The Dryad and the Woodsman

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Myhands316
Myhands316
1,179 Followers

"You had your business to attend to and I had mine. But soon the trees will sleep. Most years I dread this time of the seasons."

"Why, if God paints it with such a brush?" He asked, taking in the serene beauty around him.

"I like the way you look at things. I was worried at first." Elmira said, her face glowing in the chill wind.

"Who are you my lovely Elmira? Where do you live? Are you some Elvin sprite to temp mere mortals like me?" Layn asked whimsically.

"My, you do have an imagination. I am just me and happy to be." She answered without giving any information. "I will tell you that I live in a secluded valley to the north. Maybe one day I will show you my home, but not just yet." She smiled secretly.

"Would you care to come to mine then? I could use the company." Layn asked, realizing he didn't want her to just disappear again, not knowing when he could see her again.

"On the morrow, when you will be less upset." She answered. "We both have things to tend to this afternoon. Look for me at midday." She smiled and walked over the hill to the north, Layn's eyes following her until she was out of sight.

Part of him wanted to follow her, but knew she had the right of it. He needed to pull in enough dry wood to last out the storm he tasted on the wind. Turning his horse around, he headed back to his warm cottage. Layn sighed heavily as he rode into his clearing. In front of his home stood Jojo Mason.

"Can I help you?" He asked politely, dusting off the snow from his jacket.

"I'm here to tell you that I'll be crossing your land to the north." He set his jaw in a poor imitation of his father's.

"What for...?" Layn asked getting down from the big horse.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I've been clearing out a valley of oaks. The wood fetches me a fine price at market."

"Then no, you can't go over my land. There is enough deadfall to keep your customers happy for a year or more." Layn said without hesitation.

"You don't get it little man, I'm not askin, I'm tellin! I'm getting my wood. My clients like it fresh cut, young and healthy. Not half rotted and full of beetles. " He took a threatening step forward.

"And I'm telling you; you're not going over my land to do it. Find another road if you must, but I won't have it." Lane didn't blink at the implied threat.

"There isn't another road and you bloody well know it. I've been harvesting that track as long as I can remember and no upstart is going to stop me. Whatdaya think of that?" Jojo demanded with a snap of his fingers.

"I think you need to remember you are on my land." He walked up to the bigger man flatfooted and punched him in the gut without hesitation. "I also think you need to learn some manners." He said quietly, as the air whooshed out of Jojo.

"Stay off my land." He shoved Jojo back into the front of the battered truck that was sitting there. "Now get and don't let me see your face around my property again, until you learn some manners." Layn added as he slammed the truck door shut.

Layn went over to the big horse and grabbed his ax. "You've got a minute." He added and started taking practice swings with his ax to get the obstinate man moving.

"You've not heard the last of this." Jojo wheezed as he started the old truck.

"I'm sure I haven't, but don't let me catch you on my land again. Next time, you'll be crawling home." Layn watched as the truck belched out black smoke and scattered gravel as Jojo headed to the gate. Layn sighed and put his ax away before tending the horse. By the time he was finished, he was almost in a good mood again as he settled his barn and went in to fix himself a hot bowl of stew.

Then the phone rang. "Hello." He answered it automatically.

"Hello, son...." He mother said cheerfully, setting Layn instantly on edge. "I was telling my friend about the land you bought and she wanted me to ask if you would be interested in letting her husband's business lease it. They're having some hard times since the logging industry is shutting down so much land." His mother asked without hesitation.

"Why would I want to do that?" Layn asked, looking at the phone like it was a snake in his hand.

"Well, it would help out a friend and get you a little bit of extra money. It's not like there's anything else that land is good for. Who knows, after they clear it, you might be able to sell off lots for those little mini-farmsteads. This could make us... you rich again." He could hear the greed in her voice.

"Mother, I didn't buy this land to have it clear cut." Layn said exasperated. "I bought it so I could keep the world at an arms distance. It's one of the few places left where man hasn't come in and mucked it all up. I like the wild nature of it and aim to keep it that way."

"Well I don't see why you can't be more helpful. This is a win-win for everyone." His mother insisted.

"I don't see it that way." Layn interrupted, getting mad again. "There are enough managed forests. They can harvest those to their heart's content. As for my land, I don't need a bunch of strangers telling me how to keep it." The argument got heated after that, with his mother trying to guilt him into compliance.

