Apothos Heart
In the golden age of Greece in a small city near Athens there lived a soldier. Unlike the Spartans rough manner The Soldier was just as gentle as he was coarse. His gentility was from his love of a certain maiden. However their love was not to be, for she was one of the virginal priestesses of Artemis, and she could not be released until another maiden were to forfeit marriage and love to take her place. Yearning to have his Priestess for wife The Soldier sought any means of releasing her from her duties, finally praying to the gods fervently.
Whilst dreaming one night, Eros the God of Lovers came to him and spoke "I have watched you and see that your intentions are pure. However it seems the fates have foreordained troubles. I take pity on your love because I too know what it's like to miss your lover. Many loves do not work out such as the dryad Apothos and her mortal Lover, who was killed by ill circumstances. Take solace in her." And with that he was gone leaving only the memory of the location of Apothos.
Upon waking The Soldier knew to listen to Eros and left for the island upon which Apothos' tree laid. His journey was light but upon reaching the island he knew neither which tree in the forest was Apothos nor how to reveal a dryad from her element. He retreated to the temple of Demeter and consulted with the priests there until he formed his plan. That night as the moon rose he trekked deep into the woods armed only with a lute, a simple melody and flowers. He began his melody, frightened it would not work until slowly the moonlight flickering between the tees began to dance with shadows of the Dryad women. It took two nights before the tree spirits began to timidly step forth. The soldier kept singing and playing and slowly bestowed the flowers upon the tree spirits gaining their child-like interest and soothing their worried hearts about his intentions.
When the sun came up he went to sleep and continued romancing the dryads for the next half moon. Each night he performed the same ritual of singing dancing and granting them flowers until he was telling silly stories and familiar with each dryad who was a regular attendee. Slowly their trust grew until it was great enough for him to inquire about Apothos. Each Dryad worried for Apothos and her broken heart, for she would no longer take human form merely remaining in her tree and were ecstatic when he suggested healing her. The Dryads helped him sing by her tree everyday and place beautiful things about her tree; they told stories and coaxed her requesting she come join the fun.
Finally the day before The Soldier was to return home, his mission a failure, he told his final story. It was his last hope and not the most promising story. He told the story of a Priestess and a Soldier in love, unable to be together, praying to the gods for help. Ever so slowly, Apothos stepped from her tree, and spoke to the soldier, "Where is your Priestess now?" and he told her honestly "serving Artemis, unable to leave." And she said to him "I will take her place as priestess after all I am the woods that Artemis hunts in." And so it was settled. The Soldier was able to return to his priestess and they were married after all, and Apothos gained her heart back, slowly as ever.