"So that's it? Two weeks of detention and you're home free?" Linden asked for the tenth time.

Valerie held out her plate. The lunch lady dropped a scoop of purple pudding onto it.

"Yeah, home free," she said, watching the stuff ooze across her plate.

"That won't be the last of it," Gorn said, grabbing a bottle of milk. "Kings don't generally just accept apologies. He'll put up a fuss about you hitting the princess."

Linden sighed in agreement as he sat across from Valerie. "If you're going to live here, you have to understand the system and respect it," he insisted.

"And see it from their point of view," Gorn added. He opened his sack lunch with more delicacy than Valerie had thought possible from an Enting. "They don't know how to interact with us, so they try to rule us. It's all they know how to do." He flipped the lid off of his milk and it landed on the table with a clink.

Valerie thought for a moment. "Your dad is the head of the Ent Council, but you don't act that way."

Gorn smiled. "Ents are raised differently than humans," he said modestly.

Valerie looked at Linden. "And what about you? Are Dryads raised differently than humans?"

Linden shook his head. "Not really. We're like humans, only wiser and kinder and more attractive—"

Valerie threw a carrot at him and he dodged it, grinning wickedly.

"For someone so wise and kind, you sure are a pain in the butt," Valerie said, shaking her head.

"Tell us more about where you're from," Linden begged her. "Did you really live by the ocean?"

"Close to it," Valerie said. "But there's really not much to tell. I went to school and my dad was in construction."

"You went to a school?" Gorn asked. "Like this one?"

Valerie snorted. "Not even close. My school was tiny and could barely afford sports equipment. This is a palace compared to that place."

"Did you have friends there?" Gorn asked.

Valerie shrugged. "I guess," she muttered. "It was just some girls that I sat with at lunch and stuff. They probably don't even know I'm gone."

"We would notice if you were gone," Linden said.

Valerie's cheeks warmed.

"Yeah, since there wouldn't be anyone punching people in the face," Gorn joked.

* * *

Weeks turned to months and it seemed the incident with the princess was more or less in the past. Valerie had even begun to enjoy life in Tylwyth.

Winter came and she found herself insisting on a Christmas celebration, a tradition she had shared with her friends in her old life. Though she didn't have many friends here besides Linden and Gorn, she didn't care. They matched her excitement with their own, adding in their own unique traditions. By the time winter ended, Valerie had learned to drive a team of reindeer, climb trees, and had even been introduced to a mermaid.

Her homesickness had dulled to an ache, though her uncle's promise still rang in the back of her mind. If you're not happy here by your eighteenth birthday, you may return home.

She didn't tell her friends about their deal, mainly because she didn't know if she wanted to leave anymore. There was so much wonder and magic in Tylwyth, and eighteen months didn't seem like enough time to experience it all.

I'll decide later, she kept telling herself. But time kept passing and the question loomed ever more near. Soon, the last of the snow had melted and the countryside began to turn green again.

On a wonderfully mild day while Valerie was eating breakfast with her uncle, there was a rapid knocking on the front door of their home. With Julian focused on a book and Cara busy making more pancakes, Valerie wiped her mouth and answered the knocking.

"Happy vernal equinox!" Linden yelled, throwing confetti in her face.

Valerie brushed the glitter off and turned back to look at her uncle. "Vernal equinox?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

Julian dug out his pocket watch. "Goodness, is that the time?" he asked. He snapped his book shut and drank the rest of his coffee.

"What the heck is an equinox?" Valerie repeated as Linden came in, trailing confetti onto the carpet.

"It's the first day of spring. Today, day and night will each be twelve hours long," Julian said, putting on his jacket.

"And it also means no school for a week!" Linden said.

"You mean like spring break?" Valerie asked hopefully.

"Precisely," her uncle said. "We'll have a half-day today and school will resume in a week."

"Yes!" Valerie yelled.

Linden threw more confetti and they laughed together as Cara came in.

