This story is intended to be fairly wholesome and for most viewers. However…
*This story contains LGBTQ themes and characters.

Book of the Dryads - Chapter 1
A Curious Woman…

Emily stared down the rushing river. The old wood bridge she stood on, this is where it happened, twenty years ago...

She had only been 5 when her mother told her she had a new father. In the years since, she has been showered in the wealth of gold her stepfather brought with him from Oregon. She was high society... And she hated every single moment of it.

Years later, she would overhear everything, how Tomas (her stepfather) was having an affair with her mother and conspired to get rid of Steven (her real father) while they searched for gold together. They were successful beyond their wildest dreams... Then Tomas betrayed Steven, beat him to death, and tossed his body into a raging river over a wooden bridge.

This had to be that bridge. It matched the description perfectly: it consisted of mismatched woods put together with the purpose of making it over the river. It wasn't meant to last so long, but here it was, a sturdy but ramshackle thing. And the violent waters roared beneath her. This was the place for sure.

Emily wasn't certain she could handle the river in her newfound canoe, bought from an outpost nearby, but she was taught lessons in river boating most didn't have. Besides, she was here to get away from her parents and to put her real father to rest. After that, she didn't care all too much. She would rather struggle on the frontier than live that stuffy prim and proper lifestyle... And to be married to a man, the thought of which made her throw up in her mouth a little.

She moved over to the riverbank, moving the canoe into place. With a deep breath, she shoved off into the choppy waters. As quickly as it took her along, the boat remained surprisingly stable. It was almost as if the river was deceitful, looking worse than it was. That said, the boat lurched around violently every now and then, forcing her to correct so she wouldn't be going down sideways.

She had time to look around to look around in between the corrections. According to the maps, this river cut through the mountains. There would be nothing to see except rock walls all the way through. Still, she was able to see some things, like a rock outcropping that could easily be a path - if its entrances were so easy to find. She noticed an unusual archway over this outcropping, like some sort of gate...

THUMP.

"Uh oh." There were all sorts of obstacles in the water here. If she hit a rock just wrong, she would be up the creek without a boat... But at least she had the paddle.

THUMP. THUMP. Splash!

Or not.

Emily gripped the sides of the canoe for dear life, bracing for the next impact when the valley opened up. A huge forest was before her, one that wasn't supposed to be here... "How could somebody miss this?" she thought aloud.

The boat lurched around uncontrollably. Then a sharp bend appeared before her. With no paddle to course correct, she was destined to crash into the riverbank... Or so she thought, instead crashing into a rock in the water, smashing the front of the canoe and launching Emily into the riverbank and her survival pack further into the bushes.

Emily pulled her face out of the mud and spat some of it out. "Oww... I didn't see that coming..." She was marooned, but it easily could have been worse. This could have been the rock canyon everyone was telling her it was. She had a good survival chance in a forest.

That was under the assumption that there wasn't anything dangerous waiting around. No sooner than she started rooting through the bushes did she feel a pointed tip to her back.

"Turn around slowly!"

She followed the order, surprised by the perfect English of the mystery woman. As she did, she was greeted by the sight of a woman in bark armor, covered up in parts by cloth clothing, holding a well-crafted wooden spear. "I'm sorry, I was just-" Then she got a closer look. The woman isn't wearing armor - the bark is part of her flesh!

"Wait, is that part of you?! How did that happen?! Evolutionary changes over time? Parasitic plant life?..." Emily started rambling on as she inspected the part-plant woman intensely. She was in full curiosity mania mode, and the woman didn't know what to do...

Pendra hadn't ever met a human so enthusiastic or curious as this one, and certainly not one with this much energy, especially after a crash like the one she had witnessed. Clearly the human was fine, but she might need backup just in case...

"Stop! State your purpose here!" she barked.

"Right, sorry, I didn't mean to be insensitive... My name is Emily, and I came here looking for my father's remains... He was tossed into that river twenty years ago. I was hoping to put him to rest..."

Pendra had to think for a moment. Didn't someone wash up on the very same shore at that time? But if she was right, they were alive, barely, and...

"I would think if he didn't wash up here, he's either down river or consigned to the ocean, in which there's nothing I can do..." Emily continued.

