Trinket had heard about the howling tree. It seemed interesting. There were a lot of scary stories about it. Well, stories that people claimed were scary. Nothing scared the tiny demigod. She didn't care to be scared. Being scared was for other people.
She knew the way through the Feverlands, as she knew the maps of all parts of Caido. But traveling there would be hard. So she had wandered around the skyport at King's End until she overheard people talking about an expedition. She hadn't paid much attention to the specifics, something about collecting boring rare plants for alchemy. What they were doing there didn't much matter to Trinket. She simply followed along as they headed towards the swamps.
Her footsteps were silent as they departed the skyport. The travelers' attention was on the path ahead. They discussed their journey, the path they would take, the supplies they had brought. None of them bothered looking backwards, not for a good long while. They were well away from the skyport by the time anyone noticed that Trinket had been following them.
When they noticed her, the travelers became concerned, as people always did. Boring. They asked if she was lost. If she needed help. How she had gotten there.
"I'm following you," was all she said, as if that were answer enough.
They told her to go back home, continuing on their way. Trinket continued to follow them. They urged her to turn back, but they could do nothing. It wasn't as if they could force her to turn back the other way. And the demigod was committed to her journey.
By the time night fell, the group realized they had little choice but to invite the child to sit by their campfire. To do otherwise would have been cruel, leaving a small child alone in the wilderness. They offered her food and asked her more questions. They wanted to know, as many did, where her parents were. She told them she had no parents, and that she wasn't lost. She simply wanted to follow them.
The questions continued, but for some reason, her answers didn't satisfy the group. The further along they traveled, day by day, the more they tried to get her to leave. But once they were deep into the wilderness, the group agreed that they could no longer leave her behind. They spoke of predators in the wild, and the dangers they presented. So they reluctantly agreed to keep the child close. They simply saw no other choice.
Once they were close to the Hanging Tree, Trinket wandered off from the group. She had grown bored of them and their questions over the last few days. She headed out on her own once more, her footsteps silent, making not a sound. By the time anyone from the expedition realized she was gone, it was too late.
Eventually, her steps led her at last to her destination. The tree was interesting. Most trees were boring, but this one looked like no other tree she had ever seen. She had known of the tree, as she knew of all things in Caido. But knowing was not the same as seeing it for herself. She knew of the stories of people hanging from the tree to their deaths. She was disappointed to see that no one was hanging from the tree today.
Pity.
But something else curious was there. A boy with a jar. He made the tree bleed. Trinket had never seen a tree bleed before.
She moved closer, her steps deathly silent. She held her doll against her chest, standing behind the boy, both girl and doll watching with matching black eyes.
She stood in silence for a long while. Then, breaking the silence, she asked, "What are you going to do with the tree blood?"
She knew the way through the Feverlands, as she knew the maps of all parts of Caido. But traveling there would be hard. So she had wandered around the skyport at King's End until she overheard people talking about an expedition. She hadn't paid much attention to the specifics, something about collecting boring rare plants for alchemy. What they were doing there didn't much matter to Trinket. She simply followed along as they headed towards the swamps.
Her footsteps were silent as they departed the skyport. The travelers' attention was on the path ahead. They discussed their journey, the path they would take, the supplies they had brought. None of them bothered looking backwards, not for a good long while. They were well away from the skyport by the time anyone noticed that Trinket had been following them.
When they noticed her, the travelers became concerned, as people always did. Boring. They asked if she was lost. If she needed help. How she had gotten there.
"I'm following you," was all she said, as if that were answer enough.
They told her to go back home, continuing on their way. Trinket continued to follow them. They urged her to turn back, but they could do nothing. It wasn't as if they could force her to turn back the other way. And the demigod was committed to her journey.
By the time night fell, the group realized they had little choice but to invite the child to sit by their campfire. To do otherwise would have been cruel, leaving a small child alone in the wilderness. They offered her food and asked her more questions. They wanted to know, as many did, where her parents were. She told them she had no parents, and that she wasn't lost. She simply wanted to follow them.
The questions continued, but for some reason, her answers didn't satisfy the group. The further along they traveled, day by day, the more they tried to get her to leave. But once they were deep into the wilderness, the group agreed that they could no longer leave her behind. They spoke of predators in the wild, and the dangers they presented. So they reluctantly agreed to keep the child close. They simply saw no other choice.
Once they were close to the Hanging Tree, Trinket wandered off from the group. She had grown bored of them and their questions over the last few days. She headed out on her own once more, her footsteps silent, making not a sound. By the time anyone from the expedition realized she was gone, it was too late.
Eventually, her steps led her at last to her destination. The tree was interesting. Most trees were boring, but this one looked like no other tree she had ever seen. She had known of the tree, as she knew of all things in Caido. But knowing was not the same as seeing it for herself. She knew of the stories of people hanging from the tree to their deaths. She was disappointed to see that no one was hanging from the tree today.
Pity.
But something else curious was there. A boy with a jar. He made the tree bleed. Trinket had never seen a tree bleed before.
She moved closer, her steps deathly silent. She held her doll against her chest, standing behind the boy, both girl and doll watching with matching black eyes.
She stood in silence for a long while. Then, breaking the silence, she asked, "What are you going to do with the tree blood?"
