Pieces of the Puzzle.

"Feeling better." A voice said. I opened my eyes to see the high priestess standing over me. I couldn't help up notice her lovely bare breast. One advantage of having smaller breast was that the elves had tits that were still very firm despite their age.

"Very. Thank you." I nodded.

"You are very welcome." She smiled. "Lets see if you can stand." She said and helped me down into the water. It was sore as hell but better then it was.

"Can I ask a personal question?"

"Depends on the question." She smiled.

"I have a friend. An elf named Aurora who was taken from the Autumnvale as a child. Is there anyone who might know her, any family?"

"None on this side of the border. The dark elves took or killed everyone. They sought to corrupt the tree for the night mother. We were able to drive them back but none of the priestesses left behind survived." She shook her head. I was afraid of that.

"The thing is she suffers from the calling to be a priestess like her mother was but she does not want to be. I imagine even less so after what happened to her."

"You seek to remove the goddesses blessing?" She frowned.

"Yes."

"Their is no other way. Others have asked me once and I had to tell him the same." She shook her head.

"You mean Willow."

"So she told you?" The Priestess looked at me.

"Yes."

"I had to tell her the same thing. She finally gave up and excepted her fate. Though you being here and meeting your friend may be connected."

"How so?"

"You found her and acquired the seed. It may be her destiny to become the caretaker." The priestess said.

"What is that?"

"It is much akin to a high priestess but the caretaker tends the tree as it grows as a sapling and protects it from harm after the seed had been planted into a vessel."

"What kind of Vessel?"

"The guardians of the woods." She smiled.

"The dryads?"

"Yes. As you would call them in your tongue. They are female while the elder trees or male." She replied. I wondered why I hadn't seen a male dryad before. Turns out I had on several occasions. The females most likely could move so they could carry the young to new places. The Dryads in the Kingswood forest where not protecting a mere tree. It was one of them. "The arch magus or queen will need to find one willing to carry the seed though finding one with a liking towards humans could be difficult." She frowned. I knew of one how liked humans, or me anyways. I had no clue of course how to get the arch magus or the queen to give me the seed but I had one way or another but I knew now how the pieces all fit together or thought I did.