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Urthwyfe

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There was something centering when it came to long walks in the forests. Tahra had always felt more at home in deep nature where she could be alone with her thoughts, silence as far as the ear could hear broken only by the occasional bird call or ruffle of leaves caused by a soft breeze. Unfortunately, her journey through the woods were for business and not pleasure. That was only further reinforced by the loud sound of villagers tromping along behind her.

She focused more on her surroundings than the large train of The Folk following her. Unlike most Humans, Tahra did not avoid the animal-like beast people known collectively as The Folk, rather, she embraced their culture to such a point that she knew many of the ancient stories better than they did themselves. Ultimately, that meant she was able to turn away from her prior life and was the first Human to take on the role of an Urthwyfe which, ironically, led her to answer the summons of the village... most of whom followed after her through the forest after she already told them she wanted to handle the issue herself.

A rather portly Hedgehog man dressed in overalls and a field hat was at the forefront of the few-dozen villagers. Despite his rotund shape he had decent stamina, and managed to keep pace with her, but not without some degree of grumbling. "I just can't see why the Spirits would start causing problems for us. We've lived peacefully next to the forest for generations, and now, for some unknowable reason, they decide to act up. Bregalia save us."

Calling up one of the names of The Folks' high gods, the Hedgehog added a pious gesture, touching either of his shoulders before kissing the back of his paw. It was a cultural quirk with which Tahra was familiar, but she wasn't a priestess and The Peoples' gods meant little to her and she had no problem chastising him over it. "She won't do anything to save you if you and your people cause problems at the Moot."

The Hedgehog cleared his throat, rubbing at his neck with a handkerchief. "Everyone knows what you say goes, Urthwyfe. We wouldn't go to the trouble of hiring you just to cause problems for ourselves. You know Spirits and we don't. Nobody joining us will cause any problems for you at the Moot."

While Spirits usually kept to themselves, on occasions when they had to interact with The Folk, they did so in a formal, ritualistic gathering known as a Moot. There was a certain tempo to dealing with Spirits and the Old Ways had to be acknowledged; Tahra hated having others along during such meetings because any number of things could go wrong-- that went double when those accompanying her were hayseeds who knew nothing (and probably cared nothing) about Spirits. It was not hard to offend a Spirit and, as near-immortal beings, they had long memories and could cause untold amounts of grief. She was, in fact, quite certain that the villagers were to blame for the Spirit activity, but she couldn't call the villagers out on it until she had a chance to speak with both parties.

Since it was obvious to her that the Hedgehog was looking for dialogue, Tahra decided to shift it in a helpful direction. "Tell me again when the Spirits first started causing trouble for the village."

He began reciting far too much unhelpful information but she managed to pick out the important facts: small items started disappearing around the village early spring; herd animals that were shepherded near the woods started falling sick and having miscarriages; milk spoiled too quickly for it to be natural; small inconvenient accidents began happening around the village too often for it to be a convenience. She pushed right to the end event that caused them to send for her. "When was the first death?"

It wasn't common for Spirits to kill, but it certainly wasn't unheard of. On the rare occasions Spirits killed any of The Folk it was usually the prelude to a very aggressive action undertaken once their prior warnings weren't heeded-- this led Tahra to believe that it likely WAS something the Villagers had done and the other unpleasantness was their attempt to get the attention of The Folk over some transgression. The Hedgehog's answer further reinforced that impression. "About two weeks ago. Things have been strangely calm since then."

That confirmation further helped her solidify her understanding. The Village had contacted her right away, but the message took some days to get to her and then it took her time to get to them. Any time Spirits took the life of one of The Folk they always gave a fortnight of peace in an attempt to get corrective action; it was fortunate that Tara was there. "One way or another your village will have a resolution tonight-- of this I am sure."

The man following after her nodded vigorously. "This is why we turned to an Urthwyfe, miss. Some said we should seek out a Druid, but I knew our faith wasn't misplaced in reaching out to you."

Back when Tahra had first taken on the oath of an Urthwyfe many of The Folk were uncertain about her; Humans were not common among the beast races, and it was rarer still for one to take on the mantel of an Urthwyfe, but she had more than proven her abilities and, even if she was rarity among her profession, the vast majority of people she served saw her first as an Urthwyfe, and second (or not at all) as a Human. It served her just fine since she was done with her fellows.

