In Kovir, there were no laws protecting non - human races. Old Aaron, who had killed the hermit that had saved his son, was not punished. He was only required to pay the crowns for hiring the witcher.
Tethys knew that old Aaron hadn't told the whole story. Aaron's reaction had already revealed a lot.
When packing her luggage, Tethys found that the things in the leather bag had turned into a pile of potions in wine skins.
Seeing that Tethys seemed interested, Lambert casually explained, "Swallow potions. They can be made with dwarven spirits, white bryony, and kelpie brains. It's a very simple basic potion. It can relieve the side - effects of some highly toxic potions and also speed up recovery. However, it has a certain level of toxicity and shouldn't be used in large quantities at once."
Every world's civilization has its own unique aspects. Tethys wouldn't despise these crystallizations of wisdom just because of her higher life essence. She poured out a cup of swallow potion. The orange - yellow liquid looked like a pool of molten gold. Judging from its appearance, no one would think it was a basic potion. If it could remove toxicity, it would surely bring in considerable economic benefits.
The journey back to the swamp was much faster than before. With two horses for transportation, the two of them arrived at the wooden tower at noon.
The body of the elven hermit had been gnawed beyond recognition by rodents, and there were clear tooth marks on the bones.
The penitent spirit didn't appear to stop the two of them. The witcher made a seal and burned the corpse that bound the soul. In the firelight, the necklace on the skeleton caught Tethys' attention. This smoothed black obsidian wasn't very precious, but it must have taken a long time to polish.
Lambert drew his sword and poked out the black obsidian, then wrapped it in a piece of rag.
"She didn't die with resentment in her heart. Let them deal with it themselves."
When they returned to the town, Lambert slapped the black obsidian on the scribe Hol's table like a token. The young Aaron let out a howl at the sight of this black obsidian and ran wildly into the forest.
Hol, with a smiling face, pleaded for old Bok, "Madam, thank you for helping us solve this trouble. Look, old Bok's mouth..."
Old Bok had wrapped his face tightly with a rag. The abnormality on his face wasn't noticed by many people. He looked at Tethys timidly and quickly looked away when Tethys looked back at him.
Tethys waved her hand and lifted the spell. Old Bok's mouth immediately returned to normal.
The black obsidian on the table was taken away by old Aaron. The overjoyed old Bok and the distracted Hol didn't notice. Neither of them wanted to touch this thing obtained from the body of an evil spirit. Even if they saw it, they wouldn't say much.
"You know."
Tethys whispered to old Aaron who passed by her side, "So that's why you killed the elven hermit."
Old Aaron didn't answer and left with the black obsidian in his hand.
Tethys, sitting on the horse, had lost her initial novelty. The bumpy mountain road had made her fed up. A tangible air cushion formed on the saddle, which allowed her to stay stable during the journey.
The forest became denser and the small path underfoot gradually disappeared into the weeds. The gauze - like thin mist made Tethys feel very comfortable. Several birds were startled by the sound of the horse's hooves and flapped their wings into the depths of the forest.
When the witcher learned that Tethys had never ridden a horse before, he was a bit surprised. The horses actually liked to be close to Tethys. Tethys, who claimed to be a mage, could always conjure up carrots and apples to feed them. Now the horses didn't like the boring grass anymore.
A rustling sound came. It seemed that someone was approaching the intruders from the dark part of the forest. Several agile figures flashed through the trees, and then several crossbow bolts pinned the ground in front of Lambert.
"Human, get out of our territory. Even if you are only fifteen years old, driven by fear, panicked, and running into the forest; even if you are seventy years old, old and weak, driven out of your house and deprived of food, and have to come out to pick firewood; even if you are only six years old, attracted by the sweet fruits in the forest clearing. Get out of the forest!"
Quite a few figures blocked the two of them in front. Their female bodies were only simply covered with leaves. Their green skin didn't seem to conform to human aesthetics.
"They are dryads. As long as no trees are cut down and the forest is not burned, they generally won't trouble innocent travelers passing by. At most, they will drive them out of the forest."
Lambert raised his hands to show friendliness, "Hey, we mean no harm. We are just witchers who want to get back to Kaer Morhen on Mount Kaer."
The dryads didn't lower their drawn longbows but instead aimed at the witcher who had dismounted.
