I enter the woods and begin walking through it away from the village. I encounter no monsters but feel far more relaxed with the everpresent sound of birdsong and all encompassing greens of the forest. Hours later a small boar disterbs me and dashes from a bush towards me. I and use my air step to reach the branch above me. The boar snorts at me and growls causing two pigglets to dash past me and escape into the foliage. Killing the boar would be a bad option as it would drive away some of the weaker monsters like goblins and be a good source of food for the village hunters.

Not long after my encounter with the boar, I hear the sound of children playing. I move towards the noise and watch as a young boy counts down with his eyes closed in a clearing. It is clear from the scuff marks all over the clearing and the sounds of movement in the woods that others have dashed off to hide. I frown. They are too young to be allowed in the woods and the sun is already setting. With the woods as piecefull as they are and the lack of the usual indications of childish disobedience I am not willing to impose by disrupting their game. I also do not want to leave them alone as the local fauna may still be dangerous to them. However, I am curious as to what possessed them to play in the woods rather than the fallow fields that children usually use.

I decide the best way is to ask them. I follow one of their tracks to a large hollowed tree and duck inside.

"Hey. Mister, this is my hiding spot." a young girl whisper-shouts.

"Don't worry, I am very quiet." I reply putting a finger to my lips. "What are you doing out here anyway?"

"We are playing hide and seek." they answer.

"Why not in the fields?" I ask

"Because, we want to be adventurers when we grow up, and if we can't even go into the woods now when it is safe, how will we ever be able to fight evil things living in caves or deeper in the forest."

I hear the sounds of footsteps and the little girl shushes me. The boy from earlier calls out "I know you are here Meril. I heard you." Meril glares at me.

"Don't worry I'll destract him." I say and dash from the hiding spot to behind another tree snapping a few twigs and catching a few ridged leaves intentionally to mark my passing. little footsteps follow my trail of sounds until I hop into the canopy and move in a more comfortable silence.

I check the surroundings as I continue my inquieries with the other children. Aparently their parents let them go into the woods for a while before dark because I was here, hunting monsters that might hurt them. As soon as the sun dissapeared I hearded the children home and slept. The wedding was due to take place tomorrow.