Secrets of the Sylvan Sanctuary: Alicia's Tale

The spiral becomes more and more pointed towards the center, the shell blue with a pink cast that is unconventionally eye-catching. Snail was careful to keep her jewel out of sight. Up there, right along the stone bark of a centuries-old spruce tree. Snail has labored, and her heroic labor will never be appreciated. But she continues her ascent. With each gust, the smell of the forest grew more distant, but what could that mean to the snail? 

Christmas trees are small and some of the most down-to-earth inhabitants of the forest. They are fragrant and peacefully feed on water and minerals from the soil. But not now, now they are waving all their limbs, fluttering and screaming. They are trying to spread the message of danger - invasion. A human, she snuck in here, no one like her are not allowed in. Humans live short lives, and so they burn with the desire to have time to do more and more. And because they have envy, they subject others to the same things they feel themselves. But the long-lived forests reject people, old age fears death.

Alicia walked deep into the forest. She knew where she was going, which favored her. 

"Why has it darkened so drastically? The sky?"

 She looks up, mesmerized, heart fluttering. From above, through the fluffy needles, there are barely a ray of light that later scatters over a clearing of young sprouts. She guides the sparkling rays with her gaze. 

Indeed, He is very old, so he doesn't like strangers. His elders reach the firmament and wisecrack the small celestial travelers, who in return let the rains that nourish the veins of the forest, sprinkle dew on small sprouts and nourish colonies of ants. Those elders unwittingly spread out and veil the whole sky with fluffy branches, but they carefully watch over and let the light in. The one in turn accepts the invitation and enters as if to its home. He welcomes this guest, and the light spills honeyed rays throughout the Forest. It envelops every needle, every blade of grass and warms the squirrels frolicking here and there.

Alicia knew where she was going, and he could feel it. Did he want the girl to get there? Or was he glad of her's direction?  No, he just kept quiet. She looked around at the hard as stone oaks. She walked over and put her left hand to an oak that had not even half its age, and brought her right hand to her heart. The quiet chanting roused the colorful birds and they began to cheer her on, but her heart remained steady. She praised the brightly colored inhabitants for their help, but she could not allow herself to rejoice. Finishing her ritual, she removed her hand from the tree. In the place of the palm was a symbol, the forest did not know what it was, it was afraid, for long ago when it was still young there had been people like this stranger living here. They loved the forest, but they also used it. When others came after them that did not honor the forest it burned and had been afraid ever since. Alicia told him it was called a rune, symbols ancient and powerful. She said it would do good to the oak tree where the pests had settled. And the tree rustled, it rejoiced and its branches danced, sensitive birds chirped on its branches. The rune reached into the core of the tree and enveloped it in something warm, safe, and familiar.

He considered the deed, but he didn't trust the people. The first ones helped too, but it was their fault that something happened that could not be justified. The tree was really dying, but it did not tell even the woodpeckers, and the fact that the stranger saw it and decided to help gave her some favor.

A murmuring sound could be heard in the distance, and mosses and other fluffy crops grew around the path that appeared under the girl's feet. Enchanted, the girl continued on her way, stroking the moss, whistling to the birds, when she saw an anthill, took something out of the handkerchief behind her back and put it not far away. She said it was sugar and it would help the colony a lot. The regiment of scout ants set off. This is not an easy task and everyone was prepared that they would not return. As they crawled out of their holes, they kicked up bits of earth and sand to pave the way. The brave warriors rushed to the foreign sand. Half of them tested the suitability of this food and half defended the others against the giant. But the girl squatted down and watched the incredible, different life. The inhabitants of the colony were delighted with this sand and began to transport it to the warehouse. The giant, however, stood up and headed further towards the murmuring.

The ornate road was paved by an outsider, the forest watched mesmerized. She is not like the others. The forest watched the incredible accomplishment, but did not allow himself to believe in kindness. The leaves froze, the insects were discreetly scouting the new person and trying to understand what she really wants? 

The Little Squirrels, daring, ran to examine the visitor, but they were afraid of her. The stranger gently backed each of them and told them that she was not going to harm them. She tossed nuts to the especially ardent ones, and the forest appreciated her virtue. The girl took a couple more steps along the mossy hills as a squirrel swooped down and bit her on the calf. Alicia reflexively swung and the squirrel had already clamped its teeth into the flesh of the troublemaker, but nothing happened. The girl said she realized that the squirrel was not angry. She sat down and brushed the squirrel's brown fur, the dazed animal let the traveler go.

The forest was abuzz. A multitude of birds no longer sang but screamed, the trees groaned and roared. Were they protecting her? The girl looked back just in time. A meter away from her was an adder. The creeping creature had made a burrow in the pleasant soil that daylight illuminated. The witch didn't know it, but in the burrow lay a clutch of eggs that the snake had recently laid. Beneath the fluffy moss deepening into the ground dug an entire burrow, reinforced on all sides by the currant roots that sprouted from above.  The girl stepped back. She didn't want to frighten the snake, and said she didn't think it was bad, but rather just as much a part of the forest. The traveler asked if she could help the snake and outline the burrow with protection, to which adder hissed and circled around the entrance, showing her independence. Then there was nothing left for the girl but to leave. 

