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The Forest and the Trees
© 2022 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
dragonmelde, color by 
marmelmm
“Dearest Meredith,
Many congratulations to you and Fuji! Your daughter is beautiful, and I hope that she will grow up to honor her parents.
I am back at Wangguan after some home leave, but I promise that the next time I have leave, I shall come and visit all three of you.
Love you.
Varan.”
The golden palomino mare grinned as she passed the padd over to Fuji, little Jinzi curled up against her breast and asleep. “It’s from Varan,” she said.
Fuji read the Kashlanin glyphs and nodded. “I get the idea she’s seen more action. I doubt she would have gone home otherwise.”
“Hm, yeah. We’ll have to ask her.”
“She attached a game module.”
“Great! Did she include a note?”
“Yeah. Um, ‘My love, we’re searching for the Ghost Mountain, and the game had your paladin – acquire? – an item. Please be careful.’ That sounds interesting.”
Careful not to jostle and wake their daughter, Meredith raised her tea mug to her lips and took a deep swallow. “More like disturbing. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the game AI’s actively trying to stop us, rather than simply skewing the random numbers.”
“That implies sentience,” Fuji pointed out.
“I know, but this thing’s not complex enough to be an AI, and you know how the Kashlani feel about them.”
“Yeah. Varan wouldn’t touch it, couldn’t take it across the border, and you wouldn’t be allowed to have it here.” The Kashlani built Downtime Station, although the Terrans administered half of it, and the Colonial government respected the Empire’s feelings on the matter.
Meredith nodded. “After work and when Jinzi’s asleep, we’ll open up the module and have a look.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Fuji smiled. “Do you want me to look after her while you get a shower?”
“Sure.” As she started to give the infant filly to her father, Meredith winked. “Do you want to feed her? I could talk to Thea and Marie to see what they gave Father.” The look on her mate’s face made her smother a laugh and as he settled back into his seat she went to clean up for the day.
***
Despite the bear’s assertion that the Ghost Mountain was “due north” of where they had met him, the forest was so dense that the sky could not be easily glimpsed through the canopy. The terrain trended upward, but interlaced with valleys and switchbacks. The undergrowth was composed of ferns and furze bushes that clutched at their clothes and armor.
The paladin looked up. “Sun’s starting to go down,” Meredith said. “Should we stop for the night?”
Light began to glow from the head of Varan’s staff and the mage peered into the gloom. “Perhaps not here,” she said, her tail gesturing at the stony hillside, “and I’m no longer certain we’re headed north.”
“Neither am I,” Meredith said. “Let’s find a campsite and get some rest,” and the two adventurers pressed on as a wind began to blow.
It got darker, with the stars and Moon veiled by clouds and the wind increasing. The branches overhead creaked and rustled, making hearing each other more difficult. Varan was in the lead, her mage’s staff lighting the way, but the crystal’s glow having trouble piercing the murk.
A tree root caught one of Meredith’s hooves and the paladin stumbled. “Oof! Damn it . . . “ she looked around, the darkness closing in around her.
There was no sign of the mage.
“Varan?” the paladin called out, but any reply that might have come to her ears was eclipsed by the wind among the trees. Meredith drew her sword and started forward, following what she thought was the path that Varan had been taking.
She had no idea how long she had searched, but her throat was hoarse from shouting Varan’s name in a futile effort to contact the mage. Meredith stumbled and paused, breathing heavily, and place her free paw on the trunk of a massive tree.
Something oozed under her paw and she snatched away, feeling the sticky sap adhering to her fingers and palm. She sniffed warily at it and nearly gagged at the cloying, sweet scent. The mare sighed in exasperation and labored up the hillside, pausing when she saw a dim light ahead of her and down the opposite slope.
“Varan!” she called out, sliding and staggering through the undergrowth. The vir didn’t answer, but the light grew steadily brighter.
A tree branch reached out, and Meredith was yanked backward and off her hooves by the unyielding grasp on the back of her armor. Maintaining a grip on her sword, she hacked behind her, the blade easily slicing through the slim branch. Her mane disheveled, panting, the paladin stumbled back toward the light as the undergrowth appeared to be thinning out.
The wind gave one last gust, the sound of it among the trees sounding almost like a frustrated moan.
The golden palomino got back to her hooves again, feeling the back of her head and armor smeared with more sap. She whirled and stamped toward the light, leaving the dark forest behind her.
Bushes and ferns gave way to grass and flower beds, and as the light grew brighter the mare saw a high curtain wall, the light she had followed being a magic-globe set into a sconce beside a stout wooden door braced with iron. She walked up to the door and leveled a kick at it with an armored hoof.
The door began to open and she hurriedly sheathed her sword. A mouse in livery peered out and gave a soft squeak of terror at the sight of the taller, armored mare. “Who – who are you?” he asked in a quavering voice.
“Meredith, Paladin of the Temple of Purity,” the golden palomino replied. “I’ve lost my way and my companion – “
“Come in, please, Paladin,” the mouse said, “and you can tell my master.” He opened the door wider and shut it as soon as Meredith stepped through, bolting the portal securely. “You came through the forest?” he asked, sounding a little surprised.
