eternal souls (closed)

[MrGoatee]

Castor woke with a start. He sat bolt upright, sweat beading on his chest. The birds were calling loudly and that only meant one thing. He grabbed his tunic and the rough spear and jumped from his rough bed.

The sun was already hot as he emerged into the day, tying his robe around his body he slowly walked to the paddock. As he approached he cursed 'gods take you Astus' the gate swung lazily open and the goats were gone.

Castor looked to the woods, seeing the circling crows, he gripped the spear and headed cautiously forwards. Three times before wolves had taken goats from them, Astus was always dreaming of the girls in the village, never of his responsibilities.

As he approached the woods Castor felt the eyes of the woods on him, cautiously he moved closer

 

[ky_moonwillow]

Pheobe watched the human man. She rarely ventured this close to their settlement, but she had been caught up by the dance of the cool morning breeze, and could not help but to dance along with it. She had no need to fear the forest. All of its creatures, even the most wild, were friendly to her. So she did not really pay attention to where she was, until she came to the edge of the tree line.

As soon as he began to approach she knew that she ought to flee into the safety of the deep wood, but this man was oddly beautiful to her, and she never did fully believe the tales about the monstrous nature of man. Curiosity got the best of her, so rather than running away, she concealed herself in the bracken and watched him.

 

[MrGoatee]

Cautiously he pushed into the tree line, listening carefully. The animals had been all that remained of his family, Castor had never known his father and his mother had passed during the winter. He stepped softly, his bare feet feeling the good ground.

As the woods darkened his hearing became more acute, the bird calls were louder now, he was becoming close to his goal

The clearing was an ancient temple, broken stones scattered around, statues broken and toppled. He knelt, offering a silent prayer to the gods and appease the spirits within. When he looked up ge saw the goats body, carrion birds picking the last of the meat.

He stepped brazenly into the ruin, chasing the birds and scanning for danger

 

[ky_moonwillow]

Pheobe followed the human man to the edge of the ruins. She had no fear of the place but did not dare to enter there, because then she might be seen.

She wondered if the human knew that he was near to the wolves den. She wondered if he knew that the pack leader's mate had recently whelped, and that the pack would be especially ferocious in defense of the area.

She didn't sense the family of wolves in the immediate area, but if they caught scent of him on the wind, they would surely attack.

The wolves had no cause to be alarmed by her presence, she was as familiar and nonthreatening to them, as the tree from which she was born. To them she would smell of green growth and fresh water, but the human smelled of meat and danger. He should not be here, but to warn him would be to put herself in danger. The wolves she understood and trusted, the man she did not.

 

[MrGoatee]

Castor knelt and shook his head. The loss of the goats would hit him hard, winter was approaching and he would now struggle. He took a coin from his belt and placed it on the ruined altar, a vain hope that the gods would aid him. His only recourse now was to become like the wolf.

The goat carcass would stay, the offering of its meat to the woods would hopefully aid his hunts in the waning summer.

As he turned to leave he sensed the eyes on him. He paused, looking around the clearing

 

[ky_moonwillow]

She tried to get closer, she wanted to see what he was doing at the altar. What had he left behind?

When he stood up and turned around, she was caught in the open. His eyes were looking straight in her direction, and yet it seemed that he did not see. She stood very still. She had no power to make herself invisible, so his eyes must not have sorted her from the background of the forest.

If he moved on back in the other direction he might not ever notice her, but if he came forward he would surely see her.

She was very human like in her form, with pale skin of a slight greenish cast, and long white wispy hair that hung down past her waist. As a forest creature she had no need of clothing, and indeed, now that she had a clear look at him, she wondered at the odd scraps clinging to his body that looked neither like fur nor foliage. He looked so strange to her that she giggled, amusement finally winning out over caution.

 

[MrGoatee]

The form was unmistakable, a woman, standing watching him. Surely a god! He stepped slowly forward, spear gripped in his right hand but not raised.

'lady?' He asked. Then as he drew closer he saw her ethereal beauty and gasped. He dropped the spear and fell to his knees 'I am sorry!' He had accidentally invaded a gods realm!

 

[ky_moonwillow]

Phoebe was confused by the man's odd behaviors. He seemed frightened, but a frightened creature should fight or run, it should not cast itself to the ground. Only a helpless creature would do such a thing, and the human man looked strong and capable, not helpless at all.

She approached him curious to understand what his behavior meant. She knelt down on the ground beside him and lightly pressed her fingertips into his muscular arm.

 

[MrGoatee]

He held his breath as she touched him.

'forgive me' he whispered and raised his eyes. She was beautiful. The strangeness of her appearance eclipsed by the beauty and gentleness of her face.

'I didn't realise the gods still came to this temple.' He said and then realised she was naked. It was great thing to see villages naked in the summer, but he had never seen a naked god

 

[ky_moonwillow]

The forest lady struggled to make sense of his words. She had the gift of human language, but the concepts behind apologies made little sense to her. She had no notion of shame, guilt, taboo, or crime. He seemed to be begging for something, but she was unsure of what he wanted or how to answer his plea. She decided to direct their talk to a more practical matter, something she could understand. "It's not safe to lay down here. Wolves."

 

[MrGoatee]

Her words startled him slightly, the warning was implicit and he felt relieved that she was warning him, not threatening.

He stood, the spear gripped in his hand and scanned the clearing. He sensed them now, watching them both. 'are you safe here?' His hand reaching for hers. He felt a need to protect, to understand and yet an unfamiliarity in her.

'I don't want to leave you, I cant leave you to the wolves!'

He looked in her eyes, pleading for answers

 

[ky_moonwillow]

Phoebe smiled. The human man was worried for her safety. It would take too many words to explain to him that the wolves posed no threat to her. Instead she simply grasped his wrist and said, "Come."

