Sabledrake Magazine
August, 2001
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Down and Out in Wren's Crossing, Pt.3
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To All Things, A Season
Copyright © 2001 By David Goodner
Jas Kidroy moved through the forest like a hunting cat. He wore brown trousers and a tunic of Lincoln green. His boots and cloak were black, as was his hair. He wore a slender sword on his hip and held a crossbow before him. He wore no pack, having lost his in a rather rough river crossing, but a small sack was tied to his belt. Jas was fully at home in the Drakenwoods south of Avalorn’s capital. He fancied that not even the king’s Celtaine foresters would be able to find him here. He had only to hide for a few months and the thief-takers would forget all about him. Then he would take a ship to Harmandy or Acquilinia and become a very wealthy man.
First, of course, he would have to find something to eat. Losing his rations in the Kambri River had been unfortunate. Still, Jas knew he would survive. A thief of five years with both hands intact was a very crafty fellow.
His frosty blue eyes scanned the thick woods slowly, taking in every detail. Creatures of the Fey realms were said to lurk in Darkenwood. Jas himself had seen the peculiar circles of mushrooms where pixies danced by the light of the moon.
Carefully, Jas worked his way to a stream. He was more likely to find game near the water. As he neared the stream, he saw a doe and her fawn. The two deer seemed to be watching something.
Curious, Jas none the less drew a bolt and took aim at the doe. She would feed him nicely for some time. The shaft flew straight and true, burying itself in the deer’s left eye. She was slain instantly. The fawn squealed in surprise and shot off into the woods. Then Jas saw the dryad. She was beautiful, with big, green eyes and skin the color of well-polished pine. Her long, wavy hair was green as well, and hung almost to her knees.
Her emerald eyes locked with Jas’ and for an eternal moment she stood absolutely still. Then she ran for one of the huge, ancient oaks growing around the edge of the forest pool that the stream fed.
Jas was too surprised for a moment to give chase. When his feet finally started moving, the dryad was almost touching the tree. As he drew close, she seemed to slip inside the huge trunk. Jas stood, looking for any sign of is quarry, but she had vanished utterly.
* * *
He did not see the dryad again for almost a week. His second sighting happened at sunset, while he was finishing off his evening meal and admiring his treasure. The haul had been good, unimaginably good. His sack contained almost 100 gold coins, some of Acquilinian stamp, and jewels worth ten times the value of the coin. The best piece was a lady’s necklace made of gold and emeralds. The emeralds were cut almost perfectly round and set into thinly stranded cages of gold wire. There were three stones, the largest the size of a robin’s egg.
Jas chanced to look up and saw her, poised like a curious animal, gazing longingly at the necklace he held. She tensed as soon as he saw her, fear written across her lithe body. Her muscles fairly trembled as if she was about to run.
“No, don’t leave,” Jas said, trying to sound friendly. “I won’t hurt you.”
The dryad stood still. The tension in her small form was palpable. Indecision filled her eyes.
“Come closer,” Jas almost whispered. “Come look at this pretty bauble.” He moved the necklace so that the emeralds caught the light.
Slowly, timidly, she approached him. Her hands trembled as she reached for the gold chain. Jas allowed her to take it, enchanted with her beauty. His nose filled with her rich, spicy-sweet smell.
Her small, slender fingers closed around the chain and she clasped it to her chest, purring with delight at the feel of the cold metal. Her attention was solely focused on the jeweled trinket she held between her breasts. He carefully extended a hand to stroke her verdant hair. She seemed totally oblivious to his presence. He could almost touch her pointed ear.
As soon as he touched her, she bolted, dropping the necklace to the forest floor. Jas tried to grab her, but she moved with the speed of a hart and was as slippery as a frightened cat. His hand closed on empty air with not even a strand of hair for his trouble.
Jas knew there would be no catching her. She was almost invisible in the foliage. Frustrated, he retrieved the necklace and sat down. He wanted this creature, and now he was determined to get her. He had the time. Every day he waited only made his eventual escape more certain.
Two weeks passed before he had another opportunity. He had seen her watching his camp several times, but always from a safe distance. He always kept the necklace tied to his belt. The dryad would steal it if she could, but she would not approach him.
Of course he wasn’t really looking for her when he found her. He’d simply gone to the forest pool to catch a fish, and she was there. She was bathing, partly covered from view by the branches of a willow. A slight splash and a ripple on the water were all the notice Jas got. He moved carefully for a better view, and settled in the cover of some tall grass to watch. As she waded to the edge of the pool, Jas moved to intercept her, carefully positioning himself between her and her tree.
Seeing Jas, the dryad stopped. Her eyes were wild, darting back and forth, seeking a route of escape. A cool breeze blew across the pool, carrying her scent. It was different than before, more full, more musky, like wild honey.
Jas held the necklace out in front of himself like a talisman. The dryad’s eyes locked onto the swaying emeralds.
“You want this, don’t you?” Jas called to her.
She nodded quickly. “Y-yes.” Her voice shook, whether with fear or excitement, Jas couldn’t tell.
