The Forest Heart

### Folklore

There once was a young lass who lived on the edge of the forest with her parents and older brother. Her brother wanted to be knight, and save damsels and defend the kingdom from evil, just like their father. She just wanted to be like her mother, kind and gentle with those she loved. Sadly, all she had of her mother were stories. Her mother had died shortly after giving birth to her. Her brother and father raised and looked after her the best they could, but all too soon she was looking after them more often than not.

The girl frequently entered the forest to forage for their meals, and new the paths around their home well. The old oak grove with the silver pond and juiciest berries was one of her favorite places, although she could never visit long for her family distrusted the forest and did not like her to venture into it. They tried to tell her it was haunted and that those who strayed too far in were never heard from again, but the girl paid them no heed. The forest was her friend, it would let no harm befall her.

Not all was well in the forest, for even something as pure as a forest can become corrupted and a shallow, twisted version of itself. Corruption can strike at the heart of a thing, poisoning it and spreading slowly to the rest. The girl was chopping firewood, just on the edge of the forest when a cold blew and leaves swirled around her, brown and dead. The girl had reached down to pluck a leaf from the ground when she heard it. A low growl came from the forest ahead of her, it reverberated off the trees and seemed to grow lower and more ominous. And as she watched, a horror stepped out from the trees. It must have been a wolf at one point, but grew twisted and terrible. It crouched low and began to stalk towards her, she wanted to badly to run but fear froze her in place.

It closed the gap between them, and she finally stumbled back only to feel its claws rake across her shoulder, leaving bloody gashes. And as she stumbled back, her brother was suddenly between her and the monster. She dimly heard him telling her to run, and she stumbled to her feet and somehow managed to make her way to the house. A sickening crack had her turning around to see her brother slumped against a tree, the monster towering over him. And before her eyes, the monster grasped her brother between its jaws and with a final, triumphant look at her, disappeared into the forest.

The girl didn’t know how long she stood there staring but the next thing she was aware of was her father shaking her and asking her what happened. She pointed to the forest and managed to tell her father that the monster took her brother. Her father grabbed his horse and gear and without another look at her, disappeared into the forest. After a time, she managed to bandage her wound and take the remaining horse and seek help. The neighbors and villages just crossed themselves and told her her brother and father were lost to the forest and she was marked for it too.

All too soon, she was back at her empty home. And it was silent. No birds were singing and no wind was blowing. There was just silence blanketing all around her. Her breath caught, tears stung her eyes, and she fled to her grove. She collapsed on the edge of the pond, her tears causing small ripples to disturb the silver surface. And then the forest seemed to take a breath, the pressure changed, small breeze seemed to caress her cheek and drew her attention down. There, floating on the surface of the pond were her tears, frozen in small crystal drops that seemed to radiate with inner light. As she scooped them from the surface and felt their light upon her skin, she felt calm and eased. If no one else would help her save her family, then she would have to do it. She readied her horse, the frozen tears tucked securely against her breast. And with a deep breath, she steeled herself and pressed on to the heart of the forest. The farther she journeyed, the darker and more twisted the forest became. Instead of the tall, majestic trees of her memories, she saw leafless, mutated shadows which seemed to absorb any light that fell around it. She pressed on, passed the twisted trees and into the darkness. She heard fearsome creatures howl and scream all around her, causing her mount to rear and toss her. Her mount fled the forest, but still she pressed on. When her step faltered and when she didn’t think she could manage a single step more, the weight of her tears pressed against her breast and she knew she had to continue.

She didn’t know how much time had passed since she started through the forest, it felt like an eternity and every step a year. The trees got taller, the darkness deeper, and the howls and screams louder. They nipped at her heels, urging her on and she knew she was close to the end. She approached a small hill with an ancient, twisted tree lording over all. Void of trees or anything hinting at life, the tree had a dark aura that emanated out to the forest beyond. Here was the heart of the corruption, and here her brother and father were tied to the tree in some mockery of faith their blood being the only color on the tree.

She climbed the hill to the ancient tree, to where her family waited. They looked frozen in fear and pain, twisting branches keeping them immobilized and held against the tree. She felt frantically for a pulse and after a moment she could feel the slow, comforting beats of their hearts, they still lived. Out came her crystal tears as she pressed one into each of their mouths. Immediately color began to return to their faces but the tree was not ready to give up its prize so easily. She could feel what it wanted, and what it was waiting for. She gave herself over to the tree, for she loved her family dearly. But her love was not just for her family for she loved the forest, as it was. And once, it had loved her too. Fresh tears, glowing silver and bright fell down her face as she breathed her last. Her willing sacrifice drove the corruption back as it burned in silver light.

As the light faded, color returned to the forest on the wings of songbirds and the girl’s father and brother wept for their loss. So caught up in their grief that they did not perceive the changes to the tree towering over them. This ancient heart was reborn. Silver bark and branches stretched proudly up into the sky, framed with dark blue leaves. Nestled in these leaves were small crystal seeds, softly glowing with inner light. It was two of these seeds that fell a top the heads of the men below. One for each to remind them that the love we are gifted with is eternal, even when those who loved us so have left.