They hadn't gone far when they came upon the patch of death in the middle of the forest. The wyldwood was an eerie, quiet place, but it was still alive. Trees stood ancient and tall, plants bloomed, and splashes of vibrant color pierced the grayness, indicating life. Animals slipped through the trees and strange creatures moved about in the shadows. Then. All of a sudden, the trees dropped away, and they stood at the edge of a barren clearing. What little grass remained was yellow and dying, sparse patches of vegetation in the rocky mound. A few trees were scattered here and there, but they were withered, twisted things, empty of leaves and blackened. From a distance, the branches glinted, jagged and sharp, like weird metal sculptures. The hot wind smelled of copper and dust.

She stares out at it.

Puck did the same, staring at the dead forest for a long time. "Twiggs was right," he muttered, staring at a withered tree. He made as if to touch one of the branches, but withdrew his hand with a shudder. "This isn't natural. Something is poisoning the wyldwood."

She stares at him. ,, But why? ,,

Puck shrugged. "I...have no idea. Oberon must know about this," he muttered, crouching to examine a circle of dry grass. "Twiggs said it was spreading, but where is it coming from?" He rose quickly and swayed on his feet, putting a hand out to steady himself.

She rests a hand on one of the dead trees. ,, Maybe its magic? Theres a lot of that here. ,,

The tree cut her. It didn't look sharp, but it sure was. Puck nodded. "Yeah, maybe..."

She moves her hand away.

Blood welled from a slice in her finger, thin as a paper cut.

She stares at it.