Chapter 1. Lilly.

Present day.

In the dim light of early dawn, nestled among the soft hay and the warm, comforting scent of the horses in the stable, lay a small, sleeping figure. It was an 11-year-old girl. Exhausted after a day of fruitless searching for their pair of escape-artist goats. She had merely meant to rest her eyes for a moment, lulled by the soft sounds of the horses, but her tiredness had proved too overwhelming, and she had fallen into a deep sleep.

The village, called "Maple Ridge" lay just beyond the stone footbridge crossing the WillowBark River, to the East and South of the capital, Hawks Landing. It had a picturesque dream-like tranquillity, whose appearance matched the lives of the 110 residents, mainly small farm holders and craftsmen.

Her house, a two-story farmhouse, was a solid old structure, built of stone that had been smoothed by time and a roof made of intricately woven thatch. The property situated at 1 Ridge Way, sprawled over an acre, a colourful patchwork of vegetable gardens, flower beds, and fenced pens for the livestock. The clucking of chickens filled the morning air, the grunt of pigs echoed from the sty, and the soft neighs of their two horses greeted Lilly as she stepped into the breaking dawn each day.

Her father, a brilliant and dedicated engineer, had been missing for five years, assigned to a top-secret project that he was not allowed to talk about.

Shortly after her 6th birthday, the sheriff had come to talk to Lily's mother. Sitting on the upper stairs, she overheard the conversation. "I'm sorry Ruth, we don't know where he is. It's like he found a portal to the Overworld in the sky, went into hiding, or fell down a mine shaft. We just don't know." Ruth remained stoical, "Thank you Albert'', she said in a subdued tone as she escorted him to the door. A month later, Lily revealed she had heard the sheriff. When she asked her mother "What is the 'over-world in the sky' "? Her mother, pleased to have a change of topic, told her that there was no such thing, "it's just a myth people used to believe thousands of years ago to explain the 'world' as we know it. There are still some people that believe it now, but it's those without education or science....you know, Bobbeth Rogers, Martha Petersberg, and I think Effeth North.

I won't say it in public, but you know all those three people…. Put it this way; they won't be preserving any of those brains for science to research in years to come…if you know what I mean."

"Nowadays, it's just a saying to mean 'vanished with no explanation, rhyme or reason', like 'I lost the house key, I think 'it found the portal to the over-world. We use science nowadays Lilly; not superstition."

Every morning, Lilly, with a head of chestnut hair usually tied in a loose braid

would pull on her worn boots, feed the chickens, and brush the horses. She'd help her mother milk the cows and tend to the vegetable garden. Life was simple. 5 days a week, she would walk to the end of her garden and through a gate to a narrow path that would lead her to school, where she would join the other ten pupils. Though her needs were simple, her life was full of rich and meaningful experiences.

Just a 1-hour trip on a cart from Hawks Landing, her home felt like a little world of its own, a haven of tranquillity set aside from the chaos of the city.

This particular morning, there was no school. In her dreams, she was still out in the fields, running in circles, and calling for the wayward goats. But her dreams soon turned restless, her brow creasing with worry. She was late, she knew it - even in her sleep. She was supposed to be somewhere. Maybe the market? A friend's birthday party? An exam?

Suddenly, her eyes shot open. The weak morning light streamed in through the wooden slats of the stable, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. The goats she had been looking for were standing just outside the stable, looking in, having returned during the night, their eyes wide and curious, almost as if they were waiting for her.

"Oh no!" she gasped, looking at the position of the sun in the sky, and glancing at her pocket watch. Only ten minutes until the 'oak bandits' tree climbing competition! She scrambled to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest. She quickly brushed the hay off her clothes and dashed out of the stable. Noticing the goats, as she was running past, she shouted a quick curse at them for putting her in this situation.

She sprinted towards the house, her mother standing at the doorway, her face a mix of relief and worry. "There you are! I was about to send out a search party. You need to hurry, Lilly!"

"I know, I know!" she called back, dashing into the house to change her clothes. She knew she would let her team down if she turned up late, but she was determined to avoid this today. This was not the first time, and she knew they would be timing her. She wouldn't let them down; not today. With a final glance at the clock, she raced out the door, the adrenaline rushing through her veins. She was late, but she'd make it.

She felt a stab of alarm as she remembered that King Rodney Osrith, the 7th of the Eldrig dynasty, would be at the "Dahoogen Oak Bandit trials" today.

Without wasting a moment, Lilly ran over to the two goats, now casually chewing on some grass near the barn. There was no time to harness the horses. She quickly hooked a piece of rope to a small wooden barrow cart that was conveniently nearby, and at the other end, she tied it to the goats' collars. The cart was worn and weathered, with chipped blue paint and a cracked wheel, but it was sturdy and reliable.

"Alright, boys," she whispered to the goats, her hazel eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief, "we've got a race to win." She leaned in closer, she whispered the destination into their fuzzy ears - 'Dahoogen forest. To an outsider, it would seem an odd sight - a girl whispering to goats.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

As soon as the words left her lips, the goats bolted into a run, their hooves thudding against the dirt road. They shot off down the path, pulling the cart behind them with surprising speed. Lilly held on tight, her heart pounding with exhilaration as the wind whipped through her hair. A broad smile spread across her face, and she couldn't help but laugh out loud, the sound echoing through the quiet morning air.