“So, you can speak,” Jas said, surprised. “You can have it, but I want something in return.”
The dryad lifted her eyes to meet his. “I know,” she answered.
“Will you give me what I ask?”
Her eyes were again on the emeralds. “Come to my tree when the moon is high,” she said. Her eyes drifted to the whitish trunk of her tree. “I must go now. My fathertree needs me.”
She strode out of the pool, supernaturally graceful. As she passed Jas, her hand drifted longingly to the necklace.
“Tonight,” Jas said, pulling it beyond her reach.
She glided past him to embrace the trunk of her oak. The tree enveloped her like water. Jas examined the trunk, but could find no sign of her entrance. He walked away, twirling the chain about his fingers and wondering if a particular bit of faerie lore he knew was true.
* * *
The moon was full in a cloudless sky. Its golden white light gave the woods a mystical quality. Jas followed the stream from his hidden campsite to the dryad’s silver oak. The night birds sang songs of forlorn, eerie beauty. Anticipation heightened his perceptions.
She was waiting for him, perched on one of the lower branches of her tree. Her hair, hanging behind her, was blown by a breeze. Otherwise, she was motionless, watching him approach.
“Do you have it?” she asked, her voice vibrant with excitement.
Jas held the necklace where she could see it.
“Give it to me,” she demanded.
“Not until you fulfill your part of the bargain. Else, what keeps you from taking my bauble and leaving me with nothing?”
“Very well,” she said with a slight pout. “Come with me.”
With that she jumped down from the tree, landing gracefully on the balls of her feet. She extended a hand to Jas.
He took it. Her grip was firm.
With a brief smile, she stepped into the trunk of her tree, pulling Jas behind her.
He did not know what to expect, and let out a surprised gasp. The passage felt like being pulled through warm, still water, but there was no moisture. After a heartbeat of absolute darkness, Jas found himself within the dryad’s den.
The chamber in the heart of the tree was smooth, like polished wood. The floor was made of a spongy substance like golden brown moss. There were natural hollows in the sides of the chamber, holding a collection of trinkets, toys, shiny stones, jewelry and even a few coins. Payment from former lovers, Jas mused. None of the dryad’s treasures were terribly valuable.
Releasing Jas’s hand, the dryad reclined on the chamber floor. Her shining green hair surrounded her head like a halo.
Jas began to undress, removing his belt and cloak and bending down to unfasten his boots.
“What is your name, my lady?” he asked casually.
The dryad looked slightly surprised. “Why do you want to know?” she queried.
Jas smiled. “I’ve been accused of many things, but never of making love to a lady without knowing her name.”
The dryad returned the thief’s smile. “I am Hanali.”
“Hanali,” Jas said, tasting the word. “That’s a very pretty name. I am called Jas Kidroy.”
He removed the last of his clothing and knelt down beside her.
She reached up to embrace him. Her arms enfolded him and she pulled him to her. The heady scent of her filled his nostrils. Her flesh was firm and warm. Her lips were soft and yielding. She was a playful lover. Jas knew whores who could learn from this creature. When it was over, she had earned every ounce of gold and every carat of emerald in the necklace she craved.
“Now, Jas Kidroy, you have received your payment. I want what is mine,” Hanali said, straddled across his chest.
“Then you shall have it. But I must rise to reach my pouch,” Jas said, smiling.
Obediently, the dryad released him. He stood and reached into his pouch, slowly drawing out the chain, playing out the anticipation.
The dryad stood up in front of him, eyes locked onto the glittering stones. She was very small. Jas was not himself a tall man, and Hanali’s head barely reached his shoulders.
Tenderly, Jas brushed her hair away from her slender neck and clasped the necklace around her throat.
His warm smile froze and turned into a predator’s grin. “Hanali, by thy name I bind thee. With this chain I bind thee. In Auberon’s law I bind thee,” he chanted.
If it didn’t work, he was going to be in trouble. It occurred to him a moment after he’d begun that he might have wanted to make the attempt on the outside of the tree. Still, he thought, he’d be able to handle the difficulty. He had a steel dagger. It might not be equal to digging his way out, but it could probably do enough damage to the tree that the dryad would release him rather than see more harm, or to her for that matter.
He needn’t have worried. A tremor wracked the dryad’s small form. Her hands sought the gold chain, clawing at it desperately, but she was powerless to remove it. Tears welled up in her big, green eyes.
“I... will obey you, Master,” she said. Her voice cracked. Her elfin face was twisted with the shock of his betrayal.
“Of course you will,” Jas said.
The thief bent down to dress himself, then thought the better of it. “Dress me,” he commanded.
His new slave knelt down to comply.
* * *
The weeks had been good to Jas Kidroy. His pet dryad saw to all his needs. She brought him food from the surrounding forest, even using the animals’ trust of her to lure him game occasionally. She could also make her tree produce succulent berries for his consumption. The pale blue morsels were amongst the sweetest things he’d ever tasted. He only wished he had the wherewithal to brew them into wine.
