Kale: The Dryad Chronicles, page 9
Kale tried to draw his power back into him, like when he was trying to forcibly absorb something. Kale could feel the drifting feeling lessen and his eyesight became clearer. Kale could see his arm, it looked like living water and slowly solidified into his normal arm. Kale stood up quickly and marveled that his pains were gone. There was some residue left on the ground, some angry black powder that Kale thought were his injuries. Kale moved around and other than being naked, felt better than ever. Kale took a deep breath and tried to turn to water again. It came a bit faster and Kale reformed standing up instead of lying down on the ground.
Kale spent the next three hours turning to water and reforming, now that he knew what he was doing, it became easier and easier. He practiced just making parts of his body solid and moving around as one big blob. Kale thought he could have practiced forever when he heard footsteps. Kale used his magic to flow into his clothes and solidified just as the door opened. It was Charla and she had Marithia with her. They carried a big bucket of water and sat it down then closed the door.
“Marithia,” Kale said as he rose out of bed.
“How are you, are you well?” Marithia said in a whisper.
“Marithia, I am thinking about running,” Kale said.
“Are you stupid?” Charla said. “They will find you and beat you even worse. When Lord Trevor got tired he made the goatmen continue. You are lucky to be alive.”
“You will get caught, Kale,” Marithia said. “You saw what happened to Jobby. They cut off his horns and forced him to eat a patch of brambles. He was beaten every day until the patch was gone. It was a month of beatings, can you imagine how long it would have been if the others didn't secretly help him?”
“I have my magic in,” Kale said. “I am not like my mother, I can't control water but I can control myself. I don't know how they would be able to catch me.”
“They have dogs,” Marithia said. “And the centaurs would grab you if it meant they had a guaranteed mate.”
“Just watch this and don't scream,” Kale said as he turned into water. Kale splashed off his bed and climbed up into the bucket. Kale could feel the water soaking into him but couldn't take too much as he climbed out of the bucket and then solidified.
“You are naked,” Charla said as an embarrassed Kale dived for the bed to wrap a blanket around himself.
“You can leave,” Marithia said silently as Kale could see a tear starting to form. “How long can you stay in that form?”
“I never thought about it,” Kale said. “I should see how long I can stay like that before I do anything. In fact I should see everything I can do.”
“I want you to take me with you,” Marithia said.
“I don't think I can,” Kale said.
“I can revert,” Marithia said. “I just need for you to take my seed far away from this place.”
“You have a seed?” Kale said wide eyed.
“No, but I can make one,” Marithia said. “I can revert.”
“What does that mean?” Kale asked.
“Take me too,” Charla said.
“How?” Kale asked. “What is revert?”
“I can put all of my essence into a seed,” Maritha said. “It takes a week. If my tree ever catches rot, I can turn myself into a seed. The seed is fireproof, it is how we survive forest fires.”
“Then why haven't you done this before?” Kale asked.
“Because my seed would just fall off and I cannot move in that state,” Marithia said. “I would be stuck there until I am planted. I could have you wait around until the perfect time. I can have most of my essence in the seed already until you are ready to leave. Then I will pour the last bit in, the part that makes me, me. I would cease for a bit while I am a seed but as soon as you plant me I will be back.”
“What happens if someone picks the seed before you are ready to leave?” Kale asked.
“The seed would rapidly start going foul and would never sprout,” Marithia said. “I would be weak but my tree would eventually heal me.”
“How can you escape a fire if it takes up to a week?” Kale asked.
“I could do it in a few minutes,” Marithia said. “But when I am planted, it would take my tree a while to grow and I wouldn't have much magic.”
“I can try to move you then,” Kale said. “I don't know where I could take you.”
“What about with the Merfolk?” Marithia asked. “Are there any islands or anything?”
“The merfolk would kill me,” Kale said. “They do not like me and have let it be known. They hate me like the goatmen do because I look human.”
“What could they do to you?” Marithia asked.
“They have big fish as pets which could eat me or they could stab me with their…,” Kale said before he stopped. “They couldn't do anything! I am going to have to try out my new powers. I will take you all with me if I can. I may have to go back and forth so it will be a while.”
“We have waited this long,” Marithia said. “We can wait longer. Right now you should stay sick. Either me or Charla will come to see to you. We can study what you can and cannot do with your power.”
“We shouldn't tell anyone yet,” Charla said. “Someone might tell.”
“She is right,” Marithia said. “Some dryads will want to stay or might get scared when it is time to go. If someone tells then they could hurt one of us.”
“I am not sure if they can hurt me,” Kale said.
“They could just use a bucket to separate you,” Marithia said. “You need to learn how to fight the humans. With the Lords leaving, you may have enough time to practice. Lady Margaret will most likely spend most of her time with goatmen since we rarely give her trouble.”
“The goatmen just want to be free,” Charla said. “They want fruit and vegetables instead of just grass and weeds. They don't even like weeds, it is what they eat when there is no other food around and they are hungry.”
