A Tree, What of It?

So Merchand and his band of drunken loons were at it in the inn again, enjoying the adoration of the crowd, telling their usual round of wild tales. I thought they'd draw every beast a-mile-round to our walls – or perhaps drive them away, which would be the best to be had this night. “The First and Finest Company of Aeternum's Shores,” they'd taken to calling themselves, when I think “Fermented” would be best tossed in there as well. It was the usual tales of the Azoth they'd uncovered, the horde of Withered they'd butchered from the Cleave and back (which might number three in all, if the claimed bounties were to be believed). Then the drunken shouts and boasts of the rabble turned to how quickly one could fell a tree, of all things. Yet one in the crowd spoke up, most carelessly, and said he knew of a tree that none could fell. The inn got quiet at this, and Merchand demanded where this tree was. The man – no doubt regretting his unintended challenge – said he had seen it on the eastern edge of Brightwood, but curiously, it had not always been there – it had risen from the earth not long after the Night of Blue Lanterns. Many in the inn made the sign to ward off evil. Merchand, on the contrary, seemed invigorated by this (perhaps seeing a tree as easy prey), and said he would go at once to this tree and “true to his word” (true to his boast more like, and with none but the First and Finest to bear witness) chop it down and bring back its lumber to shore up the walls. It has been a week since their departure – and while there's been scattered talk of going to find them, none has volunteered for the task. - Bertand