I immediately rushed toward Woods’ position. My heart was racing. “Woods! It’s really you! And you’re all right!”

“Of course it’s me,” Woods replied sourly. He reached up to scratch his head, then started when he couldn’t find his hat. “What’s going on? Why am I here? And… why is it spring?”

The other sprites scrambled over the prison wall. Ivy rushed forward and hugged Woods fiercely, followed swiftly by Reed. “Woods!” she cried, her blue eyes brimming with tears. “Thank the Goddess! It’s a miracle!”

“I can’t believe that worked,” Reed said in disbelief.

“Does somebody want to tell me what on Etheria is going on?” Woods frowned when he saw Alder and the southern sprites. “And what are you doing here?”

“We’re here to do our duty,” Alder replied. He hadn’t put away his sword. “Step away from the prisoner,” he demanded. “We’ll take it from here.”

“Prisoner?” Woods asked, his brow furrowing deeply.

I stepped protectively in front of him. “I won’t let you hurt him,” I said, pulling out my pickaxe. I no longer had my sword, but that didn’t mean I was defenseless. “Can't you see that he's back to normal? He's no longer corrupted!”

“Corrupted?” Realization seemed to dawn on Woods a second later. He touched his purple-colored eye and shock flooded his expression. “My eyepatch… the corruption sickness… I’ve been healed?”

“That was my doing,” Melvin said. He glided over the barrier, aided by some spell, and came to rest on the ground between them and the southern sprites. “Well, mine and your brother’s. It was an experiment of sorts, and I’d say it paid off handsomely.”

Woods seemed to notice Finn for the first time. He was standing sheepishly next to Skye. He pulled off his green hat and shuffled over, handing it to his brother. “This belongs to you,” he said, his eyes downcast. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do what you wanted me to… but everything seemed to work out in the end.”

Woods was at a loss for words. He stared down at the hat in hands for a moment before pulling it slowly over his head.

“Nothing’s been worked out,” Alder spat. “Look at his left eye—you call that natural? And I can still sense corruption clinging to him like a bad smell. All of us can. The only safe thing to do is to kill him, here and now.”

“That’s not happening,” I growled.

Ivy fell into an attack position, her weapon held in front of her with both hands. Reed shifted back into his wolf form and snarled. Finn raised his shackled fists, and Melvin just stood there, bewildered by the whole exchange.

The southern sprites followed Alder’s lead and raised their weapons as well. “Very well,” he said grimly. “If we have to cut through you to get to him, then that’s what we’re willing to do.”

I braced myself, preparing for the southern sprites to charge. They were less than half my size, but even so, I had seen firsthand how powerful their kind could be in battle. This wasn’t going to be an easy fight by any means.

“Stop this right now!”

A powerful voice emanated through the trees, and a figure appeared, manifesting in the air above us. Like leaves blowing on the wind, the Forest Spirit gusted into the clearing, vines trailing behind her like a living cloak. The walls of her prison retracted into the ground at her arrival, and she landed in the grass between us, her face alight with primal fury. “I’ll not allow any more blood to be shed in my forest,” she boomed, the force of her words causing all of us to stagger backward. “All of you, lower your weapons—or face my unbridled wrath.” Jagged thorns sprouted from her open palms and forearms, and her eyes appeared to glow with green fire.

“A nature spirit!” Alder exclaimed as he dropped to one knee. He bowed his head as if in reverence, and his companions did the same a split second later.

I lowered my pickaxe and breathed a sigh of relief. That was too close. “Thank you for coming,” I said as Reed transformed back into his sprite form and Ivy put away her sword. “That was about to get really out of hand.”

The Forest Spirit ignored me. “My sister, the River Spirit, told me what you’ve been up to,” she said bluntly. “Did it work? Is Woods truly better?”

“We think so,” I said, stepping aside so she could get a good look at him. “He seems to be back to his old self.”

