The Wishing Tree

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The Writing Owl

The Writing Owl

Authoress
Original poster
LURKER MEMBER
FOLKLORE MEMBER
Invitation Status
Posting Speed
  1. Speed of Light
  2. One post per day
  3. One post per week
  4. Slow As Molasses
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
  4. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Transgender
  5. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Fantasy, Romance, A bit of horror, magical, and almost everything.
It was a beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, the birds were singing, everyone was having a generally good time. The whole town of Loria, in the kingdom of Aliana, seemed to be alight with pure excitement. Many would ask why, but the answer was quite simple. A rumor floated around saying that the person who knew of the whereabouts of the Wishing Tree was coming to town. No one knew exactly what this person looked like, but they knew the signs to look for. The person always had a mask covering their nose and the rest of their face, but leaving the eyes untouched. The person also always went to the local tavern first, ordering for a flask to be filled with whatever alcoholic drink they had. So the town was alight as people started to search among the crowd and travelers quickly rushed to the town, hoping to meet the person.

The tavern itself was nearly full of people. Different species from far and wide huddled in the room, wanting dearly to meet this mysterious person so they too may know where this magnificent tree was. Orcs laughed loudly as a few naga slivered about. A couple of werekin, scars littered on their faces drank heavily. A few elves, obviously disinterested, kept their sharp eyes on whoever seemed to fit the description. A couple of fairies flitted around the room as they seemed to pick on anyone and everyone they could find.

The normally empty tavern was full of life, the owners were grateful. As they surveyed the large room, rushing to help anyone who asked. This was definitely a good day for business. Especially since it would only get even more crowded as the day went on. The owners, a couple of Kitsune who had lived in the town for years, were very happy as the only other time it would be this crowded was if the Prince Alexei himself was coming.

In a shadowed corner, Yuki watched the happenings of the tavern, keeping a cup of alcohol in her hands. Most people ignored her for the most part, looking for the strong man that was suppose to know of the whereabouts of the Wishing Tree. She kept to herself, waiting for a more quiet opportunity to go up to the bar and ask for her flask filled. This was definitely the most crowded tavern she had been in so far. Hopefully they wouldn't all jump on her like the last time.
 
It felt so weird to walk on the streets of Loria for the first time.Even though she had been watching the town and its people for a long while now, Silica had never dared to interact with its residents, and pretty much anyone else.Nobody in town had ever seen her --- not even her fellow spiritual and magical creatures that regularly comes and goes there --- and if it wasn't for the forest green cloak she's using to cover her face and pretty much her whole body, people would question her presence...or so she thought.

Silica had always been curious about humans, but she was too scared to approach and actually communicate to one.Heck, she doesn't even have a reason to talk to them anyways.The only reason she finally decided to go in was because of that guy everybody had been talking about; the reason the streets of Loria are currently empty (and she's happy that it's empty).They say that he knows where the Wishing Tree is.For so long she had always wanted to see the said tree, but for a Forest Sprite, she has no idea where it is.

She slightly pulled her cloak's hood up and took a peek of the streets. Yup, people were definitely as eager to hear about it as she is.But where has everybody gather to listen to what this said man has got to say? What is a man anyways? Is that the one with muscular built bodies or the ones with inflated chests..? Silica stood in the middle of the streets in thought as she started to get confused about human's gender differences again. Then she just sighed and pulls the hood down over her eyes again. I am so lost...
 
Farren walked through the uneven cobblestone streets of town, pushing his cart of vegetables and goods hoping to find some customers. You never knew when someone wanted a bunch of carrots or a head of cabbage. Farren stopped and took off his cap, wiping the beads of sweat collecting on his forehead despite the cool air, then placed it back on his head. He turned around to face his sister, who was following slowly behind him, her nose buried deep in a book like always. He chuckled. "Callie, pick up your head! You're going to run into someone if you don't keep your eyes on the streets instead of that book!" he joked. Callie continued walking, not breaking her stride or looking up as she responded. "Farren! Quiet! I'm at the best part! And it's not like anyone is coming. They're all at home or in the tavern. It is early morning, after all."