"Leave here!"
A dryad with black hair decorated with red leaves and flowers came in front of Lambert. Her companions also walked out from the shadows and approached the witcher with his hands raised.
"Listen, I think you've misunderstood something. We don't need to fight!"
The relaxation on Lambert's face disappeared. The dryads' reaction was a bit strange. He pulled the pack horse and stepped back a few steps.
"We'll leave right away. You can put your hands down from drawing the bows."
The tall dryad suddenly spoke, "Leave that girl behind."
Tethys didn't expect to be involved. She asked softly, "Why are they capturing me?"
Lambert smiled wryly, "Dryads will take in lost girls and abandoned baby girls and turn them into their own kind. There are no men in their tribe. Besides reproducing with males of other races, this is the main way for dryads to continue their race."
"Oh, so in their eyes, I'm still a young girl."
As she spoke, Tethys couldn't help laughing. The witcher completely didn't understand what was so funny and had already reached out his hand to hold the steel sword behind him, ready to fight.
Lambert quickly drew a downward - pointing triangle. A dark - yellow shield formed around the witcher, just blocking the incoming arrows.
Before the arrows fell, the witcher had completed another seal. He pushed his hand towards the dryads, and an invisible shock wave was released in a cone shape. The fierce impact sent the dryads flying.
The dryads' counter - attack was also very fast. The dryad with red leaves and flowers on her head waved her hand and commanded, "Shoot!"
The witcher's Quen sign didn't last long in the arrow rain. Ding - dong sounds kept coming. Lambert's shield shattered with a bang, and he had to raise his sword to knock down the incoming arrows.
Tethys had seen enough of the witcher's embarrassed state. She stretched out her hands in an embracing gesture, and a soft light spread out from her body, like a semi - transparent curtain blocking the incoming arrows.
This soft light didn't harm the dryads but instead dispelled the dizziness caused by the Aard sign.
The dryads were in an uproar and put down their bows. The tall leading dryad looked at Tethys with eyes full of joy and fanaticism. They opened their mouths excitedly, speaking a language that Lambert couldn't understand at all.
The nature of a deity made language no obstacle for Tethys. As she listened to the dryads' cheers, a look of surprise appeared on her face for the first time.
The dryads completely ignored the witcher with a puzzled look on his face. They looked at Tethys respectfully and sang an ancient ballad in unison.
Lambert put the steel sword back into its sheath and came up to Tethys and asked, "Aren't you from the same world as the dryads?"
The strange look on Tethys' face didn't shake her lofty status in the eyes of the dryads. Along with their singing, the forest gradually changed.
The trees shook off the dead leaves and snow left on the branches and responded to the guardians' singing with a hazy green light. The green light spread like wildfire around, and more and more dryads appeared in the green light.
"In a sense, it seems not wrong. Although I don't think so, they won't listen to my explanation."
In Tethys' soft response, a dryad wrapped in moss came in front of her. The moss - covered dryad seemed to be their leader. Her brown hair, as thick as tree roots, was covered with fungi. Her eyes were filled with the vicissitudes and wisdom of having experienced many things.
Vines grew along her steps, and occasionally, unknown white flowers the size of rice grains bloomed.
Looking at Tethys, who was emitting a soft white light, the old dryad wept bitterly. She sat down in front of Tethys and reached out to touch the hem of this glowing goddess's clothes.
"Please forgive my lack of composure. Since the Two Trees were destroyed by Sauron, it has been a long time since I was bathed in the light of Laurelin."
The old dryad wiped away her tears and asked with full of hope, "Oh, companion of Ilúvatar, companion of Yavanna, the Queen of All Fruits. Have the gods finally heard our call and sent a Maia to save us?"
Tethys was still recalling the familiar name of Ilúvatar. It seemed that she had heard of Sauron somewhere before, and there was also the strange Two Trees, which seemed to be related to some amazing characters.
Looking at Tethys, who was lost in thought, the old dryad said again, "Respected Maia, don't be panicked. All Maiar who descend to the earth will lose their memories. There are greedy humans and cunning and cruel wood - wights roaming in this forest. For your safety, please come with us."
As she spoke, the dryads crowded around and lifted Tethys onto a web woven by vines.