“Yes.”
“At night? Wow. I’ve heard of the bravery of paladins, but didn’t expect them to be that brave. Come with me, please,” and he started walking as Meredith followed him.
“Shouldn’t I get cleaned up?” she asked.
He glanced back at her. “Your appearance will add an artistic touch to your story. Plenty of time for cleanup later on.”
The mouse led her through several hallways to a large, high-ceilinged hall where a lone giraffe mel dressed in cloth-of-gold sat alone at a table. He was looking accusingly at a servant with a tray while saying, “No more grues, thanks, I've had enough blood and screaming for a while – Hullo! Who’s this, Norbert?” he asked as the servant withdrew.
Meredith blinked. The giraffe was clearly male, but had a high-pitched, almost girlish voice and exaggeratedly effeminate mannerisms.
“Sorry to interrupt your dinner, my Lord,” the mouse said, “but this mare showed up at the forest gate.”
“Paladin Meredith, of the Temple of Purity,” Meredith said, bowing as her ears swiveled, still on her guard.
“Really?” The giraffe clapped his paws. “A great honor, yes it is. We’ve rarely had a paladin come by before, and through the forest? At night? You’re a very brave femme, Paladin Meredith.”
“Thank you, my Lord,” Meredith said, “but I was traveling with another. We got separated.”
“Oh, my goodness. You poor dear.” The giraffe lifted his wineglass and sipped. “Another paladin like yourself?”
“No, my Lord, she was a mage.”
The giraffe almost choked on his wine. Dabbing at his chin with a napkin he spluttered, “A – A mage?! Oh my goodness, that means he will be dropping by.”
“Who?”
“He’s a perfectly ghastly creature,” the lord said. “Norbert!”
“My Lord?” the mouse asked.
“Go tell the guards at the front gate that the Green Knight will be along soon.” The giraffe looked at a pair of caracal servants flanking the main door to the hall. “Stall him as long as you can. Promise him anything, but give him our page."
The two caracals gulped.
“Which one, my Lord?” Norbert asked.
The giraffe gave him a testy snort. “I don’t know! Pick one!” he said in a peevish tone, and raised a finger toward the two pages. “Eeny, meeny, miney – that one,” he said, pointing at the one to the left of the door.
“But I went last time,” the caracal whined, but obeyed and left the hall with the mouse.
“Do sit down, Paladin,” the giraffe said, “you look quite tired, and sticky. I’ll get this sorted out.”
“Thank you, my Lord.” The mare settled into a chair, ears swiveling as a loud knocking could be heard in the distance.
© 2022 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
dragonmelde, color by 
marmelmm“Dearest Meredith,
Many congratulations to you and Fuji! Your daughter is beautiful, and I hope that she will grow up to honor her parents.
I am back at Wangguan after some home leave, but I promise that the next time I have leave, I shall come and visit all three of you.
Love you.
Varan.”
The golden palomino mare grinned as she passed the padd over to Fuji, little Jinzi curled up against her breast and asleep. “It’s from Varan,” she said.
Fuji read the Kashlanin glyphs and nodded. “I get the idea she’s seen more action. I doubt she would have gone home otherwise.”
“Hm, yeah. We’ll have to ask her.”
“She attached a game module.”
“Great! Did she include a note?”
“Yeah. Um, ‘My love, we’re searching for the Ghost Mountain, and the game had your paladin – acquire? – an item. Please be careful.’ That sounds interesting.”
Careful not to jostle and wake their daughter, Meredith raised her tea mug to her lips and took a deep swallow. “More like disturbing. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if the game AI’s actively trying to stop us, rather than simply skewing the random numbers.”
“That implies sentience,” Fuji pointed out.
“I know, but this thing’s not complex enough to be an AI, and you know how the Kashlani feel about them.”
“Yeah. Varan wouldn’t touch it, couldn’t take it across the border, and you wouldn’t be allowed to have it here.” The Kashlani built Downtime Station, although the Terrans administered half of it, and the Colonial government respected the Empire’s feelings on the matter.
Meredith nodded. “After work and when Jinzi’s asleep, we’ll open up the module and have a look.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Fuji smiled. “Do you want me to look after her while you get a shower?”
“Sure.” As she started to give the infant filly to her father, Meredith winked. “Do you want to feed her? I could talk to Thea and Marie to see what they gave Father.” The look on her mate’s face made her smother a laugh and as he settled back into his seat she went to clean up for the day.
***
Despite the bear’s assertion that the Ghost Mountain was “due north” of where they had met him, the forest was so dense that the sky could not be easily glimpsed through the canopy. The terrain trended upward, but interlaced with valleys and switchbacks. The undergrowth was composed of ferns and furze bushes that clutched at their clothes and armor.
The paladin looked up. “Sun’s starting to go down,” Meredith said. “Should we stop for the night?”
Light began to glow from the head of Varan’s staff and the mage peered into the gloom. “Perhaps not here,” she said, her tail gesturing at the stony hillside, “and I’m no longer certain we’re headed north.”
“Neither am I,” Meredith said. “Let’s find a campsite and get some rest,” and the two adventurers pressed on as a wind began to blow.