He chuckled again, then stopped the cart at his usual street corner. He looked around, realizing she was right. The normally packed streets were empty, and his usual customers were nowhere in sight. Callie finally caught up, plopping herself down on the sidewalk next to him, still reading. He examined the title. " 'The art of Wicca'? So you're a witch now, huh?" He laughed at his joke. Callie looked up at him, giving him a lopsided smile, then returned to the book. "Sure, Farren. Now, I'm going to cast a spell that will make customers appear out of mid-air!" she said, waving her hand around as if holding a wand. Farren smiled broadly. "That would be great actually. Something to liven things up." He said as he faced the streets, a smile still on his face.

Suddenly, barreling down the street came Thistle, the little girl of one of Farrens customers. He looked down at her. "Good morning Thistle! How are you this morning? And why such a hurry?" The little girl smiled up at the kind boy, catching her breath, then held out a few gold coins. "I have to get the vegetables super duper quick! Mommy wants to make a big soup for dinner to celebrate that guy and some Wishing tree or something. Can I have a bundle of carrots and four potatoes?" She said, still catching her breath from running. Farren could hear Callie getting up behind him, the look over the wooden cart at the little girl, her eyes wide with interest,. "Did you say something about a Wishing Tree?" She asked the girl. Farren listened in, handing her her veggies.

Thistle nodded her head, her short brown hair bobbing. "Yup, She said some guy was coming with secrets about the tree. It grants wishes!" Her blue eyes grew wide at this point. She grabbed the vegetables, leaving the coins on the cart. "See ya later, Farren! And miss Callie!" she yelled as she bounded off down the street. Farren chuckled. "Cute kid." He said as he turned back to the vegetables. But Callie was still staring. She grabbed her brothers shoulders, making him drop the head of lettuce he was holding. "That tree she was talking about? It's real! I've read about it in one of my books. It grants wishes to people! And this guy coming today? I heard he's gonna be at the tavern. We need to go check him out!" She started pulling on his arm, to no avail. The young man stood strong as his shorter but older sister pulled, but he shook her off. She looked at him, annoyed but smiling. "Callie, we aren't even old enough to go in there." She huffed, then sat back behind the cart. "Then I guess we'll wait here. Tell me if you see anything suspicious." she said as she began reading again. Farren smiled and turned toward the road. Suspicious, huh? He looked around at the quiet street. Nothing like that ever happens here, he thought. But maybe, today will be different.
 
At the edge of the forest sat Ledinia, listening to the birds that were challencing eachother with their songs. She tried hearing past the birds and picking up conversation from the village. It calmed her to listen to whatever she could from the village. The daily news, rumours, fighting or just the silly sounds of children playing. She listened to them everyday untill her ears started twitching and she should go back into the forest again. This time however it was silent except for the soft murmering in the distance. A bird flew away from one of the trees above her and took her out of concentration. 'This isn't right, it's too silent. Should I... check what's going on?' She looked at the village and then at the forests. It was a bit unnerving for her to leave the forest, it was the place were she had lived for twenty years whitout getting in contact with civilisation. Her curiousity was strong but she decided against going in the village, her life was her too dear. Ledinia turned around and was about to enter the forest again when she heard a crow above her. 'Seriously? Right now?' This meant that the situation had changed, the village was safer than the forest, for her it was. She ran to the village before the crows had time to decend.

This time Ledinia sat on the edge of the village, she wasn't listening to the sounds, she was only looking. It was empty, the village was actually empty. Her eyes brightened from delight. Being able to enter the village without being hunted down was like a dream for her. Slowly she walked trough the streets, enjoying the sights and smells. 'It has been so long since I felt stone under my feet.' Sighing from happiness she kept on walking, now unconcerned about the missing people or the murmuring in the distance. She was so caught up in her reminiscence that she didn't notice the people with the cart on the street. That was until she smelled the vegetables and turned to the source of it. Ledinia stood frozen on the spot when she saw a big person standing there, he seemed big enough to hunt and kill her. Cautiously she made a step while keeping an eye on him. 'If he notices me or isn't suprised by my appearance then I'm doomed.' She made another slow step before she ran away. After a while of running she smelled the forest, the strange thing was that it came from the village. When she came closer she saw a hooded person and Ledinia quickly dived into an alley. She tried to smell and listen to find out her location in the village and were she should go. Smell didn't work, that hooded person smelled too much like the forests. Listening didn't work either, she only heard jolly and drunk people blabbering. Ledinia did hear something interesting about a wishing tree or something. She knew that from somewhere. The fox sat still for a while in the alley and tried to remember where she had heard it before. Then it came to her, HE had told her. He had said that it would be her solution. Determined to find out more she listened again. Frozen with concentration while sitting in the alley.
 
