THE BARK OF THE WILLOW gave way to her, and she came, puffy handed and rosy-cheeked. A bow of willow vine wrapped and tied around her fuzzy, peach colored head. She lay in a bed of soft porcelain roses and young lamb-ear leaves. And when her predecessor touched her cheek she looked up at her with big, dark eyes and blinked in a bit of a wonder.  Her forebear rewrapped herself in the cloak of vines she bore and smiled with old, sunkissed lips. The infant watched her mother-like predecessor sink quietly to the grass and curl herself into shimmering bow of old willow vines before silently fading. The baby blinked softly as if she knew what had happened. And after she lay in a strange silence, she opened her mouth and began to cry. And out of sympathy, the willow's arms embraced the child in a prickly, but comfortable sort of way.

The baby, silent again, stared at her faded forbear before finally looking away and drifting into a peaceful slumber. 

Isla was raised by her life force, as every other sprite was. It was the common belief that Isla would be the last generation bore by her life force, an old willow tree with graying leaves that twinkled in the moonlight and dipped into a young spring which the willow sat beside. The generations of the willow hadn't been particularly her accoladed by surrounding life forces. But none contravened the system as Isla had.

From a dramatically early age, Isla's thoughts had been beyond her own head, and so had her beauty. She had long, twinkling white hair that floated in the Zephyr. She had flawless, green tinted skin, and her iconic dark eyes, the color of damp tree bark. She wore a gown of the same fashioned gown as the earlier generations of her life force. The gown was braided of willow vines and bouquets of baby's breath. Tangled in her hair was her crown of willow and bits and pieces of baby breath petals and buds. She was truly a sight to behold. And not only to behold, but to talk to. 

Isla talked of things bigger than herself, she talked of the world beyond Cataline, she talked of taboo things like love and war. Of course, this made her a controversial character among the other sprites. Some refused to speak to her because of her rebellious ideals. Others adored her for speaking of things everyone else feared. 

Then there was Thorn, who sought no opinion in anyone, really. She spent her days hidden in her life force, the spring that Isla's willow dipped into. Only at night when everyone else was within their life force did Thorn emerge and pace the clear, sparkling water of her spring, allowing her long, watery blue gown, and her flowing black hair trail over the water. 

The first time Isla saw thorn was a sleepless, stormy night. Isla sat awake, crouched under the protective branches of her willow, quietly cursing the sprites that adopted the clouds and the rain as their life forces. That is when Thorn quietly and confidently emerged from the spring and began to pace the water. Her soft, gentle feet sent tiny ripples. Raindrops only enhanced her beauty and further clarified and framed her flawless body. Isla no longer felt the nag to curse tug at her heart, she instead stared dumbfounded at the beauty that paced the spring. 

As Thorn turned at the bank of the spring, she noticed Isla crouched beneath the willow. And instead of cowering, as she generally might have, she only stopped. She stopped and stared back at Isla, and into Isla's eyes as no one ever had. They held each other's gaze steadily for a few long moments before Thorn quietly sank and diminished among the ripples of the spring.

Isla could not blink, afraid of losing the memory of what she had seen. What they had shared was stronger than any words could manage, and stronger than any touch. It was something of fairytales. Something magical.

Isla gripped the rough bark of the willow and slipped into her life force, still with a feeling of grounded captivation. Thorn's bright blue eyes still burning fresh on her retinas. Her heart beat a little faster and her body quaked within the old life force. 

Her mind felt warm and she felt beyond herself in a rosy sort of way she hadn't ever felt before. She yearned to see Thorn's beautiful body, beautiful face, beautiful auro again. 

...

Isla awakened to the chirping of songbirds and whisper of the spring water lapping at the roots of the willow. The bark gave way as Thorn gracefully exited the tree, stepping soundlessly onto the soft turf and digging her toenails into the dewy grass. As she stepped to the young walnut tree to gather food, a chipmunk happened upon her, and he spittled at her toe, his fat, lumpy cheeks rumbling. He looked up at her for a second before leaping away hurriedly. She wondered where he was off to in such a rush. Maybe to see his lover? 

A small sprite emerged from the walnut tree. The sprite blinked with large doe eyes, freckles were dappled across her cheeks and they showed brightly in the sunlight cutting through the canopy. She wore a small opaque, light brown mini dress. She looked up shyly at Isla for a moment before standing on her tiptoes to gather her walnuts.

"May I?" Isla asked gently.

The little sprite nodded and gestured to the opposing side of the tree. Isla stepped to it, noticing the richness of walnuts on that side. She smiled gratefully and began to gather. 

"Isla?" A sprite of a shrub called Bambi called behind Isla. Isla turned swiftly.

"Bambi!" 

"Good to see you, Isla, it has been so long." Bambi cocked her brow, and without asking, proceeded to gather walnuts from the tree's good side. The tree's sprite looked, steadily, but nervously, at Bambi. 

"Good to see you too, Bambi," mumbled Isla. Bambi grinned and hoisted an armful of walnuts up so they were supported by her breast. 

"Did you hear?" Bambi questioned, an exciting play to her voice. Isla shrugged and then, after some thought, shook her head.

"Hear what?" She asked curiously.

"Appalachian and Rosemary were caught..." Bambi quieted a moment and leaned into Isla's ear, her voice calmed to an excited whisper. "In acts of love!"

Taken aback, Isla shifted away from Bambi slightly. Bambi nodded and grinned wider.

"Crazy. We have jobs to do... lazy bastards... love is for those who don't want to work." Bambi rolled her eyes and looked out at the forest aways. "Want to join Lilly and I for brunch?" 

"I have... um... things to do... s-sorry..." Isla trod away quickly, dropping walnuts as she skipped. 

"Hey! You dropped some nuts!" Bambi called. She was promptly ignored. 

Isla knelt beneath her willow, trembling. She had forgotten the rules.

Rules for a peaceful Cataline:

I. Thou shall not harm others
II. Thou shall not take, thou shall give and recieve
III. Thou shall not love. Especially romantic love. Thou shall serve thou's life force, and nothing else.

Isla squeezed her eyes shut. And suddenly, she didn't care. The rules were wrong... at least the last one was. Isla wanted to love. Isla's life had been so empty. It only felt full when she watched her predecessor and when she saw Thorn.

She needed to feel full again. Or she couldn't live. She needed Thorn.