It got darker, with the stars and Moon veiled by clouds and the wind increasing. The branches overhead creaked and rustled, making hearing each other more difficult. Varan was in the lead, her mage’s staff lighting the way, but the crystal’s glow having trouble piercing the murk.
A tree root caught one of Meredith’s hooves and the paladin stumbled. “Oof! Damn it . . . “ she looked around, the darkness closing in around her.
There was no sign of the mage.
“Varan?” the paladin called out, but any reply that might have come to her ears was eclipsed by the wind among the trees. Meredith drew her sword and started forward, following what she thought was the path that Varan had been taking.
She had no idea how long she had searched, but her throat was hoarse from shouting Varan’s name in a futile effort to contact the mage. Meredith stumbled and paused, breathing heavily, and place her free paw on the trunk of a massive tree.
Something oozed under her paw and she snatched away, feeling the sticky sap adhering to her fingers and palm. She sniffed warily at it and nearly gagged at the cloying, sweet scent. The mare sighed in exasperation and labored up the hillside, pausing when she saw a dim light ahead of her and down the opposite slope.
“Varan!” she called out, sliding and staggering through the undergrowth. The vir didn’t answer, but the light grew steadily brighter.
A tree branch reached out, and Meredith was yanked backward and off her hooves by the unyielding grasp on the back of her armor. Maintaining a grip on her sword, she hacked behind her, the blade easily slicing through the slim branch. Her mane disheveled, panting, the paladin stumbled back toward the light as the undergrowth appeared to be thinning out.
The wind gave one last gust, the sound of it among the trees sounding almost like a frustrated moan.
The golden palomino got back to her hooves again, feeling the back of her head and armor smeared with more sap. She whirled and stamped toward the light, leaving the dark forest behind her.
Bushes and ferns gave way to grass and flower beds, and as the light grew brighter the mare saw a high curtain wall, the light she had followed being a magic-globe set into a sconce beside a stout wooden door braced with iron. She walked up to the door and leveled a kick at it with an armored hoof.
The door began to open and she hurriedly sheathed her sword. A mouse in livery peered out and gave a soft squeak of terror at the sight of the taller, armored mare. “Who – who are you?” he asked in a quavering voice.
“Meredith, Paladin of the Temple of Purity,” the golden palomino replied. “I’ve lost my way and my companion – “
“Come in, please, Paladin,” the mouse said, “and you can tell my master.” He opened the door wider and shut it as soon as Meredith stepped through, bolting the portal securely. “You came through the forest?” he asked, sounding a little surprised.
“Yes.”
“At night? Wow. I’ve heard of the bravery of paladins, but didn’t expect them to be that brave. Come with me, please,” and he started walking as Meredith followed him.
“Shouldn’t I get cleaned up?” she asked.
He glanced back at her. “Your appearance will add an artistic touch to your story. Plenty of time for cleanup later on.”
The mouse led her through several hallways to a large, high-ceilinged hall where a lone giraffe mel dressed in cloth-of-gold sat alone at a table. He was looking accusingly at a servant with a tray while saying, “No more grues, thanks, I've had enough blood and screaming for a while – Hullo! Who’s this, Norbert?” he asked as the servant withdrew.
Meredith blinked. The giraffe was clearly male, but had a high-pitched, almost girlish voice and exaggeratedly effeminate mannerisms.
“Sorry to interrupt your dinner, my Lord,” the mouse said, “but this mare showed up at the forest gate.”
“Paladin Meredith, of the Temple of Purity,” Meredith said, bowing as her ears swiveled, still on her guard.
“Really?” The giraffe clapped his paws. “A great honor, yes it is. We’ve rarely had a paladin come by before, and through the forest? At night? You’re a very brave femme, Paladin Meredith.”
“Thank you, my Lord,” Meredith said, “but I was traveling with another. We got separated.”
“Oh, my goodness. You poor dear.” The giraffe lifted his wineglass and sipped. “Another paladin like yourself?”
“No, my Lord, she was a mage.”
The giraffe almost choked on his wine. Dabbing at his chin with a napkin he spluttered, “A – A mage?! Oh my goodness, that means he will be dropping by.”
“Who?”
“He’s a perfectly ghastly creature,” the lord said. “Norbert!”
“My Lord?” the mouse asked.
“Go tell the guards at the front gate that the Green Knight will be along soon.” The giraffe looked at a pair of caracal servants flanking the main door to the hall. “Stall him as long as you can. Promise him anything, but give him our page."
The two caracals gulped.
“Which one, my Lord?” Norbert asked.
The giraffe gave him a testy snort. “I don’t know! Pick one!” he said in a peevish tone, and raised a finger toward the two pages. “Eeny, meeny, miney – that one,” he said, pointing at the one to the left of the door.
“But I went last time,” the caracal whined, but obeyed and left the hall with the mouse.
“Do sit down, Paladin,” the giraffe said, “you look quite tired, and sticky. I’ll get this sorted out.”
“Thank you, my Lord.” The mare settled into a chair, ears swiveling as a loud knocking could be heard in the distance.
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Horse
Size 93 x 120px
File Size 52.8 kB
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