“Enough, Bard. Lest you incite my son’s rage,” Elwood said as he sat next to him. Bard looked over at Amir, who didn’t seem all that happy and looked at the group with dissatisfaction. 

He bowed his head and then heard the Elder Tree’s voice speak out in dryadic. In essence, he proclaimed him a son of the forest. Bard looked at Sen and Elwood. 

“So what happens next?” he asked.

“You will see tomorrow,” Elwood said before Sen could speak up. Bard cocked his head at the surprising answer. 

“Grandpa!” Sen shouted and Elwood chuckled.

“It’s not that big of a secret. But… it might be a fun surprise,” Sen said thoughtfully. Bard frowned. After just securing his life for the moment, he wasn’t too keen on anymore of her surprises. But this was the suggestion of her grandfather, perhaps he could handle one or two more. 

Elwood and Sen accompanied him back to the cell, where Sen insisted he rest. 

#

“Grandpa, can you make sure he isn’t disturbed?” Sen asked. 

“So you noticed his fatigue too.” Elwood said with a slight smile. She was paying more attention to those around her. An improvement. Perhaps this boy was what she had needed to start stepping up and into her role as guardian. He hoped so. 

“Just for today then,” Elwood said kindly before speaking to the trees and asking them to keep the others away from the spot. 

“Thanks,” Sen said softly as they headed back to where Amir and War Tree were at. 

She approached the ledge and bowed on the ground before War Tree and her father. 

“Sen, you realize you must now go and win approval with all the elders that the Teka has received tokens from,” Her father said as he knelt in front of her.

“Yes Father. I look forward to the journey,” she said gracefully.

“A wise child. You did well in raising her, Amir,” War Tree spoke up and Sen looked up in surprise.

“What?” 

“Not only is her discernment impressive for spotting a well respected individual, but she shielded and protected him from the aggressiveness of my forest children,” War Tree said as he shifted, and a silver bird flew off. “If she can get all the tokens, she will be granted the silver horns when she comes of elder hood.”

Sen’s eyes lit up. The silver horns hadn’t been granted to anyone in ages. Only renowned Elders had ever grown those, and she had a chance at achieving it. Her father looked back at her in shock, and her grandpa smiled with delight.

“Thank you for this honor,” Sen said as she bowed her head. “I will attain all the tokens,” she said firmly, before turning and leaving with an air of grace.

#

Elwood looked at Amir, who seemed shocked. He smiled and patted his son on the back.

“She is turning into a fine lady. Fit to be a guardian,” he said, and Amir groaned. The two paid their respects to War Tree before heading to the place where the Dryads awaited their orders. Elwood was relieved that War Tree had calmed. Perhaps he would take back his old name. Amir, however, seemed troubled by the calm war tree. Perhaps he still hadn’t forgiven them yet.

As they began organizing their people for the celebration, Elwood took Amir to the side to talk.

“I sensed a change in you. What happened?” Elwood asked, and Amir closed his eyes as he shrunk down a bit. 

“War Tree asked that I take them to that place,” Amir said, and Elwood stilled. 

“I see. Then, I assume it will be before they begin their journey?” Elwood said and Amir nodded as they watched the dryads begin to sing and prepare everything.

“On another note,” Amir said, and Elwood inclined his head, curious what his son wanted to know. “What was it like getting those tokens?”

Elwood smiled and between giving out orders and making sure everything was set, he explained his own journey to get the eight tokens in his possession. 

“Thinking of getting your own?” Elwood asked.

“No…” Amir said before barking out another order. Elwood paused and then smiled. 

“Sen will be fine.”

“I don’t know what you are talking about,” Amir said flatly. Elwood half chuckled. What wouldn’t a father learn if they were concerned for their child.

Bard roused as a whimpering head kept pushing at his side and covers. He mumbled something unintelligible before rolling over and looking towards Kai.

“Morning,” he yawned before stretching his ankles and wrists. A deep, reverberating sigh escaped his lips as he melted back into the bed. Kai nuzzled him once more, and he lifted his hand to pat the large head. “I’m waking up. Just give me a second.” Bard said calmly. Then he heard the giggle. Instantly he sat up, alert.

“Sen, h- how long have you been there?” he asked as he rubbed the sleep off his face.

“Long enough,” she said with a devious grin. Bard pulled the covers off and reached for his shoes. He panicked when they weren’t there and then heard Sen’s chuckle. He looked up to see the sight of the leather peeking from behind her back.

“Alright. Give them back. Please,” he said calmly as he bowed his head in defeat.

“You have to catch me first,” she said as she took off. Bard looked at Kai, who tilted his head.

“Kai. I’ll procure you something delicious if you bring her back with the shoes,” he said, and Kai’s tail was up as he panted happily. Bard’s eyebrows raised as he indicated to Sen and the large wolf was bounding after her. Bard heard her screams as she realized it was Kai after her rather than Bard. He shifted on the bed and folded the blankets before rolling them up nicely.

