Having seen all that he cares to in this strange wood, Haildas hunts down the elf known as Gille to begin his trek back towards the Tou.

 Gille  is  found  doing work at the Fletcher's. Mostly   plucking  feathers  and  such  and  sorting them by size  and Color.. rejects  are  put in a container to be  sold or given to people who want to  use them for  clothings  and such.

  The  Fletcher Nods to Gillie   and a  younger  elf takes his  place. they go to  Gillie's  home were he announces he is Leading  Haildas  away. The  female..( Gillie's Mother?)   gives them a cloth sack with a loaf  of breads  and a  leather pouch of  Butter. to take.


.. they head  North-west, more or less........so, Good Haildas... you seem to wish to travel the  lands without your   Brothers and Sisters of the Arrow?.... Most folk look forward to the chance to be one...

"Yes, that does seem to be the consensus amongst many of the people.  I am still new to this land so I wish to learn more.  Not to mention, the life of...well, someone in my line of work, it is taxing to say the least.  It wears on one not just physically.  From time to time, one must walk away and heal."

  As they travel through the wood, The young elf  seems  well at ease, even with some deep throated roars echoing through the trees...

 sometimes a flock of Razorhawks   will  flit through the trees  on their way to somewhere...


 Or  a Warden  , high in the trees, will let him/herself known .


 ..some humans  say , the Black Timber is cursed, and death to  those who enter.... Some  Black Timber  Elves  say the same thing  about   Ironmound.

"I have found such tales myself as they seem to echo one another from land to land and realm to realm.  Seems everyone sees the 'boogeyman' hidden amongst those they do not know...or care to know."

     The young Elf  stops  him and motions him  to the side of the road.


  At first a pair  of Wardens  are  seen walking Up the road .. then, around a   bend in  the road  cam a small Merchant wagon.. Pans, baskets and   such   swung  or banged against the side  as the  thing Lurched.


 seems one brave  merchant asked to be enter the Timber...

"Is it truly a place riddled with such dangers?  Or is it simply hyperbole and fear of the unknown?"

 The pair step back on the road...The Elven Druids  and sages  have worked  hard on  bending  nature into a defensive force.. Then the   Elven MAges.. at least the  Arboreal ones , added thier    studies  and skills..there are  many  spells  and such, the Elves of the trees  know, that the elves of the   cities   do not....nor the HUmans ever  will.

 Our People  and those of the Trace Wood, are clsoer to our trees , they the fools   in the Ironwood  forest.... Thought or   brothers  and sisters  in the Trace, suffer  from allowing too  many humans in without proper  screening.

"The security of ones' land and peoples does seem to drive much in this world.  That is the way of all peoples...animals as well."

  The elf  shrugged  a bit,..animals, are what they are.. the  graze or  hunt.. some  are  raised and eaten, some are trained to fight?.. The Forest... now.. these creatures are part owners of the Timber, or  any  Forest?... perhaps  the Mountains  as well... or?..like the  serpents in the rivers.

 ..the   creature s will attack outlanders   as quick as any warden.... and the Razorhawks can be the mostly  dead, as they  fly in swarms....they  are much like our people.... small... aggressive  and  hard headed...

He chuckled slightly at he reference.

"Indeed...many peoples have something wild they relate to."

  They watch the  flock/swarm  flit  throught eh trees..

   at some time, in our lives  we have the chance to have a Razorhawk compamion?  They will stay with us  briefly...or..until they  are killed.... if you see  and Elf  with a Razorhawk on his shoudler, it is a sign of great respect.... Most  only ever  get one..if   any at all...some..  may have many.

He raises an eyebrow and turns his head slightly, a look of enchantment sweeping across his face.

"Do your kind regularly bond with creatures of this forest?  I have seen man and beast united before but they were primarily pairings of the domestic kind.  Many creatures I have seen here are...well, not the house pet variety."

 The Elf nodded his head  vigorously ,..That is  true.. alot comes from our bonding with the   Timber itself?..but.. i could not  walk up to a Forrest Runner  and try to pet it...on the other hand, it may not straight away, attack. There  are  ...I suppose... feelings, that go into it.. we  are prey to some, as  some are to us...others  do not fear us, as we do not fear them... It is said Wardens can have bonds  with  beasts like Bears  and the like?... The Trace Elves seem to have a knack for  wolves?..... The Ironwood  eles   seem to  have a knack with Wolverines.. it is hard to say why..for any of these things?

