PART EIGHT: GROWING IRRITATED

The hamadryads refused to let Jonathan go to bed without taking a bath first. Tyler thought that was the funniest thing ever, of course, but Jonathan decided that he was not going to go down without a fight. Tyler, Zoe and even Kelviana had all fallen prey to the dryad’s ministrations, but he wouldn’t. He just wasn’t sure how he could possibly avoid them. He was saved when the yellow centaur informed them that he and another centaur were going to the creek to bathe and that the young Cousin was welcome to join them. Jonathan accepted gratefully and started to follow the centaurs when he was stopped yet again and told to leave his clothes behind for washing and mending. He looked down at his outfit and realized that it was in desperate need of both. He had been slashed and burned so many times over the last day that he was amazed his clothes weren’t falling off his body. His hoodie was so full of holes that he wondered if it would even be possible to mend and his jeans were no better. Still, he dutifully ducked into his and Tyler’s tent and peeled his tattered clothes off, wrapped his blanket around his shoulders, and surrendered them to the young women. Tyler’s clothes had been returned to him, so he was fairly confident he would get his own back, unlike Zoe and Kelviana.

Dalir and Hamaan stayed behind with Thane to watch the camp while the two remaining soldiers and Jonathan walked down to the nearby stream. He was shocked at how playful the centaurs became once they got into the cool water. They splashed and pranced about, acting like little puppies, and Jonathan had to stay well clear of them to avoid being trampled. He learned that the nimble, yellow centaur’s name was Taraan and the other was named Sangar. He seemed to be from the same breed as Dalir, except his coat was dark brown instead of pure black. They were both extremely polite and treated Jonathan with respect, but not the same reverence that they afforded Zoe. As he dried himself off with his blanket he asked Taraan why that was. “Centaurs hold dryads in the highest regard, young Cousin,” explained Taraan as he stepped onto the bank and shook himself dry. “Many ages ago, before Acrimony appeared, our people swore to protect the beautiful and fragile tree spirits. In return, they bless us with their magic and allow us free passage through their forests. Like humans, we are not nymphs, and have no magic of our own.”

“But what about the Tempest? I saw magic during your fight with it. The dryads weren’t fighting alongside you, were they?” He remembered Kelviana telling him that dryads never involved themselves directly in outside affairs, not even to defend themselves. He had a hard time imagining that they would suddenly change such a deeply ingrained philosophy.

“No, the dryads never fight. They are far too shy and gentle for such vulgarity. They do, however, imbue our weapons with their magic. Without such blessings, we would be as helpless against Acrimony’s forces as you are, young Cousin.”

“Zoe fights,” Jonathan pointed out. “And she’s far from shy.”

Taraan laughed. “Your sister has much of her grandmother in her, I think. The Meliae are a different breed of dryad. They were the first, and do not follow the same rules as the others. It was to them that our ancestors first made their vow. Queen Daphne still remembers that day, though she was not yet Queen at the time.”

“So, do the smoke creatures burn you as well?” Jonathan asked as Sangar climbed the bank and began drying off.

“Indeed they do. If not for the healing touch of the dryads and fey, we would all be covered in many more scars than these few you see. As you would be as well, I suspect.” He smiled at the look of surprise on Jonathan’s face. “The stories of your bravery and that of your human friend have spread quickly. We are honored to count you among our number, Cousin.”

Jonathan felt his face grow hot and he wrapped his blanket around his shoulders a little tighter. “I haven’t even defeated a single Stormcloud,” he admitted, shame filling him. “Tyler managed to drive off Vendetta at least, but all I’ve managed to do is get hurt and inconvenience everyone else.”

Taraan clasped his hands over Jonathan’s shoulders and looked him square in the eyes. “Look at my size, young Cousin. I am often set to other tasks besides the main battle, yet I am no less a warrior than any of my brothers. You managed to gain the General’s favor and convinced her to bring you here. You have consistently refused to back down no matter the odds against you, and you knowingly face a foe who is unimaginably more powerful than you in order to protect your kin. You risked everything to save your friend when you believed his life to be in danger. It matters not how many slain enemies lie at your feet, but where your heart lies. I see in you the heart of a true warrior, and I am proud to call you Cousin.”

