If You Go Down in the Woods Today by L.M. Brown
A male/male paranormal romance
There
was a bitter chill to the October air that Dave hadn't felt yet this autumn. The
unseasonably warm September had ended and the cooler weather appeared to have
finally arrived. Bundled up against the wind, Dave called for Nipper to come
out of hiding from under the sofa.
"You're
definitely a fair weather dog, aren't you?" he teased as he tried to
entice his year old Labrador with one of his favourite dog biscuits. Nipper's
head emerged just long enough to grab the treat from his fingers before retreating
back out of reach.
"You're
coming for your walk," Dave informed the dog sternly. "Just a quick
run round the park and then we'll come home."
Nipper
gave him a look that clearly said he didn't see the point when he was perfectly
happy right where he was.
Two
biscuits later and Dave finally managed to persuade Nipper out from his hiding
place. He put the dog on his lead and with promises of more treats and the best
spot in front of the fireplace on their return they set out towards the nearby
park.
Once
he was out of the house Nipper was an enthusiastic about his walk as ever. It
was always the same—a total trial to get him out of the door, followed by
boundless energy.
The
park was fairly deserted when they arrived. The kids who had hung out there
during the warm summer months were mostly absent and only the really committed
joggers were doing their daily circuit of the lake. Dave strolled round the
edge of the water, Nipper straining at his lead to chase after the ducks.
"This
way, boy," Dave chided. "They
don't want to play with you."
About
half way round the lake Dave came to the place where the path veered off in two
directions, one continuing round the lake, and the other heading into the
trees. The shade of the trees had always been a welcome relief from the hot
summer sun and Dave had got into the habit of taking that particular route when
walking Nipper. Even though the summer was over, Dave encouraged Nipper away
from the lake, even as he told himself he was not looking for a certain tall,
dark and handsome man who walked his own Collie at just this time of day.
Sure
enough, they were only a short distance away from the lake when Dave spotted
the Collie, and his owner just a few feet behind him, both heading in Dave's
direction.
Dave
had always hesitated to let Nipper off the lead so near to the lake and today
was no exception. He suspected that as soon as he gained his freedom, the
little rascal would be diving into the water and frightening the ducks to
death. They were almost level with the handsome Collie owner when Nipper's lead
snapped and the dog made his break for freedom.
"Nipper,
come back!" Dave called, but Nipper ignored him. Dave wondered why he had
spent so much time and money on obedience classes. Nipper seemed perfectly
capable of following commands, but only when he wanted to.
Dave
watched it horror as Nipper enthusiastically jumped at the Collie, eager to
make friends. For a few brief seconds Dave thought it was an ideal opening for
him to make conversation with the man who had caught his attention on so many
walks through the park. Then he saw the man's furious expression and quickly
re-thought.
"Don't
worry, he's perfectly friendly," Dave assured him. "He's never bitten
anyone."
The
man scowled at him as he tried to pull the Collie away. "You shouldn't let
dogs off the lead if you don’t have control over them."
"I
didn't," Dave replied. "The lead snapped."
The
man clearly didn't like being contradicted and he tried again to step away. Unfortunately,
Nipper was underfoot and his broken lead was tangled around the Collie's lead.
"Get
away!" the stranger snapped.
Nipper
ignored him and Dave watched in horror as the man moved as though he was going
to kick the Labrador out of the way.
"Nipper,
come," Dave shouted, and this time Nipper obeyed him immediately. He ran
straight to Dave, who was crouched down ready to grab hold of the broken lead.
He
tied the two parts of the lead together as best he could and glared at the
Collie owner. Any attraction he had ever felt towards the man had vanished with
his vile attitude.
Dave
opened his mouth to give the man a piece of his mind. His words died on his
lips as he watched the Collie strain at its own lead, hard enough to pull the
man off of his feet and straight into the mud. Dave managed not to laugh,
though it was a struggle. Then he heard the distinct sound of a giggle coming
from the trees behind him.
"Think
this is funny, do you?" the stranger snarled. "This is Armani."
Privately
Dave wondered who the hell would go walking the dog in such an expensive suit. Then
he heard the laughter again. It was definitely coming from behind him, but when
he turned round there was no one in sight.
Nipper
had heard the sound too. He pulled at Dave's hold and shot off into the trees,
his lead trailing behind him. "Nipper!"
"Well,
aren't you going to help me up?" the stranger demanded.
Dave
ignored him as he hurried after Nipper. The unpleasant man could get to his
feet on his own. Nipper was Dave's only concern. The last thing he heard was
threats of cleaning bills as he scrambled to find his errant dog.
