Avenging Death

The Fused-together-woman stood in front of us. She had a tan skin tone much like Kye’s. Her hair was long and white but her face was still youthful. She had to be only in the years of her early twenties. She wore a long light-green dress that dangled over the grass.
“Tronzey, get behind me,” I urged. Tronzey did as I told her. “What are you?”
I realized she had my satchel and was rummaging through my belongings. She smiled gracefully at me. “My dears, I’m sorry if I frightened you but I need to know how you came to be here.”
“Not sorry enough not to steal my possessions,” I said.
“This,” she said as she pulled out the stone Tronzey had given me, “It’s queron. So this is how you found me.”
“Explain,” I said annoyed yet stunned by this enchantress.”
“You do not know what this is do you?” she examine it closely as if she was checking for scratches. “This stone is like a compass. Without it, you would not be able to seek this place. I scatter several queron stones across this desert four years ago, hoping that someone would stumble across this fortress.”
“Why,” I asked the woman quizzically. “what is it that you want from us?”
“Come with me into my domain and I will explain or leave whence you came but you will not survive the burning desert,” She disintegrated into a thousand tiny lights which flowed over the lake through the water fall.
It was obvious she was going to bargain with us. For what? I had no idea. I didn’t trust her. We could stay for maybe a day but soon we would have to leave back into the fierce desert. And she was right, we would not survive, not by foot. I decided to follow her than to take the death path back into the desert. I stared at Tronzey for a while. It was best she came with me, there was no telling what strange and dangerous creatures roam this forest.
“We’re going to follow her,” I told Tronzey, she hurried next to me and put her hand in mine. She had much fear and wonder in her eyes.
Step one would be how were we going to follow her across to lake. She could float. We couldn’t. There had to be a way or she wouldn’t asked to follow her, unless she expected us to swim. Anything could be in that water. It wasn’t a chance I was willing to take. I study the lake and almost immediately saw it. There was a stone pathway, it was hard to see because it was beneath the colorful water. It was narrow but wide enough for a single person to walk across.
“There’s a pathway,” I told Tronzey. “I will go first. Follow behind me and try not to fall.”
She was reluctant to let go of my hand. The stone was slippery from moss that grew upon it. Tronzey almost fell backward but I was able to catch her and somehow keep my own balance. She gave me apologetic frown. I smiled at her to assure her she was doing well. Once we approach the water fall, there was a solid ground that expand further through a cave. Tronzey took my hand again. As we traveled through the cave, the deeper we went the darker it was until there was no light at all and we had to use the walls to direct ourselves. A dim light shone from a far as we continued down the path. Crossing a threshold, we were introduce to woman’s dwelling of the cave. It was bright with yellow light illuminating from stones that surround the cave. A bed with a transparent curtain showered around a bed. Near the bed was table and a long couch. Book shelves made from light-green wood encircle the cave. Everything was elegant and exquisite.
“I’m glad you chose to join me,” said the woman entering through another pathway of cave.
“I chose life,” I said. “what is you’re bargain?”
“My name is Bahara,” the woman began. “I used to be like you four years ago but my son became very ill and I needed to find a remedy to cure him so I went on a journey to find one. I found a queron stone and it led me here. I found the remedy in this forest. My mistake is I ate one of sacred fruits and I became part of the forest. I am a nymph of this forest and I cannot leave. If I tried I would die. I need you to deliver the remedy to my son.”
“It has been four years how do you know that your son is still ill or even alive?” I asked.
“Because,” the woman replied. “The illness that consumes my son is not fatal but will last forever if it is not cured.”
“If we do, what will you give us in return?” I asked.
“You’re horse it has died, I can provide you with stronger ones and food. And whatever is necessary.”
“How did you know my horse had died,” I asked, alarmed. She said she could not leave the forest then how did she know that.
“Before I was a nymph,” she sighed. “I was a seer but I can only glimpse visions. They never last longer than a blink of an eye. They usually lead me to a destiny. That is how I found the queron stone that led me to this place and as well as how I saw you in the desert when your horse gave way.
“Okay, But the girl needs a rest and we both need food,” I knew Tronzey was tired and wouldn’t be able to endure the harsh desert.
“Stay here in my domain,” the woman in a welcoming tone. “it is safe here.”
“Exactly where is ‘here’,” I asked quizzically.
“This forest is a between threshold of two worlds,” she said. “the fruit and plants here are mystic and powerful. They can cure the worse diseases and revive those close to death.”
I stared at her mesmerized by the idea. I probably wouldn’t have believe her if she hadn’t dispersed in front of me multiple times.
“The little girl looks hungry,” the woman stared at Tronzey concern. “let me show you what you can eat.”
She disintegrated as we follow her to the forest.