Sighing, she curled up in a ball, thinking to rest only for a moment before making a fire and cooking something. But the silence of the forest lulled her and her eyes fell closed. Sensing a presence around her, she longed to open her eyes to take a look but her eyelids were so heavy. Try as she might, she could not open them.
And then she was inside a vortex of warm air and there was light all around her. Startled, Aria opened her eyes. She was no longer in the dark forest, crouched under a tree with Bikkar close beside her. He was missing, along with the horses and their luggage--and she was alone.
She was in a large hall, a strange place. On all sides were irregular walls, jutting randomly in and out in so that the hall was of no particular shape, neither round nor square. On the ceiling, a hodge-podge of thousands of thick wooden logs resembled tree branches, laden with leaves and delicate white flowers. Hundred of lit candles, covered with glass domes were placed at various heights in small niches on the walls, illuminating the hall with eerie yellow light. The whole place gave the impression of being a mysterious cavern carved out of wood.
Before her was a wooden platform upon which stood a carved chair. Tiny flowers covered the chair and the platform, appearing to grow out of the very wood. Aria longed to touch the flowers, wanting to know if they were real, but hesitated.
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Great Hall of the Tsarina Meliai of Dryads." The voice boomed across the cavern.
A beautiful woman glided out of a door in one of the walls. She wore a simple green gown. On her head was a garland of white flowers shaped like a crown. Her hair, long and black, hung down her back.
Overcome with awe, Aria curtseyed as the woman ascended the platform and seated herself. "Your highness, I'm honored to meet you." She knew without a doubt that she was in royal company. She sensed great power.
The Tsarina looked down at her. "Who are you? Why did you enter the demesne of the dryads?"
"Forgive me, your highness, for entering your forest without permission." Aria curtseyed again. "I was seeking a sanctuary for myself and my companion who's sick. May I ask where he is?"
"He's safe and being tended to. Tell me from the beginning what brought you to this place," the Tsarina commanded.
Without embellishment, Aria described her journey from the moment she had lost her brother. Not knowing why, she felt a compelling need to tell her everything with as much honesty as she could muster.
"It is a dangerous quest that you've undertaken." The Tsarina commented after Aria finished her story. "Is it the love for your brother that drives you, or your desire for revenge that compels you to destroy the Orb?"
Aria searched her heart. "Both, your highness."
The Tsarina sighed. "Honesty is a virtue we admire. Revenge is a sin we abhor. Time may prove that you'll be the one to rid the world of the Orb, for it is an evil invention and has been used for nefarious purposes only. But it may come to pass that you'll rid the world of one malevolent monarch only to create another."
"How so, your highness?" Aria was puzzled.
Instead of answering, the Tsarina waved her hand. "Your companion awaits you." Out of the door behind the platform sprang two lovely creatures, one male and one female, both with exquisite delicate features. "Go with them, rest. We shall meet again."
A thousand questions ran through Aria's mind but courage failed her and she did not open her mouth. Instead she followed her guides from the vast chamber into a narrow corridor. As they walked, Aria noticed the uneven pattern of the corridor's walls. They were not smooth, but made of a rough material, much like tree bark.
Leading her to a door, her guides opened it and gestured her inside.
Bikkar was sitting on a wooden cot against one wall. His eyes were open and he seemed to be breathing easily. His color was better too.
"Aria!" He looked relieved to see her. Adjusting his position, he motioned for her to sit by his side. "I'm so glad to see that you're well."
"And what about you?" Aria sat next to him and resisted the urge to touch him to make sure he was indeed all right. She had been deeply worried about him. Now she realized she had grown closer to him than she had thought possible.
"I'm fine." Bikkar grimaced and touched his stomach as if remembering pain. "The dryads said that had I remained outside the protection of this forest any longer, I would've died. They've given me a restorative potion. All I need is some rest, or so they tell me." He wore a strange expression, as if he did not quite believe the dryads had told him the truth.
"Was it the Black Orb?"
