The Orc lets out a mighty roar after knocking John off the cliff, which quickly turns into a panic scream as Kenta kicks the Orc off the cliff with both of her hind legs. Kenta then grabs her opponent and swings him around and throws him off the cliff. Nasha looks at her opponent and quickly moves in for a grab and starts trying to drag him toward the cliff. More Orcs try to take on Kenta and try to fight her, but she starts positioning herself in such a way to be able to knock her opponents off the cliff. The Orcs soon start retreating and Nasha’s opponent manages to break her grip and run away.

Kenta lets out a yell and starts to chase the Orcs. Nasha grabs Kenta’s tail causing Kenta to rear as she feels Nasha’s weight on her tail. Kenta looks back at Nasha yelling something at her. Nasha points to the cliff saying something to Kenta.

Nasha quickly heads back and looks over the forest. She thinks she sees Papi enter the treetops. Nasha looks straight down to see if there are any signs of John at the bottom of the cliff. She can’t see any. She grabs an arrow and a piece of cloth. She ties a cloth to the arrow then wraps her tail around a tree and leans over the cliff. She finds a spot to shove her arrow in and makes sure it is wedged in good.

Nasha then climbs a tree and looks over their path. She thinks they're more than halfway across. She comes down and starts down the path motioning Kenta to follow. Kenta takes off, but soon stops when she hears Nasha calling to her. Kenta sees Nasha is having a hard time keeping up. They try to stay together as they quickly make their way to the base of the cliffs.

John begins to feel conscious again with the taste of warm honey in his mouth. It is the sweetest honey he has ever tasted and its warmth spreads through his body as it flows down his throat. He finds the pain that racked his body melt away. He soon opens his eyes, to find what looks like a tree branch in his mouth. John lets out a scream and backs away from the branches. The branch flex and pulls back as a vaguely female human face comes into his view. It looks to be not made of flesh, but plant with vines and leaves for hair. It says “You wake” in a feminine voice.

John says “uh…yes” though John can’t see anything that looks like a body attach to the head. John feels Papi brush up next to him and wraps her arms around him.

The head pulls back to reveal that it is attached to a thick vine at the back of the head. The vine is attached to a tree-like body. John can now see that the creature’s body is one large trunk with roots all around it. It has broad shoulders with long branched-like arms with long multi-jointed fingers. The vine that attaches the head to the body starts where most necks would and is long and flexible. But John is also taken back by the fact that it stands at least fifteen feet at the shoulders if not more.

John finally gets the ability to speak again saying “Thank...you…for…healing me?” as he gently pushes Papi away.

The creature says “this little one asked me to” as it brings its other arm forward and holds out the ooze in what would be its palm.

John holds his hands out to take the ooze back. It quickly crosses to John as if it is happy to see him. John pets saying “I guess I own you my life now too.”

The creature says “It seemed to care for you and said that you feed it and take care of it.”

He holds the powder horn up to the ooze and it goes in. John tries to start to stand saying “If I may ask? Who are you and what are you?”

The creature says “I am Ava. I am…Treefolk. Who are you?”

John realizes that he didn’t introduce himself and says “My name is John.”

Ava pulls her head back for a second then says “Hello John.”

John tries to find a hole in the canopy to sees the cliffs. He thinks he sees a flag and wonders if Nasha and Kenta marked where he fell off the cliff. He then realizes that Ava is looking as well.

John says to Ava “would you know the closest exit to this forest that has a path near it?”

Ava says “yes.”

John says “Will you take me there please?”

Ava says “Yes” and turns and starts moving away. Papi runs and jumps on Ava’s back. She starts climbing Ava by digging her talons and thumb claw into Ava’s bark.

John says to Papi “Papi stop!” as he tries to stop her climbing.

Ava says “this winged folk doesn’t hurt” as Papi makes her way to Ava’s shoulder.

John follows Ava watching her move on her roots like an octopus. Ava says “What were you looking at?”

John says “I had two other traveling companions a Lamia and a Centaur.” Ava stops and looks back at John. John says “One has a long snake’s body while the other moves on four legs.” John starts trying to think of a better description for Kenta.

Ava says “oh, do mean Slitherfolk and Plain folk.”

John says “I think?”

Ava says “I know of Plain folk. They don’t enter my forest. But it has been some time since I’ve seen any Slitherfolk.”

John says “I’m surprised that you weren’t confused by me being able to talk to you.”

Ava says “I can sense you have powerful magic around you and that mask of yours looks a little silly on you.”

John says “has it been some time since you have seen my kind?” John wonders if Ava even knows what a human even is.

Ava says “also not for some time.”

John finds Ava curious and says “Are there other Treefolk?”

Ava says “Not many of us to begin with.”

John says “So you are alone in these woods?”

Ava says “No the trees are my friends.”

John says “Do you talk to them and do they talk back?”

Ava says with a chuckle “We don’t talk to each other. That’s silly.”

John says “Then how are they your friends?”

Ava says “Is that ooze your friend? Is she your friend?” motioning to Papi.

John says “Well the ooze I think more of as a pet and Papi is…Well, I care a lot about Papi. I kind of raised her.”

Ava says “Then there is your answer. I care for these trees and they care for me.”

John starts to tire after an hour of walking. He feels that his body hasn’t fully recovered. Ava stops and looks back when John stops to rest next to a tree. Ava says “Are you well?”

John says “I don’t think I have fully recovered yet.”

Ava turns around and reaches out to grab John saying “Here, I will carry you.”

John protests a little as Ava grabs him saying “Hey I just need a minute!!” But soon finds himself nestled in Ava’s arm. Ava starts moving again. John finds that she barely rocks or sways as she moves.

Ava says “You are not heavy at all. So we won’t be slowed.”

John says to Ava “I’m sure if I had my walking stick I could keep up.”

Ava says “Walking stick?”

John says “It’s a long round piece of wood that I use to make it easier to walk.”

Ava says “Oh, then here.” Ava breaks off a twig on her arm and gives it to him.

John says while holding the twig “Uh, It has to be long enough and wide enough for me to put some weight on it while I walk.”

Ava says “I know. Just tap it against some wood and it will grow.”

John decides to tap it against Ava. It starts to lengthen and enlarge itself to the point of John soon has a walking stick again. Ava says “Tap it again to shrink it back.” John taps it again against Ava and it returns to the small twig again.

John says “Cool” as he holds the twig up. Ava gives him a puzzled look. John says to Ava “I like it. Thank you.”

Ava says “I will hear you if you tap it against any wood while saying my name. I will try to help you any way I can.”

John says “Really?”

Ava says “You are nice to me and I like talking to you.”