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The heavy beat of hooves against soil plodded along in the quiet, morning fog of the forest. The torso of a man breached easily through the branches, thanks to his muscular lower half that marched through even the thickest bushes with ease. He smiled and hummed to himself, only stopping to pause in confusion when he heard the soft, distant noise of what sounded like a child crying… He flicked his tail and immediately started trying to meander his way through the brush, his hoofsteps a little quieter as he attempted to find the source of the noise. He halted abruptly when he found himself looking down at a very very small figure, not even barely coming up to his knee. It was a child- with the biggest, teary green eyes he’d ever seen. The little boy gave a startled gasp when he saw the massive centaur, before starting to cry out of fright again. It seemed like he would run, but his legs buckled and he fell over, weakly starting to sob into the moss instead. He was a frail little thing, with dirty blond hair, a pair of frazzled antennae, and irritated, nicked patches on his neck and arms…it occurred to him that this must be the smallest fairy he’d ever come across- let alone that he’d never seen any kind of fairy before. They were usually secluded…but this poor little one…there was a tight leather harness on his back, cruelly crushing the feather soft wings on his back- by the way they were limply hanging, it didn’t look like they’d ever been free…his heart panged with empathy and he quickly knelt on his front legs, scooping up the small creature into his arms as gingerly as he could. To his surprise and dismay, the child was so exhausted he’d fainted on the ground, limply allowing himself to be tucked and cradled into his satchel. Al made sure the fairy was secure before quickly setting off to his little hut, determined to nurse the boy back to health..

Though he’d left his home with plenty of errands to run, Al seemed just as happy to return without completing a single one. He stopped momentarily on his march homewards to adjust the sleeping child so the faint breeze could roll across his forehead and keep him cool. Satisfied, he gave a happy snort and continued trotting through the moss, being careful to not stamp on any unsuspecting woodland creature. Not that he had to worry about that; this was his part of the woods, and all the wildlife knew him well. Cardinals chirped upon seeing him, and the few grazing deer he passed didn’t so much as flinch, despite his enormous appearance.

Just as the sun burnt up the last of the thick fog, he came over a hill to reveal a fallen tree at the very bottom of a grassy valley. Not a tree like any other in this forest or indeed this world, as it stood so wide five Al’s could stand comfortably inside, and so tall one got the feeling that if it hadn’t fallen and rotted away it would have scraped the sky. But even the house-sized portion that remained was enough to inspire wonder. The warmth of the sun must have woken the little boy up, because suddenly a tiny arm pointed down at the massive trunk.

“That?” Al noticed, looking down at the sleepy, not quite fully awake, face of the boy with a smile. “That’s my home. Lots of stories around it, but Some say a witch cursed the tree to make it grow so tall! And some say this forest used to be a land of giants, with animals and trees to match. Some even think I’m descended from them!.” He let out a hearty laugh, stomping a foot. The boy, rather than looking amused, looked up at Al with a hesitant sort of mistrust. He pointed back at the tree, then up at him. It took him a moment, but eventually he got the message, and just grinned his biggest grin yet (which was saying something). “Me? A giant? I’m not that big, am I?” He laughed again, and the little boy seemed rather uncertain on how to deal with the sound. It was loud and thundering, but also very joyful and kind. “No, not me I’m afraid. But even if I was, you’re MUCH too cute of a little bug to gobble up!” The boys eyes widened in fright and he made a sudden attempt to scramble out of the snatched. “Woah! It was only a joke!” Al exclaimed in surprise, and grabbed his little arm to hold him steady. Frightened even more, the boy thrashed until he slipped out of the mans grip and landed in the long, spongy grass.

“You’re going to eat me!” The boy cried in the softest, most distraught voice imaginable. Al held out his arms with an exasperated look.

“No I’m not!” He protested, his brows lowering in concern. He tried to reach down but the boy was kicking so much he couldn’t grab him. The boy only nodded ferociously and covered his eyes. They stayed covered until he heard receding hoofbeats, and even then, he refused to open them. It was like maybe if he closed his eyes long enough, he would wake up and this would all be a dream. Until he smelled something—something good—and he lifted his head up off the ground. It was coming from the treehouse. The door was left open, letting the wonderful smell and the sound of Al’s humming float out into the air. One of Al’s ears perked upon hearing the grass outside rustle. Nonchalantly, not even giving a glance to the door, he walked over and placed a big wooden cup on a very low shelf, fully visible in the doorway. Then he walked away, as if this was intentional and he was unaware of his own surroundings.

