Sapphic Voices Fantasy

The Lady of the Woods

The song of the wind gently sweeps across the forest’s greenery and carries exotic scents of lands unknown to me. I peek out at the sky from under my canopy, watching as the clouds roll by as swiftly as the squirrels chatter away at each other. I feel a forewarning in the air, and it makes me tremble to imagine what is in store for my lovely home.

In order to calm my quivering body, I begin to hum an ancient melody that man no longer remembers. It is a song of youth, of age, and of the wrath of the gods. I smile to myself, and hope that one of them hears it at this very moment, for there is little else they could do to harm me. Almost immediately, a form is before me. She is dressed in a white tunic, and carries a bow and arrow on her back. “You so do enjoy that song, my dear. You have been humming it for ages. Doesn’t it ever grow somewhat dull?” she questions in complete serenity.

“It is a tune that draws visitors to me without hesitation. It is well worth repetition,” I answer quietly. She laughs at me and sits down at my feet. Her age is hidden by the form that she wears, but her wisdom, power, and experience are evident in her tumulus eyes. We stay in that manner for some time, staring at the sky, and humming old songs to pass the time. I enjoy every moment of it, and dread the moment that I will be alone again.

After some time, the maiden looks up at me with a twinge of sadness in her eyes, “I hear that my brother has been making his rounds again. Seems he’s not satisfied with settling down. My sister told me that she saw him chasing a buxom blonde down the hills of Mt. Olympus about a moon ago. That’s rather close to here, you know.” I take in the news as if it was a breath of sharp, cold air. I ache from the inside out, even though I have had years to learn to deal with his presence. I close my eyes, and my body stands still. The wind grows quiet in one single moment. “I’m sorry I’ve been away for so long, but life has been hectic. We all still think of you...the one mortal to win over our hearts because of your beautiful voice. This fate that has fallen upon your shoulders is not an easy one. But it is yours all the same,” I hear her whisper through the haze inside of my eardrums.

I allow myself to reach a level ground, and when I finally feel ready, I look at her once more with sadness in my eyes, “Do come back soon, but you really must need to take your leave now.” She smiles back, and without even a trail of dust, vanishes from my sight. It is then that I allow myself to weep as I have done for ages. My body has grown thick with time, and my once slender frame now only hindered my every movement. I know that I must be a sight, my hair flying in the wind, and loose pieces falling to the ground. A hard driven curse escapes my lips, and then I hear a frightening sound.

“Darling, no mortal can resist me. I am the god of your dreams. I will bring you jewels, rich food, and anything else you could ever desire. But do not refuse me,” a male voice pronounces dominantly over the hill. I cringe, and draw further into myself, until only a sliver of sight is afforded to me. The girl cries out as she is chased into the woods, and kicks as the beast of a god brings her down to the ground. “No need to scream, dearest, you are nothing to anyone but myself. But oh, you mean so much to me.” I helplessly watch as he paws her body in lust, and ignores her moans of agony.

The beautiful girl transforms into a meek creature as he uses every ounce of flesh that she owns. In utter disgust, I draw sound to my lips, and the wind carries it to her ears alone. Artemis must have some part in the magic, for it could never be so without the intervention of the gods. She accepts my plea, and breaks free from the savage’s grasp. Fleeing, she runs to the comforts of my body, and I protect her with all of my power, crooning words of sedation into her soul, allowing her to run from Apollo not only physically, but mentally as well.

We stay like this for hours, with the furious god searching high and low for his bounty. Finally, as night begins to fall, I know we are safe, so my voice settles, and she stirs from her frightened slumber. “Who are you?” she whispers in youthful wonder, causing me to feel ancient and beaten. Before I can answer, Artemis appears before us once more, with a gleam of respect in her eyes,

“You made a dangerous move today, little one. But the goddesses saw it fit. The gods have been tormenting mortal women for far too long, and Hera is on the rampage. I am to give you the choice of keeping the life you have now, or being released from the restraints that cause you to suffer. Although your family and friends have reached the underworld many hundreds of years ago, I trust that this decision shall be an easy one.”

I look down at the girl at my feet, and give a sigh of relief to the wind. Immediately, I am transformed. No longer am I rooted to the ground, and my hair has shed it’s leaves and I am left with long, dark tresses. I stumble to the ground, but Artemis helps me to my feet, and feeds some of her energy into my body. I weep for joy, and laugh when I realize that I have my own voice once more,

“Thank you, goddess. I could never have dreamed to be restored to my mortal self. I thought I would remain a tree forever.” She smiles slightly, and kisses my forehead as she vanishes once more. The girl at my feet stares up at me with wondering eyes, and I help her to her feet. “We will live freely now, young one, in the woods underneath the radiant canopies of comfort that the trees provide for us. No one in our world would ever understand why we thwarted a god. But we have each other,” I proclaim emphatically and take her hand. She silently nods and holds my hang tightly as we walk under the light of the moon. Artemis smiles down upon us.

If you have enjoyed Faerylove's "The Lady Of The Woods", then please be certain to e-mail her at  glitterytorifaery[at]yahoo.com  and thank her for posting this Story.

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