The Dark Age Chronicles: The Fall of Night.
The Queen of the Dryads

The leaves on the forestfloor smiled back at her. Their gold colour was not in the least diminishedeven thought they had fallen off the trees. Eyla saw the white feet of theQueen, then felt hands take hold of her shoulders and raise her up. Eyla lookedup into the eyes of the Dryad. They were an exquisite gold colour, much likethe leaves around them but much clearer.

“You do not bow to me Berserker, if you hail from our beloved Soriah,”QueenRashizvia said. Her voice dominated the air; it was woody but graceful. It feltjust as powerful as the white trees that stood guard. She smiled and Eyla feltdumb struck. Queen Rashizvia let her arms go and turned and spoke to the restof the Dryads. “Arise my fellow sisters;we are all equal here under the shade of the Great Trees.”

The dryads all nodded androse silently to their feet. The Queen turned to Bizantir, “Please take the children away, then returnto us,” she asked. Bizantir nodded and herded away the protesting children.There was silence until she returned with four other dryads, all looking olderthan her. The four were as tall as the Queen and much more muscular than therest. Their tunics were thick and they carried staffs strapped across theirbacks. The Queen nodded to them and they nodded back. There was certaingrimness to them. The Queen then walked to one of the trees. It stood directlyfacing the center of the clearing. Queen Rashizvia touched its bark and Eylasaw the tree ripple under the touch and slowly it opened.

The inside of the tree waswarm and fire red like the queen’s hair. It seemed as though it was full ofblood, bright and hot. Queen Rashizvia turned to face Eyla, then she sat intothe tree.

“Come forward Eyla, Daughter of Berserkers,” she called.

Eyla walked toward the Queenher heart thumping in her chest. When she reached the center of the clearing,the queen raised her hand and she stopped. “Sitthere,” The Queen commanded. Eyla lowered herself to the ground. The leaveswere soft like a carpet. Queen Rashizvia gazed around and all the dryads sat onthe ground as well.

“We are all gathered here, beneath the Great Trees of Behrud for ancientand terrible things are happening in this land,” the Queen began. A shudderran through ran through the dryads. Eyla felt the settling of oppressivenessupon the company. “Our beloved Soriah hassent us a messenger to which we must pay our fullest attention to. I know thatshe is sent here bearing some great news for Soriah herself had conveyed this tome previously.” The queen looked around at the astonished faces of thedryads. They all then looked to Eyla.

Eyla was astonished; she had no idea what theywere talkingabout. The Queen raised her head higher and said “Eyla, speak.” There was silence. Eylalooked at the Queen with carefully disguised horror. She was racking her brainsto remember what news she was supposedly said to bring. She bent her head andher brow was creased so hard it hurt. The suddenly like a soft flare the brightstar that Soriah showed her came to her mind. She looked up, that was the message. She was sure.

“Queen Rashizvia, I comeonly to tell of a sight that I have seen,’ Eyla recanted as she was taught todo for special ceremonies.

“Then tell it,” the Queen said. Eyla swallowed and hoped that shewas right.

“It was the last night of myinitiation, to become a Berserker Hishta. After I had succeeded Soriah took meto the river called Egren. It was there I beheld the bright star,” Eyla pausedfor the Queen had risen from her seat in the tree and was staring at her withwide eyes.

“Continue,” the Queen said in a hushed voice.

“It was brighter than thebrightest stars in the Cysian Sky. It grew larger as it continued to fall. Itbecame as a streak of silver in the black and there was a tail of white behindit. It fell rapidly and dropped somewhere in the forests beyond the river. Thatis what I saw.” Eyla stopped.

The queen looked at her andEyla felt as if she could touch the silence that lay around her. Then in aswift motion the queen raised her hands, lifted her face to the trees and letloose a cry. It rose in loud luminous waves each going a pitch higher than theprevious one. The Dryads leapt up and joined her, their voices matching the cryand blending with it to create a haunting but beautiful sound. Eyla felt the hairs on her neck and hands rise.It sounded like the voice of a people who had been in bondage for a long, longtime and they had heard that their freedom had been given to them. The Crygradually stopped and the Dryads fell back panting to the ground. The Queenalone remained standing. She turned back to the tress and touched it once more.The white bark closed back up. She then turned to Eyla.

“You have brought great joy to us Eyla, Daughter of the Berserkers,”she said, her eyes sparkling. She sighed with the smile of one who was tryingto hold back tears. “Come,” QueenRashizvia said quietly, “I will show youthe Star.”

Eyla got up. “Look,’ the Queen intoned as she steppedto one side. Eyla was left staring at the space between two trees. The queenraised her hands in front of her and began to speak, “Agtiri negthl reuo-or, erda guidrn. Desn reuo-or visalu ieter uetni Rodilar.”Eyla felt the word pierce her mind and a deep feeling of age rolled on her. Thewords themselves were old and as she gazed at the space she saw their working.The space between the trees began to grow hazy. Then it became a mist. Eyla squinted,she was sure that there was something in the mist. The mist began to clear butinstead of seeing trees, as before she saw a strange creature running. It hadthe head and forelegs of an eagle but the back of it was like a great cat.Wings grew out of its back, it appeared to be screeching loudly but only afaint sound came through. The mist then shrouded over the creature and when itcleared all was as it was before. Eyla looked at the Dryads in awe.

“Hailthe creature born of the Star. It is that which will bring our freedom,”Queen Rashizvia said in a tone of respect and reverence. “Thank you Eyla,’ shesaid, “You have brought us hope. I doindeed hold it dear that we shall meet in the future and in real this time.”

Eyla bowed and was going toask what she meant when suddenly the whole wood went hazy. The green mist thathad pervaded everything was thicker and there was a faint smell of spice in theair. The mist got thicker and thicker and as it did the wood faded into it. Thedarkness slipped in. Eyla stood quietly as the last of the green mist wasconsumed by the darkness. Then she got the sensation that she was being pulledback. Softly at first then a violent tug caused her to panic and she grabbedout into the darkness. Her hands closed of warm flesh only to replace a hand gripher own.

She kicked out in fear.Soriah’s voice pierced the darkness.

“Eyla calm down. It’s onlyme.” Eyla still held on the arm tightly. Her vision cleared slowly and she onceagain saw the insides of the tent. She let go of Soriah’s hand and raisedherself onto her elbows. She was surprised to replace herself lying down. The tentwas bright with sunlight; all the heavy sheets of cloth had been stripped awayand the tent flap was open. She looked around confused.

“You were is a trance,” Soriahsaid, “It is very uncomfortable to wake out of a trance that lasted two days toreplace oneself sitting. The body hurts.”

“Two days!”Eyla exclaimed,and then fell silent. “You mean all that was not real?”

“Oh it was real, but you werenot there in body but in spirit. And what the spirit feels the body feelsalso,” Soriah said. Eyla looked at her hands, the tiny pricks from the Dryadchildren were there. She smiled, then she looked at Soriah.

“You never told me that youlived with Dryads,” Eyla said in mock reproving tone. Soriah looked surprisedthen smiled.

“Those dryads can never keep their mouths shutabout that,” she said sounding a trifle bit angry.

“You saved their lives,” Eylasaid, “I would not keep my mouth shut either.”

Soriah smiled sadly, “Asmall burden to bear I suppose.” She said. Eyla placed her hand on the olderwoman’s. She thought about telling her that she knew how she got blind but Soriahpatted her hand and Eyla knew that she already knew.

Eyla grinned and squeezed Soriahhand, “You would not believe what I have to tell you,” she exclaimed.