Dryad

Winter

I spent the rest of the spring and summer on that meadow, and most of the time I played with the fairies and the little centaur that came by from time to time. Autumn brought with it cold rains and wind that was no longer so warm. We could only jump in puddles and collect leaves in the forest and then sleep in it, and occasionally we ended up in the mud. The fairies didn't understand what was so fun about that, but the two of us don't have clothes to get dirty or hair that needs regular washing and combing. And then winter started to arrive.

I woke up shaking. I was under a thick layer of leaves, but I felt all the cold that morning. I poked my head out of my nest - the blades of grass were completely white. Everything was covered with frost. I don't like this.

Fairies seem to have acquired immunity to this cold a long time ago. They played on the icy blades of grass and collected frozen drops of water, but I didn't leave my hiding place so much anymore. As if they didn't quite understand that I was cold. Maybe they mistook my sluggishness for sleepiness. Horace was a little more worried about me though. With the colder days, he started visiting less often, but he saw that I was not comfortable in this cold.

With the first snow, I fell into a dream from which it was difficult to wake up. My tree is now completely bare and the soil in the pot is frozen. How can I live when my tree can't either? Celestina came to check on me because she too was now suspicious that I was not showing up among the people, but with little success:

-Klarissa?-she called me and patted me with her little hands, but I barely opened my eyes:

-Klarissa?!-concern in her voice rose and she called the other fairies who came to see what was happening.

When I didn't move even with their nagging and encouragement, they were afraid I was dying. The king himself came to see me and check what was going on. I felt pats and small kisses and only managed to understand a few words. He spoke to Celestina and the other fairies, it sounded like he was giving them orders, after which some of them flew away, and he stayed by my side.

After a long silence, footsteps were heard in the snow. The fairies came back towards me, among them Celestina who seemed to bring good news:

-You will be fine. We found help.-she told me quietly and stood next to my head.

The leaves parted from me. Someone dug me out of my hiding place. I barely bothered to look towards him, but I recognized the face of a young blond man - an elf. He lifted me from my nest and I was barely able to reach my pot and hold it when he suddenly took me. The fairy king immediately flew to my head, blessed me and kissed me, just as if he was saying goodbye to me. He was the last thing I heard talking to me before I closed my eyes again.