***Chapter 4: Can't See the Forest Through the Trees***
"Are you insane?", Harper asked Molly in disbelief. "Do you know what lives in that forest? Going in there is suicide!" "Let me put it to you this way Harper, you can stay on the road which is certain death or you can travel through the Forest which is only probable death." Um on second thought the Forest sounds like a great idea. What are we waiting for?", Harper said, leading the way into Old Forest. They spent the entire day traveling through the Forest and eventually decided to take some rest underneath a peaceful looking willow tree. Trance sat down near the river and started to doze off. The next thing she knew she was flung into the river. Trance stood up quickly, dripping wet. "Trance are you okay?", TG asked her. "I swear that tree just threw me in!", she exclaimed. TG shook her head and was about to reply when trances added, "where are Molly and Harper?" That was when they heard Molly screaming. Racing back to the Willow the saw that Molly was trapped with her ankle stuck in a tree root. "Harper's been caught inside the tree!", she added. "We could set the tree on fire", TG suggested, knowing that they hadn't brought an axe with them. "Yeah great idea, crispy roasted Harper. Why didn't I think of that?", Molly asked really sarcastically. TG glared at her. "Do you have a better idea?", TG shot back. Molly reluctantly said that she didn't so they lit a small fire. The blaze enveloped the tree roots and it seemed to be working until; "Put it out! Put it out! The tree says it'll kill us both if you don't!", Molly exclaimed, looking panicked. Trance and TG quickly put out the fire and then decided to take a quick look around. Suddenly they noticed a man approaching singing to himself. "Help!", Trance called running towards him. The man paused looking at her. "Who are you and what do you want? Talk quickly please. I'm in a hurry now I've got this great con planned." "Our friends are trapped by the Willow Tree!", Trance told him. "Hmm only Old Man Willow huh. That's easy enough to take care of. Come on!" Trance and TG quickly followed him back to the tree where he released them. "Thank you!", Molly and Harper exclaimed. "Now then who are all of you and what are you doing in the forest?" "We're just four travelers trying to get to Bree. Who are you?", TG asked. "My name is Rafe Valentine. I suppose that you lot had better stay with me and my wife tonight. It's to dangerous to be out here alone."