Into the Regal Forest: Annals of Adventure

Into the Regal Forest: Annals of Adventure is a book discovered within the library of the Guild of the Lilac Vine.

## Description

The Annals of Adventure are a series of whimsical children's stories detailing the adventures of the halfling knight Osric Springboot and his pet blink dog Firefly. This particular edition talks of their adventures in the Regal Forest, the northern edge of a large woodland area on the southwestern tip of Ahlus known as the Wildwood.

## Research

### Completed by Bren

#### Chapter 1 - The Tall Old Tree

*On a misty morning Osric Springboot and Firefly decided to go for a walk. They went for a walk into the Regal Forest, because it was big and there was always something fun to do or see.*

*"I wonder what we will find today, Firefly?" Osric said, walking towards the edge of the wood.*

*Firefly barked happily in response and then started to bound towards the tall old tree that sometimes talked to Osric when he asked nicely. Woof!*

*The tall old tree was in a good mood that misty morning, and so when Osric asked nicely, it rustled all of its branches, and all of its leaves, and wiggled all of the bark of its trunk and the roots hiding in the ground.*

*"Good morning Master Tree," said Osric, bowing towards the tree.*

*"Good morning Osric," said the tall old tree, "out for a walk?"*

*"Yes, Master Tree," Osric said back. "Firefly wanted to go see the Regal Forest again, we had such fun last time! Have you seen anything exciting?"*

*The tall old tree thought about what Osric had said for a few seconds. And then it thought some more, thinking for a few seconds more. The wind whooshed through its branches then, tickling between the twigs and leaves. The tall old tree laughed at the wind, and then spoke to Osric and Firefly again.*

*"I saw a couple of old men walking through the forest earlier, talking about something," the tall old tree said. "They looked very old, nearly as old as me and it must have been very important, because they were speaking very quickly and loudly about it."*

*"Where did they go Master Tree?" said Osric. The tall old tree was very old, so if the two men were nearly as old as Master Tree, they would have to be very old too, thought Osric. "We would really like to go see what they were talking about, wouldn't we Firefly?"*

*Firefly barked happily again. Woof! That all sounds very fun to him. Osric ruffled his head and waited for the tall old tree's answer.*

*"That way," the tall old tree said, pointing with its branches. "You will need to go past the stream of slippery rocks, past the mossy stone circle and then you'll find them. One of them wore a big floppy hat covered in leaves. His friend has a big gold ring on his finger and eyes that are just as shiny."*

*Osric smiled. That sounded like a good adventure. Firefly looked happy about it too.*

*"Thank you Master Tree," said Osric. "I hope you have a nice day!"*

*"You too Osric, be careful and do not go too far into the forest! The crying monster might you eat you both up if you do!"*

#### Chapter 2 - Slippery Rocks and Mossy Stones

*"It was good we were so nice to Master Tree today," said Osric to Firefly as they walked through the forest. "Now we are going on an adventure! I wonder what they were talking about?"*

*Firefly barked because he was excited. Woof! He was so excited that he disappeared in a puff of smoke. Poof!*

*"Firefly? Stop being silly!" said Osric.*

*Osric saw another puff of smoke, and Firefly again. Poof! He barked happily again, but this time did not disappear. Osric patted him on the head, then they kept walking.*

*Soon they found a stream and saw that there was a path of rocks that went through it. They counted them - one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven and twelve.*

*"Watch out Firefly," said Osric, "the tall old tree said the stones would be very slippery!"*

*The rocks were very slippery, so when Osric started to try and count them, he slipped over into the water and got all wet. Firefly jumped in after him, because he thought it was a game and splashed in the stream, barking happily. Osric and Firefly tried to climb onto the slippery rocks again, but they were too slippery, and they fell in again, splashing in the stream. Osric swam to the side of the water, and Firefly followed, and they went deeper into the forest.*

*After a tasty picnic of smelly cheese and crunchy oatcakes, Osric and Firefly found some big stones sticking out of the ground. The stone was grey, but it had lots of green lines over it where the moss had grown into the shapes on each side. Osric tried to read the words, but he did not understand them.*

*Firefly barked. Woof! He did not understand them either.*

*"We are nearly there Firefly," said Osric. "The tall old tree said they would be past the stream of slippery stones and past the mossy stone circle. We have gone past the stream of slippery stones and the mossy stone circle!"*

*So the knight and his dog kept walking, listening carefully for the old men talking. Osric listened really carefully, and Firefly listened really really carefully. Osric listened a bit more, listening really really really carefully, so Firefly listened really really really really carefully.*

*When they listened really really really really really carefully, they heard something. Two old men talking very quickly and loudly about the crying monster and how it had tried to take something from the old man with the big gold ring on his finger and eyes that were just as shiny's house. The old man with the big floppy hat covered in leaves did not seem to like the crying monster either, but was trying to get the old man with the big gold ring on his finger and eyes that were just as shiny to not get angry about it. The old man with the big gold ring on his finger and eyes that were just as shiny seemed very angry about it to Osric but the old man with the big floppy hat covered in leaves kept trying to calm him down and after some time the old man with the big gold ring on his finger and eyes that were just as shiny stopped shouting.*

*While Osric had been listening to the two old men, Firefly had noticed a squirrel and had been chasing it around.*

*Poof! Firefly disappeared and the squirrel could not see him anymore.*

*Poof! Firefly was now sneaking up the squirrel that did not see him.*

*But the squirrel was clever and sneaky and climbed up a tree so Firefly could not get him.*

*That was not fair, thought Firefly, so he barked at the squirrel. Woof!*

*Firefly was being too noisy and the two old men turned and looked at Osric and Firefly!*

*"What are you doing here?" they said.*

#### Chapter 3 - A Floppy Hat and a Big Gold Ring

*"Umm, nothing," said Osric. Osric tried to run and hide because he was scared, so he squashed himself inside a tree trunk. He thought he was hiding really well, but the two old men found him really quickly anyway.*

*"You need to be very careful out here," said the old man with the big floppy hat covered in leaves. "The Regal Forest is next to the Wildwood, and in there lives the crying monster!"*

*"The crying monster will try and take your favourite things," said the old man with the big gold ring on his finger and eyes that were just as shiny. "And then he might try and eat you up, because he is not as old as me and wants to grow up big and strong!"*

*Osric thought about his favourite things. He thought about his shiny sword and big shield. He thought about his magic necklace that helped him speak to the tall old tree. He thought about his Tarrasque Snugglebeast, tucked up nice and warm and cosy in his bed back at home. He really did not want the crying monster to try and take that! He really really did not want to be eaten to help the crying monster grow up big and strong.*

*Firefly barked. Woof! He did not want to be eaten either.*

*In the distance, Osric heard a sound that seemed to get louder and louder. It sounded like crying.*

*"Run along now," said the old men.*

*Osric and Firefly started to run, and when he looked back the two old men had gone and the forest was more misty than it was before. He ran past the mossy stones, bounced across the slippery rocks one at a time so they would not make him slip and past the tall old tree. Osric and Firefly ran and ran and ran, all the way home.*

*Firefly barked. Woof! Osric saw what he was barking at and smiled.*

*The Snugglebeast was still tucked in nice and warm and cosy in Osric's bed, and soon Osric and Firefly were too.*