Wind

She was wrong. The sorceress was very wrong.

It was not quiet. The world all around was filled with sound.

Birds of various species called out to find mates or communicate to their mates as they built nests. There were insects that rustled in the grass. Other insects flitted on wings that made a buzzing sound.

There was the sound of mammals that scattered at their approach. If it was just him, so long as he wasn't on the hunt, then he knew that they would not be running but would instead ignore his approach. There was the whistling of the wind in the trees, a beautiful sound that was so comforting.

No, the woods were filled with the sounds of life. A beautiful and comforting sound.

Then there were other noises as well. Noises he was sure that they could not hear, even if they strained. Same as there were things he could see that they probably could not.

One of the things they would have difficulty hearing was the quiet sleepy whispers that came from the dryaded trees themselves. Usually the tree spirits were not very active and would be almost always near asleep. Though his presence always seemed to wake them up more.

Then there was the sounds that came from inside the ground. Though those were more like vibrations. Either way he could easily sense the life that was in the ground as well.

A smile came to his face. The world was so gloriously filled with life. It gave him such a warm feeling in his heart as the desire to protect it rose in him.

He lifted his head and felt the warmth of the sun as it filtered through the leaves and fell in splotches. A light wind made its way blowing leaves and lifting his princess's cloak.

It was a beautiful day out. He found himself enjoying the walk.

When the sun was almost directly overhead, there were some signs of life other than the animals and trees. His companions did not seem to notice, other than perhaps his princess who had proven years ago to him that she was quite the tracker.

Snapped twigs from human passage, a worn trail that had seen much use recently.

And on one large rock that had been cleared of moss there had been some markings etched into it. Three slashes and a triangle with two dots undernearth.

Three more miles to the village. A resting place for travelers. He smiled to himself satisfied that he had in fact been on the right path.

"Almost there. We can rest and stock up provisions." As he looked at his companions he realized that they did not seem as psyched as he was. His princess looked faintly nervous and the sorceress and oracle seemed wary.

Ah. It was true that Nix'Ryl was not rife in all that friendly people. They were probably thinking that it was a village in the loosest sense of the term. It wasn't though. The people who lived here were no longer just Nix'Rylian natives.

He shrugged. They would see though. "Come on. I'm sure they would be more than willing to accommodate us."

They did follow him. Trusting him. It was nice to be trusted. He should always prove himself trustworthy.

When it was about a quarter mile left, he noticed another stone. This one had writing on it. Runes that few could read.

The sorceress wandered over to it and frowned. "I can't read this."

"Its written in the old tongue." He murmured it quietly and then read it aloud to sate her curiosity, "A welcome to all who go this way. Come not with ill intentions and our doors are open. The Hidden Valley is a home to all who seek one."

He could almost see her writing it. There would have been a look of concentration on her face. Afterwards she would have surveyed it proudly and checked to make sure it had the right connotations and phrasing.

A tender smile came to his face as he thought of her. He missed her. So very much.

He made sure the others were following him as he made his way to the Village of the Hidden Valley. It felt like coming home.

Soon after they passed the welcome rock they came to where the trees stopped as the land dipped into a beautiful valley.

A river flowed though it and on either side was built wooden houses. A quiet looking place that seemed serene. Just like its leader.

"Are you sure we can just walk in? They won't, um, attack us would they?" His princess sounded worried.

"They won't. They won't see a need as long as you don't attack them."

He calmly went down and helped his princess to get down. The hill was rather steep but no problem for his sure feet.

The other two ended up sliding and stumbling down but they didn't seem hurt so after glancing to make sure they were okay he continued on.

He hadn't made it very far when he saw someone stumble up from where he had been sitting on a stone reading a book and run over. The man had a huge grin on his face as he barreled into him in an exuberant hug.

"You're back! Are you going to share more stories with us?"

The man was a youngish human male. Had black hair that hung into his face and brilliantly blue eyes. He looked familiar but it had been a while since he had actually been here and he had probably grown up a bit since then.

He frowned trying to figure out which child would have grown to look like this. Bright eyed, always hang onto every word. Probably that one. He had always liked the kid. Patting this grown-up he smiled, "You've grown, last I saw you, you were half that size."

"Mem will be so happy to see you!" The young man pulled his hand excitedly, "Come on!"