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The earth still remembered the blood which had soaked it the last few weeks, and the blood there spilled long before even that. The trees whispered of great battles, death, and destruction. The wind told of sorrows uncountable. And one little child of the forest heard them all. Yet, they did not steal the peaceful grin which seemed to settle like a butterfly on her cheerful features.

Fox had been about the business of collecting sizable stones all morning. Being one to rise with the sun, it was a rather large collection she now had as the sun told of the mid day hour. She now set to the second part of her labor, placing the stones ‘round a large oak tree just beyond the building the folk of Haven were using as an Inn.

The little healer girl sang softly as sweetly in a lilting tongue as she worked. Some would have recognized it as Caldonian. The stones she was arranging in colored patterns, but had left a good amount of space around the trunk for something. From the pile of carefully uprooted flowers, it was clear she intended to plant them in the center of the stone ring around the tree.

*Tullus leans against a tree with his arms crossed. He watches Fox as she creates her memorial. The smile on his face reflects of rememberance. He stays quiet for sometime, quite a feat for him, and watches her careful movements.*

"Hey there, young one. Seems ta be quite the interesting creation you've made there. What or who is it for? Seems quite...er... playful, almost. I remember when I lived in Ryi ik dmag, there were many young ones there. Yet, none smiled at their work as you do. I feel it's important to smile every once in a while. Seems to brighten the day of those who come around.

Why there were many times in my life that I fear if I hadn't had smiled durrin' a conversation with some big creepy, I'd be it's food. *pauses to try and think of less scary ideas.* Seems like you've put a lot of work into this. Must have taken a long time to think of somethin' so great in structure.

I remember there being this huge structure that seemed to tower into the clouds. Unfortunately at the time I'd gotten to it, it was abandoned. It was quite a beautiful thing, such as what you've made here. I don't think it was made of stone though, for I could kinda see through it. Heh, those maguses and their funny magics. There seems to be such magics here. Though Im not versed in such things. I have no such spells and the only power I possess come from what's in me. And of course my fists. I doubt I would have the talent to create somethin' this pretty. What did you say it's for again?"

Fox giggled as the elf began his speaking, and tried to answer his questions one at a time, but found no pause in his words. Her foresty eyes danced and she set down the stone in her hand to give him her full attention. Hers was a countenance of only innocence and light, no shadow or sorrow there at all, as if none had ever been, and never would be.

“Our name is Fox, master Elf, and we are glad to meet you.” She stood to her not at all considerable height and offered him a hand, seemingly heedless of the dirt there. She beamed and looked back at her tree. “This is a Memorial Tree. Many of the folk here have lost people they love, and their hearts are full of sadness. We only want to make them happy again, to see them smile. So, we create beauty where there was none, and memory that those who fall are not forgotten. The trees will remember, and the earth, but people are not so good with remembering sometimes.” She nodded sagely.

“We did not know any of those who fell, but it is always sad when folk die… for life is the most precious thing in all the world. So, we will make a monument to life, not to dearth. The flowers will grow here ever, and the stones will keep the flowers safe. As time passes, the wild will creep in, and healing will too. Eventually, the earth will forget the blood and the sorrow, and the Memory will be free to drift away on the wind, for all will be at peace.” She sighed happily.

At his mention of not having any talent for beauty, she grinned. “All folk have beauty on the inside, master Elf. Mayhap you simply haven’t gotten to let it out to play in so long it got lost.” She grabbed him by the hand and gently pulled him over to where she was working. “You can help us, we’d be more than happy to help you find beauty. And two hands can make light where one alone cannot.”

Fox liked this elf. She liked most people, but she liked him especially. “You have laughter in your voice,” she commented, “And we like the kindness in your face.”

*Tullus tilts his head quizzically.*
"Wait, young one. My name isn't Fox, it's Tullus. And I take it we are glad to meet each other. Unless you mean 'we' as in there is someone else here. *He continues to speak as he scans the area.* I remember times when I couldn't see people and later found there were more to be found. That was mostly back at Ryi ik dmag."

*Tullus's accent seems a strange mix of many races and place. As his speaking musically loops around upon itself. His tongue is barely able to keep up.*

"Sometimes there are things that I don't understand; as I guess would be the case with other people. *he allows himself to be led on.* So who is this mysterious person that deems it fine to hide? And why do they hide? Are they shy? Perhaps I am asking far too many questions at once. I tend to do that when Im not eattin', of which I don't eat often. One would've expected me to have lost my voice or to be obese. Yet, neither seem to be the case, eh?

I guess it's all the walkin'. I've walked for many many years and found a lot of people. None as nice as within this place, of couse. Though they did take away one of my means of defending myself. Though it was given back later. And with that I can understand how they would be so cautious. In these days and times you can never tell who is truly evil or good. For that matter in these times good and evil aren't always complete in any bein'. Atleast in the ones I've dealt with. There seems to be always a way to explain things away in the face of danger. Though, I've gotten myself into a lot of trouble in the past. Hehe, I've been a bit of a trouble maker. *wagging his finger as he smirks* Not somethin' I'd recommend. Though it can be quite fun........sometimes.