He
tripped over tree roots, caught his scarf on a branch and twisted his ankle
sharply when he stepped into a pot hole. The sound of laughter seemed to be all
around him and he began to wonder whether he was chasing the laughter or
Nipper.
He
caught sight of Nipper through the trees and quickened his pace as best he
could. "Nipper, come back here!"
It
seemed as though he'd been chasing after Nipper for hours when he finally
caught up with the mischievous animal. He'd had no idea there were so many
trees in the park. Unless he'd been chasing round in circles, which was
certainly a possibility, the park was far bigger than he had ever given it
credit for.
The
canopy of leaves above him was a beautiful array of gold and orange, with just
a hint of green, the last lingering trace of summer, before autumn's grasp was
complete.
Nipper
barked and tugged against Dave's grip again, but this time Dave was ready for
him and he didn't escape. Dave looked back over his shoulder to see what had
caught the dog's attention and his jaw dropped in shock.
The
man standing before him was like no one he had ever seen before. His long hair
was the colour of the autumn leaves, neither entirely golden nor entirely red,
but every colour between. His eyes were green and held the spark of amusement
as he studied Dave and Nipper. Even more unusual was the man's tattoos, all
vines and leaves, stretching over his entire body in an intricate pattern. Like
his hair and the woods around them, the tattoos were autumnal in their design
and colour.
The
most unusual thing about the man, however, was that he was standing in the
middle of the trees on a chilly October day wearing nothing but a smile.
Dave
blinked owlishly, wondering if he was imagining things. Nipper gave a bark and
tried to run towards the naked man and Dave realised he wasn't a figment of his
imagination.
"You
can let the dog go," the man said in a quiet voice. "He'll come to no
harm here. All creatures are safe in my woods."
"Your
woods?"
The
man nodded and placed his hand on the trunk of the nearest tree. A squirrel
scampered down the branches and onto his arm. It waited until the man produced
some seeds—from Dave couldn't imagine where—then scurried off again with its
prize.
"How
did you do that?" Dave whispered.
"The
creatures know me, and they know I mean them no harm."
Dave
wasn't entirely sure he agreed with them. This man was the strangest being he
had ever seen in his life, and it wasn't just because of his lack of clothes. Dave
shivered and tried not to let his gaze wander below the man's waist. Nope, it
was no good, he had to look.
The
light spattering of hair across the sculpted chest tapered down across his
abdomen. The man's cock, long and thin, jutted out from the red and gold curls.
Dave licked his lips. Now he was looking at the other man's erection he
couldn't seem to stop. From the obvious twitching it appeared the man wasn't
bothered by his frank appraisal.
"Who
are you?" Dave asked, finally
looking the man in the eye again.
"I'm
Leif, the one who brought you here," the man replied.
"Brought
me here? I just followed Nipper when he ran off on me."
"And
Nipper was searching for me," Leif explained. "I called you here,
summoned you into my woods."
"I
was already in the woods."
"Your
woods, not mine."
"Huh?"
Leif
smiled as he stepped closer. "Look around you—closely mind—and tell me
what you see."
Dave
did as Leif suggested. "Trees, bushes, the sky, nothing unusual."
"Look
again."
Dave
wasn't sure what he was supposed to be looking for, but he scanned the area,
hoping to see whatever it was Leif wanted him to. Try as he might, he couldn't
see anything out of the ordinary, except for the naked Leif of course. Then
suddenly he saw something, just a flicker at the very edge of his field of
vision.
"What
was that?"
"A
fairy."
"You're
kidding!"
"No.
They are drawn to places were magic has been performed, like here."
Dave's
stomach flipped uneasily. "What do you mean?"
"I
opened a portal between our worlds. When you entered the woods you were in your
world, now you're in mine."
Dave
had heard enough. "This is ridiculous. Come on Nipper, we're going
home."
Leif
didn’t try to stop him from walking away and Dave walked swiftly in the
direction he had come. Fairies and magic,
yeah, right.
He
had only been walking a few minutes when he saw Leif leaning against a tree
directly ahead of him. Dave carried on walking straight past him. It wasn't
until he arrived back with Leif for the third time that the strange man spoke.
"You'll
always return to me," Leif said. "These are my woods and the portal I
created to bring you here has closed. I won't be able to re-open it for another
year."
"What?"
Leif
didn't so much as flinch in the face of Dave's anger. "I've been watching
you for a while now, waiting until the time was right to bring you to me."
"What
are you, some sort of stalker?"
Leif
frowned in confusion. "I don't know this word, stalker, but I'm a wood nymph."
