Chapter 482: Song of the Forest
…3 days before the new moon… 3 days before the siege of Hollow Shade…
Vulture Woods was an expansive forest that stretched from the southern region of the Rupture Mountains, towards the south-west, where it met with its sister forest, Glimmer Grove. Ashen trees populated most of Vulture Woods, their scarlet leaves painting the canopy in hues of red, with the occasional oak and maple tree giving hints of green.
The Sylvan army had stopped to rest for the evening and while they were busy setting up camp Stryg had slipped away, leaving Plum with a verbal message of his departure in case Elayne or the rest of his honor guard panicked.
He felt somewhat bad for leaving without an announcement, his mother would surely have a fit, but he was keenly aware that had he stayed he would have been strapped down by war meetings and battle strategies. The days were already filled with martial planning, he didn’t think he could bear it at night as well. Not that such talks were bad per se, but Tauri and the generals seemed much more suited to discussing the intricacies of warfare.
It didn’t help that he didn’t know most of the terminology they spoke of. His mind would begin to wander and he found himself staring at Tauri. The way her amber eyes lit up as they spoke, she seemed in her element, and she wasn’t just surviving in a room of skeptical grouchy old goblins, she was thriving.
And though Stryg was the War Master, he had little experience with leading any group, let alone an army. He preferred if experts took charge in those matters, like noble daughters of Great Martial Houses, or warriors who had gained invaluable experience and survived countless battles through the years, like the War Elect Lykos or the Sylvan Guardian Arden.
Stryg would be there when the time for battle came, at the front lines, fighting side by side with his Sylvan brothers and sisters, but until then he preferred to keep what little free time he had to himself.
And so it was, Stryg had slipped out of the encampment with none the wiser and found himself a quiet alcove, tucked in a small clearing under the trees. He took off his boots and socks and sat down with his legs crossed in a meditating position Professor Ismene had taught him.
Like other goblins, his pointed ears were at a horizontal angle, though his had a subtle droop. His ears occasionally twitched at a distant faint noise. The sound of a nearby stream he realized.