Beistmild walked along the edge of the tree line for the third morning in a row, trying to peak through the darkness for anything that might catch his eye. He had heard rumors of some rare plants in the Kingswood that he might be able to use as ingredients in his potion making, maybe even something that could help reverse his current... situation. But, he was having difficulty finding the courage to enter the dark, spooky forest that the native tribes all feared to enter. He'd heard about their superstitions and, staring into the ominous darkness in front of him, wondered if they might just be on to something.

"No, there's probably nothing useful to me in there anyways..." He said as he turned away from the trees and took a step forward. "Ahhh, but what if there is?!" He cried out in frustration, hunched over slightly, his hands suddenly dropped his walking stick and reached up to grab one of the two pairs of horns on his head and made as if he was about to break them off. He sighed, letting go of the horns. He reached down, picking up his dropped walking stick, and stood up straight again. He looked over his shoulder, into the ominously dark forest again.

If there, really was something that could help him with his problem somewhere in that darkness, he had to go find it. But he knew he was unprepared. He had no light source. Despite his size, he was not particularly good at fighting. All he had was his knowledge of plants and animals that might not even apply to whatever was in this forest.

"I think I am need of some assistance..." he thought out loud with another sigh. He hoped someone might be willing to help him as he made his way back along the tree line toward the path leading the nearest village.

Sarris found herself walking along the tree line eating some wild strawberries she had found. She had loaded a pouch full of the berries hoping that Mistress Kamille would help her with the grow plant spells. It would be nice to have fresh strawberries at the Grey Citadel.

She noticed a beast holding his horns in both hands like he was worried about something.

“Hello,” she called smiling. Her red hail was blowing loose in the wind and her cloak was red as well. She was strawberry happy.

“Ungh,” she said stubbing her foot falling forward and dropping her bag of strawberries.
“Bull’s tits,” she cursed as she tried to recover her dignity and the strawberries.

Beist heard someone call out to him and turned to see a red haired woman tripping and falling on the ground, spilling a bag of strawberries into the grass. He stared for a moment before snapping out of his confusion and quickly walking over to help her.

He knelt down next to the woman, placing his walking stick on the ground beside him. "Are you alright?" He asked as he started picking the strawberries out of the grass and putting them back into the bag, being careful not to damage any of them with his claws.

The woman seemed awfully familiar, but he couldn't be sure without seeing her face. "Do I know you? You look familiar." he asked, tilting his head slightly and raising an eyebrow.

Edward was running out of the forest, just managing to escape the guards of his noble family. He has spent the past hour or so running through the woods to evade them and was happy to finally see a way out of the forest. As he got onto the path by the forest, panting and exhausted, he noticed that there were two other figures he could see in his close surroundings. Hoping to find a way to the nearest village to rest up and recover his strength, he walks towards the woman and the beast like humanoid. 
Edward waves at them and says, “Um, hello there. Do you know were we are? I might’ve gotten lost in the forest and I can’t find my way to the nearest village. Could you please help me?”

Sarris looked up at her helper and blushed from her curse.
“You look a bit familiar too… “ she said while standing up with the bag of strawberries.
She followed Beistmild back towards his gear.
“Have you ever been to the Wildwood Village?” She said playing with him now that she remembered him.
“Maybe it was one of the mushroom villages?” She then added.

Just then a man cam crashing through the woods, Sarris pulled her bow out and had an arrow in her fingers ready to load if needed.

Edward waves at them and says, “Um, hello there. Do you know were we are? I might’ve gotten lost in the forest and I can’t find my way to the nearest village. Could you please help me?”

“We are here,” Sarris replied having been around the Fae to much.
Then with a slight head turn she asked the big question, “You can not be lost unless someone was looking for you, since you had been running that means something is chasing you as only prey runs in the woods as it attracts predators. So who is chasing you?”

“If you are being chased, going to the village will only get you captured,” she said plainly.

She looked at Beist and said, “What do you think Beist? There might be a reward for him..” She was being her teasing redheaded self.

Beist clearly remembered Sarris now that he had a proper look at her face. He feigned mock frustration at her pretending not to recognize him, rolling his eyes with a smile and a slight shake of his head when she suggested he might from a mushroom village. He gave a small chuckle at the thought as he walked along with her.

He was very surprised, his eyes opening wide, when a man suddenly came charging out of the dark woods that he had been trying to build up the courage to enter for a few days now. He clutched his walking stick in front of him with both hands as he noticed Sarris holding her bow at the ready, a very familiar sight that he was relieved to be on the other end of, this time.

The man waved at them and said, “Um, hello there. Do you know were we are? I might’ve gotten lost in the forest and I can’t find my way to the nearest village. Could you please help me?”

Beist looked toward the trees the man had just emerged from, lost in thought for a moment. If the man just came out of the woods, perhaps he's from there? Maybe he might know more about the plants and animals in there....

“We are here" Sarris said before turning her head slightly. “You can not be lost unless someone was looking for you, since you had been running that means something is chasing you as only prey runs in the woods as it attracts predators. So who is chasing you? If you are being chased, going to the village will only get you captured,” she said plainly.

A bit concerned by her words, Beist turned his head back to the man. He was not much of a fighter, even with his size. He was not confident in his own ability to apprehend the man, if he was indeed a criminal, but he knew Sarris was very capable, so he would just try to support her if things did turn into a fight. Still, he'd rather settle things peacefully.

“What do you think Beist? There might be a reward for him..” Sarris said, turning to look at him.