"Excuse
me?"
"A
wood nymph. I'm sure you've heard of us in your world."
"Aren't
they supposed to be female?"
Leif
shot him a look of annoyance. "The nymphs of your world all came from
here. Only a handful of females chose to cross over to your world permanently. You'll
find in this world that nymphs come in both sexes."
"And
you think you're one of these nymphs?"
"I
am one. This is my wood, or at least
it is the wood I'm charged with caring for."
Dave
had heard enough. "How do I get out of your wood? How do I return
home?"
Leif
sighed. "I already told you, the portal is closed for another year. Your
home is with me now."
"This
is ridiculous!"
"You'll
be perfectly safe here."
"Says
my kidnapper."
Leif
had the grace to look guilty. "I thought you'd want to come here. I've
seen your joy when you walk through the woods. I've watched you take pleasure
in spending time with nature. I've seen the way your eyes followed the
other man these last weeks. You desire other men."
Dave
snorted a humourless laugh. "Definitely a stalker."
Leif
stepped closer. "I saw the way you looked at me as well. You could not
hide your lust."
"That
doesn't mean I want to stay here. You took away my options and that makes you a
kidnapper as well as a stalker."
Leif
gave a sharp nod. "I may not know all your words, but your meaning is
clear. I'll take you to the village and you'll not see me again until one year
has passed. I'll return then to bring you back here and send you back to your
world."
Dave
didn't believe him and set off to find the park he knew once more. Only when
the sun was starting to set, and he had returned to Leif more times than he
could count, did he resign himself to the truth. He wasn't particularly happy
about Leif's plan, but it seemed he had no choice, and at least being stuck
here for a year was better than being stuck here forever.
* * * *
The
village was old fashioned and like something out of a story book. There was no
sign of electricity wires or telephone cables. The roads were dirt tracks and
although the clothing worn by the people wandering around was quite modern, there
was still a quaintness about the place that made Dave feel as though he had
stepped into another time.
Dave
and Nipper were greeted by the locals with warmth and a touch of reverence. He
suspected the latter was because he had arrived with Leif, who was clearly
adored by the villagers, who went out of their way to ensure he had everything
he needed. Dave tried to ignore the heat in Leif's eyes as he assured the
people he had everything he wanted. Only Dave could detect the lie.
He
watched with trepidation as the wood nymph vanished back into the trees. He had
to fight the urge not to run after him.
When
Leif had disappeared from sight Dave turned to look around the village, the
place that would be his home for the next year. It was as far as you could get
from his comfortable modern house in the middle of the bustling town. He had no
idea what he was going to do for the next twelve months.
* * * *
As
it happened, Dave had no problems keeping himself busy during his time in the
village. There was always work to be done and never enough people to do it. There
were fields to be harvested, animals to be fed and cared for and repairs to buildings
to be done. Every extra pair of hands to help meant the job was done that
little bit sooner.
Nipper
settled into life in the village just as easily as Dave. There were other dogs
in the village, but they were all working dogs. Nipper on the other hand was
simply spoilt rotten by everyone who met him. Dave did suggest training Nipper
to be more useful, but the children wouldn't hear of it. Instead he wandered
from house to house, earning treats and cuddles by the dozen. Dave suspected
Nipper wouldn't want to return home with him when the time came.
Dave
tried to push such thoughts out of his mind as soon as they entered. He was a
little scared at how quickly he had settled into life in the village. Even more
terrifying was the thought that this world was starting to feel like home.
* * * *
The
days stretched into weeks, and the weeks into months. The autumn leaves fell
and the land became a barren winter landscape. The villagers had enough food
stockpiled to last them through the winter. Dave tried not to recall the news
reports about the bad harvests that were being experienced, and how this was
another piece of proof that he was no longer a part of the world he had grown
up in.
The
icy grip of winter held the village tight. Dave introduced Christmas to the
people and helped them celebrate the holiday in as traditional a way as
possible. He suspected some of the meaning was lost in this world without
Christianity, but the concept of gift giving was something everyone understood.
Winter's
grasp couldn't last forever and the fresh buds on the trees signalled the
arrival of spring. The days had long since started to blur together, and Dave
was surprised to find he had been there more than half a year. In all that time
he had not set eyes on Leif once. The wood nymph—he no longer had any doubt
that is what he was—kept his word that Dave would not see him. His presence was
felt in the village though, and many a villager spoke of seeing the handsome
nymph flitting between the trees when they walked through the woods. Dave's
anger at having his choices taken from him had long since gone and he started
to look out for Leif himself, but he was disappointed never to see him.
