Utkar 20 1364 DR Year of the Wave
I Daphne I
It was a quiet night inside of the Druid's Grove that sat nestled outside of the town limits of Shadowdale.
The grove itself was made up of oak trees that surrounded a small clearing. The dark red and brown leaves were falling off branches. Earlier in the day, squirrels gathered the acorns to prepare for the winter season.
Druid's Grove used to be a place where one of the most powerful druidic circles would meet to perform rituals to help strengthen the forests. After the Time of Troubles, the druidic circle disbanded. However, it has been said that Druid's Grove is still a place of power, holding many secrets.
The moon's light in the star filled sky beamed softly over Druid's Grove, helping a young man keep himself awake while he walked through the grove.
The young druid named Sawyer walked around the grove, studying the circle of menhirs that stood tall on the outside of the clearing. The circle of upright standing stones had no special markings on them, but the druid could feel the energy of nature flowing through them.
Sawyer appeared to be a young human male standing about five and a half feet tall with dark red hair. Like most druids, he wore brown hide armor, and a bright green cloak with the head of a white unicorn painting on its back.
As he just about to leave the grove and go back to his room at the Old Skull Inn, the druid's ears began to hear a soft voice coming from behind one of the menhirs. He quietly walked over one of the stones, keeping a hand on the long sword strapped to his belt.
When he was within a few feet of the standing stone where the voice was coming from, he began to hear a song...
He walks in the grove, watching the trees and the standing stones.
He walks in the night with his weapon, believing he is all alone.
But what he doesn't know is Daphne is here too watching his every move.
If he is here to defile or hurt this grove, he will certainly die.
I see him now walking towards me; I sense that he is kind and sweet.
If it is knowledge he seeks, then I am the one who he should meet.
Sawyer looked behind the stone, seeing a tall beautiful woman with olive skin, emerald eyes, and long red hair. She wore a thin green robe and had long fingers. "That was quite a song madam," Sawyer said in a soft voice," but what is this about you being the one I should meet?"
The woman giggled for a second, then shook her head. " Usually when someone hears my song, they talk about how the words die and move don't rhyme," she remarked, then after getting a good look at her, she answered," I am Daphne, a guardian of Druid's Grove who appears each night to defend it against those who would choose to hurt it."
"A guardian of Druid's Grove," Sawyer nodded," are you an elf from the elven courts of Cormanthor?"
Daphne shook her head," I am a dryad of the forest, and as you heard from my song, I have been watching you young druid." She gently kissed his lips.
The druid could feel the warmth of her lips, but he politely broke the kiss. "I always thought dryads were shy creatures, who usually didn't make contact with men."
The dryad giggled softly. "I think I have some nymph or sirine blood in me, but truthfully, I just wanted to see who you were." Daphne began to circle the druid sizing him up. Her eyes looked down at the druid's long sword black leather pommel. "I didn't think druids carried long swords. They are usually seen with mauls, sickles, and maybe a scimitar."
Sawyer looked down at the weapon. "I was raised in Suzail, and many of the boys in the kingdom are taught how to handle a long sword. The weapon you see belonged to my father. He was a Purple Dragon Knight, who died in combat. Some say he was a traitor to the crown, but my mother told me he himself was betrayed by one of his friends."
Sawyer realized Daphne had not answered his question. He looked into the dryad's eyes, and quietly asked again," So why should you be the one I meet if I seek knowledge in this place."
"Because I know a few of the old secrets that lie here. I know the locations of some powerful items that could be helpful in warding off enemies like drow, or Zhentarim."
Just as Sawyer was about to say that he his purpose for coming to Druid's Grove was purely about gaining knowledge, some of the bushes a few feet away from them began to rustle around him. The dryad closed her eyes for a moment, and started chanting some words in another language. The druid knew Daphne's words be Sylvan, the language of the woods. "There are drow in bushes, watching us," she whispered when she opened her eyes," seven of them."
Sawyer nodded, then snapped his fingers twice. The dryad began to wonder what exactly the druid was up to, but before she could ask, a small brownish-black haired animal quickly ran up to Sawyer's side. The animal was small like a bear, but had a long tail. Daphne was frightened at first, until the druid bent down and petted the animal. "This is Erilett, she is a wolverine. If these drow really want to attack us, they'll have her to contend with as well."
As if on cue, seven ebony skinned elves jumped from out of the bushes. They were all dressed in leathers, six of them men, and one woman. They all drew their short swords and ran at the dryad and the druid.
Daphne quickly ran behind the large stone, leaving Sawyer to fight the drow alone. The first drow came forward, swinging his blade recklessly, causing Sawyer to move left and draw his blade.
Erilett quickly leaped up in the air slashing its sharp claws across the drow's stomach. The dark elf bent low and slashed his blade at the wolverine, but the animal rolled left and sent her right claw upward, raking a large gash in the drow's neck.
While Erilett fought with the drow, Sawyer began to channel the energy from the grove, calling forth a large swarm of locusts.
