“Ah. It was indeed me.”, Elvin replied, laying his hand on his chest. “The forest is me, as I am the forest. When it is hurt, I am too. Even if I can’t be seriously injured or killed unless my tree is damaged, I feel what happens to any other tree in this forest.”, he explained softly. He smiled lightly at her concern.

“I’m alright. The pain lingers, but it will fade once the tree’s resin closed the cut.”. It didn’t leave any visible marks on him, but it hurt, and the pain lingered. But he would be fine.

shadowofthenox:

emptynarration:

Elvin blushed slightly, not used to something like this. He didn’t think much of himself, he couldn’t do all too much. Nothing really impressive, he thought.
“Please, there’s no reason for kneeling and such.”, he told her, smiling lightly. He was glad to see her again, remembering the last time he had she had been just a child.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you properly, finally. Thank you for all the trees you gifted us.”, he said, shifting so he sat cross-legged. “I’ve just grown to be a little forest deity.”.

Nox looked up when he spoke and stood up walk up to him. She crouched down and reached out her hand, smiling widely and eyes shining.

“There’s no need to thank me, kind deity. My little saplings are my thanks for the night you led me out of the forest. My name is Nox Oakwood, daughter of Ulric and Astrid Oakwood. May I ask your name, sir?”

Elvin smiled, taking her hand and pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it.
“Call me Elvin.”, he replied with a smile. Elvin, the same name the forest bore, friend of elves. Named by the people believing the fair folk resided in the forest, though there was only the tree sprite -who had grown to be the forest’s deity.

“Thank you for saving our tree. I’m incredibly grateful.”, he said then. It had happened a lot in the past, but grew fewer and fewer over the years, as the forest grew, and Elvin grew more protective of it.

Elvin blushed slightly, not used to something like this. He didn’t think much of himself, he couldn’t do all too much. Nothing really impressive, he thought.
“Please, there’s no reason for kneeling and such.”, he told her, smiling lightly. He was glad to see her again, remembering the last time he had she had been just a child.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you properly, finally. Thank you for all the trees you gifted us.”, he said, shifting so he sat cross-legged. “I’ve just grown to be a little forest deity.”.

shadowofthenox:

emptynarration:

The bird tweeted, ruffling its feathers. It was aware Nox was welcomed in the forest. It hopped from the branch and flew to the next tree, landing on a branch and tweeting again, waiting for Nox. It continued doing so with Nox following behind it, always checking to make sure she was there.

It took quite some time to get through the forest and into its heart. But once they were close to the clearing, the bird didn’t wait to fly into it and to Elvin, still resting on the ground beneath his tree.
“A visitor?”, he asked quietly, listening to the bird tweet to him. It had let Nox to him? “I told you to giver her my thanks, and not where I am. Naughty birdie.”, he chuckled softly anyways, not really minding it. He trusted Nox.

The clearing housed the crystal clear lake, where a lot of animals peacefully spend their time in the sun or water. At the edge of the clearing grew the oldest tree of the forest, under which Elvin laid.

Nox ran the last part of her small journey to keep up with the little bird but then stuttered to a stop when they came into the clearing. They slowly turned in a circle and took everything in.

“Woah!” She gasped, seeing the forest in a whole different light with the surroundings before her. She turned to see a figure at the base of a giant tree. There was an aura about the figure as she walked up to him.

Elvin carefully pushed himself up to sit again, leaning back against his tree. The dark brown cloak he wore was hiding hist clothes mostly, though it was obvious he was bare footed. His hair long and messy, some twigs, leafs and even flowers tangled in it. Two branches, like antlers, grew from his head, growing a few little green leafs, and pink flowers. They were decorated with a few trinkets, crystals, feathers, hand-crafted items he had been gifted from the town’s people.

The little bird that had lead Nox settled onto Elvin’s branches, not bothering the deity in the slightest. Tweeting happily away. “I can see her, you know?”, he told the little bird, smiling softly, before he returned his attention to Nox.

The bird tweeted, ruffling its feathers. It was aware Nox was welcomed in the forest. It hopped from the branch and flew to the next tree, landing on a branch and tweeting again, waiting for Nox. It continued doing so with Nox following behind it, always checking to make sure she was there.

It took quite some time to get through the forest and into its heart. But once they were close to the clearing, the bird didn’t wait to fly into it and to Elvin, still resting on the ground beneath his tree.
“A visitor?”, he asked quietly, listening to the bird tweet to him. It had let Nox to him? “I told you to giver her my thanks, and not where I am. Naughty birdie.”, he chuckled softly anyways, not really minding it. He trusted Nox.

The clearing housed the crystal clear lake, where a lot of animals peacefully spend their time in the sun or water. At the edge of the clearing grew the oldest tree of the forest, under which Elvin laid.

shadowofthenox:

emptynarration:

The man scoffed, catching the pouch. He poured its contents into his hand, counting the coins roughly, before putting them back inside.
“Fine. If you’re so intent on protecting this wee tree.”, he shook his head, grabbing the handle of his cart and pulling it along with him, leaving the forest again. All the while, the animals kept a close eye on him, creepy in their staring, as the forest seemed darker than before.

A few of the animals left again though, going all in the same general direction: the heart of the forest. Elvin was hurt, and even he needed time to heal, just like the tree that had been cut. Until it had healed it with its resin, Elvin would be in pain as well.

Nox watched him leave and breathed a sigh of relief when he went out of sight. She looked around to see most of animals had left the area too. She felt the air grow cold and the forest was quiet again. She turned to the tree and felt the bark where it has been cut.

“I’m sorry this happened” she mumbled, sadly to the tree “I wish I could heal you”

Elvin was incredibly glad when the birds came and told him what had happened. He was safe, his forest was safe, and it was thanks to Nox. He let a little flower bloom in his hands, it’s petals resembling the same amber colours that were in his eyes. He gave it to the little bird, who quickly flew off again.

It flew back to Nox, landing on her outstretched arm. The flower held by its stem in the bird’s beak. It hopped up and down a little, before dropping the flower onto her arm. It trilled softly, before flying up and into a branch of the tree.