The Arrowstone

Chapter 1 - Forest of Deception

CHAPTER 1

FOREST OF DECEPTION

The Summer Festival was drawing near in the village of Eastfield, and Gem was helping with the preparations. High up a ladder he balanced precariously on one foot, about to haul himself into the arms of a huge tree. A line of brightly coloured flags and bunting trailed from his shoulder. Precariously he attempted to sling the flags ahead of him and find a footrest upon the nearest bough, but the remaining foot slipped from its rung, the ladder tottered and swayed, then finally fell away as Gem lunged desperately for the nearest branch. He managed to grab it just in time, and dangled there, looking down.

The tree from which Gem dangled was broad and ancient, and was known in those parts simply as 'The Great Oak'. The central point of the Green, it had been standing longer than records could tell,  reaching its full mighty girth back even before the 'Days of Old' when the Burrite-people had first settled here, in what had become Eastfield. Many tales were told of the Great Oak possessing mystical powers, and it was held in great reverence, particularly by the older Burrites. Certainly there was a magic about it, and a feeling of deep tranquillity and timeless detachment would pervade those who purposefully sought shelter in the shade of its huge boughs. It was known as the 'King of Trees', the 'Father Tree' of all others that grew in Eastfield and beyond. Guardian Protector it stood, and much power the Burrites of Eastfield imbued in it, believing it a sentinel of sorts against evils that lurked beyond the nearby borders of Luannon San Laren  - the Forbidden Forest. The western eaves of this vast and mysterious woodland formed a boundary stretching North to South, harbouring the hidden land of the Burrites - the land called by its inhabitants 'Benreath'. Thus came the name ‘Burrite’, which was a shortening of the original ‘Borderite’.

These days many scoffed at the idea of the ghouls and beasts that lived deep in the Forbidden Forest, and in recent times this name had served only to feed the curiosity of excited younger Burrites, who wished to venture into this 'dark and perilous place', and tempt the dangers that were reputed to wait there. Due to the dark-hued leaves of many of the trees, it had gained a new, and now more commonly used name - the 'Shadyleaf Forest'. Yet, if the 'Forbidden' prefix had been dropped by the younger generations in their eagerness for discovery, it had done little to soften the Forest's sinister reputation. That remained intact, despite the bravery of those who had attempted to defy it. There was a magic beyond its borders; an unheard but tangible warning that commanded: 'Keep out!'. The tense, charged atmosphere that hung in the air about its edges was so strong, so virulent, that no fence or wall had ever been erected in order to barricade it and protect stray young Burrites. The animals, wild or domestic, that lived in the village, knew better than to go near it. In the past, Burrites had occasionally suggested the raising of a fence to close off access to or from the Forest, but such propositions had always been turned down; the reasons for this varied. On one hand, Burrites did not like to admit their fear of the place, and putting up a fence would be such an admission, on a grand scale. But on the other hand, they held the Forest in more than a little awe, and there was an unspoken unease that would forbid such a barrier being put up - as if the Forest might just grow angry and unleash some kind of evil upon Eastfield and its Burrites, in vengeance for such disrespect.

Burrites were keen and talented carpenters, but no Burrite axe had ever notched the bark of a single tree of the Shadyleaf Forest. The source of good oak and pine for carpentry was Oakbarley in the Southernweld, and supplies were regulated and kept to strict limits; Burrite-lore being closely linked to trees and tree-spirits. Reverence for the Shadyleaf Forest forbade any use of its wood, which in other circumstances would have been a plentiful source of excellent material. So the Forest remained untouched,  held in respect by most; even though, to all knowledge, nothing bad had ever actually emerged from the Shadyleaf Forest - no definable evil had ever been recorded, at least none that could be proved by witnesses; the only known occurences had been sightings within the Forest and had been witnessed by no more than two or three youngsters at a time. These young Burrites would swear by their experiences and what they had encountered; their listeners would not be so sure of the verity of such tales, but would bear them with an uncomfortable and often impatient silence.