The smell was even closer now. A painful rumble clenched the boys stomach up and made him whimper a little. He waited a moment…then crept forward. He could still hear the humming, and could see Al’s back legs, but the man didn’t seem to notice him. So he waited another moment, and crept forward again…and again.. until finally, he hoisted himself up over the doorstep. Even quieter now, he shuffled on his knees over to the shelf, and took the cup in his hands. Stretching his neck, he dipped his chin inside and took the tiniest sip. It was warm and thick and sweet, and immediately made him realize how terribly hungry he was. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around it, and despite it probably being half his weight, hoisted it up towards his mouth. Immediately, it’s entire contents spilled all down his face and chest and the cup engulfed his head. He burst out in a fit of choked coughing, which turned to panic as he saw Al turn around. Jumping in fright, he threw the cup down and started staggering towards the door. “Wait!” Al called after him, “I have another one here!” He held out another wooden mug of the same, sweet smelling substance. The boy faltered for a moment, but the howling in his stomach overcame his fear, and he very slowly crept forwards. Al smiled, got down on his knees, then laid on his heavy side. He brought out a cloth when the boy got closer, and started to wipe all the warm milk off of his face. He squirmed in protest at first, but was too set on reaching up for the second cup to properly resist. Al held the cup very firmly in his hands, only tipping it enough to let the boys lips rest in the very brim, despite how desperately his little arms tried to pull it closer. Al felt a rush of affection make his face warm as he watched the boys eyelids grow heavy with each gulp he took. He finished off the whole mug with a loud hiccup, and Al wiped the last dribble of milk from his chin.

“Sleepy?” He asked kindly. The boy gave a tipsy nod. Al held out his arms, which the boy practically fell into. “Lets get some rest.”

Something warm shining in his face made him stir, and the child made a muffled little sleepy sputter before his eyes flickered open, squinting in the afternoon sun. He laid there, dazed for a moment. He was warm, lying in something soft and comfy, and his stomach was full and soothed with the warm milk... he almost felt like he was in heaven. He sunk down into whatever was cushioning him, tempted to fall asleep again..

However, he suddenly startled and sat bolt upright again, remembering what had happened. His eyes darted around wildly, and he found himself on a cozy little bay window bed, piled on top of a thick, cushy blanket. It was like he was perched atop a mountain of fluff..the sun streamed in through the window and scattered onto the floor boards and walls decorated with little wood carvings and shelves for more pillows and the like. Everything was comically large in comparison to him, even the window reached far above his head. The whole place smelled like old cedar, spiced with the residue smell of that sweet milk.

He continued to look around in awe before flinching again on hearing the gentle thud of Al's familiar footsteps coming into the room. He stiffened a little, but this time he didn't move as the massive centaur came into view. He was large, but the kindness on his face shown clearly. "Well, hello there little one! Do you feel better after that nap?" He asked kindly, leaning over to put a few of the sacks of nuts and berries he'd picked while the child was asleep away in their respective shelves.

The boy hesitated, then nodded slowly, looking up at him. "....Your food was good-" He croaked sheepishly, and Al let out another booming chuckle. "Why, thank you very much! You're a smart little boy, hm? What's a kid like you doing in the woods all by yourself?" He tilted his head as he settled down next to the small bed, leveling his line of vision with the child's. The kid seemed to squirm a little at the question, breaking eye contact and looking at his feet. “…I ran away-“ He whispered, almost ashamed. “..I was hungry all the time- and nobody would listen and they always grabbed me and cut all over the place—even when I said stop-“ He pouted and covered his neck with his hands subconsciously, and Al’s eyebrow dropped a little in pity. “One time they forget to tie my hands up—and I ran away- cause I was really really hungry-“ He held out his wrists, displaying the inset bruises, then hesitated and drew them back, a look of fear reappearing in his eyes. “Please don’t take me back—I don’wanna go back—” “Hey- hey, it’s okay…” Al sat up a little, reassuring him in a soft, soothing voice. “Don’t worry- I’m not gonna make you go back anywhere, alright? In fact, you can even stay here! I’ll make you food whenever you’re hungry so you won’t have to go looking for it anywhere else, okay?” The kid seemed to suck on his lip a little as if thinking on his offer, then looked surprised. “…I could stay here?” He asked softly. “Well I don’t see why not! I’ll even make you some comfier clothes than that…potato sack with a hole in the back that you’re wearing right now, huh?” Al motioned to it, chuckling as the child perked up. “And…you’re not gonna eat me all up?” “Heavens, no! I promise, I’ve never eaten another fairy in my life and I don’t intend to do so ever.” He put a hand on his chest solemnly, and the fairy seemed relieved. “Okay- I’ll stay-“ “Great! You can call me Al, if you like. What’s your name, little guy?” He beamed happily, the corners of his eyes crinkling up with joy. To his surprise however, the child just shrugged, making an indiscernible ‘idontknow’ mumbling noise. “I don’t have any- most of anybody’s just called me rat—but I don’t really like being called that-“ He messed with his fingers in embarrassment, not meeting his eyes. Al frowned to himself, sitting back on his haunches before he snapped his fingers, making the kid flinch. “I know! I’ll call you Gailen, how about that?” “..Is that a nice name?” “It’s the *nicest* name.” “Okay—my name’s Gailen then.”