A Door Mouse behind the Hedgehog spoke up. "Eward, a Druid would have cost less than half of what the good Urthwyfe is charging... we should have started with that.

Tahra smirked. "You would all have died if you left this up to a Druid."

While Druids were incredibly talented when it came to the fey, they were not well equipped to deal with Spirits; if the village were truly faithful to the Old Ways they would have known as much, but Tahra wasn't being paid to instruct them; her task was to resolve the issue with the Spirits, and that was precisely what she was going to do. Letting out a steady breath, she closed one of her eyes. "Now be quiet... I need to focus on the task ahead."

Her statement was a half-truth; she was good with half-truths. Understanding what lay ahead was the point of her focus, but it was in a much more physical sense than what any of the Villagers would understand. Expanding her senses and casting her thoughts wide, she felt a response to her mental call with the impression of a cat brushing up against her... except that 'cat' was over six hundred pounds, covered in feathers, and was several leagues ahead and a mountain higher up than her.

Shael was her companion, and she'd known him for a long time. As a gryphon, he was 'simple' in the way that any other animal was, but their bond extended a certain sapience to him that an unbonded beast would not have. He didn't 'speak' in the way that a Human or The Folk would, but she could understand him just as easily, or, in many ways, more easily. His acknowledgement of her was as much a physical greeting as it was a mental one. She responded in kind with the impression of running nonexistent fingers through the feathery crown atop his head.

An inquiry came from Shael once their greetings had concluded. He didn't know why she was traveling with so many two-legs.

She reminded him that SHE was a 'two-legs'.

Shael's response was a combination of disgust and disagreement; she was far more than a two-legs as far as he was concerned.

The gryphon let her know that she and the two-legs were getting close to the large tree she wanted him to guide her to and that she would have gotten there a lot faster if she'd let him fly her there.

She responded that the two-legs asked to go with her and he wouldn't be able to take them all. Before he could start further argument, she let him know to remain close by and she'd call for him when he was needed. He didn't fight to hold onto their connection, letting her draw back with the warm, fuzzy feeling that he appreciated her acknowledging 'when' and not 'if' he would be needed. Shael really enjoyed being involved.

As Tahra focused again on the three voices speaking behind her, she understood that the Hedgehog and the Door Mouse had been joined by a Beaver; she immediately knew that he'd be a problem since he was complaining about not being able to take weapons. She interjected herself into the conversation. "They are SPIRITS. You would not be able to hurt them with axes or sickles, so why bother carrying something that would do you no good?"

The Beaver huffed. "They don't like plants getting chopped down, right? A few of us with axes surrounding a few trees'd get their attention and they'd HAVE to listen to us."

The Human woman came to a stop, turning to regard the belligerent man and address his statement in as firm a tone as she could manage without telling him off. "If you are coming with me then you have to behave. You hired me to resolve the issue and I cannot do that if you are coming up with plans like 'threaten to chop down trees to get their attention'. You will DEFINITELY get their attention, but it won't be in a way that would end well for you or your village."

The Hedgehog stepped between Tahra and the Beaver and shot the latter a pointed look. "We will ALL be on our best behavior, Miss Urthwyfe."

The Door Mouse spoke up once Tahra started moving again. "If you are speaking on behalf, at least tell us the plan so we know what to expect."

Hiding a sigh, Tahra realized that she would make life harder for herself if she didn't at least provide them some direction. "Spirits are all about promises, accords, and pacts. The objective tonight is to find out why they are angry and then take steps to secure peace for your village. There is an orderly way to interact with Spirits and it is important that none of your people interrupt or complicate the matter."

The Beaver was definitely going to be a problem. Folding his arms across his chest, he smacked a rock with his large, flat tail as he passed it. "Whatever it takes. I don't care what their problem is as long as they stop attacking the village."

Tahra could have explained the situation more completely but she didn't care for the thought of trying to teach someone that didn't want to learn. In truth, she was fairly confident that villagers like the Beaver were likely part of the problem-- when Spirits become an issue it's usually because someone is doing something that is causing a problem for them. Dealing with Spirits means mutual respect and understanding; looking at them like a problem that needed to be overcome was never a good idea. Her first goal was to hear the Spirits out and seek to find out why it was they were angry with the village. Once she understood that, coming up with a solution would be significantly more plausible.