"Who's gonna clean up all this bloomin' confetti?" she demanded. She set a fresh platter of pancakes on the table before returning to the kitchen, grumbling to herself.

"How could you not know about the equinox?" Linden asked.

"I've been busy with homework." Valerie shrugged. "I guess I just missed the memo."

Linden looked at Julian pleadingly.

"All right, go ahead and tell her," Julian said, smiling.

"Tell me what?" Valerie asked, looking at Linden suspiciously.

Linden took a deep breath. "Your uncle has agreed to let you come stay with me during the equinox!" he announced.

"Really?" Valerie asked, looking at her uncle.

Julian nodded. "Linden asked me a few weeks ago and I think it's a fine idea. It's a great honor to visit Galon Tir. Not many outsiders are afforded such an opportunity, but they made an exception for you."

Valerie gave Julian a hug. "Thank you, Julian," she said softly.

* * *

Damaris Academy was one sparkly mass of chaos when Valerie and Linden arrived. The courtyard teemed with people throwing confetti and laughing. A young dragon, whose name Valerie had learned was Etimer, took to the sky with a large bag of confetti and poured it over the entire crowd, much to everyone's delight.

The first gong rang to no response. Everyone's spirits were too high to be thinking of education. It wasn't until the third gong that students began trickling inside, leaving a trail of glitter in their wake.

Valerie and Linden's friend Gorn met up with them in the main hallway. Confetti was falling off of him like snow.

"Happy vernal equinox!" he said.

They answered by throwing even more confetti his way.

The end of the day was much the same. Students gathered in the halls with clouds of glitter swarming over them. Shouts of "Goodbye!" and "Happy equinox!" echoed through the space.

Instead of taking her usual route to the wagons, Valerie followed Linden to a silvery coach with a beautiful woman waiting by its door. 

"Valerie, this is my mother, Lily, daughter of She Who Casts Down Leaves," Linden said proudly.

Lily had Linden's green eyes and brown hair, but was so dainty she made Linden look muscular.

"I am honored to meet you, Valerie," Lily said. Her voice was like a summer breeze. "My son has told me much about you. We are blessed to have you visit our home."

Valerie smiled awkwardly. "The honor is mine," she managed.

As Lily and Linden got into the coach, Valerie looked around for the driver. "Who's going to drive us?" she asked.

One of the horses turned to look at her. "We don't need anyone to drive us, thank you," he said politely. "We know every road in Tylwyth backwards and forwards."

Linden laughed and stomped his foot on the floor. "Ready when you are, boys!" he called.

The coach started rolling smoothly. They looked out the window to watch Damaris disappear into the distance.

"How far is it to Galon Tir?" Valerie asked, turning to Linden.

"It is both near and far," Lily answered.

Valerie looked at her, then back at Linden.

"What she means is... It's close in terms of distance, but for those who aren't welcome it's impossible to get to," he explained.

"We saw to that after the Great War decimated our people," Lily added. 

Their coach passed by rolling hills and over long wooden bridges that stretched across shallow streams. The bright sun gave the countryside a glow that rivaled any Valerie had seen in her old life.

"Are there any cities nearby?" she asked. "I haven't heard of any since I came here.

Linden opened his mouth to reply, but then a shadow fell over them. Valerie looked out the window to find trees of every size and shape surrounding the coach. Their dense foliage blocked most of the sunlight.

"We've crossed the first border," Linden said proudly.

Valerie had never seen so many kinds of trees growing together in one place. Evergreens grew next to oaks and chestnuts, all of them in full summer greenery. They even passed a few redwoods that towered above the rest like sentinels. One weeping willow was so wide it could have sheltered a hundred people behind its trailing leaves.

Valerie was in awe. She wished she could take pictures of the incredible trees, but she had to content herself with just looking until she felt a tug on her shirt.

"What?" she said, barely turning her head.

"You have to sit down now," Linden told her. "We're about to cross the second border."

Lily reached over and pulled a silver tassel. A shimmery, blue shade fell to cover the window.

