The Silver Woods

Bard noticed Sen shift as they entered a portion of the silver woods. She looked about, and Bard noted the strange sounds and melodies. Had something happened. He took out Father’s token and spun it around as Kai plowed deeper into the wood. Soon the pitch of a Dryad’s song rang in their ear.

“Look out!” Sen shouted and Kai stopped. A tree sprang up before them.

“It’s me! Sen!” she shouted in Asternum. The tree stopped, as did the melody.

“Sen?”

“Keith?” Sen realizes and pushed up to be beside Bard.

“What are you doing here?” He asked as he guided the tree to help him down towards their height. Kai’s hackles raised, but Bard stilled him.

“I need to speak with father and grandfather. Can you take us there?” Sen urged. Keith relented, but Bard picked up on his hesitation.

“Sen?” Bard whispered.

“You’ve noticed too?” she asked, he nodded once in confirmation. “We will ask my dad what happened.”

As they came into the village, Bard noticed the strange atmosphere, the discordant harmonies. He clutched Father’s token as they rode. Eventually, Keith had his tree stop and stepped down. He sang to have it go back and patrol with another Dryad. Then he spoke to the others, inquiring about Amir and Elwood's locations. They both were near the training grounds, so they were led there.

As they came close, word of their arrival preceded them.

“Sen, Bard. You’re back so soon?” Elwood asked as he appeared besides them on a tree of his own.

“It’s not because we completed the pledge,” Bard answered the unspoken question. “Something else came up.”

“I see. Then it’s best we meet up with Amir. It would be faster if we talk once and not more,” he said solemnly.

Recalling how Elwood normally behaved, Bard found this even more strange. He expected a warm welcome, instead of a rushed and firm greeting from the Elder Dryad. He looked back as Sen, who seemed to be growing more worried. He shifted on Kai and placed his hand over hers.

“It’ll be fine,” he said, and she looked at him and then nodded before casting her gaze forwards.

Elwood along with Keith guided them to where Amir was. The sight of his surroundings was horrific.

“Father,” Sen chimed in horror as she saw the wounds on him and the other Dryads that had been laid about.

“What happened here?” Bard asked. Amir and Elwood looked worn out. Had humans come and fought them? If so, then it would make it that much harder to convince them to join with Elvira.

“Was it humans?” Sen asked. When Amir shook his head, they both sighed in relief.

“Then?” Bard started.

“Black creatures that eluded our attacks and seemed to avoid light,” Amir said firmly.

“Shades?” Bard said in time with Sen.

“You know these foul creatures?” Elwood asked. They both nodded.

“Injuries from shades won’t be able to be treated the same as normal injuries,” Sen remarked.

“We’ve noticed,” Amir grunted as he shifted. His injuries had a bit of black tinge to them.

Sen immediately began to search for medical supplies. Bard meanwhile walked over to the injured and took note of what injuries they had. Mostly cuts and scratches. A few had what looked like stab wounds. He wasn’t aware of any shades that did these sorts of injuries. He looked to Elwood, who was talking with Sen, until he noticed and walked over.

“What did this?” Bard indicated to the injury.

“A tree,” Elwood responded.

“Tree? Why?”

“Once Amir is a bit better, then he can show you. Sen says you are well versed with… shades?”

“I am,” Bard muttered. This was troubling indeed.

“For now, please go speak with Defender, I am sure he has much to ask your help with, as an Elder of course.”

Bard nodded and left.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sen turned her attention to her father, who was clearly suffering, and trying to hide the full extent of it. She turned to a herbalist and asked for them to gather several herbs from their reserves before approaching him.

“You’ve grown,” Amir commented.

“And you’re hurt… if you don’t let them know where, then how can we heal you?”

“Those are only scratches,” Amir brushed it off.

“Shade wounds can kill, even as a scratch. Don’t joke about this, or belittle your situation. Our people still need you, and… I still need you.”

Another Dryad approached, giving a report that they had less of a few herbs than what Sen had requested. Sen sighed and then pondered for a bit. She gave some names of a few herbs and the Dryad recorded them down, but some he was unfamiliar with. Sen described them and drew a very poor quick sketch of them on his waxed stone. He clarified that they called those by a different name, and Sen heard him say they were poisonous. She shook her head and said that combining them with certain herbs and processing them with certain mixtures removed the poison. The Dryad looked at her with skepticism until she pulled out a token.

“You see this? It’s a token from Elder Healer who lives by the sea shore to the east of here. He taught me personally about these herbs and how to use them. If you want to question this, then you can take it up with him.”

“I… I see.” The Dryad apologized before leaving and going to get the herbs and follow her instruction.

