Exploring my forest

I flexed my wings, darting from branch to branch and eventually from tree to tree in short trips while I got the hang of it.

It was an old forest. I could tell instinctively, thanks to my Forest Lore, that even the oldest trees I encountered had grown from the rotted remains of countless ancient ancestors, and likewise back for untold eons.

There was probably no forest in my old world that could boast such a lineage. It was almost enough to give me a sense of reverence towards the majesty of nature.

Almost.

Nature was cool and all, but I was much more interested in finding civilization. Ideally an Elven one, with some attractive females. The more powerful, the better, as long as I could actually bring her down.

I hoped I would find a strong and sexy knight or a lively priestess, or maybe a delicate princess, but I was prepared to settle for pretty much anything if an opportunity presented itself.

Until I gained some serious levels, I suspected I was going to need to be opportunistic, maybe even lucky.

Eventually, I found a trail. My Elf Lore confirmed it was likely a route traveled by Eleven scouts. Not a major trade route. A quiet, possibly secret path for small groups of fleet-footed and lightly-armed scouts or messengers to move between points of interest.

Whoever had been using it must have been lacking in discipline: a properly trained Elven scout wouldn't allow such an obvious trail to form, instead varying their path just enough to hide the evidence of their passing.

I could head north or south along the trail and discover these points of interest. Probably a military camp and a town, respectively, but I had no way to know which would lie in which direction.

Alternatively, I could just wait where I was and see who or what would use the trail next.