Old Story revisited...WICKED TREES

[Borg]

As reports come in from the Shadowrider Cohort of The HONOR Empire, it seems some old stories myths are being proven true........

One such old story is the WICKED TREES Story.....

Pull up a chair and let me rekindle the old Shardic Lore.....

T’was a late fall day and a pair of lumberjack brothers were heading out into the forests from Skara Brae with mules in tow to gather a few cords of wood. Soon winter would settle in and the landscape would become more difficult to traverse. The stockpiles were well set but the word of a harsh winter made a few more cords a good idea and good for profit at the lumberyards.

As the day passed the brothers did succeed well in thier harvest and the packs mules were nearly full and ready to head homeward. Jason, the younger one, turned to see a fine old brown tree ripe for the harvesting. A large tree and indeed all that they would need to finish the days work off. Jason yelled to Bruce, his older brother, to come and help finish off this massive old tree. When Bruce arrived he looked at what Jason had found and was as well astonished and agreed that while this tree was not as great as the famous Yew Trees it would easily provide a great finish to a days work. The tree was barren and had seen its better days for sure.

As the two brothers began to take swings at the old tree the leaves of nearby trees began to shudder as a wind began to pick up. The pack mules began to fuss and Bruce turned to calm them so as they would not bolt or cause themselves injury with the great load they held already. Jason chuckled at his brother now talking to his mules; as he returned attention to the old tree....his chuckle ended abruptly.

The old tree was not there.....but now a few paces further from where he remembered it to be. Shaking his head he moved over and spit into his hands and prepared to continue the harvest. As he raised the axe over his shoulder he let go and it dropped onto the ground behind him straight down nearly hitting his arse on the way. A small toothpick twig that danced in Jason's mouth fell to the ground and all he could utter sheepishly was his brother's name.....Bruce.

As Bruce turned he did get just a glimpse of what Jason had seen.....the old Tree was walking away from Jason!!! The wind grew in intensity and a grinding noice now seemed to join the leaves fluttering and falling around. The pack mules stirred greatly and with a bolt they both took off toward Skara.

Bruce and Jason now found themselves not alone for now several old trees like the one they were attempting to harvest had now walked into view and encircled the brothers completely. Back to back the lumberjacks stood and as the wind calmed the branches of these old trees now calmed and stood motionless. Bruce relaxed a bit and told Jason that they should make a run now back to Skara....Jason agreed. As the two slowly moved to prepare to run a frightening SCREAM and SHRIEEKING pierced thier ears as the trees around them now all bent down and took hold of them.

Now, what happened next is unknown but feared undescribable for when the packs returned home and the lumberyard attendants and friends became worried they searched for the boys the next day. The snow that was forcast had begun to fall. The search party set out and that they could find was a circle of what appeared to be places where giant trees had been and clothing was in nearby trees with just 2 axes in the center of the circle covered in blood. It looked like the trees just uprooted around and walked away into the forrest but the tracks of these trees were now being lost in the falling snow.

A few still sought out as long as they could in the directions they thought to go...but nothing was found and as the night ended and the search party returned home to Skara Brae all that filled the air was snow and a terrible shieeking scream that pierced the cold ears of the searchers.

What happened exactly we do not know.....this may be just a story or this may be part truth built upon over the years.....but what we do know is this....they were not vile reapers we find now in the woods.....these were WICKED TREES.....trees that could MOVE and could TEAR a man to shreds....a man who knew how to handle an axe....BEWARE ye Lumberjacks.....BEWARE!!!