Leafia’s Point of view

  Soon, soft hands wrapped around me and picked me up off the ground. “You need to rest,” Laurel said in my ear, “you lost a lot of blood yesterday. I don’t want you to get hurt any more.” There was a sad look on her face. “I keep finding myself thinking that I should have left you with Emily,” a tear started to form on her cheeks, “I wish there was some way to go back and change what happened.”

  “I wish more than anyone that I still had my arm,” a little more heat was in my voice than I wanted but I was angry at the whole situation and maybe a little embarrassed at falling on my face. “But never say you wished you left me behind. I would not be able to stand it.” Tears started to fill my eyes as I thought about being left on my own. “What if you did not come back? What would I do then?”

  The arms holding me squeezed a little tighter. I could not say that her hug was warm since Laurel never put off much heat but it did fill me with warmth. Even if I did not have my arm I still had Laurel. Her arms helped to calm the anger and frustration growing inside me as I leaned into her hug more. I needed to remember that I lost my arm protecting a friend. Not just any friend, my best friend.

  I exhaled all the stress I was holding and took a deep breath to help me recenter. The smell of pine from Laurel’s blue-green hair soothed me better than any medicine. I could not resist burying my face a little deeper in her hair and taking another breath.

  How could I not notice until now that Laurel smelled like the tree that lent her hair its color? I guess most tree’s scents were too subtle to really be noticed. I was looking forward to the spring when the flowers came out. It had been a long time since I had looked forward to anything. This was the gift that Laurel gave me. I could never afford to lose it, to lose her. I leaned in closer and squeezed her with my arm.

  What if she slept under a maple tree in the winter time, would she start to smell like syrup? “I know your hair takes after the leaves of a tree you have been resting under. But what happens in the winter time if you y under a tree that has lost its leaves… Do you lose your hair?” My voice got quiet, not wishing that misfortune on any woman.

  I felt Laurel's arms around me start to shake. At first I thought she was crying but after a second I realized she was ughing. It did not take long before a giggle escaped her lips. “What are you ughing at?” I demanded, slightly indignantly.

  Her ughter grew for a moment before she took a couple breaths and shakily said, “Here I am worrying about the life changing experience you just went through of losing your arm. But you are worried that I will lose my hair if I sleep under the wrong tree.”

  She started to ugh again as soon as she finished speaking. I could not help but snort as I tried to hold back my own ughter. “Well, do you lose your hair?” I asked, trying to sound as stern as I could. I wanted to gre at her too, but that would have meant that I would have to leave her arms. And I had already decided that I was going to stay here until the spring, enjoying her calming scent.

  “I do not lose my hair.” When I realized she was not going to say more I leaned back to try looking at her in the eyes. However, she was still holding me tight causing my face to be much closer to hers than I expected. I could feel what little blood I had left rising to my face but I did not look away from her greenish lips, waiting for them to part. She once said something along the lines that she had created more chloropsts to supplement the energy she got from the trees. I did not really understand it, except that she turned green to get more energy. Eventually those green lips parted as she continued to speak. “Do I have to?”

  “I am going to stay here hugging you until I find out one way or another,” I said, hugging her tight one more time.

  “I doubt you could outst me,” she said with a smile clear in her voice. After a minute I thought that she was really going to be testing me on my threat of holding her there. I knew there was no way I could outst her. She was a pnt after all. I opened my mouth to tell her that she did not have to tell me when she spoke, “It takes a long time but if I just stay under dormant trees my hair turns into a light gray like the bark of a young urel tree.”

  “That sounds pretty. I can’t wait to see it.”

  “I don’t think you will get to. We cross enough pine trees on the road to keep my color,” Laurel said.

  “Well then we are just going to have to stay here.” I was a little surprised but Laurel did not protest and just kept hugging me.

  I wished I could have stayed like that all day but a call came from Emily, “I could use some help here.”

  “Oh, I would be happy to help,” Mist’s voice called out.

  “You're why I need help,” Emily grumped, “And stay away from the fire.”

  Laurel let out a small sigh, “A pregnant Emily combined with Mist getting out for the first time in 100 years might even be more exhausting than Tide,” She whispered to me before heading to Emily. I felt cold without her arms around me, despite the fact that Laurel’s arms had no warmth of their own.

  After our lunch and rest it was now time for what was quickly becoming my least favorite part of the day. I could not deny it any longer, it was time to go pick some flowers. After struggling to stand up I wobbled my way over to Emily, who was still working on cleaning up lunch with Gray.

  I did my best to shut out the twinge of jealousy I felt seeing the two of them working happily side by side. She was my friend and it was in no way her fault that I completely failed to fit in back in the vilge.

  Gratefully, Emily figured out quickly with just my incoherent whisper and what I had to assume was a red tinge on my face what I needed. I am sure my face would have turned an even brighter shade of red if I had to say it out loud with Gray sitting right there.

  There was a small pit that had already been dug in a cluster of trees by one of the men. The walk was only a few dozen steps away but it felt much longer. Especially with how many roots I was tripping on. If I did not know Laurel as well as I did I would have thought that she was trying to pull a prank on me. How was it that I, who had spent my whole life wandering around the woods could not even walk a few dozen steps without falling to the ground. I would have ended up on my face if Emily was not holding me steady.

  After Emily helped me to untie my pants a bright look suddenly washed over her face. “I just had a great idea,” she practically shouted before running off. This was out of character for her. Was Mist’s inability to stay focused on anything rubbing off on Emily already, I could not help but think as my hands… I mean hand… fumbled with loosening the ties further and my pants slipped down.

  It took nearly all my effort and strength but I finished my business before Emily returned carrying something in her arms.

  “Don’t bother trying to tie those,” Emily said. I was about to protest that I needed to learn how to tie my pants up on my own when Emily unfolded one of her spare skirts. “With a skirt you will be able to take care of your business without having to worry about any ties. Even better, this skirt is secured with a couple buttons. It will be much easier to do buttons with one hand.” Emily smiled at me.

  I really did not want to wear a skirt, but Emily did have a point. My life would be much easier with a skirt that I could put on myself, even if it was a little short for me because of our height difference. I was not sure how I would ride a horse with a skirt, but being able to dress myself and go pee without help was worth any inconvenience a skirt would bring. Besides, Emily managed to ride in a skirt nearly every day, so I was sure that I would be able to find a way.

  My trip back to the group was even harder, the number of roots in my way seemed to increase. I could feel the bruises on my knees already starting to form. The issue now was that I had no way to pull myself back up. I felt like I had used up my bance for the day and Emily was not up to the task. She was the physically weakest and smallest of our group. Carrying most of my weight was out of the question.

  “I don’t think Leafy is up to traveling more today,” Emily said with concern as she and Laurel returned to the tree where I was slumped.

  “We don’t have a choice,” Laurel sighed with obvious frustration. “I would offer to carry you but I am going to have to carry Mist this afternoon. I don’t think Gray (Emily) can take any more.” Let's pretend that I did not hear what Laurel said under her breath.

  At that moment Michael came up, “Is there anything more you need help with before I saddle the horses?” Hearing that, Emily and Laurel both looked at each other. I did not like where their thoughts were going.