The green bitch

    When? Sunday at sundown, the day after the battle at the seal
    Where? On the way back to the Northern seal country
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The carriages were heavy and the horses were tired. The sun had again been burning down like fire, and the treck of settlers, who left the planes to turn back to their own homesteads, was covered in dust, silent, exhausted, in deep thoughts.


    Naira was wandering a few feet away from the others, her head hanging. Since she had been out there at the seal, surrounded by the enemies, and had been fleeing together with Knarz into the woods, she seemed to be somewhat worried.
    Her right hand was seeking her chest and more often her stomach involuntarily, as if some pain would haunt her.
    She walked slowly, sometimes taking a rest and looking far over the rows and groups of settlers, like she was awaiting something.


    ...


    Alaïs was walking, her umbrella lying over her shoulder. The battle melted her feelings.
    As always the dryade was looking all around her. She observed Naïra with discretion and intensity.


    She thought: "How beautiful is she. Walking with such grace."


    She stared at her with more caution. And saw the white elf's hand running on her belly. Alaïs began to walk slower, trying to vanish between people. She finally arrived behind Naïra and walked, keeping silence.
    ...


    Naira noticed Alais and turned around. Her face was serious and Alais saw a thin line of lighter, cleaner skin from her right eye to her cheek. It was obvious that she had been crying again.


    "What is it?", the Lethi asked, and her voice sounded brusque and tired at the same time. Like she wanted to hide a weakness and couldn`t at the same time.



    ...


    Alaïs lied her hand over Naira's shoulder. Sadness gained her eyes and her lips; the only parts of her face that can be seen with her mask.


    "You should not talk to me with such a tone. You know I am not coming to you to blame your sadness. All the settlers are tired and exhausted. You must not consider your tears as a weakness."

    Alaïs looked discreetly at her arm. The mark of Terra was printed on it now. But she knew that it was not the moment to show it to her dear friend.


    "What is troubling you my dear?"


    ...


    Naira dropped her head again. She sighed.


    "It was bad out there", she whispered. "I thought this would be my last moment. When Tuachal fell down to the ground and the Undead ran towards the seal pyramid... and then noticed the Quellar.... I thought I would never see the others again, when I started to run... I run so hard that my chest was hurting and my sight turned dark... I dropped myself to the earth behind the pyramid and my heart was drumming like the drums of the Uruks... and I couldn`t breathe. This has never happened before."


    She shivered.
    "I was fast, faster than the enemies, faster than the Quellar. But nevertheless - I felt like a stone when I sat down behind the pyramid. My ease is diminished."

    ...


    What a strange feeling Naira. But we are all diminished, days are so hot. It could be that. But I think I'm feeling something else.


    She forced Naira to stop walking. She approaches her head nearer from Naira. So near that Naira could probably smell her tree odor; the same that emanes from the Obok Anth's Maple. Her blue eyes plunged into Naira's one.


    I do repeat: what is troubling you?


    ...


    The Lethi`s eyes dilated in surprise. Never before Alais had talked to her like that.
    She smelled the familiar odor and instinctively tried to lean backward, not to come close to Alais´ own nose. But it was in vain.
    Alais could already sense a change in Naira´s smell... the pointed-ear used to smell like earth, moss, dark flowers. But here was another fragrance... warmer und sweeter... more mature. More... like the ripening corn, the reddening apples of summer...
    It was a good odor, a peaceful odor. Something that not quite fitted the normally nervous and aggressive temper of the white elf.


    "I... I don`t want to lose life", she murmured and gave Alais a shy look. "I want to stay on the earth, feel the life flowing through my veins. I feel so much life now."

    Alaïs smiled gently. The last sunbeams sparkled on her golden skin. She had often observes Naira's errance. She knew that the white elf was well-known by so many people and at once so alone. She felt a kind of familiarity, as if Naira had expressed her own feelings.


    Much better when you finally express what you really feel my dear!


    Alaïs stopped talking what she thought was only some seconds. But when looked backwards, she saw that Naira and her could no more talk without walking. She suddenly felt kind of sick. But Naira's odor apaised her quickly.


    We are on the same personal quest pretty little Naira. We are looking for some roots to appease our fears. Loosing your father must have been a destructive event for you.


    Alaïs' face turned dark when she was pronouncing this last sentence. She felt there was something else Naira was not confessing to her. It took time to Alaïs to feel at ease with Naira ; and she did not know if Naira had also made the path.


