<posted from IM between Trieste and Amberghylles><br/><br/>As the morning sun creeps into her bedroom, Naiobe stirs from inside the drapes surrounding her bed. She has refrained from bothering with too many toys lately, so that her rooms are empty of all but her this morning. She has an easy day planned, probably a long wander and, maybe, a short ride. It's the ride she's debating as she walks out into the centerpiece of her living space, a garden sizable enough that it borders on its own courtyard. She adores the way that it smells in the mornings, and generally wanders it as she thinks about her day ... As she finishes tying off her dressing robe, she tilts her head and goes to take a look at the newest - and unordered - addition to her garden. She reaches out one hand to run her fingers along the ribbon tied on the trunk, tracing the runes curiously.<br/><br/>The ribbon is cool beneath her fingers, but sends an almost imperceptible tingle of magic along her fingers and up her arm. "A gift," comes the voice of her father. The Baron sits on the small stone bench still cast in deep shade. His face holds a smile as he nods toward the tree and the ribbon beneath her fingers. "The warding holds her bound and sleeping..."<br/><br/>"Oh..." Her expression is awed at first, though it gives way after a moment to a sidelong smile. The resentment she felt at his correction has faded with the bruises, though she's not stupid enough to forget. Still, she can't resist teasing, "Afraid to let me choose my own?" She drops her hand from the ribbon and turns instead to pad toward him, sitting down next to him.<br/><br/>His smile was warm as he watched her move to join him. "It occurs to me that you do not have as much freedom to seek your playthings as your brothers. So I had something special found for you, and you alone. Perhaps it will help you avoid being too anxious, but more I felt you deserved something... entirely your own."<br/><br/>She raises both eyebrows and leans in, raising her arms. "Thank you." She leans up enough to put her arms around his shoulders and hug him tightly, then grins at him, pulling away and leaving the bench to scurry back toward the new tree. "Where did you find her?" She runs her fingers curiously over the trunk, and up toward the branches, already familiarizing herself with ... well, part of her new pet, anyhow.<br/><br/>He accepts her hug and reaches to return it before she slips away to explore her new toy. "I am too old to go hunting such things myself," he answers, his eyes and expression bright as he watches her, "I know a man, an old friend who keeps her mother in his garden. He assures me that she is barely more than a sapling and quite untouched and innocent. Your's will be the first hand she knows."<br/><br/>Her eyes are still on the tree in front of her as she runs her palm down the bark, mind churning with possibilities. The fingers of her other hand keep going from the branches and leaves to the ribbon, then back again, as if she sorely wants to pull it loose, but also doesn't want to do so quite yet. She walks in a full circle around it, then finally pauses with her front toward the bench and the tree between her and her father, so that he can see what's going on, instead of staring at her back. A small shiver runs down her spine once more as she wraps one hand around the end of the ribbon and gives a slow, gentle tug, pulling it gradually free of the bark. She doesn't quite know where or how the creature will manifest from the tree, though, so her eyes dart around the branches, and up and down the trunk, looking for signs of life.<br/><br/>His posture remains steady, but the glow to his eyes shows a rare glimmer of true excitement as her father watches. The ribbon slips free and the whole tree seems to shiver, trembling in the non-existent breeze. Then from trunk a faint outline of a woman's face appears briefly, but only for a moment before slipping upward and back into the tree. She moves fast enough to be also unnoticed, save for Niaobe's seeking gaze. And neither do the faint eyes that appear and peek down from the branches above miss her notice.<br/><br/>Naiobe's face registers avid curiosity as she watches, utterly entranced. At the first glimpse of he dryad's face, Naiobe appears to forget all about her father's presence, her attention caught by the ... girl. Holding up the ribbon and shaking it a little, she breathes, "Hello, then... I let you out." She twines the soft material around her fingers, toying with it and running her free hand up along the bark again.<br/><br/>The eyes slide down, flowing along the bark like a face moving beneath a blanket. As Niaobe rubs the silk against the tree's trunk, the branches tremble once more. Slowly, the dryad moves a little lower and eases out from her tree, her face and head coming into view like a swimmer breaking the water's surface. Green hair spills about her slender neck and shoulders as she tilts her head to gaze down at Niaobe with wide curious eyes of soft amber.