with respect and preemptive gratitude.
“I can,” the magical creature answered. He stared at Nick, unblinking, until the silence began to become uncomfortable.
“ Will you show me the way out?” Nick queried, trying very hard not to sound impatient.
“I might,” the Ghille Dhu said cryptically.
Nick was lost for words. Should he offer something to be shown the way? Flatter the man? Grovel?
“I mean the most humble respect,” he tried, “but it’s going to be dark soon and I have no food, water or shelter here, in the middle of the woods.” He decided to try a bit of groveling. “As you said, humans aren’t the most resilient out in the elements, without any supplies. I would greatly appreciate your help, if you were willing to give it.”
The Fae considered him carefully, before a smile spread across his face, showing dimples for the first time. Nick had always been particularly fond of dimples.
“I will provide you with your needs tonight,” he decided, “and I will see how I feel tomorrow.”
“Oh, uh, thank you,” Nick said. He was uneasy, but what else could he do? He didn’t have many options here.
“You are quite handsome and seem gentle and mostly harmless, so I will give you a little advice, Nick,” the creature informed him.
It was the first time the mysterious man had said his name, and a shiver washed over Nick at the sound. He’d never given his name much thought, but somehow it sounded beautiful on the man’s tongue.
“I would be very grateful,” Nick replied. The longer he talked to this magical being, the more enthralled and intrigued he felt.
“Never eat food prepared by a Fae,” the Ghille Dhu intoned, deadly serious suddenly. “You will be under their enchantment with no way out, until the Fae decides to let you go. Time moves differently in the Fae world. A century could pass in the human world, while you have spent merely a week, hypnotised by a creature who will treat you as an amusing pet, until they get bored of you.”
The Ghille Dhu’s eyes were hard and sharp, and it was the first time that Nick sensed an immense amount of power behind the figure’s majestic, but unassuming, appearance.
“Didn’t you just say you would provide me food?” Nick hesitatingly asked.
“I did,” the man confirmed. He seemed pleased that Nick had made the connection. “For one thing, I am not like most of the fairy folk. As inferior as I sometimes find humans, I do not think that gives us the right to enthrall and enslave them for our amusement. For another, you are not actually in Fae in these woods. I may hold dominion here, but it is still the human world. Finally,” he concluded, “I am not going to prepare anything for you this evening. I am merely going to point you to naturally available food sources in my forest. You can graze with no risk of becoming my plaything.”
Nick considered, then nodded in gratitude. “My thanks.”
“Unless you would like to be my plaything,” the fairytale creature offered, a playful smirk on his beautiful face.
Nick immediately blushed a deep pink. “I…” he said, then faltered.
“Oh, I forgot,” the Fae said with a very human-looking eye roll. “The humans of this age are very prickly about members of the same sex sharing intimacy, as I understand it.”
“Well, that’s not entirely true,” Nick countered, now nearly scarlet in embarrassment.
The man tilted his head and his bright blue eyes sparkled. “Is that so?” he asked, with a teasing lilt.
“Um…uh…” Nick stammered. Then he took a deep breath and carried on. “While it isn’t spoken of openly, there are definitely humans who partake in and enjoy that type of activity.” He had been staunchly looking at the ground, but looked up quickly when he heard the magical creature giggle.
It was like the sound of chimes, the flap of hummingbird wings, the tinkling of a tiny, woodland spring. It was the most beautiful sound Nick had ever heard, and he stared at the Fae in fascination.
He intently took in the man’s features now. Dark, lustrous curls that cascaded down to his shoulders, interspersed with ornaments of leaves and flowers. Sharp cheekbones that gave him the regal look of a statue carved from marble. Bright blue eyes that practically glowed with life. Plump, pink lips that were currently stretched in a flirty smile. A smooth, olive chest criss-crossed by a harness of dark vines. Long, lean limbs encased in sleeves and trousers of layers of vibrant, green leaves. He just then noticed that the figure was barefoot, but his feet were pristine, despite apparently living outside.
He was, in one word, stunning .
“I will take that into consideration, human,” the Ghille Dhu said. Nick could swear he was flirting, and he couldn’t help the bashful smile that spread across his face.
The Fae looked up to the sky and seemed to be assessing the environment.
“It will be dark soon,” he told Nick. “We should get you something to eat and drink and fashion you some shelter.” He turned and began walking briskly towards the trees, near where he had emerged.
Nellie jumped up and trotted after the creature, so Nick hurried to follow.
As they walked, Nick dared to ask a question he’d been pondering. “You said that you are the Ghille Dhu. What does that mean, exactly?” he questioned.
“In Gaelic, it literally means ‘dark haired servant’. The Celts named me that because I am the steward of this wood,” he explained.
“So, is that your name?” Nick asked, thinking that was a title, not a name.
“My name is -” the fairy informed him, followed by a collection of sounds that formed no word that Nick could decipher, and he was sure his mouth was incapable of saying.
“Huh, I…don’t think I can say that,” Nick admitted.
The intriguing man’s delightful giggle rang out through the trees.
“No, I am quite certain that you cannot,” he agreed. “The name that I have heard that is closest in sound in your language is probably Charlie. You amuse me, so I give you permission to call me that, for the time being.”
“Charlie…” Nick said, not able to stop himself from sounding a bit dreamy. “Thank you, Charlie. I’m honored.”
“As well you should be,” Charlie said imperiously, before breaking out into a small smile.
