***
“It’s a dangerous time to be travelling. Especially with a…there is no nice way to say this…party like yours. No offence.” The forest green-haired Halfling said gruffly as she stood up, stretching her slender body and yawning before turning to walk away. Shadows danced over her hair loops combined with lime, emerald and sea green top hat, sleeveless shirt, corset, fingerless gloves, tulip skirt, knee-high socks, and thigh-high boots. “Those eight-legged bitches only become active when the Fomorians pass through. You can understand why we were so suspicious of you. Turns out that you’re worse. You are school kids with Ivory Sigils. We don’t need that kind of trouble here. I can’t give you anything to save you idiots.” Goldie sighed, patting her empty pockets.67Please respect copyright.PENANARVkoZj3Bjb
“You don’t need to-”67Please respect copyright.PENANAYV9ewl7GVg
“I won’t turn you away empty handed so listen well. One. It doesn’t matter how capable you are, there is always someone stronger, faster and smarter. You better scram as soon as the sun’s up. I’m not cruel enough to send you into the darkness, but if anything happens to this forest, those eight-legged bitches will be the least of your problems. I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself! Two. If you ever find yourselves out this way again, the forest remembers. Call out to the forest. She and her spirits will provide. I won’t say that you’ll never be out this way again. You’d be surprised how many lost souls return here. Enough that I have learned about things beyond the protection of this forest.”
“We can take you with us, if you’d like. You can see the world-”67Please respect copyright.PENANAM1mCtICtN0
“Sounds fun, but…” Goldie shook her head and paused. “I can’t leave. Good night.”67Please respect copyright.PENANA4FwzgU6vHZ
Milo and Trey offered her the same pitch, but she could not leave her mother, Birch and their forest to the Weaver sisters’ mercy. She saluted and trudged to her wagon and Birch bedded down next to Goldie’s Nightmare. Goldie stared through her curtains, at Randolph and his friends chatting and sleeping, until her eyelids grew heavy. She fell asleep with her chin resting on her hand and her other hand clutching her mace’s hilt.67Please respect copyright.PENANArFXiAgAoP4
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Despite all of the nights he had spent keeping his friends safe, or maybe because of them, Randolph could not sleep. Not even with a belly full of warm stew. This camp was everything that Randolph had expected of a forest inhabited by what humans called Wood Elves. This clearing overflowed with earthly life and mana. The pink haired Silver Tongue milled around, reading the letter at the edge of the campfire’s warm glow. Occasionally she covered her mouth, looked up from the parchment across the camp and took deep breaths before pushing through the contents of the letter. Her ladle fixed to her belt as if it were a sword and sheath. Just as he was on the edge of sleep, with Dawn snuggled against him, Randolph noticed something moving in the tree line. The blonde Halfling sat up and squinted into the darkness. He instinctively grabbed his Magi. If the figure was dangerous, Amanda would whip out a weapon. Right? He knew that once Wood Elves depleted their mana, they returned to the earth. He paid attention during lessons at Arthur’s school. Was that gangly figure a curious Silver Tongue, some kind of nature spirit found only in Dead Forest or a malicious Drider? Were there any Wood Elves on speaking terms with Driders after the betrayal that led to their downfall? Randolph raised his Magi. The tip of the Magi illuminated. The figure shrank away from the light his Magi cast into the forest. He thought he saw a human face, but he could not be sure.
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The more Randolph fought to keep his eyes open, fatigue rolled over the blonde. Was the food spiked, were those sleepless nights catching up to him or was it a combination of both? Whispers reached his finned ears. He could not make out any words as he fell to his knees in the soft earth and leaf mulch. Pinned down by an arcane kind of mana. Vines sprouted out of the leaf mulch, twisting up his flesh-coloured tail, arms and legs.67Please respect copyright.PENANAjmA4eU62CS
Please… Don’t hurt them!67Please respect copyright.PENANA7MZeTqNaW2
Goldie’s words about the forest, as if it were a sentient being, echoed in his mind.
Eden’s eyes cracked open. He lifted his head. While he couldn’t wait to transform into any form but this one, there were upsides to this form. He had friends in this form. Even if they didn’t know his real form. He looked around the camp as Goldie kicked Suki and her friends awake. The slightest movements shot pain throughout his leg. Eden winced. Everyone was curled up where they fell asleep the night before except for their de facto leader. It seemed like Randolph had gotten up during the night but he fainted a short distance away. Eden sensed something lingering on the Halfling when he walked over, brushing off the green, leafy vines that somehow twisted themselves around his limbs. When he looked up, Randolph saw a creature whose limbs and torsos were twisted tree limbs, but it had an elven face that was wrinkled from age and a pair of wire spectacles.