Although the Hedgehog managed to get the Beaver to calm down, Tahra could tell that he would be a problem, but she received an acknowledgement from Shael via a screech from overhead that she was nearing the tree. The places spirits congregated were known as 'thresholds'-- places where the natural magic was strong such as the place where ley lines crossed or, in the case of the forest in which she found herself, the great Mother Tree which was the largest and oldest of trees in the surrounding area.

The 100 yards surrounding the tree was devoid of any large plants; its enormous canopy blocked out the light needed for other trees to take root, providing an enormous clearing around the massive trunk. Some two dozen glowing balls of light, barely visible to the naked eye floated just above ground level, hovering amidst the gnarled roots of the Mother Tree. As she stepped into the open Tahra paused to look back at The Folk following her.

She spoke to all of them as a singular group. "I speak to them. You do not. They will be able to understand you even if you cannot understand them, and I will not be held responsible if one of you says the wrong thing at the wrong time. Am I understood?"

A collection of mumbles came from the men. She hardened her glare, not interested in further problems caused by their presence. "Am I understood?"

In unison, the villagers agreed. "Yes, Urthwyfe."

Motioning for those following her to wait at the edge of the clearing, Tahra stepped forward, moving to join the Spirits among the roots. She touched her forehead with her index, middle finger, and ring finger from her right hand and gently extended her arm to the collection of floating lights. "I see and acknowledge you, Spirits of the Forest."

The balls of light floated in a seemingly chaotic pattern, but Tahra knew enough of Spirits to realize that they were acknowledging her presence as surely as she had acknowledged theirs. Their luminescence grew and faded in a specific context, accentuating specific tones in the crystalline chimes and humming they let out. Their explanation was simple and straight forward, and cleared up some missing details she hadn't been able to get out of the villagers during their explanation.

About-facing, Tahra regarded the Hedgehog. "The Spirits said that your village broke the ancient covenant and your woodsmen were seen chopping down trees beyond the Markation Stones. Is this true?"

The portly man paused, his quill vibrating in a way that she knew identified his ignorance before he even spoke. "The what?"

The Beaver grunted. "The old stones out in the forest... the ones with the symbols on em. Aye, Urthwyfe. The village is growing and we need wood. They can't blame us for wanting to house our people and keep warm during the winter."

The Spirits did not need her to translate the words of The Folk, but she did have to decipher their words for the villagers, and they weren't very forgiving. "The Spirits demand that you cease entering the forest. Your ancestors made a pact to leave the forest alone past the stones. To placate them you must immediately stop your logging, otherwise they will continue causing problems for you."

The Hedgehog shifted his weight from one foot to the other, glancing back at the Beaver, who shook his head with an expression of deep disdain. Looking back to Tahra, he asked "Is there anything we can do to come to an agreement? We need that wood."

Tahra resisted shooting a withering glare at the villagers in favor of keeping her attention on the Spirits, which continued their combination of movement, light, and crystalline sounds, responding to the Hedgehog's request. She spoke on the behalf of the Spirits. "They say that a new accord must be reached and that the village will have to pay for the trees that have already been cut down."

The Door Mouse peeped up. "Eward... we don't have enough coin to trade with the nearest three towns... after paying the good Urthwyfe we--"

Interjecting, Tahra corrected the meek little man. "The Spirits have little use for coin. They will want an arrangement of another sort."

The Rodent's ears reddened slightly and he shrank back. "Oh. I... I suppose that wouldn't be all that bad then."

Staring down the villagers, waiting for another one of them to say something that could complicate the situation, Tahra was pleased to see that they had finally decided to let her continue the discussion, at which point she returned her attention to the Spirits. "What is it you would ask of the villagers?"

Tahra waited patiently for the Spirits to state their offer and, once they had explained what they wanted, she paused for a moment to figure out the best way to convey an understanding to the villagers without them getting the wrong idea. The Beaver didn't make it easy. "Well? What'd they say, Urthwyfe? You're here to help us deal with these things, not to keep us out of the conversation."

