The town of Midway is perched on the edge of the Great Forest. It's a simple name, and the only one that's ever stuck. It eats up any other name in its huge, spreading branches, refusing whatever fanciful labels mortals try to apply to it. The Forest seems to transcend time and place.

Deep within the Forest, in the very oldest part, something terrible has occurred. A great tree, a stately oak that has seen the rise and fall of countless kingdoms, suddenly withers and dies.

The trees in this part of the Forest are imbued with the wisdom of all ancient things and the magic that comes with it. But they are trees, after all, and for all that they sense danger, they are firmly rooted in the ground and cannot move to help themselves. That is not the way a tree lives.

But this is an extraordinary event, one that calls for extraordinary action. The trees pool their ancient magics together. Up from the ground where the old oak once stood rises a lithe form, dark as mahogany. The newly-made dryad blinks her emerald eyes at the trees about her.

"You are our Thorn," they whisper to her in their ancient language. "Go and seek out that which has felled this great and ancient tree and which threatens our Forest. Find it and prick it, Thorn."

"You are our emissary. There are other goodly creatures in this Forest who will defend it. The wind has brought us word of a Centaur tribe. Follow the setting sun to find them. We have heard their language in the wind and will give it to you."

The dryad bows and turns westward. Then she dashes off into the shadows of the Forest.

Thorn's legs pump tirelessly for several days, carrying her beyond the primordial woods and into younger, less aware parts of the Great Forest. The trees here have not yet learned to hear themselves think.

But she can commune with them, though it is harder than it was with her parent grove. After some deep meditation, she thinks she knows the direction to the centaur camp and sets out in that direction.

It is not long before she is spotted by one of the young warriors patrolling the tribe's territory. "Who goes?" the young colt asks.

Thorn steps up to him. "I am Thorn. I mean no harm. I come for help."

The colt regards the strange two-legged being...looks kind of like an elf, but the skin is far too dark. And the peach fuzz of hair she is beginning to grow looks...green?

"Come with me," he says, still wary. "You can ask the chieftain for help."

"That is satisfactory." She obediently walks before him, back to the centaur camp.

"Chief Torque!" he calls out. "I've found...something."

The chief Centaur walks gracefully from a wicker building. Her hair a silver blonde is held in long braid bound with silver thread. Her body a pied light and dark grey and skin fair her eyes a pale grey. She wears a small top and carries a long bow and arrows.

Approaching the pair she smiles, "Greetings, I am Torque" She looks to the warrior, "Something you say? Tanvin you know better than to treat guests like this"

The warrior slightly annoyed steps forward. "But Chieftain, she is of two-legs! You know..."

Glaring angrily back Torque silences the guard. "Tranvic, it has been many years, times have changed, now back to your post." The warrior turns, and stalks of angrily.

"I apologize, for Tranvic's actions, he thinks little and speaks much. Now my friend, what is it you wish to ask? And of what race are you? We see little outside of this forest"

"Greetings, Torque Centaur-Chief. I am Thorn. I am..." she pauses for a word. "I am called dryad. A tree protector."

"Something terrible has begun to happen in the oldest reaches of the Great Forest. One of the oldest oaks suddenly died - withered, desiccated within seconds."

"The Ancients - the oldest trees - are self-aware. But they are trees still, and cannot protect themselves, or even determine the murderer. So they created me as their...avatar. That which fights for another."

She flourishes her hands, and they transform into two wicked, curved thorns. Another flourish, and they are hands again.

But I am but one...and one newly created, who knows little. They know there are beings who live in the Forest that love it and will protect it. They knew the Centaurs to be such ones, and so sent me here. Can you help me?"

Astonished at the fact anyone could even think of harming the forest on which they depend, Torque watches Thorns amazing ability. "Murders of this forest? How can that be? Who would wish to harm such a beautiful place?"

A few other Centaurs upon hearing Thorn's words turn in worry. The anger Torque feels soon turns to determination, as she pushes her braid of hair behind her shoulder. "Yes, we shall help you, this place is our home, we coincide with it, we shall protect it. What do we do?"

Torque walks to one of the small dwellings, and is given a pack of supplies after a warm farewell. Approaching Thorn again, she readies to leave.

"Torque! Where are you going?" An angered voice is heard as the warrior returns.

"Please! What is it now! The forest needs our help 'tis no time for arguing"

"Torque, this...Thorn is of two legs! You must not forget this! She is probably the one doing all the damage! You cannot trust her!"

Taking a deep breath Torque turns to face the Warrior "Tranvic, I am leaving for the village at the outskirts of our homeland, I shall return when I have some answers"

"You're what! This is ridiculous! She talks of the ancient forest, but a creature such as..."

"Enough!" Taking hold of Tranvic's arm she leads him aside "How dare you talk as this before the whole village! I am supposed to lead these people as chief! How can I do that when you treat me as a child!"

"You forget, that is all you are!"

Her face turns a deep flush of red, and she has to restrain her self from showing any weakness. "Tranvic, you are in charge until I get back. Set a watch around the perimeters" Turning swiftly she walks back to Thorn and helps her on to her back. Making sure not to return Tranvic's stare, she rides out towards the border. "Thorn, I know one who can be trusted, Kvelti, I believe this is where we must start"

Torque and Thorn set out together for the human town called Midway. Torque explains that a few years back, her mother had sent an exploratory force to the town, to determine if the humans were a threat. Torque had joined the group as one of her first real adventures since becoming old enough to be a warrior of the tribe. The humans had not been welcoming, but neither had they been violent. One of them, an older female, had actually been quite hospitable and gave the centaurs as much food and drink as they liked. Some were worried that it might be a trap, but the evening passed with high spirits and no violence. This female was the one called Kvelti that Torque thought might help...after all, no being in the Forest would do to it what Thorn had described. The violence would have to have come from outside and Torque's only contact outside the Forest was this human female.

They travel without incident for two days. On the third day, nearing the town, Thorn suddenly stumbles and falls to her knees, crying out and clutching her left shoulder. Torque turns to her, to see what is wrong.

The dryad shakes her head and slowly gets to her feet with Torque's help. She slowly removes her hand from her shoulder. Under it, a small circle of her mahogany skin has turned utterly black.

"Another has died," she whispers in shock.

After Thorn's burn, she and Torque proceed with all haste to the edge of the Forest and find themselves on a road. Torque, recalling her earlier experiences with the area, determines that the town lies just to the south along the road.

Within a few hours, Midway is in sight. Torque navigates to the Rabid Wombat.

Thorn flinches back from the structure. It is made of dead trees! But at least they seemed to be younger trees, not yet aware. The sin is less, but still... But Torque has told her that a being that will help them lives within the shell of dead trees, so she distastefully places her hand on the wooden door and pushes it open.

The door is generously sized for a human...Torque can enter if she chooses, although it will be a tight fit and she must duck to get through.

Torque watches Thorn enter the Tavern and lies down in the shrubbery at the roadside. Looking across at the Town she admires the grand buildings with their many lights. Midway is many times bigger than the Centaur village Torque is used to. It appears hostile and threatening, yet mysterious, the strange streets and people gnawing at her curiosity but always fear getting the better of her. Looking back to the Tavern, she waits cautiously watching for the slightest sign of trouble.

The Rabid Wombat is fuller now, with caravan guards littering the tables. The first few by the door catch sight of Thorn and nudge their fellows. A wave of silence passes through the Wombat as the men turn to stare at the dryad, who is quite bereft of clothing.

The barkeep looks up to see what the lack of commotion is about and spots the slender naked form. Her eyes bulge slightly, then roll. She calls out, "Cael, do some service for Eho and cover that young thing up!"