The Nexus

It was a cool misty morning, quiet all but the sound of the forests inhabitants and the bubbling of a brook in the distance, the ground was covered with a new fallen snow untouched.

The silence was shattered by the sound of a hart, barley old enough to have antlers of his own, as he clamoured and ran clumsily through the woods, an arrow was lunged in his side where a man beast had got him, and in his primal fear he ran, the man beasts had hunted his kind since the dawn of time, and they were not the only ones, and some of them could sneak up on you in a matter of moments, ending you before they knew they were there.

But he had been lucky, he'd smelt the stank of the beast a split second before he'd felt the pang of his flying fangs striking into him. But he was lost and far from those he had grown with, the snow was blinding as the great light of the sky peeked it's head up as it did every day, and the cold he could feel settling into him where it never had before. He collapsed finally laying there in the misty air, his breathing shuddered and he knew it would only moments before the blackness came.

The air was silent once more, quietness that vibrated in his ears, it was then that the silence was broken once more as the oddest most beautiful sound he had ever heard began to play. "Sleeping forest, dreamy meadow... where my mother came for me~ The sweetest sound she'd given, as she lay me in the trees~ Don't you weep child for the sun sets for both, you and meee." She was beautiful, at first he thought she was in the shape of the man beast, but nothing but comfort filled him as he gaed upon her, she had more of a look of the elves, who were kind to him, but he knew by looking upon her that all would be well.

The sounds of harps continued as the lady sat beside him, her fingers touching the wound where he had been struck, as his neighbors soon came, drawn by the beautiful harps, and the lady who sung to him.

Tine had been taking a nap as a tree. She was an odd looking thing when she slept as bark crept over all of her features instead of the few it resided on in her waking ours. People who cam across a sleeping dryad were often called to it by the strange, peaceful face that seemed to be carved or grown into the wood. But Tine was not sleeping long as something rushed past her with a sense of impending doom. She did not like the feel of it and the bark shivered away so the dryad could move.

She caught the tail of the poor beast disappearing around a tree trunk and began to move after it. The dryad didn't really run, but dug her root like feet into the ground and once set they pulled her through the dirt with ease so she was almost gliding through the forest. The hart was not far ahead of her, but the sound of something sweet and soothing struck her ears and she slowed her advance to see what it could be. She crept up, placing her hands on a trunk and peering around it in case the sound was a trap... but she somehow thought not.

A maiden! A beautiful elf maid, it seemed! The elves were no strangers to her and she decided to come out and greet the woman when she noticed the poor deer in her lap. Tine stepped out, the root toes digging into the dirt and pulling out with each step. "The poor thing," she murmured as the out pooring of animals gather to the woman. A yellowy liquid dribbled from the corner of her eye and she wiped at it, only resulting in a smear of sap on her cheek.

Letala knelt the rest of the way into the snow, the snow beneath her melted away and soon flowers were bloomed around her, "Shh" she said to the hart as her hand wrapped around the arrow, she pulled it out and the deer groaned. "Shh I know.." she said, her head swung around the red of her hair sticking out in the scenery and against her own skin which almost matched the snow they were surrounded by.

"Oh hello.." she said a small smile forming on her lips. "My friend has been struck with an arrow it seems.." She saw the tears of sap streaming from the dryad's face, Letala thought she was an interesting thing to see, "Do not weep, he will live come" she removed her hand from the deer's wound reaching for Tine's "Come cover his injury with me... we shall sing a song for him." a snow bird landed atop Letala's head to gather a better view she seemed to not even notice. "You will be better soon." she said as if it were a fact. the harps continued to play quietly as if from no where.

Tine's head dropped to the side at the woman, who claimed the hart would live, though it was stuck through. She wanted to believe that, but the way of things told her otherwise. She knelt beside Letala, her knees creaking like branches in the wind.

"You are a healer, elf maid?" She didn't look skeptical, just excited. She had not seen a healer work in some time and she herself could only heal the earth and it's growth.

