She gave him a small smile, leading him out from behind the tree. “Bugs. Our Alyndars can transform into their namesakes. They do it mainly for meditation, but it’s also used as a security system. Fortunately for the Tyria, bugs aren’t able to get into the Glen. So, if you see a bug, chances are it’s an Alyndar who has transformed.”
“You won’t,” she said assuredly. “At worst, they’d wipe your memory of coming here and send you home. I’d be the one in trouble.”
“This way,” she said, leading him forward. Young pixies noticed her and broke free of their game, flying down to her. “Eden, Eden, Eden,” one sang, her blonde hair falling around her face. Eden squeezed Sam’s hand, raising one eyebrow. “Hey, Lils. What’s up?” “Where were you last night? The Alyndar was worried.”
“I was with Sam,” she said cheerfully. “Lost track of time. I can talk with the Alyndar. Where is she?” “Tree, I think.” ‘“Thanks. I’ll check in with her.”
The pixies waved back shyly and Eden pulled him forward, flapping her wings slightly. “They’re nosy,” she said wryly, hooking arms with him. “Lots of them have never seen a human before.”
She glanced back at them before shrugging. “Probably. I mean, you don’t have wings or roots, so they know you aren’t a pixie, at least. Don’t worry, though. They won’t tell.”
She led him forward towards the tree, hopping slightly. “I might need to hide you for a while,” she said, considering him. “Just to let Aspen know where I am.”
"Do you need a better hiding place?" she inquired, looking around before pulling him forward. "I also have a bed."
She laughed brightly as they approached the base of the tree. It was huge, at least 60 feet in diameter. It towered above them and the air shimmered around it with the remnants of the Pixies' Enryli. If he tilted his head back, he would see thousands of branches weaved together above him, covered in brilliant green leaves. The veins of the foliage glowed a silvery white and if he examined it closely, he would see the glimmer descend into the trunk, sparkling through the cracks in the bark. Above him, pixies flew in and out of archways carved into the trunk stationed at different heights. She squeezed his hand before pulling him to an archway in between the roots where very few pixies were entering.
