The Stories The Trees Will Tell

Trees are notorious gossips especially when they have a captive audience. For as long as Calla can remember she used to roam the woods in search of a tree with a good story to tell. Although she was a child of earth she was privy to tales about mystics from all of the circles as well as Commons. And for a while Calla thought that's all they were, stories, until one large oak tree convinced her otherwise.

Everyone knew of a supposed prophecy about the dangers of a child born when two different elements come together. Most of the fellow children of the earth brushed it off as a fable to stay within your own kind which everyone did anyways. And there were so many different versions to the prophecy it was hard to tell which one was more accurate then the other if any were accurate at all.

The thing about people is that when they tell a story they will often leave off certain details while embellishing others. Trees never forget what they see, hear, and feel. And it is for this reason that Calla knew they were the best link to the past which can also help carve a clearer path for a future.

It was the summer before she started kindergarten when she found the oak tree that changed everything for her. A story of a young girl born of water who fell into darkness after her heart was broken. It was the lineage of that girl's brother that the prophecy directly affected. Calla came back to the same tree every day for the rest of the summer right before school started to continue the story. She was completely hooked and couldn't get enough. She would run to the tree early in the morning and end up spending the entire day there.

The oak tree told of each generation that was tempted but ultimately resisted the pull to someone from another circle. It would have made sense that as time passed the strength of the prophecy would have weakened, but the opposite happened. With each passing generation the temptation grew stronger as the ability to resist waned. The tree told of names and places Calla didn't know much of until she recognized one name, a name of someone very close to her that made things seem very real and personal.

Two days before she was to start school she learned of the two that gave in to the prophecy. A girl of fire and a boy of water fell in love. But two children came from this union. Two? The prophecy so far had spoken of one child that would destroy them all. Calla thought how odd this all was. And that is when the tree fell silent. She wondered if the story was over. Had something happened to the babies?

Then she saw them as if their paths were meant to cross. They sat across from her on the bus on the way to school. And they kept staring at her, but when she turned in their direction they would quickly look away trying hard not to get caught. Calla felt her face flush because boys had never paid much attention to the short chubby girl and now there were two of them!

It was during recess that they both approached her. The one with strawberry blond hair and green eyes was so bold while the dark hair blue eyed one lagged behind. The blond one put his hand to the ground creating a small spark, just enough to reveal himself to her. A child born of fire! She had never met one before. Calla could hardly contain her excitement as a squeal fell out of her mouth. The fire boy nudged the other boy. The shy one placed his hand to the ground to create a small puddle. Child of water too? Calla was excited enough about starting school. She could never have imagined something like this would happen.

Calla questioned, "And you're brothers?"

The shy one looked right up at her. His eyes were such a pale blue. "My name is Adam and this is my brother Evan. Our grandma says we are like you, but different."

On the bus ride home from school they sat in the back talking in hushed tones. There were so many questions they had for each other. None of them had had the fortune to come across someone of another element. Calla wanted to tell them what she knew about them because of the oak tree, but she decided it would be best to talk to her grandpa first. He was the smartest person she knew and a highly respected elder within the earth circle.

A smile played across Evan's face, "So then that just leaves air, right? I would hate to be born into that circle. How lame."

"Why do you say that?" Adam asked.

Evan rolled his eyes, "It's wind. Not very exciting."

Calla sprinted from the bus stop all the way to her house. Grandpa was waiting on the front porch to hear all about her first day of school. He scooped her up and sat her in his lap. Instead of talking about the classroom or her teacher, Calla rattled on and on about the boys.

"Grandpa! It's the prophecy and they have come here. Maybe we can help them."

"And what do you know of the prophecy young lady?" Concern washed all over Allan's face as he intently listened to what she had to say. He knew that large oak tree quite well. He also believed in the stories the trees would tell as elders often confided in them to pass on important information not only within the council but to future generations. Additionally trees could see, feel, hear everything around them and absorb all this information without discrimination. That was a skill people both mystic and common had yet to master themselves. This particular oak tree was the strongest and oldest for a great many distances.

What troubled Allan the most was that these boys had exposed their abilities in school where there were Commons all around them. No matter how discreet they think they were, it is never safe to assume you can do such things. The reason the circles have survived as long as they have is by blending in with the Commons to the best they can. Additionally they talked too much to a complete stranger, although Calla is a sweet innocent girl, she may not have been. How were tehy sure they could trust her? Allan knew where the boys lived and that they were being raised by their grandmother. If they truly are the ones in the prophecy this information could be very dangerous in the wrong person's hands.

That evening while Calla was having dinner at a neighbors Allan decided to find out more on his own about these boys. As he stood at their front door he took a deep breath in, then knocked. The woman who answered had those beautiful palest blue eyes. His heart flooded with all sorts of emotions. Feelings he had locked away when she broke his heart all those years ago. Feelings he ignored each time he saw her at council meetings. That unnatural pull he felt towards her. Now they cross paths again. Of course Sarah would be the grandmother of the boys that were going to destroy the world.