By the time he went to bed, he was in a foul mood. He wondered if he could just ship his family off to some far away land and not have to worry about them again. After tossing and turning, sleep finally came. Not that it gave him any rest, as he dreamed of the horrors of war, the betrayal of his trust, and his family trying to take advantage of him.

"Bugger it!" He exclaimed, as he got up and started the coffee pot. As if the prior day wanted to extend into the morning, as he laced his boots, the laces snapped. It was like the Gremlins were having a jolly laugh on him. Everything he touched that morning either broke or failed to work properly. It was almost midday when he slammed out of the cottage, hoping to make something out of his day.

In his irritability, he had forgotten that Elmira said she would come for a visit. He had just about got the horse saddled when the leather cinch snapped, putting him on his pride. He was about to turn the air blue, when her tinkling laughter came to his ears.

"There's a fine way to be greeted." Elmira smiled giggling, as Layn tried to dust off his britches. "Having a bit of a morning are we?" She asked with mischief in her green eyes.

"Aye... a bit...." He grimaced. He watched as she walked up to the horse and whispered something in his ears. The horse just shook its mane as the saddle slid off and trotted into the woods.

"Buggering hell...! Now I'll have to go chasing after him." Layn bitched as the horse pranced out of sight.

"He'll come home when he's hungry. He knows where his trough is." She smiled again, "I had hoped you'd be in a better mood by now. Do I need to leave you in peace?" She asked kindly.

"No, no; I'll be fine. Would you like some tea or coffee?" He asked hoping she could elevate his mood. "Aren't you cold?" He noticed the full length form fitting garment she wore. "I've got a nice warm fire set."

"A bit yes, but not too close to the fire. I'm uncomfortable around it." She said as Layn escorted her to the front of the cottage.

"Welcome to my home." Layn said, as he opened the door. "It's not much, but it's all I need." He entered the house and held the door for her.

"A bit spare don't you think?" Elmira said as she took a quick look around. "I would have thought, that townswoman would have added some female touches by now."

"What townswoman?" Lane asked confused.

"The one who wishes to tame and mate with you. She comes by frequently, but leaves frustrated when she finds you're not where she thinks you should be."

"The realtor lady...? No thank you." Layn said instantly. "I know her type and I could never trust her." Lane said, looking at Elmira speculatively. "How is it you know so much about me and my land? What kind of fae-creature are you?" He asked, handing her a cup of hot tea.

"It doesn't take magic..." She laughed. "It would be un-neighborly of me if I didn't get to know who you are. It is hard for me to trust my neighbors. The people here before you, were nasty, mean, hateful, people. I shed not a tear when they met their judgment."

"You must have been very young. I was told this place has been empty for over twenty years. That it was haunted and that it is written that all the land had to be sold, not to be parceled off, or they would have cleared the forest long ago." He scratched his head. "I've had offers to do the same." He grimaced.

"Yes and turned them down." She smiled again. "From what I hear, you've even blocked off access to my lands to the north, by cutting off the road they would use." She started to smile, and then frowned as birds went screeching over head.

"What is it?" Layn asked instantly concerned, as she listened to the screeching outside.

"Fire! At your west border.... There isn't enough moisture, if it isn't stopped, it could take miles of forest with it." Elmira jumped up.

"Fire...! Are you sure?" Layn headed outside, sniffing the air.

"I must go. My saplings... my chi..." She turned pale.

"No, come with me. I have a way." Layn ran to his shed and threw open the door. Rushing in, he started tossing out long hoses and dragging out a large pump. "Help me!" He called out, as he tried to carry the heavy pump to the back of his motorized cart.

"What can I do?" Elmira asked wondering what the man was doing.

"Grab those hoses.... Hopefully they'll be enough, and then get in."

"We must wait for your horse..." She whistled shrilly.

"This will be faster.... Come on... is the creek still running high?" He asked, as he tied in the pump.

After everything was tied down, he pushed Elmira to the other side and strapped her in. "Hold on, it's going to be a rough ride." He told her, as the motor started and he lurched down the wide track toward the wisp of smoke in the distance.

