AN This was a story that I wrote because I wanted to write something, get the juices flowing for a paper that I'm writing. It's probably awful, and it's definitely not in this universe. That or many years ago pagans were much more in tune with the land than they are now. I literally just wanted to write something, and this came out. I didn't shape it that much, so some parts may not line up.

This is femslash! And there is implied sex.

Once upon a time there was a beautiful girl named Carol. She loved to read, and she loved the land. One day there cam a huge storm that threatened to destroy the land she loved. Carol pleaded with the gods and the goddesses to spare her family and their land. The Goddess took pity on her. "Your family and their land is spared, but you must become my chattel for three years. After three years you may come home to your family, but you will be a stranger to them, and they will mock and deride you."

Carol could see no other future. She wanted to save her family and land more than she wanted to be alive. She agreed. The moment the words passed her lips she vanished from this earth. Her family immediately forgot she existed, and simply rejoiced that their land was spared the wrath of the gods.

During the first year of her servitude Carol did everything she was told to do. But she had no spirit. Often the Goddess would find her staring out into the pitch black world around the castle.

The second year faired little better. Carol had accepted her fate and had a little more life. Every day the Goddess would come to Carol's door and ask if she wanted to dine together. This was the one thing that Carol was allowed to say no to, and she did, every day for two years. Then, as the third year approached Carol grew more lonely, and the company of the Goddess began to look more and more appealing. Finally, on the 2 year anniversary she acquiesced. The Goddess was ecstatic. It gets lonely being alone for thousands of years. Slowly, over the next year they got closer together. The master and the servant, the classic romance. They made love for the first time on night before Carol would be free. The next morning Carol woke up in a field. Just over the ridge was her home. Carol broke down in tears. She didn't want to go back to the life she had left. She had begun to love the Goddess, and wanted more time together. Eventually she got up and began traversing the land, looking at how her family had taken care of it. Her tears kept flowing as she saw the land. It looked fine, but she could feel it crying out for love, and for someone to take care of it, and not just use it. After she had seen every pasture, all crying out to her, she arrived at the cottage that was her home. Upon seeing it she began to weep harder. It was in shambles. Nothing was out of place, the entire home functioned better than when she had left, but it was destroying the land. It took in the life blood of the land and spit out refuse, sullying the land she had come to love. As Carol approached the door she heard dogs braying. Telling everyone that there was someone coming. Her father opened the door. The Goddess had told her that her family would forget about her, but deep down she hadn't believed it. It hurt more than anything to see her father staring at her like her would a stranger. What hurt more was that Carol could see the pain he carried inside of him. She smiled wanly, and prayed for forgiveness for lying to her family. "I am journeying across this land, and noticed it's plight, may I help restore it to it's beauty?"

Her father became even more guarded. "How did you notice it's plight? And who are you?"

"I am Carol, and the land is calling to me, I thought everyone could hear its shouting." She replied. As she said her name she looked at his face and hands, looking for a sign that he recognized her, but it was in vain, he didn't know who she was.

"Humph," He growled, "I have never heard of anyone being able to hear the land. We have farmed like this for years."

"How many years, if I may ask," She said, on instinct, a little voice in her gut telling her to ask this question.

"Three years," Was all he said.

"Why did you change three years ago?" She said, thinking furiously about the fact that something had changed when she left.

Her father paused, he faced morphed into bewildered confusion, "I don't know why we changed. Nothing about our family changed, and we have always been here."

Carol smiled. "Change can happen for reasons we don't understand. Take care of the land. Sit, lay bathe in her, listen to her heart beat, learn what makes her healthy, and what makes her sick. Land is not made to feed more people on the same amount, it is made to feed you, and keep you safe. I realize this may sound strange, but if you treat your land properly, you will begin to be rewarded in ways that you won't understand. The land will give you larger fruits, trespassers, and those who wish you harm will find the very land and vegetation conspiring against them, and your horses will find less hole to put their legs in. Think about what you would put in yourself, then think about what you are putting in the land. They should be very similar. Learn from the wild land, does it not grow strong and well. Why can't you make your land grow wild, and yet keep your goals in mind?" Carol paused and blushed, not realizing that she was waxing poetic about the land the way some people talk about lovers or their crafts.

Her father looked at her carefully. "You care about this land, don't you?" She nodded, and in fact, the land cared about her too. While the Goddess could take away her families memories of her, the land knew her, and could not forget her. Even standing on the land it was healing. Crying less, and putting more effort into making her happy.

"Sit on the land for 10 minutes each day. Talk to it, and listen." Carol advised, knowing she couldn't stay the night, it was too painful. "be kind to it, and love it, and it will love you back." She smiled. "I must continue, I can feel that you will do as I say, and that the land will respond." On impulse she raised her hand, placed her palm against her forehead, closed her eyes, and spoke, "'shé lá tù yahr mel ta" Be blessed, and grow. And then as if blowing a kiss blew the prayer onto the man and the house. Turning she smiled at the flowers that had grown along the path, trying to entice her to stay.

As she walked away she heard her father whisper, "May the goddess look upon you with favor, my daughter."

Carol kept her tears inside as she walked over the ridge. Upon reaching the oak at the bottom she dissolved into sobs. The braches lowered themselves and lifted her up into its steady embrace. She hugged it, sobbing.

After a short while she dried her tears and asked to get down. The tree sat her upon the ground, but kept it's branches around her. Finally, she kissed it and turned to leave. The sight that met her eyes made her smile in happiness. Every flower she had seen, and a few that she hadn't, was growing around the tree. Each one perfect in it's beauty, and each plant only grew one flower. She smiled wider, "ya tell mo" Thank you.

She walked to the center of a field, and sat in the grass. "You know, I must leave you," She whispered to the wind. Leaves on the wind swirled around her, laughing she answered "You will always be in my heart, but how can I be happy here, though you love me, and are always with me, the family does not know me, not any more, and they will love you as I have."

The wind whirled around her again, bringing with it the scent of the flowers around the tree. Carol sighed, "I love you, like I would love a daughter, or mother, or a sister. I love you more than I love the stars, and I love the stars. But I love HER like a lover. And I must find a way to show her my love, so I will never have to leave her side. Please," her voice broke, "let me love you," This she whispered to herself. Closing her eyes she felt the land, and found the center, the heart. It was the oak tree. Carol went back to the tree. She kissed it once more. Took one of the tears still on her cheek and pressed it onto the kiss, and then cut her finger and drew the rune for love, protection, and safety on top of the tear and the kiss. "Yoll ya té, tee mar ya tœ" My love, my grief and my life. "Le tar tœ" They are yours.

"So, you are giving up everything for this piece of land?" A voice said behind Carol. She spun around. "And for what, a chance that you will see me again?" It was the Goddess.

Carol threw herself into the Goddess's arms, and even when gently prompted, didn't let go.

"My love, how can we bless this land if you don't let go?" The Goddess said with a laugh. Carol looked up at her love and her lover. The Goddess's eyes were mischievous. Carol smiled a blinding smile. They kissed.

THE END

The non-english bits are a completely made up language. I basically just thought of the sounds I wanted to say, and wrote what I thought it would look like. This takes place before any technology is created, and when people farmed the land for a living. As I said earlier there are strong pagan themes, hence the Goddess.

Please tell me what you think, but then again, I doubt I'll revisit this ever... But still review!