is an island.”
“Thank you, Minth,” I bow once again. Before I turn to leave I remember something she said earlier. “You said you’ve been calling me since I got here. Was it about Ka’sith?”
Minth looks at her feet, which are still hidden under her long sheath. Then she straighten s and with slender fingers, she pulls her hair over one shoulder. Along the side of her face, running down her slender neck are large pock marks, holes that are deep and ugly. They are brutal and angry looking against her smooth skin, marring her beautiful face.
I a m instantly at her side, looking at the marks, and through clenched teeth I ask, “Who did this to you? Was it this Ka’sith?”
She shakes her head and smile s. “No, my queen. When the men removed me from my seed place, they could not pull all of my roots. So they cut them off in order to relocate me to my new home here. They did not realize the damage they were inflicting on me and I hold them no ill will. These wounds are minor.”
I sigh and say, “Show me.”
The dryad hesitates but then slowly lifts her sheath to show me her feet. I hold still afraid my shock would offend the wood nymph, but I forgot about Julia.
“ Damn ,” she says next to me, looking down at Minth’s feet. They are cut off almost to her ankles; however, new shoots of roots are growing from the severed limbs.
“ Although I am healing, the cuts are so severe that it is taking me longer than usual. If they had left a foot or more of my roots, I would be completely healed within a few decades. It may take me longer to grow the roots far enough to where they would generate at a faster pace.”
“ How old are you?” asks Julia.
“ I have been with Mother for almost a millennium. By man’s calculation, I have been here for almost eight hundred years.”
“ Wow, that’s a lot of roots,” says Julia, still staring at Minth’s feet.
Minth turns to me . “I know that you have much to do, my queen, and you will need all your energy when you face Ka’sith. But the pain lingers, causing my self-healing to be slow and arduous.”
I place my hand on the side of her face without hesitation, closing my eyes to concentrate. I call to the elements, to the healing powers of my ancestors and to the Mother herself. I open myself to their response and let their energies flow through me, but there is something else. Something from deep within awakes and the energy of Jarhan flows forth infusing the energy already at my disposal. I feel Minth jerk under my touch and I pull the flow back a little. It only takes a few seconds and I open my eyes to see a golden glow encase the dryad. Her head thrown back, eyes closed, she trembles as the gold light slowly disappears. Along with it, the pock marks on the side of her face are gone. I look down and from under her sheath strong healthy roots peek out and grow forward, seeking water.
The dryad looks at me, bowing slightly and again I ’m in awe of her beauty. She takes my hand, squeezing it warmly and whispers, “All you have to do is call my name.”
I open my hand and find three seeds in it and when I look up the dryad is gone. I turn to Julia and she gives me a skeptical look and shrugs as I hand the seeds to her. They quickly disappear into her coat pocket.
“ Should we wait for Tharin and Tolan?” asks Julia.
“ It’s the smart thing to do. But I’m worried about Ziri and what this witch is doing or going to do to him.”
I look around me debating what I should do. I search the ground for pebbles, stones, rocks – anything I can use to leave a message for Tharin. I gently pull the energy to me, careful not to take more than is needed. With my hands stretched out in front of me, I make slow circular motions.
“ What are you doing?” asks Julia, staring at my hands.
“ A trick Sema taught me,” I answer, relaxing once the task is done. I turn to Julia with
“Thank you, Minth,” I bow once again. Before I turn to leave I remember something she said earlier. “You said you’ve been calling me since I got here. Was it about Ka’sith?”
Minth looks at her feet, which are still hidden under her long sheath. Then she straighten s and with slender fingers, she pulls her hair over one shoulder. Along the side of her face, running down her slender neck are large pock marks, holes that are deep and ugly. They are brutal and angry looking against her smooth skin, marring her beautiful face.
I a m instantly at her side, looking at the marks, and through clenched teeth I ask, “Who did this to you? Was it this Ka’sith?”
She shakes her head and smile s. “No, my queen. When the men removed me from my seed place, they could not pull all of my roots. So they cut them off in order to relocate me to my new home here. They did not realize the damage they were inflicting on me and I hold them no ill will. These wounds are minor.”
I sigh and say, “Show me.”
The dryad hesitates but then slowly lifts her sheath to show me her feet. I hold still afraid my shock would offend the wood nymph, but I forgot about Julia.
“ Damn ,” she says next to me, looking down at Minth’s feet. They are cut off almost to her ankles; however, new shoots of roots are growing from the severed limbs.
“ Although I am healing, the cuts are so severe that it is taking me longer than usual. If they had left a foot or more of my roots, I would be completely healed within a few decades. It may take me longer to grow the roots far enough to where they would generate at a faster pace.”
“ How old are you?” asks Julia.
“ I have been with Mother for almost a millennium. By man’s calculation, I have been here for almost eight hundred years.”
“ Wow, that’s a lot of roots,” says Julia, still staring at Minth’s feet.
Minth turns to me . “I know that you have much to do, my queen, and you will need all your energy when you face Ka’sith. But the pain lingers, causing my self-healing to be slow and arduous.”
I place my hand on the side of her face without hesitation, closing my eyes to concentrate. I call to the elements, to the healing powers of my ancestors and to the Mother herself. I open myself to their response and let their energies flow through me, but there is something else. Something from deep within awakes and the energy of Jarhan flows forth infusing the energy already at my disposal. I feel Minth jerk under my touch and I pull the flow back a little. It only takes a few seconds and I open my eyes to see a golden glow encase the dryad. Her head thrown back, eyes closed, she trembles as the gold light slowly disappears. Along with it, the pock marks on the side of her face are gone. I look down and from under her sheath strong healthy roots peek out and grow forward, seeking water.
The dryad looks at me, bowing slightly and again I ’m in awe of her beauty. She takes my hand, squeezing it warmly and whispers, “All you have to do is call my name.”
I open my hand and find three seeds in it and when I look up the dryad is gone. I turn to Julia and she gives me a skeptical look and shrugs as I hand the seeds to her. They quickly disappear into her coat pocket.
“ Should we wait for Tharin and Tolan?” asks Julia.
“ It’s the smart thing to do. But I’m worried about Ziri and what this witch is doing or going to do to him.”
I look around me debating what I should do. I search the ground for pebbles, stones, rocks – anything I can use to leave a message for Tharin. I gently pull the energy to me, careful not to take more than is needed. With my hands stretched out in front of me, I make slow circular motions.
“ What are you doing?” asks Julia, staring at my hands.
“ A trick Sema taught me,” I answer, relaxing once the task is done. I turn to Julia with
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