Becoming bait for underwater beasts, fighting monsters she never knew existed, and meeting new friends who dont look so friendly. Rowan seeks to claw out a new life, but can she keep her focus when with a merman after her tail?
(Book 2 in the Rowa...
I slept for a long time, longer than I should but it was comfortable in grandpa trees branches. When I finally decided to start moving around the sun was already high in the sky. This wasn't good, it seemed I had become to lazy. If I was home, the goats and I would have been out to graze hours ago. Had I sherked my responsibilities I would have definitely be rubbing a bruise shaped like a sandle. Mosy likely Laurels tiny ones, shorties are aggressive.
"Grandpa tree." I said from up high in his branches.
"Mmm." He replied.
"Good morning." I greeted.
"Morning sprout." He answered."you still haven't started your move west yet?"
"Im going, Im going, but first can't you tell me more about whats over there. Its better to know more about the place I'll be living in next."
"I can't tell you much about the west. Most my vessels are to the east and south." He answered. "Im sure more humans live that way. I've watched them come down the river from that direction. The further east you go the higher the concentration of red eyes and they are slowly spreading. If you want to live a piece full life you need to get as far away from them as your feet can carry you. Cross a few bodies of water for good measure."
This old man tree was really helpful.
"Thank you for helping me so much, you really didn't have to." I gave him a heart filled thanks.
"What are grandfathers for." He grumbled. "Its been a long time since I could care for one of my own."
"Do you miss your family alot?" I asked
There was a pause.
"I miss mine all the time, you know." I added. I could feel the branches I sat in bending towards the ground. His whole body sighed.
"I can't remember there faces anymore." He answered. "Its been such a long time. After the great burning many of us were scattered into different groups, living in different places. I had only just reached a point where I couldn't walk with them. So I stayed and put down roots."
Seperated from family. Never to see them again. Maybe were cursed?
"That sounds difficult." I said. I looked up into the branches and a thought grew in my mind. "You said your mind goes with the seeds right?"
"Its a telepathic connection between my vessels." He began to explain.
"What if I take you with me!" I interrupted him. "I mean obviously I can't take current you with me your to big. But I could just take one of these seeds and If I find a place I like I'll plant you there and hey if that place gets to dangerous well thats fine I'll plant another you in the new spot!" I yelled loudly.
"You really want to take me along?" He asked suprized.
"Absolutely." I agreed.
"I may not be much help, it might take awhile for me to be able to speak with you..." he warned me.
"Thats fine." I replied.
"Wait a moment, then." He told me.
Vines sprung up from the ground, they coiled and entangled amoung themselves, weaving together to form a carrying basket. On it were straps that I could use to carry it on my back like a pack.
I swung down from the branches to inspect it further. Then grandfather tree began to tremble and shake. A rain of green fell down over my head. Small seeds on leafy wings. Spining and dancing in circles fell to the ground.
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"Collect a bunch of them!" He said spiritedly. "you can drop some occasionally as you go. I'll try to spread further west and give you more informtion if I can." He told me.
I got to work picking up the seads and putting them in the basket. It was a little difficult getting down to this level with my belly. I shuffled around on my knees picking up the pieces along with the roots help.
"If you see the orcs I know will you remember to tell them I'm alright and where I went?" I asked.
"I'll be sure to tell them if I see them." He assured me. "But you have more important things to worry about." He said helping me up with a vine and pushing the basket into my hands.
"No more poking around, all sentimental. Cross over to the north side of the river when you can, its safer. Stick with the river as long as you can but don't follow it all the way up the mountains. Those draconian brats live in the mountains up north so just follow the setting sun and be safe.
I adjusted the pack on my back an nodded in agreement. I would never go back there again.
"I'll see you soon then." I said turning around carrying my new pack full of seeds.
"Not to soon. You need to go far far away and when your far enough walk another day!" He yelled after me.
I laughed at him. "Alright I'm off!"
....
I traveled along the winding river. When I was hungry I hunted. When I was tired I slept in the trees and when I was lonely I talked to the one in my belly about anything and nothing at all. A week passed this way and in that time I didn't find any red eyes, humans, or Orcs. In my resting time I sharpened rocks into fine points and kept them with me for throwing.
The terrain became hilly and bothersome. The river would have slippery rocks and dense outcroppings of trees on its edges. Eventually i had to leave the river to continue westward. I found wet plains with tall grasses, with trees mingled inside. Snakes hid in the marshy terrain and slithered here and there. While I walked I pulled up stalks of grass and bunch them up. When I stopped to take breaks I wove the flexible green stalks into small baskets or plates the size of my palm. There wasn't a particular use for them other than to pass the time and take up space in my pack but they might be good to have later. Finishing my project I got up and continued walking. A few green snakes spooked me, they coiled and leaped from the grass, trying to bite me with open mouths. It did nothing to my impenetrable skin but I stomped them to death for trying. It was a world of eat or be eaten and I was always grateful for an easy meal.
I followed the setting sun each day. Moving farther and farther from grandpa tree. Eventually I found a dirt road with dark hard packed dirt and decided to follow it untill I came to a scenic place. It gave me a familiar cozy feeling in my heart to be able to look down and see fields stretching as far as the eye could see. Not unlike standing at the high point of the valley and looking down at the homes and feilds my family occupied. Little wooden houses with little farms. It had been a long time since I had seen humans. This was a good spot, so I decided to take off my pack and take out a grandpa seed. I peeled away the green case to produce a single brown seed.
With the seed prepared I set about making a good spot for him to grow. It needed to be off the beaten path. People might try to cut him down if they found a talking tree. I dug up dirt deeper than needed before putting some of the dirt back in. His roots will grow easier in the tilled soil. The plants around him had to go. He didn't need them competing for water and sun light placed him gently in the hole and covered it. Since I didn’t have water I peed on the place I buried the seed. Hopefully my treatment would be enough to give him a better chance at growing.
I wiped my hands against eachother to clear the dirt of and swept back my hair. I felt my horns and stopped. I can't go around humans like this. They would be to easily scared by my appearance and to be honest I was a bit of a mess from traveling. What to do?
