Marwynn and Oaklynn had been walking south for several hours and had barely exchanged words. They were taking a break by a little stream that emptied into Silent River. Marwynn had decided to stop in Silken Pass for the night.

  Oaklynn did not seem to care where they were heading as long as she was walking beside Marwynn. Her gaze continued to follow his movements but Marwynn decided that for her, this was probably a normal thing. Even though he was still slightly uncomfortable, he was beginning to get used to her presence.

  “I am curious,” he addressed her, “why did you want to come with me anyway?”

  Oaklynn stared at him with that intense stare that she had first used on him saying nothing.

  “Alright, do not tell me then.” Marwynn sighed.

  “I will answer your question but first you will answer mine” she said. Oaklynn broke her gaze and turned her head to either side before continuing. “Tell me, do you have a death wish?”

  “No I do not.” Marwynn answered.

  “Then why would you attempt to cross Lady Revna a second time, you should have stayed clear of her.” Oaklynn answered.

  “I do not need to explain, I answered your question, now you answer mine” he said.

  Oaklynn crossed her arms and pouted, “Your answer was not satisfactory, I cannot answer yours.”

  “I made a promise to myself that I need to keep.” Marwynn admitted.

  “What promise is that?” Oaklynn asked.

  “Oh no, I answered your question, now you will answer mine.” Marwynn insisted.

  Oaklynn squinted her eyes in displeasure, “Fine, I wanted to join you because I can help you.”

  “That is not the full answer” Marwynn complained.

  “Neither was yours.” She said firmly crossing her legs as well and sticking her nose in the air.

  “Alright, fair enough, I promised myself that I would not allow others to be harmed because of me again.” Marwynn caved.

  “I see, so you still blame yourself for the loss of Honey do you?” she pried.

  “What do you know about Honey?” Marwynn demanded.

  “Tis not for me to say” Oaklynn said.

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  “I answered your question, and how is it you can help me?” Marwynn asked.

  “I know someone that I have frequent communication with. He knows about you and wants to know where your loyalty lies” she answered.

  “Who is it?” Marwynn asked curiously.

  “I do not yet know where your loyalty lies” Oaklynn responded.

  “So if I tell you what you want to know, you will tell me about Honey?” he asked.

  “I told you that I am not at liberty to indulge her secrets but I can set up a meeting with her” she said.

  “She will not speak with me, I already crossed her path once.” Marwynn said as he threw a rock into the stream.

  “She only remembers your previous encounter, she knows not where you have been since.” Oaklynn picked at her tooth with a stick.

  “And you do?” Marwynn asked.

  “I know more than you think” Oaklynn quipped.

  “How would you know anything about me?” he wondered.

  “A little known fact about us wood sprites is we have what they call tree memory” she giggled.

  “which means?”Marwynn was completely at a loss.

  “The trees that are killed before they reach their natural death lend us their memories so that we can see their pain.” She began to shake.

  Marwynn thought back to the trees that he had burned down and could finally understand Oaklynn’s hostility towards him.

  “The trees you burned are my charge” she whimpered. “I grow them from seedlings. They are my children.”

  Uncomfortably Marwynn said “I did not know…”

  “They told me of how you mourned her that night.” She remembered out loud. “You remembered what she had spoken to you and took her actions and made them your own.”

  Marwynn could only listen while Oaklynn recalled the tree’s memory. “You ran to the carriage that held the small one Duster and brought him out. You listened to the Caladrius parents and their plea for their daughter Cala even whilst she protested. You took both of them in your arms and fled as far as you could from the evil of that woman.” Oaklynn had a tear fall down her cheek. “What you did not know, that night is that when the evil chased after you, the trees slowed their progress. The trees had pity on you because of the pity you showed, they forgave you even after the pain you had caused them.”

  Marwynn did not know how to react. He had not known that he had been helped. “Their forgiveness of you is the only reason that I am here right now. I would have been content to hate you and exact revenge, but they showed me a better way” Oaklynn continued. “As for your Honey, the trees called out to the Great Spirit on her behalf. The Unknown Spirit that we all ultimately are indebted too, awakened her spirit. He offered her the chance to care for his creation even in death. As you know Honey accepted his offer and is now the spirit of the water.

  Marwynn was trying to take in all that Oaklynn had just shared with him. He realized that she had every right to dislike him and yet here she was offering him help.

  “I am responsible for Honey’s death. I am responsible for all of the deaths that night and for all of the creatures that have been enslaved. I am also responsible for an entire village that has recently been taken, it seems that there is no end to my misdeeds and their consequences. It would be better if I no longer exist.” He finally admitted what he had been carrying for so long.

  “Actions indeed have consequences, whether they are good or bad entirely depends on your choices.” Oaklynn said.

  “When will my bad consequences end?” Marwynn asked.

  “When you continue choosing the right choices, the light will eventually outshine the dark. You cannot hide light, it shines forth and all can see it.” Oaklynn answered.

  Marwynn sat lost in this rather heavy conversation he had not been prepared for but he somehow felt lighter. Like a weight had been lifted. He looked at Oaklynn and she half smiled at him. “Let’s go, I have much to discuss with you Marwynn,” she tugged at his arm and led him towards the Silken Pass.