Oliver under the tree, part two

Being dragged through a tree hurts. Take the pain of scraping your elbows against the asphalt, and apply that to your entire body.

The only part of me that didn't hurt was the wrist that the girl had grabbed. It felt kind of warm, and a bit sticky. Farther the girl dragged me, slogging through a dimness that obscured our surroundings.

Brilliant sunlight.

That, along with an ache that reverberated through my bones, indicated that we were no longer in the tree.

A tug on my wrist that made me almost lose my balance brought my attention back to the girl.

“Come on!” The girl said, her grip tightening as she started down a narrow dirt path. Stumbling, I tried to match her rapid pace.

“What are you?” I asked after adjusting to the girl's pace and the unevenness of the path.

“A wood nymph.” The girl answered as we reached a fork in the path. Without slowing, she led me up the left fork. She broke into a run as we rounded a sharp corner.
Panting, my wrist burned in her iron grip as I began to fall behind. Focusing all my attention on not losing my footing, I slammed into the nymph when she suddenly stopped.

“Rosalind! Oliver is here!” The nymph said, lifting the hand the held my wrist captive.

Taking a look at our surroundings, all I saw were trees on a hill. But slowly, I started to see the outline of doors on some of the trees, and windows at the base of branches.

“Wilhelmina, what are you shouting about?” The question was spoken in a patient tone. Turning toward the speaker, I found a tall woman dressed in a deep red dress. A corsage of small white flowers graced her right wrist. As she drew near, a pleasant aroma wafted from her long gray hair.

“Rosalind, this is Oliver.” The nymph who had dragged me her said, practically bouncing on her bare feet as she spoke. “He came, which means Myk has returned and that the Knoll is in danger!”

Rosalind studied me for a moment, then lifted a hand. “Calm yourself, Wilhelmina. Come, our guest is confused and likely tired from his journey.” Sweeping her hand toward the nearest tree, Rosalind smiled as an opening appeared in the trunk. “Let's retire to someplace more comfortable and explain the situation to him.”