Letala pressed both of their hands into the wound, the harts blood contrasting with the paleness of her own flesh. "I am many things." she said, as she let out a low sweet hum. She gave a sweet smile to Tine.

She kept a sweet melodic hum going, as the harps picked up again, and other instruments played as well, seemingly from deep in the forest to surround them with divine music. Letala rubbed her thumb over tine's and sang in an odd language, one whose words would not make sense, but the meaning still could be felt, warm and comforting. It was then that Letala moved her hand to show that the hart's wound had been healed completely... she sat back her hands bloody but even with that she gently ran a hand over the face of the deer. "Sleep.. you will be fine after a good rest." she looked down at her hands now, as much of this as she'd seen in her existence, it was still an odd thing to have on you. "Many call me Letala.." she said her green eyes landing on the dryad "But you may call me what you wish."

"I shall call you whatever you wish, healer! You saved him!" She gave Letala a hug without thinking and she was oddly warm and hard to the touch. She pulled back and smiled wide and true.

"You are a miracle!" She bent to give the hart a kiss on the head and then looked around to all the wildlife. The forest was alive with Letala's presence and it made Tine's heart sore. She reached out to of the smaller animals and some of the birds gathered might even hop onto her antlers which looks like living tree what with the leaves growing and all.

Letala gave a modest nod "I only did what any would, had they the ability." She gave Tine a look over, the dryad was interesting to look at, and to Letala's eyes, was much like a guardian of the forest. "Is this your home?" she asked as Tine hugged her and she returned the hug. She looked around their surroundings, then took a few steps around in a circle to get a better look at things, the bird atop her head had nested down in her hair as if to keep warm. "It's very beautiful." Letala complimented, kneeling down to gather up a tiny white hare as it came to her feet.

"Oh My, Hector what are you doing here?" She asked the rabbit as she placed it on her shoulder so that the rabbit she thought she knew would be able to ride around worry free.

"I wish I had it! The forest animals would be so happy wherever I went!" She gave a far off look as if imagining herself wandering the forest healing the sick and injured.

"It is my home for now. I like to travel, see all the forests I can." She beamed at Letala like a teenager claiming she was going to see the world before growing up. The Dryad's cheeks flushed a deep grin. "I do my best to keep the forest in tip top shape while I'm in it." She was glad of the praise.

"Do you know those rabbit?" She bounced up to greet Hector once he was on Letala's shoulder.

Letala spun around, looking the forest over. "Oh my well I think you do a fantastic job of seeing to the forests.. I like to see all of them I can as well... there are many interesting things one can come across.." She looked down at her rabbit, this rabbit was not one she had ever seen in her life... but "Yes he's a tricky little thing... he always shows up where ever I am at..He's a very good friend of mine." she smiled and the rabbit twitched her nose, and Letala made a slight gasp "Hector! that's supposed to be a secret!" she said as if he had just told on her.

She blushed "Sorry.." he eyes landed down on the Deer "Do you think the thing that attacked out friend is still in these woods?"

Tine was just beyond delighted for the compliment. She vibrated with excitement and the branches on her head seemed to wiggle. Tine's eyes fell on the rabbit again and she resisted the urge to reach out and touch the fluffy ball of adorable. "I make a lot of friends in my forests, but never one that follows me everywhere!" She obviously didn't think it weird that the rabbit might follow Letala everywhere.

She giggled at Letala's interaction with the rabbit, but grew more somber when the shooters were mentioned. "They very well might be. And I should give them a piece of my mind!"

Letala laughed “Oh well that is good, at least they have their own lives… Hector.. he’s followed me since the dawn of time.. I don’t mind though, He is interesting enough, if a bit mean..” The rabbit twitched it’s nose again, and Letala set him atop her head, to the dismay of the bird that had nestled there, it chirped angrily, before moving down to sit on her shoulder.

