The Tree Healer

By Sandra Eidson

She can feel them watching but she is not sure who they are. Fae, but not Faerie, she feels unsettled by the way they are watching her these past three days. What is it that brings them here, they came to seek her out but how did they know who or what she is?

She was of the Fae herself, a Faerie Witch hidden away on earth since she was a child. Her faerie family had wanted her dead; she was an abomination to the purity of the faerie; a half blood. A demon they needed to destroy.

Her mother was a child of the goddess, part Faerie Witch, her father had been eleven a nature healer and next in line to become guardian of the village tree; but now dead. Victim of one tragic accident of life lived on the farm they tended.
She is not only a healer and faerie witch. Her powers are stronger than those of her parents; for she can control the elements of lightning. Because she is wingless she is able to hide her Fae background here on earth.

When they invade her home and demand she accompany them back to the land of the elf, Alfhiem, she fears she may never return to care for her mother who is very ill. She agrees she will try to save the tree but only if they promise to return her to earth and her mother.

The elf makes her nervous, the wolf shifter is easier to trust, with his sense of humor, and he is attractive. But that elf has a pull on her soul that makes her long for those touches a woman needs, and he too is handsome in the way all elves are. She feels the pull of destiny on her senses, and the way her body responds to a mere touch, he scares her, but she refuses to let him see it. This might be the storm of elements she could not control. 
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandra Eidson
• Release date: Jun 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9798986618029

Sandra Eidson

I wanted to write my own books ever since I learned how to read. My school teachers taught me that reading was a form of knowledge, where I could learn about any place, person, or thing from books. I took creative writing in high school, and journalism classes, minored in English in college to help her write short stories, poems, and novels. My college professors encouraged me to pursue life as an author.  Now as an indie author and publisher you’ll find her fictional novels are women’s contemporaries or paranormal fantasies. Her non fiction books are about her education on nutrition and sharing her experiences. Sandra Eidson lives in Texas with her husband, is a mother and grandmother.   So the reason for the non fiction books; I first became aware of the importance of nutrition because my first born child had major eating disorders from birth. When she failed to thrive even after the surgery to correct the issues; I sought out help from my mother in law, who sent me a book on having healthy children and a new blender. That book set me on a course to learn every thing I could about nutrition. I took classes in colleges, family planning centers, recreation halls, hospitals, watched programs on the TV, and internet on line classes.  My women’s contemporary books are generated from life experiences shared by myself, friends, or family. I love to share learning to cope with life’s unexpected turns and twist; overcome some of the disappointments life throws at us to come out the other side a stronger and more capable person.  My latest interest in the paranormal and the various types of creatures, and populations is why I decided to try my hand at that. I do not consider myself to have a dark side nor do I have a murderous angry personality so I doubt I could write murder mysteries. The idea of some people having fantastic abilities, and good souls however did peak my interest in a new way to tell a tale.  I hope you enjoy my books, please write a review of those you read because an honest opinion is what us authors want to see. If you don’t like the book say why. Leave me a message on my Facebook page where I can make a return question to you if I wish to seek your opinion on how to make my next book better.

Book preview

I wish to thank my book cover designer, Mihaela Joe for all the time and effort put in to the cover for this book. It was awesome to work with you to perfect this design. Thank you for all the artwork you do.

Prolong

Madrona Held her daughter close to her body as she fled from the other faerie who had tried to snatch her child from her cradle. Madrona’s wings lifted her from the ground and she flapped them to gain more height, She turned east to fly to the field where her husband Delwin was planting trees into a field. She handed the child off to him as she landed then pulled the sword out of its scabbard as the other faerie caught up to her and landed pulling her own sword at the same time.

You will surrender that demon to me or I’ll cut your throat Madrona. she screeched at the young mother.

Never, you’ll die before I hand over my child to you. She is half fairy, part sidhe and you have no right to try to take her from me. She is not a demon as you and you and your kind have deemed and she is the granddaughter of the Goddess who told you to stand down when you spoke out against my child in council. I’ll drop you here and now Willa; Madrona shouted as she charged toward this faerie wanting to kill her child.

