Chapter 211: Chapter 193 – The Shadow Forest

"The Forest of Shadows in western Ptolodecca is where the largest elvish society in Ur-Teros congregated. While it could not compare to the scale of the Great Emerald Forest in Alcidea, it was nonetheless the hub of elvish culture on the southern continent.

 

Its current state is officially a vassal of Ptolodecca, as it had been for over a millenium now, yet the region was granted much independence in how they handled things, and as the view towards elves mellowed down in the continent, soon became the hub for those elves to gather at.

 

Most other elvish settlements in Ur-Teros consisted of small ones which lived in groves, most prominent in the eastern end of the continent, as well as some at the northern and the furthest reaches of the western isles." - Frilla Borsdatter, Jötunbergian historian, circa 518 FP.

"And here we are, ma'am," announced Leissa as Hócht came to a stop by the edges of a dense area of forest that spanned further than the eye could see. "The Forest of Shadows, home of the elves, at least here in Ur-Teros. I know it cannot really compare to the Great Emerald Forest, but it's home for us."

 

"Oh, you've been there?" asked Elaina with curiosity from her seat in the back. Both half-elven girls were quite curious about how this other group of elves lived, as they had both grown up in the Great Emerald Forest themselves. Sidonie showed her curiosity less blatantly, though.

 

"Once, around ten years ago," replied the young elvish maiden with a nod. The group slowly descended from Hócht's broad back, as the undead construct lowered himself to allow them to dismount more easily. "My masters took me along when they went for a trip there. We went to the southern side and Alfheim back then."

 

"Ah, no wonder. We lived at the central region, so if you only passed through the gate hub no way we'd have met indeed," said Elaina in reply. By now the whole group had gathered by Hocht's side, and Cal noticed some movement from within the forests ahead.

 

The trip, which would have taken around a week on a normal carriage, was covered by Hócht in a mere two days, a truly prodigious pace all considered. When Cal observed the undead construct though, it was clear to her that Hócht wasn't just created for transportation. The massive monstrosity would have also served a deadly purpose in battle, a deadly battering ram between its speed, mass, and horns.

 

Moments later, a group of elves in clothing that made Cal think of hunters walked out of the forest openly. None of their weapons were out, nor were they vigilant. Evidently the group's arrival was informed to them beforehand, or Hócht was just that recognizeable to them, Cal was not sure which.

 

When Leissa greeted the middle-aged elf and a younger female behind him as "father" and "sister" however, Cal decided on the former hypothesis, since it would have been too much a coincidence otherwise. She watched as the young elf hugged her father and sister, both of whom shared her hair and eye color, and smiled.

 

When Leissa introduced her father to Cal, the older elf immediately gave a bow of deference to her. Apparently just her being a blood relation to Mimia was plenty for these folks, and they were ushered into the forest respectfully.

 

The Forest of Shadows gained its name from the dense foliage that covered the forest's canopy. Unlike most places, the leaves of the trees there were broad and wide, yet they were very thin. This allowed the sunlight from above to permeate through the leaves, which cast some light to the forest floor along with a myriad of shadowy shapes.

 

The group - other than Leissa who was born and grew up there - looked around and took note of the unusual sight, as Hócht followed closely behind them. They walked in a cleaned road wide enough to accomodate the undead construct, likely not a coincidence.

 

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A hour or so of walking got them into the first signs of people living in the forest. Treehouses were perched on the branches of larger trees, while other houses were present here and there on the ground level, wherever there was room enough to build one.

 

It looked haphazard at first sight, and lacked the clearly engineered works of the Great Emerald Forest - supposedly life and death affinities were most common for the elves here, unlike in the Great Emerald Forest where it was nature - but after a proper look Cal noticed the winding "roads" that passed between the houses. A semblance of order to the chaotic layout.

 

Leissa's father brought them to one of the larger clearings in the area. It was not occupied by a house. Instead, the large clearing was covered by a semi-transparent awning, and had many tables and benches lined up, with what looked like an open-air kitchen to the side. Some sort of public dining area, it seemed. They took seats there and had a break as they dined on some local fares

 

Many of the foods served was quite unusual to everyone in the group. A salad-like dish combined fresh and boiled vegetables with some sort of fried cake made from fermented soybeans, and doused it all with a lot of brown sauce that tasted of spice and nuts.

 

More of those soybean cakes were also served on the side, cut into thin slabs and fried, then lightly salted. They tasted nutty, yet had a rather meaty texture which surprised her. Apparently even the carnivore in their group agreed, since Willa happily snacked on those fried cakes.

 

Some sort of thin noodles - it was clear like glass, and very chewy, not something Cal was familiar with - in a thin, yellowish stew that tasted of milk and spices was served as well, with well cooked slivers of meat she guessed to be some kind of fowl or maybe a lizard in it.

 

A whole boar was roasted whole, basted repeatedly in a mixture that looked like oil mixed with ground spices by the cooks. When the meat was brought to the table, it was done to perfection, the flesh tender and juicy, layered with decadent sweet fat, with a skin so crisp that it shattered on a bite.

 

Honeyed water, fruit juices, and what smelled like alcohol brewed from local fruits served to quench their thirst, and platters of sliced fresh fruits served as a dessert. Many of the fruits were utterly unfamiliar to the group, and one in particular had a strong stench to it that made Willa yelp in surprise and cover her sensitive nose.

 

Despite its stench and odd spiky exterior, Cal found the fruit quite to her liking, the flesh soft, as it almost melted in one's mouth, with a flavor thay was rich and almost buttery, cut by its pungency. Even Willa enjoyed the fruit once she mustered enough courage to give it a try, though she kept her nose pinched.

 

They had a harmonious time as they chatted while they rested themselved under the awning. A section of the area had long, low divans set up for that exact purpose, and the group relaxed there while they sipped on cold beverages.

 

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