The Dryad - Chapter 107

Cocoa’s point of view.

Mother Sea was much more keen on my idea to help Forest Mother, I mean Laurel, than I was expecting. I did not doubt that she would agree in the end, but I thought it would take some convincing as to why she needed to take me and not just go on her own to help her. I knew I would not be able to travel as fast as a water spirit through the ocean. But in the end all my planning was for naught. I was slightly disappointed I did not get to give the speech that I planned.

She did not even wait for me to form my boat, but swept me off the shore with a great wave. The salt water of the ocean soon surrounded me as I saw the coast quickly fading from view. The cacao leaves forming my dress felt the salt like a rush of nausea as I tried to keep myself above the water. The suddenness of the situation froze my mind for a few moments. But once I realized that she was taking me to Laurel, I transformed my body to a raft made of mangrove. The sick feeling from the salt water flooding my leaves fled. But I was not prepared for the surge around me.

I had seen the waves on the ocean before. But they seemed much bigger now that I was in them. Being tossed up and down by the waves was uncomfortable to say the least. I could not steady myself to the sun as plants do. I knew that the sun was not moving back and forth in the sky, but that was what my body was telling me. With the rolling of the ocean throwing my spiritual senses out of whack, I formed some ‘human’ eyes on the upper shoot of my raft. I would say that this was a success, but the results were mixed. I did manage to form eyes on a tree. And it did help to reduce the sickening feeling. But the splash of the waves in my eye hurt in a way I had never known before. I also learned that the waves did not just feel bigger, they were much bigger than I had seen in all but the biggest storms.

“Mother Sea, do you think you can calm the waves down a little?” I quickly started sputtering with my newly formed mouth. How could fish live in something that tasted so bad? “They are uncomfortable when they are this large.”

“But you said you felt Laurel was in need of help,” Mother Sea said, forming her upper body to talk to me. Mother Sea seemed surprisingly courteous to form her body to talk to me. I had not interacted with her much but I have always had the impression that she did not go out of her way for others. Maybe I misjudged her.

“I still do. But at this rate I will not last the few months until I make it there.”

“Months? That is much too long! We need you to get there in a few weeks at most.” Ah. I think that would explain the wave size. If I had a stomach right now I would be tempted to lose it.

“Even if it is just a few weeks, it will take a heavy toll on me,” I said looking at her pleadingly. I am not sure if the look properly transmitted my feeling since I was a raft of mangrove with a face of a human on it. I had needed to grow a mouth to be able to talk to Mother Sea. And I just did not feel right growing eyes and a mouth while missing the rest of the face.

“It will take us three or four days to reach a current going where we want. Till then you will have to deal with waves.”

“Uhg,” was all I could say at the thought of having to endure this for three more days.

Mother Sea look at me in pity. “I can make the waves smaller.”

I nodded my ‘head’, grateful for the little reprieve as the waves settled down. “Oh no!” I said, realizing another big issue.

“What is it now?” Mother Sea said, sounding slightly frustrated.

“I was thinking that this trip would take a few months and that we would arrive in the spring. But if we get there in two weeks it will be the depths of winter.” I was already shivering thinking about it.

“So? Plenty of dryads live in cold places. What’s wrong with winter?” Mother Sea asked, tilting her head to the side.

“The plants of my home that I shape my power after are not made for the cold,” I squeezed through my teeth that were already chattering at the thought of cold.

“Is that what it is like when I go up rivers?” Mother Sea said in a quiet voice. I had a feeling that she was remembering something unpleasant.

“Um, maybe,” I said haltingly. “I don’t think I have ever heard your name so I can’t say for sure.”

“I am Tide.” Her voice made it clear she was surprised and a little sad that I did not know.

“That would make sense. The tide does not go far up the river. It would feel like you have lost part of your power.” Then I added, “It is nice to formally meet you. I am Cocoa.”

“Yeah, I know,” Tide said dismissively. I tried to not be frustrated at her attitude. She was helping me out, after all. “Why did you say you felt Laurel needed help?”

“To be honest, I do not know why she needs help.” Tide gave me an odd look but did not interrupt. “But thoughts of her were never far from my mind and I could not cause them to flee for long. I knew I needed to see her again.”

“But if you did not know she needed help quickly, why did you come to me?” Tide puzzled.

“I did not want to try making such a long trip through human lands,” I said sheepishly.

“You are using me as a ferry!” Tide said slightly affronted.

“I would have used a fairy to fly there but there were none big enough,” I said despite myself. I wanted to think that I was clever for coming up with that play on words, but to be honest I had been thinking of it for some time. To my surprise Tide snorted at this joke. “Though I do not know the whole of it I know that you have been trying to get closer to Laurel for my whole life at least. There is no way that helping me can hurt you in that.”

Mother Sea looked down at the water in frustration. “Every time I try to do something for her she gets mad or runs somewhere I can’t follow. She even moved her home so far into her woods. I always try to feel her when I am near but I can barely sense her.” A few salty tears started to roll from her face. “Why does she hate me so much? I only ever wanted to help.”