The not-immortal Blacksmith

The not-immortal Blacksmith - Interlude - A Trees Life

First - - - Previous - - - Next

It yawned and stretched, reaching it's long limbs into the chilly fall air. It drank deeply from the clean air. Now what had woken it from it's slumber? It looked down from it's lofty height, down past its thick girth, and saw the reason. Ah, men of the city were back to cut it down. Again. Did their road needed widening again? Whatever the reason, they were back with their axes and saws. When would they learn?

It decided to manifest behind them.

"Excuse me?" A soft voice came from behind the foreman. "But why are you trying to cut down the tree?"

He turned around to see a small girl, perhaps eight years of age, wearing a summer dress looking up at him. "Well, lass, we need firewood for the winter, and according to the tales, the tree has always freely given it before."

"Oh, I thought you were going to widen the road again." The little girl replied, a gap toothed smile showing on her face. "Don't the Tales also tell of their being a huge snowfall and a prayer before cutting the tree?"

"Well," the man shook his head, "The oldest of them do, but no one remembers the words of the prayer any more. And the tales do seem to contradict each other about the weather as well. Also there are tales about the tree volunteering it's wood for houses after great storms that destroyed homes."

"All of these Tales do seem to have one thing in common, you know. A calamity of huge and dangerous proportions." The little girl said.

"That is right smart of you to point out. I didn't think of that. What do you, little girl, think I should do?" The foreman asked, perhaps getting a little annoyed at the smart child in front of him.

"Well, in your place, as important as it is, I would place my hands on the trunk and ask for the wood, telling the tree why you need it. Perhaps explaining your reasons for believing that the winter will be extremely bad this year, after the summer and fall were so nice." The girl said.

"Hmm. Perhaps you are wise beyond your years. But perhaps the tree isn't as powerful as the tales say it is. It is just a tree after all." Said the foreman.

"You would risk That Tale coming true again?" The girl shuddered, "You are braver than I would have thought."

"The tale of the tree eating a work crew? Bah. Never happened. They were scared off by wolves or monsters." The foreman replied. "Now off with you little girl, and get some warmer clothes on." The foreman turned away, missing the little girl shaking her head and vanishing in the morning light.

I guess I'll have to remind them of the lessons of the past, it thought. Then it slowly stooped, and swung its limbs, catching up workers and turning them into fertilizer for itself and its nearby, but as yet unawakened, children.