Capture

The morning mists played on Bard's mind. His eyes darted as he perceived something moved, just out of sight. This wouldn't be a typical day in these woods. He could already pick out the sounds of the inhabitant's song rousing the forest from its slumber. He gritted his teeth.

"Did they finally notice me?" he contemplated as he strapped the last items to his faithful mount. He then grabbed his token from Father and tucked it into his shirt with the others. The shades were gone now. Gone with the morning light, and now a new threat rose. Dryads. His usual tricks wouldn't work against them. Not in this environment.

Though if he found that one Dryad, perhaps this could be resolved peacefully. His hand tightened the ropes, and he checked around them, making sure not to forget anything. That was a baseless wish. Dryads always turned on humans like him.

Even while contemplating about if he could find her, he recalled the first time they met. She certainly was an odd one. She had found him here months ago and yet, despite the normal reaction to kill each other on sight, she had observed him and finally approached him. No hint of malice, just curiosity.
As he mounted his faithful companion, he rubbed the silver fur and gained his attention. He briefly paused to listen to the sounds around them. The forest song buzzed around them, quiet but wrong, like a Shade night turning grim. He gritted his teeth, discomfort prickling under his skin. Something was off, and it wasn't just the mist playing tricks.

"Looks like they've noticed us Kai," he said calmly. He felt a hum under him as the large wolf-like head rose and looked at him with the most telling expression. His long legs were eager to be off and his long snaking tail shifted with a flick of annoyance.

"I doubt she told anyone about us," Bard said, voice catching. He covered his mouth quick. Kai hummed again, calling his bluff. He didn't buy it either.

"Did she sell me out..." he muttered, ignoring the pointed look. She'd been good company those three months. Her laughter around the stream echoed in his mind, big eyes locked on his flute when he played. Fast tunes pulled her giggles, slow ones held her still... he'd been too easy, too close. Kai was right. He'd given her too much slack. A Dryad, too curious about humans like him, and that never ended well.

The song swelled sharp, waking the woods, and his old distrust settled back in where he was safer, sharper. The saddle creaked under his hand, Kai's bulk steady. The one constant in his life was Kai's presence.

The forest hummed an off-putting tune, and he gritted his teeth, grateful for the warning, but disliking the sound.

"Best get moving," Bard said as he rubbed Kai's back. Kai harrumphed, but took off, long legs eating the ground. He held onto the harness for dear life as Kai ran through the woods. Every once in a while, the tokens at his chest made a slight whistling sound, and he tried to muffle the wind from interacting with it. He didn't need any more indicators that he was here or there. It would only make it harder to escape.

These ancient woods with this mist felt like it was about to devour them like a shade brushing its incorporeal body against him. They weaved over rock and under branch. Kai stumbled over rocks, mist blinding his snout... Bard gritted his teeth, stomach twisting. This wasn't their day. And he still hadn't accomplished his mission yet. He shook his head as he saw something move next to him. A flick, like a catfolk tail, ghosted past... couldn't be, not this far. His chest tightened. Those caravans left him too, tails fading in dust. The mists clung to him and then moved, as if the forest was breathing. It was eerily similar and made his skin crawl. Too similar to being hunted like those days.

As he leaned down closer to Kai's back, avoiding a lower branch, he heard the distinct movement of the trees behind them. He looked back and noticed the sounds coming from the sides as well.

"Looks like they plan to surround us," Bard said, louder than the sound of the wind. He felt Kai put in a burst of speed, and he was sure they would break free. That was until he heard the sounds of their songs.

Dryads were terrifying. Their songs cut through, sharp and alive... trees creaked, waking like warriors. Father's tales weren't lies. 600 years hadn't dulled this. The destruction was still evident in the abandoned cities and waste places of the world. Here, in their Silver Woods, no friendly trunk would hide him... every root followed the Elder he couldn't find. Three months chasing that chance, her laugh, her chats as he played his flute, and these woods still blocked him.
Voices rang out, their melodic songs and dryadic words flitting harmoniously, a dangerous sound. If he could hear their singing, they would have to be much closer than he had thought.
Kai jerked to a stop, paws skidding... Bard rocked upright, saddle creaking under him. A cliff loomed sharp out of the mist, cutting them off... thousands of trees hummed behind, no echo—just numbers. Bard shifted in the saddle, looking back as Kai adjusted.

The mist had obscured their vision, but now he could clearly see the moving trees. He paused to pay attention to the words they sang. The Dryad's words were a command to the trees and if he could predict their next movement, then perhaps he could weave out of this with Kai.

Dryadic words sang that they were about to slay him. The roots would wall them in and then execute them. Silver bark and silvery green leaves emerged from the mists, and white stone boulders made some trees feel taller than normal, a suffocating atmosphere. Bard clicked his tongue. They were trapped. Dryadic words sang death; roots to trap, branches to crush... he'd learned running wouldn't work. Those trees could outpace them even with Kai's incredible speed and size. Too late now. The forest breathed, choking the air, with their occasional appearances like silver jaws closing in on them.

