The Heartwood Hopping through the forest

Life often moved too slow for her liking, and it made everything just a little bit unbearable. First she was a child, new and wriggling about — that was fine. That was fun, even, with all of her relatives fawning over little Matej and big, rolling Galena. Not something she particularly remembered, of course. It had crawled by; transitioning in to days and weeks of rules that were just so boring.

It is rude to talk over your elders, her mother used to tell her. Seeking out her father, or one of her older brothers, for help.

Stop chasing your brother Galena, that isn't how we act, her father would say. Gruff and stern and all manner of mountainous in his mannerisms, but she knew he loved her enthusiasm. There was an obvious glow in the man's gaze whenever Galena was in the area.

She missed that glow now. It was exciting to be on the road and seeking out adventure, but she was only a girl. And things were lonely this far away from home. Galena had forced the change by leaving, of course. She did it against the wishes of her parents; her own whims driving her away from the quiet life atop her parent's beloved mountain.

Galena's body slipped through the shadows of the forest. Her strides were quick, while her long legs carried her over a large distance. The girl's pace slowed as she neared a thinning portion of the heartwood; it was naturally quite spacious in this place, which was both beautiful and unnerving. It was easy to see if anyone was approaching — not that she had detected any strangers — but that meant she was an easy target as well.

And the foreigner wasn't exactly a fighter.