The Last Flowers Ch. 13

"As do I. But in tree form we can no longer regenerate our life energy, the power we need to change back. If something drains our power to the point we're forced to shift, we become stuck like that. It makes no difference that the tree is gone."

"Why can't you help her?"

"Unlike you, we cannot transfer our essence. We can share some of our vitality, but not our life energy. That's why we need compatible species to help us when we're gravely ill."

Across from them, Evadne sat on the ground, an assortment of twigs and vines spread out around her. It didn't look like she really knew what she was doing, but she was weaving some sort of lantern or decoration. A small star already hung from the tree behind her. She glanced up as Laceleaf walked passed, but quickly returned to her task. The nymph didn't look like she even noticed her.

"Do you think Evadne and Laceleaf are ever going to get along?"

Flora watched her work. "They both have things they need to overcome first."

"You're helping Evadne like you do with me though?"

"Yes, but she is not the one sabotaging the relationship. Laceleaf has convinced herself she doesn't want a mate."

"You think she does?"

"Not as much as the rest of us, but she'd like someone's company."

Willow came over, smiling, and sat on Hevani's other side. Her arms enveloped Hevani and squeezed. "How are you, leaflet?"

"Good." She leaned her cheek on the nymph's shoulder.

"Here, rest your head in my lap." Willow made space for her to shift and settle her head on her thighs. She stroked Hevani's hair with her spindly fingers. "One of the older nymphs used to do this with all the saplings when they were new blooms. It's a confusing time and you can't communicate well. This let me know I was loved."

Hevani sighed and closed her eyes. Willow had a spirit inside her that was pure warmth. Her mothering was always welcome. It hadn't yet filled the emptiness, but the abyss seemed shallower than it was before.

***

Hevani walked along the pathway linking the dens. She was so pleased with the little house Flora and Laceleaf built for her yesterday, even if she had such little say in the decorating. Evadne and Abelia had enough trouble trying to agree and Laceleaf was growing irritated enough without her adding to it.

She cast a glance over her shoulder as she approached one of the charming structures. Kerensa was the one who carried the bag to the grove. She'd pulled out the blanket for the girls to share, but she'd taken the bag to her den and with it the wire cutters. Hevani planned to swipe them while no one noticed. That plan disintegrated when she saw Rozenwild fixing one of her own flowers to the doorway.

She smirked at Hevani. "Inside joke."

Hevani wiped her sweaty palms on her dress. How did she get to the bag?

"It's going to be funny," Rozenwild assured her as she added another. "Well, her expression will be anyway." She stopped and turned around. "Do you need something, peach?"

Hevani's throat tightened. There was no way she could ask. She stopped herself. Yes, she could! It was only Rozenwild. The nymph was intimidating, but she wasn't scary. She was protective and had a big sense of humour. Hevani needed to stand up for herself, to ask for what she wanted. She deserved it—Flora said so.

"I...I'm looking for Kerensa's bag."

Rozenwild dropped to the ground and crawled through the doorway. She came back out with the wire cutters in her hand and offered them to Hevani. "Would you like me to help?"

Her voice was soft and her face compassionate. It made Hevani feel more at ease and reaffirmed her feelings towards the nymph.

"I was going to ask Flora," she said apologetically.

Rozenwild smiled and rubbed her arm. "Good idea. She puts me to sleep, but I know she's been doing wonders for you."

Hevani let her get back to her strange prank and went to find Flora. The nymph was still meditating near the stream.

"Flora?"

"Mmm?" She said without opening her eyes.

"Can you please help me with something?"

She unfurled herself to full height and opened her eyes. "Anything." Hevani presented her with the cutters and she examined them thoroughly. "What is this?"

"They cut metal."

"You'd like me to remove that device from you?"

Hevani nodded. It was time to get rid of her lock. She'd never had a reason to keep it, only a fear of what awaited her if she returned without it. Yes, she'd been taught to value her virginity, but that was only ever going to be temporary. Unlike some of her friends, she'd actually been looking forward to getting married and planned to go against her father's attempts to keep her in his house. Maybe her husband would beat her too. But, maybe he wouldn't. None of it mattered now. The metal was no more than a symbol representing all the bad things in her life.

