Of Strings and Strength: Chapter XXXVI

The Woods of those who Dwell Within Them (artwork at a later date by Renald)

Down, down, and down into the forest below they descended, eager to be amid the trees and no longer out in the open sunlight. The solace of the trees did them much good; it was nicer to be surrounded by nature as opposed to the open air, or to other people. And many of them all felt that their energy for other people had been indeed drained.

But they were not welcomed as they expected to be. Frelda greeted them as they entered the depths of the trees with knives drawn, but on her face was relief. “You’re back!” she exclaimed, looking first to Helda and Geldon, and then overjoyed as she surveyed the rest of the group. “We’ve been expecting you for so long, although at the same time…we never knew whenever you’d return.”

She accompanied them into the forest, where Breldon awaited in a wooden seat by the small brook next to the silvasonus which was vacant of a player. Alna loved the sound of that little brook because it reminded her of home, but it also made her all the more anxious. Technically they’d all never been as close to yet so far from home. Breldon glanced up from his collection of parchments, regarded them all for the hint of a second, glanced back at his parchments, and then up again, with happiness radiating off his face.

“Ah, well!” he exclaimed. “Never thought we’d be seeing any of you ever again due to your…