#but interesting! I knew their antlers had to be a part of their mating behaviors but

[bitchapalooza]

Just learned that reindeers, specifically male reindeers, are polygamous and will have harems of female partners. Chopper, buddy, you got something say? 🤨

[pandoriasbox]

Ch1 Into the Wood - Into the Wildwoods (Standard)

The large irish cob snorted as the last of the load was added to his back. Eversong looked over to where Az was finishing up and his eyes followed her as she walked over to him. Immediately his muscles relaxed as they made contact and he felt her reassurance pulse through their connection. The rider was giddy, excited but also nervous, this was the first time the pair were heading back up to Redwood Point since before the fall of Garnok. So much had changed and yet at the same time it felt like so little. The world was still turning, Az still worked as a ranger and to all those she shared her job with it was just another average day.

Az planted a gentle kiss to the soft snout of her beloved companion, opening her eyes to see his beautiful duo colored ones staring right back at her. “It won’t take long to get up there, it’s already cleared and then I can unpack all this stuff at the station.” She smiled and let him nuzzle her hand. Az had felt trepidation at the thought of going on such a long term mission without her other half but thanks in part to Rowan the stallion was allowed to accompany them. The senior ranger had pulled a few strings and with some convincing Eversong was allowed along as a packhorse so the team was able to carry extra gear and supplies for their initial expedition.

Once she was sure Eversong was ready, the redhead returned to her other equine companion Foxfire. The buckskin let out a snort and pawed at the ground as she awaited her rider. Az gave her a pat on the neck before giving her tack a once over. The trip shouldn’t be too long but it wasn’t exactly the same as going between the southern station and Dundull. Taking a deep breath she swung up into the saddle and led the two horses to join the small group gathered at the base of the road to the station.

“Alright mates, everyone good to go?” Rowan called out to the assembled rangers. A general affirmation rang out from the group. “Okay good, now Az I’d like you up front with me since you have the most experience up there out of all of us. Everyone else ride in formation as we discussed.” With that the expedition began in proper, Az trotting up to meet Rowan at the front. The group of six rangers began their journey up through the recently cleared brambles.

“So Az, you excited to head back up into Redwood? Your reports were pretty minimal but that route really helped with getting the foliage cleared.” Rowan glanced over, smiling warmly.

The redhead chuckled softly and nodded. “Yeah, it’s been a good bit but I gotta say all those rumors of Hartwood really got me interested. Thanks for getting me on the mission… and uh… thanks for letting Eversong come along.”

Rowan waved their hand dismissively. “Eh don’t worry about it, I know how much he means to you and honestly you seem to have an even stronger connection with that stallion than Foxy or any of our own. There’s something special between you two and I’d like to have that with us.”

“Ah yeah, you could definitely say that, something special I mean.” A tiny flush filled Az’s cheeks as she thought about how much deeper it went. It wasn’t every day your very soul was intertwined with another’s but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Sighing softly she let a smile bloom across her lips as she leaned forward to pet the mare she rode with her free hand. “Foxy’s a good gal though, hardy and determined… when she wants to be.” The two let out a laugh that made the mare snort and flick her ears back before returning her attention to the overgrown trail before them. The rest of the ride up the pass was mostly in silence but Az certainly didn’t mind. She enjoyed the serenity and scenery surrounding them, mindful of the precarious cliffs and rock bridge as they reached them.

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The station soon came into view and it looked just as worn down as the last time Az had visited it. The roofs were covered in fresh growth, there was still a broken window in the stables and the pasture fences were a mess. They had a lot of work ahead of them but she knew they could get this place looking almost as good as new. The horses were tied up to the safest part of the fence, Eversong having his packs unloaded while Rowan directed the other rangers. Az was given fence repair. The others did their best to get the rest of the station up to livable standards. She waved to Enitan as she passed through the pasture gate while he set to work fixing the door to the stable. Eversong nickered behind her and she paused to give him a gentle pet. “Hey buddy, we made it. You and Foxy did a great job.” Az grinned as he nuzzled against her and she gave him another pat. “Careful now, I got a bunch of nails on me.” She laughed softly as he snorted at her and returned to his grazing.