Standing in the back, a young drow male named Dorizzen watched a large cloud formed above the druid's head. He watched the red haired human point his finger forward, and the cloud began to move towards them. "Quickly, the dryad you are looking for is over there," hissed a voice in Dorizzen's ear," unless you would rather fight insects, a human, and a rat."
Looking left, Dorizzen saw the longhaired female drow Razadorla holding her Staff of Passage, and preparing to teleport. His eyes went north, watching the dryad run across the clearing, then stop to watch the battle. His breath was lost for a moment as he watched her, until Raza's fist hit him in the shoulder. The drow male decided to play it smart and grabbed her arm. The two drow vanished in thin air, leaving their friends to deal with the swarm of insects.
Standing on the other side of the grove, Daphne watched Sawyer and Erilett fighting against two of the drow who managed to escape the swarm of insects. The dryad was impressed on how the druid deflected the dark elves attacks, but what really impressed her, was how the wolverine's speed as she moved around the drow she was fighting, rake her sharp claws across the dark elf's thighs. She watched as the drow who were caught up in the swarm of locusts, ran into the forest behind them. "I must to my sacred oak," Daphne whispered in Sylvan.
"Going somewhere are we?" Raza the drow hissed as she came up from behind Daphne and wrapped her arm around the dryad's neck. Raza's free hand came forward, and pressed the tip of her short sword upon the druid's neck. "You're coming with us," she whispered in her ear, then threw the dryad to Dorizzen. She watched as the drow male hesitated to grab the dryad.
Dorizzen saw the annoyed look on Raza's face, and finally grabbed Daphne's arm. "What of the human?" he asked in a nervous tone.
"Fear not cousin, I will quickly rid of him and that mongrel, you make sure you get her back to the fortress," Raza answered, holding both short swords forward. She looked forward, getting a better look at the human. Maybe this will be fun, she thought to herself.
While Sawyer and his animal companion continued to fight the few remaining drow, voices called out to the druid.
They have captured Daphne...
You must go and rescue Daphne...
She is on the other side...
Sawyer figured the voices that were speaking inside the druid's mind were coming from the trees and the stones.
A drow named Xiangradine quickly jumped in front of him, bringing his short sword at the druid's stomach, but Sawyer deflected the drow's blade with his father's sword. Erilett ran a circle around the drow's feet, then moved her head behind his foot, and sank her teeth in the drow's heel.
Xiangradine stumbled backwards as the wolverine's teeth ripped through the boot into his Achilles tendon. He brought his arm down and slapped his short sword across the animal's mouth, knocking her aside.
The drow was ready to slice his weapon through the wolverine's stomach, but Sawyer swung his sword across the drow's chest, making a deep cut through his armor. Xiangradine had no time to bring his short sword forward as the druid brought his arm forward once again, stabbing his long sword deeply into the drow's chest.
As soon as Xiangradine's body fell to the ground, Sawyer pulled out his sword and began to run through the grove. Erilett looked around curiously, wondering where the drow warriors and the swarm of insects had run off.
Sawyer continued to run to save the dryad.
He watched as one of the male drow held a staff in one arm, and Daphne in the other. Sawyer thought he could get to them in time, but when he came within seconds of catching them, the male drow chanted a word and they both vanished in thin air.
The druid stopped. He was about to become angry with himself for not being able to rescue Daphne in time, but then he heard soft footsteps coming from behind him.
Raza snapped both short swords forward, slashing at both sides of the druid. Sawyer quickly deflected the female drow's sword on his left, but the blade on his right ripped through his skin.. The druid growled and quickly spun left, bringing his long sword down hard across the drow's waist.
The drow felt a strong cut go through her skin and stepped back. She then jumped forward, swinging both short swords once again at the druid's sides.
I'm not falling for this trick again, he thought to himself as he stepped back, quickly slapping the female's blades away with his own sword.
"You're not bad looking for a filthy human who walks with rodents," Raza smirked softly as she snapped the short sword in her left hand forward.
"And you give out such nice words for a drow female," Sawyer added, parrying her short sword. The druid stepped forward, ready to make another attack, but the drow spun left, dropping her swords and grabbing her arms around him.
"Sorry love, nothing personal," she whispered into his ear. In one quick move, she quickly pulled a dagger from her boot and stabbed it into the druid's side.
Sawyer used his strength to try and get the drow off of him, but as he attempted to move his arms, he began to feel tired. His eyes grew heavy, and within seconds he fell fast asleep.
Razadorla held her arms around his waist for a minute. She couldn't help but feeling a slight attraction for this young man. Raza considered bringing him back to the tower with her, back to her bedchambers. "He did say he was from Cormyr," she mused to herself as she began to drag the druid's body. Before Raza could leave the grove, she heard a soft growl coming from behind her. Raza turned her head, and saw the small rodent who had managed to kill two of her men, running at her with rage in it's eyes.
The drow considered killing this creature and cook her for breakfast the next day, but then she saw two figures running up behind the wolverine. "A halfling and a dwarf, how wonderful." Raza kissed Sawyer's cheek and whispered," Perhaps another night."
The drow quickly dropped the druid's body on the ground, and ran into the forest.