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The city was unusually empty for a time like this. Normally when Daelin came back from his hunting trips the town was full of life and vigor. Hopefully his regular merchant was around for him to sell off the meat cuts to. A quick inspection of the shop showed that no, his regular merchant was not around. What could possibly be happening that would cause Eric to miss Daelin's drop-off? The ranger fumed a little; he didn't enjoy killing the creatures of the nearby forest, but when their population starts inflating and the normal predators are gone or killed, it's the Ranger Lodge's job to thin the numbers back to safe levels. Selling the skins and meat from his hunts was just a side perk of doing his job. At any rate, standing around here and boiling at the ears wouldn't help matters, so Daelin shouldered the satchel of meat once more and set a course for the next stop on his after-hunting-trip return to town: the tavern. He wasn't much of a drinker, but nothing beat a mug of smooth ale after an extended hunting trip.

As the ranger walked the streets, the lack of noise was soon broken as he heard a rather large commotion further down the street. Daelin sighed outwardly; the tavern was never this rowdy and that's why he liked it. The only other place for Daelin to go was the Ranger Lodge, but that was out of the city and the increasingly-more-frustrated Daelin didn't want to leave just yet. Caught up in his fuming, something out of the corner of his eye caught the ranger's attention. His vision snapped over into an alleyway and more importantly a pair of grayish-brown eyes that seemed to gleam in the darkness. The familiar gaze caught him off guard, as he wasn't expecting a fox to be in the city, much less this one. Daelin had heard stories from other rangers at the Lodge about an odd fox that seemed to defy their every expectation of what a fox should be doing. They nicknamed her Lady, due to the fact that she acted more like a human than a fox. Daelin usually dismissed the stories as rubbish, the product of a couple of bored minds that couldn't sleep. Of course, truth can be stranger than fiction, and if Daelin ever had a sliver of belief in those silly stories, he did after meeting "Lady" for himself. It was a routine pack-thinning hunt due to poachers killing off the main predators in the area. The work disgusted Daelin, but he knew it was a gruesome requirement; protecting nature meant more than just deterring unlicensed hunters. He turned his sights on a fox, his arrow nocked and ready to fly, but the look in the creature's eyes gave him pause. It was a fearful look, and at closer inspection the fox was shivering. The fear in that creature's eyes belonged to a different animal, and no fox he'd ever seen shivered in fright before. He removed the arrow from his bowstring and watched as the fox dashed back into the forest. After that encounter, Daelin had never seen "Lady" again, until today. Scratching his head, he felt vaguely apologetic for their last meeting, so he eased towards the fox, careful not to make any sudden moves, and pulled a small cut of rabbit from his pack, kneeling down and offering it to her. "Must be tough in the city for you. Take this." He said, and immediately thought he'd gone out of his damn mind. Daelin was a bit more in touch with the "protect nature" part of being a Ranger than most of the others at the Lodge, but outright talking to animals? Just wait until they got wind of that.
 
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Sudarshan found himself stirring. He couldn't have known precisely why, but presumably it was a mix of the morning sun well on its way to warming him up and the mere fact that it had been...how many days? He sleepily tried to remember the fluctuations of day and night that he had witnessed between his naps of varying duration. If memory served him correctly, he'd obtained this inn room two days ago and had a freshly slaughtered goat brought to him that evening. (He'd asked for "something small.") This was the second morning. Some switch in his brain flipped at this realization. His eyes snapped open. This was the day people had been talking about in that tavern down the street when he'd first arrived, before he'd even been directed to this inn. The stranger who knew of the Wishing Tree would be in town today. He couldn't miss such a thing. He'd initially come to Loria with the intent of scouring its library, one of the more extensive ones in the area, but his luck had turned significantly upon hearing the news. This was far more than he'd hoped for. There was no way he'd let himself miss this chance.

The real question, of course, was whether he'd be able to crawl more than two feet from the bed today. He shuffled his coils experimentally. They were sluggish for sure, but they seemed smooth in shape and fairly responsive. He lifted his upper body with a groan and let his coils slip off the bed. So far so good. Each movement warmed him up a little more, and once he was stretched and dressed, he felt significantly more energized. Even though he had this inn room booked for another night and could have left unnecessary belongings here behind a locked door, he donned his gear along with his clothing out of habit. Better safe than sorry. His chain mail was layered between his undershirt and his tunic, his blade buckled to his waist, and his bag slung over one shoulder. Having all his belongings on his person made him feel secure and self-sufficient. Once ready, he locked his room door behind him and headed out into the street, his facial expression and his pace over the cobblestone both strong and determined.