“The humans know this,” Marithia said. “Just like they know Kale doesn't like filtering moisture from their stinky outhouses to make the air smell fresher. They do it because they want it done and know we can accomplish it. This still doesn't need to get out to everyone. We have been in here too long. We still have things to harvest.”
CHAPTER 9
KALE
“Kale, come give us some water,” Lady Margaret said as she held up her glass.
Kale walked over and filled her cup along with the fifteen women she had working with her. Lord Trevor had left last week and Lady Margaret and her group were hard at work making uniforms and field dressings for wounds. Kale filled up the big pitcher she had in the room and then stood off to one side. He had been practicing now for two weeks with his new magic and planned on making a run for it tonight. He would take Marithia with him the first time, if everything went according to plan he could come back and get more.
“This water is still amazing,” Lady Harriet said. Kale knew the woman hated Menials and had a reputation for being cruel but wanted him. She had offered to buy him many times but Lady Margaret refused. “This is so refreshing and clean.”
“I prefer it to juice or wine,” Lady Margaret said. “And if you cook with it, it makes everything taste better.”
“I wish I had one of him,” Lady Harriet said. “You have done a good job of breaking yours in. I haven't heard a word from him all day. But I think you are too easy on him, fetching water is something even a human servant could do once your dryad fills up a container somewhere.”
“He has already finished most of his work before you got up,” Lady Margaret said. “And I try not to beat this one. He has already been a good worker.”
“Well his chores must be too easy if he finished already,” Lady Harriet said. “If you are taking care of him, the least he could do is work hard for the care.”
“He starts off in our outhouses,” Lady Margaret said.
“What does he do there?” asked Lady Gersha. Kale didn't know what to make of Lady Gersha. She wasn't cruel or even sharp tongued but something always seemed off. Kale had never spoken to any of her Menials and word of her never got around. But the way she stared at him, Kale didn't know if she liked him or wanted to hurt him.
“Well he gets down in there and soaks up all of the moisture,” Lady Margaret said. “All of the foul smells are soaked up along with moisture and whatever solid left behind turns to dust and scatters. If you ever went to any of my outhouses, you had to notice the lack of flies or smell. I don't even have to cover anything up or move it.”
“I don't use outhouses,” Lady Harriet said. “I have chamber pots.”
“And your chamber pots,” Lady Margaret began. “He does the same thing to those and empties the dust into a bin. He then goes down to our barns and gets rid of the smell from the waste of the horses, goatmen and centaurs. He finishes up by watering the dryad trees and then watering my fields. That part takes him five or so hours but since he gets up well before the sun is up, he is done by noon. Then he just waits on me.”
“If you come across another one, let me know,” Lady Harriet said. “Maybe I need to send men out to capture me a dryad.”
“They are beholden to a place of water like the wood dryads are to a tree,” Lady Margaret said. “All you would do is kill them.”
“There has to be some way to get a half breed like him,” Lady Harriet said. “How did you stop him from running away?”
“Because everyone knows what he looks like,” Lady Margaret said. “We actually got recognized by the King himself for letting his scholars come down to study Kale. He looks so human that it would be easy for him to blend in if you don't know what to look for. Now everyone knows to be wary of people who look wet for no reason and who do not drip water everywhere. If he ran he would be caught and brought back. He has tried so twice, back when he was new. It was a tough lesson for him but he has never done it again. I don't beat my Menials anymore, well at least not often. They know their place and know I will leave them alone as long as they are doing what they are supposed to.”
“Have you tried mating it with one of the other dryads?”
“A few times,” Lady Margaret said. “They are different species. I thought it would happen naturally. The goatmen try to spend their off time looking for some affection and I thought Kale would too. It became obvious that Kale stayed to himself so he and a young dryad had to be coaxed to do something. It took some extreme punishment but in the end both of them were begging to at least try. They tried a few times but nothing happened. I gave the dryad extra fertilizer for her trouble and built Kale a small pond that he could fill with water and relax in.”
“Offtime?” Lady Harriet said shocked. “Relax? Margaret, all these things know is hard work. You cannot give them time to goof off. They might do something stupid if you do not stay on top of them. If I had dryads I would teach you how it is done. If you ever see my goatmen you will notice how a well run household is supposed to be like. The goat girls are inside and they keep every spot of my home clean and smelling good. The goatmen have my lawn looking nicer than any I have ever seen. Sun up until sun down, nothing but work, work, work.”
“That sounds brutal,” Lady Gersha said. “I am not that hard with my goatmen.”
“With our men gone you have to keep them in line,” Lady Harriet said. “Sometimes I just grab a random goatman and make up an excuse to beat him or have the others beat him. It makes them all scared of me and they are less likely to sit around and be lazy.”
“Different techniques,” Lady Margaret said. “One of my dryads is finally producing another seed. They do not think I know about it, but I do.”
“How much do you want for it?” Lady Harriet asked. “I always wanted dryads. I should have bought some off of that commoner that was selling them a few years back. He refuses to sell anymore.”
“We will see,” Lady Margaret said.
