Chapter Text
The beast of spring, it wanders through the lands on four legs and protects the spring court from all threats. That is the beast's purpose, to protect the spring court and its citizens or what's left of it. The locals don't see it often, yet they never fear it. They recognise it even as its golden fur had slowly became dirty with dirt and dried blood becoming more and more brownish in colour. They recognise the beast by its green eyes that seemed to be more and more wild as days goes by. They recognise its wolf like head, lion like mane and stag like antlers that seem to be growing like trees. The people of spring recognise it but the beast was confused. Why did they call it "my lord" , "lordship" or "lord Tamlin". The beast didn't understand them, maybe it could a long time ago but it didn't have a past. It was just the beast. Nothing more. Still the beast didn't understand why do some of them look at him with sadness in their eyes or pity. The beast didn't like it.
When the never ending greenery of spring began changing into brown the beast was confused. It rarely saw, it was sure of it. The beast was at the forest in the middle of the hunt when it noticed the first leaves from the trees began to wither away. It was weird, the beast bapped the fallen leaf curiously a few times before it started to run along spring with glee. It's large body creating a slight breeze as it ran around. The beast enjoyed it, the crunch of leaves under its heavy paws, the feel of its filled belly after a hunt and the feel of grass under it as it napped.
Days passed had passed when green turned brown.The beast didn't think, especially seeing so many fae calling him lord or lordship today as he ran. It didn't stop thinking of the golden eye ginger however, why was he so sad, why did he kept calling him "tam". Why did it hurt his heart to hear that name. Why?
Some days the beast would wake up to small faeries flying around its body, feeling them hide in its fur and only going away when the beast began to move.
Some days, the beast remembered its purpose. It hated those days, knowing it had to run to the border to the red land of fallen leaves. It hated hearing the screams of fae in armour as it tore their limbs as threats. The soldiers would run, some would try to pierce its furred body but failed. It hated the old fae. "Why won't you just yield." It remembered the old fae spoke in an annoyed tone. He felt sadness seeing the younger ginger beside him. He didn't understand why the red head would visit it but he wasn't a threat not like the fae in armour or the older fae. The younger one reminded him of someone else. The beast didn't like it when the older fae would berate or scold the younger one.
The lands began to grow cold, more trees became leafless and two fae would appear most. The fae who kept calling him tam. It liked him, he'd bring food and pat his head. "Please turn back tam." He'd say constantly and sometimes he'd sleep hugging him before disappearing.
"How long are you going to stay like this," a voice whispered in its head. The shadowy fae was close eyes violet. The beast walked to him and starred down at him. The beast licked his face and watched as the shadowy fae groan and rub his face. "Really?!" He shouted and the beast would let out a gruff laugh before walking away. The shadow man was nice sometimes bringing warm food. Mostly the beast hates his voice in its mind. The shadow man tried to pat him but the beast would always try to lick his face.
Days would past, the beast wanders through the land and made sure the fae in armour didn't get near. It knew they were bad. It stayed vigilant even as the land was covered in snow and even as the snow thinned leaving cold days. The land was slowly becoming warm again and the beast wandered to the forest to the south. It doesn't go here often but the beast wanted to eat. It sniffed the air and stopped. Rot and soil, it didn't like that scent but why did smell so familiar.
The beast sniffed the air it's eyes focusing as tried to find the familiar scent. It stopped when it reached a place where a noticeable line could be seen separating the two forest like a wall that disappeared. The beast stepped forward and continued to sniff until it found it. A rotting corpse of a wolf. It shouldn't care but as it pressed its snout to it remembered. Andras?
No! No! No! He didn't want to remember, please he didn't want to. Please. Please. It hurts.
The wind howled and the empty branches seemed to reach out to the beast. It roared and ran away. It didn't want this. It didn't want to remember. The beast tried to escape the forest, the flood of memories reaching it reaching him and the pain stabbing it's chest but the land wants him back.
A plant encircled his leg stopping him from moving. Storms rage and the ground shook as the beast roared as more and more plants encircled him, wrapping him like second skin. The memories it wanted gone returning.
His horrible father. His brothers he wanted to love. Mother. Why couldn't she save him. The warband. His friends. His people. Lady night and her daughter. They didn't deserve to die. His mother didn't deserve to die. Her, amarantha. The mask. Please don't make me send you out.Please please please please please. I don't want to hurt my people. Lucien Please tell me there's another way. It hurts. It hurts why did I felt them die. Lucien it hurts. It hurts. It hurts. Hyberns armies. Shouldnt trusted her. She brought them. Fight. It hurts. They're dying. They're dying. Keep fighting. KEEP FIGHTING. Save who you can. It hurts. Save them tamlin. It hurts. I can feel them die. MY CHEST HURTS. THEY'RE DEAD AND ITS YOUR FAULT.
The storm raged on and the night felt restless as the beast remember what it tried to run away from what he wanted to forget. Those in who stayed or those who cannot leave could only watch yet they all felt it. The burst of magic originating from the south of spring. Those who dared venture there could only make out the darkness and through the flashes of lightning they saw it. A monster.
It's body large enough it poked through the tallest trees. Some saw antlers. Some spoke of dragon wings. A few saw large bird wings. One thing the people of spring had in common, they all heard it. A horrible roar that sounded like a chorus of voices, who's scream were filled with so much anguish.
The spring court suffered a horrible storm that night yet when morning came what's left was a pile of sticks and petals in the middle of it all was the high lord of spring. A broken thing, shirtless and thin yet somewhat muscular frame only wearing a torn pair of breeches.
Tamlin panted laying on his chest eyes dazed as the sun rose behind him. Tamlin was in so much painand yet he couldn't take his eyes off the forest or the white stag that seemed to stare at him as it stood gracefully at the border. It bowed at him before turning around to disappear into the foliage. Tamlin wanted to go back. He didn't want this, to be high lord, to be something he shouldn't have ever been but he couldn't shift back.
Tamlin groaned as he put one hand on the ground then the other to push himself up. Shakily the lord of spring stood and looked down at the greening grass. He looked the south forest and began limping towards it like a newborn foal. The wall was gone he reminded himself. He could get the bodies of his sentries, his friends and finally set them to rest. They deserve that at least.