Chapter 4: Festival of the Full Moon

Thankfully nobody in Thingley Bottom seemed worried about Cedar and Lily’s absence for nearly a week. After all they’re young tourists exploring the region, and their room at the inn had been paid for the week. The innkeeper wasn’t bothered that they didn’t sleep in the room.

Deep in the forest, Cedar was still asleep when Lily emerged from her cocoon. In her human form, Lily appeared no different from when she arrived, but within herself she glowed with power. Understanding that power, and its limitations, was a task for her new community to teach her. Two dryads, Rose and Lavender, are tasked with teaching Lily how to use her power.

“What about Cedar?” asks Lily, when she sees him in a deep sleep.

“He will wake soon,” replies Rose. “He ignored Hazel’s warning, and now we must wait for the effect of the water and berries to wear off.”

Cedar wakes the next day, by which time Lily had been given an overview of her new powers and their limitations. She needs more practise at controlling what humans see when she’s in her dryad form. Those she wishes to see her will be able to discern her body from the tree that is her current home.

“I feel hungry,” says Cedar as soon as he wakes.

“Here,” says Lily, handing him some berries and roots gathered from a safe distance downstream. “You shouldn’t have eaten the berries you picked. The effect of the minerals put you into a deep sleep.”

“How long have I been unconscious?”

“Six days,” replies Lily.

“Why didn’t you fetch help?” he asks.

“I was unconscious too,” replies Lily. “Besides, we were well cared for by the dryads.”

“If you want me to believe in dryads, then produce this granddaughter of Earl Thingley that Hazel claims is nearly three hundred years old.”

“I’m here, Cedar,” says Rose, seeming to walk out of a tree as she transforms into her human form.

Cedar is at a loss for words. As Hazel had said, Rose has the appearance of a woman only a few years older than Cedar and Lily. Like Lily, Cedar has an affinity for nature and a respect for all plant life. Having seen many wonders of nature, he doesn’t dismiss the existence of dryads out of hand. His hesitance is simply because he’s never come across one before. Cedar doesn’t know that Lily has joined the dryads, but he senses something different about her.

“Will you be coming to Moonstone Rock at full moon?” asks Rose of Cedar.

“Um ... Would you like me to come?” asks Cedar, unsure how Lily will react to Rose’s blatant flirting.

“Of course he’ll be there,” says Lily.

“Yeah! Sure! OK!” says Cedar with a barely suppressed glee. “When is full moon?”

“In six days time,” says Rose.

Lily and Cedar return to Thingley Bottom. Hazel is waiting for them at the inn, ready to put my carefully thought out plan into action. Under the pretence of ‘women’s problems’, Lily arranges to stay in Thingley Bottom while Cedar goes to London to meet with Gabe and Jasmine, the couple the pair arranged to meet before returning to America. Cedar will encourage Gabe and Jasmine to return with him to Thingley Bottom. From what Lily has said to Hazel, they are both confident that they can persuade Jasmine to join the dryad community, and Gabe will undoubtedly enjoy the Moonstone Rock orgy.

If Cedar suspects any trickery, then he’s too enthusiastic about the upcoming orgy to put up much resistance. His only variation to the plan is his desire to visit Thingley Castle before heading for London. In some respects, that works out better for the dryads, as it keeps Cedar far enough away from Lily to prevent him from digging deeper into what is going on. Lily is already feeling the strange pull of the old oak tree, and she needs to return to the Briarwood for a few days while Cedar is absent. As she develops her dryad skills, she will be able to endure longer periods away from the tree.

Five days later, Cedar returns with Gabe and Jasmine. Lily has returned to Thingley Bottom that morning to meet them. Gabe and Jasmine are about the same age as Cedar and Lily, and they are what some people unkindly refer to as ‘tree huggers’. Their enthusiasm for protecting the environment is practically written all over their faces, which is why Cedar was able to persuade them to journey to Thingley Bottom so easily. Lily welcomes Jasmine and the two of them spend the afternoon talking. Meanwhile Cedar takes Gabe on a trip to Thingley Castle. Obviously the fiction about the fate of Lord Thingley, peddled by the Tourist Board, has succeeded in attracting Cedar’s attention.

The next morning the four of them journey to Moonstone Rock. The exact time of the full moon is two-thirteen in the afternoon, so this month’s orgy will be an afternoon affair. There are four village men in addition to Cedar and Gabe. Most are in the early to mid twenties, but old Horace is at least sixty years old, probably pushing seventy.

The dryads have all transformed into their human form. Lily is there, of course. With her are Rose, Lavender, Iris, Lilac, my daughter Blossom, and Jasmine. As Jasmine isn’t a dryad, she can only observe what transpires, and hope to be a participant at the next full moon. That’s assuming Lily and the others can convince Jasmine to join our dryad community.

The dryad’s Festival of the Full Moon ... or, the Moonstone Rock orgy as humans call it ... begins as soon as the moon is completely full and triggers the enchantment that seals those inside the circle of rocks within an invisible barrier. Time freezes for all except those inside the circle. Only when those participating in the orgy have slaked their lust does time resume as normal. The sexually charged Festival is for participants, not voyeurs. Jasmine is a rare exception to the rule as she is allowed to stand inside the circle and be a spectator. Those outside of the circle don’t even notice what happens in an infinitesimal moment of time, although people changing positions in a flash may cause some to wonder about their sanity.

The Festival begins as soon as the eerie shimmering veil encircles those within. Time has frozen for those outside of the circle. Even I cannot see what occurs, so I can only relate Lily’s excited chatter when she returns to the old oak tree later.