Dryads and Nymphs

Chapter 25-Letters

Her stomach was knotting itself into impossible knots, so it made it impossible to even think about food, let alone endure eating it. She didn’t want to see anyone at the moment, especially Salem again, this time with Maryse. Her mother was bustling around the kitchen, fussing over her, and Rose. She looked at Ariana as she pushed her plate away with something akin to horror.

“You haven’t eaten a thing!” she exclaimed. Ariana scrunched up her nose and shook her head in protest against the fussing she knew was going to come.

Surprisingly it didn’t.

Her mother nodded understandingly and resumed folding her apron neatly, before exiting the kitchen. Her eyes widened in surprise and she turned her incredulous gaze to Rose, who shrugged innocently and resumed eating a mash—that Ariana suspected was potato—with her shoulders squared resolutely.

“Rose are you angry?” she asked gently, leaning forward. Rose shook her head so that the red curls bounced back and forth, but didn’t look up.

“Rose,” she coaxed, reaching her hand out. Rose pushed her hand away angrily but gingerly as if she didn’t want her sister to get hurt.

“Rose look up,” Ariana said as gently as she could without sounding too commanding.

Rose did as she was told and Ariana saw with a pang that her green eyes were swimming with tears. “Rose!” she exclaimed. “What happened?”

“You,” Rose said in a cracked voice, “play without me.”

Ariana bit her lip. She had seen so less of Rose in the past few days that she hadn’t even stopped to wonder how she was doing with everything. “Oh Rose,” she sighed. “How about I play with you today?”

Rose’s eyes shone behind the film of tears. “Only me,” she bargained.

“Only you,” Ariana agreed.

“We’ll go to the woods. Okay?” Rose nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing up and down in a dance, before attacking the potato mash with renewed relish.

 *  *  *

“Come on Rose. Just a little further,” Ariana called gesturing for the little girl to hurry.

“Ari, I can’t,” she panted. The other girl turned back and hauled Rose up into her arms. Rose cheer was muffled into the material of Ariana’s dress. Her head bobbed against Ariana’s neck and the curls tickled her face as she carried Rose forward to the lake.

She had finally decided to take Rose to the one place that meant everything to her, when she hadn’t anyone there before.

They reached the lake and it glistened in the morning sun welcomingly, shinning like a beacon guiding them home. Ariana heard Rose’s slight shriek of excitement, she put her down on her shot pudgy legs, and Rose ran over to the edge of the lake.

“Not too far Rose or you’ll go over the edge,” she warned and Rose shook her head in agreement.

Ariana went over to the willow and sat down keeping a close eye on Rose, who was now collecting stones and throwing them into the lake watching the ripples with a smile. When she got bored, she came over to Ariana and sat down beside her.

“I climb?” she cooed softly.

Ariana hesitated; the branches could be treacherous at times, so it was probably best if she didn’t but the look on her face stopped her from refusing. “All right then,” she consented.

Rose cheered and clapped her little hands. Ariana picked her up, hauled her onto the branch, and got up next to her. Holding on her little hand, she guided her to the canopy and soon they were sitting on one of the thicker branches, gazing at the luminous green canopy around them.