Neledh || ONC 2023

Prologue | Nadine

It had been a good year, Raine had watched the young animals grow and become adults themselves. Now the trees were losing their leaves and the wind had become colder.

Though she didn't feel that herself, she saw it in the world around her, in the humans that were huddling together in their homes with dancing flames. Her home was always warm, although she did enjoy cuddling with her siblings when the world around them was white.

The geese had left for warmer lands, and the first snow covered the forest floor when Raine heard someone crying. The young woman was kneeling in the snow, with an upturned basket laying next to her. Her hair, face and clothes whiter than the snow around her.  

"Kind lady, could you help me? I fell on the ground and my ankle hurts too much to stand on."

The woman showed big pleading eyes, but her acting was unnecessary. Raine was going to help either way.

"Of course, here is your basket, where do you live? I'll carry you home."

Raine dragged the woman's arm over her shoulders, so she could carry her weight more easily.

"It's not far from here, kind lady. But are you sure, I'm far heavier than I look."

She was heavy, too heavy for a mere human to carry, or be.

"Don't worry about it, I'm also stronger than I look."

The woman stared at the muscles in her arms and huffed in clear disbelief.

"Then you won't mind me leaning on you, till we found my home right?"

"Of course not, you can lean on me till we have found the place you call home."

Two could play this game of words, and Raine was winning.

The woman didn't speak a word as Raine lead them through the forest, following pathways only known to the faerie folk. Pathways they both used to avoid curious humans exploring places they never should have checked out. 

They both knew where this specific pathway would lead them. Where Raine was leading them and there was nothing the other woman could do to stop it. She had said it herself, till they arrived at a place for her to call home. She wasn't allowed to leave by her own and Raine's magic.

"You're a lot smarter than you look, kind lady. Most people fall for my tricks without a single glance back."

The road went up a hill, they were walking a circular route towards the clearing were Raine's home was, taking the longest possible route.

"I would be very stupid not to recognize you for what you are, a dame blanche. The white is pretty obvious apart from the fact that there were no footsteps leading to the place you were kneeling, and you haven't even pretended to have a limp since we started walking. You should really work on your performance if you want to seduce oblivious humans to do your bidding."

That got a laugh, a real laugh, out of the woman who now let go of Raine's shoulder and began to walk on her own, completely letting go of the illusion of a fair maiden in need of assistance.

"So were are you leading me, kind lady? You promised me a place to call home, and though the forest certainly is a place where I enjoy living I wouldn't call it that."

Raine would stay true to her promise, though she had no idea how. 

"Wait and see, it's past this hill."

The woman watched the young nymph through her eyelashes, unaware how much her future would change with this chance encounter.

-

"Camille, come here! Her eyes are opening."

Raine was running from the alcove where the sprouts had been planted last spring. After years of considering all options they too had added a piece of their hair to make them grow.

"She's a plant she doesn't have eyes yet, Raine."

Although Camille tried to keep a straight face her eyes were full of mirth, this was only their first try and it seemed to have already taken root. Something they had feared would be impossible as Camille wasn't a nymph herself, being part of the faerie folk seemed good enough for the forests gods.

"I know! That doesn't mean we shouldn't be there."

Camille was dragged halfway through the forest as she didn't walk fast enough to Raine's liking, their laughs entwining in the clear air. A soft breeze following in their wake.

The small clearing was filled with couples gushing over the small plants that had appeared, from where they had been hidden by the soil. A tiny chamomile plant with one, still closed, flower bud was where Raine and Camille knelt down to watch. 

"It's so small."

Camille reverently stroked the green leaves as her eyes were glued to the slowly opening flower bud.

"Of course it's small, love, it's a baby."

They had planted their child in fresh soil and would now see if their hard work had paid off, if the small flower would stay that or become something close to a nymph and grow up to become a person.

"Look! Look, it's opening!"

Raine was shaking Camille's arm in excitement as the flower slowly blossomed and turned into the translucent form of a nymph. The child was carefully laid down on the forest floor where she took on a more corporal form than a nymph was capable of. 

"She's beautiful, our Nadine."

Their daughter had formed after both her mothers, with hair as white as snow and eyes green as grass. A body more corporal than a nimf, yet unable to be captured and hold on to. Home to the forest and faerie world, yet invited to the world without a drop of magic inside it.

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Dames blanches [ Camille] 

Native to France, Normandy and Lorraine. They appear as white spirits seeking the attention of passerbies. They may ask the passerby to perform a certain task for them, if they comply they will be rewarded with riches. If they refuse they will be tossed into the ravine or ravine or be attacked by wildlife.

Nymph [ Raine ]

Native to ancient Greek and Rome, in this world they have a different origin and can be found all over the world. They are minor nature deities, who can appear in many different subgroups depending on their place of reference. To make it more easy they will be always referred to as the more general term nymph. They are the personification of nature and are often confided to a certain place, and though they live much longer than humans they aren't necessarily immortal

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2000 words point

[Edited]

February 2, 2023