They raced past the familiar houses of their village, the early morning light casting long shadows on the road. Lilly waved at her neighbours, who looked on with wide eyes and dropped jaws. Lilly could hardly blame them - it wasn't every day you saw a girl barreling down the road on a goat-drawn cart.

As the Dahoogen Forest came into view, Lilly glanced at her pocket watch. Only eleven seconds left! The gates to the oak-bandits climbing arena were just ahead, the officials preparing to close them. Lilly urged the goats on, and with a final, powerful burst of speed, they shot through the gates just as they were swinging shut.

Lilly let out a whoop of joy, the exhilaration of their wild ride still coursing through her veins. She jumped off the cart, thanking the goats with a pat on their heads before rushing off to join her team, all glowering and slowly shaking their heads at her. She had made it just in the nick of time.

As Lilly ran through the inner gate to the player's area, her team, the Maples returned to their huddle, their expressions a mixture of relief, anger and joy.

There was a small crowd in the pavilion and some people casually scattered around the boundary rope. This tournament, the Oak Badger challenge, happened the same time every year - steeped in tradition and excitement it always drew a large crowd, though the larger crowd was reserved for the senior competition.

Each team consisted of four players: two harvesters, a badger, and a spotter. Before the opening whistle, the 2 harvesters and the badger would strap on their safety harness and helmet and stand at the base of the "home tree", waiting for the whistle. Once the whistle was blown, the 2 harvesters in Lily's team, 'the Maples', Faith and Barry, would ascend the trees and retrieve as many pre-planted Tokens as possible. The two shared the tree with the harvesters from the opponents' team, ducking and weaving against each other, they would engage in their task while trying to deprive the opponents of their opportunities. There were three types of tokens: Red, worth one, blue, worth three, and gold, worth a whopping five points.

The harvesters could only carry one token at a time. When they collected one, they would carefully position themselves on the lowest branch of the tree, where they could better throw it into a wooden bucket on the ground, called the 'vault'. Each team had a vault, painted in its colours. If the throw missed, it was given to the other team by an official who would take the token, and simply put it into the opponent's 'vault'.

If the harvester fell at any stage, the safety harness would stop the fall within the first 5 or 6 feet. The penalty was one point.

The Maples badger, Lilly. had a unique role. As the badger, she was tasked with using a blowgun to shoot paint-coated peas at the opposing harvesters. She would scurry around the branches of the tree, Exceptionally light and nimble, using the leaves, branches and the morning shadows to conceal herself, she would seek opportunities to direct a painted pea to an unsuspecting opponent, a silent 'emissary of joy'. If a harvester was hit. This would not be recognised until it was confirmed by the shout of "Blowout" from the team's spotter on the ground. At that point, the game would pause, and the player had to relinquish any token he or she was carrying, plus lose 2 points.

The last member of the team called the spotter, happened to be Lily's Cousin, Finlay. He had the important job of guiding the harvesters from the ground. Through a small megaphone, he helped Barry and Faith navigate the tree safely, and most importantly, he would warn them if they were about to be 'blown out' by the opposition badger. Moreover, he was also responsible for confirming successful 'blowouts', by calling 'blowout', however, he had to be careful - A false call would cost his team one point.

Each team had just 20 minutes to gather as many tokens as they could.

Physical contact between players was prohibited. Deliberate tree shaking, which could endanger the harvesters, led to immediate disqualification.

At the end of the round, the umpires counted the Tokens, converted them to points, and after subtracting the penalties announced the score.

Lily took a moment to catch her breath and joined her teammates. As usual, she was the badger. She never played any other position. Strapping on her harness, with the "Maple's" team colours, the referee's whistle blew, and the game was underway. Faith and Barry began their ascent, while Lilly waited at the base. Once Barry passed the level of the first branch, Lilly was free to begin her climb. She couldn't help but feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. It was going to be a fierce competition. The Hopwoods were a formidable team and in good form.

Once aloft, she clutched her blowgun tightly, her heart pounding with adrenaline, yet she felt a unique calmness settle over her. High up in the oak tree, she wasn't just a player in the game; she was a part of the natural symphony that unfolded around her. She shared an exceptional secret with the forest - she could communicate with the finches and magpies.

It wasn't something she could explain, nor something she chose to share with others. Even her teammates were oblivious to her unique talent. All they knew was that when Lily played the Badger, their chances of winning increased exponentially.

She tuned in, letting her senses mingle with the whispering leaves and chirping birds. She listened to the finches and magpies, their chirps and calls guiding her. They told her when an opposing harvester was in an optimal position for a blowout, and the best spot for her to position herself for a precise shot.

The birds warned her about opponents who were about to score big with a gold token, and she would be ready with her blowgun. When a harvester from an opposing team was within blowgun range, she was already in position for a long-range tag, but other times, she would hold back, hoping the enemy harvester would collect a gold token first, then she would unleash her 'little flying gift', thereby, pocketing the gold, on top of the standard penalty for the opponents.

This special bond with the forest's creatures gave her an edge, turning the tides of the game in their favour. Her shots were consistently accurate, leaving the Maple's opponents, the Hopwoods, frustrated and their point yield disappointingly low.

As the trial concluded, the maples emerged victorious. Cheers erupted around them, but Lily merely smiled her secret safe. Her friends amongst the branches twittered their approval, and she whispered her thanks to them. The Maples would advance to the next round, and for now, that was all that mattered.