That is when they were joined by a third, a very tall woman with sky blue hair and a blue and white flower in her hair. She held Emily's pack in one hand and held an old photograph in the other. "Having trouble with a newcomer, Pendra?" she asked.

"I don't think she is a threat, but she has more energy than I am used to. I can't answer all of her questions!"

"It's alright."

Emily couldn't shake the feeling she had seen the tall one before...

The tall woman turned to her. "I have to ask, why do you carry this picture around?"

Emily was stunned by the question. Of all the questions an unfamiliar being could ask, why that one? "He is... Was my real father. I heard he was killed and tossed into the river. I came looking to lay him to rest..."

The tall woman looked at the picture, then back at Emily. Although it was black and white, the woman knew Emily had the same hair and eyes as the man in the picture... "Emily, is that really you?" she suddenly asked.

"Wait, who are...?

"Emily, this might be hard for you to understand, but I am - was - your father."

=== A few hours later. ===

After some negotiating with the elder, Emily was allowed into the forest village. They explained that they were dryads, magical plant beings that called this valley home. They had diverted many human eyes from their home, a rare and well-fortified place that was hard to access from the outside world. But humans have made their way in before. Some were sworn to secrecy, trusted that they wouldn't reveal the hidden grove. Others passed through unconscious, never knowing they were here, healed and sent on their way.

Then there were those who stayed. Not all became dryads, some lived long lives within the forest. Others made the decision to join the people of the forest, for reasons of family, or as Emily found out, to get in touch with their true selves.

Formerly her father, Steven, Skyla underwent the transformation ritual after finally letting herself acknowledge the truth that she wanted to be a woman all her life. Here she remained, thinking everyone would believe her dead after what happened. She was right - she just didn't expect anyone to come looking for the old her...

"Do you... Hate me?" Skyla asked.

"Honestly, no. I get why you couldn't come home after that. And I think... Somehow, I knew? I started having dreams twenty years ago, of you as you are now. They gave me comfort, but I never understood why..."

"But I also changed myself. I'm not the man you knew..."

"Well, you're not a man, but the warmth I remembered as a young girl is still there. Besides, mother, Tomas, and the church never liked how, eh-hem, outspoken I was about not liking men. They never really treated me right after that, so I really don't follow those beliefs to a tee. I have no problems with you wanting to be a woman. Who am I to judge? I'd rather be with one, so neither of us are liked by normal society."

"So... You didn't get along with them after I was gone?"

"No. Mary changed with wealth, caring more about the perceptions of her than her children. Tomas wanted to marry me off to the richest men he could find," Emily said, sighing. "Fortunately, I was a handful!" she added with a proud wink.

"Heh, the way Pendra described it, you were a handful for her too. What about your older brother?"

"Hank? Don't get me started on that hard-partying sewer rat. He's worse than Mary and Tomas, and that's a low bar. Honestly, I came out here to get away from all of it."

"You came to 'bury me,' then live your life out here?"

"Exactly. I'm actually glad I got to see you again. You seem so much happier!"

"I am. I've become member of a community that cares for who I am, and I get to pay them back for all they've done for me every day. It feels nice."

"I have to ask, though: men or women?"

"Women, actually." Skyla answered, understanding the meaning of the question.

"Wouldn't you know? We have something in common!"

"That we do," Skyla said with a smile. "So... What now?"

"I've been thinking about it since I got here. I want to talk to the elder - Lilac, wasn't it? I'm thinking about staying, but I want to do things and go out of the valley while I'm here."

"I don't know what she will say, but she is fair. I wish you luck, and I can't wait to talk more!"

With that, Emily stood up and nodded to her... Father? No, that wasn't right anymore. Skyla was a woman, no doubt about it. Emily realized she should make sure she treated her as such. There was this glow about her Emily didn't remember from all those years ago. She realized that was the power of being in the body she had always wanted.

Emily walked through the village of the dryads. It bustled with energy, but she noticed some of the older ones steered clear of her. She heard about how humans and dryads didn't get along in the past, but she was certain this wasn't at play. She heard one of them say, "Don't get too close - that one will ask you a million questions if you let her..." She might have to temper her curiosity if she's going to get on their good side.

She arrived at the largest tree in the village, which held a shrine of flowers within. In its center was the purple-haired green woman whose wisdom was most respected within the village.

