What do you do when the Shifter argues with the Forest?

Alina bereaves herself of sensation, her path numbing her as she walked. She wonders if Claudia felt this way when she fell, she wonders if she’s still somewhere on this path, but she knows at the very least, she can’t trust it.

Even if her vision is clearer now, Alina knows, anyone can lie.

It’s one of the few things that most everyone does, if not to others than themselves. She didn’t really think that the forest is any different.

‘You shouldn’t show off your thoughts to “something” like me’ it sighs into her mind.

“Your right about that, but it hardly concerns you does it?” she asked, it seemed a small concern to Alina being unliked when you could read minds. “I don’t need to like the path I’m on.”

It was hell after all.

‘It does,’ the forest says, as the wisps lead her way. ‘it’s disconcerting to feel such rage from within.” It says with a tempered laugh. As it’s vines traced her skirt, leading her closer down her still blind-grey path.

“You took my sister, then lost her. However that happened I need to get to her. My opinion of you is unlikely to get better before then.” Besides she thought, you should expect nothing less if this is your normal manner of conduct.

‘You’ll be playing a dangerous game, lying to things so much bigger than you.’

“It’s the small things that spark up a forest,” She says acknowledging her previous threats, “I’d trust you that little more, if your vines would refrain from crawling up my hems.”

‘I think your premature in your judgments.’ The forest says into her, if it was disturbing to bare someone else’s rage, it should be doubly so to feel that odd voice. But it was nothing more than a fairytale for Alina, she wondered how blood called the ink, and if that had anything to do with it.

‘huh’ she hears the breath in her head, and then the worried graze of the vines.

She keeps going. And from behind her where nothing should probably be, “Don’t you assume fair maiden that the forest is without politics.”

“And I’m certain you are.” She turns to it, the shape of a face made plain from a branched perch. It was just as squarely in the forest as anyone would be for the depth of its darkness.

“Certainly yes.”

“And here I thought only the forest was honest.” She smiled lying through her teeth, the forest almost hummed in agreement.

As if to say, this creature is right. You know?

“Oh, then, you are already much mistaken,” it says the face twisting forms, the wisps glowing brighter, making the face clearer if distorted.

“Am I?” she asked, “I couldn’t have guessed.”

“You’re quite evasive aren’t you?” the face smiled into it’s new form, which was only a little less irregular.

“Not in anyway.” Alina says, in need of direction more so than commentary, “Look, whether the forest has lied or not is useless to know if you don’t intend to help.”

“Help with what? You’re long doomed path? Do you think that with all this mass and all this damage that the forest has any will to help you?”, it laughed, “Face it, your sister is dead. And you’re wasting time being cordial with the thing that ate her.”

With the creature only visible by wisp-light she couldn’t exactly do anything else, “And you’re no less a waste of my time. Please leave me be, if you insist on being inciteful.”

“Insightful, you mean?” it said, like it were an alternative “you’ll need more than some choice words to get where need be.”

“It won’t, but what will being uncourteous net me?”

“The better sorts down here don’t take well to liars.” It said in advice, though considering all else it seemed incomplete.

“Have I professed to be kind for any other reason?” Alina pointed out, she wasn’t much given the chance to lie, “Such an allegiance is beyond me, right?” she says, knowing that what she was would have to have something to do with it.

“Disloyal also.”

“And I suppose you’re here for your good works, and not because your in just as explosive [KW1] a fix.” She said leading, if it were like anyone else it would prefer the illusion of its pedestal.

“Of course, I’m not that low.” It said, still on its branch.

“Really?” she asked, a little too bright, “If so, you could enlighten me as to why it is that the forest is being burned? That is if your without politics.” She states leading, she didn’t much fault the arsonists their target, but she needed information more so than rage.

“Tricky you, and I’m sure the vines will pull me away,” it says, seeing a trap finally, “keep you ignorant.”

It was the wrong one.

“And I’ll tell you, it’d be a small reason, but I’d burn it just the same. So speak. If you have any logic.”

“Threats can only work for so long, little maiden.”

“And here I thought I was being too cordial,” she said, however long it followed her, it had heard her threats before, “I’m still waiting.”

“Alright, I suppose that’s fair enough,” it said, slowly taking its place beneath the branch, “I’ll tell you I have my quarrels with the current Regime, but I am not so impetuous as to think it should mean anything.”

It continues, “I am a thief, and a Shifter, but I am scarcely the worst of monsters hiding here. Though you are lucky to bare the attention.” It said almost certainly referring to the Crone.

“I suppose I am.”

“If I were to put it simply, there is always strife. Over the power highest wielded it is merciless. And there was once a King thought to rule forever.”

“The Summer King?” she asked, as much to the Shifter as to the forest. A fairytale memory making itself known.