The thorns disappeared and she closed her eyes, raising her hand as if trying to sense Woods’ energy from afar. “He has improved,” she said thoughtfully. “And yet, he hasn’t. It’s as my sister said. The corruption sickness has gone into stasis. It isn’t fully healed, but it also isn’t spreading.” She opened her eyes and lowered her arm. “I wasn’t sure this sort of thing was possible. Yet… here we are. I’m glad to see your reckless magical experimentation didn’t cause any irreparable damage.”

Melvin blushed furiously at her words but didn’t say anything.

“Spirit,” Alder said, clearing his throat. His voice no longer carried the hard edge it had before. “You must know about the oaths we swore to the Harvest Goddess centuries ago. We cannot allow any corrupted beings to go free—even if the corruption is in some sort of stasis. We are bound by honor to eliminate Woods before he can harm anyone else.”

“But he’s no longer a threat!” I interjected hotly.

The Forest Spirit held up both hands, motioning for us both to be silent. “It is true what you say, Alder Splinterleaf. The Goddess gave all magical creatures a charge to destroy corruption wherever it was found. But it’s also true that this particular sprite is no longer a threat—at least for now. I think that if she were here today, the Goddess would encourage prudence in making this decision.” She rubbed her chin as if in thought. “Perhaps the best choice, for now, would be to keep an eye on Woods to make sure he doesn’t revert back into his corrupted form. If he does, I can trap him again before he can escape this farm and wreak havoc.”

“We’ll keep an eye on him,” I said quickly. Ivy nodded emphatically at my side. “We’ll make sure nothing else happens. You can count on us.”

Alder snorted. “Like any of us can trust you,” he snapped. “You already let him rage throughout the northlands. We should be the ones to watch over him. And if we catch even a whiff that he’s gone feral, we’ll put him down once and for all.”

“Like hell you will!” I inadvertently raised my pickaxe again, and that caused the southern sprites to ready their weapons as well.

“You all keep talking about me as if I’m not here,” Woods said, stepping forward. “I’m capable of talking on my own behalf, thank you very much.” He approached the Forest Spirit and fixed her with his intense, two-toned stare. Everyone, including the Spirit, stared back at him in quiet anticipation. “I’m still not sure what’s going on. Everything’s… a little fuzzy. But I’ve watched over this land long enough to know how to keep it safe, and if there’s even a drop of corruption still inside me, then I’m still a threat.” He looked around, locking eyes with me, Reed, Ivy, and everyone else in the glade. “You all have your hearts in the right place, even if that puts you at odds with one another. But I think the only logical choice is for both parties to keep watch over me. And if I lose control again… then I shouldn’t be imprisoned. I should be killed for the good of the entire valley.”

“No!” Ivy protested, while at the same time Alder said, “We accept your terms.”

I leaned in and asked gently, “Are you sure that’s what you want, Woods?”

He nodded. “It is. I refuse to be a danger to the people I lo… care about deeply.” He cleared his throat and turned back to the spirit. “Can I trust you to make sure my wishes are carried out?”

The Forest Spirit bowed her head. “It will be done,” she replied. “The southern sprites will remain in my forest to stand guard, and Matt Miller and his sprites will take you back to his farm.” Unexpectedly, she knelt before him so that they were face to face. “All that being said, I would ask for your forgiveness, Woods, for my role in your corruption.”

Woods narrowed his eyes, but stayed silent, his anger thinly veiled.

The Forest Spirit let her gaze fall to the ground before continuing, “The plot was my brother’s,” she said sadly. “But yes. I allowed for Corruption to spread his roots into this valley—and into you. I thought to use my brother’s avarice to cleanse my precious forest of all outside influences, but instead I became a pawn in his own twisted game. Had I known the heartache my actions caused, I would have never allowed for any of this to happen. From the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry.”

Woods stared back at her, a number of different emotions flitting across his visage: disbelief, anger, disgust. Then, after a moment, he settled on weariness, letting out an exhausted-sounding breath. “The past is in the past,” he said softly. “At least now… the nightmare is over.”

