Mar 26 • The City of Gate
Surviving the Darkwood. A letter found embedded in a firelog.
Hi Benny,
I’m sorry, but I can’t come and see you again. My dad caught me sneaking back into the treehut after we talked last night, and he’s not letting me go anywhere. The tribe don’t mix with outsiders, and if I’d been caught by one of the elders, I’d be in much bigger trouble. However, sometimes the tribe take people in if they’re able to get to our village unharmed and unaided. I had to travel the woods alone myself when I came of age, like all of the tribe does to earn our adult gifts. I’m sure I can talk the elders into letting you take the gifts too, when you get here. You’re going to need me to tell you a few things, though. We are taught all about the woods in childhood, and how to survive the dangers. You didn’t get told any of that growing up, did you? You just know about the town you grew up in. I know your family were hoping to get through the gate, but no one ever does. I worry you’re going to get stuck in that horrible, muddy sinkhole that they call the City of Gate, bullied and beaten down by the gangs, or forced to join one and killed in a fight. It was nice talking to you in the line when you thought I was just another girl trying to get to H’vannah. Sorry about the little lie. My parents weren’t elsewhere in the line like I said. We live in the Darkwood. You should come live with us. I’m saying this all jumbled up because I’m just so excited to see you again.
Anyway, you won’t ever need to worry about the gangs or the people coming after your dad in here. The barkskin trees protect us. You need to know how to get through them safely, and that’s what I wanted to write to you about. The first thing you need to know about is the seedpods. They’re all over the forest floor, and sometimes they even rain down from the branches. Wear some thick-soled shoes and lots of layers over your arms, legs and head. The seedpods are tiny and covered in nasty barbs. If one gets into your skin, make sure you rip it out fast before it takes root. You might be lucky and step on a dead one, but if they’re still pretty fresh, they’ll take root pretty fast and will not let go. Bring a knife with a narrow blade to pop them out without touching them. If you don’t get them out in time, it’s pretty gross. You might not want to hear this, but you’re a boy, and boys like gross things, so here goes. The barkskin seedpods send tendrils out under your skin, branching as they go, wrapping themselves around your muscles and twining together when they meet back up. They also thicken up as they grow, and soon you’ll have a living layer of woody armour under your skin. If you can stand the pain and keep moving, this armour will protect you from any more seedpods and any beasts that might be trying to bite or claw at you. That’s why it’s called barkskin. Some foolish explorer thought he might be able to live like that, but it’s always growing and as soon as you stop moving it is going to grow too thickly around your joints, and your face, send roots into the ground, and branches through what’s left of your skin. Not long after that, you’re just another fat-bottomed tree in the Darkwood. Like all the other barkskin trees. I don’t want that for you. If the tree manages to sustain you like that, and sometimes they do, you’ll never move from that spot again. Some of the elders, when they are approaching the end of their life, will choose to become a Barkskin Tree willingly, hoping to become one of the blessed ancestors that watch over us. Most people though, even if they are of the tribe, will just die when the seedpod tendrils tear the skin from their flesh, long before they begin to sprout roots or branches. So please watch out and make sure you take them out quickly.
As you’re carefully watching your steps, you should also avoid any trees that smell of sweet rotting meat or any tree that seems to be buzzing. That’s a Red Honeybee nest. They won’t usually bother with the living, but they might start buzzing around you if you’re already bleeding and wounded, waiting to start their harvest. The only reason they would be aggressive towards you would be if you bump their nest, try to take some of their honey or actually kill one of them. Your thick clothing will keep you safe from most stings, but they will try to crawl between the layers until they find flesh. Their venom is fairly potent. It will feel like your blood is on fire. If it happens, run towards the village if you can. Our healers know how to neutralise the venom before it reaches your brain. If you can’t see the village yet, tying off the limb that’s been stung will buy you some time. The venom will scramble your senses if it reaches your brain. Best thing to do if you hear a tree buzzing, leaking a sticky red syrup, or even with bits of bone-white lattice exposed is just to stay away.
You should probably avoid any large black cats you see, but you may not get the chance. The Darkwood Panthers move silently through the treetops, and you wouldn’t know they were there until they drop on you. If that happens, tell them you know me and that you’re trying to find the village. We’d both be in a lot of trouble, but they probably won’t just kill you on the spot. Perhaps you could sweeten the deal by offering them some gold or food, but be careful about carrying uncooked meat; it might attract the Buzzers. That’s what the tribe calls the Red Honeybees.
I’m really looking forward to seeing you again. Sorry that you won’t be able to bring your parents with you. You have a much better chance of being accepted if you come alone. Survive the darkwood and find the tribe’s treetop village, and then we can be together, and the Darkwoods will have another Panther.
Hopefully yours soon,
Nadja Lightpaw
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Surviving the Darkwood. A letter found embedded in a firelog.
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