Letting out a long sigh, Tahra realized that it was very much a mistake to let the villagers choose among themselves who they should bring-- or to bring of them at all. "This is not a black-and-white discussion. There are nuances to every offer and counter-offer. This is not the same as bartering with a neighbor over a fence between your proper--"

The Beaver growled. "Out with it, Urthwyfe. If it's up to us to pay these pests off then we have a right to know the cost."

The Door Mouse stepped in front of the Beaver. "Now Wasson, the good Urthwyfe said that we need to be more respectfu--"

The belligerent villager waved the torch he held back and forth. "This IS me being respectful... if I WASN'T being respectful I've set this place aflame. We came all the way out here to--"

Before the Beaver made things any worse, Tahra interjected. "They said that the village cut down 14 trees beyond the Markation Stones. You will have to pay for those, plus however many more you wish to take before the end of summer."

The Hedgehog fidgeted, dabbing at his neck with his handkerchief. "I... I suppose that... sounds reasonable... but, if they don't want money, how are we supposed to pay?"

The Badger continued to grumble, but at least he did so at a quieter volume. "We put in all the work to harvest those things... makes no sense to have to pay for em too."

She stopped focusing on the villagers, returning her attention to the Spirits. She was not at all surprised by their request, knowing that all negotiations started somewhere. Tahra began thinking of the best way to explain the plan on how to proceed with the villagers who followed her but she was surprised by the Spirits added that her ability to convey their message to The Folk unadulterated was pivotal to any future dealings.

Tahra did not like that one bit. "Do you understand how poorly this may go if wish to proceed under these terms?"

Her question of the Spirits got the attention of the villagers. The Hedgehog spoke up hesitantly. "Uh... Urthwyfe? What is it they said?"

At the urging of the Spirits, Tahra turned around to face them. "They have requested that you sacrifice one child to the forest for every tree you harvest."

The Hedgehog's eyes went wide and he opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. That gave the Beaver a chance to shout out first. "What? That's INSANE! No! How in the name of Jedrain would they think we'd accept something like that?!"

The Door Mouse grabbed the Beaver by the sleeve of his tunic. "Eward, we need to be quiet and let the Urthwyfe--"

The Beaver backhanded the Door Mouse with his free paw and stepped to the front of the group. "Listen, Urthwyfe... you tell those clueless balls of light that what they're asking--"

The Hedgehog turned and put both his paws against the Beaver's chest. "Eward. That's ENOUGH! We promised the Urthwyfe that we would be observers. Be silent, or Bregalia save me, I swear I'll convene the Council to have you banished!"

The threat was enough to get the Badger to back down, but Tahra could tell from the subtle cues from the Spirits that the response was not at all unexpected. She felt a tingle run up the back of her neck when the Spirits conveyed that they were still expecting an answer. She quickly announced it. "They still wish to know how you want to proceed."

Grumbling under his breath and wiping at his face with his cloth, the Hedgehog cleared his throat. "Oh... uh... can I speak to them directly, Urthwyfe?"

Tahra nodded. "As I said, they can understand you."

The Hedgehog raised his shaky voice. "Oh, g-great Spirits... we... we value our children and cannot pay for any trees with them. Just tell us what we can do to satisfy you for our mistake in harvesting past the stones and we will stop."

The Spirits communicated with one another in a way that Tahra could 'feel' similarly to how she received empathetic feelings from Shael, but they were far fainter when she was not meant to be a recipient of the information-- all she could sene was that they weren't surprised by the village's response. When they did communicate to her again she knew that the negotions were already going in the wrong direction... especially when they reiterated that they wanted her to convey their message purely.

Sighing, Tahra spoke for them. "The Spirits have not changed their cost. You have taken twelve trees so if you stop now you only owe them twelve children."

The objection was just as virulent as she expected it would be, starting with a damning shout of accusation. "DEMONS!"

Everything happened in slow motion as Tahra turned to regard the Beaver. There were any number of things she could do as she watched him hurl his torch toward the Spirits and the Mother Tree-- but she did none of them. Stepping aside, the Urthwyfe lowered her head, touching her three fingers to her forehead as she bowed low, surrendering the villagers to their own devices. The Moot's ending had been instigated by the villagers and, as such, they had chosen their own fate.

