4 Chapter 4

Version 2.0

The winds swirled around them, as Halvar fidgeted with his bow, its sleek edge marked with scratches along its outer edge, even a dent at the bottom. The dire wolf snarled as Halvar ran his finger down the string, feeling the early stats of fraying at the edges, before resting his hand in position. He lightly flicked the sticks twice, feeling the string brush over his fingertips, its rough fibres teasing his skin, tickling them.

Halvar's fingers moved down the string, feeling it burn his skin, before pulling the bowstring slightly taut as he carefully notched an arrow. His eyes, sharp and focused, never left the dire wolf and its cubs. Light flecks of snow started to kick up, as branches bounced, and leaves fluttered down. 

The dire wolf lowered itself, locking eyes with Halvar, its furs flexed standing as ridges. The boys watched as their guts started to bubble, their eyes followed every move of Halvar, whilst the cubs yapped and growled with their mother.

Like a master weald blade cutting through air, a whistle cleaved the air. The quartet's collective gaze turned from the snarling dire wolf to the depths of the forest, its presence heralded by a reflective snarl and bark echoing through the woods.

The dire wolf snarled and barded its teeth before a guttural bark curbed its mood, it fled into the shadows, disappearing with its brood of cubs howling into the woods as it moved away. They shifted their attention to the one who emerged before them.

It resembled a human. With a diminutive stature, no larger than human children, though it did not think nor act like one, for if you live for thousands of years, you will learn a thing or two.

Its face was uncanny similar to human infants, with innocent rounded soft features and disproportionately large and expressive eyes, constantly seeing wonder wherever they looked. These eyes, pools of luminescent lime green, held a depth of ancient knowledge and an ethereal connection to the natural world, for they see more than just one lifetime's worth.

Their skin, a pale grey-green, bore a rough and wrinkled appearance that seamlessly blended with the verdant landscape they called home. Hair adorned only their heads, flowing in an ethereal manner, while eyebrows and body hair were left for more savage beings.

The Children of the Forest, marked by indigo-coloured blood coursing through their veins, existed as guardians of an ageless legacy. Their longevity, measured in millennia, hinted at a profound connection to magical forces, biological intricacies, or perhaps a harmonious blend of both. As ageless beings, they witnessed the aeons unfold and bore witness to the turning of seasons and the rise and fall of life.

/

The Child of the Forest regarded the quartet as she then smiled at Halvar. Halvar, bow in hand, stepped forward cautiously. "Acorn," he greeted with a nod.

Acorn leaned on the tree and waved. "Hey Halvar, I'm glad to see that you are alright. Feel like it has been a while since you came to see me?"

Halvar inclined his head. "It's good to see you too, Acorn." He smiles. "What brings you to the edge of the woods?"

She shakes her head. "The spirits of the forest told me of a dire wolf moving its hunting ground further afield," Acorn replied, her gaze encompassing the quartet. "You just had the privilege of meeting her, quite lovely isn't she."

The boys exchanged glances before Brandon spoke up, "We meant no harm. We were just passing through."

"I know but she did not. It sensed danger, real or perceived. Worry not, no harm would come to you, not in my protectorate." she said as she smiled at the three kids.

"We are already in your protectorate Acorn?" Halvar asked looking around following the lines of moss and tree branch puzzle.

"You are not far from the crossing beyond the border area, Halvar. It seems you were distracted, quite odd of you," Acorn questioned.

"Yea, it's not every day that I have some people to hunt with," Halvar replied, a wry smile playing on his lips as he gestured toward the kids, while they smiled back at her, earning a sweet smile back.

While Halvar and Acorn engaged in their conversation, Jon leaned into Edric with a quizzical expression. "Totally unrelated, but what is the border area again?"

Edric rolled his eyes with an amused smirk. "It's the border area between where humans live and the Children of the Forest reside, the one that they set up on the Isle of Faces."

Jon nodded. "Oh, we are currently in the free-range area, right but beyond that is the area of the Children of the Forest and their Grove. I remember now."

"Thank the Gods for that, wouldn't want you looking like an idea, would we." Edric patted Jon on the shoulder.

Before they could delve deeper into their conversation, the kids were brought back into the main discourse.

"And these are Brandon, Edric, and Jon," Halvar introduced, gesturing toward each member of the party. "Good lads, 'learning' what I teach, well some of them do."

Acorn regarded them with a gaze looking at every part of them before then staring into their eyes. "It is good to put faces to their spirit, I know you lads like to play in these forests, but you would do well to stay out of areas they are not supposed to. Say like looking to find wolves." She smiled whilst the boys avoided eye contact. 

Halvar, patted the boys on the head, "I think they learned their lesson with that one. They are mischievous, but they are starting to learn to reel it back a bit."

The winds kicked up, leaves fluttered and branches shook. "Best to head off, Halvar, It was good seeing you again," Acorn advised, pointing in a direction that seemed to lead away from the immediate vicinity.

"Thanks again, Acorn. We will—" Halvar began, only to be abruptly cut off by Brandon's eager interruption.

"Wait, um, before you go, can we see magic? I heard from one of the travellers at the Inn that your guys can like bend and control trees and stuff. I know it's rude to ask, but can we see it please or maybe you can do some other cool stuff?" Brandon inquired, as he moved closer to Acorn.

Acorn, her gaze fixed on Brandon, took a moment to respond. "Sorry, Acorn, we won't—" Halvar tried to interject, giving Brandon a warning look.

"It is okay, Halvar. Nothing wrong with curiosity," Acorn reassured, walking toward a nearby tree. Placing her hand on the trunk, she leaned in and began whispering words that seemed to transcend any language the quartet knew.

After a while, a branch descended from the sky, carrying a bundle of berries in Acorn's hand before retreating skyward. She handed the berries to Brandon, explaining, "Here, berries that last a lifetime and are sure to fill you up."

"Wow, that was magic, wasn't it?" Brandon marvelled.

"Obviously, genius," Jon said, earning himself a playful slap on the back of the head from Halvar.

"Be respectful, boys. This is a rare opportunity," Halvar admonished.

"Thanks, Acorn," the boys responded, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and gratitude.

Acorn, with an enigmatic stare, left the quartet behind, leaving Jon to comment, "She's nice."

"Yeah, she was cool," Edric commented.

"And we just got to see magic. I think we might be one of the few people in the village who have," Brandon said.

"Alright, boys. I think that is enough for today. We got everything we wanted. Let's head back," Halvar decided, leading the quartet away from the magical encounter and back towards the village of Winterhaven.

The quartet made their way back through the woods, pestles brushed against their legs, winds ruffled hairs, and flowers bloomed to wave their beauty. Robbins fluttered landing on fresh beds of heir and settling into Halvar's head, moving his locks around, tweeting to them before fluttering away.

Snows parted their footsteps, as moss beneath comforted them, sponging around them. The air sweetened as fruits and berries filled the air. A fleeting deer brushed past bushes, squirrels rustled undergrowth, as the distant call of an eagle perched high in the towering branches reached out.

As they emerged from the depths of the woods, the winds died down and birds returned home, as Winterhaven waved smoke trials, and the distant laughter of children reached all the way to them. The warm roofs started melting snow, and the field started to clear of snow.