She was led by her sense; she was going into the heart of the forest.

He trembles, the like of which has never been seen before. A human bringing prosperity to the Forest, guided by spirits like him. He rejoiced, but kept his gaze. His eyes and ears were everywhere: Small fleas, termites in the tables of long fallen giants, colonies of bees, flowers glades covered with thorny needles of Pines. He saw, felt, and heard her. She, on the other hand, marveled at the overwhelming scent, graced the flowers, and examined his trees. Such curiosity had not been seen in a long time. The rush of the rivulets grew stronger and broke on the rocks, splitting into millions of small drops. The forest came alive in a different way, its mortal ordinariness broken and not as he had expected.

Alicia reached the river, the river was noisy and splashed loudly on the rocks, and eroded new channels, built natural dams and opened up the values of the land sporadically washing out the stones of such azure depth that no jeweler could dream of. The girl was enchanted by her exuberant friend, oh yes, she would be here again and more than once, and with this river she would become close, and the water would tell her many things that she could create and carry away.  Around the water life was booming, and if before the girl had observed life in the forest, then she could compare the surroundings of the forest vein with a megalopolis. Many animals that had become accustomed to her were coming out for a watering hole, the grass was riotous with poisonous green, the smooth stones made themselves available to amphibians that had come out into the light. In the water itself life boiled no less, with its sandy bottom and stone walls the water was clear, and only the currents ruined the perfect as if glassy smoothness. In it swam fish, of those that the Girl could distinguish: Redfin, crucial carp, pikeperch. There were others, but they swam away too fast or Alicia just didn't know them. She put her hand into the water, the icy stream immediately swallowed it and washed it, tried it, felt it. It washed away the smell of burning and incense, took with it the essential oils and pollen of flowers. The girl read a spell, threw a couple of dried flowers into the water and with her other hand lowered into the stream a wooden bar with an ornate symbol engraved on it, reminiscent of willows from deep in the forest. The water glowed green and then the girl dipped her foot in to wash and heal the wound. The river was spellbound, she had never felt such a thing before, it was as if it had become as pure as the dewdrops of dew that fell into it. The concerned and principled inhabitant of the forest was demanding repayment to the Girl, and she felt it, felt it in the way the stream changed as her hand dipped. The dragonflies flew around, the water-bugs swam closer, and the orchestrations of the toads subsided. The girl asked to be taken to the heart of forest. Everything came to life dramatically, the toads screamed, the water-bugs danced, the forest giants could not stand aside and more than a century old pine tree creaked and roared scaring the feathered ones from the highest branches. She had expected such a reaction, but she had not expected the river to agree. This caused a whole lot of arguing and shouting within the forest, In the periphery of her vision Alicia noticed even deer that started jumping and moving around. It was not a popular decision, and the elders could do terrible things after this decision, so the girl had a burden on her shoulders - she had to do everything to please at least the local spirits and then everything would be fine.

A huge toad emerged from the water fanning its cheeks like bellows, spotted green coloring and scallops on its back. It looked at the traveler, Alice accepted the silent invitation. The toad began to skip away from her companion, and the girl rushed after it. Following the quacking of her companion, she paid attention to the flora. Every meter it became more and more lush, but there was less light. Huge bushes of wild berries, each of which could cover two grown men standing upright, and covered with fruit that formed marvelous patterns like the ones she had drawn on her plaques. Large spiky bushes that threatened to impale you if you fell on them, Icelandic moss hanging from the branches of increasingly thickly planted trees. In some places it was like a veil that hides secrets behind it.

Tangled branches of unseen plants, palm-sized daisies, reindeer antlers, and these were not all the wonders Alice could have seen if Toad had been slower.

He watched in silence, he and the spirit of the local waters on equal rights, so he let her will be done. In any case, if human destroyed the heart of the forest, the local rivers would dry up because of the sun and the elders who had fallen upon their keys. 

The lush plants once grafted by those who prayed still lived here. They served as a great remembrance of those events and a tribute to those who honor these paths. For the largest and oldest inhabitants, it became home and the secret of longevity. And the Forest itself honored those creatures who have lived here for centuries, those who were once called Familiars, those who once learned to hear and in time taught others. The majestic moose with runic spells carved into its skin. The wisest owl, whose feathers were sprinkled scarlet and stayed that way. A ferocious bear, as a cub the witches had initiated him and he loved them. He tried to protect them that day, but could only delay the death of those he loved. All three had once become intelligent, and were able to retain the knowledge of the ancient witches, why they are still alive today. They are all covered in the darkness of the mighty and burnt trees. Each of them hides beneath a shroud of meter-long mosses. And Each of them can't stand humans. He sympathizes and respectfully shuns them. He gave them a part of himself so they could live there. And it has grown in the Heart of the Forest, the oldest plants spreading on branches and braiding stones, rivers washing crystal deposits, and animals eating the local herbs either dying or suffering in agony, for only three know how to do it properly. So the heart of the forest is impregnable to animals.

