Glenhill, along with Tal Shalin, Iser, and Firal, almost desperately wanted to escape the forbidden land. After politely declining Lind's offer to stay, they hurriedly left Blackrock Fortress.
They need to immediately bring back to the Emerald Forest the information about Lind's mind-blowing power, the conditions he proposed, and Lyla Ryan's choice, so that the Council of Elders can make a decision.
Lind did not insist; he understood the elves' caution.
After watching the few emerald shadows disappear into the night and quickly recede into the distance, he turned his gentle yet inquisitive gaze to Lyla Ryan, who remained behind.
“Ms. Lyra Ryan,” Lind gestured invitingly, leading her to a more private and comfortable reception room inside the castle, where a warm fire burned in the fireplace and delicate snacks and hot drinks were laid out on the table.
"Thank you for your trust in staying here as a representative of the elves. I'm curious, what made you choose to stay when all your companions chose to leave?"
Lila Ryan sat down in the soft armchair, maintaining the elegance unique to elves, but the tension in her eyes about the unknown had faded considerably, replaced by a calm curiosity.
She picked up the fragrant floral tea in front of her, took a small sip, savoring the unique taste of this human beverage, and then spoke slowly, her voice as clear as a forest spring:
“Viscount Linde, the power you have displayed and the vitality of this territory are truly awe-inspiring.”
But what attracts me even more is the place itself.
Her grey-blue eyes swept across the room decorated with tapestries and oil paintings, her gaze seemingly able to penetrate the walls and see the brightly lit trading district and the busy people outside.
"In the Emerald Forest, we have long lives, which allows us to witness the breath of the forest and the trajectory of the stars, but also... diminishes our sense of wonder about many things."
Day after day, year after year, following ancient laws and the rhythm of nature, life is peaceful but... somewhat monotonous.
The forest is our root, our mother, but not all spirits are willing to spend their lives solely in the swaying shadows of the trees.
She paused, a longing gleaming in her eyes:
“Elves like me are called ‘Dream Weavers.’ We yearn to understand the world beyond the forest, how humans live, how they laugh, how they create, and how they face their short but brilliant lives.”
We leave the forest and walk across the continent, using our eyes to see, our ears to hear, and our hearts to feel the completely different colors, sounds, and stories.
Then, we will take these fragments of memory back to the forest, weave them into songs and legends, and tell them to our people.
It's like... adding threads from afar to the tapestry of the forest, making it even more colorful.
And I, Lila Ryan, am such a 'dream weaver' who longs to weave new dreams.
Your Blackrock Territory, brimming with contradictions and vitality, an interweaving of the ancient and the modern, is precisely one of the stories I most want to understand and 'weave'.
A hint of understanding and appreciation flashed across Linde's eyes.
He understands this yearning for the wider world, which resonates to some extent with his own desire for the world and the unknown.
He laughed and said, "I see. 'Dream Weaver' is a beautiful and fitting name."
"So, Ms. Lila Ryan, welcome to the 'weaver' of the Blackrock saga. Hopefully, you won't be disappointed."
Dinner was arranged in a cozy little room.
Nazra and Leonis were absent due to health reasons, while Alice was engrossed in studying the newly analyzed Zedo runes in the workshop tower. Only Lind and Lyla Ryan were at the dining table.
The atmosphere became much more relaxed, and Linde specifically instructed the kitchen to prepare some delicate, light dishes and fresh fruit that the elves might find more palatable.
During the meal, Lind enthusiastically steered the conversation, and Lyla Ryan gradually relaxed.
She began to fulfill her duties as a "dream weaver," telling Lind the wondrous tales of the elves.
Did you know?
Lyra Ryan elegantly forked a juicy berry with a small silver fork.
"Our relationship with the dwarves... well, it's always been a delicate one."
They were as stubborn as rocks in the mountains, while we were as agile as the wind in the forest.
There are quite a few conflicts between the two races, especially over the struggle for mineral veins and the edge of the forest.
I remember once, a dwarven exploration team claimed to have discovered a mithril vein on the edge of Silversong Grove, which is an important source of Moon Orchid for us!
The elders almost used the guardian tree to "invite" them out.
In the end, it was resolved through a 'skills contest,' with the dwarves demonstrating their forging abilities and the elves showcasing their forest tracking and archery skills, and the result was..."
She chuckled lightly, with a hint of mischief, "Both sides think they've won, but the mining rights for the mithril mine are strictly limited to a very small area, with no interference between them."
Linde listened with great interest; it was much more engaging than a dry diplomatic report.
Lyla Ryan then began to tell the legends from the depths of the forest:
"Deep within the Emerald Forest lies a forbidden area known as the 'Sleeping Swamp'."
Legend has it that an ancient 'Shadow Vine Beast' dwells there, its body made of living shadow vines that can silently devour intruders and even absorb light.
It is said to guard a secret treasure left behind by elves in ancient times, but it could also just be a bedtime story to scare little elves.
Her tone carried a hint of awe and uncertainty.
The topic naturally shifted to the behemoth Lind had encountered while "stretching his legs" at the Eastern Node.
“Speaking of powerful beings,” Lyra Ryan elegantly wiped her mouth with a napkin, her grey-blue eyes looking at Lind with a hint of awe, “deep in the Emerald Forest dwells a true ancient overlord—Grom the Earth’s Reverse.”
Linde's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm, picked up his wine glass and took a sip: "Oh? I'd like to hear more about it."
“It was an ancient dragon turtle of unimaginable size,” Lyla Ryan’s voice deepened, carrying the solemnity of recounting an ancient legend.
"Its bloodline is filled with extremely rich dragon blood. Turtles already have terrifyingly long lifespans, and with the nourishment of dragon blood, Grom has grown and transformed over the long years. Its power has long surpassed the scope of ordinary magical beasts, reaching the peak of 'legendary', and it is even referred to as a 'demigod remnant' in some ancient records."
"In the heroic age sung in the epic ballads of the elves, Grom once tried to expand its territory. Its power shook mountains, its poisonous breath polluted rivers, and its massive body turned forests to dust wherever it passed."
The calamity it brought nearly devoured the ancestral lands of our Eastern Elves.
A glint of reminiscence for the glory of their ancestors flashed in Lyra Rien's eyes. "In the end, it was one of the greatest heroes of our ancient Elven race, Lord Elra Rien, the 'Star Watcher,' who, wielding the longbow 'Tears of Suren,' blessed by the moon goddess, and with the assistance of three Archdruids, waged an earth-shattering battle against Grom on the shores of Emerald Heart Lake."
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