Her lunge was unexpected by the faerie warrior who appeared surprised when the sword sliced into her shoulder forcing her to drop the sword in her own hand. She scrambled for the knives at her belt and plunged one into the young mother’s wing as she turned her back. Madrona turned to face her opponent her sword slashing onto the warrior’s neck as she beheaded her.

By the gods Madrona, are you alright, her husband Delwin asked as she dropped to the ground and wept.

I will be, she just nicked my wing it will heal but we need to take our child and hide her out. It seems most the faerie council wants her dead because she is not a pure bred and they fear what she may be a demon with my faerie witch’s blood, and the goddess’ plus your elf blood mix together. Madrona told him as she stood up. She kicked at the head of the woman she dropped, This one tried to take her from her cradle to kill her in our own home. I once called her friend. She spat on the body.

Yes, but where shall we go to hide her? My own people may feel the same way as your council. They would not kill her; but they would not protect her either only put a price on her head. Delwin said as the threat to his first born became reality in his mind.

My mother suggested we take her through the veil to another plane where she can grow up and be safe.

Yes we have to keep her safe, Erianna must be allowed to grow into adulthood. he agreed to this idea.

They left the village on the Isle of Avalon and traveled by night to a portal that would take them away. They reached the village where his parents were; he alone went to tell them of the journey they were taking to protect their child. His father gave him gold ingots in which to buy land wherever they went. Their two loyal friends helped them get out of this village to another portal. Bregon with Bridgit who carried their son Tarian, walked with them to show them the way to get to Earth, or Midgard, as it was known to Alfhiem’s inhabitants.

They lived on Midgard as farmers and hid what they really were by living off the land they had bought. Although the babe inherited the skills of any faerie witch, she also developed this other skill never seen by any other faerie witch.

While Erianna was still a babe she became angry one day and shot lightning bolts out at the ceiling! It startled both parents; that she could throw out lightning bolts from her hands; this was a weapon. Through out the years she never lashed out at either of them, only into the ground or objects. However it had made her mother wonder if she could indeed become demon.

The years had past since they brought the child to this farm they bought here on earth. They both had to hide behind glamour’s to keep their secrets. Erianna only had to wear hoods in order to hide her ears, she never metamorphosed to grow wings like her faerie mother or her grandmother the Goddess. They had home schooled their daughter and trained her in the skills she inherited from both parents. She was a skilled in all earth elements, plants, along with her body healing powers. She was stronger than both of them.

Erianna had the silver white hair well known to the faerie witch, faerie green eyes that sparkled like emeralds and could glow in the dark; however she had her father’s elf ears, lighter skin, and his nature healer’s skills. They taught her early on that she was not an earthling, so she knew certain aspects of appearance and skills could get her taken away from them or all of them could be killed out of fear by the humans. Her mother had trained her with warrior skills, speed and agility.

Erianna had one friend over those years that lived on the next farm over. Jenny’s mother was a single mom who was of druid background. As she worked late in the day she had requested Jenny be babysat by Madrona after school, so the girls had grown up together. Their friendship was as close as sisters would be. Erianna never revealed to Jenny any of her magick, or her ears until they were recently exposed by mistake. She simply had worn hats all the time and Jenny had accepted that she was cold easily. Unfortunately the wind had whipped her straw hat away one day when the girls were outdoors. Erianna told Jenny her secret, and because she was of the druid faith she understood who Tuatha De Danann or the invisible race the sidhe descended from. Jenny had promised to keep her secret and never told her mother that the neighbors were from another pocket of the world that ran parallel to theirs.

When Erianna was sixteen she was gathering flowers and medicinal herbs in the fields when she spotted her father’s tractor turned over on top of him. When she approached he was trapped but still alive. She ran for help from her mother but by the time they got back and were able to lever it off of him. No matter they tried they were unable to stop him bleeding out. He only had time to tell them he loved them both before he died.

It was just her mother and her now; they maintained the farm by selling vegetables and herbs along with creams and salves to the locals making a living this way for the next six years.

At least until everything changed one night when two men tried to invade by forcing their way into their home.

Erianna stepped out of the house on her way to milk the cow; she could feel that she was being watched. She froze in place the way all Fae could do and made her self invisible. She had sensed these watchers were still able to see her and knew these two were Fae as well but what kind? She tried to read their minds but their magick that was blocking her was strong.