The tree itself was a fine thing. It provided him with a place to hide where no thief-taker would ever find him. Jas might have been tempted to stay forever, but boredom was starting to set in. What had once seemed like wonderful shelter was taking on the aspect of a cage. He wanted the chance to spend some of his wealth. Hanali had reported no signs of foresters or thief-takers, and she couldn’t lie to him because of the bond he held over her. He reasoned that in another week or so, it would be time to leave Darkenwood.
It was a shame that he couldn’t take Hanali with him. She was enjoyable company, and he could think of several ways to put her to profitable use. Unfortunately, she could not survive more than a day or two without taking shelter in her tree. On the other hand, freeing her would allow him to reclaim the necklace, and he could buy a new slave in Acquilinia.
Jas rose and stretched. His slave was curled up in a tight ball as far away from him as the close quarters of the tree would allow. Jas did not worry about sleeping with her. She was powerless to hurt him, as well as to lie.
He kicked her sharply to wake her. She stifled her cry of pain. The weeks had taught her that crying out only made her master more cruel.
“Yes, Master?” she asked.
“We’re going out. I’m tired of your smell. Take me somewhere I can bathe and relax away from this accursed tree.”
“I obey, Master,” Hanali said, eyes downcast. She would never meet his eyes anymore, unless he ordered her.
They left the tree. The dryad led her Master deeper into the forest, closer to the source of the river. It was still a little risky to be too close to the roads. She brought him to a hidden pool, deeper and wider than the one she usually used. This one was fed by a waterfall from a larger tributary of the Kambri.
It had been quite a walk, and Jas was winded. All the soft living in the tree had eroded his endurance. He sat down heavily near the edge of the pool.
“I’m hungry,” he decided. “Bring me something to eat.”
Hanali looked up at him. “I can give you silverberries, Master,” she said.
Jas was curious. As far as he knew, she could only control her own tree. “Where?” he asked suspiciously.
“I can draw them from myself as easily as from my tree, Master.” she said.
“Why did you not tell me this before?”
“I-I simply did not think of it, Master. My tree has more to spare than I do.”
“You will pay for that oversight later,” Jas promised. “Give them to me.”
“As you say, Master,” Hanali answered.
She reached into her hair and, like working out a tangle, pulled out six of the blue-white berries.
Jas took them and popped one into his mouth. The taste was sweeter, more vibrant than the berries from the tree. Jas ate them slowly while Hanali massaged his neck and shoulders. Her spicy-musky scent filled the air around him.
When he finished the last one, he stood up. “Undress me, Hanali,” he ordered. “We’re going to swim.”
Hanali bowed her head in submission. “I obey, Master,” she said sadly. Jas only called her by name when he intended to have his way with her. It was something of a joke.
They entered the pool. Jas had ordered her to cooperate with his endeavors, so she was a submissive partner, nothing at all like she had been on the first night. He used her roughly until he grew tired, then pushed her aside to wade back to the shore.
The dryad followed, by order attentive to his every desire.
Jas felt strange, light headed. Hanali’s scent wouldn’t leave him. Every breath seemed to bring more of the spoor into his lungs. The thief staggered about five feet from the shore and started to cough. To his horror, a sticky amber substance, like tree sap, came up from his nose and mouth.
“What have...you done to... me, witch?” he snarled around a fit of wracking coughs.
His arms and legs felt stiff, and were stabbed with shots of pain.
Hanali looked on in silence.
“The...Bond...Law...can’t hurt...me,” the thief gagged.
He tried to move, to strike her. He even managed most of a step, but a wave of crackling pain swept through him and he stopped up short. When he tried to move again, he found his feet were rooted to the ground. Shoots of a pulpy substance anchored him in place. He watched, horrified as they oozed from the veins in his legs and wormed their way ever deeper into the ground. Another wave of pain arched his spine and sent spasms through his arms. His arms were lifted above his head. His spine was almost frozen, but he could turn enough to look at one of the tortured limbs. A terrible itch was climbing his entire body, leaving numbness in its wake, and he saw that his skin was darkening to a nut brown shade. His fingers, almost the only part he could still feel, twisted beyond the limits of bone, into shapes that no human joints could attain. They were growing and stretching, as well. Painfully, he turned his head back to the dryad.
“Hanali stood before him, head held high. “I am bound to do you no harm, and I have not done so. What you face now is the natural consequence of your actions, Master.
Jas had no breath for words, but his stiffening lips tried to form them anyway. “What...do...you...mean?”
Hanali’s green eyes burned with vindication. “When a man lies with a woman, a seed is made. I held the seed of our daughter inside me until today. Then you took her inside yourself. You will grow up to be a fine fathertree. This place will be a good place for our daughter, Master, and I will teach her to be wiser than I was.”
Jas wanted to yell, to protest, to beg, but he was more a thing of wood and sap than of flesh and blood, and already silvery bark was creeping up the trunk that was once his legs.
“Farewell, Master. I must return to my tree now, but I will look in on you from time to time.”
End