ND Journal: The Meeting

In the deep reaches of Hollowgreen Forest, early spring whispered through the leaves.

Nyra a wood elf ranger crouched silently in the crook of a tall oak, finishing the last loop of a snare trap with practiced ease. She’d done this so many times that her hands moved from muscle memory alone, mind half adrift. Her movements were silent, her presence nearly erased she was a shadow among the trees.

Then came the noise.

A figure rustled through the underbrush below: a boy, maybe in his mid-teens, with fluffy orange ears twitching atop his head and a striped, feline tail swaying behind him. He stumbled through the woods like a newborn fawn, each step crunching twigs and sending birds flitting away. Despite his blundering pace, his ears gave a twitch when Nyra shifted position yet he made no sign that he knew she was watching.

The boy clutched a crudely drawn map, half covered in frantic scribbles, the lines of the forest barely visible beneath all the notes. He kept muttering under his breath, occasionally checking a well-worn compass, then veering in some new direction with blind confidence.

Nyra remained perched, observing. She was used to people wandering into the forest, but they were usually older adventurers, or at least had a proper guide. This one looked like trouble waiting to happen.

That suspicion turned to alarm when he started heading straight toward Gladethorn Weaver territory.

The Gladethorn Weavers were no ordinary spiders. Their territory was clearly marked with warning signs placed by Nyra’s family giant silk draped trees that shimmered with danger. Every year, someone ignored the signs. And every year, someone nearly died.

“I wonder if he even knows where he’s going,” Nyra thought grimly. “I hope we don’t have to save him from himself.”

As he approached the first silk-draped trees, he paused, glanced up at one of the bold warning signs... and grinned.

“Perfect,” he said aloud, and stepped forward.

Nyra moved.
She dropped from her perch and landed soundlessly to his side of him, grabbing his arm before he could take another step. The boy froze, startled.

Without thinking, he pulled a small vial from his satchel and sprayed her with a pungent mist. The scent hit instantly—peppermint, lavender, basil, and something else she couldn’t place. She flinched, but didn’t let go. Instead, she swept his legs out from under him and pinned him to the forest floor, one knee on his chest and his arms held above his head.

The boy blinked up at her, wide-eyed. “Oof... uh, how can I help you?” he asked, voice entirely too casual for someone pinned in the dirt.

“Ok, What did you just spray on me?” she demanded. “And you—are you one of the Catfolk from town? You look familiar.”

“I thought you were a spider,” he said sheepishly. “That was spider repellent. I made it myself. It's got stuff spiders hate peppermint, lavender, basil, and a few other things. Shouldn’t do anything to you. Well half cat folk half Human.”

Nyra narrowed her eyes. “Who are you, and why are you walking into Gladethorn territory? Don’t you know how dangerous that area is?”

“Well,” he said, squirming slightly, “it's polite to give your name first when asking questions. But I’m Nicholas. I need about four ounces of Gladethorn silk. Can you please get off me?”

Nyra studied him for a moment, then stood and offered her hand. “Fine. As long as you promise not to harm the spiders, I’ll help. We can collect silk from the abandoned webs. It’s still top quality, and you won’t disturb the colony.”

“Deal! I wasn’t planning to hurt them. That’s why I brought repellent. The sword’s just for emergencies.”

She helped him up. “I’m Nyra Duskwatch. Follow me I’ll show you where to get what you need.”

A short walk later, Nyra scaled a tree draped in shimmering silk. She snipped clean strands from an old web, enough to fill Nicholas’s special storage pouch. As they prepared to leave, a large Gladethorn descended silently from the canopy above—a brown body marked with green and yellow spots, eight red eyes glinting with yellow rings that made them seem unnaturally large.

Nicholas slowly turned to Nyra. “Sooo… what’s the plan?”

Nyra didn’t flinch. “I’ll scare it off. They usually don’t want a fight.”

She pulled out her sling, loaded a stone, and flicked it with expert aim—just inches from the spider’s head. It froze. Nicholas followed her lead, spraying a wide mist of his homemade repellent.

The spider twitched, then retreated.

The two turned and ran, ducking low branches and weaving between trees until the thick webs were behind them.

Back at the forest’s edge near the city, Nyra turned to face him. “Next time you want to go into dangerous territory, let me know first. I can guide you properly.”

Nicholas grinned, extending his orange-and-white furred hand. “I’ll definitely take you up on that. There’s a ton of amazing stuff out here. I can’t wait for our next adventure.”

She took his hand, half-smiling despite herself. This boy might be trouble—but at least he meant well.