Flora led her to a secluded spot in the garden and Hevani shimmied out of her underwear. She sat on the ground and lifted her dress out of the way. Her fingers balled the pale yellow fabric, clinging to it tightly while Flora positioned herself between her legs. The nymph took a moment to work out how the cutters worked before she slid the blades around a piece of the lock and squeezed.

"Is this what everyone's looked like?"

Hevani nodded. "But in gold. Father didn't think I was worthy of gold." She fiddled with the lone gold hoop in her right ear. "Mother got me this."

Flora clamped the last bar and gently worked the lock free of her flesh. It felt weird without the extra weight and constant tugging.

"Thank you." Hevani put her underwear back on and smoothed her dress over her crossed legs.

"You're welcome." Flora sat beside her and took her hand. She stared out into the forest and breathed deeply.

Hevani did the same, recalling all the nymph had taught her and wishing she could be that tranquil. "Flora, I...uh remember hearing some of the older girls talking about how they practiced kissing with each other. So they weren't bad at it when they kissed someone they liked. Can you teach me?"

She smiled. "Amaranth won't mind if you don't know how to kiss."

Hevani stared at her. "How did you...?"

Flora tucked Hevani's hair behind her ear. "But if it will give you more confidence I can show you."

She rolled forward onto her knees and crawled in front of Hevani. Her fingers cradled her jaw and she brought her face in close. Hevani braced herself and then soft lips were upon hers. It lasted only a second.

"Shall I keep going?"

Hevani nodded and the nymph brought her mouth back. This time she parted her lips and caught Hevani's bottom one between them. She fluttered in light, feathery movements and slid her tongue inside. Hevani stiffened, but Flora's touch remained gentle and slow. She gave her tongue a delicate massage and slowly withdrew.

"There we are. Now there's nothing to be nervous about." Flora gazed out over the trees.

"I wouldn't say nothing."

"Why not? Just open your mouth and say it. Yell it." She threw her arms in the air.

Hevani took a slow breath. "There's nothing to be nervous about!"

"Why are you yelling?" shouted Rozenwild from somewhere in the garden.

Flora laughed and Hevani found herself joining in.

~

~*~:~*#A#*~:~*~

Crunching leaves woke Amaranth from her daze. A flicker of joy sparked within her when she saw Hevani coming out of the trees. For the second time, the elhuven had trekked kilometres, even going the long way to avoid the cliff—all to see her.

She fluttered her flowers in greeting.

"Hello, Amaranth." Hevani came over and stood a little shyly. "Look." She lifted her dress and slid her underwear part way down her thighs. Her fingers ran over bare skin. No metal in sight.

Amaranth gasped. 'Hevani!' Her flowers sucked into buds and popped back into full bloom. Oh, she was so pleased the woman had gotten rid of that awful thing.

Hevani laughed softly at her reaction. "I thought you'd like that." She straightened her clothes and sat in her usual spot by Amaranth's trunk. "Sarielle had her seedling last night. Her name's Moonflower."

'Oh, how sweet.'

"Everyone was getting impatient. Especially Sae. She was really worried. You should see Dendelyn. She's obsessed."

Amaranth's leaves shuddered with her laughter.

When Hevani had run out of things to say, she leaned into Amaranth's trunk and was quiet for a while.

"It's so easy to talk to you like this." She looked up into her branches. "This will sound horrible, but...I don't know if I want you to be a nymph. I like you as a tree."

'I can turn into a tree for you whenever you like,' she joked to herself. But Amaranth knew what she meant. Hevani was worried she wouldn't like her personality, or that Amaranth wouldn't listen to her stories if she were capable of fleeing.

Hevani stood up and lifted her eyes to Amaranth's face. "Don't worry." She wrapped her arms around her and gave her mouth a stiff kiss. "I'm going to change you back."

~

~*~:~*#H#*~:~*~

Hevani had made up her mind. She was going to free Amaranth. She wanted her to be with her friends. They missed her. And Hevani wanted to meet the nymph inside the tree she'd grown so familiar with.

Of course, that meant having sex with her, which Hevani imagined would be extremely unpleasant. But her life had been full of unsavoury things she didn't want to do, so what was one more?

Then again, what she'd been taught didn't match up with what her friends and the nymphs described. They all enjoyed it. So it must be possible. She thought about who best to ask as she walked the last part back to the garden.

She entered through the beautiful floral arch and began to search for her cousin. Sarielle was always looking out for her and she'd done many sexual things so she wouldn't judge her.

