Forest Dweller
You head off to see the chief, breathing in the fresh air. Last night really wore you out, especially worrying so much about Ayla. Either way, you'd best be hurrying to see the chief. You reach the steps that leads up to his house, and butterflies fill your stomach with anticipation of who the chief is. You pull over the curtains, then have a seat inside. You are quite amazed at what you see.
A small room inside a tree. Barely enough room for three people. Ayla, sitting across from you, smiles.
"He's not here yet. I wonder what he's like."
"Me too, with all the rumors it's hard to tell." You seem to hear the wind whisper something, but it's too soft to tell what it is. Ayla gasps. "What is it?" You ask.
"The wind... what it said..."
"What?"
"I am the chief." Your jaw drops.
"No wonder no one ever saw him. The wood isn't a physical entity. It must speak to the head-elf and the other ones in high command. So the chief is the wood?"
"Yes, apparently." She speaks something back in the same whisper. The returning sound is louder, enough for you to hear.
"I asked him to make him audible to you." Ayla says simply.
"You've done well in protecting both the village and Ayla. You care for her, yes?" You nod. "As I thought. A great devastation is upon us. The men sent after Ayla were after the power she possesses.
"I possess... a power?" Ayla asks, amazed.
"Of course, child. You have the power to speak to the wood."
"But all elves have that power."
"Ah, but not in the way you do. You not only hear the wood, you have the ability to merge with it. Most speak to the wood through their mind, but you can speak like the wind."
"Who is after me?"
"A terrible man. He loathes the elves and hopes to speak to me using you."
"What will that accomplish?"
"It will weaken me if you speak ill of me, for we are almost as one." The wood replies.
"I would never-"
"But he wants you to."
You look at Ayla for a long moment.
"Why Ayla, though? How did she get this power?"
"It was implanted within her by a human. He intended to use you to tear apart the mind of the woods, the being I am. However, you escaped. Before you left, however, he wiped your memory so you could not speak to others about him. However, it backfired- you ended up with the elves and became one with me, as it should be. He wants you back, Ayla."
"Who is he?!"
"In essence, he is your father."
"I'm half... human?"
"In a way. Your mother- you were not borne with her consent." Ayla covers her mouth in shock.
"I thought they died- the holy bond they shared? The one we share in marriage! When one of them dies-"
"A clever ruse. He implanted that memory within your mind. He never married her, he kidnapped her from the village, raped her, waited for her to give birth to you and then murdered her, taking you in as his own." You see tears well up in Ayla's eyes.
"And if he catches me?"
"He cares not about your health. If he could not get you to tear me apart and make the woods wither..."
A small room inside a tree. Barely enough room for three people. Ayla, sitting across from you, smiles.
"He's not here yet. I wonder what he's like."
"Me too, with all the rumors it's hard to tell." You seem to hear the wind whisper something, but it's too soft to tell what it is. Ayla gasps. "What is it?" You ask.
"The wind... what it said..."
"What?"
"I am the chief." Your jaw drops.
"No wonder no one ever saw him. The wood isn't a physical entity. It must speak to the head-elf and the other ones in high command. So the chief is the wood?"
"Yes, apparently." She speaks something back in the same whisper. The returning sound is louder, enough for you to hear.
"I asked him to make him audible to you." Ayla says simply.
"You've done well in protecting both the village and Ayla. You care for her, yes?" You nod. "As I thought. A great devastation is upon us. The men sent after Ayla were after the power she possesses.
"I possess... a power?" Ayla asks, amazed.
"Of course, child. You have the power to speak to the wood."
"But all elves have that power."
"Ah, but not in the way you do. You not only hear the wood, you have the ability to merge with it. Most speak to the wood through their mind, but you can speak like the wind."
"Who is after me?"
"A terrible man. He loathes the elves and hopes to speak to me using you."
"What will that accomplish?"
"It will weaken me if you speak ill of me, for we are almost as one." The wood replies.
"I would never-"
"But he wants you to."
You look at Ayla for a long moment.
"Why Ayla, though? How did she get this power?"
"It was implanted within her by a human. He intended to use you to tear apart the mind of the woods, the being I am. However, you escaped. Before you left, however, he wiped your memory so you could not speak to others about him. However, it backfired- you ended up with the elves and became one with me, as it should be. He wants you back, Ayla."
"Who is he?!"
"In essence, he is your father."
"I'm half... human?"
"In a way. Your mother- you were not borne with her consent." Ayla covers her mouth in shock.
"I thought they died- the holy bond they shared? The one we share in marriage! When one of them dies-"
"A clever ruse. He implanted that memory within your mind. He never married her, he kidnapped her from the village, raped her, waited for her to give birth to you and then murdered her, taking you in as his own." You see tears well up in Ayla's eyes.
"And if he catches me?"
"He cares not about your health. If he could not get you to tear me apart and make the woods wither..."