Dryad

Agreement

Adapting to their rules certainly didn't get off to the best start, at least in their own eyes. They wanted to civilize me by force, although I don't know what I'm missing and what kind of people they were dealing with before, and I just wanted to explore around the house. I haven't been inside for a long time, it seems like years have passed. There were no problems when it came to combing or cleaning. Once upon a time, my father used to comb my hair occasionally when he decided he had time for me. Those were the rare moments when I could feel that he loved me, or at least pretend that he did. Sometimes I would pretend that I had studied longer just so that he would stay with me just a little bit more. The problem came when they decided I had to wear clothes. A reasonable thought, I can't blame them for such a thing, but for a long time it didn't occur to me to wear anything because I simply didn't need it in my life.

It's been a while since my she elf has been looking for me and hunting me around the house and trying to put something on me. She managed to take my measurements, she caught me when I least expected it, and I couldn't squirm out of her arms, but now I would run away from her whenever I saw her wearing the woolen dress she had chosen for me. I sneaked all the way to the private library and started hopping around. Books - my clearest memory. At least I knew that they would always be waiting for me in the same place. The smell of dead trees was always special to me.

A few steps were heard nearby and I felt palms on my head. My gaze flew up and met the elf who caught me in the act. He picked me up in his arms before it occurred to me to run away and it was as if he tried to get answers from me even though I haven't uttered a word since I came here and I can't understand them. I stretched out my hand and tried to pull out a book, but that didn't work either. My elf thinks cats can't read and is afraid I'll chew the edges of the covers.

A woman's voice interrupted our conversation and I knew I was screwed. I tried to squirm away, but my attempts proved futile. I was caught and they had no mercy towards me. I was convinced that elves were more polite creatures. Neither the fairies nor the centaurs were bothered by my lack of classic clothing.

It took a lot of sulking on my part whenever I got caught before I considered accepting their ways. The elf girl even tried to bribe me and was bitten once, even though I was careful not to hurt her. Regardless of the many places I could even crawl into and hide, I always had to come out when I got thirsty or simply decided I didn't want to spend the night there, but my favorite place became the library. It mostly reminds me of the home I once had.

I ran away from them late at night after dinner and repeated blackmail and threats that they wouldn't feed me if I didn't get dressed and crawled among the shelves. I don't understand anything, but this way I might at least learn a few words. I put my dress aside and pulled out one of the books so I could flip through it, but I was soon interrupted. Footsteps gave him away before I saw him and he appeared in my row of shelves with his disapproving look. What did he really expect from me? I was waiting for him to scold me or try to catch me, but he simply decided to just sit next to me.

I was so confused by his actions and intentions that it crossed my mind that maybe I should run away. He laid the dress on my lap and pointed to the book while saying something to me, but I couldn't quite understand what he wanted. I certainly won't trade my book for it. When he saw that it wasn't going his way, he snatched the book from me, and I got angry and rushed into his lap trying to get it back. It took me a while of pushing and making angry sounds in vain (when anything would come out of me at all) before I realized that the elf might want me to dress up in exchange for a book. Insidious. Regardless of my pout, he had to get his way before we sealed the deal, and then he let me lean against him and listen to him read. How did I not think of that?