"Sae?" she called from the bank of the stream.

"Yeah." Her cousin was knee-deep in the water and waded over. Ellowyn was with her, but the nymph kept swimming.

"Could I speak with you?"

"Sure. I feel like I've hardly seen you these past few days."

"That seedling kept you pretty busy."

"She did." Her face fell. "You didn't need me, did you?"

Hevani shook her head. "I have other people I can talk to now."

She smiled. "That's good."

"So, what I wanted to asked is...well, how do you enjoy sex?"

"Um...what do you mean?"

"They taught us it was a duty to endure, a way to make babies and please our husbands. The nymphs say it's wonderful. How do you make it as nice as they say and not painful?"

"Oh. Well, you can't just shove something up there without getting yourself aroused first, otherwise it will hurt." Seeing her face, Sarielle took her hand and walked along the bank. As they walked, she explained how she used her fingers to stimulate herself in various places. It left Hevani feeling more upbeat about the situation.

***

The next morning she waited patiently on the stone steps, keeping a covert eye on Flora upstream. The nymph greeted every day by basking in the sun and sometimes spent hours lost that way. Deciding today might be one of those days, Hevani roused the courage to walk over and sit beside her.

"Good morning, Hevani," Flora said without opening her eyes.

"How do you do that?"

"Everyone has their own energy." She inhaled and turned to look at her as if waiting for her question.

"Can we go for a walk?"

"How lovely." Flora took her by the hand and they strolled through the forest. No one spoke, but you couldn't describe it as silence. The sounds of the trees, the birds, the water, it was all so alive. Flora knew Hevani had something to say, but she didn't ask. Hevani thought of her as being the most like a tree, taking everything slower because she had so much time.

"I want to help Amaranth."

Flora smiled. "I know."

"I'm not sure how to do it right. Willow told us, but I've never done anything sexual."

She placed her hand on Hevani's arm. "Before knowing another it is important to know oneself."

"Sae tried to tell me a bit, but..."

Flora gave her a sympathetic look. "Would you like me to guide you?"

~

~*~:~*#F#*~:~*~

Flora saw the uncertainty in Hevani's face. "I'll close my eyes."

"Okay."

She found a patch of moss and sank onto her knees. A surge of power fluffed it up into a thick cushion beneath her, making the spot comfortable for Hevani.

The elhuven gazed shyly at her as she sat down. "You remind me of the princess angel from my favourite story."

Flora smiled, but tilted her head at the strange character. "A princess angel?"

"My father threw the book in the fire one day, but Mother still used to tell it to me by memory. The princess died young and she spent all her time helping people even though she was a ghost. Some people thought she was angel, but you never really find out if she is or whether they just believed it. Maybe their believing makes her so."

"What a lovely story, and a wonderful memory to have of your mother. I'm happy you find my presence comforting."

"I like when you're around."

"If you need me there, with Amaranth, just say."

Hevani dipped her head.

"Ready to begin?" Flora crossed her legs and shrank her skirt so Hevani could have a clear view. She grew leaves to cover her closed eyes so she wouldn't accidentally open them. She was a tad forgetful after all. "Just relax, flower." She felt for Hevani's knee. The elhuven was nervous. "Would you like some pollen? It'll make things easier." A flare of panic danced through her palm. "Only a little bit. It won't make you deranged and the arousal will pass after you orgasm." She let her fingertips wander over her mound to circle her vulva. "I want you to explore, get used to where everything is. Notice the sensations. How does it feel?"

"Strange."

"Give your body a moment to catch up to your mind." She parted her small petal labia, enjoying the swelling anticipation as her own body realised what was going on. "Did your lock make you feel good at all?"

"Sometimes I felt tingly and had naughty dreams that made everything slimy."

"Slimy is what we want. Find your clit and play with it." Flora tried her best to show her with her root and hoped she got the idea. "You can cum solely from this. If that's as far as you'd like to go today—"

"That won't help me save Amaranth."

"There is no rush. Today is about you, not her."

"I want to know it all."

"Very well." Flora spread her labia again, making way for her to circle her entrance. It was slick and waiting for her. "Do you want some pollen?"

"Just a little bit."

Her flower released a small trace of pollen. Hevani sniffled and shifted in the moss.

"How is that?"

"Mmhf...warm."

