“Elders, I have a note for you! Where are you?” Fulwn bounds through the door with Imras holding onto the other side of the note.

“What is going on, child?” A tall elf walks into the room with long hair reaching down to his knees.

“Sister sent us to you with this note, we're on a secret mission to deliver it to you,” he says, excitement plastered across his face.

“I see, could I look at the note then? It must be something important if you are here on a secret mission.”

“That's what I think too.”

“Me too,” Imras adds. The elf takes the note and reads it over once and then twice again.

“Thank you for bringing this to me, give me a moment and I will give you another message to return to your sister. I need to consult with a few of the other Elders first. Please wait here for me.”

“Yes sir, we’ll be here.”

He walks back into the other room. The little ones hear hushed voices through the door but pay little attention to it.

Solvi sits waiting for the kids to come back, anticipating what the Elders will say. Before she can think about it much more, Fulwn and Imras walk through the door.

“How did your mission go?” She asks.

“We have completed the mission, and received a new one,” he announces, standing tall and proud.

“Oh, and what is that?”

“To give you a message in return.”

“And what's the message for me?”

“They said that they will meet with you tonight below the Ancient Oak.”

“Alright, that's an odd location, but I suppose I can do that. I hate the crutches that the healer gave me, they'll have to work for now though.”

“Do you have any more missions for us, sister?”

“Hmmm, how about you find some more feathers for me. I'm almost out, and I’ve got a lot more arrows to make.” She ruffles his hair and he smiles.

“Okay, we can do that. I bet I’ll find more than you, Imras.” She pouts and Fulwn starts to leave out the door. Solvi catches her arm and tells her a secret.

“If you look under bushes, you'll find more feathers. The wind blows them around, and they collect under the branches.” Imras’ smile grows again and she runs to catch up to her big brother.

Solvi sets aside the arrow she's been holding on to and looks for her crutches. Instead, she sees her mom's picture resting on the counter, watching over everyone just as she’s always done. Warm brown eyes like her own draw her in like a hug and reassure her that she’s doing the right thing.

As the sun sets, an orange warmth envelops the village, surrounding each of the buildings. Glowing like a beacon on the hill, the Ancient Oak stands tall, catching the last rays of sun before it sets for the night. Solvi uses what remaining light there is to make her way up the hill, trying not to trip. There are a few roots that almost catch her foot, but she manages to recover before hitting the ground. Hoping to make it to the Oak before the Elders get there, she makes it up the path with determination. At the top, she sees the Elders standing under the reaching branches of the tree above.

“Good evening everyone, I'm glad you got my message,” she says in a firm tone.

“Yes, we did, now what is this about? You failed to add any real information in the note.” The tall elf with long hair speaks up first.

“Well I heard from my father a little bit about what might have been taken, and I'm fairly sure that I saw the Vikings leaving with it as well. I want to ask for your permission to leave the village and go retrieve it. I’ll leave after I’m healed and train on my way to find them.”

“What do you mean you want to go retrieve it? You above all others should know how dangerous it is to go out into the forest for long periods. How do you think you will survive?” His voice catches as his concern for her leaving the village grows.

“I don’t know, but I have to go get it. My dad said that it was something extremely important to the village and that you were the ones keeping it safe in the first place. So how could you let the Vikings come and steal it from under your noses?” Rage creeps up in her chest as she accuses the Elders of failing.

“It was kept safe for hundreds of years, and no one has ever known about it except for a select few people; including both your parents as well as Cadea and her husband. We do not know how the Vikings learned about the Life Seed, but they have it now.” The elf turns away and mutters under his breath. “We do need someone to retrieve it though.”

“You may have been trying to be quiet, but I can hear better than most, and you need me. So why don’t you let me go? I’m sure you’ve got something that can help me get through the forest with less trouble.” Solvi tries to get them to open up a bit more about the information that could help her.

“Yes, we do need help, more than you realize as well. But we can not let you leave. We will find another warrior to send and retrieve it in your place.”

“Is it because I’m injured and haven't been able to train?” She gets defensive at the thought of being considered weak.

“Yes, that is why. We need to send the best elf for the job,” he hesitates as he speaks. She feels the comment hit her like a knife digging deep into her chest. She has never been weak, she will never be weak, not ever.

“We all know that the best elf for the job is me. I’m the best warrior the village has had since my mother died.” The rage rises into her face, and there’s no hiding it anymore.

“We understand how you feel right now, but we need to make sure we are sending someone who will not have any emotions getting in the way. I am sorry, but we will find someone else to send in your place. You are also still young, you are only 42, you have barely been an adult for more than a few years.”

“You can never understand how I feel right now. But fine. If you think that's best, will you at least tell me a bit more about this Life Seed, or whatever it is you called it?”

“We will tell you that it comes from the Ancient Oak above us and it helps to protect the village. You know that the leaves from the tree help to keep the spirits in the forest away when burned in the flames of a torch, but they do not last longer than a few hours. The Ancient Oak has a special magic, and it resides in the Life Seed. Now that it is gone, the village will begin to get weaker and the spirits will eventually overcome the village once again.”

“Thank you for telling me, and for the meeting. I hope you're making the right choice here.” She turns and starts to walk down the hill again, another one of the Elders follows to help her so she doesn't fall in the darkness.

“Me too,” the elf says in a low whisper.