Jonathan felt himself blushing at such words of praise and turned away, simply nodding because he didn’t know what else to say. The centaur’s words made him sound so noble, like some sort of hero, when all he had done was what any other decent human being would have done. His problem was that he hadn’t done a very good job of it. He silently followed the centaurs back to camp while they continued in high spirits, laughing and joking with each other. The sun was nearly completely set by now and the path was hard to see. Fortunately, the centaurs were large and cleared the way ahead of him so he did not have much trouble.

When they reached the camp Thane chastised them mildly for their rowdiness and ordered them to get some rest. The warriors immediately mellowed out and complied with their orders, Taraan giving Jonathan a knowing nod before heading to their communal tarp. Jonathan wandered over to the tents set aside for the more human-shaped members of their party and found them dark and quiet. Kelviana was sitting on a log near the front of the women’s tent absently playing with a ball of blue magic dust and seemingly lost in thought. She had somehow managed to get out of the dress and was back to wearing her green shirt and brown capris, though her hair was still done up in the elaborate braids the dryads had fixed earlier. She smiled at him as he approached. “Feeling better now?” she asked, the ball of dust disappearing back into the cloud that surrounded her. He nodded and sat down beside her. “Your clothes are waiting in your tent,” she said. “Those ladies really did a good job. They look almost brand-new again. They put a nightshirt in there for you too, so you don’t wrinkle your outfit by sleeping in it, they said.” Jonathan chuckled at the thought of anyone worrying about a T-shirt, jeans, and a hoodie getting wrinkled.

“How’s Zoe doing?” he asked as he adjusted the blanket he was wrapped in.

“Sleeping. Poor girl’s exhausted. I don’t know how much rest she got last night, but I wager it wasn’t much.”

“She started looking better as soon as we got into the woods,” he said, remembering the sudden change he had seen come over her. “So did you.”

“We’re forest nymphs,” she replied with a shrug. “We get our magic from the forest, and magic is life for a nymph.”

“She’s a human,” he said, a sudden knot forming in his stomach, “not a nymph.”

“Yes, she’s a human.” Kelvianan agreed, looking him in the eyes. “But she’s also a nymph. You may be as well, though I don’t know what kind you could possibly be. Either way, you both need to accept that fact. Constantly denying it won’t change that it’s true.”

Jonathan shook his head. “Yesterday we were just kids. Now… I don’t know. I just wish things would go back to normal.”

Kelviana sighed and smiled gently. “Sorry, kid,” she said, patting him on the back. “Unless we can find another way back to Earth, this might just be the new normal for you. It would be best if you started getting used to it now.” She nodded towards the men’s tent. “Go get some sleep. You look halfway there already.”

Jonathan stood and yawned, suddenly realizing that he was indeed exhausted. He said goodnight to Kelviana and ducked through the flaps of his and Tyler’s tent. Tyler was already curled up along one side, snoring beneath his blanket. A small lantern hung from the peak of the tent, casting a gentle, flickering yellow glow on everything. Jonathan found his clothes neatly folded atop a pillow at the head of a sleeping mat that had already been laid out for him. An extra bundle of white linen was stacked on top. He grabbed it and unfolded it, holding it out in front of him. Kelviana might have called it a nightshirt but it sure looked like a girl’s nightgown to him. It wasn’t covered in lace or ruffles or anything overtly feminine like that. In fact, it was mostly just a really long shirt. But still… Did the dryads really expect him to wear this? He glanced over at Tyler to see if he could catch a glimpse of what he was wearing, but his blanket was pulled all the way over his head. He decided it was better to endure the wrath of the dryads rather than Tyler’s relentless teasing if the older boy ever saw him wearing what was essentially a girl’s pajamas. He set the nightshirt aside and pulled on his jeans and T-shirt. He left his hoodie neatly folded. It was not even slightly chilly and he could pull it on in the morning and still look fresh. He settled down on the mat, which was surprisingly thick and comfortable, wrapped up in his blanket, and was asleep before he knew it.

----------------------------------------

When he woke up the next morning Jonathan was surprised to see that Tyler had, in fact, worn one of the nightshirts to bed. “Read a history book,” the older boy grumbled. “Men used to wear them all the time.”

“I’ve read more books than you ever have,” Jonathan said, suppressing a chuckle. “And you’ll still never catch me wearing one.”