    ........


    The white elf trembled, as Alais mentioned Alnock. Her face turned angry and desparate.
    "Why did he have to go? Why has that green bitch taken him and changed him to something he`d never want to be?! He always complained that he didn`t want to lead that life! He was tired! He wanted to retire and be some ordinary person again! Sit in the evening sun, growing old and smile at the children he had! Why is she always taking people and changing them and tearing apart everything they`d wanted to be?!"


    She stomped her foot to the ground, as if she wanted to kick Terra herself into the face.


    "And why did they all make Naira go this way, too? Change me, proof my worth by following the green bitch, even walk in the circle of life myself, a Lethi? I have done everything to be a part of it, and now I`ve lost my easiness and Alnock... for what?!"


    .....


    Alaïs kept silent while the Lethi was talking. Her body contracted when she heard the words "Green bitch". She felt the mark on her arm burning. However Alaïs was not one of those getting angry on the spot. She felt the absence of hope in Naira's voice and felt sadness gaining her heart.


    She now understood why Kruik cried the other night.

    "Each creature, when born, integrates the circle of Life. See how much people have died today for their convictions. Fools..."


    Alaïs was trying to find the right words. But it was more and more difficult for her to concentrate. It's been more than a week that she left her Maple. She was weakening.

    "I aggry with you. Your father died too early. I would have liked to talk to him once and be able to replace him. But I cannot. Who forced you to follow the... Green... B...b..itch?"


    Alaïs knew it was important to stick to the words Naira employed. Her arm was even more burning. But she did not care about it.

    Naira realized that she had hurted Alais by calling Terra a bitch. But she felt so disappointed that she had no other word that could express her impression.

    "Oh."    , she said fast. "No, no. I don`t want to annoy you, Alais. But you don`t get it. We Lethi don`t go in the circle, we prefer not to procreate. My parents were there when the elves came into the world. They felt no need to multiply our numbers. Only when they were forced to - because our tribe was in danger and diminishing - they passed the test, the `hunt´, and were allowed to beget children. To send me up to your world."


    She started to walk again, slowly, her hands on her heart again.

    "And I was a child and couldn`t find the other tribes and I couldn`t go back. So I wanted to belong to someone. I NEEDED community. That`s what forced me. Because they all - Alnock, Mahrukaa, Creo, Kherankor, even yourself - recommended me to learn about Terra. And they convinced me not to stay alone."     And then she added in a very low and depressed voice: "To go in the circle."


    .........


    Alaïs was happy to finally know more about Lethis. This community was still unifamiliar to her.


    "I'm sorry to have misunderstood dear. When my parents left Mythodea, they moved into a human village. They took all the caution possible to cut me from my world, our world. So that, as a lot of humans, I believed that drows, Lethis, ans the other races were legends. Even my own appearance was explained by the simple sentence: "you are different"!


    Alais stopped to talk. She was under the impression that all her former wounds had been opened again. She was so happy to wear a mask at this precise moment.

    Anyway, I learnt that my parents fleed because they did not believe anymore in Terra. This thing occured right when my mother was pregnant.


    Alaïs insisted on this last word, staring at Naira's belly.


    ....


    "Why did she lose her faith in Terra? Did Terra make your parents crawl before her and then take away her blessing again?", Naira wanted to know.
    She seemed to be very interested in this story.


    She did not react to Alais´ last word, but the way she ignored it easily - although she had always shown much interest in the question of procreation, and had indeed just a minute ago - told Alais that Naira tried to avoid the topic.

    Alaïs fainted not to notice Naira's game. The dryad needed to talk about this story anyway. When Terra gave her her friendship, she began again thinking about her parents. Three years had passed since she saw them for the last time. Of course some friends gave her news. But it sounded different: as if her ancient life was no more rooted to her.


    The baby - me - was not planned. I heard that my parents were not supposed to fall in love. A strange baby was to be borned from this union. Something - that was how they called me - between two creatures. Partly a dryad, partly something else. I heard also - my parents refuses to talk about that - that people wanted to kill me. That it was not good to mix blood. So they fled and a dryad with golden skin was born. My parents did not explained me what I was supposed to do, who I was supposed to be. When I grew up, they finally took me with them in forest. And two nights after that, i fled.