She led him away from the wolves' den slowly and calmly. The pack had just sated themselves so they would not attack for hunger, only for protection of their young.

They took a course through the forest that led back in toward the human settlement, but it was a different course than the man had taken before. She did not want to part with him too quickly so she led him on a wandering course and stopped a fair distance from the forest's edge, where they were well safe from the Wolves. She gave a howl to the pack to let them know that she and the human were a good distance from their place. She smiled again at the human man. "Here is safe. You may lay down here."

 

[MrGoatee]

Castor allowed himself to be led, her grace in moving through the forest was unnatural but so right. He had required to use his spear shaft more than once, yet this vision - he had no idea what she was - had stepped securely and gracefully. As he left the woods edge he looked back, ' I thank you Lady' was all he could think to say. Slowly he sat, watching her and wondering.

The grass was slightly damp and felt good on his skin. He looked up - 'I need to hunt, the goats were my food' he was unsure if her permission was needed and he felt like he was confessing

 

[ky_moonwillow]

"You are a hunter?" She came close to him on hands and knees to examine him closely. He was a well built, beautiful creature, but he was not sharp of tooth and he lacked talon, claw and tusk. She had heard tales of humans being clever and mischievous creatures, but she could not see much threat in this one. "How? Do you not hunt with a pack?"

As a spirit Phoebe had no need for meat herself, but she understood the struggle for survival in all its bloody necessity. There were animals who lived to be hunted and animals that lived by the hunt. Each creature had its place in the pattern, but humans seemed to exist outside of that pattern, much as the spirits did, but this one said the goats were his food, though clearly the wolves had made the kill.

 

[MrGoatee]

Castor was confused, surely a god knew of the ways of man. 'I hunt when I have need, the goats were my animals, kept in a pen, a safe area. My friend opened the pen and let them out' he felt apologetic, both at the need to hunt and that he kept animals. But that was life, was his guilt a product of her power? 'snares, arrows and spear are how I hunt.' Now he felt truly ashamed, the gods had given the animals the tools to live without the struggles of man, but man had tools, made from his intellect.

'do you not eat?' He asked. Totally unsure of his position, fearing that he next words could mean she killed him and feasted

 

[ky_moonwillow]

"I am a dryad, the soul of a tree, I am nourished by the deep black earth, and the heavenly rays from the sun, but I understand the cycle of blood, of death and birth. I am sad for you that you lost nourishment. I do not know these snares and arrows and spear. Will you show me?"

 

[MrGoatee]

He lifted his spear, the shaft a clean hard wood, almost embarrassed by the use of the material now he knew her nature. Its tip, a bronze point burned and bound with leather to fix it in place. 'a thrusting weapon ' he said. 'snares are traps, to catch and hold, arrows small spears, cast from a bow' he paused 'I have no teeth like the wolf, I am only man' he held out his hands

 

[ky_moonwillow]

She noticed his hesitation in showing her the carved wood of his staff, and she smiled to reassure him. Even trees have a time to live and a time to die, and the trees in the forest were plentiful and thriving. She caressed his hand lightly with her own. Her skin was soft, a little cooler than expected, but very much like flesh to the touch. "You have shaped claws and teeth, from the world, since the world has given you none! Man is very clever! Do you give yourselves names as the gods and the spirits do? I am called Phoebe."

 

[MrGoatee]

Phoebe - he smiled 'I am Castor ' her touch was electrifying, he had expected hardness like wood, yet her touch was soft, more like a woman's only he felt privileged to receive it . He had been trying to avoid her form, not sure of his limits, but he could not help but notice her body was as a beautiful woman. 'Are you the only one of your kind?' The question born partly from fear but now more from curiosity

 

[ky_moonwillow]

"The forest is full of dryads. Not every tree has a strong enough soul to manifest, and many trees are shy and prefer to remain silent their entire life, but many of us wish to see more of the world than our roots would allow, so we blossom an animal body... like yours."

She ran her hands up along his arm, exploring the feel of him. All dryads were female, but Phoebe understood the concept of male and female well enough. She knew about animals mating, but she had never experienced that sort of thing herself. She wondered what it might feel like.

 

[MrGoatee]

Castor closed his eyes at her touch, his breath catching. The concepts she was telling him were strange yet seemed so simple and right. His body responded to her touch, somewhat to his surprise, but the feeling was not unwelcome.

'I don't understand you or your nature' he said, puzzled 'but it feels natural' he blushed, adjusting his robe and moving position slightly

 

[ky_moonwillow]

"Why do you wear these drapings?" she asked, fingering the folds of his tunic. Fur and feather she understood, but she had no experience with clothing. "These are not a part of your body." She pulled the fabric away from his skin and looked down into his shirt trying to get a glimpse of his concealed chest.

 

[MrGoatee]

'for warmth, protection' he stuttered 'just because. You have no need of clothes, the trees have thick protective skin' he reached out touching her arm, expecting to feel bark, rough and coarse with hard resistance. When he did not encounter the hard roughness he started back, surprised. 'I'm sorry... You don't feel like the trees of the wood' he looked into her eyes, his hand moving to caress her face

 

[ky_moonwillow]

She pressed her face against his caressing hand, enjoying the warmth of his touch. "In the winter months, I retreat back into my tree... my true body... and I no longer feel... as you can feel. It is not cold now, not so much anyway. I would look at you without these... clothes? I think you would be more beautiful without them."

 

[MrGoatee]

Castor stood, dropping his robe and standing naked before her. His eyes unable to move from this creatures form. He could not help the arousal his body felt as he stood there naked before her perfect form