Alicia and the toad run to the edge of the forest. The forest wasteland itself is small, 20 by 20 meters. The grass here is not like in the forest, and it is completely different from the river. It is darker in color than spruce spikes, some plants are blue and purple. It's surrounded by the biggest sequoias she's ever seen. She looks closely and sees that almost all of the sequoias have figures of pagan gods carved on them, and in the center is a huge boulder covered in moss. The first thing she decides to do is examine the boulder. It was perfectly flat on top, she tore off a huge layer of moss, and as she suspected, she found carved symbols and runic writings, many unknown to her. "It's an altar," Alice concluded. Next she went to one of the sequoias. Running her hand over the carved figures of the gods, she marveled at how such work was possible at the time. The shadow of the tree's huge branches obscured the god's face and she couldn't see it. But everything else is detailed. The girl's eyes sparkle, how many amazing things this place holds, she can't even imagine the history of this temple.

She turned around and wanted to perform the ritual she had come for, but a huge three meter tall moose stood before her eyes. It was skinny and had bones sticking out and something else to look forward to. On its skin were symbols like those on the stone. The girl was horrified, she wanted to cry. But not because she was afraid, but because she could not imagine who had condemned the poor animal to such a thing and what kind of person could abuse it like that. The moose looked at the man carefully, he could hardly contain himself. He is stopped by several things: if she got here, she was brought here, so it means that everything is not for nothing; also that he senses from her something he had almost forgotten, magic oozes from her. Moose silently walks around the girl, but she continues to look him in the eye. The girl begins to speak. She tells the moose that the Witch is from the Bird family and that she is here for a reason, that she was brought by a messenger of the water spirit, that the forest supports her. The forest dweller is not reassured by this and begins to scatter to remove this man from the sanctuary once and for all. Alice is in a panic, she remembers the spell she learned in her great grandmother's attic. She was forbidden to touch the grimoire, but curiosity got the best of her. Shouting the spell as loudly as she can, she pulls a sage from her purse and holds it out in front of her. One of the inscriptions on the side of the ancient animal lights up bright red and it stops. The confused animal sits down in front of Alicia. The girl closed her eyes while she read the spell and nervously opened one when she heard that everything had quieted down. An unbelievable skeleton of an elk of incredible size, as if covered with skin, sat in front of her and looked at her with an un-natural, amazed emerald gaze. She hands him the sage. From her camping bag she pulls out some incense and a lighter. She lights it and begins to sing. At the end of the song, she puts her hand to the head of an elk and only bones remain.

The girl's tears sprinkled the purple grass. She felt the pain the creature had endured. It had been involuntarily turned into the undead and was decaying alive, leaving only a shell when its acquired mind had long ago become maddened by the pain and burden it carried. The girl sobbed loudly for 20 minutes. Her eyes were emerald in color, so bright they had never been before. After releasing that soul, she felt his gratitude. It was as if before he died, he had passed on his blessing along with his memories of pain. Alice took his ribs, later she would make runes from them and such strong amulets she had never seen before.

She hadn't come to the Ancient Forest just to help him, but like the other witches, she had her own agenda, and he was watching. Alice cleared the entire altar with her knife. She took the rabbit skin her mother had given her and stretched it out on the altar, placing runes on each of the four corners. Carved sharp charcoal symbols on mahogany planks served as a catalyst. Next, she lit the incense her grandmother had conjured to attract the spirit. She took her offering: a fresh egg, a couple of milliliters of her own blood, seeds of various crops, dried flowers of her favorite. She bleeds from her finger. The girl is terribly nervous and the incision is not smooth. On the skin she draws a symbol similar to the letter "I", but with curls. While she draws, she sings a spell, a long-forgotten language passed down only among witches, which sounds abnormally euphonious, similar to the ancient Norman languages. Her blood begins to shine with golden light, and the symbol burns the same - it means everything is right. She puts all the offerings in the skin. The witch finishes the ritual, the song ends. A chick hatches out of the egg and immediately runs away into the forest, the seeds sprout spikelets, the blood evaporates, and the dried flowers catch fire and burn to ashes. So she has done everything right and the offering is accepted, the most important thing remains

"Spirit of the Forest! Appear before me" - Alice says it very stately and loudly.

In front of her appears an incomprehensible tangle of twigs that resembles a man. And only now she realized that in this part of the forest there are no smells, she realized that, because the spirit was emanating a very strong smell of the forest.- "The spirit! I'm Alicia, you know my name, introduce yourself!" - She was worried so she raised her voice too much in some words.

"Heden".

"Heden, I offer you a contract. Under the terms of which, I undertake to protect and help the forest in every way I can in return for your favor and strength."

"The forest and the Water Spirit have taken a liking to you, and all the trees are roaring because of you. I think you can bring a different kind of life to this forest. I agree"

Yay! Oh, father-in-law let's sign the oath then.

They hugged. 

"You smell like the forest."

"It's the forest that smells like me" - Heden, confirmed the vow.