71 A cup of Cocoa

It had been a long time since I had seen another dryad. Or, for that matter, any other great spirit besides the animal spirits that accompanied me and the naiad that resided in the large rivers running through my forest. Part of me missed those years I had spent with Laurel and Yew. I learned so much at that time, but every time I thought about going to visit I always started to shiver. These fairer skinned dryads somehow made it through the cold, but that was not for me. For some reason, these last two years I had not been able to get Laurel out of my mind. It was growing stronger. I really felt like I needed to see her.

I knew I would not actually die, but it felt like I would freeze to death. If I had not seen how life would find a way to fill every possible hole in my jungle, I would really wonder how anything could make it through those winters.

Chrysopelea, the animal spirit who spent the most time with me on land, was good enough of a companion, but she would turn a little venomous at times. She never did mean any harm, and she loved the trees almost as much as I did. I could often find her sailing between them. I did have to say whether it was the green scales she usually wore or the black with red, she was eye catching. Standing out even more being taller and skinnier than any other spirit I have met. She just was not someone I could spend every season with.

My relationship with Chrys was luckily not as bad as Laurel and Mother Sea. They seemed to be like oil and water. I guess that would make Laurel the oil, since it just felt wrong to have the sea be oil. It was clear that Mother Sea really meant well, but she was too overbearing for Laurel, who always wanted to learn and figure out everything on her own. I wonder if that independence comes from being the first dryad.

I hope Laurel does not think all naiads are like Mother Sea. There were no major bodies of water in her woods despite how vast they were. I don't know if she has even met another naiad, much less made friends with any.

After a shudder from the imagined cold, I made up my mind. I was going to set out in just a few months to Laurel, just in time to arrive in the spring. But I think I had a better way to get there than the long walk I took in the past. That journey by foot would be hard now that kingdoms dotted the land. The men in my woods over the last few centuries have gotten very good at crafting boats out of trees. It was interesting to see all the different things they could use my plants for. I was eternally glad that they did not seem as destructive with my forest as I saw with other humans a few centuries ago when I explored the lands around my home. I think they have realized that if they make these woods sick they will hurt themselves in the end. Whatever the case, I did not have the same worries that I could only assume that the other Dryads had to deal with.

I headed over to a small estuary of the river where I felt some spiritual movement as I let my thoughts meander. Reaching the bank I splashed my feet into the water, sending out a small burst of my power. "Rill, are you there?" I called out. To my surprise, not just Rill, but also her animal spirit Lace showed up. Lace was the surprise. She usually took the form of a black knife-like fish, as she did today. She was almost never out during the day and even at night was very quiet. Lace was amazing at hiding her presence. There were a few times that she was only a few strides from me and I did not even notice.

"Cocoa, good to see you," Rill said, her watery form stepping up onto the muddy shore to join me. Now that I think about it, of all the greater spirits that lived in my woods, I was the only one that was not sporting scales. Even the fairies had scales on their wings.

Rill did not really have scales, but she simulated clothing that usually took the form of iridescent blue scales running down from her chest to form curtains of water around her legs. I, on the other hand, favored the fruit of the Cacao tree to cover my bosom, which I made yellow to offset my dark skin, with the large dark green leaves as a dress below.

"It is good to see you, too. It has been a few years," I said, receiving a rather wet hug. I turned to Lace who was still in the water but had formed the upper half of her body to that of a human. Her tail flared more than a normal knife fish to fit the human upper half, which was ghostly pale in stark contrast to her black scales. "Lace, I see you are also doing well." She did not say anything but smiled and nodded. I did not mind that, though. This was a big response coming from her.

Turning back to Rill, I said, "I was hoping you could send a message to Mother Sea. I want her help."

"You know that Mother Sea does not like to do favors?" Rill responded, looking confused.

"Just tell her it is for Laurel. I am sure she will at least listen to me then." This did not abate her confusion but added to her curiosity. "Have I told you about Laurel before?" Rill nodded to my question. "Mother Sea has always wanted to be closer to Laurel, but Laurel has always pushed her away."

"Why would Mother Sea care so much about some dryad?" I guess I must never have explained that part to her.

"Laurel has one other name, but she does not really like it being used. The Forest Mother." It took a few moments to sink in but then both Rill's and Lace's mouths turned into nice O shapes. "For some reason Laurel has always isolated herself a little from Mother Earth and Mother Sea. I have never understood it myself."

It took Rill a moment to process this new information, but she soon smiled and said, "I will send a message that you want to meet, but you know she is not going to want to come up my river. I am not even sure Laurel could change that."

"I figured as much," I said slightly resigned. But it would give me a good chance to practice my idea. "I will head downstream to meet her where your river meets the ocean."

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After a few more words, Rill and Lace faded back into the water. I also then stepped my way into the water. With a flash of light I formed my body into a freshly fallen log like the humans used to build canoes and began to float down the river. It seemed that this idea should work if Mother Sea could help aim me the right direction. However on the river it was much harder to steer than I would have thought and several times I was dashed against the rocks. It took some concentration and manipulation of my wooden body to free myself. One problem I did notice as I drifted is that I would need to make my own energy out at sea. I think if I formed into more of a mangrove seedling, I could shoot out some leaves and roots to feed myself. Yes. This should work out nicely.