The Spirits, for their part, maintained a certain amicable tone with her, letting her know that the accord was broken and that they do not hold her responsible for the deaths to come. That exchange took no more than a handful of seconds-- long enough for a powerful blast of wind to intercept the torch and quench the flames before it hit the roots. In scarcely twice that length of time the Spirits became a blur of motion and, before any of the villagers had a chance to scream, all fell to the ground, holes burned into their chests.

Only the Door Mouse remained standing; the front of his leggings began to darken and Tahra could smell the scent of urine. She conveyed the Spirits' words to him. "The Spirits gave you leave to depart. Unlike everyone else here you showed no sign of aggression and did not stand idly while your fellow caused harm. They will cause no more trouble for your village so long as you respect the Markation Stones."

She had to turn the Door Mouse around give him a little shove back toward the village before he stumbled then ran, all of his limbs shaking visibly. Once he was gone, Tahra slowly turned around to the collection of Spirits which had returned to their prior position amidts the roots. Bowing, the Urthwyfe spoke calmly. "I am sorry that The Folk transgressed. Please call upon me if the issue is not resolved. I would be honored to speak on your behalf should the need arise."

The Spirits acknowledged her service and honored her for holding true to the Ancient Pact in which she served as Urthwyfe. Bowing her head in the acknowledgement of their favor, she carefully approached a topic that related to her own situation. "The forest will reclaim the bodies here but, if I may-- in accordance to the agreement made between the villagers and myself, I was to be paid for my services. As I cannot return to the village to collect, would you do me the honor of letting me claim the belongings that the forest would not benefit from having?"

The Spirits were unanimous in approving her request; she knew they would not mind but it would have been rude not to ask. Gathering up the scant coinage, jewelry, and usable general goods from the dead, she thanked the Spirits with a simple "I conclude my time here."

The Spirits likewise conveyed that their gathering was at an end and, like a school of fish changing direction in the currents, the collection of lights shifted, flowed, and then disappeared off deeper into the forest. A few moments later Tahra held up her arm before her face to protect it from a powerful gust of wind as Shael came in for a landing, buffeting her with loose twigs and small stones. Although he conveyed remorse for it, she could also tell that he was playfully pleased with himself. He also conveyed humor at the situation of all of the noisy, smelly villagers dead.

Tahra wasn't in quite so light a mood. "There's nothing funny about The Folk thinking themselves separate from their surroundings, Shael. Life would be a lot easier if everyone understood that they are PART of the word, not above it all."

When Shael responded by bumping her shoulder with his head and then lightly buffeting her back with a half-extended wing, jokingly suggesting that SHE doesn't think she's above it all, she reached over to rub his head through his feathery cowl and reminded him "I am an Urthwyfe, and I'm a Human, not one of The Folk."

Shael turned about, flipping the end of his tail against her nose as he trotted off, pointedly reminding her that he was just a simple gryphon and that, to him, they're all 'two legs'. he then suggested that she climb up onto his back and fly like the should have done in the first place. Having no reason to disagree, she took a four-step run so she could gain some forward momentum, then sprang up and onto his back.

The Gryphon seemed much more pleased to be so close to her and he wasted no time taking off, using the enormous clearing as ample room with which to get a running start. In short order the two of them were airborne and he flapped his wings vigorously to gain altitude, banking slightly as he rose to make use of the space between the enormous branches of the Mother Tree. Although the view from the air always pleased Tahra, she overlooked gazing at the horizon to better review her earnings. "Head south, Shael."

When he inquired about why she wanted to go south she replied simply "There was another posting beside this one. Let's hope that the next village will be more willing to listen to an Urthwyfe than this one."

The gryphon was happy to oblige, reminding her that all she had to do was provide directions and he would handle the rest. She responded with a mental head-pat but reinforced that with a physical rubbing of his neck through his feathers before returning to the jewelry. Despite the general poverty in which the village existed, there were a decent number of heirlooms held among the men who had followed her into the forest. It was worth less than the sum she had been promised to resolve the problem but she realized that she could not afford to be choosy.

Even as she considered that she paused, looking at a wedding band in the collection of her spoils. Grimacing, she picked it out and tossed the ring into the wind, more than happy enough to leave it behind.