Tyler grumbled something about pounding Jonathan then pulled the nightshirt over his head and tossed it into a corner before hastily tugging his own jeans and T-shirt on. The two boys stepped out and found Thane anxiously pacing about, clearly eager to be on the road again. Unfortunately for him, the dryads didn’t seem to be in the same hurry. Two of them were busying themselves around a small cookfire they had set up outside the women’s tent, working on some sewing and heating water in a kettle. Kelviana was standing at the tent entrance, wearing a white linen nightgown – this one was covered in frilly lace – and a large scowl. Thane kept shooting sharp glances in their direction and then barking orders to his warriors, who quickly jumped to obey. “What’s happening?” Jonathan asked Kelviana as he yawned and rubbed his eyes against the morning sunlight.

“Thane was about to tear that tent down around you boys,” she said. “They tried waking you up three times with no success. He was complaining that Acrimony’s forces could sack the whole camp and you would sleep right through it.”

Jonathan yawned again and stretched his arms over his head. Tyler ran his hands through his hair, blinking. “He’s probably right,” Jonathan said. “I didn’t realize how tired I was.”

She grinned at him and looked him up and down. “You slept in your clothes, huh?”

Jonathan looked down at his shirt. He didn’t think it was that wrinkly. “Is it obvious?”

She nodded, grinning even wider. “Those dryads will tan your hide for that. You know both men and women wear nightshirts in this world, right? It’s no big deal.”

“Told you,” said Tyler, yawning, then he looked towards the woods. “I gotta go… Yeah – uh – I’ll be back,” he stammered, then wandered off into the trees.

Jonathan looked down at Kelviana and found himself wondering how she managed to sleep without bending her wings. Did she lay on her side, or… what? He couldn’t quite picture how that worked. He shook his head and blinked. His mind was wandering. “Does everyone here know as much about our world as you?” he asked.

“Nah,” said Kelviana with a wave. “Most don't know any more about your world than you do about ours.

“So how do you know so much?”

“Let’s just say that a while back I spent a bit more time there than I intended.”

Thane trotted up to them before Jonathan could ask Kelviana what she meant by that. “Good, you’re awake,” he said. “I do not wish to be rude, young Cousin, but we must be moving on. The day is nearly half spent already.”

“What time is it?” asked Jonathan, looking up at the sky as if he could somehow tell the time by the sun’s position like the heroes in his books. Of course, the trees obscured his sight so it was pointless anyway.

“Nearly noon,” said Kelviana. “You kids can really sleep in when given the leeway.”

“Seriously?” he asked. Suddenly Thane’s impatience seemed very much justified. “But what about you? You’re still in your pajamas.”

“Not by choice,” Kelviana grumbled. “Daphne’s handmaidens over there decided that if I was going to insist on wearing my old clothes then they would at least make them more presentable for when we see the Queen — as if she could see what we’re wearing anyway,” she muttered the last part mostly to herself and Jonathan wondered just what she meant. “They’re ‘fixing’ them now while your sister’s sleeping.”

“We should wake her up,” Jonathan said. “She’ll sleep all day if we let her.”

Thane waved him forward. “Be my guest, young Cousin. You won’t make it past the dryads. They left one in there, guarding the Princess. She won’t let anyone near her.”

“Let me try. I am the Queen's grandson, after all. Maybe that has some weight with them.” He doubted it. So far the dryads had shown him no more respect than they showed Tyler. He didn’t even know their names and they only spoke to him when giving instructions. They seemed to be solely focused on Zoe — and Kelviana by association. “Mom has me wake Zoe up all the time. I’m pretty good at it,” he said as he stepped towards the tent’s entrance. Kelviana stepped to one side, giving him some room. The dryads at the fire instantly stopped what they were doing and looked over, but did not move to intercept him. He took that as a good sign.

“Princess Zoe needs her rest,” one of them said — she had light brown skin with just a hint of green in it, like a sapling tree. Her hair was filled with flowery vines. She remained sitting, holding her mending in her lap.

“We need to get moving,” replied Jonathan, very much aware of how silly that sounded coming from him, since he had only just woken up himself.

“We will continue the journey when the Princess is ready,” said the other dryad. Her skin was darker brown and her hair had leafy branches woven about in it.

“I’m her brother and I say she’s ready,” replied Jonathan, stepping into the tent. The inside was nothing like his and Tyler’s tent. Theirs had been plain, with nothing on the ground but their sleeping mats and blankets. This one was covered in carpets with a table, some chairs, a wardrobe, and two cots. He stopped and blinked a time or two, then poked his head back out, then back in. The inside was definitely much larger than the outside.