"Outsiders aren't allowed to see the crossing," Linden said. His voice was apologetic.

The carriage slowed then, and there was a groaning that sounded like the forest was being torn in two. The noise made Valerie anxious. She wished she could see what was happening.  It only lasted for a moment before the carriage suddenly lurched and they were moving at a brisk pace again.

"The forest has welcomed us," Lily told her. 

Valerie's first impression of Galon Tir was of light: glorious, pulsing light of every color. Her eyes stung a little from the brightness, but they soon adjusted. She found herself in a large, oval-shaped yard lined with buildings made of every kind of stone.

This surprised Valerie. She had been expecting the Dryads to live in houses made from trees. There were dozens of Dryads walking around, visiting the different buildings and chatting in the open.

We must be in a marketplace of some kind, she realized.

Some of the buildings were shops with openings in the ground floor like stalls. Most of the light came from large, round lanterns that hung from hooks and poles in every corner. The trees' canopy above them did a thorough job of filtering out the sunlight, but with so many lanterns, Valerie soon forgot about the lack of sun.

Linden shouldered his bag and took her hand. "Come on, I'll take you to our house," he said, leading her down a side street.

"What about your mom?" she asked, squinting against the light.

"She's going to get food for dinner," he said. "She's worried that you won't like our food."

"That's silly," Valerie said, shaking her head.

"We don't entertain many humans. She's just a little nervous." 

The village sprawled out more than Valerie first assumed. She realized that they had ridden through much of it in the coach.

"Why didn't your horses take us directly to your house?" she asked, trying not to show how out of breath she was getting.

"Aeva and Tornar aren't our horses. They transport people for a living," Linden answered. "Besides, you can't get to my house by carriage."

The street began to go up a hill. Valerie was beginning to regret packing so much when Linden stopped in his tracks.

"Here we are," he said proudly.

His house wasn't large, but it was made with pieces of fine rock stacked and laced together in such a beautiful pattern that Valerie instantly forgot about her aching legs. Green-gold lanterns hung all around the house, turning the ground into a dazzling pool of color.

Linden led her inside. The whole house was one open room, with curtains closing off different sections. The furniture was simple but cozy, although there was no fireplace or stove.

How do they cook anything? she wondered, closing the door behind her.

Linden pushed back a blue curtain and revealed a set of cots on either side of a half-moon window.

"Here's where you'll be sleeping," he said, pointing to the beds. "The left one is yours, and this one is mine," he said, throwing himself down on the other mattress.

"So this is your room?" Valerie asked. She set her bag by the foot of the bed.

"Yeah. We borrowed the other cot from a neighbor and just moved mine over to make room."

Valerie looked at Linden, who was sprawled across his bed like a prince, then back at her cot. "And... your mom doesn't mind?"

"Why would she? There's enough room for both beds here."

Valerie blushed a little. "Well, seeing as how I'm a girl..."

Understanding dawned on Linden's face. "Don't worry. I'll change elsewhere," he promised her. "And if you want to bathe, just say the word and I'll get lost for awhile."

Valerie smiled and allowed herself to sit on her bed. It was incredibly comfortable. She lay down on the pillow, her legs still hanging off of the bed.

"Linden?" Lily called from the other room. "Are you back yet?"

"In here!" he called, rolling up from his cot. Valerie followed him out to the main room where he was taking baskets from his mom.

"Can I help?" Valerie asked, coming over to the center table.

"Please do," Lily said. "I have little experience preparing meals for a human diet."

Valerie looked into the baskets and was relieved to find them full of familiar fruits and vegetables. There was a surprising lack of meat, though, and the only dairy she saw was a wedge of yellow cheese.

"Don't worry, Valerie," Linden laughed, reading her face. "Your cook packed some jerky and ham for you. Our kind doesn't need meat to sustain us."

He dug a leather pouch out of his bag. Valerie took it, silently blessing Cara for her wisdom.