The Forest Spirit placed a hand on his shoulder, then stood. “I know that words alone can never make up for the pain you’ve suffered. But I vow to protect this valley, this farm, and these sprites from this day forward. And I will make sure that your wishes are honored.”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Woods nodded. “All right, then.”

With another gust of leaves, the Forest Spirit departed, leaving an awkward gathering behind. Alder gave us a smug look and put away his sword. “Looks like we’re going to be here for a while,” he said. “Might as well make ourselves feel at home.”

“I’ll take first watch of the real Woods,” Skye said, turning to remove Finn’s rune-covered manacles. “But I’ll keep an eye on the fake Woods as well to make sure he doesn’t try anything funny.”

Finn swallowed hard but didn’t reply.

“I’m glad you’re back, Woods,” I said, ignoring the southern sprites. “How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” he replied. “But… I’m glad to be back.” Ivy put her arm around him, and he smiled wanly. “Let’s get back to the farm,” he said after a moment. “I want to see how the place changed in my… absence.”

***

The sun set over the western mountains, shrouding the forested valley in shadows.

Woods took a deep breath of the cool evening air, filling his lungs to capacity and then exhaling slowly. His boots crunched on the foliage with every step and the sounds of the forest filled his ears. It was good to be back. He missed this place more than he cared to admit. Next to him, the others walked quietly, Matt Miller with his long human strides and Reed and Ivy with their quick, spritely ones. Nobody spoke to him as they walked, probably because no one knew what to say.

What can you say at a time like this? he wondered, resisting the urge to yawn. By all accounts, I should be dead. Or worse.

Finn and Skye walked behind them—his brother uncharacteristically morose and the southern sprite carrying an air of smug superiority. Woods hadn’t seen his south-dwelling cousins in many years, but he got the sense that little had changed about them. They were still the surly bunch of fighters he’d known centuries ago.

As they stepped through the trees, the scene of the farm opened up in front of them. The windows in the newly rebuilt farmhouse glowed warmly and the new barn smelled of animals. The grass was thick and green and the trees that had been planted in the wake of the fire were now strong saplings sprouting leaves and stretching toward the sky. It was wonderful to see that the farm was thriving once again, and a peaceful feeling settled in Woods’ chest.

“Welcome home,” Matt said, breaking their long silence. “The others will be excited to see you. Especially Clay.” He grimaced as he mentioned the youngest sprite, but quickly recovered, shaking his head and forcing a smile. “Anyway, I think I’ll turn in for the night. We’ll talk more in the morning. Let me know if you need anything.” He placed a hand on Woods’ shoulder, then headed off toward the farmhouse.

Woods stood there for a moment, watching the farmer go. He looked stronger now than he had before, more mature. Matt had truly come a long way from the arrogant, scrawny child he’d been a year ago. The change was heartening to see.

“I’ll go get the others,” Ivy said, smiling broadly. She hugged Woods again, then dashed off, motioning for Reed to follow her.

That left Woods alone with Finn and Skye.

The southern sprite, sensing the awkwardness between them, sniffed and wandered off toward the tree line. “I’ll give you two some privacy,” she said. “But I’ve still got my eye on you.”

When they were finally alone, Finn cleared his throat. “It’s good to have you back, brother. For a while there… I thought we’d lost you.”

“It’s… good to be back,” Woods said haltingly. “I’m still a little hazy on all the details. The last thing I remember was heading north… everything after that is just a blur.” He closed his eyes and shook his head as flashes of memory assaulted him. It was a haze of fur and teeth.

“It’s probably for the best,” Finn said. “The last few months have been difficult. But that’s all over, now. This family… it’s dysfunctional without you in it. I made a poor substitute while you were gone.” Finn smiled at him, but Woods could see the sadness behind his eyes. Their last parting had not been kind, and despite everything that had happened between them, Woods regretted the things that he said.