Randolph blinked his blue eyes, and it was suddenly daylight. He was dragged to consciousness by Amanda and Goldie’s voices. He courteously pried the vines off.
“Ma, you really didn’t have to cook for these halfwits.” Goldie rolled her blue eyes.67Please respect copyright.PENANAzzSmzgktr9
“Nonsense, Marigold. I love cooking.” Amanda smiled, waving her ladle around. “Is everyone ready to leave?”67Please respect copyright.PENANAAbogPhQ4e4
“Almost.”67Please respect copyright.PENANAL6nUuGf5tB
“Sorry. It seems like we are overstaying our welcome.” Randolph apologized.67Please respect copyright.PENANAdHKCJ34vxC
“Nonsense.” Amanda smiled. “Did you enjoy your sleep? You must have needed it.”67Please respect copyright.PENANAGV8nF6LCHo
Randolph nodded. “Yes, thank you. You didn’t need to prepare two whole meals for us.”67Please respect copyright.PENANAQkZvfdlA7u
“Oh, you’re a charmer!” The pink haired Silver Tongue giggled. “You’re most welcome.”67Please respect copyright.PENANA0ADWYh91jR
Randolph hoped to ask her about who or whatever was lurking in the trees last night, but the moment that everyone was on their feet, Goldie walked to her Nightmare and loaded her bow, quiver of arrows and the mace into the saddlebags. Birch slipped his hands into a pair of gauntlets. Amanda divided portions of the leftovers into containers while Suki and her travel companions ate and then packed up their minimal belongings.67Please respect copyright.PENANA7zt90IpZ9P
***67Please respect copyright.PENANALf8BthO0zz
After breakfast, everyone left. Goldie, astride her Nightmare, and Birch (carrying the leftovers) escorted Suki and her friends to the edge of the forest. Not that one Halfling and a non-venomous Drider could stop a Fomorian ambush and Driders were nocturnal. Randolph bowed to Goldie and Birch while his friends relished in the morning sunshine.67Please respect copyright.PENANA2p3jjw2ong
“May the Pantheon smile upon you, your forest and your loved ones.”67Please respect copyright.PENANATwQLtE4HVI
“May the Pantheon smile upon you halfwits or whatever.” Goldie bowed back.67Please respect copyright.PENANARavUaJqgpE
“We’ll return one day!” Randolph laughed, jogging away to catch up with his friends.67Please respect copyright.PENANA6l7aVjb79R
“Please don’t. You’re stupid!” Goldie laughed and vanished into the forest with Birch.
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After a moment, the group let out a sigh of relief.67Please respect copyright.PENANAafgfodq1Ct
“I can’t wait to sleep in a real bed. That was an enchanted forest, eh?” Florimal said.67Please respect copyright.PENANAInDm9kCgrN
“I’m glad that whatever she put in our food only helped us to sleep. Amanda could have done so much worse to us for trespassing in her forest.” He did not mention the figure he saw stalking in the tree line. It was easy to forget that Florimal was only a human.67Please respect copyright.PENANAr0k47CCqTq
“You felt that too?” Dawn asked.67Please respect copyright.PENANAGR5m8fRYjI
Randolph nodded.67Please respect copyright.PENANAavvAM33qU7
“Why would you endanger us like that?!”67Please respect copyright.PENANACCiinLWBwT
“Quit yapping.” Suki yawned. “We’re not dead and he can’t change what happened.”67Please respect copyright.PENANAoIvUtC7s3o
Dawn whipped around, glaring daggers, ready to slap the eleven-year-old out of her saddle.67Please respect copyright.PENANAUl8r1v5uzR
“How’s Tenderfoot?” Greenwood asked Suki as if it was bad timing, not a deflection.67Please respect copyright.PENANA843ppwmi6T
“Still a bit sore, I think.”67Please respect copyright.PENANArEbYol4UP1
“We’ll find somewhere where we can all heal, sleep and decide on what to do next.” Randolph reached into the collar of his tunic, pulling out a map the size of a postcard and a quill. Resting the parchment against the trunk of a tree to scratch off something. The purple feather clearly came from one of Dawn’s wings. Her animosity evaporated. She covered her blushing cheeks with her tangles of deep brown hair. Randolph stowed the quill and Sheehan’s map in his tunic before catching up to his travel companions.