He noticed with some curiosity that the street was nearly empty, save for a few figures in the distance, and the tavern four buildings down the road had quite a commotion coming from inside. With the traveler coming to this tavern today, he didn't find all of this surprising, but he did grit his teeth at the thought of having to tolerate a crowd. He ignored the man hunched over a couple buildings further up the street and slithered into the tavern.
 
Getzanu opened his eyes as the sunlight pierced through the leaves of the old oak tree he had taken refuge under. Today would be the beginning of his journey to the end and be a bright light to guide him on his sea of sorrow. There had been rumors of an individual who knew the whereabouts of the Wishing Tree and Getzanu intended to find him or her and obtain that knowledge. He slowly stood up, taking a moment to watch the sunrise before him. He wasn't sure why, he had watched the sunrise countless times before, yet this one was more brilliant than any of the ones prior. This one symbolized something and Getzanu kept watching to try capturing it within a word. He couldn't stay for very long as he needed to get to the tavern in Loria to have a chance to find the person who knew about the Wishing Tree. He grabbed his long-sword and began his trek to the town.

As Getzanu arrived in Loria, a town he knew well, no one greeted him at the gates nor were the streets bustling with people. Even if someone knew where the Wishing Tree was, the town shouldn't be this quiet. He sighed and began to wander in the direction of the tavern. As he walked, a small child ran by holding some carrots and potatoes. He wondered why, but it wasn't too much of a concern. She had something important to do and so did he. The tavern wasn't too much farther up the road, but you could hear the people who gathered there from where he was. He decided to take a seat outside the tavern and watch for anyone who matched the rumored description. At least then, he may have a shot of getting the information of the Wishing Tree's location and not having other people clinging to him for protection and safety on their journey there.
 
Tawali moved carefully along the empty street, unsure why a town would be this quiet. In the past, he had went out of his way to avoid the city, but now he was utterly surprised to see that there was almost no one around. He pushed opened the door into the tavern, and was given a few dirty look from the patrons that filled the building. He looked around, noting the faces of a few stand-outs. Of course, Tawali was used to coming out and saying what he needed in a tribe that consisted of just under 40 people.

"Wishing Tree! Where do find?!" Tawali said, his voice echoed through the room and nearly silenced the room.

~-~-~Earlier

He moved along the shadows as if he was one. It was not the first time had taken this approach, but he feared it might be his last. He pulled the string back on his bow and aimed carefully at the deer. The deer looked at him, and he looked at it. He hesitated, and it was over.

He fucking hesitated.
 
Her surroundings had blurred and now she only heard the sounds around her, open eyes that saw nothing, nose that couldn't smell anything and tongue that didn't taste anything, only sound existed. Ledinia was still concentrating on the sounds in the tavern when she heard footsteps approach. She snapped back in attention to what was in front of her. Without her noticing someone had gotten close and it wasn't good, staying on the spot seemed her only solution to avoid the worse other than death. The guy that stood in front of her was now reaching for his pack, it made her slowly stand up. If it was a weapon then she had to run away, running from the sitting position wasn't fast enough. "Must be tough in the city for you. Take this." The guy held something out that smelled like rabbit meat and it smelled delicious. It had been a while since she had eaten some fresh rabbit, with all the predators in the woods she was barely able to hunt for food. For a moment she looked at the meat but then focused on the guy. The problem was the hand that offered the meat and the intentions behind it. No sensible man would give away a good piece of meat to an animal. Ledinia had heard enough stories from the animals about losing family members to poisoned food. It made her simply suspicious but the guy itself piqued her curiousity. She knew him from before but she didn't know where and she definitly knew that they hadn't met in the village.

Ledinia was still staring at him instead of the piece of meat, not ignoring the alluring smell of it. She knew the guy, she was sure of it but she just couldn't remember. Sighing she gave in to the fact that she could just ask who he was and what he was trying to do. Still cautious, in case he would turn to kill her, she was preparing a mental link. "You... Do you think it's smart to try to tame a fox. You will only make their lives miserable." She sniffed the meat, to satisfy her own hunger a bit and to create a false sense of acceptance. Leaving the meat in the hand she looked at him. "I know you from somewhere.... Can I know where we could have met before?" Ledinia thought that if maybe she was lucky that he was an ally. Meanwhile she heard the tavern slightly tone down in the tarm of noise.
 