"Yes. As soon as I unleashed my power on the soldiers, it sensed my presence and began to suck the magic out of me. It is my great luck that we were only a day's ride away from the Forest of the Dryads, and that you got me here so quickly. The forest has a protective shield around it, created by the ancient dryads. As soon as I entered, the Black Orb lost its hold on me."
"That's good." Aria inspected the room. It was made of the same strange wood material as the rest of the place. It looked much like tree bark, but how could that be?
Bikkar touched her arm. "Thank you for being stubborn enough not to let me die on the plains."
"I've use of you still." Feeling awkward, she crossed the room and ran a hand over the wall. "What is this made of?"
"The palace of the Tsarina of Dryads is not made. It's grown."
Aria looked back at him, astounded. "You don't mean...that this is a living tree?"
"Not just one tree. The palace was formed when the dryads requested several trees to grow together in such a way that their trunks intertwined to form rooms and corridors. The central hall is the largest room, formed out of ten trees growing together in a circle. It's a marvel indeed."
"And the trees continue to grow?"
"Oh, yes. The Forest of the Dryads is centuries old. The palace has been a part of it since near the beginning."
"And the dryads? Do they live in the trees?"
Bikkar shifted restlessly. "The dryads and the trees together form one entity. They live together and die together. The Tsarina is the soul of the trees that form the Palace, and they are her body, so to speak. The dryads are an ancient race and much of what they are and much of what they do remains a mystery."
"The Tsarina is beautiful."
"She granted you an audience?" He seemed surprised. "What did she say?"
Aria shrugged. "Asked me to tell the story of our journey. I did so."
"That's interesting." Bikkar rubbed his hands together. "It seems that the Tsarina is giving some importance to this situation. Usually the dryads keep to themselves and don't care about the rest of the world."
"What do we do now?" Aria sat down beside him again. Now that she knew she was inside a living tree, she felt uneasy. It was almost like a violation of some sort.
"The dryads who attended to me said that I would need a few days to gain my strength...and power. Once I'm recovered, we will resume our journey. In the meantime why don't you rest and, if you wish, explore the forest. The dryads have an ancient and fascinating culture. Not many get to see it. Just don't wander out of the forest at any point. It will not be safe."
"It's a big forest. I might get lost." Aria recalled the size of the trees she had seen.
"You're a guest of the Tsarina. The dryads will guide you back if you wander too far from the palace."
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and a young female dryad entered. She was wearing a short green tunic and her legs were bare. "You need to rest," she told Bikkar in a soft musical voice. "I'll show your friend her room."
"Thank you, Nysa." After stretching, Bikkar lay on the bed. He looked exhausted.
"I'll visit you again tomorrow," Aria promised. She followed the dryad out who showed her the room she had been allotted. It was not far from Bikkar's, Aria was pleased to note.
"Your packs and blankets are in there." Nysa pointed to a wooden chest lying against one wall. There was a pot full of clean water ne
xt to it.
"Thank you. And our horses?"
"They're nearby. Someone is seeing to their food and comfort. Would you like to visit them?"
"Perhaps tomorrow morning." A deep fatigue overcame Aria. She had not slept for a long time. Suppressing a yawn, she sat on the cot. "Will someone show me the way?"
"I'll come in the morning to take you to them." Nysa opened the door. "Your food will be sent to your room. Rest in peace, weary traveler."
"Thank you." With a sigh, Aria got up to wash herself before sleeping. She had not slept in a bed for a long time.
That night she enjoyed a dreamless sleep.
Chapter Nine
Aria set off to explore the forest with her guide early next morning. She went first to the stables, where two male dryads were rubbing the horses down. The male dryads, she noticed, had shorter hair than the female dryads and carried bows across their backs.
She asked Nysa what they hunted.
"We don't hunt animals." Nysa looked aghast at the very thought. "The dwellers of this forest are under our protection. We dryads exist on a vegetarian diet. Our males carry bows because they patrol the forest for intruders."