Fascinated, Haildas peppers the elf with questions from the mundane to the extraordinary for the remainder of the journey.  He had hoped to press him for details he may be able to use at a later time; knowledge was a valuable thing.

<<<<<  Group from Grasslands..after   returning from Mok

  The riders  were the first to enter the forest. at firest, it appeared the   rutted  road, lead to a  thing  wall of   trees,  But a  slight  turn here and there, and the Company entered the  tress... High Vaulted  boughs,   leaves  covers    every inch of  sky ( or appeared to as  night was  setting in. )

  Horses seemed to be    happy to be back in the trees.. The warden  called out,..stay on the  roads.... follow   us... we will find you, if you get lost..but  we may not  always  find you...alive...

 Ivy Grins  Back over his shoulder to Kree.

 Kree    his laughing, one of the few times  his comrades may have seen  such...this is a Good   bit of  advice, but not  as dire  as it sounds.. there  are  creatures  and   plants that can  and will kill you, or  eat you..the only difference in  The Timber is,these things  are here as part of the  defense.. we allow them to live , as this is thier home as well.... it is  satisfying, to see the   Forest help us  defend her...but  it   could  lead to  the foolish, becoeing fertilizer   for the  roots.

  "Good."  Orlin says dryly, "When we get there I need to talk to a man about an apple."

Entering the Black Timber Justin gave his mount an empathic pat. It's pace quickened slightly by  familiarity and happiness. Following direstly after the Warden the Crimson Arrows wove their way towards the Village, Kree and the other two   afoot bringing up the rear.

Khorvar nodded. "So it aint good fer me ta go 'erb searchin?"

In reply to Khorvar Bloodstone (msg # 498):

Master Khorvar it would be best not; unless you persuaded a Warden to accompany you.

  the trek through the   PAths were odd... the road  seemed to wide  one   way and the other, only to have the wardens turn into a stand of trees, and  after a bit of  a  chilled feeling, they would find themselves on  the road  again.

 ..you you, Not of  The Timber. The Warden's Way saves a good   3/4 of the day ,f rom where  we  entered... it  will not be long before   you  can feel the village...

 20 minutes into the  moving, the  sounds  of   pipes  and   drums  could be  heard, the sound s  sliping through the boughs of the Trees.

 Kree smiled a bit, His   bow  was now carried loosely in his   left hand, no arrow   nocked.

While the wood wasn't his hometown, it was starting to feel that way. Perhaps the sense of 'homeyness' from his comrades was rubbing off on Luthien.

Krwyn, who had been in the village for the past period, knows the hospitality of the villagers from first hand and grins when he sees the expectations in the eyes of the newcomers.

"Sounds like a celebration" she smiled.  The music already making her want to dance.

  aye. Celebration it is... Kree laughed.

  Ivy  chimes in,when a Unit of   Arrows  returns, there is   awlays  food  and drink to be had... when THE Crimson Arrows  return, there is food, drink, dancing and stories..hot  baths, warm beds..warmer company...Though Elder Quickshadow   seems to be , stand offish... I do believe  he likes to see us return..

 The  Music  was getting louder,  through  the thick trees  ,lights could be seen  now  and  again.. voices  of   Dwarves, Humans and  Elven kind singing song..the beat of   drums  and the   lilt  of  flutes

 One of the  freed  slaves asked,"..  we can see a bot of light?.. I can see  no Village...

The Wardens laughed  along  with Kree and Ivy...

 in  5  minutes or  so.. there was a  horn sounded   from the  warden who lead the   group... in the  trees  Horns  echoed   around..almost like the sound of the Hunt.  Then?  as if  the Mighty trees  moved on thier   own,  two great gates  Opened.. Troops   stood  with weapons ready, Until smiles  grew on thier faces.. Men, Dwarves  and  Elves , the smells of  cooking meat, boiling  soups  and fresh bread and cakes   greeted them.. and  a Bright are seemed  to  stand alone...until one's  eyes  adjusted, the Homes  and Businesses,  were part of the   forest., Just as the   walls  and the GAtes…

 Now the Music  was loud     children ran to the  Village square   shouting..They are here!  they are Here!