“Put me down!” he heard Sen’s voice shout, and he looked back to see a successfully captured Sen carried like some puppy. She still held onto his shoes while looking disappointed. Kai brought her over and set her on the bed. She looked up at the wolf and stuck out her tongue. Kai ignored her and looked at Bard eager and Bard reached over and grabbed his shoes.

“Better get that for you then,” he said as he slipped them on and tucked the ends of his pants into the leather.

“Get what?”

“Kai’s bribe,” Bard answered.

“That’s unfair!” Sen said and Bard laughed.

“So is taking my shoes while I am asleep,” he pointed out, and she squirmed under his gaze. Singing voices distracted him, and he looked out at the illuminated forest.

“So, what is going on out there?” Bard asked.

“The feast is ready, so I came to get you,” Sen said. Bard held out his hand and helped her off the bed.

“Then shall we get going?” he asked, and she nodded. As they walked out, Sen paused and looked back. Then she swiftly turned to him and guided him to a place that took his breath away.

Winding branches had shifted around the trees and formed beautiful walkways and balconies. On the lower levels there were interwoven branches creating a large gathering area. The top was canopied by large branches of silver, while glowing orbs of light hung from the branches.

Many Dryads welcomed them in Asternum, and Bard smiled as Sen guided him to a large table of sorts. She sat next to him, and some Dryads approached them and placed feathers in his hair. Bard noticed the feathers were also in the hair of Elwood and Amir, and a few notable looking Dryads, but not everyone.

“What are the feathers for?” he quietly asked Sen.

“You know how the birds are connected to the elder trees? We collect the feathers, and they are placed in the hair of those who are considered full children of the forest,” she said with a grin. Bard thought on it and smiled.

They sat next to one another the whole feast. Bard learned from Sen how to eat using their utensils and followed some of her manners as she explained how to be around the others. Bard found it easier to follow along than he had anticipated.

He remembered Father’s mentions about table manners and how different groups had different things that were appropriate and not. His mind then wandered, and he was grateful for the times he and Sen had met in the forest. She had seemed appalled at his manners, and he assumed that was part of why she was so diligently explaining things to him.

He also noted it was mostly in the human tongue, probably for his benefit. When she used words he was surprised she knew, she looked towards her grandfather, and he sighed in relief. The two, no doubt, had been preparing for this.

The dryads sung and began to play games that fascinated Bard. Most were about skill, but a few were about strength. Some were games of accuracy and targets, while others were skills that were mostly entertainment. Bard laughed with Sen at some of the spectacles.

The feast lasted the whole day and Bard was relieved to be retiring to his cell where it was nice and calm.

As they entered, he noticed all his missing supplies stacked neatly in the corner, and he felt an unimaginable relief as he saw them. Sen chuckled and he shook his head.

“It’s just stuff,” she said, and Bard froze.

“Sen. You’ve grown up where most everything is available to you, but I had to gather and make everything I have.”

“And?”

“It’s a little more important to me than just stuff… It’s why I am able to be here in the first place, and how I have traveled so much. In a way, it’s like a friend that I’ve been missing.”

“Okay…” her word sounded doubtful and Bard sighed.

“You’ll understand a bit better when we travel to meet the elders,” he said as he patted her head. She had a little pout on her lips, but she nodded and then shrugged.

“Just so you know,” she said as she rocked on her feet. “We’ll be leaving in two days,” she said, and Bard nodded. He would need those days gathering supplies and getting ready. He also needed to check that his things were still in good repair and would need to figure out how to pack everything now that there was one more on his journey.

“So. How can I help?” Sen asked, and Bard looked at her curiously.

“Your face said you were planning something, so…”

“Ah, yes. I need to get supplies and pack everything so we can travel easily.”

“I can help with the supplies.”

“I’m sure you could. I need forest craft supplies. I used up most of it before coming here.”

“Great. Any in particular?”

“Fire weed, sulfur plume, endoweis, and catherise are the ones I need the most of. About enough to fill…” he looked around and spotted the forest craft bags. “These,” he held the bags up for her to see and she nodded.

“After that…” He began to detail the other herbs and useful materials he would need to restock. She was surprised by the volume, both in the small quantity of each, while at how many different varieties there were.

“I’ll write that down so I don’t forget it,” she said, and she sung to the tree to shed some of it’s bark for her to write on. She went out and grabbed a bit of blackstone and scribed what he had described to her. When she was gone, he began sorting through the things and wondered how to adjust the packs and saddle so she could ride with him, if they needed.

As he began to lay the things out, he inspected the instruments for damage. The loss wasn’t much. A few bells and chimes that he could easily replace. But they would need to take a detour into one of the abandoned cities for the materials.

The thought of those places was enough to make him shiver. Their empty nature wasn’t just that they were abandoned, it was also a host for the shades and made it eerily quiet, since most animals wouldn’t even go near them.

Perhaps he could do that near the end of their journey. Or if a wandering tribe or army was nearby. Not even those violent types were brave enough to head in there. Without his tokens, he doubted he would have had the courage to enter. It was like a death trap in there.

“I got the supplies,” Sen said, and Bard thanked her before sending her back home to sleep. He packed things away before heading to bed himself, decidedly hiding his shoes from their regular resting spot.