Thistle

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

Clover smiled and waves at the man. He seemed nice!

"Hello! My name is Clover! I am not really a part of the guild yet, I have yet to sign a contract, but I am here to help, too!"

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

Clover looked at the man with awe. Deer-kin? Elk-kin? Whatever he was, he seemed to be much more in-tune with the forest than she had thought he would be. The antlers made her trust him more, and she no longer felt the need to stand behind the witch. She stepped forward slightly to see the woodsman better.

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

Clover looked at the carnage in terror. Something was destroying these poor trees! She could see her Sisters, huddling around their home trees, hiding themselves behind a veil that mortal creatures could not peer through. They were praying, calling out to the goddess for help as they tried to coax new life to their homes.

She had to do something. Now she knew that this...thing, whatever it was, was not meant to be in the forest, and she no longer had any worry about stopping it.

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

Clover stayed close to Lilith. This was a part of the forest that she had never been too, which was usually the most exciting, intriguing experience ever. But something felt...dark about this place. Foreboding. She would never admit it, but this part of the forest scared her.

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

"Well, I certainly hope that is the case. I have no reason to protect a mountain-dweller."

She gave Lilith a small smile. She was unaware of how threatening her words must sound. She was simply being honest.

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

Clover met Lilith's gaze, then looked away. She had sensed a darkness in her forest...but she had been hoping it was just her imagination, or that this part of the forest just didn't feel as light as her home patch did.

"I...I want to protect my forest...the forest is all I have. If some dark force is threatening it, I need to know."

She looked at the party of adventurers.

"And I do not trust the safety of my home to them. They are kind, but they do not know the forest as I do. Perhaps you and the hunter do. But the wolf-kin wears armor and makes such noise as she walks, her presence is no secret, the bird-kin can barely keep a cloak on, and....the man...he just blew up a tree. If you do not want me to follow, believe me, I still will. I must protect my forest."

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

Clover avoided looking Lilith in the eye. She instead looked at the ground, taking in the flowers and leaves around her feet.

"We should probably keep going. We are on a quest."

She then looked up at Lilith, putting on a brave smile.

"We are brave adventurers, right?"

She was afraid to lose these people. They were kind, and the only humans that had wanted her around in...ever. If she ever wanted to sway humans to be kinder to the forest, this was the only chance she had, and she felt it.

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

Clover wrapped her thin arms around the witch. She looked down at the river as they went across, and silently prayed to her goddess for strength. She had never felt this torn before, between her new friends and her forest.

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

Clover spent a moment longer with the tree stump before standing. She didn't look at any of them. She didn't know what would happen if she did.

"I would appreciate going across on the broom, if it is not any trouble." She said quietly.

Grayfall Guild: Now Hiring!

With a sharp gasp, Clover watched in horror as the warlock blasted through the tree. She ran forward, and put her hands tentatively on the stump.

"Oh no, oh no...!! A-are you okay?"

She was breathing heavily, but was silent for a long moment, as if she were actually listening to the tree. Soon she managed to calm herself down.

"Goddess be praised, you are alright...I am so sorry..."