Tooth and Claw, Part 6
Peering from around your tree, you spend some time considering the standoff between the loggers and the creatures of the forest. Until finally, you reach a decision on the next step you're going to take.
"Khaytala said before that Fallhazel wasn't interested in the war at all, until the previous Witch Queen harmed the forest," you muse. "Which means this clash gives us an opportunity to address that head-on. If Fallhazel has no stake in the larger fight, we can approach her outright. As emissaries of Kovora."
Verika's eyebrows go up a little, surprised at such a direct approach. But she can't deny anything you've said. It's not without its own risks, of course. With Fallhazel knowing what you are, the opportunities to arouse her sexually will be far more rare, since she'll be wary of your sexual charms from the outset. If you don't succeed in seducing the Druid, then losing the direct support of such a powerful heroine could be a serious blow to your preparations to deal with Melca.
The three of you make your way through the forest, taking care to still remain well out of sight of the logging camp. Verika remains close by your side, with an anxious Juri between the two of you. The animals among the forest contingent detect your approach first, and you can hear the low growls of dozens of wolves as they detect your scent. This in turn alerts the dryads, and before you can even get close to the treeline from that direction, you find yourself surrounded by a small throng of colorful beings.
Many of them are wolves, though there are four dryads and a single bear. Out of all of them, one of the dryads is clearly the leader, her figure that of a tall, strong-looking woman. From the shape of the leaves that intertwine with her thick, curly green hair—and which barely cover her buxom body—you can guess that she's the spirit of an oak tree. Up close, you can also see places where hints of bark meld seamlessly with her green skin, creating a truly exotic feel.
She raises a hand, holding the snarling wolves in check, though the animals still look ready to pounce at a moment's notice. "Verika..." the dryad says. A subtle, lilting, barely-detectable music underlies the tree spirit's voice, even as her eyes regard you warily. "What brings you to this place, former ranger of the elves? Do your new masters now intend to enslave us as they did you?"
Interesting. You don't know exactly how well-known your actions are known in the more civilized world just yet, or how far that the stories have traveled to the common folk. But it seems that Fallhazel, at least, has passed along the warning she received to the inhabitants of her domain.
And of course, you can still sense the weight of the Druid's attention, now focused on you directly. Watching you. Evaluating you. But she still does not reveal herself.
You step forward, the very picture of confidence despite all the predators eyeing your throat. "No! No, that is the furthest thing from our minds," you say, holding your hands out to either side. "Verika is no slave. And we come as emissaries of her majesty, the Queen of Kovora. She merely desires to make amends for the monstrous actions of her predecessor toward this forest, and to put an end to the enmity between us."
The dryads exchange doubtful, mistrusting glances, until another of them speaks up. From her leaves you suspect her to be an elm tree. You also note that—unlike the more ethereal beauty of her sisters—this one has an old burn covering the left half of her face, and running down that side of her body. "Lies!" she fairly spits as she glares at you, the subtle melody underlying her voice discordant with long-buried pain. "Don't listen to them, Elysandria! They can't be trusted. None of them can! Nelin... Vekmar... Kovora... they're all of the same root!"
The growling of the wolves builds along with the anger of her words, as though all these spirits are linked to the beasts somehow. Not something dryads are usually known for... but perhaps Fallhazel has used her power to delegate some of her authority. Neither you nor Verika flinch, though the ranger does shift slightly closer to Juri, making sure that she's protected should the worst happen.
A second elm stands behind the burned dryad, this one less vocal. She seems to be supporting her sister, quietly placing a hand on her arm in an attempt to give some comfort. The final remaining dryad of the four confronting you is also of a quieter sort.
Her long, flowing hair and foliage remind you of a willow as they seamlessly intertwine. And when she speaks, her voice is small and soft, almost as hard to hear as the subtle melody underneath it. "You don't know that for sure, Rhysadaria..." she whispers. "If we don't trust someone, we'll cut ourselves off from any help. And then it will be the whole world against us."
"Trust is not required to side with an ally of convenience," Rhysadaria snaps. "And even such an ally will serve little purpose, if it merely leaves them in a better position to stab us in the back, once it serves their greed to do so."
The oak—Elysandria, from what you heard—raises her hand again, and her arguing sisters fall silent. "What does your queen propose?" she asks. She's trying to hide any emotions, but you can see suspicion and worry over how your arrival will affect and already-volatile situation. "How does she intend to show us her goodwill?"
"At the very least, we wish to offer an oath that she will not repeat the previous depredations against the Forest," you say. "But beyond such matters, there may be other ways that Kovora can be of aid to you. I notice that you are having... difficulties... with some of your current allies. We may be able to assist you with them. Perhaps in unorthodox ways."
Then you chuckle. "And even if you do not wish our direct aid in dealing with that camp, it may still benefit you to use us in negotiations. The mere awareness that you have another option—even if you never make any outright moves to act on it—can serve as a powerful lever in such disputes."