"Good." Flora pushed a single digit inside her vagina and curled it to the front. She scooped at her G-spot while she gave Hevani a chance to catch up. "Move around to find what feels nice. This is my favourite, but everyone's different." She slipped a second finger in to join the first and leaned her weight back on her free hand to give Hevani a better view. She'd never masturbated blindfolded for someone before. It was a little thrilling and she had to remind herself to take things slowly.

A tiny peep of noise came from Hevani.

"Ooh, you've found a sweet spot. Keep going." Flora thrust her fingers faster. Her juices were copious enough for her to hear the motion. A shiver ran down her spine when she noticed it had become a duet, with Hevani's cunt vocalising its pleasure.

"That's it, earthflower," she breathed, though her mind was starting to drift, consumed by the escalating power rising from her core. She let herself fall backwards on the moss, her hips rolling to meet her fingers. Her breaths grew heavy and little mewls escapes her lips. Her toes curled into the moss and burrowed through into the dirt. The heavens opened inside her, washing over her like rain, flowing through every cell. Flowers burst into bloom across her head, a sequence of eruptions from her skin. As she lay panting she realised one had opened on her arm and another on her wrist, and that Hevani had stopped fucking herself.

"Don't panic. This won't happen to you." She shook her hands to get rid of the miniature leaves that had spouted on her fingers and put the extra flowers away. "It doesn't usually happen to the others either, not unless they've had a party with the fairies."

"Why does it happen to you?"

"I think my soul drifts a bit too much so it's not there to keep my body grounded." Flora returned to a seated position. "I can keep touching myself if that was helping you."

"I...uh..."

"You were starting to get somewhere." Flora smiled, amused by her progress. She gently fingered herself while she waited for Hevani to start. It didn't take long for the squishy sounds to fill the air again. Soon it was accompanied by frustrated, almost there, whimpers.

"Rub your clit if you're having trouble."

Hevani gasped.

"Keep going!" Flora encouraged. After a few seconds of silence, she could hear the elhuven gulping in air. "Well done, Hevani." She retracted the leaves from her eyes. "Think you can do it again?"

Hevani managed a smile. "Yes."

It was wonderful to see her in good spirits. Her soul was in a much better place than it was when Flora first met her.

The two of them chatted while they wandered back through the garden. It had come a long way too. Her sisters continued to mend and add to it each day. As expected, Hevani was drawn towards the new area they'd designed around the fire. It was a popular spot among the elhuvens and there was usually at least one to be found there. Flora wondered if that would change once they put the fire out for good.

Abelia was sitting against a rock with her arms crossed on top of her knees. She saw them coming and got up to meet them halfway. Her arm looped through Flora's arm and tugged, pulling her away from Hevani.

"What has you so uneasy, earthflower?"

Once they were out of earshot she spoke. "You keep taking everyone else out and not me."

Flora smiled at her. "There's plenty of time for me to spend with you today."

Abelia leaned her head on Flora's shoulder while they walked. She took her all the way to the old lemon tree, whose branches were twisted and gnarled with time, some hanging nearly to the ground. They sat underneath, shaded by the limbs.

"Perhaps I've been distracted, but to have me all to yourself would be selfish."

Abelia draped herself over Flora's shoulder. "I don't mean to be. I just want to be special."

She stroked her hair. "You are. However, some of the tribe need more mending than others. Hevani, Dendelyn, Evadne, they all have deeper wounds than you."

She lifted her head. "I know." Her eyes were sad. "But...you and Hevani."

Flora chuckled and gave her a gentle shake. "She likes Amaranth. I told you, remember?"

It seemed she'd underestimated Abelia's insecurities. She'd been trying to prioritise who needed help the most and Abelia could be so self-assured and adamant. But she'd grown up in the same oppressive environment and Flora shouldn't have overlooked her.

Flora kissed her head. "You're my favourite elhuven. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Abelia nodded and Flora brushed her cheek. "We are different, but we complement each other. I believe the earth mother has guided you to me to teach me how to counter my weaknesses. I'd happily take you as my mate."

Abelia gave her the briefest of kisses and cuddled against her. From the first day, Flora knew Abelia would spend a lot of time doing just this. Something in the way she sat, close but not touching, told her Abelia wanted to be affectionate but was afraid of doing wrong. All it took was her putting an arm around her. With that encouragement, she'd nestled in tight like a little kitten. It was how they'd spent every evening since.