Over the next quarter hour, they didn't say anything as the branches snapped over the windscreen and they strained to see where the fire was spreading to. As they got closer, he pulled his cart next to the bend in the stream and jumped out.

"Keep the motor running and make sure the fire doesn't get behind me." He showed Elmira the workings of the pump. "Make sure the filter stays in deep water." Layn instructed as he pulled out the pump and tossed a thick hose with a metal screen on it into the water.

After three pulls, the noisy motor came to life and the hoses filled with water. Slamming the valve shut, Layn grabbed the end of the hoses he connected together, and drove his cart as far as he could to the flames.

"Open the valve!" He screamed, hoping Elmira could hear him over the roar of the fire. Seconds later, he felt the hose in his hand swell and a tight spray of water hit the flames. Taking the hose and jamming it between the cart and the mirror, He drove his cart as far as he dared into the fire. He hoped he was fighting the leading edge. If he was, he could force the fire back to the creek.

Hours passed as they fought back the flames. Layn tied off the hose and pulled out his ax to clear away anything that might catch a new spark. After two hours of constant battle, the wind shifted and helped him herd the fire back to the water of the creek. An hour later, the roar had demisted and the snap of cooling sparks could be heard.

Layn tried to locate Elmira through the thick smoke. He was content that she was okay, since the flow of water never stopped. Untying the hose, Layn sprayed every ember he could see as he walked toward the sound of the pump. Once he got to it, he switched it off and listened for Elmira in the instant quiet.

Hearing a soft groan, he rushed over to the creek. He screamed her name as he saw her half in and half out of the frigid water, holding the intake hose into a deep pool. Jumping in, he waded over to her and pulled her into his arms.

"You can let go now, the fire is out." He tried to tell her.

"There is poison in the water... the same poison you used to run your pump." She gasped as her face turned waxy, struggling to take a breath.

Layn was about to try and reassure her, when he heard the loud rattle of an old truck and spotted the black smoke, as it billowed out the tailpipe. He listened as the truck sped out of the woods as fast as it could go.

"Hold on to me now. Let me get you to the cart." Layn told Elmira and he cradled her next to him. "You'll be okay." It took his remaining strength to carry the delirious woman to his cart. Once he got her strapped in, he leaned his forehead against hers. "Will you be okay for a minute? I have to look for something across the creek."

"I'll be fine if I can get to my tree." She whispered her voice lost from breathing in the smoke.

Taking her answer for a yes, he walked to the big log that had fallen across the creek some years before. He saw the trail of burn and set his foot next to. When he got to the other side, he looked for where the truck should have been parked. Along the way, he found an empty fuel can. Grabbing it, he knew it was more important to get Elmira help, than try and find who started the fire.

Going back, he looked at the grey faced woman. "I'll have you home in no time."

"My tree... I must need my tree." Elmira said deliriously.

"Well love, all the trees are sleeping right now and you're in no shape to tell me the way. I'm taking you to my cottage." He left the pump and hoses, knowing she needed to get warm and, if the fuel in stream did get into her system, purged.

He drove as fast as he could, but slower than going out, since Elmira couldn't hold on. By the time the cottage came into view, the chill of dusk was coming on and he knew his guest needed warmth or she would catch her death from the cold. He parked as close to the stoop as he could, knowing she'd be no help in getting inside.

Picking her up, he marveled at the solid woman as he carried her into the sofa and wrapped her in a blanket. Running back, he closed the door and put new wood into the fire. Once the logs caught, he headed into the bathroom and turned on the water. He made it just warm enough, testing it against his wrist. He knew she couldn't be warmed up to fast or she would go into shock.

Layn didn't flinch as he cut off her smoke and soot ruined dress. He gently laid her into the warm water, making sure to brace her head so it wouldn't go under. Once he was sure she wouldn't slip, he went into his kitchen and found his medical supplies. Taking the old tea water, he mixed in a purgative and went back into the bathroom.

Making her take small sips, he waited for the medicine to do its job. Ten minutes later, bucket in hand, he held her as everything in her system came spewing out. When she was reduced to dry heaves, he turned the water back on, warming it slowly.

A half an hour later, he pulled her out and dried her off, before putting her in his bed and covering her up. Once he reassured himself that she was sleeping, he went back and made a tray of gentle Chamomile tea, putting it with some soft bread and honey. Taking it to his room, he pulled off his smoke filled clothes and took a quick shower. Once the stink of the fire was off him, he settled in for his vigil.

