Fight At Range

I knew going into the grass would put me at a serious disadvantage against the beast. I had no clue how many there were since I couldn't see them clearly but it was at least three who were holding the ropes as she fought against them. They were pulling them taught to try and prevent her from moving so maybe more. Two on each rope. I aimed for one of the roped as it bobbed up and down slightly as she fought against it. When they tugged it tightly I fired and sliced into the rope and sliced it into freeing her arm.. She tried to grab the rope at her neck but they pulled both ropes tight as they tried to stop her. I fired my second arrow at the rope that was around her neck but only managed to graze it as she jerked forward.

I heard one of the wulvers growl and the grass began to move. At least two were coming at me as I saw the grass begin to part. Least I could see them coming. I readied my arrow and moved my bow back and forth trying to tell who would come out first. The second I thought I saw one I fired. He let out a scream in pain. I didn't have time to draw a second arrow as the other leapt out toward me with a spear.

I used my bow to block just in time and drew my ax and swung at him though he was just out of reach. He had a clear advantage when it came to range with the spear. He thrust at me again and I dodged and swung cutting his spear down to size then slashed back the other way slicing open his neck which he grabbed as he fell down to his knees.

I looked up to see the dryad was down on her knees now as she struggled. I could no longer see her arms but her head was still above the grass line. I threw it through the air as it cut through the rope around her neck then flew off into the tall grass. I was certain I would never find the axe in that mess. The dryad pulled the rope from her throat and let out a loud yell that made my ears ring. She slung her arm and I heard a wulver scream as something hit him but I couldn't see what.

A wulver surprised me as he came running out of the grass with a sword. Part of my arrow sticking out of his chest. I drew an arrow but wasn't fast enough as he slashed my leg sending me falling backwards. He raised his sword above his head and brought it down.

“Murum.” I yelled and his sword hit my shield. He swung again and again trying to break it though. I could see it getting weaker with every strike of his sword. “Ignis.” I said dropping my bow and throwing up my other hand and caught his clothes and fur on fire. He dropped onto the ground as I got up and stabbed my blade into him though I cringed as I put weight on my leg. My calf felt like it was on fire. I heard a howl of a wolf in the distance. Fuck more were coming. I healed my leg as best I could in a hurry and drew my sword and went running into grass. I heard a wulver running through the grass toward me. I readied myself but the fucker was on me in a heartbeat as he jumped at me sending me to the ground. I threw up my arm and his teeth hit my metal bracer. Claws slashing into my jacket as he chewed at my arm ravenously. I drove my sword up into his throat and out the top of his skull. I had to push his body off of me to even get up. My jacket had taken some damage but the chainmail underneath had stopped his claws. I ran into the field where I saw the dryad as she fought against the last rope holding her. Her foot caught in a trap and was injured pretty badly from her fighting to get free. I raised my sword and she ducked down thinking I was aiming for her. I sliced the last rope with my sword.

“I am here to help.” I slid my sword in the trap to pry it open. I was sure it wasn't good for my blade. Least with the sword the trap couldn't snap back all the way with my hand inside. She managed to pull her leg free and I let go, pulling my sword out and it snapped shut with loud noise. I turned as I heard a noise behind me and a large wolf stood in front of me as he snarled. It was twice as big as a normal wolf and was no wulver. The dryad made a noise and the wolf turned his attention away from me. I heard something else running towards us and saw it was a wulver though he never got close as the massive wolf pounced on him and began tearing him to shreds. I sheathed my sword and grabbed the dryad and picked her up running. She threw her arm around my neck and said something in elvish and pointed in a direction.

I nodded and followed and ran as fast as I could while carrying her. More giant wolves ran towards the grass as wolfs and wulvers fought each other. As long as they weren't coming after us I was happy to leave them to kill one another. The woods were dark as the sun was setting but faeries came out of the woods and lighted the way. Wisp leading me. To where I couldn't say but the further I ran the safer we were. After traveling some distance I saw them fly through some willow trees and I followed into a small canyon and then out the other side as I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw a pond. The water glowed in the dimming light as an elder tree stood in the middle of a large pond. It was small. Only about twice as tall as I was.. Maybe a young one. Wisp fluttered about its branches as their lights swirled about the tree leaves.