“It’s the deluxe model,” Kelviana explained, clearly guessing his question. “Comes fully furnished with extra legroom. Only the best for the Queen.”

Jonathan shook his head. What was one more oddity to get used to? He looked back at the cots. One was unoccupied and a little disheveled — that must have been Kelviana’s — and Zoe was still sleeping on the other one. The third dryad stood over her, watching Jonathan like a hawk.

“Do not disturb the Princess,” she said. Her skin was the most alien of the three. It was greener than the others, almost mossy, and her hair was green to match. Large, colorful flowers like roses sprouted all over it, and he noticed large thorns on the stems.

“This is ridiculous,” said Jonathan. “She’s a teenager. She’ll sleep the day away if you let her.”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Then, if that is what she needs, that is what will happen,” said the dryad. Her voice was calm, but there was a tension about her he had not seen before.

Jonathan took another step deeper in and the dryad moved between him and Zoe. “I’m waking her up,” he said. “She wouldn’t want you doing this, you know.”

The dryad's hands glowed green and dust flew from them, hitting the ground before him. A translucent green wall rose up where it had hit. “Do not disturb the Princess,” repeated the dryad. Jonathan sighed. He had seen this sort of barrier from Kelviana before. He figured it would work the same but pushed against it anyway. To his surprise, his hands passed right through it as if it were little more than mist. The dryad was even more surprised than him. Another wall immediately rose up and he pushed through it as well, gaining more confidence with each step. Behind him, Kelviana gasped slightly. “Sisters!” the hamadryad cried in alarm. There was an instant commotion behind him and Kelviana cried out in alarm as she was pushed aside. Green dust surrounded him like a blanket — just like the dust that had held the Tempest’s muzzle closed the day before — but it did nothing to him. He took one more step forward and was standing before the dryad, who was still guarding Zoe with her body. She looked determined but scared.

“I’m not going to hurt her,” he said gently. “Or you. I just need to wake her up.” The other two dryads rushed in and stood beside their sister, with looks of determination and apprehension on their faces. “I’m her brother,” Jonathan said, “and your Queen’s grandson. I would never hurt her, or any of you.”

“You are a man,” said the dryad with darker skin. “Men cannot be trusted.”

“Well you can trust me,” he said. “And where I’m from it doesn’t matter if you're a man or a woman. You trust someone or don’t trust them based on their actions. Have I done anything threatening?” The dryads looked at each other with uncertainty. “Look. I can promise you that Zoe will not be happy when she learns you’ve been acting like this. I know she’s tired, we all are. But we can’t stay here all day long. Acrimony will find us if we do. I’m surprised he hasn’t already.” From outside the tent he heard Thane grunt in agreement. The hamadryads looked between themselves for a few more moments then seemed to come to a consensus. Their bodies relaxed and they moved aside. Jonathan sighed and stepped forward. He reached out and shook Zoe on the shoulder, feeling the dryad’s eyes burning holes in his back the whole while.

Zoe did not wake easily — she rarely did — and he had to shake her a bit harder than the dryads were comfortable with, but eventually, she woke with a groan and a few undecipherable mutterings. As soon as she was awake the dryads ushered him out of the tent, saying that a man should not see a lady rise from her bed. Kelviana, Thane, and Tyler all met him outside. “Well that was interesting,” said Kelviana with a grin.

“That’s how I always have to wake her up,” Jonathan said.

“Not that,” Kelviana said. “Their magic should have stopped you from getting anywhere near her. You had them in a full panic.”

“Indeed, young Cousin,” said Thane. “That was the same magic we used to restrain the Tempest, yet it had no effect on you. I have never seen such a thing.”

“Could it be because of my dryad blood?” Jonathan asked, a small surge of hope rising inside that he might just be magical after all.

“Almost definitely,” said Kelviana. “That’s one small mystery solved,” she said. “And about a dozen new questions to replace it.”

“WHAT?” Zoe cried from the tent. There was a commotion inside and the tent flaps ripped open. “How could you let me sleep so long?” Zoe demanded, not even waiting to see who she was speaking to. Her hair was still braided, but the flowers had been removed and the braids were pulling out in several places. She wore a nightgown similar to Kelviana’s, with lots of lace and ruffles. It was a far cry from the sweatpants and camisoles she usually wore.

“Forgive us, Princess,” said Thane. “The dryads refused to let anyone near you. It was your brother who was finally able to get past them.”