Bard slid off Kai with a burst of speed. His legs felt steady, but tense anticipating an attack. Kai wouldn't be targeted without him on his back. Now if only he could see that girl. Perhaps he could get her to show him the way to the elder. He smirked, sharp and bitter. A dumb hope. She'd have shown him there by now if she cared to.

Bard's heart sank as the trees closed in. There was no escape now. A call sounded, trumpeting his demise, but, out of the mists, Sen appeared, rushed and breathless. How had she known they were here? Had she followed them? Her silvery-green hair floated as if underwater.
Their songs faltered. Silvery-green heads turned to heed her. Bard's eyes grasped their shifting hesitation. His eyes narrowed at the change of attention.

She darted between the dryads, her voice sharp and commanding in their tongue. Her quick words in her native tongue. There was too much pull for the girl he'd sized up. His gut twisted. He hadn't figured her place here, and that gnawed at him. She waved at him. Stay put. He froze. He chanted in his head, "no sudden movement". He needed to seem harmless.

"Sen." One of the others began. His words still too fast to follow beyond her name. Dryads spoke quickly, their words a melody Bard was only beginning to decipher. Every sentence was like trying to catch leaves in the wind.

"No. Est amicus meus." Sen, the Dryad protecting him, said firmly, slowly. Bard paused. Here she was saying he was her friend, and yet they had only gotten to know each other in the past few months. His eyes narrowed a bit, but his studying stopped as she came closer.

Some began to sing again and Sen ran the rest of the way over and climbed onto his back, as if to shield him from the incoming branches.

"Sen. That's enough." Bard said, and she climbed higher, nearly onto his shoulders, and he looked up at her face. She really didn't have a concept about personal space. He stood up straight and let her slide down.

One of the warriors slid down his tree and approached. Bard watched him come over with that same floating hair and wise aura. The presence was calm and confident, but his face seemed to be hesitant and worried. Bard stifled a little chuckle before he stopped within striking range. The warrior hesitated, his gaze flicking from Sen to Bard. There was an unspoken debate, a dance of authority that Bard couldn't fully grasp. He froze as Sen spoke.

The warrior's words were a blur, but Bard caught the gist - they wanted his weapons. Bard sighed and then almost laughed. He had no weapons. But he doubted the Dryad before him would understand that. If only he had kept up on his language skills. He was lamenting his choices as he tried to explain his situation.

"Non arma habet," Sen spoke up.

"Stultus haedus. Apprehendere supellectilem suam. Afferte eum ad interrogandum."

Bard held still. He needed to play this right, for both his sake and Kai's. Bard closed his eyes, forcing himself to remain calm, but heard Kai yelp behind him. Bard flinched, head snapping back. Trees with their dryadic commanders crowded Kai, roots coiling towards him. Kai was already warning them off.

"Kai, let them take it. Cooperate." He said and Kai gave him a furious glare.

"Cooperate." Bard said again. Kai sat down with a very displeased harrumph. Kai was definitely upset. Not at the prospect of giving up, but rather that he had run to try to escape, and now they were giving up so quickly. Bard understood this, but he hoped the giant beast would cooperate. He needed more reasons for the Dryads to not kill him, and trying to escape would only fuel their suspicions.

He calmly stood there as they searched him and unstrapped and pulled everything off. He tried hard not to react as they grabbed his instruments from Kai. He had salvaged them from the dead cities for the last decade, they were priceless relics of an age long past. Thankfully they had some decency and let him pull his shirt and clothes around to show he wasn't hiding anything. However, as they demanded the tokens around his neck he hesitated and they drew their weapons. He gritted his teeth and pulled them off, handing them over, his eyes watching like a hawk as they took them.

Eventually the dryads sung and had a few trees carry Kai while he was forced to walk with branches binding his hands together.

He could hear Sen arguing with the Dryads, but he couldn't keep up with their fast-paced words and phrases. Each time one even looked at him with some hostility, Sen spoke up. Their reluctance to heed her word was evident, but why would they even listen in the first place? She was just a young Dryad. Wasn't she? Just who had he made 'friends' with?

Eventually he was guided to a tree that was rendered into a large prison-like structure. Once inside, Kai howled and tried to come after him, but the dryads and trees were quick to subdue him. Bard leaned against the wooden poles and grabbed Kai's attention. He knew the eight-foot tall wolf could break these flimsy branches, but if he did, then it would spell more trouble. He needed time to figure a way out of this situation.

"Kai! That's enough. It's all right. Sit." He said harshly. A Dryad attempted to come at him, but she stopped when Kai whimpered and laid down. Bard ruefully smiled. "Close enough," he muttered.

The Dryad closest to him sung, and his bindings released as he watched his things be taken to the upper branches of the forest. He reached for the tokens, only to be reminded that they were gone; in their hands now. Pained, he found a comfortable spot and sat down. Patient and hopeful that he could navigate this, his mind already a whirl as he analyzed the situation.