<br/><br/>The hand not holding the ribbon flexes, as if Naiobe is resisting the urge not to reach out and touch the dryad, or perhaps pull her from the tree. Instead, she continues to brush the soft yellow silk against the bark, turning it so that one of the vivid red runes presses fully against one of the lower branches, wondering if they have power over her, despite not actually tying the ribbon back.<br/><br/>The tree woman eases lower, easily within Niaobe's reach now. And she leans further out, shoulders and upper arms as well as the upper slopes of her breasts flowing from the tree. Her skin matches the back of her tree and above her the outline of her back and her long well-formed legs can be seen in the bark of the tree. When Niaobe turned to press the rune to the tree, both it and the dryad shiver. Those soft brown-tinted lips part as her eyes widen a little more and a soft little gasp escapes them.<br/><br/>Naiobe reaches up, running one fingertip along the dryad's mouth, caressing one of those soft lips. She notes the way that her new plaything freezes at the touch of that ribbon... "You're very pretty," she whispers to the nymph. "Will you come out?" She runs the back of her hand over the dryad's shoulder, marveling at the texture. For the moment, she keeps her ribbon pressed where it is, though she intends to move it if the dryad shows an inclination to come out of the tree.<br/><br/>The dryad draws back a little from the touch of Niaobe's hand, but then her head nods. Wide eyes still on the woman, her body sinks back into the tree, only to flow once more from it as she steps free of the bark to stand before Niaobe, one hand still resting on the trunk of her tree as she tilts her head and wets her lips with her dainty tongue. Her eyes dart to the ribbon and then back to Niaobe. "Where am I?" she asks softly, her voice soft and musical and very uncertain.<br/><br/>"My garden," Naiobe answers simply, her eyes wandering from the woman's eyes to her hair, then downward from there. She looks the dryad over appraisingly, then lets her eyes wander back to the woman's face. Coiling the ribbon around the trunk, Naiobe ties it in place and tucks the ends off neatly. "What's your name?" She tilts her head and smiles at the dryad, though the smile isn't quite so much the friendly nice-to-meet-you type as more the pleased with what she sees type.<br/><br/>The dryad's eyes follow Niaobe's and she inches back from the woman and that smile. But then the ribbon is tied and she starts to tremble slightly as she looks fearfully from Niaobe over to her father and the garden and then back to the woman before her. Her arms curl about her, covering her naked form as she swallows. "You cannot pronounce my tree name," she answers softly, "And I have no other."<br/><br/>Reaching out, Naiobe curls her fingers loosely around each of the dryad's wrists and guides the woman's arms away from her body. "Don't hide," she murmurs, narrowing her eyes a little as she tries to decide what to call her. She nibbles her lip and reaches to run one finger through the dryad's mossy hair, testing out the texture of it, exploring the dryad with her fingers.<br/><br/>The nature spirit didn't fight as her arms were drawn aside. But at the touch of fingers in her hair and beyond, she drew back and pressed herself to the willow tree. Her eyes scanned Niaobe, fearful and uncertain as the woman stroked her silky green hair. She squirmed, making her well curved body shift back and forth before her captor in a very unwitting display. "What... What do you want with me?" she asked as she tried to squirm away from Niabobe's fingers.<br/><br/>Naiobe finds her attention momentarily caught by the squirming, and the way the dryad's soft skin brushes hers occasionally. She smiles again, admiringly this time, and releases the woman, letting her press all she would like against the tree that's been sealed against her. Naiobe herself steps back and away, glancing toward the center of the garden, where the faint trickle of a fountain can be heard. "Company," she answers with a shrug. Leaving the dryad to cower against her tree, Naiobe slips through the foliage, toward the fountain. Let the dryad come to her, if she wants back into her tree.<br/><br/>The tree woman watches Niaobe. Turning she gazes mournfully at the ribbon and then over at the Baron, but he sends a shiver down her spine so she quickly turns back to her tree, touching the ribbon but finding herself unable to loosen it. As she does so, the Baron rises and nods to his daughter before she slips away. "I will leave you to your present," he says before departing. It is only a few more minutes of fruitless effort before the dryad makes her way to peer out of the foliage at Niaobe uncertainly.