I’m so sorry you had to go through something like that at such a young age, Fiona. Unfortunately creatures like her seem to delight in traumatizing children.

I’m curious, do you know if your Leshy is the Leahy, or just one of his disciples? I know they all go by the same name but there’s one whose above all the rest. An old forest god and his personal representatives. From your description of his behavior in the first story it sounds like yours may actually be the old Leshy himself. If that is the case you might ask him if Gryla enters the woods by his will or not.

If she’s there by his leave then being rude to her may have brought down even more wrath. If, however, she is trespassing in his domain, he might be willing to share a method of warding her off. Old Ones like him do t take kindly to other ancients trespassing on their sacred spaces, and he might delight in teaching her a lesson about respecting territories and tenants.

The simple fact that he’s on speaking terms with you means he likes you more than the average mortal. He lets you share his domain. He might teach you some method of warding out of a certain protective streak. You protect his forest alongside him, he likely sees you as a worshipper or acolyte. The Leshy and his kin have never taken kindly to those who harm those under their eye.