November 12

Word Count: 1773

Lasser could not believe the stupidity of the two females. As the dawned brightened the dark recesses of the forest, and the fog settled into to a low level gray, Lasser went off in search of breakfast. He followed the strange man's tracks for a good three miles before Lasser assured himself that it had decided to leave the girls alone.

When Lasser returned to the campsite, they had packed their belongings and set off. For that, Lasser was relieved. The two obviously didn't belong in the forest by themselves. What annoyed him was that the girls had set off in a direction that would lead them deeper into the forest. Lasser wondered if they had any idea where they were going. The two probably thought they were off on a grand adventure and that Lasser would be there the next time they got themselves into trouble.

Lasser sighed as he headed off. The problem was that they were right. He couldn't in good conscience leabe them to their own devices. They also had the advantage of being on horseback. Lasser's own horse was currently getting fat in a friend's field on the outskirts of the forest. He could make good time on foot, better than anyone else he knew, but it might not be in time to catch the girls from doing something stupid.

Lasser knew there was something waking up in the forest. In fact, he doubted that the creature they saw last night was completely human. There may be things in the forest now that even he didn't know how to deal with.

Lasser paused in his quick pace to listen to the forest around him. He heard a few birds calling, and the wind running through the trees, but he also heard something else. It was faint, but it was tinkling on the edge of his hearing, taunting him for a moment before finally becoming clear - female laughter. He looked at the path in front of him. The girls had definitely traveled off in that direction, but if they were lost, they might have doubled back. The laughter was coming from off to the left.

Lasser left the path and head towards the laughter. It seemed to be bouncing off the trees and made it difficult to pinpoint the exact location. He ran further towards the laughter and it seemed to get further away. Lasser was beginning to get annoyed that he couldn't see the two girls and their two horses tromping around when the laughter came from directly behind him. He turned and found himself staring at a tree. He took a deep breath and slowed his breathing. He listened again. This time there was silence. It was eerie. Not so much as a bird or a cricket sounded a call. The wind was still in the trees. Lasser had never heard such a silence.

The pause was shattered by yet another giggle. This one was a teasing laugh, like a child unable to keep silent during a game of hide and seek. He turned again and saw only trees. He sighed and put his hand on the tree next to him to rest.

Without warning the bark of the tree grew smooth under his hand. It peeled away to reveal the heartwood underneath. Lasser kept his hand curiously on the tree. The wood began to sink beneath the lightest pressure of his hand, until it was buried up to his wrist. Just as suddenly as it had opened, the bark closed in around his hand, leaving it trapped within the tree. With a gasp he tried to remove his hand, but the bark remained firm. Another giggle sounded behind him.

Lasser turned and finally the hidden giggling culprit appeared. She had the slight resemblance to a ten year old human child, but Lasser was quite certain the girl was not human. Her skin was a pale green, for one thing. Her garments were made of dried leaves that looked as soft and supple as leather. Brown twigs made up her hair, which were topped with a crown of flowers. Her eyes were brown and sparkled mischievously at him.

"Hello," Lasser said to the dryad, for there was nothing this girl could be but a tree nymph.

"Mother Tree said I was asleep for a very long time," she said approaching, careful enough to stay just out of his reach.

"Yes, you were. The magic left the forest, so you slept?"

"I was very tired so I went to sleep. I don't feel tired anymore. Do you want to play with me? None of my sisters are awake yet," she pouted.

"I can't play with you if my hand is stuck in your tree," Lasser said calmly.

"Oh, Mother Tree is very protective."

"I understand. My name is Lasser. I am a protector of this forest."

"My name is Deep Maple." She stared at the mother tree for a moment, and Lasser felt its grip loosening on his hand. "What shall we play? Let's dance. We need music. Light Ash has a lute. She can play." Deep Maple ran to one of the trees and knocked on it. When no one responded she knocked again, and reached into the tree. Lasser watched her pull a sleepy girl out from the tree.

