The forest felt as old as it looked. The trees were taller and thicker than castle towers, dwarfing me as I walked through them, their bark old and rough. Their branches twisted together high above me, making speckled patches of sunlight as it filtered through the leaves. Tree roots and vines twisted over the ground, ready to trip me if I was too careless. Ivy and soft green moss seemed to cover everything from the trees to the ground around my feet. There may have been paths once upon a time, but they had been covered by tree roots, old leaves, and patches of flowers and grass. Birds called softly as they fluttered around the branches above me with the squirrels.

I was dressed for a day in the woods, wearing a wool dress, leather boots, and a blue cloak to keep off the chill, the hood covering my dark hair. I had brought a basket as well, should I find any valuable plants to bring back, but I doubted I’d find any this late in the season.

The nearby villagers had told me that hardly anyone travels into the forest anymore. Some say it’s because of the old legends about the Lost being contained here, but most just thought that traveling around it was faster. I didn’t think the reason really mattered, but those old legends had intrigued me, so I had asked more about them, though many didn’t say much more than what I had already heard. They said that the gods had kept the Lost here and any who were foolish enough to wander into these trees would become one of the Lost themselves—a rather depressing view in my opinion, especially now that I was seeing how beautiful the forest was.

I had, eventually, heard one more legend about the forest, though. It was similar to the others, but in this one, the Lost weren’t the only inhabitants of the forest. There was a Guardian as well, someone who kept those lost in the forest find their way. Some of the villagers had claimed to have actually seen the Guardian themselves, but all of them described something different. Some saw an animal, like a bird or a deer who would wait for them as they walked, eventually showing them to the edge of the forest. Others said the Guardian was another traveler they had encountered, but no one ever described the same person, either.

I wasn’t sure if I really believed any of the legends, but they were enough to get me curious. So today, I had come to explore the forest myself. There was only one small problem…

I was hopelessly lost.

There were no visible paths left to follow, and there were no distinguishing landmarks that I could remember passing on my way into the forest. For a while, I thought I had found a faint trail, but it had only led me in circles. To make matters worse, the sunlight was beginning to dim as evening began to fall. So far, I hadn’t seen anything that looked dangerous here, but I still didn’t want to be stuck here after dark. So I had decided to just walk in as straight a line as I could until I found the edge.

But I think I was going deeper into the forest, not heading out of it. The branches above me wove thicker and thicker until hardly any light came through them, leaving me in the dark, damp trees. The roots were more twisted and gnarled, making it more and more likely that I would trip. Instead of birds singing, there was only an eerie wind rustling the branches that sounded like voices whispering. I shuddered and pulled my cloak around me, a sudden chill running down my spine. No wonder there’s such creepy stories about this place, I thought to myself.

“If there is some sort of guardian in this place,” I muttered, “I wouldn’t mind some directions.”

But there were no magic signposts that appeared to point my way back. The sun only got lower, and the forest got darker. I stumbled my way forward, still trying to keep to my straight line. I decided that I didn’t need to find my way completely out of the forest by nightfall. I would settle for simply getting back to where the trees and branches were less dense and twisted, though it seemed as though I would never be able to get there. I felt like I had been walking for hours, and even though the sun had only just begun to set, it was almost pitch dark, forcing me to feel my way forward to avoid running face first into a tree.

Why hadn’t I brought something to mark my way back? Like string or something to tie to twigs and branches as I walked? People knew that I was coming here to explore, but I doubted that any of them would come into the woods after me. They would probably just end up lost themselves. I stopped walking, exhausted and ready to give up.

But then, there in front of me, I could see the orange light of the sunset. I didn’t believe what I was seeing at first and rubbed my eyes. Still, when I took my hands down, the light was still there. Relief washed over me, and I hurried forward until I could clearly see where the light was coming from.

There was a clear path cut through the roots and vines, and trees seemed to form almost a tunnel over it. I began to follow the path and could soon see a clearing at the end of the trees. I felt my heart lift. Could this be it? Had I found my way out of the forest? I quickened my steps, running out into the clearing and lifting my face to the open sky. The breeze was pleasant once more, and I could hear the birds again. Once I had finished enjoying the feeling of being in the open air, I looked around to try and get my bearings.

Unfortunately, I was not completely out of the woods. The small clearing was surrounded by trees, covered in red, orange, and yellow leaves, some of which occasionally floated softly to the ground with the breeze. I was disappointed that I was still lost, but the clearing was beautiful. There was soft green grass dotted with small pink flowers, and it was fully lit by the setting sun.