"I see you have caught up with your kin," Lilac responded.

"I got a good start, but there will be more time for that later. However, I wanted to discuss what I would like to do here..."

"Go on..." Lilac said hesitantly.

"I want to know more about the dryads. Not only that, I want to write it down!" Emily pulled a book out of her pack, a journal with only a couple of marked pages - it was once a diary, but Emily was willing to tear the pages out for the sake of knowledge.

"We haven't had the best luck with that."

"I know the tales from when I was a little girl. But I want this to be different. I want to understand the culture, the people. I want to paint a better picture of your people than 'ruthless forest guardians.' After all, look what you did for my... Mother. She is happier than I ever remembered, and she is treated in a way my own culture would never have allowed! I owe you that much..."

"I see..."

"Besides, how long is it before humans find their way here more often? And I don't think the valley is going to escape the effects of human industry... If people understood more, they may respect you more."

Lilac knew Emily was right. More and more humans were appearing in the region. With them, there were smells of ash and fire. In the time since Skyla and Amy joined them, things in the air felt different... As isolated as the valley was, it was not free from humans' environmental impact. Lilac knew - as much as she didn't want to admit it - that the dryads would need to change somehow.

"Alright, I will let you write this book. I will assume too that you need access in and out of the valley?"

"Yes, but I will try to keep everything a secret."

"I will have Pendra show you the way tomorrow."

=== The next morning. ===

Pendra was patient and tolerant. But a 3-hour trip with the most inquisitive human on this earth was starting to grate. The trail in and out of the valley was easy to traverse, but only if you knew where to look. Unfortunately, this meant it was easier for Emily to ask questions as she didn't need to concentrate on her footing.

Pendra showed Emily the hidden markers of the path, mushrooms and plants that didn't belong where they were, creating a noticeable path through the foliage on both sides of the cliffside trail - so long as you knew what to look for. Emily recognized the natural stone archway that the path ran through, a place the dryads called Nature's Gate. She would have loved to have taken this path instead of the deathtrap that the river was.

"I recognize this! I saw it going down the river yesterday," Emily remarked.

"Most who traverse the river aren't usually awake to see it. You're one of the only ones to make it down the river intact."

"Really, it's that rare?"

"The rapids are brutal, as are the rocks within. You're lucky you made it as far as you did."

"Same for Skyla... She was beaten near to death and still was alive when you found her..."

"You must have her resilience. I must ask you a question for once, did you get that unquenchable sense of curiosity from your other mother?"

"I'm not sure where it comes from, actually. It doesn't seem to run in the family as far as I'm aware. Most of us accepted our circumstances... Although..."

"Although?"

"Well, Skyla questioned hers all her life. It just took being away from 'civilization' to find answers to those questions," Emily answered, using air quotes. "Maybe I get that from her, just I'm more open about questioning things."

"Like the thousands of questions you've asked me?"

"Sorry, I can't help it, but it does help with the book..."

Pendra sighed. "Fair enough. I guess the more you learn, the less you ask later. What's your plan, now that you're learning the trail?"

"I don't plan to go out immediately. I have supplies for a few days, and no doubt the village will keep me well fed."

"I assume that means more questions?" Pendra sighed.

"I'll try to spread them out. I'm sorry if I am annoying you. It's just, when I encounter something I want to learn more about, I get a bit... Manic about it. The more I learn, the less obsessive I get about it."

"Good to know. I will let the others know about that - they're a little intimidated by you and your questions."

"Sorry!" Emily said with a blush.

They continued their trek, exiting the valley and following the marked trail all the way to the road. Emily could see the bridge from the path. Pendra noticed Emily's fixation on it. "Is something wrong?"

"That's where it happened, where Skyla was beaten and thrown into the river."

"Not far from the village, then..." There was something about that fact that upset Pendra. Skyla was a good person, respecting everyone around her, and she was nearly killed so close to the village...

"There's an outpost about a 10-minute walk from there. It's not very big, but if I need supplies, that's where I would go."

"Alright, then. Should we head back?"

"Yes, I don't need anything else. Thank you, Pendra," Emily said with a nod.

CHAPTER 1 END

By CrystalSeaDragon44