“So that’s how those work?” Amir teased and Sen stiffened.

“No… not really. I just don’t have time to waste on pointless arguments. Not when our people are suffering.”

She rapidly explained. When she looked at her father, he had a soft smile.

“Father, after we get everyone back on their feet, I have a favor to ask.”

“What is it?” he asked.

“Nope. I’ll ask when we are done,” she shot back and gave a childish pose. He laughed, but stopped in pain. Sen frowned. It pained her to see him this injured. The last time was after that skirmish. He was always getting into the front lines to protect as many as he could, which instilled a respect for him, but to Sen it felt like he was just looking for a way to die.

When Sen noticed her grandfather coming over without Bard, she asked where he had gone. When she heard he left to meet with Defender, she sighed and became a bit gloomy. She wanted Bard here. She liked being around him. Elwood teased her for it, and she spat back that it was perfectly normal, since they were gloomy when they thought about their wives who had passed on. That sobered the mood real fast.

The tension that was growing dissipated as some Dryads came with the herbs she requested. She grabbed the stems and leaves and ground them with some petals. Then she cut the roots and ground them together. She then added some oils and made a poultice that would clean the wound while stimulating growth and healing. She approached her father, but he ushered her to help the others first, as he was one of the few who were upright and could be taken care of later.

She complained, but then thought of Elvira’s teachings, to take care of the most injured first. After ministering to twelve of the people on the ground, Bard returned, looking a bit pale and talking with Elwood and Amir. She kept to her work until Elwood called her over.

“Take care of your father and Keith now. Bard needs them able to travel soon so he can assess the situation.”

“What situation?” Sen asked as she looked at Bard.

“Apparently, a tree has shaded. I’m going to look into it, but since I am not a warrior, these two are going to escort me and Kai,” Bard answered. Sen nearly dropped the bowl she held with the herbs. She then had some others come over and gave them instruction on the poultice and to ask her for remedies for other types of wounds and symptoms they came across.

After instructing them, she turned to Amir and Keith and noticed how inflamed and red their injuries were. She ordered them to at least sit if not lay down while she prepared some medicine for them. She created the poultice, swapping a few ingredients to help with the heat and inflammation. Then she had someone bring a pot and some other herbs. These she boiled and removed the hard parts that didn’t dissolve into the liquid. She pounded those and added them to the poultice, and then boiled down the liquid till it was nearly a syrup. Bard assisted her by tending the fire and making sure it didn’t overcook. When they were done, she instructed him on the amounts needed and Bard helped the two to drink the liquid while she applied the poultice and covered it with some fabrics she had asked for.

“Any other injuries?” she asked firmly to her father, who sighed and then showed her his back. His clothes were tattered and there were signs of light scratches across it. Bard carefully picked the cloth out of the injuries, causing it to bleed a bit. Then they removed it from him. Sen growled as she saw the injuries.

“Father!” she scolded, and Amir sighed in defeat while she began to treat it. They weren’t deep, but they had a foul color. Bard helped clean them with hot water and a few herbs used for cleaning. She knew Healer had a special word for this, but she couldn’t remember what it was. Amir screamed a few times and then must have bit deep, since at most he grunted. Some Dryads watched them in curiosity. Mostly because Sen knew her father didn’t cry out much, so this was surprising to them.

Sen fought back tears as they finished treating him. Keith was not much better, but his injuries were smaller.

After treating them both, they grew drowsy and fell asleep. Bard and Sen sighed in relief.

“It’s rare to see those two asleep at the same time,” Elwood remarked in human tongue.

“You weren’t injured too? Were you?” Sen asked.

“No. I stayed with those who couldn’t fight and directed them to safety. It seems the closer we got to Defender, the less shades appeared…” while he pondered on it, Bard smiled with Sen. “I’m going to assume that is a normal thing with these shades.”

“All Elders have a song that drives away shades. Normally the whole forest should be unapproachable, but…”

“Yes, it is troubling that they came so close to us, if the whole silver woods should keep them out.”

“That’s why I need to see the shaded tree. That worries me,” Bard sighed. Sen looked at Amir and Keith, sleeping peacefully.

“Those two won’t be awake for a few. Possibly tomorrow morning would be my guess. You did give them the dosage I told you, right?” Sen asked. Bard nodded.

“So the medicine makes them sleep?”

“Sort of. A few of those herbs when combined create a powerful healing effect and stimulate a lot of growth and recovery, but it tends to make people sleepy. Since we are in a rush, I figured this would be the fastest way, but I don’t prescribe it to everyone because it’s time-consuming to make, and the herbs are somewhat rare.”

