Dryad

Scout

I learned most of the language mostly thanks to a cranky old elf who has nothing better to do so he decided to teach an ignorant clueless creature. I know enough to understand almost anything I'm told. Maksim's face does not look satisfied, let alone proud, but he pats me on the head and I can sit on his lap. Sometimes maybe it's better that I can't speak, because if he heard everything that comes to mind, he'd probably throw me out the window. Regardless of the fact that he does not like humans, he made me the guardian of the house. He must have realized how much I don't like them myself, how angry I am about my home being taken from me and the ingratitude shown that he concluded that I would kill again if any of them appeared here. I failed to protect my home last time and it almost cost me my life, but this one I will defend better.

As promised, Vadim took me with him far into the forests outside the city, forests bordering other provinces and patrolled by rangers. The first time it was hard to leave my tree and go so far away from it, but I had to get used to it. Vadim, as a high-status elf, must occasionally go on a scout and be in contact with the local rangers. They were surprised that he was taking me as an escort, but over time they accepted my presence. We realized that I could be easily bribed with fruit.

I've heard stories about other elven nations and their occasional habits of crossing each other's borders which never really scared me. How bad can these encounters be? Any elf, whatever they are, is more civilized than any human. That's what I was told. I didn't get a chance to see any of those other elves (although I wanted to) until some of them very unceremoniously and impolitely dropped by for a visit and I didn't feel like hanging out with them anymore.

Vadim, along with his uncle, took me on one of our scouts, or "walks" as they call it when they take me with them, and we were on our way to our usual informants. Now I was already jumping first and in front of everyone, I learned all the paths we had to go, and occasionally I turned around to see where they were. I rushed in all carefree because I was now instinctively guiding myself, and then a sound betrayed him, a sound he obviously thought I wouldn't hear. A dark shadow appeared not far from us and disturbed me, but it managed to move faster than I could follow it and at that moment someone grabbed me in their arms trying to calm me down.