***

Over the next three days, as he made sure she took food and liquid in, as he wondered about his house guest. He would spend his mornings tending Elmira, and then take a few hours in the afternoon to do what was needed around the cottage, as she napped. He went back and got his hoses and pump, noticing that they had lost quite a few trees. He worried about being able to afford new saplings and seedlings to steady the ground, so the creek wouldn't erode it away.

By the fifth day, Elmira could start sitting up, he figured he needed to look to the north and see if he could find her home. He knew she would appreciate something other than his old shirts to wear. Unfortunately, a strong storm had swept through the valley, and the gap he needed to use was closed. Sighing, he turned his horse around and headed back to the cottage.

When he entered his small home, he found her leaning against the wall of the necessary, gasping for air. "What are you doing out of bed?" He demanded concerned.

"I... I had to pass water. I didn't think you'd be back so soon." She wheezed, as Layn came up next to her and offered his strength.

"You're freezing." He exclaimed when he touched her skin. "Let's get you back under the covers." He all but carried her back to his bed. Once he covered her up, he pulled off his shirt and britches.

"What are you about?" Elmira asked her eyes going wide.

"Oh bother it. If you don't get warm, you'll catch your death." Layn said, as he slid into the opposite side of the bed in nothing but his underwear. "Come here and no arguments." He told her softly as he hugged her to his warm skin, hissing at the cold contact.

He wondered at the feel of her skin. It was like young smooth bark, but cold. Grabbing the hem of the shirt she was wearing, he told her. "It only works, skin to skin. No time for embarrassment." He held her eyes as he stripped off the shirt and pulled her closer to him.

After fifteen minutes, once he felt the warmth seeping into her front, he made sure the covers were well wrapped around them, and told her. "Now the other side." As he rolled her over and settled her firm buttocks next to his groin and hugged her from behind, fighting off the chill from her skin.

As his body warmed hers, he felt the urge to lean in and sample her flavor. Keeping his mind at the task at hand, he fought it, until he felt her smooth easy breathing, telling him that Elmira was sleeping. Looking at her sleeping face, he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and snuggled back down, keeping her warm.

Throughout the night, every time he felt her pull away, he would pull her back into his warmth. Even in his dreams, he knew he was fighting death and refused to give any quarter. This was a fight he refused to lose. In some part of his brain, he knew a blizzard came in and threatened to bury them in its frigid grip. He could hear a Banshee howl in the wind and threw his anger and spite back into her teeth.

Once the storm calmed, he fell into a deeper sleep, still cuddled next to the only woman he ever wanted to be with, until time stopped being time. Sighing contently, he relaxed his hold on her and stroked her subtle skin until he could feel her pulse bloom under his hand.

When Layn open his eyes, he reached over and found the opposite side of the bed empty. Wondering where she was, he grabbed the pillow and breathed in the scent of her hair. He wondered why he was still so fatigued. Listening to the quiet, he heard the sound of Elmira working in his kitchen. Smiling, he tossed back the covers and stretched. Pulling on his shirt and pants, he padded barefoot into the main room of the cottage.

He was stunned seeing Elmira in profile, completely naked. He marveled at her exquisite form as his body reacted in a typically male manner. His vision snapped to her eyes.

"My, aren't we in a fine fettle this morn?" She said with frostbite in her voice.

"A bit sore, but felling okay. How are you feeling?" He asked, trying to hold her gaze and not let his eyes wonder.

"How am I...? How dare you? The nerve...!" She stuttered. "Have you any whit of an idea of what you've done?" She squared her shoulders, making her full breasts wobble enticingly.

Licking his dry lips. "If you're going to beat me about the head, could you put something on? Please...?" He knew she was mad, but not at what.

"Oh, like that matters a hoot now. Like we haven't spent the last three days, naked in a bed together, as pretty as you please. As if you haven't bound me tight enough to you. It wasn't supposed to happen this way!" She screamed and tossed a coffee cup at Layn's head. "How dare you kill a Banshee for me? How can I ever repay you?" She ranted hysterically.

Myhands316
Myhands316
1,179 Followers