“As would I” Letala could tell the difference between a hunt for food, like many many did, and a hunt for sport. And this one she felt was a hunt for sport, and that could not be justified.. there was a circle of survival, and things should be in order, but killing for the sake of killing was never justified. “Let us find them… and let them know how displeased we are with them.” Her eyes twinkled, as if she might have more in store for them than just a stern talking to.

Tine admired the rabbit a little longer, her head tilting to one side as she did. Then Letala was gearing up to find these hunters and Tine stood with a creak of her wooden body. "Let us tell them this wood is protected! We will not stand for such disrespect!" She had an oddly adorable sort of anger, the kind people would likely smile at and not take seriously.

"That is exactly what we will do!" She pulled out her harp and played a song swiftly, as a golden mist surrounded them and the sound of a horse neighing and flapping wings sounded, from behind them Letala's pegasus ran and stopped just in front of them, she was as white as the snow around them with a golden mane, golden feathers dotting her enormous wings.

Letala climbed up on the back of her steed and motioned for Tine "Come we'll fly up and see if we can see them" she held out her hand to help tine up onto mount.

Tine was mesmerized by the entire act of summoning the Pegasus. However, when Letala offered her hand, the dryad's expression looked unsure. "Fly?" She looked entirely apprehensive at the idea of her roots leaving the ground and as if unconsciously protesting, her root like toes dug into the ground again.

But Letala was such an unworldly thing to her and she was enamored by the sheer amount of things the woman could do that she'd witnessed in this short time... She didn't think that the maid would let her fall. So, cautiously and ever so slowly she climbed onto the creature and held on to Letala for dear life. It was not often a elemental of the earth left the ground.

Letala gave a reassuring smile "There is nothing to be afraid of, we'll be back on the ground any moment now, we're just going to find who attacked our friend." as soon as Tine climbed up letala smiled, and the pegasus kicked off into a gallop it's wings flapping as it flew high above the trees, way up in the sky Letala started singing again, and music seemed to follow them, birds from below flew up as well.

Letala peered down below and squinted her eyes "We should keep a look out for them, then we'll fly down and think of something to do... give them a good scare so that they will leave the forest alone." Letala was not against people hunting for food, many needed it to survive and that was the way of the world, but she knew when it was for food, and when it was for sport. And living things should never be used for sport.

She heard what Letala was saying and while she believed every word of it, her oak heart was beating faster than she cared to admit. When they took off she closed her eyes and squeaked. Her fingers grew longer and she clutched Letala as if any moment she might plummet to her death. But after a few moments of weightlessness, Tine relaxed her grip. Besides, she'd latched her feet together under the belly of the animal.

"This... This isn't so bad... This is pretty amazing!" She had finally opened her eyes and she was getting a view most creatures never have of the forest. The birds around them made her giggle and she tried to reach out to one. But after the initial awesomeness of the flight wore off a bit, she remembered she was supposed to be on the look out for people in the forest.

Letala was enjoying herself thoroughly as well, and glad to have some company with her as they flew. Her eyes scanned down among the trees, looking for any movement... something caught her eyes and the pegasus came to a slow. Letala pointed down.

"There.." she whispered, like they could actually hear them this far up. "We need to think of something to do... once we get down there..." she gave a shifty look. "Oh! we should turn them into harts, and hunt them!" she put her hand over her mouth "Oh but we should just scare them... make it where we wont actually kill them... just make them think twice about hunting our friends.... what do you think?"

Tine held onto Letala again as the pegasus slowed. She was afraid the jarring meant she was being dropped off. But when the animal didn't lose her she released the woman's dress a fraction. "Oh!" She said as Letala pointed out the figures. She covered her mouth as Letala had been whispering and she thought she should as well. The dryad looked just as surprised as the Goddess at her hart suggestion.

"I think that sounds like a better plan than hunting them. Perhaps... I can make the tree scare them?"