Chapter 4: The Will of The Gods
Farren nodded slowly at the words, and took his time to reply. "You've said a lot of things to unpack, and I hope you will permit me the luxury of taking this slowly. If I can summarise your reply to my question and infer the fonal answer, it would be 'no'? In that, while you answered about my apparing in this place, you don't seem to have batted an eyelid about my physical looks. Interesting."
Farren tapped his free hand on the wood beside him. "So, this 'Blace', I presume of medium build, red haired, human, female, very good at pretending not to know a person and direct them back towards foes, if she finds that person coming to?"
Farren looked between Nym, Meri, Celindara and Alynn. "No, I did not come here to talk directly, although I am happy to. I certainly did not come here to destroy anything, that would seem...unwise. And I have not seen any tree bigger than this one, and it seems large enough for the moment."
Farren shifted, again highlighting that while his movements were not restricted, there was a coil to the roots than hinted this was a state of affairs that could change.
Farren pointed to the barely struggling Alynn again. "Out mutual 'friend' here, when the tree let her talk, seemed to indicate that I knew her and had somehow betrayed her. But that because the 'witch' of these woods, and her two murderous allies, would be back soon then she would forgive and forget if I would free her. Meanwhile, it seems my actual 'friend', or at least ally, is someone who would abandon me without a second though to enemies. Now, I could be wrong, but I would have to imagine given our friend's reaction, you are the 'woodswitch' and friends. Still, you seem happy to speak, and one way or another I don't believe I could refuse. Still, forgive me I find it difficult to imagine myself the villain in this situation. Perhaps you could prove your good intentions and... stop your tree from, well, from looming quite so much?"
Farren did not adopt anything more than a neutral tone as he spoke, but he was clearly analysing all that was being said, by whom, and how.
Celindara crossed her arms, and stood tall. "I know why you are here," she said to Farren.
"Really?"
"You were lost in the forest," she said.
"Well, yes, I did say that. Or impli-"
"You were lost. And those who wander the forest, their intention is ill, will not wander long. Those whose hearts are pure, the forest will welcome, and show grat sights." Celindara nodded to her friends.
"There is a third type. Ones who the forest cannot easily gauge. A woodsman walking, do they search for someone, do they have some secret ill they are bringing? Will they act rashy to fear? The forest will channel those to me."
Celindara paused for a moment, then said, softly and with a deadly tone. "For judgment."
"Well," said Farren calmly, "I have done nothing wr-"
"It doesn't have to be a huntsman or lost soul. It can be a wild beast. The forest does not care of killing from killer, it is the way of nature. But sometimes that wild beast does not act naturally. Predators who have gone strange too near the humans. Ones who begin to kill for the fact of it, not the effect."
Celindara stalked cloe, and the roots actually tighted around Farren's ankles. The dryad looked through the strange man. "Nothing you are saying makes sense, and your way is strange. This feels like some elaborate trap, and I am not some small rabbit to be snared."
So, unsurprisingly Celindara doens't trust him. And she has been alone for many years, so, you know, there may be times when she's used to following her own judgement on things.
So, now's probably the time to figure out what's up with Farren and carry on the good diplomatic work. Meri's whole 'let's be nice' is so unusual it might just work :p
[Private to Nym: Yes, this area is open now, so Ryn can look down on to it.]