He turned to fully face his brother. “I appreciate you for sticking around,” he found himself saying. “You could have gone back to Crimsonshores, but you chose to stay behind and look after the farmer and the younger sprites. You’ve… surprised me. In a good way.” Woods cringed a little, not liking how the words sounded leaving his mouth.

To his surprise, Finn laughed. “Thanks,” he said. “Coming from you, that means a lot. And it wasn’t easy—that Holly is a real firecracker. I don’t know how you’ve managed all these years.”

There was a pause in their conversation, and a cold breeze gusted down from the mountains, causing Woods to shiver. He felt like he hadn’t had a good night’s sleep in months… probably because he hadn’t.

He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again, determined to get the next words out before he could stop himself. “Listen, Finn… about what I said to you before I left. I… I’m—”

Finn held up a hand. “No need to say it. You were right, after all. I’ve been a pretty terrible brother.”

“That’s beside the point,” Woods insisted. “I shouldn’t have treated you that way. I have a hard time letting things go, and… I’m sorry.”

Finn stared at him for a long moment as if unsure how to respond. Then, he quickly closed the distance between them and embraced his brother tightly. “Thank you.”

Shocked, Woods patted him on the back. “Ahem. Yes, well… you’re welcome.”

After a moment, Finn stepped away, sniffling.

Woods looked away, feeling his cheeks flush. The world really has gone crazy, he thought. On the other side of the field, he saw the sprites sprinting toward him, their multi-colored hats bright in the light of the moon.

“Woods!” Holly yelled as she approached. “You’re back!”

“Rock!” Rock exclaimed.

“It’s really you!” shouted Clay.

They all converged on him at once and hugged him, the force of their love knocking him onto the ground. He grunted beneath the pile and tried vainly to hug them all in return. “Yes, I’m back,” he said, his voice muffled. “I… can’t… breathe!”

They quickly scrambled off, allowing him to get up and brush the grass off his shirt.

“Your eyepatch is gone!” Flint noted, leaning forward to get a good look at him. “And your eye… it’s a different color now!”

“An effect of the wizard’s spell,” Woods replied. “At least, I think that’s what it is. But you all need to know… I’m not fully healed. The corruption… it’s just dormant. There’s still the potential that I’ll change back at any time.”

“Rock,” Rock said firmly, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

“Rock’s right,” Ivy said. “Dormant or not, you’re better now. And we’ll do everything in our power to keep you from ever transforming again.”

The sprites nodded in agreement, determination written plainly on their faces.

Woods couldn’t help but smile. This was his chosen family—the ones he was willing to do anything for. Seeing them again gave him hope, especially because he was no longer suffering from the symptoms of corruption sickness. He looked at each of them in turn. Holly with her fiery passion. Maple with her sweet shyness. Flint with his ever inquisitive bespeckled eyes. When his gaze settled on Clay, Woods frowned. The way the youngest sprite was standing seemed odd to him, like he was hiding one of his arms behind his back. Although his expression was joyful, he also appeared apprehensive about something, like he didn’t want Woods to know.

“What do you have there, Clay?” he asked, motioning to his hidden arm. “Do you have something you want to show me?”

The other sprites went deathly still, and the air felt suddenly tense.

Clay dropped his gaze, the joy vanishing from his face like a snuffed-out candle. “It’s nothing,” he replied softly.

Woods’ frown deepened. “It isn’t ‘nothing’,” he replied. “I can tell. Go ahead and show me.”

Clay looked to the others as if seeking their tacit approval. Reed nodded slowly, and Clay turned, revealing that his hidden arm wasn’t hidden at all.

It was totally missing.

Woods started. “Clay! You’ve been wounded! How did that happen?”

When Clay didn’t immediately respond, a terrible feeling settled in the pit of Woods’ stomach. He furrowed his brow in confusion and asked his question again. “How did you get hurt, Clay?”

Sheepishly, Clay offered an explanation. “It was a few months ago,” he said, “when we assaulted the Baron’s Manor. I went with the others to help Matt… he was trying to rescue you.”

