It did not take long before Solomon became aware of his daughter’s condition. Silas had begun acting strange, and things came to a head when Solomon caught her sneaking out of The Emerald Grove.

“And where, may I ask, are you going?” Solomon said judgingly, appearing from the shadows.

Silas was too busy happily humming to herself to notice her father lurking. She spun around with a gasp. “Father? What are you doing here?”

Solomon slowly approached his daughter, stood directly in front of her, and looked down upon her. He towered over her, being nearly two-foot taller, and his presence was immense. “That’s what I intended on asking you,” he replied. “Have I not warned you about leaving the Grove? Who knows what evil may befall you outside our borders!” Solomon lifted his daughter’s chin up with one finger so that she was looking at his face. He gave her a warm smile and hugged her. Silas hugged him back. She began to quiver and weep. Solomon leaned away so that he could look at her face. “What is wrong child?”

Silas stood in front of him shaking and sniffling until she finally spoke, her voice hoarse from crying and mousy. “I...I’m sorry Father, I’ve betrayed our people...” Silas looked down at her feet, unable to meet her father’s gaze.

Solomon again raised his daughter’s head up so he could look at her face. “What do you mean?” Though he tried to hide it, Silas heard a degree of worry in his voice. She could tell her father had a guess as to what she meant, and that his guess frightened him.

“There..there is this human,” Silas said slowly. Solomon squinted his eyes in annoyance. “And...” Silas could not look at her father anymore, she put her hands on her stomach and turned her head to the side, staring off into the distance, wishing she could be anywhere else. A wave of nausea came over her.

Solomon looked at her with worry, then he looked down and saw her resting her hands on her stomach. A look of fury consumed his face, and he blew hot air from his nose. He knew his guess, sadly, was correct.

***

Silas stood in the hall of the Dryadic Tribunal. There, the twelve eldest Dryads sat and passed judgment upon those who had broken the Dryad Code. The hall of the Tribunal was carved inside a tremendous Oak Tree. The elders sat upon a risen platform that overlooked a stage-type structure where the one on trial stood. Those who sat to witness the Tribunal sat in pews laid out behind the stage. The viewing gallery for Silas’ hearing was packed, as this was the first time in generations that a Dryad had physically become pregnant. Silas’ father was, of course, in attendance, though not in the viewing gallery, for Solomon was one of the elders. In fact, Solomon was the second eldest living Dryad behind Coranthia.

Coranthia cleared her throat and rose to speak. “Silas Khan, you stand before the tribunal today accused of disgracing your people, abandoning your immortality, and defiling yourself with a human.” There were gasps amongst those in the viewing gallery. Coranthia put a hand up to silence them. “What say you in your defense?” Coranthia asked after the viewers had silenced.

There was a long and ominous pause before Silas responded. “I have none,” she said. Again, those in attendance gasped. “I am guilty of all that which I have been charged.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“And you are willing to accept your punishment?” Coranthia said, with a curious and slightly wicked tone.

Silas did not respond.

Coranthia inhaled deeply, almost as if to savor the moment. “At first, this Tribunal ruled that you should be stripped naked, flogged, and exiled from The Emerald Grove, to walk the rest of your mortal life across Terra in shame.” Coranthia paused, most likely for dramatic emphasis, and got what she wanted when the crowd began murmuring amongst themselves. Once they subsided, Coranthia continued, with a hint of annoyance in her voice. “However, your wise and noble father,” Coranthia turned and gestured to Solomon, “has devised, and convinced the majority of this Tribunal of, another solution. If you would rather hear that one.”

Silas looked up at the platform where the elders sat. She had tears in her eyes but also stared intensely at Coranthia. Silas then turned her attention to her father, and like through gritted teeth said, “And what might this second option be?”

Coranthia bowed to the crowd, sat down, and then after a moment’s pause, Solomon arose. There was grief in his voice when he spoke. “Your other option, your only other option, is to abort this child and live the rest of your life as an outcast here in the comfort of The Grove. I know it is still a harsh punishment, but living here as an outcast is far better, and safer, than wandering the world alone in shame.”

Silas looked horrified that these were her only two options. After a while of waiting for her to respond, Solomon spoke again.

“There is no need to answer right now,” he said. “You have till tomorrow at noon. I suggest you head on home and think about what is best for you.” Solomon then sat back down, and Silas ran crying from the Tribunal hall.

***

Solomon arrived home that night to find Silas, but only found a few of her belongings missing. Solomon asked around but no one had saw her leave. Solomon cursed and knew that his daughter had ran away. He thought about whether or not he was too harsh on her, but he quickly abandoned that train of thought for he knew that it would not help him find her. But what would help me find her? He thought. Then, he thought about how everyone who stands before the Tribunal must make an offering of their blood to the great Oak Tree. Since Silas was pregnant, Solomon knew that he could determine the identity of the one who had sired the child by examining Silas’ blood. Solomon rushed back to the Tribunal hall and there found a drop of Silas’ blood, not yet entirely dried, sitting on a root of the Tree. Solomon ran his finger across the drop of blood, closed his eyes, and then after saying a ritual in the Dryadic language, put the blood-covered finger into his mouth and licked the blood off.

As soon as Silas’ blood touched his tongue Solomon began to have a vision. At first, he saw his daughter lying on the banks of the Moss Branch Creek laughing and talking with a human, though Solomon could not make out his face. Solomon knew this was in the past because of the way the stars shone in the sky. As Solomon began digesting the blood his visions became more potent. This time he saw a small cabin in the mortal town of Driftwood. He knew some about the town from those citizens who lived there, who trespassed in The Emerald Grove. Through the window of the cabin, Solomon could see a small fire burning and then heard two voices whispering. One of the voices was unmistakably Silas’. Solomon’s vision took him into the cabin, and he listened to the hushed conversation.

“What will we do?” Silas asked, her voice rattled with fear.

“We could leave here; I have kin in Es’pör. It’s a small town in the center of Halän. It’s about a ten-day ride from here. They could help us out, at least until I find work and a house of our own.” A male voice replied, trying to sound calm.

“But, what if my father comes looking for us?”

“Don’t worry, no one knows you’re here, or what our plans are.” The male figure placed his hand on Silas’ shoulder gently. Silas leaned against him, and though she was crying, she also had a slight smile of comfort on her face.

“I love you, Johnathan.”

“And I you.” The two of them kissed, and after holding Silas for a while, Johnathan stood up, determined. “Now, we must hurry. We need to leave before your father, or any of the other Dryads, realizes you’re gone.”

Silas nodded in agreement and stood up. She and Johnathan began packing any essential belongings into worn duffle bags. Solomon’s vision ended, and his essence returned to his body. He was weary for a moment, as the stress of performing such magic is great.

“Johnathan...Es’pör,” Solomon said angrily under his breath after he recovered. He then stormed off towards the edge of The Emerald Grove.