The sun rose higher in the sky, yet the streets were still void of people. Callie stood and placed her finished book down, stretching her arms from sitting for so long and standing up next to her brother, who still had a full cart of produce. She sighed, putting her head in her hands and watching the street, hoping for another customer to go by to liven things up. she put her head in her hands and groaned at her brother. "Farren, why can't we go in there? If something interesting doesn't happen soon, I will die of boredom. I'm not kidding." Farren looked down at her and smiled. "Callie, we aren't even old enough to drink." He said, trying to dissuade her. she stood up straight in an attempt to seem taller than her brother, who was an astonishing 5'10" at his age of 15, to no avail. "But I am! And heck, you're so tall, nobody would even question your age! Pleeaseee?" She pleaded, grabbing on to Farren's arm and looking up at him and pouting.

Farren laughed, the shook her off. "Alright, alright, I'll go in, you big drama queen. But I have to bring the cart. Don't want anyone stealing it." Callie smiled enthusiastically, nodding her head. "Yes! Finally! An adventure! And, when you bring in the cart, all the drunk men who stayed the night will be so hungry, they'll pay extra for some veggies from the cart!. Let's go!" She said as she ran ahead, Farren rolling his eyes and pushing the cart behind her.
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Daelin wanted to be surprised that the fox didn't trust him, but what was most peculiar was that it was staring him in the eyes intently, as though it were trying to recognize him. As it were, it wasn't so surprising given his previous encounter with the odd fox. If any animal were to behave peculiarly, it would be this one. What did surprise Daelin, however, was the fact that it began talking to him. His eyes widened a little and his brows raised, but other than this he didn't show any sign of shock. He was good at keeping still, which was what made him a good ranger. However, he listened to the fox's words, and blinked. Sighing slightly, Daelin pulled his pack off his shoulder and stored the meat back inside it as he brought himself down to a sitting position. "I suppose not, but even hunters need help sometimes. Pardon me if I offended you." he apologized. Daelin knew better than to tame wild animals just for them to be pets. A good ranger only tames the animal he intends to keep as a life-long partner and ally. Of course, that doesn't mean he can't give some food to an odd fox that doesn't seem to mind being in the city. The fox's next question, however, took Daelin a little off guard. Their last encounter wasn't exactly a friendly one, even if he let her go. "We last met in the forest. I very nearly killed you but stopped myself. Whether that was a good or bad thing I have yet to determine." he added matter-of-factly. "I'm leaning more towards 'good', as I sense you are not merely a fox. Call it a ranger's instinct, but there's something more to you than the other animals." Indeed, the rangers had a connection with nature unmatched by any human save for the druids. Daelin's connection was a bit sharper than the other rangers', which is most likely what held him back from killing the fox before him. Sometimes his instincts act faster than his brain can comprehend them and he doesn't understand why he did something, as was the case with his previous encounter with the fox. Now, however, his senses are giving his brain time to catch up, and the reasoning became rather clear.
 
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The tavern froze at the yell, the quiet enveloping it before the men and women in the place burst out laughing. A larger man, a human who was clearly drunk, walked up to Tawali, giving him a friendly pat on the back. "Oh calm down, kid, we don't know where the Wishing Tree is! Come on! Have a drink!" He pushed his cup into the boy's hand before stumbling off, singing loudly as the tavern returned to its naturally loud state. Though there was much partying, many people were careful to look for the person who knew of the wishing tree. So far, none could find him.

Yuki snorted at the loud outburst. Just because he asked did not mean that someone was just going to give him the info. The foreigner, she could tell from his clothes and poor Alianian, definitely came from somewhere small. She sighed as she finally had enough of waiting. She just wanted to get her things and get out before things went crazy. Like they always did.

The white haired girl walked up to the bar where she pulled out a flask and handed it to the man serving. "Fill it with whatever you have." She said, glancing around as for the second time that day, the tavern silenced. People stared at her, unable to move. The only one who did anything as the server, quickly getting a mead and filling the rather large flask.

