"Bog, where are we going?"
"It's just a little further."
"You said that ten minutes ago!"
"Less than that, Tough Girl, because you've been asking every two minutes since we left the castle. So much for your sense of adventure."
"It's cold! Today's the first really cold day of autumn, and I was expecting snuggles and warm drinks."
"I promise you'll have plenty of both later. But for now – we're here!"
"… I'm only seeing trees."
"Look closer."
"They're … nice trees?"
"They're apple trees. They haven't grown beyond this grove; most goblins don't care for them because the fruit's too sweet, so we don't bother to tend the saplings like we do for the sour cherries. I thought if you liked them, maybe apples could be added to the trade agreement."
"Wow, these are huge! I can't even reach all the way around one!"
"And there are only a few small seeds in the middle, so one fruit should be able to feed quite a few of your people. Here, let me cut you a piece. Don't worry about the peel, it's edible."
"Are you sure this one is ripe? It seems a bit … crunchy."
"It's supposed to be, I think."
"You think?"
"I told you, most of us don't eat these. But I've asked a few that do, and they all said if an apple is soft, it means it's starting to rot."
"Ew."
"Yeah. Look, if you don't want to try it then you don't have to. I just thought that maybe –"
"It's pretty good. Although if this is what you consider too sweet, no wonder you only pick at your food when Dad hosts a banquet."
"So you think there would be a market for these in your kingdom?"
"Probably. It's juicy and refreshing, and not everyone at home is skittish enough to automatically avoid … apples … just because they're from the Dark Forest."
"Merchants will probably use the origins to drive the prices up, implying a dangerous harvest."
"Implying? Harvesting these is going to be plenty dangerous. Look how big they are! If one fell off a tree and hit somebody, they could be knocked out! We'll have to make helmets mandatory for this."
"Would you like another piece?"
"Sure."