Artemis's Children, Pt. 2

Hello readers! This is the newest segment of my... hmmm.. I'm gonna call it "Darkest Night" series. So, this is the newest segment of my Darkest Night series. The previous chapter/part was called Nyx's Children if you're wondering. This is my first draft so if you'd please give me your honest opinions I'd really appreciate it. I don't normally space it out like this while I'm writing so before I posted I just went and hit enter at the end of every line. I don't know if it would've automatically spaced them and now it'll be like it has two spaces, but just bear with me. 'Kay?

Read and Enjoy!

Whispers through the forests. Pale figures flitting through the trees. The Dryads laughed into the night, enjoying the silence. One Dryad, a beautiful brunette with chocolate-colored eyes, swung down from the branch she’d perched on.

“Sisters!” She yelled to the others hiding behind the trees, “Tonight is a night for celebration! We have served our Lady well!”

The others cheered in response. Their moods were light and festive tonight. They had defended their Lady against the accusations of mortals, and had been successful in finding the mortal and punishing him.

Suddenly, there were new beings surrounding them. The Dryads became wary, until one of the beings stepped out of the shadows. A lovely blonde woman with eyes the color of flowing water came to stand before the brunette and embraced her.

“Calamina,” the brunette said warmly as they stepped apart, “What brings our Sisters of the Sacred Waters here?"

Calamina’s pale face grew grim, “Grave matters, Elophila, grave matters indeed.”

“What has happened?” Elophila’s joy and cheerfulness was sucked from her eyes.

“Our Lady Artemis has spoken to me.” Calamina began and the others listened intently, “She has warned me of fighting and bloodshed. Here. In this forest, and too close to the Sacred Waters for comfort.”

“The great Lady told you this?” Elophila asked, “Why have I not heard it from the trees? They would have whispered to us.”

Calamina looked at her, sensing the slight doubt in Elophila’s voice. Elophila did not believe that she would not have been warned beforehand, and therefor did not believe the fight was real. She believed Calamina was mislead and had not been spoken to by the Protectress.

“Elophila, listen closely,” Calamina instructed and Elophila and the others strained to hear the whisperings of the forest, but they heard nothing. Elophila looked alarmed and put her hand on the nearest oak tree.

“I hear nothing! Nothing at all!” Her voice grew shrill in alarm. The trees, especially the Sacred oaks, had never shunned them before. They had always been willing to tell their secrets.

Calamina nodded gravely, “As do we. The brook does not babble as it should. We hear nothing from it. The forest and it's waters are afraid, and have receded into themselves. They will not speak. Our Lady came to me because she wanted to allow you your victory for a while longer.”

Calamina could tell that Elophila believed her now, and now that she did they could discuss this disturbance.

“Who has started this violence in the Lady’s home?” Elophila asked Calamina.

Calamina looked deep in thought, “The vampire’s have long been living in the cave to the east, correct?”

“Yes,” a pretty red-headed Forest Dryad spoke from the tree she sat in, “the vampires to the east have lived in the cave for little more than a century.” Her moss-green eyes glowed with distaste for the creatures.

“Sentarsa,” Calamina greeted, “I did not see you there. Have you been well?”

“Yes,” Sentarsa replied, “but now is not the time for talk. What have the vampires to do with the disturbance?”

Calamina looked back at Elophila, both seemed to be the leaders here so they would discuss this as such. Calamina began to tell what she knew, “Lady Artemis spoke of Hecate’s children beginning a fight with the children of Night. I do not know much more than that, but one thing...” Calamina trailed off, suddenly anxious.

“What is it, Calamina? What is this one thing you speak of?” Elophila inquired.

Calamina looked into Elophila’s brown eyes, “The fighting that has erupted has caused horrible things.” Both Elophila and Sentarsa and all of the others stared, “Others are joining the violence. The Old Fey have awakened, the werewolves are hunting the bloodshed, and it’s not just contained to the cave anymore.”

“Go on, Calamina.” Sentarsa said urgently.

Calamina closed her eyes a moment and opened them again, “The fight is coming here.” All of the Dryads, Forest and Water, gasped.

“Here?” Sentarsa’s voice quavered a bit. She may look ready for anything, but she was soft at heart.

“Yes,” Calamina said, her voice hard, “here. To the heart of the forest.”

Now everyone was talking at once, wondering what to do. Should they fight? Should they flee? No one really knew.

“Hush,” a new voice said, “We must prepare.”

Calamina, Elophila, and Sentarsa looked at the speaker. It was a Water Dryad. She had black hair falling down her back, and eyes that shone a clear gray, just as beautiful as all the Dryads were.

“Taysis, have you a plan?” Elophila questioned.

“Yes,” she said, “We must defend our home. Defend our Lady’s home.”

Calamina and Elophila nodded in agreement, but Sentarsa needed more of an answer than that.

“What exactly do you propose we do?” Sentarsa asked Taysis.

“First, we must pray. For guidance and wisdom and strength.” Taysis could tell she was beginning to sway Sentarsa, “And then we must prepare the weapons for the battle. We must be ready or we will be slaughtered, and then who would defend the great Lady?” She needn’t have added the latter. Sentarsa had already been swayed to this plan of action.

“Sisters!” Calamina and Elophila spoke as one, as they often did when they joined forces, “Gather hear! Beneath the mighty oaks! We must ask our Lady for strength and bravery before we go to battle!”

Immediately all of the Dryads gathered and knelt in a large circle in the clearing. They joined hands, and at that moment there was no difference between one woman and the next. No matter if they wore animal furs or seaweed and shells, or if they had blonde or red hair. Nothing mattered. There was nothing but the spectral image appearing before them.

The image slowly formed the shape of a beautiful woman, even more beautiful than the Dryads themselves. Artemis.

She wore buckskin clothing and no shoes. Her dark hair flowed down her back in smooth waves, and her pale skin glowed with the light of the stars and moon. Her cherry-red lips curved in a smile and her pale eyes fixed upon every one of them in turn.

“Children,” Her voice sent shivers down their spines, “You have called me hear for a reason, and I know what you want.”

They waited in perfect silence as she spoke, “I wish you all the strength of the mighty river, and the wisdom of the oldest oak. May you see this dark night through to the end, and never back down.”

They raised their faces to her, “Defend our home, children, and defend your sisters.” Then she disappeared.

Elophila stood and her voice was colored with determination, “You have heard our Lady! She has blessed us, and we will honor her with our lives tonight!”

The others yelled in agreement, each one raised a weapon off the ground. Some had blades, others had daggers, and some even had fishbone knives. They all had shields, and emblazoned on those shields was their Lady and her hounds.

Calamina glanced at Elophila and the two nodded at eachother in silent communication. Calamina walked to the east end of the clearing, and Elophila walked to the west.

“My Sisters! Those of you who are ready follow me to the west!” Calamina shouted and five Dryads, two water and three forest, followed her into the shadows.

“Sentarsa!” Elophila called, “Take a group of six and head to the north!” Sentarsa nodded and motioned to some of the others and they headed in their designated direction.

Elophila turned to Taysis, “Take five women and head south.” Taysis proceeded to just as Elophila told her.

“The rest of you!” She caught the attention of the remaining seven Dryads. “Follow me to the east. A battle awaits and we will not miss it.”

She turned on her heel and dissolved into the forest. The other Dryads followed suit.

The War was only just beginning.