Much of the fencing for the paddock was old and even a few sections showed signs of mold or too severe of damage. She sighed and set to work, patching holes as she could with existing material before returning to the stable to find some spare wood. It was as she was on the last part of the fence, as far into the forest as one could get when she sensed something was amiss. She knew bears and wolves lived out here but that wasn’t what sent a prickle down her spine. All the training that Evergrey and Ydris put her through came flooding back as she straightened and stood back up. It was no simple animal that stood behind her, it was something that exuded a magic she couldn’t quite place. That only put her more on edge however.

She realized too late she had her back to the forest. Slowly, carefully she began to turn around, knowing that whatever was behind her could easily be something provoked into attacking if she showed any sign of danger to it. Her free hand tingled as her magic was just a heartbeat away. It wouldn’t be good to use it here, memories flooding back of the forest fires she caused back when she first fled to the area. She heard a shuffling of what sounded like hooves and finally she got the first glimpse of the creature from the corner of her eyes.

White caught her eye then the rest came into view and finally she stood face to face with it. Az’s heart thudded as a deer with a head as white as snow and body made of plants slowly approached her. She stood frozen in its presence, her mind reeling trying to understand what it was. She had never seen such a creature, even its antlers were made of branches and unknown blossoms sprang forth. However what struck her the most were its milky white eyes that bored into her. She didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until the creature’s head turned and it suddenly bounded away.

Coming back to reality Az realized she heard hoofbeats behind her before a whinny rang out and she blinked. Turning around she found Eversong huffing and pawing, his concern ringing clearly across their connection. The ranger hopped the fence and stood beside him, calming the large stallion just as Tiera came running after.

Once she caught her breath she sighed in relief to see the cob was safe with his owner. “Hey Az! Sorry about that, one moment he was just peacefully grazing and the next I looked up and he was gone! Don’t know how but he got the lead rope untied and booked it. Did you uh… want me to bring him back up to the stables?” The younger ranger grinned sheepishly, feeling embarrassed for letting a horse escape on her watch.

Az smiled and picked up the loose lead rope, tossing it over Eversong’s back. “Naw it’s alright, I’ll bring him back up once I’m done giving the fences a once over. Why don’t you head back and check the other horses?” Once Tiera nodded and began her way back Az scrambled up onto the bare stallion’s back. “Naughty boy, you know you’re supposed to be on your best behavior.” She whispered playfully, smiling as Eversong snorted back at her and began moving along the fence line. Az kept her eyes out for any more damage but as far as she could tell everything was as fixed as it was going to get. “Thanks though...” she said softly, “I don’t know what that was… I don’t think it was dangerous but I just… blanked there. I’ve never seen anything like it and I didn’t want to hurt it.” Eversong let out a soft nicker and Az smiled as she sensed his acknowledgement.

She knew thoughts of the white deer would keep her up that night, they filled her mind as she helped clean out the main station cabin. Eversong retired to the pasture with Foxy and the other horses; however he remained vigilant for the strange stag. Az tried her best to reassure him they were probably safe but she could feel how defensive he grew of her. Despite her own concern for him she was grateful he was here watching out for her.

Night came quickly as their work kept the rangers busy. Az soon settled down in her bunk, trying not to toss and turn as images of the deer filled her mind. Questions flitted through her thoughts such as why it had appeared to her now? Where was it from? Jorvik was certainly a magical place but thinking back to what she had sensed… that wasn’t pandoric energy in the slightest. She hummed softly and rolled to her other side. If anything it felt more like the Sleeping Widow or the Singing Yew, ancient and integral to the island rather than alien and unnatural. Yawning, she reached out through her connection to Eversong, feeling him weakly reply. The stallion was settling down to sleep as well but he returned her call.

“Can you help me sleep?” She asked, feeling his reply shortly after and a sense of calm washed over her. Soon she forgot her worries about the stag and felt the sweet embrace of sleep surrounding her.

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Morning came with the breaking of dawn, light filtering past the tall trees and into the grimey windows of the cabin. Az winced as the warm rays hit her face and she rolled over to avoid them. However what she couldn’t avoid was the loud alarm of one of the other ranger’s phones. Groans rose up from several of the others, Az among them as she finally gave up and moved to get out of bed. “Jeeze who’s got the crap ringtone?” She called out, rubbing at an eye.