She decided to go about her day as if they were not there. She moved to the barn and got the milk stool and bucket and proceeded to milk the cow like she could not sense them. Never, not once did they try to approach her all day.

Erianna was of the Fae, sidhe or faerie witch hidden away on earth ever since she was a child. Her mother’s faerie group council wanted her dead; they saw her as an abomination to the purity of the fairy; a half blood, a demon.

Her mother was a child of the goddess, a faerie witch; her father had been an eleven healer next in line to become guardian of the village tree but he was now dead. Victim of a tragic accident of life lived on the farm they tended. She is not only a healer and Faerie witch with powers stronger than either of her parents; she can control the element wind as others could but also control lightning. Something no other fairy, witch or otherwise could do.

They were still there the next morning, just simply watching her all day as they had yesterday never approaching her. What could they want? Did they intend to harm her? She did not feel a threat from them, just curiosity. Frustrated she could not read their minds; they kept up a block on her power. This unnerved her in ways she never felt before.

She had not told her mother they were here because she had taken ill, and she did not want to frighten her. She could feel some sort of a pull from one of them as if he was a part of her own soul. That alone made her unsure of what to do so she had not even confronted them yet. Her fear of that pull on her was tangible. Perhaps they would simply go away since they only seemed to want to watch her.

Tarian watched the girl work on the farm as she went about her evening chores. She was just a little thing standing less than five feet tall. Her hair a silvery color mixed with white braided so that it hid her elf ears; yet those bright emerald eyes gave away the fact that she was half fairy. She was beautiful to look upon. Her long ankle length cloak hid any wings if she had them. He wondered if her smaller stature was because her mother was a fairy. He did not think she would reach higher than his breast plate, she had very womanly curves under the black leggings and long green hooded top so he knew she was not the child he first mistook her for the day they arrived. She might be smaller than most the elf women he knew but still she appeared to be strong as she worked on the farm;  he could sense her magick powers. He felt her magick as it melded to his own deep in his soul.

Something about her gave his heart pause, because he felt a pull from her that he had never experienced from any other woman. Yes, he was attracted to her, but she could not become a bonded mate as he felt her pull on him to be. That just was not possible.

The two of them had been here just watching for three earth days now mostly because he was undecided how to proceed. However he was also becoming anxious to return home. He had been tasked, sent to this Earth to bring her back to the Otherworld, Alfhiem. He could not fail.

When he was given the task of fetching her he was told if necessary to bring her back even if by force. His friend Owein who had accompanied him here told him she had to be the girl they sought because she was a healer. They had observed her treating people who came to her for the herbs and salves she sold along with food items. However they had watched her heal plants as well that were damaged by wind.

He knew his friend was laughing at him for being so slow about it. Owein had enjoyed running the forest here in his wolf form but he too was growing impatient with the delay Tarian had created. Tarian finally decided they would wait until dark tonight and then they would approach the house and force her to go with them.

She can still feel them watching, but she is not sure who they are. Fae, yes she senses, but not of the fairy, her nerves are unsettled by the way they are watching her. Who are they, what do they want? Why have they not approached her in the last three days?

If they were a threat of some sort they could have taken this time to harm or kill her already, so she did not think they meant to harm her. There was other Fae on Midgard but none that lived near here so they must have come through the veil, but why?

It was a burning question that was weighing on her mind. She had to care for her mother who had taken on some illness recently and they were a distraction to her; however if they were still there in the morning she was going the challenge them she decided.

Once the darkness enveloped them they knocked on the door. At their knock they heard her say something to someone else in the house. Both of them looked at on another. Neither of them had been aware anyone else was inside. It was too late to let that matter.

They both have the hoods of their cloaks up so she would not see they were eleven until after they pushed their way into the house. They both tried to push past her to get in as soon as the door opened, but were repelled by the witch’s wards that were placed on the house as it pushed back on both him and Owein. He had not thought about that, magical wards to protect and he should have since he knew she was part faerie witch. His mind was not sharp as it should be with her messing with it like she was trying to read his mind.

Who are you? What do you want? she demanded in her melodious voice. I have no intentions of refusing to help anyone but you can not force your way into my home.

