A DRYADS HOPE – by Jayel Draco

A Dryads Hope by JayelDraco

Story and image revised: 10/10/10
The Dryad stands still and alone, watching over her forest. Unable to push or pull except with root, limb and time. She is ancient and wise, she has seen many things come to pass. Time moves differently for tree spirits; days flicker by like leaves turning over in the sunlight. They wait, contemplate, observe. She has seen many creatures pass her by, leading their quick lives full of mystery, joy and pain. Her favorite was always the Wood Nymph.

The Wood Nymphs it seemed somehow could understand her subtle creaks and sighs of the Dryad language, and were more than glad to listen. Even if there was nothing to exchange, the company was always deeply cherished. The Dryad kept this in her mind, constantly, waiting for her next encounter with a wise and humble yet boldly outgoing Wood Nymph.

Though their states of sleeping and waking seem indistinguishable to more sentient creatures, Dryads are prolific dreamers. One night, the Dryad had a dream that she stepped away from her roots and became a Wood Nymph herself. She heard music through ears of flesh for the first time. The music echoed throughout the woods. Frantically she tracked it to its source. When she got there, she was delighted to see a soiree of Wood Nymphs dancing around a blazing fire in the center of a large clearing, singing merrily as they did. They immediately noticed her, and the Alpha female darted over. The Alpha looked her up and down, placed one hand on her shoulder and asked “Can you dance?” Before the Dryad could reply she was swept away, pulled by her wrist to join in the festivities. Jumping and thrashing to the tribal drum beats hammered out by those who needed a break from dancing, the group circled around one another while circling the fire in the center.

Our Dryad awoke rooted right where she had always been. Her leaves wet with morning dew. She had not moved at all. “What a lovely dream” she thought to herself. “If only it where real.” She ran the dream through her mind beginning to end over and over again It was a whirlwind of dancing forms, Nymphs laughing spryly at each other, eating from a smorgasbord of mushrooms neatly laid out around the outer ring of the fire on a lush bed of leafy greens. From horns and skins and other such crafted drinking vessels the Dryads swilled large gulps of various wines as they leaped and spun about. Splashing their beverages as they did so, the air becoming ever more pregnant with the aroma of sweet drink. She could remember ignoring the burn of blisters forming on the soles of her bare feet. A sensation she has never felt before. “It was so vivid, how could it have just been a dream?”

Her pondering was interrupted by thrashing in some nearby thorn bushes. A figure rose from the bramble, it was the Alpha Female Wood Nymph from her dream. She was medium height for a Wood Nymph (about 5.9) with a fierce streamlined lean build. Small but well defined muscles rippled her fair skin. She wore a rather small loincloth embellished with neat geometric embroidery and sporadically placed beadwork. On her left hip, a rather large flint blade knife was tucked under the ties strap of her loincloth. Above her biceps, elbows, knees and calves thin leather tourniquet thongs were tied accentuating her muscle tone. From the tie tassels of the tourniquet thongs hung beautiful striped and speckled breath feathers from an owl of some sort. All over her mostly bare skin she had large pattern animal print boldly tattooed in flat swatches of slightly iridescent green-black. Her ears were pierced with finely detailed bone carvings. The detail on the bone was apparent, but too fine to be legible from this distance. Her fiery red hair was ruggedly cut into wild mane-like Mohawk. Her eyes shone green like emeralds under her tight low brow. The Wood Nymph cursed and spat while pulling thorns from her foot. She must’ve been distracted. It’s not like a wood Nymph to be so careless. Pulling the last thorn from the bottom of her left big toe, her attention darted over to the Dryad. They way she swaggered over far from lived up to the display of nimble grace in the Dryads dream of last nights festivities. She sat down with a bit of a hard landing at the base of the Dryad’s trunk.
“Good dancing last night,” she said with a grin that contrasted her furled brow. Despite of the pleasant tone in her voice, her demeanor seemed a bit grumpy. She was obviously feeling the morning after effects of mead and dandelion wine.

“It was real!” The Dryad would’ve fallen over were she not rooted deep into the ground. “How could it have been real?” She wanted so badly to lean over and ask, but of course, she was a tree, and could not. While thinking this, she noticed that she was looking down at the Wood Nymph. Her head, locked into its position at the base of her branches, always looked to the sky, never down. “How could this be?” she thought as she leaned down. “I’m moving!” She screeched, a Nymph’s voice escaping from her newly supple throat.

“Of course you are,” the Wood Nymph spurted back, seemingly unimpressed.

“How is this possible?” That’s when it occurred to the Dryad that she was standing in her own shadow. She turned around and saw herself standing there as still as any other tree. She looked down at her hands, rubbing them together. She could feel them, but they where translucent. “What’s happening to me?” she whispered.

“Oh, I’m sorry, was that your first time?” The Wood Nymph interrupted. “I never would’ve guessed, congratulations.” She said with one eyebrow raised “You’ll get used to it, it’s how we get around you know. I remember my first time. Threw me for quite a loop. . .” Her words trailed off as she gazed thoughtfully into the distance. Abruptly she stood up, interrupting her own daydream. “I’m gonna go head back to my roots.” She turned and paused, looking back at her new friend, “What do you say we meet up again tonight?” And with that, she vanished. – children-of-gaia.com

Written by JayelDraco
Edited by MsMeeyagee

I had an Idea to do a forest creature portrait of the Model, my friend Hope (MsMeeyagee). Originally I was leaning toward Elven Sprite, she said Dryad. I love depicting Dryads, so I was totally down for that. Then as we where talking, she told me of her idea of a Dryad Astral Projecting. Which I thought was a brilliant notion in it of itself. It also led me to the thought that I could have the Dryads Astral body be an Elven Sprite creature. In all I’m really happy with how it turned out. The photoshoot itself was allot of fun. The model, Hope is great for conversation and extremely entertaining.

Model, HMU: MsMeeyagee
Costume, Photomanipulation, Element Photography: Jayel Draco
Additional Photography: Blackscarab333

As always, I really enjoy your questions, comments and critiques,
but please be RESPECT THE MODEL or the Dryad will use you as fertilizer.

Thanks for checking this out!
Keep Rockin. . .
=j=