    Alaïs looked at her shoulders. She was wearing two leafs, red and black.


    I met my jabbuk, Ryzzil. And I came to Drada D'Issan. There I helped a Maple to grow. And I became a real dryad, I linked my life to his. But still I'm able to throw spells.


    Now Alaïs seemed to think out loud.


    A gift from my father I guess. When I came here in Mythodea, I saw some golden face people walking around with Eldalphi. I'm pretty sure my father is one of them. He followed Magica before meeting my mother. But no golden things on his temples.


    Alaïs returned to conciousness.


    So what were we saying? Oh let me think...


    The dryad put her hand on Naira's belly, cautiously.


    How is your baby?

    Naira starred at her with open mouth, unable to move.
    She felt the dryad`s hand on her belly, the hand - the warmth of her skin - but she could not feel through it, into herself.
    It felt like she was feeling her own belly with Alais´ hand - from the outside. The belly was hard and flat, only a little smooth bow under the belly button.


    "I..." She tried to get upset. But felt too baffled.
    How could this woman know? How could anyone know?
    Why did it seem so obvious to others while Naira wasn`t sure what was going on?!


    And of course - there was the doubt. Doubt, what was REALLY happening inside of her. Doubt, what HAD happened.
    As she thought about it... she felt betrayed - yes, this was exactly what was going on!



    "I`m not sure", she finally murmured exhaustedly, giving up her self-control. There was no way to deny.
    She felt again as if she could not breathe.

    Alaïs' face was neutral. Her eyes, however, were betraying her. She liked Naira so much. She did not want to upset her that way.


    The dryad began to shake her fan to send wind to the Lethi's face.


    Please forgive me. But do not worry, I'm able to keep a secret. But please my dear, you must not stay in darkness...


    Licht! Light was now burning in her hand.


    This baby cannot come on earth without that!

    Again, the Lethi was shocked. Alais seemed to know so much about her!
    How could she know that Naira had given away Creo`s light? That she was seeking for advice - about life?


    Her eyes were filling with tears again. She could not help to think about everything she had lost in the past few days - it came like a desert wind, blowing the pictures and words like sand through her mind in just a second... this was too much for her.

    "Darkness!"    , she cried out but oppressed the sound. As if she would appeal to something.
    The Lethi was trying to gain her strength again; Alais could see that.


    "We are from darkness and we are together in darkness only ", she hissed between her teeth, while she was holding her belly as if in pain.
    She was desparate but was anxious not to arrest attention of the people around them.
    "Light... the light is gone. I don`t know where to turn to. I don`t know what will happen. This is wrong!"


    And she grabbed for Alais´ hand with the light, holding her at the wrist, with begging eyes.

    Alaïs put her second hand on Naira's one. The light was now reflecting in her eyes. Her skin was shining like thousands of stars.


    Naira, listen to me! Look at me in the eyes. Do you see any anger or fear in it? I cannot tell you if the way you have taken was the perfect destiny for you. Nevertheless, you cannot say you're alone.


    Alaïs was trying hard to get Naira's full attention.


    You must chose your light quickly now. The baby is growing. If your body our your mind is unbalanced - I do not mean that in a bad way - something wrong could happen. I know you were forced to integrate the circle of life but you must know it is not that simple to stay it in.

    It was hard for Naira to stare into this gleaming and shining gold in front of her.
    Everything in her body cried out to hide away - back down into the shadows, into the dark wave!

    "I don`tt need a lightt"    , she said with a snarl and in a dark, hard voice, threatening. Alais felt how a flashing of darkness and heaviness seemed to flow from Naira`s touch to her own skin. To her surprise it was not cold, but strong - like she had caffeine poured into her veins.


    Naira was tempted to show Alais what was going on in her mind - the anger about the betrayal, the contempt for the ephemeral creatures around her!
    But yet she understood what the dryad was offering her - the Lethi knew that Alais was right: There was no chance anymore just to escape and become unseen and forgotten.
    The white elf had to decide - in favour of herself or of the puppy.


    Her face showed the inner battle she was fighting.
    In the same moment the flashing was gone again.
    The Lethi eased her grip at her wrist. She took a deep breath.
    "But I don`t know what to do.", she said in her normal voice again and with a begging tone, "I don`t know what to do with that."
    She looked down her body, then Alais directly into her blue eyes in all that golden shimmer.
    "Maybe it will need a light to help me with that."

