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fandomweekly2025-10-22 07:53 pm
imhilien) wrote in fandomweekly2025-10-22 07:53 pm
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[#278] THE DISTANT FOREST (VALDEMAR SERIES - MERCEDES LACKEY)
Theme Prompt: #278 - Dark forest
Title: The Distant Forest
Fandom: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Rating / Warnings: PG
Bonus: No
Word Count: 399
Summary: The Pelagiris Forest was far away, but still had an influence on Jeren's village.
It was a fine day and Jeren was busy mending a fishing net. Born and raised in a fishing village by Lake Evendim, she went to the village school in the mornings and in the afternoons helped mend nets for the village and other chores.
If she looked west on days like these, sometimes she could see the Pelagiris Forest as a green smudge on the horizon. Even from here, it seemed to radiate menace. All the littles were taught to shun the forest as soon as they were old enough. Dark things lived there. If you entered it, you might never come out. Or worse, you might come out as a stranger to everyone, including yourself.
One of the elders, Senna, was sitting nearby and humming as she fixed her wooden fish trap. Too old to go out on the fishing boats with the other adults, she would take her trap down to the lake and put it in with a length of rope at the end. When she hauled it in, there always seemed to be a fish in it, even if it was just a small one for dinner.
"Why is your trap always so lucky in catching fish, Senna?" she asked, curious.
Senna chuckled and pushed some of her graying hair out of her face.
"It's more than luck, girl."
Glancing around cautiously to make sure they weren't overhead, Senna continued quietly.
"It's made with wood taken from the Pelagiris. Well, that's what the peddler said anyhow, and I believe him."
Jeren's eyes widened. "He went into the Pelagiris Forest?"
Her voice squeaked on the last word.
"Keep your voice down," Senna said gruffly. "He only went in a little way and found a fallen tree. He took some of the wood and I decided to trade some fish for a piece of it. See what I could do with it. I made a fish trap and it's always caught something. Sometimes a strange fish I have to throw back instead of eating. Maybe that's the real price I had to pay."
"What do you mean, a strange fish?" Jeren asked, puzzled.
"The lake is strange in its own way. Some say it's almost as round as a coin - that's not natural. Strange calls to strange, I reckon."
Jeren looked at the lake and found herself shivering, even though it was a fine day.
FINIS
Title: The Distant Forest
Fandom: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Rating / Warnings: PG
Bonus: No
Word Count: 399
Summary: The Pelagiris Forest was far away, but still had an influence on Jeren's village.
It was a fine day and Jeren was busy mending a fishing net. Born and raised in a fishing village by Lake Evendim, she went to the village school in the mornings and in the afternoons helped mend nets for the village and other chores.
If she looked west on days like these, sometimes she could see the Pelagiris Forest as a green smudge on the horizon. Even from here, it seemed to radiate menace. All the littles were taught to shun the forest as soon as they were old enough. Dark things lived there. If you entered it, you might never come out. Or worse, you might come out as a stranger to everyone, including yourself.
One of the elders, Senna, was sitting nearby and humming as she fixed her wooden fish trap. Too old to go out on the fishing boats with the other adults, she would take her trap down to the lake and put it in with a length of rope at the end. When she hauled it in, there always seemed to be a fish in it, even if it was just a small one for dinner.
"Why is your trap always so lucky in catching fish, Senna?" she asked, curious.
Senna chuckled and pushed some of her graying hair out of her face.
"It's more than luck, girl."
Glancing around cautiously to make sure they weren't overhead, Senna continued quietly.
"It's made with wood taken from the Pelagiris. Well, that's what the peddler said anyhow, and I believe him."
Jeren's eyes widened. "He went into the Pelagiris Forest?"
Her voice squeaked on the last word.
"Keep your voice down," Senna said gruffly. "He only went in a little way and found a fallen tree. He took some of the wood and I decided to trade some fish for a piece of it. See what I could do with it. I made a fish trap and it's always caught something. Sometimes a strange fish I have to throw back instead of eating. Maybe that's the real price I had to pay."
"What do you mean, a strange fish?" Jeren asked, puzzled.
"The lake is strange in its own way. Some say it's almost as round as a coin - that's not natural. Strange calls to strange, I reckon."
Jeren looked at the lake and found herself shivering, even though it was a fine day.
FINIS