Huitaca Leads the Way...

by Sophie F. aka Huitaca

Artwork by Leesha Hannigan on Deviant Art

Dear Journal,

It’s been a long time since I have rested with the smell of apples in my lungs. Of all the things Reya cast our way in the last few testing days, that is what shines the brightest. Memories of the Crescent hearths baking fresh fruit drift vividly as I jot these very letters. I am in disbelief that I am alive to do so! These latest moons were quite a force...

We reinvigorated our journey to Alderheart at the Wrangler’s Rest in Winnowing Reach, bright and early. I quickly (and painfully) tossed a scalding cup of coffee down my throat, ignoring all other signs of life until the liquid was safely injected into my bloodstream. Well worth a copper spent. Just in time, too, as it was then that Eliza, peppy as ever, bounced into the room. As I was still waiting for the caffeine to kick in, I didn’t hear a word of her chatter, however, I did notice an unfamiliar Vulpin had come to join the ruckus. Was her name…Fillion? She seemed to be an apprentice of Eliza, and a noble at that.

Onwards! Finally energized (or so I thought) and ready to be on our way, I volunteered to lead the pack. Looks like I could have used a few more jugs of that coffee, however, as my sense of direction was clearly doomed from the start. After a scurry up a sturdy old oak, my party reassessed our direction. Shortly following, we came upon a beautiful, lumbering creature — it looked like a moose, but I’ve never seen one so big! We approached cautiously, but it seemed unusually preoccupied by a bit of water. This also occurred a second time that day. Curious.

At this point, we had Fillion take the lead — we hoped they may have better luck! We continued on, and I took the opportunity to enjoy the afternoon breeze, the crunch of earth beneath my talons, and of course…the flowers. Lost in my admiration for the world and her wonders, I nearly collided with Fillion’s back -- it seemed we were slowing pace. In the same moment, I heard a funny clicking sound…turns out Pai can talk to bugs! I’ve always had an appreciation for druids — my fellow forest sisters. The beetle, unfortunately, was less helpful than the one Mavry ate gleefully that morning. 

Further through the meadow, there came a rustling sound…as well as a few exasperated clucks. To my excitement, it was another Druid! A Gallus druid, namely. I wondered if this one talks to bugs too…

We asked them a few questions, to which they let us know that they are part of a group of druids that protect the forest and its inhabitants. So commendable! They offered Pai a position in the squadron, to which she (thankfully) declined…we’re probably going to need her. The Gallus also let us know that the pond we passed (with the peculiar moose) has magic, healing properties. I, unfortunately, took from that nugget of knowledge to mean that I should be more inquisitive about ponds.

As soon as we moved on, I did just that. The very next pond we passed, what did I do? I poked it with a stick. The coven would have been wagging their sage bundles disapprovingly at me for that one…“the ponds are magic!” they said…”healing properties!” they said…

Not this pond. The moment my stick rippled that scalding water, out jumped two water sprites who were happy to see us in a most maniacal way. They nearly boiled us all to death, though ultimately we managed to escape with our lives (no thanks to Eliza). I’ll have to ask Fillion to write a cautionary limerick about poking strange ponds with sticks.

After that bungle, we rested, some were pooped on by ruder birdfolk than I, and we woke to continue our journey. I attempted once more to lead the group. After spending most of the day traveling uninterrupted, I began to smell a heavy fetor…the likes of which could only be a well rotted, dead thing. Upon Mavry's further inspection, it seemed to have been a noble Corvum that was brutally torn in half. I then spotted some blood tracks leading suspiciously into the bushes, which we decided collectively to AVOID ENTIRELY. We’d had enough blood for one week…or so we thought. We distanced ourselves and made camp once more.

Pai took the first watch, and, of course, heard new sounds of danger…

Out of the darkness popped several Maypacks, who wanted to rob us no less! Luckily, we made short work of them, and upon them Mavry found 2 gold and 2 silver. A robbery reversed!