<br/><br/>Naiobe keeps an ear open, but doesn't otherwise acknowledge the dryad. She gives her father a delighted smile before he slips out, then goes to stand by the fountain, reaching a hand out to run it through the water. She does ponder getting dressed, bathing, and having breakfast ... though she's not particularly interested in a whole lot of it right now. Those can come later; she has time to wake up first. As the dryad creeps closer, Naiobe turns her head toward the woman, but doesn't say anything, hardly even acknowledging that she's there... waiting to see what she does.<br/><br/>Minutes pass as the dryad just watches quietly. But then she starts to move, staying beyond reach of Niaobe as she starts to move about the courtyard, reaching out to brush her fingers lightly against the flowers and plants before making her way to stand before Niaobe. "They tell me that you take good care of them," she says quietly.<br/><br/>Glancing up, Naiobe smiles, reaching out to stroke the back of one of the dryad's hands. She doesn't move closer, nor reach for the woman, simply stroking until the dryad moves closer or pulls away. "I take good care of all my nice things," she answers. "Your tree..." She nods behind her, though she keeps her eyes on the woman. "I think you'll like it here." The small woman watches the dryad closely.<br/><br/>The dryad does not pull away, but she does not move closer. She meets Niaobe's eyes and wets her lips. "My tree is nice," she answers quickly, "If you take care of it... I... could like it here." Tentatively, she reaches to stroke the back of Niaobe's hand.<br/><br/>Naiobe smiles and holds her hand still, leaving it extended slightly so the dryad can reach it. "I intend to," she murmurs, her eyes not leaving the nymph's face. "You would have to trust that I know what I'm doing, though..." Her smile fades a touch, and she glances back through the foliage toward the willow.<br/><br/>"I can tell you what it needs," she answers with a nod. Her fingers move over Niaobe's hand, easing up to the wrist and back to trace and explore each finger. The trailing of her fingers makes the skin tingle after a moment, as does her other hand where Niaobe is resting her fingers upon it. "You said you wanted company? But I can feel that there are many people here."<br/><br/>"What about..." Naiobe pauses, distracted slightly by the dryad's light touch on her hand. She slides the other hand up the dryad's arm, trailing her finger tips toward the shoulder. "There are quite a few," she says with a smile. "None like you, however..." She pauses in stroking the dryad's shoulder long enough to dip her fingers in the fountain, letting her wet fingers drip on the dryad's browned skin as she reaches to stroke again. "What about when I have to prune your tree? It's part of keeping it healthy ... but I can't imagine you would like it, with no wind or rain to do it. Only shears."<br/><br/>The tree woman leans forward a little, letting Niaobe's fingers trail up to her shoulder and then visibly relaxing at the damp touch. But then she tenses and shudders. Shaking her head she looks wide-eyed at Niaobe. "No!" she exclaims. Then she looks down for a moment before adding, 'I mean, I can do that. If you... It would hurt." Her voice drops at the last, becoming almost childlike as she once more looks toward Niaobe with very wide eyes.<br/><br/>Naiobe reaches for the dryad's hand and draws her closer to the fountain, dipping her finger in the pool of water and trailing it along the woman's arm, her lips, her shoulder, her collarbone... She traces damp designs all over the woman's skin, watching what it does to her. "It would hurt, probably ... you would have to stay out of your tree while I did it, so you didn't pop out on one side and distract me..." She tilts her head, watching a droplet of water drip down the dryad's breast. "No one will hurt you but me," she adds after a moment, meeting the dryad's eyes. "Nobody will touch your tree but me." Her lips twitch in another smile... and this time, she makes an effort to be a little reassuring.<br/><br/>The dryad lets Niaobe move her, and she shivers a little as the woman traces her skin, feeling the lingering touch of the water upon her skin. She shook her head and looked plaintively at the petite woman. "It would hurt..." she says softly, "I... I don't want you to hurt me... Please...." Reaching over she turned to face Niaobe and place her hand upon the woman's shoulder. "I can do it without that," she explained, "I can sing and shape the tree without hurting it."<br/><br/>"Can you?" Naiobe's hand pauses, and then she reaches out with the dry hand to stroke the dryad's cheek. "What happens with your tree? If the tree gets sick, you do too?" She reaches up to run her fingers through the dryad's hair again. "Can you get sick if your tree is healthy?"