Zoe scowled. “I’m so sick of this princess stuff,” she grumbled, then disappeared back into the tent.

“Well,” said Jonathan. “I guess we can start taking down…” he turned as he was speaking and saw that the centaurs had already taken down his and Tyler’s tent. They really did move quickly. The rest of the camp had been long since packed away, and most of the troops stood at the ready, saddlebags strapped in place and weapons in hand. Kelviana stepped over to the small fire and snatched her clothes from where the dryads had left them in their haste to protect Zoe.

“I’m never taking these off again,” she muttered, then slipped into the tent. “Don’t even think about it,” he heard her growl a few moments later. “They look fine. She’s not my Queen anyway.”

“Come, young Cousin. Let us leave the women to themselves,” said Thane. “We have some food prepared for you.”

“Sorry we slept so late,” Jonathan said as Thane led him and Tyler away from the tent.

“It is I who should apologize,” said Thane, shaking his head. “You are our guests and have been through a great trial. You are not warriors. I should not hold you to the same standards.”

“Do you think I could be?” asked Tyler. “A warrior, I mean. I’m planning on joining the Marines when I’m old enough.”

Thane laughed. “I do not know what the “Marines” are, but you have a warrior’s heart, young human. If you were a centaur colt, you would already be in training. And you as well, young Cousin,” he said, nodding to Jonathan.

“Are you all warriors?” asked Jonathan. Thane pointed them to a log and as they sat, Dalir approached with two steaming bowls of soup. It was the same they had eaten last night, but neither boy was inclined to complain. It was excellent soup.

“No herd can exist for long if all its members are warriors,” said Thane. “Just as one could not exist if all its members were only blacksmiths, or farmers, or hunters. A herd must have all these, and more if it is to survive.”

“Hunters?” asked Tyler, sipping noisily at his soup. “Aren’t horses herbivores?”

“We are not horses, Human,” said Thane, his voice taking on a slightly harder edge. “Remember that in the future.” His voice lost its edge and he continued. “We are mostly vegetarian, yes, but we do eat meat from time to time. Our lower stomach cannot digest it, this is true. But our upper stomach can, and it helps to build our muscles. We also use the bones and hides from our kills for clothing and crafts. We do not waste the gifts of nature, nor take the animal’s sacrifice for granted.”

“Two stomachs?” Tyler said, wide-eyed. Jonathan wanted to smack him. Thane just laughed and patted his belly.

“Centaurs are very large, little Human. There is much of us to feed, yes?”

“Speaking of which,” said Kelviana, flying over to them. “Got any more of that soup?” She had changed into her usual clothes, though there was now a bit of lace around her shirt collar and the cuffs of her capri pants. “Those dryads barely fed us enough to keep a mouse alive.”

“You changed quick,” observed Jonathan.

“You think I was going to hang around in there any longer than I had to?” she asked, taking a bowl from Dalir and digging into it, not even bothering with a spoon. “They’re fusing over your sister like crazy. She’s going to be rather grouchy today, I suspect.”

“Will they be ready soon?” asked Thane.

“You just left her with them?” asked Jonathan at the same time.

“She's not in any danger,” said Kelviana with a dismissive wave. “And she’ll have to get used to it at some point. I only put up with that treatment for so long because I like you kids. I’ve got my own image to uphold, thank you very much. I’m a general, not a pampered princess.”

Thane stifled a cough and earned himself a glare from Kelviana. “Watch it, Captain,” she said.

“Yes, General,” he said, stiffening and saluting. “Will the Princess be ready to depart soon?”

“Do you have to call her that?” asked Jonathan. “She hates it. Besides, you don’t call me ‘Prince’.”

“That’s because…” Kelviana began.

“... There’s no such thing as a male dryad, I know.” Jonathan finished with a sigh. Tyler suddenly laughed, spitting some soup out. “What?” Jonathan asked, eying him suspiciously.

“Prince John,” he said, barely holding in his laughter.

“Don’t you dare start with that,” Jonathan said, shaking a fist at the older boy. Tyler stifled another giggle.

Kelviana looked between the two then shook her head. “Whatever. But I am curious to know how you brushed off their magic like that. Any idea how you did it?”

Jonathan shook his head. “No. I expected it to stop me, honestly. Like yours does.”