‘Yes.’ She hears the forest more so than the Shifter. Though she doesn’t look away.

“He didn’t, though in a way he did. He made the world in his image and left its margins to chaos.” And the forest doesn’t outright disagree, though as she watches the Shifter she’s certain that it does.

“This forest had no quarrel with him, if I understand correctly,” it said gazing up to the canopy, “though really, it’s never made a difference in the long run. This forest had its loyalties.”

“It was tame once to the Snow Princess, and the Gutted-Lady. And so it was a great ally. When the Summer King was found a tyrant in common, there was a revolution.” The two things would seem unrelated, “And his wife led the call.”

“She’d been the arbiter to his expansion, and so when he lost favor-”

“She got him killed.”

“Well, in long-short, yes.” The Shifter summarizes, “It took a long time for any creature to see her favor in the tiff, but the Queen did find it. In the Newly Empowered Snow princess.”

“So once she found an heir she was set to revolt.” The Shifter said brightly, proud of what was certainly ancient history.

It backpedals, “Well, in a way. There were many she’d courted for the position. There was favoritism yes, but there were many who wanted to eat the king’s heart, wear his crown and sit in his throne.” It said plainly, like it was a boring sentence.

“It wasn’t exactly a ‘just’ few who wanted that, but there were desired outcomes.”

“And the Queen Dowager got what she wanted.” Alina added, knowing that was at least close.

“Mostly, she wanted a clear winner. She wanted a Snow Queen to take the place of her Once Chosen Tyrant, but in the end she was forced to share the throne. With the Wanton-One.” it said, almost disgusted. Which was odd.

“They were in parlance known as the Pair-King, as while the Wanton-One did claw for position, he did not win the crown, and while the Snow Princess did- to put it simply, she was deviant.” It said coldly.

“She had no will against the powers she possessed, it made her live by their origins, despite their failure.”

“What’s so wrong with that?” Alina asked, not quite understanding the concept.

“What’s the point of clawing for power if you can’t recognize the failures of your predecessors?” The Shifter asked of her, “it’s one thing to steal its another thing to copy to that degree and call it ‘regard’.”

“Was anyone angry about it?” Alina asked.

“Not the point, in the time and even now it looks like weakness,” The Shifter said, taking up a more familiar mirror, “The Summer King never behaved that way. He didn’t take and repeat. He took at the expense of others and didn’t pretend.”

 “And neither does the Wanton-One. When the time came, and with the Dowager’s blessing he took down the Snow Princess, and he’s been in power ever since.” The Shifter says irate, looking at the forest instead of Alina.

“The forest is being burned, because the forest was loyal to the Princess.” It ends angrily.

“So you like the Wanton-One because he is like the Summer King,” she simplified, maybe overtly.

“No, I like him because he’s stronger than the Snow-Princess.”

“The Summer King?” she asked faking confusion.

“No, the Wanton King.” He corrected.

“If it took them both together I might be right anyway,” she responded simply, “And I mean, either way they both needed the Dowager, right?”

The Shifter’s faces twist, “Well, I’d say that there’s a yonic futility to forests that want not to be burned.”

“Want not be?”

“Yes. Want not to be burned. It shouldn’t have made quarrel with the Wanton King if it wanted anything else.” The Shifter said.

“I don’t know why that would be a problem, if liars are frowned upon.” Alina thinks allowed. “Seems even worse if loyalty is expected.”

The Shifter rises, “That’s not how it works.”

“Then how does it?” The Shifter doesn’t explain, to spite the simplicity of the question. When is Loyalty meant to be wrong? And When are Lies meant to be bad?

It seemed a bit too simple to be answered, if she were honest. And she thinks to turn from the creature, but decides this is impolite. “Thank you, for telling me how you think it works. Even if your position is still somewhat incomplete.”

“Are you going to keep down this path?”, It said, concerned. Like it hadn’t offered inaction in lieu of assistance.

“Yes.” She answered honestly.

“Why?”

“Because the Better-Sorts here hate liars and burn the loyal,” she says, with a tilt of her head, “And if the Forest was loyal to the Snow-princess, I think it’s a raw deal either way.” The Forest sighs at her statement, feeling it a kindness.

“Then why stay?”

She turns to the Shifter, “I’m not staying, I’m moving forward,” and she turns back to her path, led by wisp-light unfettered by the vines.

It’s only then the Shifter speaks again, “You’re a Fool.”

“And your Honest!” Alina laughs, heading deeper past the ever-night of the forest and out into the world that Shifter was avoiding. She wasn’t numb anymore, but she couldn’t help being certain. She would find Claudia. Even if she had to Kill the King of Hell himself.

It was a promise, not a threat.

‘Keep dancing, princess.” The forest imposes.

“I will,” she thinks.