    Alaïs' face stayed neutral during Naira's entire speech. Of course, she saw the upheavals and changes that Naira was fighting. But she knew that it was better to faint not to have noticed. She knew that Naira could have killed her with a simple dagger. Alaïs prefered not to wear weapons. Dryads were not that at ease with sword.


    Ich möchte dich helfen liebe Naira!


    Alaïs was not familiar with Naira's language. But she felt that it was better to try it. So that the dark Naira could continue to calm down.


    Ob du denkst ich das richtig persone bin!


    Alaïs' face and eyes were full of kindness. She was hoping that the "true" Naira would be the one to answer. Her belly was aching.

    Naira tried to step backward, dazzled by Alais´ gleaming.
    "Dear Alais...", she whispered softly, longing to be fulfilled by the light, like she normally was in the night, searching for community, for answers.
    But it was daytime, so many humans around her... There was danger - the dark side in her rumbled and warned, that Alais had in this precise moment so much in common with Creo Canis...
    Gold flittering around the dryad, lulling Naira`s eye to perceive what Alais was really up to... Could she trust this magical creature?
    Or would the dryad be the next to persuade the Lethi to leave the Lethi paths?!


    Her face changed again, turned lofty.
    "Ath´nati...", she growled again darkly, but now more like an evocation, "we´re eternal... our lights are hidden..."
    The gleaming dazzled her again, but she saw right through it, ignoring the pain that all this golden magic was causing her own, dark one.
    "Terra has made us to go in the circle again, we only did what we could. But we don`t know how to live this life without a purpose..."
    And her voice turned softly and whispery again, while her touch turned from power to pain:
    "She has casted us away..."

    There's always a reason. I'll show you the path!


    While finishing to talk, Alaïs turned off her spell. She turned quickly her hand and grabbed Naira's one. A tear was rolling on her cheak. She thoughtPlease, please Terra, it must work!


    Licht!


    Light was just beginning to appear between Naira's and Alaïs' hands. She feared Naira's reaction.

    "Why have you let us down?", the Lethi exclaimed lowly and accusing, closing her eyes.
    She reached out the hand and touched the light in Alais´ hands.
    She tried so much to get back to the feeling of security and softness she had when she was near Creo.
    "You promise love, but how can I raise a new life to your lies? You want to tear every lover apart! You make us weak and mortal!"
    It was obvious that she did not talk to Alais.
    "We can meet only in the shadows..."

    Alaïs turned to transe. She had learnt to do that right before the Edalphi ritual. She concentrated her whole magic power into her hands. She catched Naira's hand, stronger but was careful not to Hurt the Lethi.


    She began to mumure a song. The words getting out of mouth sounded beautiful and bewitching.


    Naira could easily recognise drow language.

    Alaïs felt kind of dizzy when her forehead finally touched Naira's one. A strange feeling was gaining her. She felt like she was giving and receiving the blessing at once.


    The arm were lied the mark of Terra's friendship - the one that was casting the spell - was burning, more and more. It was as if her blood was boiling and transforming into roots. She was paralysed, not knowing if all this power was emaning of her.


    She could feel darkness through Naira. But fear was not gaining her.


    She went on with singing, pronouncing drow words that were not so familiar to this dark elves. Naira could hear some of them.


    [color=#FF8000]Ssussun (light)..... har'dro (earth).....lasmeden (roots).....Ssussun, Ssussun, Ssussun!!

    Alaïs went on.


    Ssussun, har'dro, lasmeden, ssussun, har'dro, lasmeden, ssussun!


    After some seconds, the dryad moved her lighting hand on Naira's belly. Seconds, minutes ou hours could have passed, Alaïs was no more conscious about these futilities. She could have been surrounded by ennemies, all pointing their swords towards her throat, she would not realise.


    Her transe was so profound...

    It took what seemed like hours to Alaïs to feel earth under her shoes.


    She thought: maybe should I try when thinking about Magica.


    She touched her forehead, the blessing of Magica was still on her mask. She could see some golden powder - that was put by Magica herself on her forehead - sticking to Naira's forehead.


    She looked at the Lethi with begging eyes. And began to tremble. The dryad's devotion was clear. She felt no anger, no sadness but was worried.
    She was waiting for "her" Naira to talk.


    Her begging eyes were calling her. She could find enough strenght to try again and again.