10 Minute Tales

Jul 8 - Ironwood

The forest had always held whispers of its curse. The branches overhead warred with the other trees, making a dense mask that allowed no light through. The trunks were coated in thorns, hard spines that deterred any being. The very bark was a dull grey that reflected no light, a horribly hard surface that repelled all blades. It was here that he roamed now, a single candle providing scant light, forming flickering shadows that danced around him. He listened to the gentle breeze rustling, the clattering leaves clanging like chimes. He found this oddly soothing, almost. He marched on, stumbling slightly over the unforgiving roots as he approached a clearing. This was a curious result of the trees preferring flat ground; the subtle hill in the corner prevented most trees from rooting properly. He could see one that had all but fallen over, its roots straining against the tree's own weight.

"They'll come for you soon." he warned it, resting a hand between the thorns. "You'll need to stand up straight before they do." It didn't respond, except for a gentle chiming. He removed his hand and walked into the centre of the hill, sighing quietly. The forest didn't like people being here, which was why he kept going. The solace it offered was wonderful. He sighed and brought a scroll out of his bag, idly going through it. Where was he...

"Hey!" a voice called out, making him look up in surprise. No... she hadn't followed him here, had she? The fool... "Where are you, huh?" she called out. He sighed. If she was going to keep calling out like that, it was very likely that she would get herself in trouble. He grunted as he got up, leaving the scroll behind.

"I'm over here." he announced, moving closer to her voice. If he was right, she wouldn't be too far from a pack of Ironfur wolves; while they were normally nocturnal, her shouting was likely enough to wake them up.

"Thank the gods, you're still alive!" the voice laughed. "I was worried that you'd tripped on a root and stabbed yourself on a thorn." she was getting closer. Better, she wasn't yelling any more.

"Come now, do you think I'm that foolish?" he sighed, knowing she did. "I just wanted a break."

"From what? You spend all day lounging around anyway." She was nearby now, but she was on the other side of a thick copse of ironwood trees. She couldn't get through here. "How'd you get there, anyway?"

"It's a natural maze in this forest. You're lucky to have gotten as far as you have."

"Okay, mister druid, how do I get out?"

"It's complex, I'll have to go to you." He glanced back, at the scroll. It had rolled up slightly, but weighed enough to keep from blowing away. He nodded, satisfied, and returned to the darkness of the forest. This girl was trouble, he had found that out a long time ago. He had to figure out how to get her out safely, though. Her father would object to leaving her there.