"I see. Do you ever leave the forest?" She felt chastened and sought to change the subject as they strolled out of the stables and wound their way through the trees.
Nysa shook her long silky hair. "Why would we? Everything we desire and need exists within our forest. And a dryad can't go too far from her tree. The pain of separation becomes too acute."
"What do you do all day?"
"We sing to the trees, keep the forest clean, make bows and arrows and take care of our young."
"Your young?"
"When a new baby is born, he or she is infused with the spirit of a tree and a new tree is planted. Everyone in the community takes care of the child and the sapling until they are old enough to care for themselves." Nysa hopped over a rock, her naked feet treading the moss-covered ground as easily as if she was walking on a soft carpet.
Aria walked alongside, looking closely at the monstrous trees surrounding them. How long did it take a tree to grow that tall? Probably hundreds of years.
"How old are you?" she said, unable to contain her curiosity any longer.
Nysa laughed, her laughter tinkling merrily in the silence of the forest. "How old do you think I am?"
"I don't know." Aria wished she hadn't asked the question. "As old as me."
Nysa laughed harder. "Human lives are so short that they don't even register in the order of the universe. Still you humans manage to make the most chaos in the world despite your short life span."
Aria was a little offended by Nysa's accusations, despite their accuracy. Human beings did have the tendency to make a lot of mayhem. "How old are you, then?"
"I'm seven hundred years old and still considered young in my community."
"Seven hundred?" Stopping short, Aria took a good look at Nysa. She appeared no more than sixteen. Her skin was fresh and soft, her hair full of luster. How could she be so old?
Just as she opened her mouth to ask another question, a bloodcurdling scream echoed in the forest and caused the birds to fly from the trees. "What was that?"
Nysa was already bounding across the forest with a surprising agility.
"What in the name of the Goddess...?" Aria gave chase.
Nysa leaped over rocks and fallen logs until she reached a huge rough-barked tree. Suddenly she was no longer visible. Where did she go?
Huffing and puffing, Aria reached where Nysa had disappeared and bent down with her hands on her knees. She took a few deep breaths. Aria had never seen anyone run so fast and so effortlessly in all her life.
Where had Nysa gone? A sudden hush seemed to have taken over the entire forest. Even the birds were silent.
Aria walked around the tree, once her legs had stopped trembling. She discovered a hole in the tree trunk big enough to walk into. After a moment's hesitation, she entered. The interior was much like the dryad palace, except smaller and dimly lit. On the far side, Nysa and three other dryads were bending over something. Curious, and not sure if she was intruding, Aria walked over.
The dryads barely glanced at her. The male had his arms close around two female dryads. All three were weeping uncontrollably. Nysa was sobbing too. Beside Nysa was another weeping dryad, one Aria had not noticed before. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she clutched the blanket covering her. Nysa was holding a tiny baby in her hands, its body limp and covered in afterbirth.
"What happened?" she said as Nysa laid the baby gently next to its mother.
"She was born dead." Nysa touched the baby's soft cheeks with one finger, almost in farewell. "You shouldn't be here." She grasped Aria's shoulder, clearly intending to lead her outside.
Aria recalled something from her past. In the circus, a woman once gave birth to a dead baby boy. Refusing to give up, the mid wife had inserted her finger in the baby's mouth to clear his air passageway and then pumped the little chest in rhythm. The baby had lived.
Without thinking, she shrugged herself free from Nysa's grip. She snatched up the tiny, limp body and thrust her finger into the soft mouth. Carefully she probed and found a thick plug of mucus blocking the infant's throat. She scooped it out. Tilting the baby's head, she pinched the nose and blew into her mouth, checking to see if the chest was rising. She did it three times and then started compressing the infant's chest. She pumped hard and fast.
"What are you doing?" Dimly she was aware of someone trying to pull the baby from her hands, but she refused to let go, intent on not breaking the rhythm. She kept repeating the cycle of breathing into the mouth and chest compressions, not willing to give up.