“Yeah…” Kelviana said, looking at him with her head cocked slightly to the side. Suddenly he was surrounded by blue dust. “Try to get through,” she said.

“Hey!” he said. “C’mon. Really?”

“Just indulge me,” she said. Tyler reached over and rapped his knuckles on the outside. There was no sound, but the dust did stop him.

“Fine…” Jonathan huffed, setting his bowl of soup down beside him. He reached out and pushed against the wall. It held him fast.

“Hmm…” said Kelviana. The blue wall disappeared and she turned to Thane. “You got any of those acorns left?”

“A few, General,” he said, reaching into a pouch at his side and holding out what looked like some large acorns, except they had a slight green glow about them.

“Use a restraint on him,” she nodded in Jonathan’s direction.

“General?” Thane asked, hesitating.

Kelviana sighed heavily. “Just do it, Captain. I only want to see if it works on him. I have a theory and this will help prove it.”

“As you command, General,” Thane said with a small bow. He crushed one of the acorns in his hand and pointed his palm out towards Jonathan. Green dust billowed out of the acorn’s crushed remains and swirled about his hand for a moment before flowing over to Jonathan and wrapping itself around him, just like had happened in the tent. This time he felt it hugging him like a blanket. His arms were pinned tightly to his side.

He struggled for a few moments. “Yep,” he grunted. “It works alright.”

“Now think about your sister. Pretend she’s in danger or something,” said Kelviana, watching him closely. Jonathan tried to picture Zoe getting carried off by a bunch of Stormclouds. The moment the image popped into his head the pressure surrounding him vanished and he could move freely. The dust remained, but it was only dust, nothing more. “Fascinating,” mumbled Kelviana. “You may not have any magic of your own, but I think you have some control over it regardless. Dryad magic, at the very least, seems to obey you. I should have had you try that against my shield first.”

“This is very interesting, General,” said Thane. “But it is not helping us move towards our destination. Will the Princess be ready soon?”

“I don’t know,” said Kelviana, waving him off. “Ask the dryads. I’m busy.”

“Think I can get some of those magic acorns for my slingshot?” Tyler asked.

Thane frowned, first at Kelviana then at Tyler. “The dryads entrust us with their magic. It would be a grievous breach of faith if we were to give it away without leave.”

“I like that thinking, though,” said Kelviana, breaking out of her thoughts.

“What if I say it’s ok?” asked Jonathan.

“You may be the Queen’s grandson, young Cousin. But you are not a dryad. However,” said Thane before Jonathan could start feeling too bad about getting shot down, “even the young princess cannot give permission for this thing. Only Queen Daphne has that authority.”

Tyler frowned, then grinned. “It’s a good thing I’m in with the right crowd then, huh?”

As if on cue Zoe stormed out of the tent wearing a scowl and her usual jeans and Team U.S.A. jersey, all cleaned and repaired. Her hair was unbraided and flowing loose about her shoulders. “They’re impossible,” she huffed, plopping down next to Jonathan and glaring at the tent. The dryads were standing by the entrance, holding a frilly green dress and some hair-dressing implements.

“Managed to escape, did you?” commented Kelviana as she sipped her soup.

“No thanks to you,” Zoe replied, brushing her hair back with her hands and taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. “You flew out of there so fast I thought the place was on fire.”

“It might have been if they had tried anything,” the fey mumbled into her bowl.

“I liked that dress,” said Tyler.

“Then you wear it,” replied Zoe, taking the bowl of soup that Dalir had quietly brought over. Jonathan was impressed with how silently the young centaur could move.

“I would like to begin as soon as you finish with your food, Princess,” said Thane with a small bow.

Zoe nodded. “Sorry I slept in. I know we're in a hurry.”

“It was not your doing, Princess,” said Thane.

“Just call me Zoe,” she said with a scowl.

“Apologies, young Cousin. I cannot.”

Jonathan slurped up the last bits of soup straight from his bowl and looked up. “Why not? I know why Kelviana won’t call us by name, but you don't have the same power over people’s names, do you?”

“No, young Cousin,” said Thane. “Names are deeply personal, though. Unless you are one of our herd, it would not be proper to use your names so casually.”

“This place is a trip, man,” said Tyler, shaking his head before gulping down the rest of his own soup.

