Garthalan: Mother of the Wood

The Calm Before the Storm

Adaya pov

I watched as the trench quickly filled with the deadly sharp spikes, carved and carried by the soldiers. It was roughly five foot wide and six foot deep. I tossed my newly carved spike down to the one of the setters he quickly planted it and moved on.

"........So when they get up the ladders about halfway we just have to push the board and down they go!" Helena had been prattrlong for hours about her master plan to thin the battlefield before it actually became one. I had zoned out about halfway through.

"That's nice." I even sounded distracted to myself. Which I am I had been thinking of Garen, he came and went from my house ad it pleased him, no knocking or time restrictions, he just burst in and cooked it lounged in a chair. Thinking on it had brought me to the conclusion that I was being courted. Courted by the man I had almost killed multiple times now, then healed cause I felt bad for him, but he still persisted. And I have just been accepting it, allowing him into my heart and mind without even noticing. the smell of leather and salt still lingered in my mind, the feel of his embrace still lingered around my body.

"Im fine. Just thinking of the coming battle. not sure how I feel about it yet."

Helena laughed at this. " No, your not. I've seen those thinking of the battle many times. You little princess, are not thinking of battle, but somyhing far different." I glared at her on the last words, I wanted nothing to do with my heritage, and she knew it. I had told her, Haren, and Lailah when they came to my house trying to plan how get the word out.

"What? It's true."

"I am no princess."

"Oh that, not what I was talking about but it's true as well." She was sparred my next words as another log was thrust into my hands. I took it to a bench and began carving.

" So the Dales. What sou know of it?" I tried to change the subject so I wouldn't have to think, or listen to more master plans.

"I was born after its fall, so not much. Let's see....." She stopped carving and put her hand to her chin. "I know that we are all tied to a peice of it, the amount of growing plants determines our natural powers, which is none since it got salted. Um, it's where the strongest trees, Blackwood, grow which again, there are none since it was salted. That's all I can think of right now, I'll tell you more if I think of something." She went silent, as did I. We carved our spikes in the silence after that, it was comfortable.

Artunous pov

We finally came upon the fort holding the rebels, we were on the ridge high above it looking down upon the now fully fortified walls, there was a large pit in the fields all the way across being covered as it filled with something, spikes most likely.

"they seem to be preparing for a fight." Yennefer said breathlessly, we had a steady jog the whole way here. Hopefully the reports were right and my friend, commander Gretha still lived. And was not holding a grudge against the attempt on his life.

"I think your right. Let's get down there." We walked now, dead on our feet from the journey, all the way up to the pit. We had dodged a few very well hidden traps in the woods.

I walked up to two women cutting at the ends of logs, both were wood elves. Yennefer noticed this too, she looked to be holding in her excitement, not only had she escaped but now she was with her own people.

"Could you ladies point is to the commander?" One looked up, she had the most amazing blue eyes, not too dark but not too pale, they almost glowed. Her face was that if a younger elf but I could not tear away from the eyes. They brought a sense of happiness, but at the same time fear, to me. I looked away when her luscious light brown hair fell in front of them.

"yea, he should be in front of the wall." She looked back down at her cutting, not even thinking of Me again it seemed. I began to walk towards the wall.

"You look so much like Dreya." I turned to see yenbefer knelt in front of the blue eyes girl, she lifted her hand to the girls face stopping mere inches away. "may i?"

The girl looked a little freaked out by her. "Sure. Just so you know, If it gets much weirder, Imma cut it off."

Yennefer laughed at the girl. "you act like her too." She put her hand on the girls face, after only a few seconds the girl dropped her carving knife.

" How...I mean...my mother? Who are you?" The girl seemed amazed, almost six centuries old, yennefer tends to amaze everyone. We still haven't figured out how long a wood elf lives, most died from the sword, or greif and yennefer was supposed to be the orders gauge on how long they do live, a lot longer than any high elf does that's for sure. Three centuries imprisoned, and she has had five watchers, Mr being the fifth, she has outlived every single one, along with six different kings.

I walked over. "Yennefer. We have to go, you two can talk later." She looked irritated, but stood up.

"I was a freind of hers a long time ago." After that she turned and followed me.

Adaya pov

How'd she know my mother? How'd she put images in my head from when she was much younger? Where have I heard her name before?

"I, need some time." I looked to Helena who looked baffled.

"What just happened there?" She pointed to the woman walking away. Yennefer.

"I dont know. I just need some time to think. I'm going for a walk, stay here. I'll be back by nightfall." I stood and walked into the woods leaving my spike on the ground along with the carving knife, I need some time to think about this.

Gretha pov

" No put the bolt in that one! Know what, never mind, climb back up, I'll do it." I was being irritated by a recruit, a young man, not last the stages of thinking he's always right, probably around fifty.

Duncan stood next to me. "Sir he will not learn if you do it for him." always so logical.

"Don't you have a spy reporting soon?" Duncan sighed and took the hint, then walked away.

"Ho, I need to speak with you commander" I began moving towards the stairs up the wall, and was stopped again. It did not annoy Me, I know that voice anywhere. Artunous has seen the cruelty of the order in more detail than I, ever would, I guess he finnally grew tired of it.

"You know how it works, I'm on duty. Grab a hammer old friend." I did not look back, I know he'll follow me up.

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My bro is almost done with the drawing, it looks awesome to me.