Destiny

Prologue

Deep in the heart of the forest, where the darkness threatened to envelop the trees and the silence intimidated even the largest of woodland creatures, a girlish giggle penetrated the night air. A young girl, boyish in her worn denim dungarees and red boots, skipped through the dense trees, cautious of nothing but the fading sound of wings ahead of her. As she darted skilfully between the huge, elderly trunks and fallen branches, her curly hair bounced where it was pulled back, restrained only by a crimson ribbon that asserted itself in stark contrast to the raven black of her ringlets. The full moon shone brightly overhead and filtered through the bare autumn branches high above her, highlighting a thick curling mist that lingered suspiciously just above the ground. Small clouds formed and clung to the air in front of her where her warm breath met the brisk night and a shiver ran through her body despite the heat her skin carried from running.
The trees began to thin and ahead she saw the place she desired; the small clearing where the old oak tree had fallen last winter in the cruel weather that had hit Destiny Bay. Now it lay crooked, supported by a nearby tree that stood proudly, compelled to uphold its fallen neighbour. The little girl slowed to a walk, her footsteps careful not to disturb the dry leaves that littered the ground. Eventually, she came to a halt and stood perfectly still in the centre of the clearing, staring up into the sparse treetops. An eerie silence seemed to hover over the entire area as the darkness surrounded her tiny body. The only light, coming from the moon watching silently over her from the inky black sky, cast odd shadows on the forest floor that danced around her seemingly fragile figure, unafraid of the unconnected world that they played in. Stars littered the heavens like honour personified, resigned to a lifetime of protecting the innocent with their beauty.
The colourful, crispy leaves that were scattered throughout the clearing rustled under her boot-clad feet as she shifted her weight restlessly from one foot to the other, and the whistle of the breeze through the naked branches of the trees were the only sounds that seemed to dare disturb the peaceful silence, a silence that held a thousand mysteries; mysteries that this little girl was eager to discover, her intuitive mind desperate for answers.
She continued to survey the trees around her, each one weathered where it had stood for hundreds of years and would probably stand for hundreds more to come. They all stood proud and tall as if guarding her from the horrors that could be in the woods, asserting themselves with an unspoken obligation. When her eyes finally came to rest on one spot in particular, the restlessness left her, and she lifted her hands as if approaching a wild animal. Taking a hesitant step forward, brave for someone so young and small, she seemed drawn to the tall oak that stood before her. It was the kind of tree that was begging to be climbed, with its sturdy branches reaching out towards the other trees that stood flanking it and the nooks and holes that had appeared in time. The bark however, looked much more threatening, like it would shred your hands for your audacious assumption that it would want to be climbed in the first place.
Eventually the little girl whispered out loud into the darkness, fearing nothing.
‘Dylan? Dylan, I know you're there!’
She waited with bated breath, standing perfectly still and listening carefully for the smallest of sounds to break the silence pressing in around her. For several minutes nothing happened; there wasn't a movement in the forest, the animals had retreated, the wind was still, even the leaves remained quiet on the floor. Yet she never moved. The restlessness she had suffered before had fled, along with the wildlife. She simply stood, slightly crouched and palms out towards the trees, waiting.
The crack of a branch underfoot rang out like a gun shot in the sanctity of the clearing and a lone bird took flight noisily to escape the intruder. A shadow moved between the trees opposite her and her breathing became low and shallow as she waited patiently, her breath materialising in front of her in thick white clouds.
The moon cast its eerie glow on the mist that still lingered on the ground and it began to swirl as the stranger's footsteps disturbed its peaceful existence. A smile spread across the little girl's face and she took another step forward, the moon lighting up the returned smile on the face of the mysterious visitor.
‘Dylan,’ she breathed.
‘I’m here, Angel,’ he whispered into the quiet that was resettling around them.
She slid her tiny, soft hand into his firm grip and turned to walk back towards the trees where she’d come from, leading him rather than following him. The swish of his long black cloak disturbed the autumn floor and their boots crushed the brittle leaves as they disappeared back into the protection of the trees, strolling side by side as if they had all the time in the world to reach their destination, her petite figure protected by his presence alongside her.