She helped Lily wash and cut some fruit, which was tossed together in a bowl. Lily directed her to do the same with the vegetables. When Valerie had finished, Lily took the vegetables, added some herbs, and poured it all into a pot of water. She then opened a door in the wall to reveal a small oven, glowing red-orange with heat. Lily slipped the pot in and closed the door, wiping her hands on a towel.

"That's amazing!" Valerie said.

"My father's idea," Linden explained. "This way we didn't have to build a stove in the house and could better use the space."

"Your dad designed the house?" Valerie asked.

"He was an architect. He designed a lot of buildings in this area and even outside of Galon Tir. I've visited all of them... Or rather, the ones still standing." He fell silent and Lily squeezed his hand. 

The hidden stove hissed behind them and Lily opened the little door. A cloud of steam billowed out. She used a thick cloth to remove the pot.

"Dinner is ready," she announced, stirring the soup gently.

After dinner, Lily dimmed the lanterns, giving the feeling of twilight. Valerie decided to take a bath. There wasn't a bathtub in the house, but Lily showed Valerie a small, clear pool in the clearing behind it. It was surrounded by trees for privacy.

Linden went down to the village to run an errand. Valerie waited until his whistling had faded before stepping into the pool. The water was warm and inviting. She bathed quickly and was heading back inside when Linden came back up the hill, carrying two loaves of bread. The steep hill didn't seem to bother him, but Valerie supposed he was used to it after three centuries.

"Feel better?" he asked, entering the house ahead of her.

"I've never taken a bath outside before," she said.

Linden chuckled and led the way to their room. "I've never taken one inside," he admitted, digging through a chest at the foot of his bed. He pulled out some pajamas and left the room to change.

Valerie leaned on the windowsill and looked out into the night. She couldn't see much past the lanterns, but even as she watched they flickered and went out, leaving the room black. Then, as her eyes adjusted, the room glowed with moonlight filtering in through the treetops. It seemed brighter than normal, though Valerie supposed that was due to Tylwyth having three moons instead of one.

She rubbed the windowsill absently with her thumb. She felt something engraved in the stone, so she squinted her eyes to make it out.

Garland, son of He Who Draws Up Water, built this home.

The words were carved in a simple script, flowing across the windowsill in a perfect line. She marveled at how crisp the letters looked after more than three hundred years.

She heard the curtain rustle and Linden lay down on his bed with a sigh.

"Tomorrow we can visit the shops in the village if you like," he said, yawning.

Valerie nodded. "I'd like that." She ran her fingers over the inscription again. "Garland was your dad's name, wasn't it?"

"Yeah. He carved his name into every building he designed, even in the village."

"He built all of those buildings?" she asked incredulously.

"No, he just designed them."

"But it says here that he built this house."

Linden turned on his side to look at the windowsill. "Out of everything he designed, this is the only building he built himself. This house was his last project."

"Before the Great War?"

Linden didn't answer.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Valerie said softly.

"It's okay. I didn't know him."

Linden turned back over. Valerie climbed into her bed, her head filled with thoughts of her own father as she drifted to sleep. 

The next morning dawned golden and cheerful. After a breakfast of cheesy toast and apples, Linden led Valerie back down the path to the village. It was surprisingly busy so early, with shops already open and even a few He-Dryads about, fully grown and busy at work.

One manned a forge at the end of the village, beating his hammer rhythmically on the anvil. Valerie saw another perched on a roof as he mended a hole.

Valerie hadn't been expecting to see any He-Dryads besides Linden. She had a difficult time not staring as they passed by.

"Asher helped my father finish the roof on our house. My father liked him, so I've heard," Linden said. "You thought I was the last one," he added, reading her thoughts.

She nodded awkwardly.

Linden smiled. "It's a common misconception," he said lightly, waving at Asher. The other He-Dryad lifted a hand in response and smiled warmly at them. "I'm not the last, just the youngest. Many He-Dryads survived the Great War."

Valerie furrowed her brow. "Then why..." she stopped herself, her ears turning pink.