Kale listened to the women until the sun fell out of the sky. They talked about different things as they made uniform after uniform. Kale had just been excused when he went outside to see Marithia. She was looking haggard and was surrounded by other dryads and a few goatmen.
“What are you doing out here traitor?” Silenus growled. Kale had been taking care of Silenus from the beating he received from the City Watchmen but Charla had taken over once Kale got his own beating from Lord Trevor. Kale knew Silenus hated him but had no time to deal with the goatman. Simeon was also there and Kale could see he was ready to ram Kale with his head.
“I am running,” Kale said seriously.
“No way a pet like you runs,” Silenus said. “Get out of here before I hand you a beating. Or will you go tell your master?”
“Are you ready?” Kale asked.
“I am,” Marithia said weakly as she blended in with her tree.
Kale waited for the seed to fall as he was hit hard in the stomach with a headbutt. Kale fell down and into a puddle. He could see Silenus looking around surprised and Kale leapt up and into the goatman’s mouth and nose. The goatman was shocked as Kale put more and more of his body into Silenus’s mouth. The goatman tried to cough him out but Kale went deeper. Silenus took off running, Kale controlled the other half of himself to follow. Silenus began losing his fight as Kale climbed out of the goatman’s body. Silenus was coughing hard as Kale left and then solidified. Kale walked back through a group of stunned onlookers and waited for Marithia’s seed to drop. Kale caught it and started running off of the estate.
The streets were patrolled but Kale thought he could get past them. In the morning or maybe sometime before, dogs would be sent out. Kale wanted them to try, he didn't mind his nakedness as he ran and thought he could lose them. Twice Kale thought he saw roving patrols, he waited for them to pass and kept on his. When it got dark things were easier, Kale knew if he followed the road that it would lead him to a town and then onto where he was raised for a while. Lord Trevor had talked about Emma and went over in detail with one of the centaurs how to get to her home. Kale would go past there and then into the forest.
Kale thought he found the house that Lord Trevor described, it was not in the same place as her old one and a lot larger. Kale went towards the forest and wanted to cry when he saw how much of it had been cut away. Kale slowed down a bit since he was tired. He turned to water and then back again and felt refreshed. Kale could tell although he could run some more, he was getting low on power and would just walk unless he really needed it. Kale could see some of the trees of his old friends and felt bad for passing them by. He would stop by on the way back and let them know what he could do. As the sun was coming up, Kale found the river. He had gotten lost a few times but finally found it and splashed in.
The water felt good to Kale and he went into his water form. He was easily able to guide Marithia’s seed on top of the water as he lazily floated down river. Kale had seen two mermen at the bottom of the river but they never noticed him as he passed them by. It took Kale another day before the river fed into a larger river, a day after that he was spat into the sea and Kale made his way over towards an island.
Kale decided he didn't like salt water, it was almost like filtering out urine. His body had to work to filter everything out unlike the river where his body seemed energized. There were many merfolk about in the sea. They swam all around and were armed, Kale thought they were looking for a boat. Kale made his way to the island and then started solidifying. He grabbed Marithia’s seed and went moving into the interior. The island wasn't that big, Kale thought it was maybe a day’s walk wide, at least at the point he came. The island was uninhabited and the soil was a bit rocky. Kale found what he thought was a good place and started digging. He planted the seed deep in the earth and gave it a little water. Dryad seeds could grow anywhere but the dryad wouldn't be strong in poor conditions. Kale saw no reason to stay and went to walk back when he saw his island was surrounded by merfolk.
“How did you get past us human?” a large merman said as he held a menacing looking stone and coral trident. “Answer me and your death will be swift.”
“I am a dryad,” Kale said.
“The human lies,” said a feminine voice.
“You will starve on that island human,” the large merman said. “There is no food and we will stop you from fishing. Maybe you can grab a bird but you have no bait. We will wait for you here.”
Kale took off towards the water and could see the large merman was ready to fight. As soon as Kale touched the water he went into his water form. The merman started yelling for the others to find Kale. Kale went right by them and continued through the sea. There were more merfolk patrolling and they were ready to battle. When Kale finally made it to the river the strain was far less on him. He could easily filter out all of the salt he had acquired and could feel his power coming back to what he thought were his normal levels. The current running the opposite way did nothing to slow him down, Kale weaved and went through the water like a rock thrown through fog. He didn't need a rest in this form, sleep was something he only needed in his other form and the days went by until it was time for him to leave the river. Kale was just about out of the water when he could tell something was wrong.
He could hear cursing and the sounds of dogs barking. They were looking for him and had tracked him to the river bank. The dogs were sniffing but Kale was sure they wouldn't find him, he wondered how they even got this close. Kale slowly crept up the river bank and weaved through the grass. He was able to bypass the men and stayed in his liquid form until he was near the dryad grove. He could tell many trees had been uprooted and only the oldest trees were remaining. The dryads were out and using their magic to tend to the field. Humans with whips were around but they weren't doing anything except standing in the field. Kale remembered his friend Tithy. She had a blank look as she went down her rows of cabbage, Kale waited until she was a bit away from the humans and slid over to intercept her.
