The Dryad 13 Leafia

I was always gifted at hunting and tracking since I was a little girl. When I was young, my favorite thing to do was catch a chipmunk or rabbit and pet it for a while. The animal would always protest at first, but after a minute it would usually calm down. The other children in the village thought I was odd. They would not let me play with them and it was common for them to tease me and call me names. Their cruelty made me want to spend more time with the animals to relieve my loneliness. It was a vicious cycle, but I did not know how to do anything about it. I grew to understand animals much better than people. The animals were also much more kind.

I guess the elders must have been paying more attention to me and what I did in the woods than I realized. They must have thought my special skills could be useful, because when I reached the age of adulthood, I was asked to guard the garden of the Forest Mother. It was considered a great honor to guard the Forest Mother. I felt like I had no choice but to accept. However, I was less than thrilled at the idea. I had never seen her before! I was not foolish enough to think that she did not exist. There was too much evidence and I, myself, had felt her spread out her power from time to time.

But why did she need to be protected? And why was it such a great honor to sit in the woods watching the animals play and the deer graze protecting a place and a person I will never meet? I felt like I could do something that would be much more… more what I was not sure. I always felt like I was destined to do something that would leave my name remembered for many generations. I didn't want to be just recorded in a list with all the other guards for sitting here for 80 to 100 years watching trees sprout and grow old and die.

What if I turned down this offer? I would likely be shunned by everyone in the village until I had no choice but to leave. My name would be remembered, but that was not what I wanted to be know for. So, I accepted the calling.

Many years pa.s.sed from that point. Most of the elves my age had already found their companions and several of them already had children. I was starting to feel more lonely and was starting to get depressed. I could not find anyone that excited me. I wanted someone with a spirit of adventure, some sort of internal intensity. Maybe seeking that from an Elf was just dreaming. Elves liked stability. I knew I was the odd one here, but what could I do about that? Trying to be someone other than myself was just making things worse. I was tempted many times to run away from this place. The only reason that I didn't is that I knew that once I left, I would never be able to come back. They would never accept anyone that abandoned the Forest Mother. Once you had this calling you were expected to fulfill it until you were too old to do anything else worthwhile.

I was not worried about being able to get away. The only one that would have a chance at catching me was Istan, but if I left while he was guarding Forest Mother he would never leave to follow me. His devotion to her was extreme. It was to the point that I wondered how his companion put up with him having more love for someone else beside her.

* * *

I finally made up my mind to leave. The final incident that led to my decision happened just a couple days ago. I had heard a few of the single men talking about the eligible ladies. One of them mentioned my name. Several of the others started to laugh, "Do you think that anyone has the chance to tame that wild one?" At that the rest of them broke into raucous laughter.

"She might be pretty, but that does not make her any less crazy," another said.

"I think she would burn the house down if her husband ever fought with her. I have seen her question the elders before. How can she think to know better than the elders?"

"Anyone who would take her is asking for a world of trouble!" They all laughed again.

"I would be too scared to fight with her. If things turned violent I would fear for my life." When the man said that the others all agreed or laughed.

Their words wounded me deeply. My eyes started to burn and I could not see through the tears as I ran into the woods, lost in despair. This was it! I was now doomed to a boring solitary life! There was nothing left to stay here for.

When I showed up for my shift of guarding Forest Mother, Istan could tell there was something wrong. But when he asked I did not reply so he just dropped it. I was going to leave in the late afternoon. By the time they noticed I was gone it would be evening and they would not be able to follow me until morning. They would not be able to catch me then.

I was doing my final preparation and making sure I had everything ready when there was a change. The Forest mother Moved. In the 43 years of my life she had never moved. Fear washed over me. Was she angry that I was about to shirk my duty?

Since I had no confidence that I would be able to escape from her I decided to head over to her location. I approached her as stealthily as I could. As I got closer I noticed several of the other elves were also near, but I could tell that they had not noticed me. The Forest Mother was a different story. It felt like she was looking right at me when she said, "I have come to seek your help. Please show yourselves."

It felt like her voice had some strange power and was pulling me out of my hiding place. There was high tension in every elf present. It felt like something great was about to happen. The Forest Mother, our G.o.ddess, had come to seek help from us. This hasn't happened in lifetimes! This was going to be a day remembered for all time among the elves. What could she possibly want? My heart was racing with antic.i.p.ation.

My mind froze when I heard her request.

A cloak.....

All she wanted was a cloak…..

The day that would be remembered throughout all time was when she asked for a cloak…..

This is what we all got worked up for. A piece of fabric with a hood and a few fasteners and Elven history would be changed forever…..

It was all I could do to keep from shouting out in frustration. I could feel my face twitching with the emotions boiling inside of me.

But this was not the end, because next, a greater and more devastating hit came to my psyche. "I have no need of your protection." I could feel the tears starting to form. The only reason I was able to endure for nearly the last 20 years was because I thought that I was doing something useful. Everyone said it was important. She did not need us or even care about our presence here. I had wasted the best years of my life watching over someone that did not need me.

I do not know how I managed to stay standing or not have a complete meltdown. All the pain and ridicule I went through and I was just told that it served no purpose. There was no way I would stay here any longer. After today I would leave this village forever and find a place where I could be myself.

Suddenly, I heard my name being called. I quickly ran my mind over the conversation that had been happening as I stepped forward. I needed to figure out what I had just been volunteered to do…. I was going to leave to forest. I could get out of this accursed village for the first time in my life. Away from the pain. I was about to bow down to Forest Mother in grat.i.tude. Did she read my mind? I know it was Istan who volunteered me but it was still due to the Forest Mother. I might get to use my special skills for the first time in more than a decade.

There was no fanfare and no commemorative speeches. Forest Mother just started walking and Istan and I did our best to follow. I was the best hunter of my generation and the only one in the village that could possibly beat me was Istan, but he was more that twice my age and had much more experience. With all our efforts we could not keep up with a bare-footed lady going for a stroll in the woods.

I felt a little sorry for Istan, but I had to admit that the cloak looked better on the Forest Mother than it ever did on him. It was a sage green cloak that fell down to her knees. It had ties down the front to keep it closed but either because it was a warm day or maybe the Forest Mother did not get cold, only the top few ties were done. Since only a few ties were done, the cloak was flowing behind her and every now and then we could see some of her birch bark 'clothing' that covered her torso and upper legs. I wish I could get some clothes like that. The sleeves of the cloak covered up past her elbows, hiding her 'clothing' there. It looked like if she fastened the front she would be able to pa.s.s as a human. Lucky. She makes even a work cloak look good.