“Please. Set us down so that we might bath in the mother milk to heal.” A voice said from the dark. I did as it asked and held the dryads hand as she wadded into the water and she looked back at me and smiled. Now that I could see her more clearly and wasn't fighting for our lives I could see how beautiful she was. Her skin looked like it was made of wood but was smooth to the touch. It wasn't like human skin being slightly thicker but still flexible. Her hair was made of vines from which leaves and flowers grew that concealed her naked body every so slightly. Enough to tease what was underneath. Small branches that looked like antlers sprouted from her head with a few leaves growing from them like that of a small tree just sprouting.

“Never have we heard of a it saving one of us before but neither have we every seen it who was blessed by the goddess.” A dryad came forward into the light. She stood about my height but was taller then me as branches grew from her head like the first resembling that of a crown. Leaves and flowers grew from the branches. Her skin was white like that of a birch or aspen tree and her eyes blue.

“Me. Blessed?” I smiled.

“It has bathed in the mothers milk. Injured helping a wood walker. Brought before the tree to heal it from the venom of the fallen. Mother has been watching it. A child of the woods but not a wood walker. It puzzles her. Heals her keepers and saves her stewards? She likes this one.” The taller dryad said.

“Keepers?”

“The small one's that do her work in the forest.” She looked up at the fairy.

“Fairies.”

“In your tongue.” She smiled and nodded.

"Who is we?" I asked.

"We are the forest and the forest is us." Another voice said. I turned to see another dryad moving behind me. This one looked younger with hanging moss like hair that covered her breast and ground moss at her crotch. She had darker oak skin. She playfully circled me as they giggled.

"Ah, now he sees." The elder tree said.

"How many he wonders." The moss dryad replied as I looked around the pool to see several trees that could be more dryads. they were playing with me. Their seemed to be a connection between them.

“You tend this grove by yourselves?”

"Yes, the mothers milk. This teat is small but the milk still just as sweet. We root here and drink our feel of her milk and guard it. The wood walkers broke the covenant they swore to defend. This tree is ours to protect now until another is deemed worthy. To guard from those who would see it harm. The fallen who carve into it's flesh and lick at it's wounds like beast.”

“The Trow.”

“In your tongue.” The elder responded. “You come here but not to drink of our mothers milk but instead seek our sap the mother tells us.”

“Not by choice of my own but apparently I was meant to come here. One you know as wood walkers sent me here to save one of theirs.”

“The word whisperer touched by the mother. She sees beyond the now. Dreams of the yet to come. Knows not of us but that the child of the wood would find us. Save one of us when others would flee to save themselves. The mother has told her this. She seeks our nectar to use toward ending the wood walkers hunger.” The playful one smiled slyly.

“Yes. The female wood walkers suffer just as you have from the long winter. They do not have enough sap to temper their hunger.”

“We will give it to you if you can get it from us.” The one I had saved smiled as she came out of the pool. Her leg good as new. Seems they healed quickly in the healing pools or the mothers milk as they called it.

"What do I have to do to get it?" I asked as I looked at her though I was pretty sure I already knew the answer.

"Oh, many many things." She giggled and pulled me close kissing me. I could smell her. The scent of flowers in her hair, or the vines that resembled hair anyways. I ran my hands on her body. Her skin was more supple now. Softer yet still firm. She giggled as she pulled away and took my hand leading me.

"Do you have a name?" I asked.

"We do not use names, but you can call us whatever you like." She smiled.

"Ivy." I said running my hand over her body as I moved a leaf from the vines that ran over her body exposing her nipple.

"It will do. We wonder why you need such things?" She said tugging at my shirt. "Do they not get in the way?"

"Sometimes. Like now." I said and pulled off my baldric and bag and dropped them on the ground then pulled off my tunic over my head. I kicked off my boots and undid my breeches and let them fall as I stepped out of them.

"Oh no, the trunk is thick but the tree has fallen." Ivy teased as she grasped my cock in hand. "What ever should we do."