5. Chapter 5

5

Chapter 5

D ahlia stood staring at the cottage Ilex had led them to. It was literally built into a tree, the most massive tree Dahlia had ever seen. The cottage seemed to be carved right into the middle of the trunk. A few small windows dotted the trunk's perimeter, and a lovely carved wooden door sat at the end of a path of worn earth. It was the most magical little place. Dahlia was entranced.

She turned her gaze to Ilex, who stood at her side studying her closely. She couldn't get over how incredibly lovely they were; their skin had the texture of bark in some places, but others appeared to have the softness of a leaf. They were tall and lithe and graceful, and looked truly timeless. Thick eyebrows framed eyes of the same shade—the darkest green of a pine tree. Their lips were plush, a slightly lighter shade of green, and leaves crowned their head where hair would be on a human.

Dahlia realized then that they wore no real clothing, only sprouted patches of the more bark-like skin covering their forearms and around their hips and lower back.

She couldn't stop staring at them; they were ethereal in a way that drew her in.

"I uh, I know it isn't much," they said, clearly taking her silence as some sort of judgment on their home.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't mean to be rude; you're just incredibly…beautiful," she said before she could stop herself. Ilex drew back a bit in surprise, their green brows raised and eyes wide as they considered her. After a long moment, they nodded slightly and gestured toward the cottage. Dahlia could not believe she had just said that. She knew she must be blushing fiercely. For once, she managed to keep quiet and not make the situation any worse.

Inside, the floor of the cottage was covered in downy moss and soft leaves. There was a sort of nest in one corner of the room, and a large, long mound in the mossy ground sat next to a low wooden tabletop. Dahlia assumed it must serve as seating for the table.

Ilex pointed to the mound, saying, "It's not much, but it's home. Please, have a seat. Can I get you some water?"

Their voice was absolutely hypnotic—she was so focused on the lovely timbre that she nearly forgot to answer. This poor Dryad would think she was the rudest being in Domhan na Rùin if she kept this up.

"Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you so much, Ilex," she said quickly. "Do you often have company?" She asked, attempting to fill the silence.

"No, I cannot remember the last time I spoke to another creature," they said as they poured from a wooden pitcher. She couldn't believe it; how could someone go so long without talking to anyone? She was sure she would go mad, though, in all fairness, she knew she talked much more than the average person.

"Doesn't that get lonely?" She asked and realized immediately how incredibly rude that was to ask someone she had just met. She quickly added, "Ignore me. What a personal question to ask! I sometimes simply say whatever pops into my mind. I meant no offense, Ilex."

They set a small wooden cup down in front of her, their face neutral. "No need for apologies; your honesty is refreshing."

Dahlia felt herself relax—she found she wanted this dryad to like her for reasons entirely unknown to her. They continued before she could say anything else embarrassing.

"It is lonely. I sought the solitude, and for many years, it was exactly what I needed. But yes—I find it is now quite lonely." A touch of sadness laced their tone, and Dahlia found herself wanting to make Ilex smile. She wanted to ease their loneliness, if only for a time.

"Thank you for the water; it tastes so pure here," she offered, sipping from her cup.

"Wellsah is a lovely place to exist," Ilex said, nodding their agreement.

They sat in silence for a long moment, Dahlia taking in her surroundings, and Ilex—she realized as her eyes fell on them again—was taking her in.

"I will go out and find some berries for us; it's high season for surberries," Ilex said in a bit of a rush, obviously flustered at being caught staring. They glided back out of the cottage without another word, and Dahlia stared after them in confusion. They had seemed so calm and self-assured, but something had thrown them off-balance. She only hoped she hadn't done something offensive—perhaps she had talked too much.