Chapter 337: To Be, or Not to Be
The weakened dryad took out a bone whistle and blew it softly. The sound, audible only to witchers, echoed far through the trees.
It wasn't long before a subtle rustling came from all directions.
Geralt silently moved to stand behind Lynn and Mousesack. He whispered, "We're surrounded."
Mousesack brandished his gnarled oak staff, also guarding the flanks of the other two. Lynn, her expression unchanged, called out.
"We saved your companions. Is this how you repay a good deed with hostility?"
A rustling sound rose up, and over a dozen dryads appeared from all around. They held bows, their arms steady, arrows aimed squarely at the trio's heads. The lead dryad spoke a few words in Elder Speech. When she saw that none of the three reacted, she repeated herself in a broken but understandable Common Tongue.
"Who are you? Why are you here? What have you done to our companions?"
Lynn explained. "We are witchers, and this master is a druid. We are not human. As for why we are here, I have an important matter to discuss with Lady Eithné."
"And your companions... We only provided them with treatment. It was that monster who wounded them."
The dryad who was still conscious spoke up. "Don't be too hard on them, sisters. These outsiders are not lying. The monster, a minion of the evil god Dagon, was hurting us. Thanks to these outsiders, we can now see you again."
With the testimony of their companion, plus the bandages, the monster's corpse, and the fact that the three didn't have the features of the humans they despised, the dryads' suspicion eased slightly. But even so, visitors to Brokilon had been rare for centuries. It would be foolish to expect a warm welcome.
"Witcher, and druid, I apologize for our earlier rudeness and thank you for saving our sisters. However, as for your request to see the Queen, I cannot make that decision. I will go and report to Her Majesty. We will follow her will, but if she refuses... we will have to ask you to leave Brokilon."
"That's fine," Lynn said, her tone calm. "If Lady Eithné doesn't wish to see us, we'll leave without causing any trouble."
The lead dryad nodded, then gave a few more instructions to the others in Elder Speech. She then took half of the dryads with her, leading away those Lynn and her companions had saved. The other half remained behind, keeping a watchful eye on the trio. The dryads who stayed were far from friendly, watching them with cold, indifferent expressions.
"If you don't mind, could we move somewhere else? The smell of blood here is too strong and not healthy for any of us."
Mousesack repeated the request in Elder Speech. The dryads looked at each other. Outsiders weren't welcome in Brokilon, but these particular outsiders had come to see the Queen. Besides, dryads were creatures who appreciated cleanliness and detested filth. After a moment's thought, they agreed to the request. The group walked a few dozen feet and found a new spot upwind. Since they had been on the move, and now had to wait, they decided to sit down and rest.
"It seems the dryads really are wary of outsiders. We saved their people, and they're still so suspicious of us," Geralt whispered to Lynn. He knew the dryads only spoke Elder Speech, so he used the Common Tongue.
"Well, the dryads and the gnomes were both native to this world. But the dryads had it a lot worse. The gnomes at least have the dwarves' protection in the Mahakam mountains, where they only have to worry about swinging a hammer, not about survival," Lynn sighed, recalling scenes from the novels. "I heard that all the kingdoms bordering Brokilon, except for Temeria, want to encroach further on the forest's territory. They want to turn the forest into farmland to feed more of their population."
"They're truly fighting for their very existence, not just in some petty squabble like the Northern Kingdoms," Mousesack added. "The armies of Cintra, Verden, and Brugge will show no mercy to the dryads of Brokilon. They'll chop down the great trees, kill all the dryads, and burn their treeless homes."
Geralt fell silent. The heavy atmosphere didn't last long before it was broken again, this time by Mousesack.
"Lynn, I'm curious what you hope to gain from them? As far as I know, there are no mineral deposits beneath Brokilon's soil. The only thing of value is rare timber. But since you've just given such an accurate analysis of the dryads, you must know how sacred they consider the forest. If you dare mention that to the Dryad Queen... well, it's anyone's guess whether the three of us would make it out of Brokilon alive."
Lynn laughed. "Master, you jest. Since you both were willing to accompany me into this peril, how could I ever disregard your lives?"
She paused, then continued, "Actually, the reason I've come to Lady Eithné is the same reason I came to you, Master."
Mousesack was taken aback. "To refine the Trial of the Grasses?"
Lynn nodded. "Master, you must know that refining the witchers' Trial of the Grasses is an immense and arduous undertaking. It would be far too difficult to do alone. In this situation, it's only natural to gather the most exceptional talents."
"But what do you plan to use to persuade Lady Eithné?" Mousesack asked. Eithné of the Silver Eyes was an even more ancient being than the elves who came to this world on the White Ship. Mousesack even suspected that she might be Brokilon itself. How could such a being be so easily moved?
"Master, I never said I was going to try and convince Lady Eithné herself," Lynn said.
It was a joke. Although Eithné never appeared in the games and was only briefly mentioned in the novels, Lynn's judgment was that the Dryad Queen was a remnant of an ancient power, a being close to the status of a demigod, much like the Lady of the Lake. There was no way to convince a demigod to work for her.
In fact, what Lynn had intended from the very beginning was to gain the help of the dryads under the Queen's command, preferably the physician-leader Aglaïs, whom Lynn had saved before.
(End of Chapter)
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