<br/><br/>The dryad's eyes brighten and she leans into the hand on her cheek. "Yes, I can shape my tree. You would not need to prune it to keep it healthy. I am the spirit of the tree. If it is well, I am well. I do not get sick." She relaxed once more, enjoying the feel of Niaobe's fingers in her hair and smiling at her. "As long as my tree is healthy, I am made whole by returning to rest within it."<br/><br/>"Convenient..." Naiobe continues her slow stroking of the dryad's hair, bringing her other hand up and tracing a fingertip around one of the dryad's nipples, watching her reaction to the abrupt contact. "Does the water bother you? I would think you wouldn't mind it... but you kept twitching..." She studies the woman, her mind drifting to her brothers, wondering how long it will take them to pick up from the staff that there's a new pet running around the household. Sort of.<br/><br/>The dryad gasps but does not pull back from the touch on her breast. "No... I like... the water...." she answers and looks down at the fingertip at her nipple as that peaked nub reacted to the touch, waking and harding. "I also like... the way you're... touching me... it feels... good." She looks up from her breast to Niaobe and reaches out her own hand to stroke the woman's cheek lightly. "Is this... what you meant... by company?" she asks curiously.<br/><br/>Naiobe smiles at the dryad, though she doesn't move her hands any further. She continues tracing her finger around and around the hardening nipple, tilting her head back slightly. "A bit," she murmurs, smiling. "Do you want back into your tree, dryad?" She dangles the question before the dryad's eyes, laying it out with her tone and waiting to see what sort of answer she gets. Perhaps later, she'll see how long the dryad can go outside of her tree without getting ill or ... something.<br/><br/>The tree woman's breathing increases as her nipple reacts further to that teasing touch. She eases forward, pressing slightly into Niaobe's finger and strokes her cheek with her hand rather than just one finger. The woman stops at her question, suddenly looking uncertainly into Niaobe's eyes once more. "Yes," she answers, "I must return to it eventually or I will grow weak and fade. That ribbon, it makes it feel very faint, as if my tree where far away. Even if I did not return, it would feel much better to be able to feel my tree. Please, won't you remove it?"<br/><br/>Naiobe's smile is quite pleased. "You asked very nicely," she murmurs. "So I will... I'll keep it off of your tree as long as you come out when I call to you ... and don't use it to hide from me." She draws one of the dryad's hands to her mouth and brushes her lips against the ends of the woman's fingers. "Will you promise?"<br/><br/>The dryad pauses, something in the woman's pleased smile and manner sends a shiver of warning along her spine. But the soft touch of lips upon her hand is both soothing and at the same time sparking more warmth within her. She hesitated at the request, but then slowly nodded her head. Feeling the importance of it acutely, she wet her lips and spoke. "Yes, I promise to come when you call and not to hide from you within my tree."<br/><br/>"Good girl," Naiobe murmurs quietly, then takes the dryad by the hand, drawing her back toward the tree. She doesn't release the woman's hand, her fingers curled loosely around the dryad's palm as she reaches out with the other hand, unfurling the ribbon from the trunk. "I'm going to go ..." She pauses as a thought occurs to her. "Do you live off of your tree, or do you eat?"<br/><br/>The dryad follows and as the ribbon is pulled away she seems to become slightly more vibrant. "Thank you," she says with a relieved smile, "I can eat, and I enjoy it sometimes. But my tree is all I really need to sustain me."<br/><br/>"What do you eat?" She winds the ribbon around her wrist and tucks it into place, trusting that the magic in it won't do anything to Naiobe herself, since she is not of the wooden persuasion. She tilts her head appreciatively as the dryad brightens right up, admiring the woman's colouring. "Beautiful," she murmurs approvingly. "You're very lovely," she says a bit louder, addressing the nymph this time.<br/><br/>The dryad smiles at her. "I can eat whatever people eat," she said as she reached over to run her fingers reassuringly along the trunk of her tree and sigh. Then she looks back to Niaobe and turns a little to pose for her with a smile that manages to be both seductive and shy at the same time. "You're very pretty as well," she answers through a curtain of her green hair.<br/><br/>Grinning, Naiobe looks the dryad over once more, then slips reluctantly away from her. "Enjoy your tree... and I'll bring you food when I return." She glances once more over her shoulder, then hurries off to get out of her nightgown and ... whatnot.