The dumbfounded Lambert hurriedly stepped forward to stop the overjoyed dryads and pulled Tethys' hand to lead her out of the encirclement of the dryads.
The old dryad raised her wooden staff and struck hard on the witcher's outstretched hand. A dark - green color spread over Lambert's body. The witcher's body went limp, and he convulsed and fell to the ground.
"Don't harm him. He saved me when I woke up in the swamp."
Tethys' words made the old dryad's vigilance melt away like ice in a fire. She bowed humbly. The green - black toxin on Lambert's body immediately turned into black gas and dissipated.
The dryads carried Tethys in the front, and the vines bound Lambert up like a cocoon and hung behind Tethys. The witcher shouted angrily, wriggling to try to break free from the bonds.
Passing through the mottled forest, beams of sunlight took shape in the morning mist.
There were some dryads with magical talents among them. They could manipulate trees and vines to attack intruders. These dryads, called Dryad - Speakers, were very prestigious in the tribe and often served as leaders and strategists.
In the depths of the forest, the noise of the dryads made the wounded resting by the spring become alert.
This group of elves and dwarves looked exhausted, as if they had just experienced a fierce battle.
The pointed - eared archers had eyesight as good as eagles. From a distance, they saw a group of dryads escorting a young girl towards them.
The dryads staying by the spring were also overjoyed. They knelt by the water and sang a melodious ballad.
Tethys didn't pay attention to these squirrel - party guerrillas with wary looks on their faces. Her eyes were attracted by the calm spring. In the reflection, she saw some vague memories.
These dryads were the companions of the Ents on Middle - earth, called Tree - Wives. They lived in Yavanna's garden. After the Two Trees that brought light, the Sun and the Moon, were destroyed by Morgoth, Yavanna used silver flowers and golden fruits to create the Sun and the Moon. Her husband, Aulë, the creator of dwarves, forged a huge spaceship to carry the Sun and the Moon to bring light to the world.
Tethys had a strange look in her eyes. Looking at the elves leaning against the trees in a mess, she was greatly disappointed. The first - born children of Ilúvatar had come to such a state? Those handsome and beautiful men and women with a soft - light effect had disappeared in the ruthless passage of time.
The elves who came to this world together with the dryads through the conjunction of the spheres and combined with the natives had lost the blessings from the gods and the holy trees. They were no longer the immortal favorites but were discriminated against because of their different appearances.
"Oh, first - born children of Ilúvatar, you have forgotten your past glory."
A soft silver light spread layer by layer, making the wary elves feel a sense of kinship from the depths of their blood. In a daze, two entwined huge trees shrouded a blessed land, and the spirits of elves tired of the mortal world wandered in the flower beds, returning to the blessed land.
The old dryad raised her hand to stop the approaching elves and said in a low voice, "Stop your steps. Go back and tell Queen Fëanor's daughter, Galadriel, and the elf - sage, Míriel, that a Maia has come because of our call. There is hope for us to return to Middle - earth!"
The younger elves didn't understand what returning to Middle - earth meant, but since the old dryad said it so solemnly, they could only pass on the message for her.
Tethys by the spring was still trying to clarify the relationships according to the memory of the world of the One Ring in her mind. This spring was the remnant of a powerful dryad after her death. Her deep yearning for her hometown remained so many years later. In order to continue the tribe and wait for the hope of returning, they used the power after death to transform human girls. This spring water, called Bloemlocht, could heal wounds and also make the drinkers forget their memories and become dryads.
The old dryad's anxiety didn't escape Tethys' eyes. Tethys reached out her hand, scooped up the spring water, and sprinkled it on a tall oak tree.
The cracked bark of the oak tree immediately grew facial features and opened its eyes to explore the world with curiosity.
The dryads were in tears, hugging each other and sobbing.
The newly - born Ents pulled out their roots rooted in the soil and walked towards Tethys by the spring to offer her ripe acorns.
Tethys received the highest - level treatment. The witcher also had a place at the feast because of her. However, fruits and spring water couldn't satisfy Lambert's appetite.
The dryads put a flower crown on Tethys and tried their best to persuade this Maia, who they thought had lost her memory, to stay.
Tethys turned to look at the sulking witcher and smiled, shaking her head and said, "I need to find a way to return to Middle - earth. There may be relevant clues in the witcher's castle that can save me time."