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Post by xantara on Sept 1, 2009 15:47:41 GMT -6
The tiny dryad laughed with her sisters, perched high up in the boughs of the ancient Oak tree. Their laughter was skirting all around the forest, usually drawing the attention of travelers and the forest folk alike. When the dryads were in a good mood, so was the forest it seemed. Today was a good day, the sun was warm and kind and the air was just right and now there was no harm being done to the forests.
The four women were playing around, splashing each other with the water from the clear stream that gave them life blood and hiding among the roots of the ancient oak, to which they all owed their life existence. Xan was no exception on this day, but part of her mind was with the trees, watching for travelers in the forest as well as any dangers. She was a Ranger, with the approval of the trees and frequently appeared on the path to help travelers along their way and provide healing herbs.
Xantara laughed, splashing one of the younger dryads as she ducked into the tree, moving through the trunk and out the other side. Stopping when she saw one of her companions, the black squirrel, she crouched in front of it and tilted her head, sending her long hair sliding over one shoulder as she gazed at him with inquisitive green eyes. Holding out one hand, he scampered up her arm and settled on her shoulder, chittering in her ear before she nodded. Gathering up her cloak, she called out to her sisters that she was going before disappearing into the trees.
Xan quickly came to where the travelers were, observing their situation before she made herself known. In her observations, she could determine if they were good people or bad ones and here she found them to be good. Stepping out from the trees, she raised a hand in greeting and asked them what the problem was.
They explained it was a broken axle on their wagon and Xan nodded, striding over to look at it. It was an older wagon, meaning a wooden axle. Closing her eyes, she placed her hands over the wood and concentrated, mending the wood back together before she opened her eyes, nodding and satisfied with her work. Standing, she wished them well and pointed them in the right direction, gently refusing payment for her services, instead telling them it was the Ranger way.
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Post by illmi on Sept 2, 2009 17:29:11 GMT -6
Illmi was returning from the swamps. The trip went well and there was no complications on the way. She wanted to go home and be with Oliza, her companion ladybug. she had been injured and couldn't make the trip with her so she hoped she was ok now.
On the way to the rose bush from which she took shelter in, she noticed a dryad coming to the aid of several travelers. Paranoid of being caught and trapped in a jar to be sold in the marketplace, Illmi took cover till they were well on their way. Peeking out, she thought it safe to go back home to Oliza.
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Post by xantara on Sept 2, 2009 17:36:18 GMT -6
The dryad sensed the presence of the fairy in a moment, accustomed to all those that came through the forest. "You can come out," she called, a laugh in her voice as the black squirrel scurried up and perched on her shoulder. "They won't take you," Xan continued as the travelers moved off down the trail.
The dryad reached up and stroked the fur of the squirrel, eyes taking in the scenery around her and placing a gentle hand on a small sapling, struggling to make its way up. Giving it a boost, Xantara smiled as the tree grew rapidly, spreading its roots and branches.
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Post by illmi on Sept 2, 2009 17:47:35 GMT -6
Illmi came out from behind the tree where she was hiding. "Humans scare me," she said watching as the travelers left. "I was watching some one time and you know what they had? A bunch of jars filled with fairies, they seemed to be selling them for some reason." Her eyes narrowed as she remembered. She felt the pain of her fellow fairies for weeks after that, and it broke her heart to think of their fate. She had only hoped that some escaped and survived.
She looked back at the dryad. "It seems they do not appreciate us nor understand that we helped to give them life." she said sadly.
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Post by xantara on Sept 2, 2009 18:12:23 GMT -6
"Unfortunately that is the way that the world works beyond us," Xantara said with a sad smile. "It is one of the reasons that we must learn to accept and move with the world or face being forgotten."
The tiny dryad pushed some hair back out of her face and called forth a vine from her palm to hold her hair back, leaving her brilliant green eyes to take in the area around them. "And the humans seem to think that fairies can cure things or they learn from them in unfortunate ways. It is much the same with any other race wanting to learn about another."
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Post by illmi on Sept 2, 2009 18:25:58 GMT -6
Illmi sat on a branch and crossed her arms and legs. "If they didn't torture us so, we would be helping them as much as we could." she huffed. "Must they be so analytical? What are they hoping to find as they examine us?" Her wings glowed a bright green as they always did when she got over emotional. "Humans are such strange creatures, mostly powerless unless they have weapons. They destroy the earth and yet expect it to help them." She glared off into space as she thought about it. "I sometimes wonder what the world would be like with out them." she looked down at her hands guiltily.
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Post by xantara on Sept 2, 2009 18:30:16 GMT -6
"A lot different," Xan said as she extended a hand for the fairy to reside on. "But it is no different than what the drow do, but much of what humans do is without the maliciousness of the drow. They want to know why they have no magick and we have some. It is a world they do not understand and they are trying to understand. They cannot help it, it is their nature much as helping is in ours."