It only took a minute for some man to be brave enough to ask her the question where they were all thinking. "Do you... You know where the Wishing Tree is?" A werekin asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked the young girl up and down.

Yuki sighed as she was handed her flask. She took it and dug a small pellet out of a hidden pocket. "I do." She put a few gold coins onto the counter. The people immediately started to swarm toward her, each demanding that she tell them where the wishing tree was. To escape the crowding, she threw the smoke bomb as fighting started. Smoke filled the large room as Yuki tried to slip through the crowd. Somebody obviously had brought out a knife as a missed swipe scratched her side, leaving a fairly deep scratch.

The girl ran out of the tavern, a small trail of blood following as she tried to find somewhere, anywhere to hide and assess the harsh pain in her side. Slowly, people started slinking out of the tavern, yelling as people tried to figure out where to go to find the white haired girl. The streets were definitely getting livelier now.
 
As the tribal man entered and asked about the Wishing Tree, two children approached the tavern with a vegetable cart. Getzanu shook his head and stood up, thinking the entire thing was a fake. Well, until the tavern erupted in chaos over someone ordering the drink that was rumored about and admitting to having knowledge of the Wishing Tree. "Get back." He said, directing it towards the two who were walking up with their cart. He could hear the fighting break out among those within the tavern, all wanting to be the sole person who gained the knowledge. Some smoke started coming out of the doorway and then a girl who was clutching her side, blood dripping from between her fingers. She ran off, probably looking for a place to sit and look at her wound, as the patrons came out.

"Hey. You. Where'd she go?" This one question from the third or fourth patron to come out, which quickly gathered a mob around Getzanu. "I was just walking up. I didn't see her." He said calmly as the mob grew angrier and more rowdy. What am I getting myself into? I guess I'm going to pass out soon. There are many knives and other weapons held here by increasingly angry people. He wouldn't dare to raise his sword against them and continued to repeat his simple lie.
 
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She quetly looked on as he put the meat back in his backpack. I should have said something else, even if the meat's alright now I won't get any of it. Ledinia listened to what he was saying while she also sat down. After hearing the short story she finnaly recognized him. "Ah... The ranger who spared me on the second worst day of my life. Thanks for trusting your instinct." A canine smile appeared on her face while she continued. "I'm not a normal fox that's true, but what I am doesn't really matter to you." Ledinia was amusefully suprised when she heard her own accidental rhyming. "My name is Ledinia, care to give yours?" Her ears started twitching and she suddenly looked at the direction of the tavern. She didn't say anything but stood up and looked outside the alley while standing next to the ranger. "Sounds like they found the one who knows about the wishing tree." Ledinia followed her comment by smelling the slight breeze that was blowing in the town. "She is hurt. Want to go search for her and see?" Her eyes had brightened as she saw this as one big game of tag and she was it." Calmly she walked out of the alley with her canine smile still plastered on her face. With all the commotion no one would notice a fox strudging around.
 
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Before they could enter the tavern, a masked figure dove out of the musty building followed by a hoard of drunk men, yelling and cursing. The person was clutching their side, their clothes soaked with blood. Callie's eyes widened, and Farren had to grab her arm before she ran off to help the bleeding figure and got hurt after listening to a warning from a nearby man. "Don't go after them, you'll draw attention to yourself. Let's just go home, nobody is around anyway." Callie looked dissapointed, but nodded and followed the rickety wooden cart.

"We could have helped them! We should go back before they get hurt by those...those heathens!" Farren listened to her vent. "I know, I know. But I had to choose my battles, and I would've rather saved you then someone I barely knew running out of a bar." He looked at his older sister and smiled, though she was still pouting. "Look, tomorrow we'll look around, and if we find them, then we'll ask what happened. Deal?" He held out his hand. She looked up at him, her eyes suspicious, before she shook and smiled. "Deal. Maybe they knew something interesting? Or maybe..." She stopped in her tracks. "That's it! They were all chasing that person because they must know about the Wishing Tree! We have to find them now, we just have to! I need to see that tree, or I will die unfulfilled." Farren laughed at his sister, but nodded. "Alright, drama queen. We'll go out tomorrow. I know how much you want to know about that tree." She smiled and stood on her tiptoes, ruffling his hair. "Thanks little bro. Now, let me tell you about this book I'm reading..."
 