You're not even trying to sell them on any particular approach. Not quite yet. You're just throwing out ideas for them to latch onto, whether the more aggressive Rhysadaria or the more measured Elysandria. The details almost don't matter; you can adjust and maneuver as things progress. The most important thing is to get them talking to you at all. To ingratiate yourself in a way where you can work with them... and work on them.
Elysandria's eyes narrow, and she regards you impassively. Rhysadaria and her other elm friend don't look like they trust you either... but you can tell the idea of throwing you against the hated loggers and letting you fight it out, without risking any of their own kin, does have some appeal. Though you doubt she'd hold any goodwill toward the victor... unless you used the opportunity it provided for a much more active seduction.
The next person to speak, however, is neither of those two, but rather the quiet willow. "An open conflict waged here will only invite more destruction here," she says, fretting. "And the danger will not end with just one single logging camp. We have friends in Nelin! We should trust that our appeal will reach them, and that they will fix this if we can just prevent the conflict from escalating."
Which, to be fair, is probably correct. If they've already sent a message, then when Lady Alicia does learn what is happening she'll probably intervene. Though if she is off chasing the diversion you contrived for Janessa to send her on, you may yet have some extra breathing room before word can reach her of this diplomatic crisis.
Still, you're trying to peel the Forest out of their grasp. So you take the opportunity to sow a little more doubt. "But if those friends of yours were truly willing—and able—to prevent such things... then why would such a violation have even occurred in the first place?"
The willow looks down, struggling to find the right words. "Those men..." she says at length. "They are ignorant. We have shared a concord with the towns along this border, since times long past. But the demands of this war have brought a flood of new workers to this region. And some of them see the old boundary stones as mere superstition. They... simply do not understand."
Rhysadaria scoffs. "As though there were never other clashes through the generations, whenever human greed forgot the last lesson, and thought it could be quenched by exploiting us?" she says. "Tell me, Leyfelathia. If we hide meekly behind a few 'friends' who play at being on our side, then what happens when those 'friends' return to the earth? What happens when a different set of short-sighted mayflies replace them, who refuse to extend concern past their own transient lifespans? The Forest needs to remind them all that it can stand on its own feet!"
Interesting indeed. So there are tensions even between the inhabitants of the forest. Some of whom are more adverse to inviting conflict, while some are convinced that the humans need to be taught a more severe lesson.
This group of loggers, for their part, seem like they've stumbled into something way over their heads, but are too stubborn—or perhaps desperate, depending on their situation—to realize what they've truly done. From what the willow-dryad, Leyfelathia says, it's most likely they've extended their operation this far out on their own initiative... not realizing the explosive diplomatic consequences their foray could have for everyone involved.
Leyfelathia speaks up again, addressing you in her gentle voice. "You have told us your reason for coming here, and I understand why you might bring the ranger... but not why you would bring this girl-child. Who is she?"
"A devotee of nature herself, in a way," you reply. "For untold generations her family has preserved the remnants of a divine ritual for the tending of the land. And this at great risk to their own safety, braving persecution from the previous Witch Queens. The current queen, however, desires that I bring her to Fallhazel, in hopes that she might learn more about her inheritance... and perhaps help restore the blessings of nature to Kovora as well."
Rhysandaria scoffs. But despite that, even she regards the young girl with a certain measure of curios interest. Of course, it's hardly ironclad proof of your intentions. But you're not even aiming for that. Not yet. For the moment, you're happy to take any chance you can get to plant—and steadily reinforce—the idea in their minds that the current Witch Queen is different from her predecessors.
Still, your preparations have given you two main avenues that you could focus on, in terms of ingratiating yourself. On one hand, you could focus the conversation on the immediate issue of the loggers, and all the options you could bring to the table in terms of dealing with them. And of course, the particular approach you suggest could also affect their impression of you.
On the other hand, they also do seem quite curious about Juri. Focusing the conversation primarily in that direction could provide a way to endear yourself to the forest-dwellers in its own way. And who knows what options might open up, if you eventually gain a better understanding of her gift?
Of course, one way or another, while they might be the most immediate audience you're performing to, the dryads aren't the real target. You're acutely aware that Fallhazel is observing everything you're doing, though you're unable to determine how she feels about your actions thus far. Still, it raises the question: should you try to draw her out right away, or let her continue to observe you?
The fact that she hasn't yet made an appearance in person means that she must want to see how this all plays out without her intervention. At least for now. But as far as her motives for doing so? All you have is speculation.
You could simply allow this state of affairs continue, letting her observe the moves you make as you perform to her unseen eyes. Alternatively, if you wanted to take a somewhat more aggressive posture that disrupts the heroine's plan, you could insist on speaking to her directly, calling her out. The subtler option might allow you to play to her discreetly, perhaps showing her your "unguarded" actions. The more aggressive option, on the other hand, might allow you to get face-to-face with her sooner.