New Journal, Entry Eight - The Wrath of the Forest

The wrath of the forest is a terror to behold. 

They call it The Old Forest for good reason. I could not claim to begin to understand the true age of these gnarled and twisted woods, but to gaze on their wizened limbs and deep roots I may presume they are as ancient as the first seeds planted in the earth. I know not whether they were born evil or if the weariness come with long years of suffering under axe and torch have turned their spirits to cruelty and hate. It despises Menfolk and leads the ignorant astray, many have been lost to fates unknown within the deep and dark of these woods. It jealously guards its grounds, and ever creeps outward to conquer more.

Ulfey goes there every few moons, bearing wards to guard herself against the reach and influence of the woods, and others to bury among their roots to soothe their anger. She has done so for many years, so am I to understand those who came before her also have, easing its corrupted taint on the land and halting its advance. I decided to join her alongside Fainanor one day, to help him understand the work she makes on the land. Or at least understand it as well as I do. 

We had only begun our venture into the woods when we realized something was awry, the trees bent and groaned without the aid of the wind, the air was heavy with their dark presence. The deeper we wandered the worse its fury rose, the trees shifted and encircled our path slowly but perceptibly, their branches and roots lashed and struck for us. We made the decision to flee, we fled ere the trees blocked our path and led us to our doom. 

But I knew we could not leave it for long, the wards were needed, perhaps more so now than ever! We prepared well and with my new allies in tow we rode out, armed with courage and the wards crafted by Haetíra, we did once more enter the woods. Forvenor, Arostir, Megorin, Penimir, hale companions I might rely on in this dark place. We made good passage, unbowed by the dread of the darkness and swift in our purpose as we navigated the twisting paths. 

We were all rattled when it was the the work of handmade treachery that would become our first halt on the venture. A foul trap was sprung by Arostir! It was not unlike the beartraps I had known the Bree-folk would sometimes employ, his fortune were unimaginable that it did not maim his leg beyond recovery. Penimir did us well in scouting for further traps with renewed caution, but who might have laid them?. We took the time we could to tend to his wounds and then we pressed on, his burden added to that of Forvenor.

More nightly terrors would follow, the overbearing weight of the forest's malice became too much for some of our number and we found ourselves splintered as we trekked through the high reeds and rivers, isolated and assaulted by the woods that grew more violent with each step.

Sorry and battered were we when finally our course were completed and the last ward were laid, ending deep within the woods that had violated us at every step. But the end of the expedition came without any relief as yet more disturbing sights awaited us there, the cause of the forest's anger. 

Large swaths of its bounty had been roughly cleared away, the discarded limbs and jagged stumps laid bare. The earth was scorched and the woods shied away from a trail of blackened earth furrowed with the weight of great burdens, lumber had been cut down and hauled away to the east through these woods. It is bizarre to imagine why such an operation would be made within a place as the Old Forest, and terrifying to imagine who could be so bold to perform it. 

Answers would wait. The wrath of the woods were upon us. Were it not for the tracking skills of Megorin we may have been lost forever within these woods, unwilling to release us now that it had swallowed us. 

I dread that I must return.