The Forest

The path, narrow and twisting, meandered through a wood. It, the only viable connection between the two villages, was often overgrown and unkept. Not because the people of the villages were rivals; they were very connected, with friends passing and meeting every day. No, the path was decrepit because the forest was alive.

Long ago, before humans set foot on the land, the forest was an empire. Reaching across mountains and stretching farther than the eye could see, trees grew strong and tall. Their roots were deep, and their leaves broad. Without a care in the world, the animals flourished under the trees. Thousands of different species thrived here, for in the shade of the forest it was eternal summer. In sparkling lakes of deep blue, fish of all shapes and sizes slipped through the water, their colorful scales glinting from the sunlight. At the edges of the basin, deer with huge antlers sipped the coolness as gigantic bears and other creatures loped peacefully through the wilderness. Among the treetops high above the grassy floor, brightly hued birds fluttered and soared, chirping with vibrant energy.

Then the first humans arrived. They brought with them tools and saws, clothes and children. As with all the rest, the forest welcomed these new beings with warmth. But the humans came from another land, one that was harsh and unforgiving. It's vengeful air followed the humans, unwilling to let go. For the first time, the forest descended into winter. For generations the it dwindled, fighting the freezing winds that stripped and felled the once proud trees. Snow stacked up time after time forcing the animals into hiding. Layers of ice trapped the fish in cold darkness, and the birds no longer flew freely with joy.

Fierce animals arrived. Rabid dogs and starving monsters ravaged the forest, hunting the once peaceful animals. They began to rule as the empire of the summer woods fell. Only one thing could face them: the humans with their tools. They were the only thing that kept the forest from being completely overrun by these beasts. They protected the animals by hunting the hunters.

Then the sun arrived. Breaking through the clouds, it struck at the snow and the cold. The cold winds fled, snow melted and the lake cleared of ice. Tentatively the creatures poked out of their hiding places, fearful of the world. Winter destroyed the forest. So much so that only a small portion survived, a part where the humans had made their stay. The men had seen that their arrival brought death to the forest, and so they vowed to protect it from the monsters of the winter.

Years passed and many winters came and went, but every time the humans protected the wood until the sun came back. As the forest began to grow back, the humans split, living on both sides. The woods, never forgetting its warmth, forgave the humans, and provided a path between the two villages as a sign of thanks for their protection. It may seem overgrown and weedy, unfit to be a proper path, but it is a symbol of friendship through hardship between the humans and forest.