The Old One sat at the edge of the woods, woman was straddling the on his branches, laughing and chatting merrily.

“Beast!” She noticed him and waved.

“I made a friend!” She was chipper than her usual self. She looked much, younger, livelier, and somewhat ethereal.

“Pretty creature, your company has been amusing.” Old One paid no heed to Beast. He kept chattering with the woman in his arms. “But we must part, for now, pretty creature, for the winter is harsh and the brat is anxious to have you back!”

“He will leave me secluded in that vast castle. I don’t want to go. He is the pretty bad host you know.” She pouted.

Old One's deep chuckle was heard by Beast as well.

“You look the same, brat.” Finally Old one spared him some attention. “So many suns have passed since I last saw you.”

“Immortality can do that to a creature like me, Great Old One!” Beast bowed in respect.

“Come closer, brat. Let this ancient man look at you more clearly. It’s been a quarter millennium worths of winters that I have seen you.”

“PARDON ME!!” Milah shouted. She looked at Beast and then back
at Ancient One.

“A quarter millennial?” She said again. The shock was unbearable for her. She had some impression that Beast himself was an older being but she expected few hundred years not a whole millennial. Children of Nights were heard of living longer lives but millennial was unheard of.

“Give or take few hundreds. We haven't kept a score.” Beast told her.

"Unbelievable!" Milah muttered. "You must look like a shriveled up bones."

“Ask him to remove his hood,” Milah asked of The Ancient One.

Beast visibly shuddered under his black cloak.

“I must respectfully decline, Ancient One. My appearance can terrify the lady in your arms.” Beast knelt pulling his cloak closer.

“Very well.” Old One softly let Milah down from his branches. "He is not shriveled up old man, immortality has preserved his youth well."

Beast didn't want the woman to know all about himself. 'Truly she will loathe me more than ever if she learns of my reality.' He could sense how a! used Ancient One was of the whole situation. 

"Lord Ancient One, I must request you to not speak of me to the Lady."

'Don't tell her, don't tell her anything..' Beast's mind chanted.

"Very well, brat." Ancient One stroked Milah's head as of child calling by her the name he chose for her "pretty creature".

“Pretty creature, you must retire to the castle. you are always welcome here. The forest is brightened by your presence.” Ancient One slowly strode back towards the forest, trees shifting to make way for him.

“Take her with you, brat. Take good care of  my pretty creature for me.”

Beast remained kneeled till the Ancient Spirit went back to the heart of the forest.

…….

Lady and the Beast sauntered back in solitude. Both lost in their worlds, speculating about each other. Milah wasn’t terrified of Beast anymore. She had given a reason to stay at the castle. She was entrusted by the spirit to be with Beast for this winter.

“For this winter, the pretty creature is to supervise the brat. He needs to understand that he had repented for wrongs he had done.”

Milah reflected upon those words, matching his sure strides with his hood drawn.

She wished to see Beast's face, to know what was his mind on.

The dark picturesque beauty of the forest soon turned into a barren land of the cursed land. She watched the grey sky and equally grey land. Her heart sympathizing with the one who was accursed to stay here forever for thousands of years.

“You made him your friend?” Beast enunciated. “That Lehshen?”

“Lehshen?” A term unknown to her.

“The spirit of the forest. The Ancient One, the Old One.”

“He was kind to me. Brought me ‘the forest's bounty' he called.” She told him. She gave him a warm smile and whispered, “It was just honey and some fruits.”

Beast nodded.

“Are you scared of the Lehshen?” Milah implored. “Are Lehshen suppose to be feared? Because I found him quite agreeable person…I meant spirit.”

“Ancient One is not a Lehshen in the true sense. Lehshen is forest people for skull as a head and a body of a decaying tree. Ancient One never told anyone what he truly is. Most Mages and Keepers of Supernatural considered him a Dryad or Fae but he is neither.” Beast took a moment to breathe. “Once an old Wizard called him Lehshen and he never corrected. He is a guardian. The first tree ever planted in the forest. In a sense, he is the forest. Like a King, he rules it.”

“But he is not to be feared then?” She was very interested in what he had to say. He was talking to her. After many days of solitude, an almost-human was talking to her. She intended to keep conversing with him.

“Yes and No. He is quite important. He has nature's magic. He was given the task to keep an eye on me because he holds an immense amount of power. However, he is patient, insightful, and helpful. If you don’t defy him, you find him the most kind.” Milah felt his gaze on her.

“I believe he likes you, woman,” Beast told her. “That’s the reason he asked me to take care of you.”

“He sure is something different. I never met a spirit. Mages yes, but never a spirit.”

“I have been alive for a long time, I too never met anyone like Ancient One nor heard about such.”

Both remained quiet.

Milah debated about a question hammering in her mind. She wasn’t sure if Beast will answer her question.

Beast noticed her absent-mindedness.

“Is something amiss?” He asked.

Milah didn’t answer.

“Speak up, woman. I am no mind reader.” Beast said harshly.

“I have few questions. However, I am afraid that they are inappropriate to ask.” She mumbled.

Beast a small chuckle.

“Don’t be considerate of me, woman. Inappropriate or not, we will get nowhere if we won’t talk to each other. After all, Ancient One wants me to be nice to you. He hadn’t claimed anyone as his human.” Beast said. “I will not get on his bad side.”

“Agreed.” Milah nodded.

Beast saw how her tense muscles relaxed. That woman truly was amazing in his eyes.

“so ask away, woman.”

Milah took a moment. She stepped in front of him. She held her head high and gazed upon him.

“Just what are you, Beast?”