"I am a Dryad and I speak for the trees," she said, gazing warily at the man. "Soooo... yes, I can talk, and no I am not a human."
She gave him a puzzled look. "And no, it's not uninhabited. You're all here now, so not technically. Are you from Clan MacClatch?"
Arney screwed up his face trying to understand something, Some-ONE! He'd never seen before.
A tree person?!?
Well the writes did always say only the trees with the strongest spirits were fit for shipbuilding Maybe this is the spirit in question. He breifly wondered how a woods-spirit would enjoy being a ship, but quickly realised this might be insulting so he did not say it.
"Yes, it is i, the Chieftan of Clan MacClatch who said so,
i -uh, speak for the Clan!!
-and if you have a claim to this palace i say; MAKE IT!"