In the middle of the clearing sat an old man on a tree stump. He was dressed like a traveler, with a short green cloak, a leather jerkin, and a satchel leaning against the stump. In his hand was an old but elegant walking stick with a lantern on the end. The man looked over at me as I approached, smiling under his long white beard and his eyes twinkling. Immediately, I knew that this was no ordinary traveler. I could see it in his eyes, eyes that had seen much more than most. They were ancient eyes.

“Hello, friend,” he said pleasantly. “What brings you to this forest?”

I nodded my greeting to him, then answered his question. “I had heard stories about it, so I wanted to come and see for myself if they were true.”

The old man nodded. “I see. However, it’s a bit late to be out exploring this deep in the forest. Are you headed home?”

I felt my cheeks flush slightly. “Well, yes but I…got a bit lost,” I said, again feeling my frustration at having not been better prepared for the situation.

But the man only smiled his kind smile. “Ah, I see. Nothing to be ashamed of. Many people get lost their first time in the forest,” he replied kindly. Then he sighed softly and looked around the clearing, a red cardinal flying over and perching on his shoulder. “The edge of the forest is straight through those trees on the other side of this clearing,” he continued. “There’s a small trail that will lead you through.”

“Thank you,” I said quietly, and silence lapsed between us. I suppose I could have continued on my way, but I didn’t. Something kept me here, something about this man and this clearing. I fiddled with the edge of my cloak for a moment, then I asked him, “Did you show me the path to get here?”

The man glanced over at me as he held up a small handful of seeds for the cardinal, who pecked at them politely. “In a sense. You needed help to find your way, and this seemed as good a way as any to guide you back.”

Guide me back…

“You’re the Guardian, aren’t you?” I asked softly.

The man chuckled. “So you’ve heard of me have you?” he asked. I nodded, and he smiled once again. “I see. I’m surprised anyone still thinks about me.”

I brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear. “There’s quite a few people who do,” I told him. “Some even say that they’ve seen you. That you’ve helped them.”

The man nodded, but he did not say anything. The cardinal had eaten his fill of the seeds, so the man, or rather, the Guardian scattered the rest in the grass.

“If you don’t mind my asking,” I said, “what are you doing here?” I didn’t know what it was like being the Guardian of a forest, but I had imagined something more of someone walking around the forest and searching for lost villagers and travelers, not sitting in a field and feeding birds.

The man looked out over the clearing again, though his smile wasn’t quite as happy as it had been. It seemed a bit more wistful. “I’m taking in this beautiful view,” he said. “I wanted to sit and enjoy it for one last time.”

I furrowed my brow slightly, confused. “Are you leaving?” I asked, the only reason I could think of for him to have given such an answer.

The Guardian nodded. “Leaving…that’s as good a way to explain it as any, I suppose. Yes, I am leaving. My time as Guardian has come to an end.”

I said nothing for a moment, thinking. Surely, if the Guardian was real, then the other legends were as well? The ones about the Lost and the Guardian protecting people from them?

“But,” I started, “what about the forest? You can’t just leave it. Are the Lost real, too? What will people do if you’re not here to guide them?”

The man chuckled softly again and put a kind hand on my shoulder. “I appreciate your concern, friend,” he said sincerely. “But you needn’t worry. I never said this forest would be unprotected. I have watched over and guarded for many Ages, and my time has come to rest. But another will come to take my place. That is the way of the forest.” He looked over at me. “So you have no need to fear, friend. This forest will be just as protected as it has ever been, simply under the watch of a new Guardian.”

I nodded my understanding, and he gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze, then he took hold of his walking stick and rose to his feet, his back slightly stooped. Somehow I knew that this was it, that he was leaving. And though I had only known him this little while, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of sadness form a lump in my throat.

The Guardian lit his lantern. “Remember, straight through these trees on the trail, and you will be home,” he reminded me.

I nodded. “Yes, I remember.”

The Guardian returned my nod, then he took a deep breath and faced the outer ring of trees. “Goodbye, friend,” he said, still smiling, but with an air of contentment. Then he walked away from me, leaning on his walking stick as he headed for the same trees he had pointed out to me as the way out of the forest. But he never reached the trees. A gust of wind blew by, and the Guardian seemed to melt into red and gold leaves, blowing away with the breeze into the still autumn evening.

“Farewell, Guardian,” I whispered as the last of the leaves disappeared into the sunset. “And thank you, for all you have done.”