“Ah, that’d be me, sorry I forgot to turn it off.” Astrid picked up the device, quickly silencing the blaring alarm off. The rest of the rangers stumbled out of bed, some dressing properly while others made their way to the kitchen. Az was surprised to see Rowan already at work making breakfast. The scent of bacon and eggs filled the cabin as she escaped into the bathroom before the others could hog it.

Settling down with a couple other groggy rangers at the table Rowan delivered a few finished strips of bacon to each and a couple fried eggs. “Mornin’ hope you all slept well!” Az snorted at how cheery they were, that was one thing the two didn’t share in common. Rowan was a morning person while Az was always a night owl.

“Ah about as well as one can on those old mattresses, I swear the horses are gonna get better rest.” She joked before snatching up a piece of bacon and popping it into her mouth.

“Yeah we were gonna get a few more z’s in until Astrid’s phone started blaring.” Yousef grumbled while pouring himself some juice.

“Well it’s still the work week, we can’t laze around too much up here. Lots to do after all.” Rowan smirked and tapped at the frying pan. “But I’ll let you guys sleep in on the weekends, if Astrid’s phone agrees.” They chuckled and Az couldn’t help but snort softly. “We’re gonna finish up the major repairs and cleaning today hopefully then start making plans on how we’re going to remap the Redwoods area. All of our maps are extensively out of date and any of the near complete ones have long been lost. As far as I can tell the last time they were updated was back during that Hartwood search.”

Az perked up at the mention of the mysterious ranger. “No one’s been up since then right?” She paused in her meal, looking between Rowan and Enitan who had been quiet since sitting down with her and Yousef.

Clearing his throat, Entian spoke up finally. “No, the whole area was abandoned since staff was short back then, right Rowan?” The Aussie nodded before Entian continued. “The rumors of the area being haunted didn’t really help so it kind of just fell to the wayside.”

“Haunted? Really?” Az tilted her head. “Rowan, you never mentioned that part.” Her gaze returned to the senior ranger while she took a sip of her drink.

“Ah yeah, I try not to spread those rumors to be honest, makes it harder to get a proper team together. See, we’ve been getting a decent growth in rangers over the last few years. Tiera and Astrid are a great example and given their skill sets I figured they’d be good on this mission. Of course Az you were my top pick.” They motioned at her with the spatula. “Not just because you managed to get up here on your own but you’re among our top rangers right now.”

The redhead blushed softly and smiled. “Thanks, that means a lot.” She paused, mind wandering back to yesterday with the deer. But she also couldn’t wait to start mapping out the Redwoods with Foxy and do some trail rides with Eversong off duty this weekend.

In the background of her thoughts the conversation continued. “They never found her did they?” Yousef asked.

“Nope, there’s been all sorts of strange rumors though.” Enitan started, Az tuning back into the conversation as he began talking about the famous ranger. Midway through the conversation Tiera and Astrid joined breakfast, listening to the storyteller weave the tale of Edith Octavia Hartwood. “She was a legend… one of the first rangers who stepped foot in the Redwoods and well, possibly even beyond. I think most of you by now have heard the tales of mysterious valley deeper in the mountains yes?” A chorus of mumbling agreement and nods mixed with confusion from Yousef. “Well, there’s believed to be this valley somewhere close to us past the mountain face. However no matter what no one seems to be able to get up there. Even attempts to use drones or satellite cameras all result in equipment lost or fuzzy photos. No one can explain why and so far everyone who’s tried to breach the mountain has met terrible fates. Most go missing, this station is the closest recorded settlement to where we think the valley is.” A murmuring of curiosity came from the group except for Astrid who rolled her eyes.

“Just bad luck and there’s probably some kind of weird magnetic thing up there. I’m sure it’s explainable with science.” She huffed, finishing off her meal and leaving to finish getting dressed.

Az frowned and watched her go before returning her attention to Enitan. “Please continue, I’d love to hear more.”

