[ WP ] The mutant forest must not advance . If the treeline expands into our village we will be doomed like all the others . We chop as one , and hold the line .

Kellian awoke with a start, his breath misting in the early light of the morning. A few beams of the rising sun captured motes of dust floating through the air, as though trapped in a thick, shining syrup. 
 
 “ Mmm…is it time to wake already? ” Kellian ’ s wife Sil groaned her inquiry from her place next to him on their simple bed. She wore a linen shirt and a pair of undergarments, exposing her slender limbs and a shock of auburn curls. She gave a yawn and ran a tongue over dry lips, fixing a pair of emerald eyes on Kellian and smiling lazily. 
 
 He gave her a lopsided grin in return, running a hand through her hair. Sil had always helped him focus on taking the good with the bad, and counting his blessings while he still could. Their village on the eastern coast of Teralia had always been lucky, he supposed. A secure village, with only one way in our out, their trade and explorations had always gone well. The Mayor of the village had always treated people fairly, even complete strangers. They ’ d had a strange lack of those lately, however. Kellian shrugged as he got up and began to dress himself, unconcerned for the moment. 
 
 “ Unfortunately, dear, the animals won ’ t care for themselves, and the firewood still has to be chopped. Frosten shows signs of coming early this year, and I don ’ t wish to spend it shivering like a few years past. ” A brief scene played back to him in his minds ’ eye; Swirling clouds of snow, building up into banks along the village edge and piling onto houses while he struggled to provide warmth for several other families in their sector. Kellian suppressed an imaginary shiver as he pulled his jerkin and breeches on, buckling himself up and pulling his woodaxe from the hook near the door. 
 
 “ Don ’ t be gone too long, or else you ’ ll miss breakfast, dear. ” Sil had slid from the bed as well, and she darted to the entrance, laying a brief kiss and a warm embrace on him. He pulled her in close, allowing her scent to fill his nostrils and bring his heartrate to a steady pace, despite the cold wind that blew in with the dawn. 
 
 “ I ’ ll tend to the beasts, chop a bit of wood, and stop by Mayor Dun ’ s house. Then I ’ ll be back, and we can spend the rest of the day doing whatever your heart desires. ” Kellian ducked away from Sil as she gave a low growl, leaving her standing in the doorway twirling a reddish-brown lock around a finger. He blew her a single kiss, then turned and walked across the dirt to the rear of the house, where all of their pigs and cattle waited. 
 
 Kellian picked up a bucket, moving to the scrap heap next to the house. A large crate filled with vegetable peelings and various leavings from meals past, it provided an excellent source of fertilizer. Next to it was a bucket of the crops themselves, chopped up and mixed with bone meal and grain as feed for the pigs. He gathered it into the iron bucket, filling up the trough that ran along the pigs ’ fence with a few trips back and forth. Once he was satisfied, he gave the bell on the fencepost a ring, raising a small racket to rouse the animals from sleep. 
 
 “ Come and eat, you lazy things! ” He called playfully towards the sty where they were kept. After a few moments, rumbling snorts and various squeals greeted his ears as a number of the clovenhoof pink beasts came rushing out, snouts pushed close to the ground as the scent of a fresh meal filled their noses. They came up to the trough one by one, dirt-streaked bodies mingling as they began to feast on the various vegetables and grains. A chorus of happy grunts interspersed with the sounds of chewing, and he scratched a few behind the ears before opening the gate into the pasture next door. 
 
 Kellian took a deep breath of the cool air, jogging up to the first of the grazing cattle that his eye caught. He ran a hand up and down the flank, petting the beast affectionately. It pushed a frigid and wet snout into his hands, puffing out several breaths with a low moo. 
 
 “ Ah, I know, what a difficult life you must have. Grazing in the morning, enjoying the sun, and sleeping whenever you wish. What I wouldn ’ t give… ” He trailed off as the cow ’ s tail flicked idly, sighing to nobody in particular. He continued his routine inspection of the animals, but refrained from milking any of his stock; it was too early in the morning, and he still needed to stop by the Mayor ’ s office before too much time had passed. He met with Dun weekly to discuss various goings-on in the village, as well as enjoy a brief word with an old friend. 
 
 Before too long, he found himself lost in his thoughts on the way to the Mayor ’ s house. His feet kicked up small clouds of dust as he walked, and he gave a cordial wave to those that he passed on his journey. Old Kravu was sweeping his front porch, humming an old tune from The Great Revival that set Kellian ’ s hands to tapping along in rhythm. As he passed Kravu ’ s residence, he came upon The Sanctum, where a group of priests were prostrate on the ground, paying their daily respects to Galemna, the Overseer of the World. 
 
 “ Hey, Kellian! ” A voice called out and he turned in stride, watching Mayor Dun ’ s oldest son Yeka streak down the road towards him. He skidded to a halt, thick limbs shining with sweat in lieu of his run from his house. “ I was wondering when we ’ d be expecting you. Father says to come with me, that it ’ s urgent and can not wait! ” He turned without waiting for a response, running back the way he came and leaving Kellian with no choice but to break into a sprint to keep up. 
 
 “ Slow down, Yeka! What ’ s all this about? Why the rush? ” Kellian called his questions out as he caught up to the young man, working his arms and feet in time to match Yeka ’ s pace. 
 
 “ He wouldn ’ t say! ” Yeka called back, but Kellian saw the lines of worry crease across his face, a thing that occurred frequently with Yeka. The lad was an open book, a trait that ran in Dun ’ s family, but whatever he was guarding he likely would not part with easily. “ He just told me to run as quickly as I could and find you, so I did! ” 
 
 They continued their breakneck pace through the winding streets of the village, finally arriving at the Mayor ’ s house. Kellian put his hands on his knees for just a moment, catching his breath before walking up and pushing open the door to Dun ’ s abode. 
 

