The Land Set Aflame

Chapter 58: The Dryad's Magic

Callyndia took several steps towards Myndrith as the dryad extracted herself from the tree trunk and perched daintily on a sturdy branch, still several paces above Callyndia's head.

There was a haughty smirk on Myndrith's face as her eyes rotated back to look at Callyndia.

Blue eyes. Like a shadowfolk.

"I knew you could make men fall in love with you," Myndrith said, as her eyes rolled around to look suggestively at Svenden, "And even other fairies." She looked over at the crossing, where that mass of shadowy vines had just retreated from sight. "But I didn't know you could make a plant fall in love with you too."

Callyndia ignored her suggestive comment. "Myndrith, why are you doing this?" she asked.

Myndrith looked down at her with narrowed eyes. There was something very unsettling about the dryad in this state, and not just her wooden flesh and the charred, serrated ends of her hair and claws. Maybe it was the dismissively sinister look in her eyes — and their unnatural color — or maybe it was the tone in her voice. Something just seemed... off.

"Doing what, dear?" Myndrith asked.

Callyndia gestured to the woods. "All of this!" she said, "The shadow creatures... and the spirits are all afraid and restless, hiding in their trees. What have you done to the forest, Myndrith?"

Myndrith made a show of looking around her with disinterest. "I suppose they are feeling a little insecure," she said with a dismissive shrug, "They feel like they don't quite belong here anymore. But then, why shouldn't they? Perhaps they'll understand how I've felt all these years."

Callyndia narrowed her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, "We always welcomed you, Myndrith!"

Myndrith looked at her directly then, a knowing smile on her face. "You're a smart girl," she said, "I'm sure you can figure it out." She stood up and turned her back towards Callyndia. "When you do, come find me again."

"Wait, don't go!" Callyndia said.

"Don't worry," Myndrith said, "You're heading in the right direction, now that I've set you on the right path. I'm sure you'll find me, eventually. If you really want to."

She walked along the branch towards the tree trunk, and merged back into it.

"Myndrith, wait!" Callyndia said, "I—" She sighed in disappointment as Myndrith vanished, and turned back to look at Svenden. He was standing back a few paces, an adorable look of dumb confusion on his face. She smiled lightly at that.

But his face hardened a little, and Callyndia realized that she couldn't get back that little moment they'd almost had a few minutes ago, before Myndrith interrupted.

"I... I didn't make that plant fall in love with me, Sven," she said stupidly, "Er, Svenden. She was... Myndrith always had a bit of a sharp wit, and she tended to take jabs at the rest of the nymphs. It was all in good fun." Her heart thumped at her once, and she looked down in shame. "Mostly."

Svenden's expression was of pure skepticism. Callyndia couldn't blame him for that.

"She was always so different from the other nymphs," she said softly, still looking down in shame, "Different interests, different, um... She was so lonely most of the time. I always tried to be kind to her, so she could feel like she belonged. I guess I failed at that."

Svenden looked at her for a moment with an impassive expression on his face. Callyndia could feel his emotions roiling about beneath the surface, and she could feel him working to keep them bottled up. Eventually, he shoved them back so far that she could no longer feel them at all.

"I guess we're going this way?" he asked, pointing in roughly the same direction they had been traveling. He started walking without waiting for a response.

"Uh, Mr. Moon," Leofric called after him, "Aren't you nervous about simply following Myndrith's directions? I mean, obviously... well, perhaps she's attempting to lure us into a trap?"

Svenden looked at him for a moment before shrugging. "What else can we do?" he asked, "We already know where we have to go, so what choice do we have?"

"What about the fires?" Kithana asked.

Svenden turned to look up at the plumes of smoke that were rising over the trees in the distance. "I don't know," he admitted, "I'd rather be walking in the other direction right now, but it doesn't seem like we have much choice."

"Well, we should talk about it," Leofric said, "And we can plan our own route through the forest."

"Did you hear what she said?" Svenden asked.

Leofric frowned. "That we're heading in the right direction?" he asked, "But, I really think her definition of 'right direction' is probably different from ours. I'd just as soon choose our own path to get there."

"She said she put us on the right path," Svenden said, "When I say I don't think we have a choice, I mean it quite literally. It's more fairy magic! I don't think it's going to matter where we go: I think, from this point on, we're going to end up walking the path she wants us to walk, regardless of what we try to do. So, sure: if we see something weird, let's try to take the long way around it, but I bet you almost anything we won't recognize the hazards — like we didn't recognize the crossing — and we're going to end up walking where she wants us to walk anyway." He looked at Callyndia. "Unless you can counteract her fairy magic with more fairy magic?"

He was more intelligent than he gave himself credit for. More intelligent than Callyndia gave him credit for too.

Callyndia pursed her lips. "I think you're right," she said softly, "And I think she's shown that her magic has far surpassed mine now, so I doubt I can do anything about it. But, I don't think it's fairy magic anymore: it's shadow magic."