“And with the pain they just experienced, it’s probably nice to rest it off,” Bard remarked. Sen smiled and snuggled into him.

“So, what’s the rush?” Elwood asked.

Sen shook her head. There were still a lot of patients to attend to. Bard and her began to work until it became too dark to see what they were doing in detail. A low howl reverberated, and Bard and Sen knew that sound. They looked through the bare branches at the clouds that covered the sun.

“Grandpa, do we have light sources?” Sen asked hastily. “And can defender and the others come here?”

“Yes, and yes.”

He hurried to sing to the trees and before much time had passed, dryads with lights appeared, flora and forest craft lights. Defender appeared soon after. Bard went to him while Sen had the dryads gather and moved the lights to surround them all. Kai came up beside her.

“Keep those two safe,” she said to Kai as she pointed to her father and uncle.

Shades began to appear at the edge of their sight. They flitted through the dense trees.

“Don’t engage with them!” Sen commanded. She could sense the forest crying in pain and confusion. Eventually, the sun came out and Sen had the trees move their branches to shed more light on the ground.

After ensuring that no one got hurt, Sen and Bard relaxed for a bit.

“No injuries this time,” Sen sighed in relief.

“Elwood, it might be best if we talk to you about why we came here before we finished the pledge,” Bard said. Elwood began to protest. “I realize they are asleep, but this goes beyond having to repeat our story, it is quite dangerous if we dally.”

“Very well,” Elwood said.

Sen had the Dryads keep the lights nearby and had everyone who could stay within the safe space. There were well over a thousand of her people here. Sen frowned. There should be more.

Meanwhile, Bard began to explain what they had learned, and how they had stayed with the Humans for the winter. A group of over three hundred were with Elder Perspective and were making strides to gain her token. This amused and impressed Elwood. Since the discussion was in human tongue, most curious Dryads didn’t understand and eventually stopped trying to listen in.

As Bard explained why they came back and what they hoped to achieve, Elwood’s eyes narrowed.

“It seems good, but there will be many who are too wary of the other race.”

“That’s why we want to have you all join us with Elder Perspective and then after having many receive her token, then we want to build this village.” Bard clarified.

“I know you may be skeptical,” Sen spoke up. “But, this is what Mom hoped for. That humans and dryads would stop fighting and could coexist. If we don’t take this chance, now, when will we get another?”

“Perhaps in another several hundred years,” Elwood chuckled. “I see your point, but it is like you thought. We do need to find out who is willing.”

“There’s another part to this,” Bard spoke up. “It has to do with why I’ve been traveling and meeting Elders, and why I was in this forest.”

“Oh?”

Even Sen was eager to hear about this.

“Father tasked me with finding out everything I could about the shades. He believes that in a coming day, they could become a big threat. Seeing what we have here, I think that day is likely coming soon.”

Sen and Elwood nodded at this.

“The humans along with catfolk have technologies that can drive away shades and if we combined that with the songs of the Elders and had the dryads and trees help protect and heal, then I believe we will have a higher chance of survival.”

“Humans also seem to have a higher understanding of the healing arts, especially when it comes to shade injuries,” Sen commented. “I learned a lot from Elvira, and Ruegar has some weapon that seems to scare off shades. He calls it a riffle.”

“My other thought was if we had Perspective and Defender nearby, if it would be even safer for all of us. Defender’s song seems weaker than other Elders, likely because his has been so discordant and partially silent for so long.”

“That would present a problem for all of us,” Elwood hummed as he looked out at the other dryads. Some looked at them before returning to their tasks.

“So it would benefit us, if we migrated closer to the caravan routes of the catfolk, and joined up with the humans who are willing,” Sen remarked. Elwood smiled.

“Now who is going to convince the others? I’m already in agreement that this is sound, but the others,” Elwood continued to look out as he spoke.

“I’ll do it,” Sen spoke up. “I am supposed to be their next leader, and I can do this. Especially with Bard at my side.” She looked at him, and he smiled wanly at her comment. “Oh come on, you are the chief of the humans now. It’ll be better.”

“I’m chief only in name. I can’t say they will follow me at my word,” Bard countered softly.

Sen wanted to smack her forehead for that. He still didn’t seem to understand that in the last month, those people had begun to express their gratitude that they had followed him. He also failed to catch how much it meant that Elvira and Ruegar supported him, or the fact that she had saved their lives during the attack with the shades.

“For now, let’s rest and figure out what to do tomorrow, after you have seen the blackened trees,” Elwood said calmly.

This ended the conversation and the prepared for a long night. After their stocks of light sources were filled, they retired early so they could tend to the lights throughout the night.