The fellow ranger nodded and proceeded with the rest of his tale. “Well, Edith as I said was a legend among the rangers as far as I know but at the same time she’s somewhat of an enigma. A lot of us know her for being one of the most dedicated rangers in decades but along with that dedication are rumors she might have been a bit… mad.” He took a sip of his drink before continuing. “You see, Hartwood was believed to be very passionate about protecting Mistfall and especially the Jorvik Wild Horses. Back in her day a lot more herds roamed the area, most of them seemed to be up here in the Redwoods but we even had a few herds back down in Southern Mistfall. Nowadays they’ve all but disappeared and only once in a blue moon do you see them but they’re still here. It only fueled the rumors of that secret valley further.” He waved his hand.

“Jorvik Wilds? Wait… aren’t those...” Az thought for a moment, it sounded familiar. She snapped her fingers, trying to remember. “Ah! Yeah weren’t those some of the horses that resembled primievel equines from before the Jarl’s arrival?”

“I see someone’s done their homework” Enitan joked. “But yes Az, they’re also basically a national treasure and highly protected. It’s believed Jorvik Wilds don’t just let anyone ride them, they share some of the strongest bonds with their riders and seem to choose their rider unlike most modern day horses. It’s fascinating really.”

“So… what happened to Hartwood?” Tiera piped up, leaning forward into the table now intrigued.

“Ah yes, as I said Edith was deeply interested in protecting these horses. However no one really knows what happened to her. The herds were starting to thin out in Southern Mistfall by the time she joined the rangers and during her days they all but disappeared everywhere but up in the Redwoods. She was the one responsible for the structures up here actually, right Rowan?” 

The Aussie nodded, having long since joined them and was quietly munching away at their meal while listening in. “Indeed. The cabin, the fences, there’s even an old watchtower somewhere up here that she had built. Everything was, as far as I understood, designed to blend in with the local area as much as possible. You guys think that the growth on the roofs is from time? As far as we know it seems that was one of her ideas for trying to make the structures less intrusive. Same for that old stick fence we call a paddock.” Rowan let out a small bark of laughter before leaning back in their chair and smiling. “I think she did a pretty good job though with the resources she had.”

Enitan nodded and continued. “Yeah, she got this whole place setup and running but for the most part she was the only one up here. There were a lot of staff shortages back then and as far as I’ve learned the building of Redwood Point was unfortunately more costly than they expected. It was nice for a while it seemed but over time the rangers up here dwindled until only Hartwood was left. No one realized she was missing until it was too late. She never came back down for her scheduled resupply and a small group went up to check on her. Everything looked normal but Edith was nowhere to be found. She had long since stopped contact with the southern station but usually still came by in person. No one knew when she actually disappeared so a search party went up right away. Of course as the story goes, still no sign of her and even looking through belongings didn’t leave a hint. It was as if she just up and vanished one day.”

Rowan nodded. “Yeah rumors still abound, those less superstitious think it was just wolves and she got unlucky. There was no sign of her horse either so they assumed both were lost. However those who spin tall tales tell of everything from a sasquatch to aliens. The search party scoured the entire area but there were no traces of her remains, no scraps of clothing, no horse, nothing.”

“Yeah she wasn’t the sort of person to just give up on her tasks out of the blue either. Some tried suggesting she just moved out one day but nothing in the cabin or watchtower signified that.” Enitan shrugged. “Actually I think all her belongings are still around here somewhere if the elements haven’t ruined them.”

“Uhh… you guys wouldn’t mind if I had a look up at them do you?” Az finally spoke up, her interest piqued. “I’ve been curious about Hartwood since Rowan told me about her early on in my time as a ranger.”

Rowan waved their hand. “Go ahead as long as it’s while you’re off duty. If you find anything out I’d love to hear it.” Enitan and Tiera agreed. Az grinned and the group finished off breakfast with some more cheerful chatting. The remainder of the morning was spent sorting out details regarding the last cleanup of the station for now and discussion of cartography. Az was on stable duty next and she was happy to visit Eversong and Foxfire before setting to work making the stable inhabitable again for their equine companions. Once the station was in working order again they could finally begin their real mission. Soon they would be mapping the Redwoods out all over again.