A Kelpie of Rowan

Chapter 59

Darach smiles at Rowan. "Are you ready to test your control?"

Rowan nods, her hair swaying in the light breeze flowing through the forest. "I've practised and practised. I think this is it, Darach."

"Then show me."

Darach steps backwards, into the shade of her tree. She's giving Rowan space just in case she needs it. Rowan holds out a hand to the earth beneath her feet and a tree seedling begins to emerge from the ground. She coaxes its shape into being as it grows larger and a dome begins to form. It spreads out over Rowan, the branches spreading out to make a living net. The edges of the young tree spread out and touch the ground, digging into the soil once again.

Throughout the dome, leaves begin to form, covering up all the gaps between the branches. There is only one small space that remains open and even that is covered by leaves. Unless you were inside looking out, you wouldn't be able to tell that it was a doorway into the space made by the tree. Rowan lowers her hand, grinning. She did it, she grew something and controlled how it grew. Darach calls from outside the tree dome.

"Are you going to come out or just sit in there?"

"Why don't you come in?"

Darach laughs. "I can do that if you tell me where the entrance is. This thing looks seamless."

Rowan giggles and moves to the opening. She pokes her head out and waves Darach over. Darach stares at Rowan for a moment before she rushes over. She slips into the dome and turns to look at the opening she just came through. She looks back at Rowan.

"That is really clever. I would have never known that was there if you hadn't shown me."

Rowan beams. "Thank you!"

Darach follows the curve of the tree, trailing her fingers along the branches. The leaves poking through seem to wave at her and flutter when she touches them. Rowan moves to touch the branches as well, only for the leaves around her to surge forward. They close around her skin, giving her a glove of green. She laughs and pulls away, stroking some of the soft leaves when she does. She looks back at Darach to find the dryad watching her.

"What is it?"

Darach shrugs. When she speaks, her voice is low and soft. "Do the flowers still grow when you touch the ground?"

Rowan frowns and settles onto the earth, letting her palm lie flat against the soil. She can feel the flowers trying to poke through, but she pushes them back.

"Yes and no."

"What do you mean?"

Rowan frowns, trying to figure out how to explain it. "I can feel them trying to come through, trying to appear. But I'm holding them back somehow now that I have control."

Darach nods. "That's good."

Rowan looks down at the ground and summons a twinflower into existence. It pops up between her fingers, looking so alone. The ring of twinflowers from the first time she tried to control her magic is still alive. It lies in the centre of the dome, ringing the trunk of the tree she called into being. Rowan rolls the stem of the flower between her fingers and looks up at Darach.

"Will you tell me what the cow-wheat flowers mean now?"

Darach pales. "No. I can't tell you that."

"Why? They want to grow around me. Those flowers specifically. So shouldn't I know why?"

Darach shakes her head. "It isn't safe. I'm not telling you because-" She pauses. "You do deserve to know, but I can't tell you. It would put you in danger."

Rowan barks out a laugh. "I'm already in danger. I can't really avoid it. I don't think knowing will make things worse."

Darach sighs. "You may think that no harm will come from it, but that isn't true. You may be in danger now from the Seelie Lord, but that danger will grow exponentially if you know the truth about these flowers."

"But shouldn't I choose if I will risk the danger of knowing?"

Darach shakes her head. "Not with these. That power falls upon someone else."

Rowan scowls. "Who?" Darach doesn't answer. "Tell me who. Please!"

The words spill out of Darach in a rush. "Fine. The only one who can tell you the truth you seek is the Forest King."

Rowan sits back on her heels. "Who is the Forest King?"

Darach stands up in a rush. "Don't you go looking, Ro. Don't go looking for him."

"Why?"

"Just don't." Darach pokes her head outside the dome. "You'd best be going home now. It will be dark soon."

Rowan sighs. She gets the message. No more talking about the flowers or the Forest King. She moves towards the opening that leads back outside the dome and stops to look back. Darach is staring at the wall of the dome, silent. Rowan looks back at the opening and slips outside.
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What do you think the cow-wheat flowers mean? And who is the Forest King? What do you think is going to happen next? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.