Hardly able to stand on her own, Light Ash rubbed her eyes. Deep Maple shook her awake. "You must play for us," she said. Her eyes lit up again. "More."

Deep Maple knocked on another tree and repeated the process once more drawing another sleepy nymph out of the tree. By the third time Deep Maple had drawn a girl out of the tree, Light Ash had begun playing a sweet melody on her lute.

One by one the girls appeared, some of their own volition, until there were a total of twelve of them beginning to dance to the music. Light Ash's tune grew livelier and their steps grew more complex. The little nymphs were skilled at their dances.

Lasser stood on the side amazed. Once Deep Maple had her own kind, she seemed to completely forget about him. The twelve circled and dipped and the giggling became intense. Just watching filled Lasser with a lightness of spirit. The forest was alive and dancing again. The magic was reawakening and the creatures of old were coming out into the open, and if legends were true, some of them were not quite as pleasant as the dryads dancing here.

Lasser remembered the two girls from last night. They would need protection from some of the newly awakening creatures, and they had no Mother Trees to disappear into if danger arrived. With regret, Lasser turned from the dryad's dancing, and circled back to the path of the two girls and began once again to track them down.

"I feel ridiculous," Iber said for the third time in an hour. Saratin smiled.

"Better to feel ridiculous than naked. Besides, as soon as we get to Gooled, and warn them about the dragons, the better."

"How do you always manage to find the positive side?"

"I'm well read. I just have many sides, and choose the happiest one. There's no use being miserable all the time. We survived the dragons. We have a horse. We have food and clothing and haven't seen any other dragons since the first two. That sounds pretty good to me."

"I just wish it was the other horse that we had. I mean this nag was hardly fit to pull a wagon, not to mention carry both of us."

"Iber, be positive or I'll sing a song."

"Can you sing?"

"Not a note, but I will if you don't stop worrying… and trust me, that's a threat."

"At least it will keep the dragons away."

The two of them laughed and lapsed into silence. It was true, Saratin thought. The only way to survive in this world was to find the best of what you can. He'd been sold into slavery by his mother, but he found that his sacrifice kept his family fed. His mother had sold him to the brothers where he received food, clothing, an education, and his eventual freedom. Even now, Saratin was technically still a slave owned by the Brotherhood though if he chose to leave, no one would have hunted him down. Perhaps Brother Chauw would find him simply to lecture at him for several hours before giving way, but he more or less was free. These were good things, and he kept them all filed away for when the bad times hit. When he was lonely or saddened by the lack of family, he pulled them out and cherished his thoughts one by one.

"So how much farther until we get to Gooled?" Iber asked.

"I'm not quite sure. I'm the one who's never left Ladona, remember?"

"Oh right. And this horse isn't helping… this horse… that's my horse!"

Saratin looked left as Iber reigned in the nag and turned it towards the pair who had appeared among the trees. There was a girl riding Iber's horse, and a man with shaggy blond hair riding a black stallion. The two had heard his call, and while the girl turned Iber's horse straight towards them, the man held back and approached cautiously.

"Is this your horse? We found him wandering in the forest. He's been hurt, burned. You must be more careful." The girl said. Saratin smiled. It was obvious she had a big heart.

As the two horses pulled abreast to each other, their riders dismounted and approached each other.

"We had a slight run in with a dangerous creature." Iber said as he went over to his horse and inspected his burns. "I myself was slightly scorched as well." The girl took Iber in with a slightly bemused glance. Her eyes fell to the sword strapped to his side with curiosity. They traveled down to the hem of his cassock and back up to his slightly charcoal smudged face.

"What would a brother be doing with such a fine horse?" The man said from atop his own mount. He looked as if he had no intention of giving up his imposing advantage of height.

"Oh, I'm not a brother," Iber said quickly. "As I said, I was slightly scorched as well as my horse. Brother Saratin was quite generous to let me borrow one of his. My name is Iber Menymus." Iber waited as if that name was supposed to mean something to them. By the lack in change of expression, Saratin decided they weren't impressed.