Beyond exhausted at this point, we went to rest again. No sooner had our unassuming cheeks touched the grass, than more danger came tumbling towards us...on fire! Fatigued and out of sorts, I began attempting to hide the rest of my party, hoping the threat would pass. Unfortunately for us, fire does not need to see you to set you aflame. Again, we nearly lost our lives, though we are feistier than we seem, and squeaked away breathing once more. Reya seemed dead-set on keeping us from resting, but somehow we finally claimed our long rest, sun ablaze. 

When we eventually awoke, it must have been at least high noon already. Out of our make-shift nests we rolled, and quickly we were onward again...and just as quickly, we were lost again. Thankfully, we still had our bug-whisperer, who finally found a particularly helpful butterfly. With a few friendly flutters, she informed Paikea that we were only 1 more moon away from Alderheart, and would lead us there! As we hiked further, following a bug (a day of many firsts), I dreamed of one day having a horse to speed things along.

Again, we made camp, for which I took the first watch. The nights in these woods are never dull, it seems, as I then noticed some activity in the darkness. I gave Mavry a couple pokes to wake her -- to this she abruptly lifted her head, blinked dazedly one eye at a time, and furrowed her brow. Woops.

“There is a noise coming from the trees!”, I told her. Her eyes were fully open now, and with this she spotted a hedgehog digging at the roots of a tree. Having a newfound trust for hedgehogs after this journey, and after watching Mavry struggle to find words with our new stranger, I trotted over and began to chat. 

She was quite happy at this! I guess you don’t get a lot of conversationalists out in these woods and away from the roads. After some small talk, she continued on to inform us that she was making a concoction of some kind that she would not reveal, and that her slippery, smart, and evil sister Middenheap had been making deals with fire demons. Finally, a clue about these wretched fires! It was at this point that she asked us to help her dig for roots, and we obliged. In doing this, we found 2 Ryath Root, of which she gifted me 1. How refreshing it was to have a jovial evening after our past few, stupendously terrible nights.

The next morning, we finally made it! Into Alderheart we marched, up the trees, around the festive townfolk, through the perch guards, and up the ingenious tree pullies. I’m certain this hustle and fuss must have been the festival day of Crown & Sword! I never thought I would welcome the noise of the city with this much relief. 

After viewing and passing on Eliza’s useless trinkets, we finally decided to bring the scroll to the birdfolk council. Only they would not see us! Alas, we needed to see the town magistrate first. Befuddling bureaucracy, that is. Lucky for us, Mavry has a personal history with this magistrate, so it was quick work to make an audience with him. 

He was an aged, musty creature, well blended with the dusty books and papers surrounding him, and though a friend of Mavry, still apparently a vigorous business man. He promised to expedite the paperwork for our case if we rounded up a few young Gerbine punks that had been terrorizing the town with juvenile pranks, and found a way to keep them out of trouble. To this we agreed, and discovered them in an alleyway for which they were quite territorial. After a bit of squabbling, Fillion offered them a job with Eliza to keep them off the streets -- could not have found a better solution myself!

Finally, we made our way back to the bird council to share our concerning news. To our dismay, Bita seemed surprisingly unsympathetic to our cause, and was preoccupied with the epidemic of bandits plaguing the city. Only once the bandits were taken care of would the bird council think to aid the Gallus in their fading town of Meadowfen…

I almost wondered if they had heard us speaking of them, because at that moment we heard perch guards shout “bandits!”, and the alarms began to wail loudly from beyond the chamber doors. As we rushed outside (while the bird council retreated behind locked doors), our eyes laid upon calamity! Wagons being overturned, panicked townfolk clambering to and fro, and the perch guard pushing back on a massive bandit force surrounded us below. 

Rhen, Mavry and I quickly made our way to the ground, while Pai and Fillion followed hurriedly behind. As soon as we hit the lowest level, I spotted Mavry scuttering off towards something, and then I saw her -- It was Frey! Though, regrettably, we were not fast enough, and lost her in the commotion.

We’d all had quite enough excitement at this point, and found this to be a great time to retreat to whatever shelters we had awaiting us. Mavry and I were far from home, and so took Paikea up on her offer to stay the night with her esteemed parents in Bright Hollows. 

It is here that I scribble this much too extended entry! Someday I will learn to summarize my travels more precisely, and perhaps save a few jars of ink along the way.
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Today is not that day.