Charlie took Nick some distance from the clearing and showed him which berries and mushrooms were edible. It wasn’t as substantial as the dried meat and crusty bread stored in his pack, but Nick was grateful, nonetheless. They also visited a spring nearby, where they both happily drank up the cold, fresh water bubbling out from a large rock. Nick asked a few questions about Charlie’s life in the woods, keeping respectful with his curiosity.
They returned to the clearing and Charlie told Nick to stand back, as he stood near the edge of the mossy circle. Charlie closed his eyes and stretched out his hands.
Vines from the forest floor and the trees above grew quickly, twining in and out, weaving between each other, to create a rustic half dome of shelter big enough for Nick to lay down inside comfortably. The moss underfoot, already quite springy, thickened to a cosy sleeping surface.
Nick looked on in absolute awe. Once Charlie finished and reopened his eyes, Nick couldn’t help but gush.
“That was incredible, Charlie!” he enthused. “Thank you so much for creating such a comfortable place for me to sleep.” With his normal puppyish energy, he approached Charlie and, without thinking, wrapped his arms around the Fae in a grateful hug.
Nick froze almost immediately, realising his presumptuous, and possibly dangerous, mistake.
At first, magical being was stiff as stone, for a moment that seemed to Nick like it stretched on for an eternity. Then the tension melted from his shoulders, and he slowly raised his arms to Nick’s waist and squeezed back gently.
The hug went on for longer than was appropriate — not that the hug itself wasn’t wildly inappropriate in the first place.
As soon as Nick felt Charlie releasing him, he quickly let go of the creature and backed up a half step, already stammering apologies.
“I am SO sorry, Charlie,” Nick said quickly, “that was terribly inappropriate and I’m so sorry.”
“Nick….”
“I wasn’t thinking and hugging was how my mother and I showed affection and appreciation…” Nick babbled, spiraling.
“NICK…”
“I had no right to grab you like that and I profusely apologise,” Nick’s mouth continued to run. “I will never, ever do that -”
“NICK!” Charlie said forcefully, cupping both of Nick’s cheeks in his long, elegant fingers.
Nick instantly stopped talking and stood stock still, mesmerized by the remarkable face, suddenly closer than he had ever seen it.
“While it is highly inadvisable to manhandle a Fae in that manner,” he said, not letting Nick’s gaze fall to the ground in his embarrassment, “it was….nice.”
Nick looked at the other man in surprise.
“It has been a very long time since I had any physical contact like that,” Charlie admitted, “but I found I rather enjoyed it.” His smirk returned, which Nick was starting to realise was quite mischievous.
“Oh,” was Nick’s inelegant reply. “Glad I could…help?” he offered, feeling beyond awkward.
Charlie’s fingers were still on his cheeks and his thumbs had started to rub small circles. They stared into each other’s eyes for a long, charged moment.
“May I kiss you, human?” Charlie asked quietly. “I am curious.”
“Yes,” Nick said quickly, suddenly deciding he had never wanted anything more in his life.
They leaned in together and their lips met in the middle.
Nick felt like fireworks were going off in every part of his body. He could feel the energy of the forest around them, pulsing and rippling through the trees and over the moss and rocks. He could hear birdsong in beautiful harmony and see deer and other wildlife traipsing through the wood. He could feel the breeze rustling the trees, swirling around them as they kissed. He could sense flowers pushing up through the earth to surround them where they stood.
After an eternity of utmost bliss, they slowly pulled apart and looked into each other’s eyes in wonder. They didn’t say a word, just regarded each other in delight.
Nick finally blinked and noticed that the breeze really was swirling, leaves of green and yellow and brown floating daintily around them. He looked down and a ring of beautiful, colourful wildflowers had sprung up around their feet.
His wide eyes met Charlie’s in astonishment.
“Did you do that?” he asked in a whisper.
“I….” Charlie began, but stopped and looked around himself. “I think…. we did that.”
“What do you mean?” Nick’s brow furrowed. “I can’t do anything like that.”
Charlie’s head tilted in that endearing gesture of curiosity that Nick was beginning to cherish.
“There is something about you that is…” Charlie considered his words. “Special,” he decided. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Nick’s lips. “I can not say that I have ever kissed a human,” he admitted, “but no connection like that has ever happened with another being before. I think that the nature spirits like you.” He smiled softly at Nick. “They are not the only ones.”
Nick didn’t answer, just leaned back in for another exhilarating kiss.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next day, Charlie took Nick to the edge of the woods to where he’d left his pack. Nick should have continued on his journey, but instead he took the pack and followed Charlie back to the clearing. They spent the next few days getting to know each other, in all the ways that two beings could. Their connection continued to be unexpected and downright magical.
After a week, Nick began the journey back to Inverness. He was only in the town for two days, long enough to send a telegraph and buy some supplies. While he was gone, Charlie was building them a proper cottage in the wood, pulling the walls, roof and basic furnishings from the forest around him. By the time Nick returned, they had a sturdy structure to make a home in.
Charlie had already started a vegetable garden and harvested a number of mushrooms and herbs that Nick could sell in town a few times a year, to exchange for goods a human would need while living in the woods, even if he insisted that the only thing he really needed was Charlie.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
General Post Office Telegraph
29-July-1891
Christian & Imogen McBride
28 Greenville Road, Rochester, Kent
Am safe and sound. Have met the love of my life and am staying in Scotland. Will write more soon. Much love, Nick