Elowen nodded her head as the woman spoke. She was right, the forest was normally ripe with many manner of ingredient used for several potions and curative remedies. Those resources were some of the first things to die off. When the local villagers had come looking and could no longer find them, they’d began to trounce through the underbrush and into areas of the forests they were forbidden from venturing. When Elowen had seen how difficult recovery from these visits had become, it was then that she’d sealed the forest.<br/><br/>“Come,” She spoke softly and with tentative trust to the woman and beckoned her to follow. Through the trails and carefully through the wooded areas, she led her towards the pool. While they walked she spoke of the forest and how it had been in it’s prime, how the deterioration had begun and progressed, and of the state it was in at the moment.  Along the way, she paused for small breaks, trying desperately to still appear strong to the strange woman. Chances were she was trustworthy - who else would come venturing as she had?  The threat remained, however and Elowen was determined to protect the forest until there was no forest left to protect.<br/><br/>They came to the pool and at it’s edge, she knelt, dipping cupped hands in to withdraw a sample of it’s tainted waters.  “You see…” she offered her hands to the woman in hopes she would take a sip and notice the metallic and acrid taste she’d tasted herself.   “This pool was clean only yesterday and now it has been overtaken. It was the last untouched part of the forest. I no longer know what I can do to prevent the death of my home.”<br/><br/>From there, she stood and took a winding path past the pool and into a small, hidden grove.  Birds still chirped in the trees and flew through the expanse of sky the parting branches created above the thick meadow.  The grass had turned yellow and felt rough and brittle to the touch. Under normal circumstances, it was lush, soft and green, dotted with wildflowers and the sweet smell of clover. Bees hovered and luxuriated in the bright blossoms and animals stepped without fear from the trees and into the clearing. Now, the birds were the only creatures who seemed oblivious to what had been happening.<br/><br/>“This was where I first noticed the taint.  It seems to be coming from somewhere near here, but I have never been able to grasp a thread of it’s power for long enough to follow it to the source. There are tendrils that travel from here, to all corners of the forest. What have I missed?” Ignoring the mist in her eyes she implored the woman, reaching out a thin hand to grasp the dark wrist of the other. Hopefully she would have some sort of an answer... if not... then she was indeed doomed.