He had obviously made an immediate mistake in the use of force like he had been instructed if necessary. He replied to her in the same English.

We have come to you from Otherworld, Alfhiem for help, I am sorry, but you have to come with us. he said in a brisk tone to let her know he would not let her refuse. He had reached out to grasp her but she easily avoided it, stepping back out of reach.

She looked both of them over more carefully realizing they were dressed in clothes that did appear other worldly, like her own, and like on her parent’s home world. Not in the way of the local villagers who came to them.

Under their cloaks, one of them appeared dressed in warrior’s black leather; the other one wore grey and black cloth.

Remove your hoods, let me see your faces and your ears she demanded in their world’s language in just as cold of tone as he had used with her.

Surprised that she knew their language; they looked at one another before letting their hoods drop down.

You are an elf, she pointed at him; although his ears are eleven, he is a shape shifter, wolf is it? Owein looked surprised she could guess that, he looked at me and shrugged. He nodded once to her that she was correct in her assumption,

Why are you here demanding my help? I do not have to go anywhere with you just because you make it a demand. she said to me forcefully, distain heavily in her voice as she glared at me.

The tree of life in our village near Eldon Hill is dying, the tree’s guardian recently died, but before he did he told us of you, that you were his grandchild and might be able to help save the tree and our village, I informed her.

And so you thought you should use force against me to make me go with you. Tell me if you had been able to take me by force, why should I help you then? What was wrong with just asking me for help; the girl demanded angrily?

The guardian did not know if you were even made aware that you are not from Earth. Our council decided we should use force if necessary to fetch you back through the veil.

Your council does not appear to be very wise to think any faerie witch could be forced to do anything against their will! she laughed. All I have to do is look in the mirror to know I was not born to earth. She looked at both of us as if considering, I will listen to what you have to say about this tree. You will sit and tell me what you know while we eat. But first I need to feed my mother who’s been taken ill, and then you shall speak.

Taken back by this disclosure I turn to look around the open rooms of the kitchen and a great room where I see there indeed was a bed with a small woman lying in it near the windows.

She was staring at us in shock. I see her wings are only slightly hidden from view as she lay in the bed, but she is certainly a fairy.

You are from Otherworld, Alfhiem; I never thought I would ever see anyone from the home world again. Eldon Hill you said; she whispered when she saw me staring. I watched as realization dawned on her face.

Oh why are you here? Something must be really wrong for you to come to us.

Mother they have come about a tree in the village they live in. I will feed us all as they explain their problem. Do you feel up to sitting at the table, or do wish to eat in bed again tonight? She spoke gently to her mother.

In bed, but I want to listen to all. her mother replied to her.

The girl set about dishing up stew into bowls. When she handed each of the men one along with a glass of ale to drink she indicating they sit at the table. Next she set up a tray of food for her mother. When she finally joined them at the table she bid he begin telling her the problems the tree was showing.

Our tree of life is a willow, and is showing signs of dark brown veins in her leaves, her bark has grown dull, with dark veins running up and down it and she says she is feeling weak. Your grandfather said she appears to have slowly been poisoned but he could not seem to heal it. He thought he had grown too old as he too suffered; having his own powers being drained by the strain to keep her alive. Before his death he told us that he had a granddaughter that did show promise as a healer living hidden away here on Earth. He knew his son, your father, had died some time back but he was not sure if you had continued being trained or not because your parents were trying to hide you from the fairies. I was chosen to bring you back to Otherworld to try to save our tree and the village. I was told that if you refused I was to bring you by force if I deemed.

Well that was a mistake to begin with. her mother said, I would not have allowed that. I never set any wards to keep out the elves or any Tuatha de Danaan, but I would have if I had known they meant to try to force my daughter against her will. The faerie council has never discovered where we had disappeared to in all these years. I did not believe anyone remembered that we were here. her mother stated in a tone that spoke of her confidence. I am Madrona, daughter to the goddess Blai; I am a faerie witch who may be dying but my powers are still strong.

Tarian and Owein both bowed their heads with respect to the old faerie whose name they recalled hearing in legends told before. They had not been told exactly who the girl’s mother actually was. She had to be