So how'd you get the name Fox and is your friend named Fox as well? I mean, I've seen many foxes runnin' around in my travels and they are tricky little fellows. Would that be the same with you? *He pauses* Im sorry, I've probably become too personal. If I have just tell me, I tend to run on and on sometimes. I guess I need to learn when to stop.

Anyway, how long have you been here? I've only been here for a short while and I've found a lot of people to talk to. *he pauses once more* And I would be honored to help you with your creation; here. Yet, I don't want to ruin it as my hands have ruined so many things in the past. Are you sure you can use my help?"

Fox could not help the delighted peel of laughter that danced musically from her lips. It was rare that she found someone who could out-talk her for sheer cheerfulness, but this elf was a one. She grinned and made her explanations. “We,” and she pointed to herself, “are Fox. Well, us and our tail, of course.” She turned to reveal a bushy red fox tail, affixed with leather and feathers like a belt. Her smile was radiant.

When the elf mentioned her name, her smile faultered just a little, and it was clear she forced it back into place. “We once had another name… the name our mother and father gave us that our brothers and sister would call us too. But, we lost that name when we lost them, and the forest became our family.” A shudder shook her tiny frame, but she quickly repressed it and it was if the moment had never happened.

“So, we are Fox, and you are Tullus, and we are veryvery glad to meet you. Yes, veryvey. We have seen another fox, she is very nice, a friend of pretty Eilonwy. She is a druid who has the lovely smile and the pretty laugh. We have only been here a few weeks, for we came with Solari, our friend. The King does not mind when we wander away, for he knows we get bored if we have to sit so veryvery still in camp and behave. Kildare doesn’t like it when we play funny jokes, neither does Gumja. So, we wandered away and Solari found us and we heard the earth crying from all the blood it was forced to drink.”

Her expression turned to one of deepest sadness, like the dimming of the sun behind a cloud. Her voice was a soft whisper laden with sorrow. “We heard the winds whispering of death and destruction, of evil awakening and the world out of balance. It burns our blood, the pain of it, and makes our head hurt, it does it does. We could not stop the crying of the forest so we came to help.” She looked at the Memorial she was building. “We came too late… and we are veryvery sorry.”

The little girl sighed, eyes resting on the labor of her sweet spirit for some time longer, then, like the cloud lifted, she returned her foresty gaze to the elf. “We do not think you will ruin it, master elf. Your kind once knew all the secrets of the forest. Solari tells us those secrets sometimes when we are veryvery good. Your hands simply need to do some remembering. The earth will remind you, you’ll see.” That innocent and unladen smile was back, as if it had never gone.

*Tullus looks alittle worried.*
"Aw gee, Im sorry. Whatever made you lose the smile you normally wear, I apologize for take it away for a bit. I am of the habit of saying the wrong things sometimes. Told you, I was a bit of a trouble maker."

*He stares at the tree* "I noticed you talked a bit about your parents. What I say is remember the good things about them. They sound like they are good people. My own parents weren't good people. They are the ones that brought me to Ryi ik dmag and left me there. I suppose if I'd stayed with them, I'd be an even bigger trouble maker. 'Its for your own good that you go here.' I hated hearin' that as much as I hated hearin', 'Give the family an honorable name.' "*He quotes his parents with alittle disgust and returns to his normal cheerful disposition.* "The logic they used was flawed, I'd say. I was just a young one myself and they just let me go. Yeah, your parents sound like good people.

There aren't too many stories I'd like to tell about Ryi ik dmag, but I will say it wasn't a nice place. I'd like to leave it at that. A lot of bad memories.

What I do have afew stories about are the places that I've traveled. Most of these place on foot. And if I didn't know the language, all the better for me. As I said, my mouth gets me in trouble. I've probably said to much about that place. You never know when people are hidin' somewhere only to be found later."

*Tullus looks to Fox* "Which that reminds me of this time I found somethin' that was suppose to be lost. Actually, it was this helmet; I rarely wear it. Not much of a helmet really, more of a metal plate that can be worn about head level. People kept talkin' bout it like it was magical. I see nothin' magical bout it. And I've seen a lot of magical things, I know the difference." *Taps his left temple with his finger.*

"As far as I'd heard from the people of this small village, they thought it'd save them from approachin' wolves. They hid in their huts all the time. And when they saw me just walkin around outside, they pulled me in. Of course I was confused for a moment and was about ta try and knock one of 'em out before I saw how scared they were. Heh, they thought they'd saved my life. I didn't see nar a wolf the whole time into the village.

They told me that in their legends, the wolves were like them. The wolves had fallen under a spell of some sort and the only thing that could change 'em back was this helmet here." *He goes into his small pack and produces the helmet.* "See, not much to it. I just went out into the forests a bit and found it, no worries. When I came back, they praised me as a hero. I tried ta explain that all I did was walk out and get this thing, but they wouldn't listen. They took it and said afew words over it; magic I guess. Then, they went silent for awhile. They said that their ancestors that were wolves had moved on and as a prize of my battle for it, I could keep it. So, here it is. I might actually start wearin' it for awhile.

Alright, where do I begin? Do I move a rock over toward it? I dunno, perhaps put a leaf on top somehow?"