----------------------------------------

It wasn’t until they finally started walking that Jonathan realized he had not seen Aella since he woke up. Thane told him that he had asked the little sylph to monitor the sky for any signs of the Tempest, a task she had taken very seriously, it seemed. Kelviana was of the personal belief that she had simply gotten bored and left them for more exciting diversions. It wasn’t long after she voiced her opinion that Aella returned, reporting that the Tempest was still circling the Wastelands, seemingly unaware that they had left. Kelviana frowned at that news, but would not share her thoughts.

In the end, they were only able to walk for a few hours before Thane instructed Sangar and another centaur named Turva to begin looking for a suitable campsite. After about half an hour Sangar returned and said that they had found an adequate site not much further ahead and that Turva was securing the area. He led them a short ways off-trail into a clearing that was much the same as the one they had spent the previous night at and, on Thane’s orders, the centaurs immediately began setting up camp, starting with the women’s tent and then Jonathan and Tyler’s, saving their own canopy for last.

Zoe and Kelviana both managed to avoid the Queen’s handmaidens by staying close to Jonathan and Tyler for the entire evening. Ever since the events of that morning the hamadryads had been keeping well clear of Jonathan. He felt a little bad about that. He hadn’t meant to scare the young women, but Thane had told him not to worry too much about it. Dryads were generally shy around men anyway. When it came time for bed the boys let Zoe and Kelviana use their tent and they slept outside near the door. The night was warm and Jonathan actually found it quite pleasant. He decided that if they ever made it back to Earth he would give the Scouts another try.

One advantage to sleeping under the stars was that it was easier to wake up with the sun. Thane was visibly relieved when he saw the boys stirring, and Kelviana emerged from the tent only a few moments later with a bedraggled-looking, but awake, Zoe behind her. The hamadryads came out of their own tent, shooting angry glares at Jonathan. Aella blew in with the morning breeze and reported that the Tempest was still circling the Wastelands. Jonathan wondered if sylphs slept and where they lived. Kelviana frowned again at the news but still wouldn’t answer when Jonathan asked her why.

The answer came a few hours later. They were all on foot – except Kelviana, who could fly indefinitely once again – and Thane was in good spirits. He said that the Grove was only a few more hours away and that they should be arriving by mid-afternoon. Tyler was walking with Sangar, the two were engrossed in conversation and seemed to be becoming fast friends. Zoe was staying close to Jonathan near the back and the Dryads were at the front with Thane. They took it in turns to glare back at Jonathan from time to time as if he had stolen their most prized possession. There was a spring to Zoe’s steps and her face was rosy and bright. Jonathan should have been glad to see her looking so healthy and energetic, but Kelviana’s words from a few nights ago kept coming to mind and making his stomach flip-flop about. “You ok?” Zoe asked when she noticed him grimacing.

“How about you?” he asked. “How are you feeling?”

“Really good, actually. This world is crazy, but it’s kinda nice right here.” She smiled as a tiny light passed them by, a tinkling giggle coming from it.

“Kelviana says it's because you’re a nymph and part of the forest,” he said with a scowl. “I don’t like that.”

Zoe’s face hardened a bit. “Really? She didn’t tell me that.”

“I like her, but she definitely keeps secrets,” Jonathan observed. He still meant to ask about her time on Earth.

“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” said Zoe. “You know she’s some kind of nobility or something? She grew up with servants and is good at dealing with them. She won’t let Thane talk too much about her past when we’re around though. Even the dryads won’t tell me about it, and I know they know.”

“It’s easy to forget that she’s super old,” said Jonathan, looking up at the fey where she was flying alongside Thane, looking for all the world like she was a few years younger than him and Zoe. “There’s no telling what her past was like.”

Kelviana stopped suddenly and held up a hand. The centaurs instantly halted and Tyler almost bumped into Hamaan’s rear-end. “Hey!” he cried. “What–”

“Shh!” hissed Kelviana. A strong breeze blew the branches of the nearby trees back and an instant later Aella zoomed out of the sky looking frantic. “I know,” said Kelviana before the sylph could say anything. “I can feel it.”

“Stormclouds,” Aella said, breathlessly. “A lot of them. More than you fought the other day. About a mile behind you and moving fast.”

“This is what I was afraid of. They were waiting for reinforcements,” said Kelviana grimly.

“What about the Tempest?” asked Thane as he and the other warriors began strapping on their helmets and grabbing their shields.

“That’s the real problem,” said Aella, zipping about madly. “It’s coming too. And it’s bringing a friend with it.”

END OF PART EIGHT