Crops
were planted, the weather became warmer and Dave was soon enjoying a summer
more glorious than any he could recall. The colours were more vibrant, the air
fresher and the sky a clearer blue than he had ever seen.
Dave
no longer lied to himself about wishing to return home. He was happy and
content in the village. He wasn't sure when he had realised it, but at some
point in the last ten months he had come to accept that this was his home and he
had no wish to return the one he had once known. He had everything he wanted
here, or almost.
* * * *
As
the summer drew to a close Dave found himself looking at the leaves. He
searched for the tell-tale signs of autumn's arrival, the slight chill to the
air, and the golden and amber canopy of leaves to return.
He
even admitted to himself that it wasn't so much the autumn he was eager to see,
but Leif. He knew the wood nymph would keep his word and return as he had
promised. Dave never doubted this. All he had to do was wait just a little
longer.
* * * *
Dave
woke early and knew today was the day. He wasn't sure how he knew, but
something in his gut told him he was right.
Nipper,
who had never really got rid of the habit of hiding under pieces of furniture,
refused to come out when coaxed, but Dave left him there, knowing he would
emerge when he was hungry. Dave knew he wasn't going to go back to his world
today. His decision had been made a long time ago. Nipper could stay under the
bed. He wasn't going anywhere either.
Dave
dressed quickly and walked out towards the woods. Village life started early
and there were already many people up and about their morning chores. He waved
to each of them as he passed. They were his neighbours and friends now.
The
woods were the same as Dave recalled. He had not entered them since Leif had
left him in the village. He wasn't sure why, though a large part of the reason
was because he had been so busy, with little time for idle walks in the woods. Today
was different though. Today was the day when he would finally have everything
he'd ever wanted, or at least he hoped so.
He
hadn't been walking for long when he saw Leif ahead of him, sitting back
against a sturdy Oak tree. The wood nymph looked just the same as a year ago. This
time Dave didn't look at him as though he were crazy. He looked at him with the
eyes of a man who had learned to truly appreciate nature and all that it
encompassed.
"Are
you ready?" Leif asked as he gracefully rose to his feet.
Dave
nodded and stepped closer. He didn't need to say anything. Leif wasn't asking
about returning him home and they both knew it. Dave had dressed quickly before
leaving the house, throwing on a shirt and trousers and slipping into his
shoes. With so little material to get rid of he was as naked as Leif in a
matter of seconds.
Leif
smiled and held out his hand for Dave to take. His flesh was warm, almost hot
to the touch, despite the chill of the air. Dave thought nothing of leaving his
clothes behind in a messy pile as Leif guided him deeper into the woods.
The
trees seemed to draw closer together, their branches twining together above
them, making a tunnel that seemed to stretch into infinity.
Dave
followed Leif down the tunnel until eventually it opened up into a wide
clearing.
"It's
like summer here," Dave said as he looked at the fresh green leaves of the
trees now surrounding them.
"It's
whatever I want it to be," Leif explained as he steered Dave to the very
centre of the clearing and the thick mossy mound. "As much as I love the
autumn, crispy autumn leaves do not make the most comfortable beds."
As
Dave sank down onto the moss he had to agree with that.
"Why
me?" he asked as Leif sat down beside him.
Leif
didn't reply with words. He eased Dave back onto the floor and kissed him
deeply and thoroughly. Dave could feel the nymph's erection hard against his
thigh and his own cock, which had been a little too cold to show any interest
until now, rose in response to Leif's touch.
Dave
thought nothing about the fact that they were in the middle of the woods, where
anyone could see them. As someone who had always enjoyed a few creature
comforts he was surprised at how much he didn't care about them right now. All
that mattered was Leif and the way he made him feel.
Leif
pulled back from the kiss and drew in a shaky breath. "If we do this, it's
forever," he whispered. "It can't be undone."
"I
know. I want this. I want you."
"You
don't understand. Wood nymphs are immortal as are those they take as their
mates. Spilling my seed inside you will seal your fate."
Dave
nodded. "I understand and I want you to do it."
"Once
you are bound to me you can never return home."
Dave
reached up and brushed his hands through Leif's hair before pulling him down
for a brief kiss. "I am home,
Leif."
When
the wood nymph came a short while later, buried deep within him, Dave felt the
truth of his words more than ever. There was a lot he didn't know about his new
lover, and no doubt a lot Leif had to learn about him. Yet Dave felt content in
the knowledge that they had a lifetime to get to know each other and an
eternity in which to love.
The End
You can download the collection of short stories that this one is from at Silver Publishing.