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Daelin nodded at her thanks, and then shrugged when she told him what she really was didn't matter to him. "As you say. I'm Daelin." he replied, segueing into his introduction seamlessly. "I'd tip my hat but I don't think we'll have time for it." His ears had perked up at the increased commotion, and Ledinia seemed to have noticed as well, for she had stood up and moved out into the street. The ranger furrowed his brow a little at her suggestion that they go find trouble, but it wasn't as if he had no sense of adventure. "Sure. It's a Ranger's job to look after the injured if they can be of assistance." He said, levering himself up to a standing position and unclipping the sheath-locks on his blades just to be safe. It was never a good idea to knowingly walk into trouble unprepared, and whatever trouble they were to run into, he was sure it wouldn't give him time to calculate a favorable bow shot. Following his companion's nose, Daelin made his way through the mob and eventually came out on the other side, clean. Ledinia had already gotten somewhat of a head start, but if the faint blood trail on the ground was any indication, they weren't too far anyway. Ducking into a side alley, he was met with the sight of Ledinia looking curiously at the hurt woman, and Daelin had to complement her hiding skills. The city was a large place, but if you're good enough, you can find a hiding spot anywhere. "Ho there, I'm Daelin, a ranger of the Lodge. I can tend your wounds, if you're so inclined." Normally he wasn't one to throw his title around but this woman already seemed pretty wary so it was best to dispel any notions of shady business. Although Daelin was a rather skilled field medic in his own right, his closer connection to nature also allowed him to draw upon certain abilities. A mending heal was one that he used quite often in his line of work, though the severity of the wound was a factor in whether magic would be of use. Daelin might be a somewhat gifted ranger, but he was no cleric.

However, before he could even think about beginning to treat the woman's wounds, a couple of stragglers broke free of the mob and started charging the Wishing Tree informant. That they even recognized her in their inebriated state was a small wonder to Daelin, but when they both drew knives he knew it was time to get serious. He unsheathed both of his blades with a flourish and held the left-hand blade with a reverse grip in front of his face. Daelin narrowed his eyes and glared at the two rabble-rousers. "Advance much further and you'll find yourself full of holes." he threatened, tightening the grip on his blades to match. "Unless you want to fight as well, I suggest you help this woman get somewhere safe." he told Ledinia, widening his stance and looking positively battle-ready. Hopefully intimidation alone would be enough to scare off the drunkards, but ale tends to addle one's mind and fill them with false bravado, so Daelin had to be ready for anything.
 
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Tawali took the drink that he was handed, but didn't bother drinking out of it. He was confused; these people were supposed to know. He furrowed his brow and glanced over the room again. It wasn't rowdy, no, but you could easily tell half of the men there were intoxicated. He nearly turned to leave when someone asked a girl who was refilling her flask about the location of the tree.

When the girl said that she did indeed know where the tree was, he brightened up a bit. Before he could question her, though, the entire bar had crowded her. Tawali kept his distance, confused about the situation and why everyone else wanted to see the tree so bad. When the girl broke free from the crowd, she ran right past Tawali and out the door. He spun on his heel and nearly leaped out of the door, but by the time he was out, the girl had disappeared into the vacant street. She did however, tell Tawali exactly where to go.

Small drops of blood marked her path; it was something so minute that only a skilled tracker would have noticed right away.

She hadn't gotten far, and by the time he caught up with her, the mob had found the traces of blood. He watched as a few members of the mob broke free and rushed the girl, who was now getting help from an oddly dressed archer. He quickly took out his bow, notched an arrow, and pulled it back, aiming. Tawali didn't understand what the ranger was saying, and released an arrow which pierced the back of one of the mobsters.

All Tawali could muster before knocking another arrow was: "Run!"

Tawali pushed through the mobsters that were ahead of him and tried to join the group that had the informant in their escape.
 
Draso closed in on the city as he walked along the road. He had been travelling for quite some time to get here, and he was optimistic that he would get the information he needed here. Here in Loria he was known as "The Bronze Statue", a name he had gotten from his armor, as you may have already guessed. He approached the relatively lively city and entered through the iron gates. Before he could get too far, he was greeted by a familiar voice.

"It's been a while, Draso. Are you going to be in town long?"

"Am I ever in town long, Tulius?" Draso laughed and turned around, confirming that it was indeed his blacksmith friend Tulius.