"Ah, perhaps it's just a beast he was running from, or just the forest itself. There are many local superstitions about it, afterall. I know I am af- uh... hesitant to enter the Kingswood myself." He said, hoping they had not noticed he was about to say he was afraid. "Actually, would you happen to be from the Kingswood? I'm looking for something of a guide." he said to the man before turning to Sarris. "I would also appreciate your help, if you're not preoccupied."

"Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Beistmild, but please call me Beist" Beist said with a friendly smile and a gesture toward Sarris before gesturing toward the man. "And you are?"

Edward slowly walks toads the duo, keeping himself at a distance as he looks at them. He hears the woman say something about being chased and how he could be turned in for a reward. Then he focuses his attention on Beist, who was talking about Edward running from a beast and needing a guide into Kingswood.

After Beist introduced himself, Edward would bow to Beist first and then bows to the woman. “Hello, to the both of you. My name is Edward and yes, I was being chased by my family’s guards. You could turn me in but I will fight back, just giving a warning.” And he swings his staff in front of him in a warding motion at them.

Then he looks directly at Beist, “I do live in the Kingswood, so yes I can be your guide if you can direct me to the nearest way to Nomads Stone.”

Edward turns to the woman, “I haven’t heard your name yet, miss. And thank you for the advice about not going to the village. I do appreciate it.”

Sarris laughed putting her bow on her back.
“No need to fight. You can tell a lot how a person reacts to stress. To be truthful, I really do not want to deal with guards either! My name is Sarris,” she said bowing to him slightly.
“I recognize your crest and If you are looking for a place to hide out for a while the Vanguard of the Grey Citadel would welcome you,” she said.
She held out the bag with the strawberries to both him and Beist.
“They are fresh and I will share them. There should be more in the forest. I want to try to grow some when I get home.” she said.

She did not press the guide not knowing where the village was. She had been on the run before and knew it was easy to lose your bearings.

"Oh, thank you. These smell wonderful" Beist said as he gingerly picking out a plump strawberry from the bag Sarris offered. "You should be careful trying to grow them though. Strawberries put out creepers and can spread rather quickly" Beistmild said as he sniffed the strawberry before tossing it into his mouth, his tail swaying slightly from side to side.

Beist walked a bit closer to Edward, offering a very large, clawed hand for a handshake before awkwardly reconsidering, looking at his claws with a hint of embarrassment before putting his hand back on his walking stick.

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Edward. I'd be happy to show you to the Nomad's Stone." Beist stated with a friendly smile before his face became serious and he let loose a barrage of questions and information, hand reaching up and idly stroking his beard. "But first, tell me, you are familiar with the Kingswood, being from there, correct? Do you know of any rare plants in, possibly even unique to, the Kingswood that can be used as medicinal or alchemical ingredients in potions or elixirs? I've heard rumors of some, but nothing very definitive, sadly. However, none of my sources were actually born or raised there, just nearby, and they don't like to enter there very much because of the local superstitions. Ah, would you know anything about those either? Well never mind, we should focus on the local flora for now..."  Beist sounded as if he could continue rambling on for hours, or at least until someone stopped him.

Edward takes some of the strawberries and places them in his bag. “Why, thank you miss.” He looks at Beist as Beist raises
his hand for a shake before putting his hand on his staff. Edward pats Beist on his shoulders.


Edward waits for Beist to finish his rambling before he realizes that Beist doesn’t seem to stop after several minutes. Edward coughed loudly to interrupt Beist, “Um, Yes I know several areas where you can find various herbs for elixirs. Like Screeching Willow Bark or the Black Widow Roses. They are in relative safe areas as long as you take special paths to get to these areas. In fact, I have a map of the inner areas of the forest.”

Edward pulls out a map of the forest region of the Kingswood which has several marks and scribbles on certain locations of the forest. “There might be several beasts and monsters here and there but we can avoid the areas where they are most concentrated in.”

“I am willing to come along and help,” she said.
“I am fairly good with a bow if we are attacked,” she added.

"Oh, how splendid!" Beist said as he took the map from Edward, holding it delicately. His eyes scanned over the map repeatedly, trying to memorize it as well as he could. He silently mouthed the names of the different herbs and locations, occasionally saying them under his breath. "Phoenix Blossom... The Northwest... Haven Flower... How interesting..."

He lowered the map and looked at Edward. "Have you been to these locations? And what kinds of beasts and monsters? Ah, let's talk as we go! Let's not dilly-dally here!" He handed the map back to Edward and began quickly walking, taking a few steps before stopping and turning around to face Edward again. "Right, yes, you should lead the way." He said, a mildly  embarrassed, but still very excited smile on his face.

Sarris would have looked at the map, but she waited for her turn if it was offered.
She did not want to pry, but those herbs would also help her and Mistress Kamile would probably know what to do with those herbs.

Sarris was still doing her training to learn about places and to learn their strengths, weaknesses, and resources. It helped when negotiating trade and finding resources for the Grey Citadel.

She smiled a bit at the two of them.

Edward notices that Sarris wants to look at the map and hands it over to her. “Here you go miss, have a look. I’ll take you all deeper into the Kingswood to collect some herbs although we must be quick. There is still some of my family’s guards looking out for me and I don’t want to get you all in trouble.”
Edward walks back towards the Kingswood and gesturing for the other two to follow.

Beist followed behind Edward into the trees, ducking under some of the lower hanging branches, trying not to get his horns caught in any of them. He did his best to quiet as they walked since he didn't want to attract the attention of any of the beats Edward had mentioned. Or any of his family's guards. However, stealth was certainly not Beist's strong suit. His heavy footsteps and giant figure were hard to hide.

He hoped there was nothing nearby to notice him as the group walked deeper into the forest. At least Sarris and Edward were here with him. They seemed like they knew how to handle themselves in a fight. And hopefully how to protect him if they encountered anything.