"Why haven't more He-Dryads been born?" Linden finished. "Because Dryads only reproduce every fifty years. It's pretty slow going."

"Fifty years!"

"It's not that long when your lifespan is practically endless," Linden pointed out.

He introduced her to some of the shopkeepers as they passed. All of them were fascinated by a human visitor, and each insisted on giving her a present. Soon, Valerie's arms were laden with gifts. They came to a stall filled with woven rugs and wall hangings.

"Ooh!" Valerie breathed, staring at all of the vibrant colors and elegant designs.

"Welcome to Galon Tir, She of the Raven Hair."

"Miss Ashley!" Valerie cried delightedly.

The botany teacher bowed her head gracefully. "Good morning, nephew," she said, addressing Linden.

Valerie's jaw dropped. "She's your aunt?"

Linden nodded sheepishly. "Yeah, she's my mom's sister," he admitted.

Ashley grinned as if the whole thing had been a perfectly executed prank.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Valerie demanded.

"Hey, you waited a month to tell us your uncle is the headmaster, and that was only after you got detention for breaking Ealis's nose," Linden shot back.

Ashley raised an eyebrow. "I see you've acquired a few gifts," she said, gesturing to Valerie's armload. "Allow me to present mine."

She reached under the wooden counter and pulled out a neatly woven basket made of light straw, with a pale green ribbon woven into the handle.

"Thank you," Valerie said gratefully. She carefully put her gifts into the beautiful basket.

"I'm giving Valerie a tour. We'd better keep going if we're going to see everything," Linden said. He lifted the full basket off of the counter and allowed his aunt to place a kiss on his forehead before they continued on.

"It's cool that she's your aunt," Valerie said, hooking her thumbs into the straps of her backpack.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because she's amazing," Valerie said, feeling a little awkward. "I wish I had an aunt like that."

"She's very loving, but some of the Dryads think she's odd."

"Odd?"

"Yeah, because she accepted the job at Damaris. She likes to do unexpected things," Linden said.

"Is that so bad?"

"No, but she's considered pretty young by our standards," Linden said. "Some would argue that she's too flighty and inexperienced to handle a teaching position."

Valerie shrugged. "Dryads must have different standards than humans, because I think she's one of the best teachers Damaris has."

Linden gave her a little smile. "Thanks," he said quietly. He looked up at the lanterns hanging in the high branches above them. "It's almost noon. Let's drop this at the house and I'll take you somewhere a little less crowded."

After leaving the basket by Valerie's bed and eating a hasty meal, they set out again. This time, they went deep into the forest itself as Linden showed her his childhood haunts: a hollow oak tree and a large, smooth rock on the edge of a brook.

They sat on the rock while Valerie told Linden stories about growing up in Maine. She told him about wild storms blowing in off of the coast, about foggy school mornings when she and her father would make pancakes, and going on fishing trips with her friends.

As the afternoon began to wane, Linden stood up and stretched his arms. "There's one more place you have to see," he said, pulling Valerie to her feet.

They walked for a while, the ground steadily sloping down as they went. At the bottom of the hill was a cave with a wide mouth, like a giant in mid-yawn. A thick carpet of dead leaves lay at the entrance, whispering around their feet as they entered it. Valerie saw streaks of ore running through the stone above them.

"Is that gold?" she gasped, pointing at the sparkling vein.

Linden nodded. "That's not even the best part."

He led her deeper into the cave until they came to a shallow pool of black water. Linden felt around on the ground and picked up a small pebble.

"Watch this," he said, tossing the pebble into the water.

As soon as the pebble broke the water's surface, the pool began to glow an eerie shade of pink. The light cast stark shadows on the cave walls.

"What is it?" Valerie asked.

"It's a portal," Linden said excitedly.

"A portal to where?"

Linden shrugged. "I don't know. No one else knows it's here. If they did, they'd probably destroy it."

"Why? I mean, I thought it wasn't a good idea to destroy a portal."

