Note: I do not take credit for anything you recognize.
VenomA young woman was slowly making her way through the forest, her feet making no sound against the soft carpet of moss and pine nettles. She abruptly froze, her senses vibrating with sudden fear. Shifting her ears to bats was the work of a moment and she quickly located the source of her alarm. In the distance she could hear the sound of something large crashing through the brush. Daine quickly searched the woods near the commotion for an animal. Finding a squirrel she quickly explained who she was and what she wanted. At her request the squirrel came closer to the disturbance to investigate the cause. His puzzled reply came quickly.
"It's a tree, a walking tree and…and…." Daine lost contact as the suddenly terrified squirrel disappeared into the brush. Confused, Daine returned to her body only to find to her horror, that the thing was only meters away. Frozen, the woman could only watch helplessly as it burst from the foliage. Before her stood the strangest being she had ever seen. A young woman stood gasping for breath at the edge of the trees. Her brown face was framed by jet-black hair and accented by a proud nose, full lips, and hypnotic green eyes. The girls clothing was ripped and torn but still retained its former glory. The red gown, torn to reveal the girls black corset beneath, clashed with the girl's otherwise earthly appearance. Tattoos laced up the girl's arms and shoulders disappearing into the neckline of the sholderless dress. Her lips had been painted black and her eyes lined with it. Diamond drops glittered in her ears and nose. Her neck was adorned with a diamond necklace from which hung a large diamond skull. Above this was, and Daine blanched, a arrow protruded from her neck, the head emerging from the other side. She should be dead! Daine thought, horrified and disgusted. Instead of dying, the young woman continued to stare unwaveringly at the shocked wildmage.
A/N Tamora Pierce has written a short story on the tree that Numair turned into a human. This story can be found in Half-Human, an anthology edited by…um…I can't find the book so I will post that later.
