"So I just have to ask," Karyn said, leaning forward, "what's a dryad doing in a logging town? Aren't you supposed to be sort of linked to the forest?"
Sylvia chuckled. "It does seem a little odd, doesn't it?" she replied. "I suppose you're thinking I'd be doing battle with the loggers to protect the trees? Well, look at it this way: I'm a guardian of the forest as a whole, not the individual trees. Sure, when they first showed up, they were basically just clear-cutting, and for a while I did try to drive them off."
She sighed. "Needless to say, it didn't work out. But then I got to thinking about it, and I realized that there might be a way to work things to our mutual benefit. So I met with the head lumberjack, and we came to an arrangement. I'd show him and the others how to identify the trees that were best to cut - the old, crumbly ones they could use for firewood, and the mature ones that'd make for quality timber. In exchange, I taught them how to cultivate new trees so that they wouldn't chop my whole forest to the ground and destroy their livelihood in the process."
Sylvia smiled. "So in the end, all of us got pretty much what we wanted. The loggers prune out all my aging or dying trees, which gives them all the types of wood they need, helps prevent wildfires, and stems the spread of disease. And they plant trees for me, which keeps my forest growing and keeps their future secure. Everybody's better off!"
Karyn nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, yeah," she said. "Guess I'd never thought about it that way."
"So, Sylvia," Jon said, "you said you're a healer?"
The dryad nodded. "As you can imagine," she said, "my magic is very nature-based. Mostly that entails manipulation of plants and terrain, but I do have access to some decent healing techniques as well. I don't have the kind of curative power a cleric does, but I think it should be plenty powerful enough for any encounters with the goblins, and they should be the only thing between us and the library."
"On that note," Jon said, "you said something about drawing them out individually? Are you sure that'll work?"
Sylvia shrugged. "Not a hundred percent sure, no. I know the pass like the back of my hand, but I don't really know goblins very well. Still, we should at least be able to thin the herd before they catch on. Here, let me see if I can show you what I'm planning." She set about rearranging the table fixtures to represent the terrain as best as she could.
They sat there discussing their strategy for a while, after which Jon and Karyn returned to the general store and ordered several new sets of clothes for tomorrow. Sylvia rejoined them, and they picked out a few other useful items for their expedition. All that was left was to wait until the next morning...