Tulius and Draso met when Draso was just a teenager. Draso had traveled to Loria to have his war-axes made, and Tulius happened to be the blacksmith who forged the weapons that he still used today. Draso's friend walked alongside him down the moderately busy streets of the marketplace. They spoke about how their lives had been going, and more importantly, about the status of the Knights Guild. It was certainly not good, especially after the last attack, but like all warriors did, they would rebuild and regain their glory.

After departing, Draso was drawn to a commotion in a relatively quiet place in town. He turned onto to the street, and his first reaction was to draw his war-axes. A mob of people looked as though they were successfully pursuing a group of travelers, and better yet he recognized one of them: Daelin. He was a member of the Lodge, the brother guild to the Knights of the Palace. He walked slowly to the group that was playing defense, and noticed that a tribal man had already made a move in favor of them, and had joined Daelin's party as well.

"Disperse or perish!"
 
Getzanu watched as the two with the cart got away safely from the chaos unfolding on the streets of Loria. He then heard two blades being unsheathed, peering over in the direction of the sound allowed him to see that a Ranger held them defensively against a few members of the crowd who were... following something? Getzanu couldn't tell but one fell as an arrow hit him in the back of the shoulder. As the injured man hit the ground, a voice resounded "Disperse or perish!" Enough is enough. Getzanu forced his way through the crowd, ending up between the Ranger with The Bronze Statue and the mob.

"Are we really going to turn our weapons against drunken fools in search of a tall tale?" Getzanu half shouted his question over the noise of the mob, which cried out against the Wishing Tree being a tall tale. He put a hand on the hilt of his blade, preparing to draw and defend the crowd if necessary. I'm probably only encouraging the crowd, but threats of violence? "Those searching for knowledge of the Wishing Tree should search elsewhere. She's gone." Getzanu said, more to the angry mob, but in part to himself so he wouldn't charge the Ranger and knight.
 
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((I must have missed an alert or something I'm so sorry everybody aaaaaa))

Sudarshan cast his gaze casually around the tavern at first. His informants two days ago had passed on the rumor that this visitor would be wearing a mask over his face. Unfortunately, there were many faces in this crowd, and either by poor luck in his scan of the room or by the chance that this rumored person wasn't present yet or simply did not exist, Sudarshan saw no mask. He sighed, disheartened, and was just about to slither up to the bar to kill time when a loud voice with a heavy accent boomed into the tavern from the door, causing him to cringe. Cut that out, I just woke up, he thought. Be nice. Well, if nothing else, the sudden intrusion had quieted the crowd for a few precious seconds, and now that those seconds had passed and the occupants of the tavern had recovered, it was back to being a jabbering crowd again. He huffed and resumed his mission of heading over to the bar. Large groups of people had never been his strong point.

He settled into an open space at the bar, but in lieu of ordering anything, he was soon distracted a strange young woman who came up beside him and ordered a drink of her own. His expression immediately shifted to surprise; hell, his jaw would've dropped if he lacked more control. This was the person in the mask, and if the hush around him meant anything, he wasn't the only one to notice. This was the person he'd been looking for, but in that silence so tense it could've been smashed like glass, he couldn't think of anything to say. He'd been waiting for this moment, and he was struck dumb like an idiot.

The silence was quickly "remedied," however, and somewhere in the scuffle that followed, which Sudarshan wanted no part of, he received a sharp elbow to the stomach. With a gasp and wince, he drew back and cradled his middle with one arm as much out of surprise as out of pain. By the time he stopped squinting, smoke had filled the room, the strange masked woman was gone, and the tavern seemed a fair bit emptier. He blinked in confusion, the weight of the situation taking a few seconds to hit him. No. No! She's gone. I needed her! His quest for a drink now forgotten, he hurried, if his actions could at all be described as "hurrying," back to the door and belatedly made to follow the small crowd that had dispersed into the street. Curse my sluggishness! If only I'd made it into town a day sooner... Well, at least if nothing else had gone his way, the crowd was easy to follow, and he kept a short distance behind them as he slithered along through the street. The tribal-looking man who had shouted earlier was ahead of him, and as this man and a few more people farther forward shouted out a variety of threats, Sudarshan knew immediately that he did not want to get involved. He wanted to see where the girl had gone, yes, but that was not worth a meaningless battle. He caught up to the crowd but kept to the edge, sidling towards the nearest building to lean against it, cross his arms, and watch the proceedings in silence for the time being.
 
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