Anneke decides to follow her

Anneke stands and smooths out her tunic. She nods and the woman smiles, shouldering her pack.

“It will be faster for you to ride, hold on tight.”

In the blink of an eye, the woman transforms into the most beautiful elk Anneke has ever seen. She’s stunned for a moment before the creature nods its head to indicate that Anneke should mount. She’s clumsy, never having ridden anything before, but she clambors on and wraps her arms around the elk’s neck.

In a flash the creature bolts off into the woods. Anneke has no idea where they’re going or how fast. She just holds on for dear life. The elk’s hooves pound against the forest floor and soon the light turns from silvery to pink as the sun begins to rise.

Anneke has no idea how long she’s been astride this elk, but eventually it stops at a clearing. A ring of trees surround the open space at the center of which a massive oak reaches for the sky. A door has been carved into the mighty trunk and windows have been cut at various heights. The elk stops and looks back at Anneke expectantly. She takes the hint and dismounts. The woman transforms again, back into her human form and takes Anneke by the hand. They enter the clearing and the door seems to open automatically.

Another girl steps out of the door, clad in the same nearly see-through silks as the strange woman. Her skin is pale and her hair is red.

“Welcome home Mistress!” The girl claps her hands and runs to the woman planting a kiss directly on her lips. The woman kisses the girl back, her dark skin marking a beautiful contrast against the red-head’s pallor. For a moment, Anneke is jealous.

“I have brought home a weary traveler, one of The Glade girls on her way home. She… I never asked your name did I girl?”

“It– It’s Anneke.”

“What a beautiful name.” The mistress of the clearing smiles. The other girl leaps from her arms and comes to kiss Anneke in turn.

“Such a beautiful name. Come! You must be weary. Let us soothe you.” The redhead takes Anneke’s hand and leads her into the oak tree.

Inside, two more girls tend the kitchen, preparing something that smells delicious. One, a blonde, turns to see who the red-head is bringing back and smiles at the sight of Anneke.

“Elora, we have another guest for breakfast!” The blonde exclaims.

The third girl, a tan-skinned brunette turns to see and smiles. “Welcome, please, be comfortable! We’ll be finished shortly.”

The redhead leads Anneke to a table surrounded by cushions and pauses, “perhaps… would you like to wash up before breakfast?”

Anneke is suddenly aware of how filthy she must be. “Yes please.”

“Of course!” She leads the elf through another door in the home.

The wood here is carved and polished to a rich, smooth sheen. At the center is a tub that seems to be carved from the living tree itself. Anneke pauses in the door and the redhead reaches for the girl’s tunic. Anneke freezes for a moment as the redhead undresses her, but lets it happen. She knows on some level that it’s safe here.

The redhead helps Anneke into the tub and touches the rim, muttering something in a language Anneke doesn’t know. Water begins to spill forth into the tub from the edge. She’s startled for a moment, but the water is perfectly warm and soothes the girl’s aching muscles. She sinks deeper into the tub.

“Would you like your privacy?” The redhead smiles, “Or would you perhaps prefer some company?”