Xan was comforting in her words and understood the world outside to forest better than most creatures who had never left the forest before, her work as a Ranger taking her many places. It was always interesting to her to explore and find out about the world around her and she enjoyed doing so.
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Post by illmi on Sept 2, 2009 18:37:34 GMT -6
Illmi flew to the hand of the dryad. Her words were comforting and she felt the world would be a little safer if she was here. "I'm Illmi, I came from a different land in search of a new home. My old home was raided by humans." She thought of her father, the fairy chief of the land from which she came. She hoped he was safe where ever he was.
"I have to get back to Oliza to make sure she is ok." she told the dryad. "she will be worried if I'm not back soon and I need to tend to her wing."
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Post by xantara on Sept 2, 2009 18:43:05 GMT -6
"And I'm Xantara, the willow tree, but you may call me Xan," she said with a smile. "Where is Olivia? I can take you to her faster than you can fly, Illmi," the dryad said with a smile. It was true she could move through the trees at an incredible speed, carrying a passenger. She cupped the fairy gently in her hand as she stepped off the path and into the forest, disappearing into the trees as much of the magical folk did.
"There are always things that those of the forest can do for each other," Xan said.
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Post by illmi on Sept 2, 2009 18:50:58 GMT -6
"We live in a rose bush not too far from here. The petals of the roses are purple and it stands about three feet tall." Illmi loved the rose bush she shared with Oliza. She kept away the aphids from eating at the roses. "Oliza was in an accident where a bird tried to peck at her. She was able to escape but her wing is badly damaged." She was an earth fairy so she had tried her best to heal the ladybug but she couldn't do it right. "I traveled to the swamps in search of a certain fairy I heard lived there but i didn't see her." she said sadly.
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Post by xantara on Sept 2, 2009 18:56:34 GMT -6
Xan nodded, heading off in the right direction and reaching the bush in a few moments. The trees guided her in her quest and the bush itself was not hard to find at all, having seen it several times before. Kneeling before the bush, she extended a hand to let the fairy find her companion, the dryad smiling patiently as she willed some magick into the bush to let it flourish even more and protect it from harm in the forest.
"If you would like me to try and heal it or produce herbs, I would be more than happy to," the dryad said.
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Post by illmi on Sept 2, 2009 19:05:45 GMT -6
Illmi flew into the bush where she had created a sort of den. When she entered, she was delighted to see Oliza moving. Picking up Oliza, she flew out from the bush to Xantara. Holding the ladybug so she can look into her face she told her, "Oliza this is Xantara, a dryad. She is here to help you." she smiled at Oliza. Oliza nodded her head and Illmi continued talking to her. "I was unable to find the fairy I was looking for but I was also fortunate enough to run into her." She held Oliza up towards the dryad. "Thank you." she said and the ladybug crawled onto the dryads finger.
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Post by xantara on Sept 2, 2009 19:22:43 GMT -6
Xan smiled, holding her hand still and bringing the ladybug carefully up to where she could see. "Can she open her wings so I may see what happened exactly?" she asked as she place her other hand on the ground, immediately calling forth several herbs that helped with healing.
The plants sprang into full bloom around her feet, creating a ring in which they were, their smells filling the air and adding to the fragrance of the rose bush. The dryad smiled slightly as the plants sprang up, her bright green eyes glowed even brighter with the magcik she used.
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Post by illmi on Sept 2, 2009 19:34:44 GMT -6
Illmi watched as the plants started growing, and the ladybug opened her red shell. The dryad had more experience with the area than Illmi had and she greatly appreciated it. She was still considered young by fairy time but her skills were more advanced than most other earth fairies. Upon moving to the forest she had yet to see another fairy and it was the plants that had informed her of one possibly hiding in the swamps. I wonder what ever happened to them she thought. She was hoping that they were here just in another part of the forest. Illmi did not want to think that anything bad or terrible had happened to them.
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Post by xantara on Sept 2, 2009 19:50:20 GMT -6
Xan examined the injury and was able to heal much of what was left before she gently replaced the ladybug back on the rose bush and set to collecting the necessary herbs to make a paste that would help with the healing of the injury. She mixed them together in her hand, a skill she had long ago mastered and created a bowl out of a leaf to hold it.
It was a small bowl, just enough for a week and for the fairy to hold with comfort. "This will help as well. Just rub it on her wing gently, just enough to coat the top and bottom and let it set for five minutes before you do any movement," they dryad said with a smile.
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Post by illmi on Sept 2, 2009 20:21:31 GMT -6
Illmi accepted the bowl with a smile. "Thank you so much, Oliza was the first friend I made when I came here, I would be sad to lose her." Oliza buzzed happily and Illmi giggled. "Oliza is very grateful for your help. If you ever need us for anything don't hesitate to ask." Words couldn't express her gratitude enough so she picked up a rose seed and held it in her hands. She glowed a bright green and the the seed turned into a beautiful violet rose. Flying up towards the dryads head, she put it in her hair and kissed her cheek.
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