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Message: <blockquote data-quote="spyscribe" data-source="post: 1886931" data-attributes="member: 5808">Part the EightiethIn which: I apologize to Fajitas for not finding a clever way to work in “Birchbraid,” the name of the third dryad.Lira promptly freezes and puts her hands over her ears.The satyr gives Reyu a very put-upon look.  “Oh, come on.”Reyu shakes her head.  The satyr tries playing for a while, but Lira is either sufficiently deafened or sufficiently strong-willed that it doesn’t seem to have an effect.  Eventually he gives up, and Lira cautiously removes her hands from her ears.Reyu turns to address the woman with the swirling cloak.“Whom do I have the honor of addressing?” she asks.Her voice hisses like wind over dry snow.  “I am… the winter.”Reyu bows, not entirely sure what that means.  “You travel with a large company.”“It is… necessary.”Reyu forges ahead.  Hoping she is not digging herself into a hole from which she cannot emerge she asks, “Are you… allied with the ogre Sheesak?”The woman’s fury is palpable, although her voice never rises.  “The humans must be stopped.  They encroach upon our lands.”“These humans have not encroached upon your lands,” Reyu points out.“That is why they are not dead.”One of the dryads speaks.  “You don’t understand,” she says, “for many hundred years we have lived adjacent to the humans.  We in our part of the forest, and they in theirs.  There has been no need contact or incident between us.  But they have begun encroaching into our woods.  They are cutting down our trees.”  He voice is heartbroken as she says this.  Eva and Anvil shudder in sympathy.“And so you joined with Sheesak,” Reyu concludes.The dryad exchange discomfited looks, and one steals a glance over at Winter.  The satyr shrugs.“It seemed to be the only way,” Honeyoak offers finally. Winter fixes Reyu with an icy glare.So, thinks Reyu, perhaps not all of them are entirely comfortable with what they are doing here. Aloud she says:“Perhaps they trespass in ignorance.  They may not see that your lands are occupied, or that your trees are sacred.”The cold voice again.  “Why do they trespass at all?”Then, much to the surprise of everyone, Anvil clears his throat.  “There should be a line.”“What?”“You should establish a border, to keep different things apart from each other.  It is pleasing to Kettenek,” he concludes.Winter eyes Anvil with sudden interest.  “You revere the Lord of Winter, human?”Anvil is a bit annoyed to be distracted from Honeyoak’s lecture, but recognizes in his bones that his duties are paramount.  “Yes.”She continues to stare at him, eyes nearly penetrating in their intensity.  “But you… you worship the Law, not the Cold.”“I do.”“Will you swear an oath, human follower of Kettenek?”Anvil frowns, puzzled.  “What kind of oath?”“If we make this… line… will you be responsible if the humans cross it?”Anvil speaks slowly and carefully, but more for his own benefit than for anyone else’s.  “Those who cross the border should be held responsible for their own violation.”  He turns to the dryads.  “That is the nature of the Law.”The dryads nod, although it is hard to read from their expressions whether this has any meaning to them.Winter remains aloof.  “Who here can create this line you speak of, human?”In the background, Lira drops a quick curtsey, saying, “I’ll get Lord Agasha,” before taking to her heels.While waiting for Lord Agasha to return, Kiara (still in swallow form), pokes the satyr’s shoulder with her beak.  He looks over at her.  She whistles a few notes of his tune, as though asking why he has stopped playing.  Reyu reflects that Kiara always was a very direct individual, and this seems unaffected by whether she has arms, wings, or both.Soon enough, Lira returns with Lord Agasha, who is quickly brought up to speed.“It is a worthy endeavor,” Lord Agasha agrees, “but I cannot speak for Lord Fau Meen.  It is his villages which continue to expand into the mountains.”Winter gives a low hiss of displeasure.  “This is useless.”“I will certainly attempt to convince him,” Lord Agasha adds, “but I have no authority over his actions, and he is a stubborn man.”The dryads, who had seemed so hopeful that an end was going to be reached, virtually wilt with disappointment.And so Reyu steps forward and addresses Winter.  “Will you have my oath?”“You will swear that if these humans return, you will appear to answer for them?”Reyu speaks very slowly and carefully.  “You may have my oath.  If the humans return in force to violate the dryads’ groves, I will return.”“You swear this?” she asks.“I do.”The woman comes forward, not so much walking as gliding.  Reyu notices, in a distant sort of way, that she also leaves no trail in the snow behind her.  Winter stands before Reyu for a moment, then leans down and places an icy kiss on the center of her forehead.Winter rises and backs away again, and the sensation of cold gradually fades from Reyu's forehead.  "Come then," Winter says to Lord Agasha, "let us make this... line."Anvil turns rather sadly to Elmsweet and the other dryads.  “I must go..." he says, full of regret, "or they will make Law without me.”Regretfully, Eva, Annika and the dryads watch him depart, following Winter.  Reyu however, sits down to take his place.  “You were saying?” she prompts Honeyoak.</blockquote>

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