Miraculously, just as Aria was beginning to accept that her efforts had failed, the baby coughed and let out an ear-piercing wail. With joyful relief, she ceased her breathing efforts and thumped the baby on the back. The infant screamed and wailed in protest, and Aria delivered her into the waiting arms of her mother.
Dimly she was aware of someone covering the infant with a blanket.
Nysa pulled her out of the tree cave. "How did you do that?" There was awe in her voice.
"I don't know. Something...something I remembered." She cleared sweat off her forehead with the sleeve of her tunic and realized that her clothes were smeared in blood and remnants of afterbirth.
"It was truly a miracle." Nysa leaned against a tree and considered Aria almost as if seeing her for the first time.
"I need to change my clothes. Could you take me back to the palace, please?" Without a guide, Aria knew she would never be able to find her way back. Right now, she felt a little shaken. Had she really managed to save that baby's life? It was hard to believe.
They walked back in companionable silence. The forest seemed to have come more alive than ever. Birds twittered overhead and monkeys jumped from one branch to another with an exuberant energy. The leaves rustled in the wind and even the trees seemed to emit a low hum of excitement.
"Everyone's celebrating the beginning of a new life," Nysa said, confirming Aria's impression. "It's not every day that a new baby is born in the forest."
Once Nysa had guided Aria back to her room, she left. Aria changed her clothes and washed She went to Bikkar's room, but was surprised to find him absent. At loose ends, she walked along the corridor wondering where he could have gone.
The palace seemed to be deserted. No one was in sight as Aria came to the door leading inside the main cavern. Unsure if she should enter, she peeked inside. To her surprise, Bikkar stood in the center of the enormous room. He was staring into the depth of a bowl on a three-legged stool, face white and eyes wide with what appeared to be horror. She hesitated, not sure if she should enter or even disturb his concentration.
"As you see, this may come to pass as a direct result of your decision." The Tsarina's voice echoed in the hall.
Bikkar glanced up from the water bowl and stared in the direction of the throne.
"I do, my lady." Bikkar looked shaken but his voice was resolute. "She's the only one I could find in such short notice. Not only that, I sense the struggle within her...but I feel she has the wisdom to choose the right path."
"And what if she fails to make the right decision? What will you do?"
"What can I do, my lady?" Bikkar shrugged, clutching the stool for support as he swayed. "We all have to trust her."
"There is no one else you could use for this task?" The Tsarina sounded desperate. "There must be others who could accomplish what you hope from her."
"There might be others," Bikkar agreed, "but it would take time to find them. That is one thing I don't have. Unless...that is...if you could solve my problem for me?" He sounded hopeful.
"The dryads cannot get involved in this." The Tsarina sounded discouraged. "Well, if you insist on taking her...but I must warn you. If what you've seen comes true, the world will be a more dangerous place for all of us."
"If I may ask... Is the wand of Syth still in your custody?"
"It is. And it will remain with us. Why do you ask?"
"I've come to the conclusion that the Queen of Azmeer must have access to a magical means to transport the Black Orb from one battlefield to another. And I was wondering..."
"The mirrors of Azban have been stolen." The Tsarina said. "If, as we suspect, they are now with the Queen of Azmeer, the only thing that stands between her and total domination of the living world is the Dragon Claw."
"I shall do my best, my lady." Bikkar turned his head as if he could not bear to see the sight of the water bowl. "Aria! What are you doing here?"
"She has been standing there for a long time," the Tsarina said. "The trees sensed her. Come inside, child."
Aria stepped forward, confused about what she had heard. Had they been talking about her earlier? And if so, what worried the Tsarina so much?
"I came to-- I was looking for you." Aria had not meant to overhear their conversation, but now that she had-- Should she apologize?
"No matter, child. You heard nothing I did not intend for you to hear." The Tsarina was wearing a deep green gown with a garland of flowers around her head. The flowers seemed as fresh as yesterday. Were they new or were the flowers on her head actually alive?
The Black Orb Page 8