"Because..." Linden paused, chewing his lip. "Of all the places affected by the Great War, Galon Tir suffered the most, mostly because of a portal within the forest that the enemy used to attack us. So there hasn't been a portal allowed to remain open in Galon Tir since before I was born. The portals... They are like bridges between the three realms." He bent down and drew lines connecting three circles in the dirt.

"Hang on, what's the third realm?" Valerie asked. "Julian only told me about two."

Linden grimaced. "That's Cythraul," he muttered. "The people there aren't... as friendly as we are. When they discovered their portals and the other realms, they tried to invade us here in Tylwyth. When we successfully fought them off, they attacked Gaia, what you know to be Earth. Your people weren't equipped to handle that kind of invasion, so we stepped in."

Valerie crossed her legs. "You mean, after fighting your own war with them, you went and fought for us?" she asked.

"Well, we couldn't just let them take over, could we?" Linden said. "We formed an alliance with the Gaians and fought together for years. Obviously we won, but there was a lot of loss on both sides, from all three realms."

Valerie nodded understandingly. "And you lost your dad," she whispered.

Linden took a deep breath. "The Gaians hated our ways after that... hated what they called magic, and demanded we destroy the portals."

"But you fought for them! Why would they do that?" Valerie asked.

"They had suffered a lot of loss, and to them we were no different from the ones attacking them. What was stopping us from attacking them ourselves?"

Valerie thought about this. It pained her to admit it, but that was a valid point. "But then why weren't all the portals destroyed? Like the one I came through?"

"It would've thrown both realms off-balance and created more portals, new ones that we couldn't control," Linden said. "So we pretended to destroy them all, but really we just closed some on one side."

Valerie tilted her head to one side, confused. "So if you haven't allowed any portals in Galon Tir, why is this here?" she asked.

"My guess is that the ones that were destroyed are starting to come back after all these years."

"How do you use one of these?" Valerie asked, pointing to the dormant portal.

"That's the thing," Linden said, excitement coloring his voice. "Portals can only be activated by certain species. Dryad abilities don't work with portals, so we can't activate them."

"What about a human?" she asked, peering into the murky depths.

"Valerie, don't—"

Valerie plunged her hand into the water. The portal began to glow again. They could hear a faint crackling, and an electric jolt ran up Valerie's arm. The water began to burble and roil, steam rising off of it like a witch's brew. Then it suddenly calmed.

Valerie jerked her hand out. "Looks like we have a winner," she gasped.

"Are you okay?" Linden asked.

Valerie nodded.

They stared at the portal for a few moments, unsure what to do next.

"I wonder where it goes?" Valerie murmured.

"Absolutely not," Linden said firmly. "For all we know, we'll end up in Cythraul. Just deactivate it and we'll leave."

"What?" Valerie said. "Are you kidding me? You finally get the chance to activate this thing and you won't even explore it?"

"Valerie, we don't know where it leads," Linden repeated. "It's too dangerous."

"Portals are two-way, right? We can go through and if we don't like it we can turn around and leave," she said stubbornly.

Linden seemed unconvinced. "I don't know..."

Before he could protest further, Valerie grabbed his hand and pulled them both headlong into the water.

They pitched and tumbled through a blinding light. The only constant was Linden's hand gripped tightly in her own. Then, almost as soon as it began, the light faded and they landed on a hard wooden floor.

They were in a tower of some kind, judging from the conical roof and stone walls. The only light came from a deeply recessed window. Valerie crawled over to it, looking out cautiously.

A barren, grey plain stretched out in all directions, with black hills visible on the horizon. Above them the sky was overcast. A weak sun was beginning to descend.

Linden joined her at the window. He took one look at the countryside and groaned.

"Don't tell me," Valerie said quietly.

"Cythraul. We need to leave," Linden said, pulling her hand urgently.

They turned to leave, but Valerie's stomach plummeted to her feet. The was nothing behind them but the wood floor and stone walls.

The portal was gone.