“Me?” Realization dawned on Woods. Memories flashed in his mind. Enemies attacking him from all sides. Wings flapping. Teeth clamping down. Bones snapping. The taste of blood and feathers in his mouth. Woods thought he was going to be sick. “I… did that to you?”

Clay’s expression hardened. “No,” he said firmly. “It wasn’t you, Woods. It was Corruption. This is his fault.” He waved his stump and continued. “We all knew the risks in going there to rescue you, and I don’t have any regrets. Especially now.” He grinned, and there wasn’t a drop of bitterness in his expression. “You’re back, now! And you’re not sick anymore! That means it was all worth it. If I had to make the same choice again, I would do it in a heartbeat.”

Woods stared at him. He couldn’t look away from the missing arm. “Clay… I… I….” His legs went wobbly, and he dropped to his knees.

In a rush, the others surrounded him, and Clay was instantly on the grass right next to him, yellow eyes boring into his.

“Woods, you need to listen to me,” Reed said at his side. “This isn’t your fault. None of us blame you for what happened. Least of all Clay.”

Woods turned away from Clay, unable to continue looking at him. Tears stung the corners of his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he croaked. “I’m sorry that I put you in that position. If only I’d been strong enough…”

“You don’t have to be the strong one all the time,” Clay said, pulling his attention back to him. “That’s what families are for. We take turns being strong, and on that day, it was my turn.” He said the words proudly and puffed out his chest. “If you want, I’ll keep being the strong one until you feel better!”

“I will, too,” Holly said, giving Clay a playful shove. “I can’t let one-wing over here take all the glory.”

“I’ll be strong, too,” Flint put in.

“And me as well!” Ivy said.

“Rock!”

Maple came up and threw her arms around Woods’ neck, and he felt strength returning to his legs.

“All of us… we’re here for you,” Reed said with a smile. “Now, all that’s left is for you to forgive yourself.”

Woods took a deep breath, then pushed himself to his feet and wiped his eyes. “I’ll work on it,” he promised. “And thank you all for being there for me, even when I feel like I don’t deserve it.” He took a shaky breath and smiled. “Enough of me feeling sorry for myself. The farm looks great, by the way. You’ve been doing a great job keeping that farmer in line.”

The others chuckled. “We don’t get all the credit,” Ivy said. “Matt’s really come a long way. He’s already gotten the farm up to level six!”

“Level six, eh?” Woods scratched his chin. It was farther than Bartholomew had ever levelled the farm, an impressive feat done in the small amount of time Matt had been here. “That’s… good to hear,” he said after a moment. “Maybe there’s some hope for him after all.”

A silence settled over the gathering, and Woods didn’t really know what else to say. So much had happened over the last few seasons, and he feared that his brush with Corruption had changed him in more ways than one. His friends—his family—all looked at him with complete devotion. But how did they feel deep inside? Could they really forgive him so easily?

After a minute, Reed cleared his throat. “I have an idea,” he said. “My birthday’s tomorrow. Why don’t we make it a double party celebrating your return?”

“That’s a great idea!” Clay said, and the others bobbed their heads in agreement. “Two parties at the same time!”

“That sounds… nice,” Woods smiled back. “I’d appreciate that.”

Finn came and patted him on the back. “Why don’t we head inside?” he suggested. “I’m starving, and I can see that Maple here is dying to make us all something special.”

As if on cue, she pulled out her apron and immediately began tying it around her waist.

“All right, then,” Woods said, still smiling wearily. “Lead the way.”

Together, they made their way to the cozy farmhouse, the others chatting about everything that had happened over the last several weeks. Skye followed mutely behind and refused to partake in any of their conversations or their food.

Woods for his part listened politely to the other sprites and nodded at their words, but his thoughts never strayed far from Clay. How could he forgive himself after what he’d done? Was such a thing even possible? At this point, he was too tired to come up with a solution, but one thing was clear: he was never going to let such a terrible thing happen again.

He would rather die than put another one of his friends at risk.