Psalm of the Druid Priestess

by Hope Caster

Problems and Promises

There was one tree in Thicket that all druids knew by name: The Heart of the Forest. It was an ancient wood, one as old as Thicket itself, said to be planted by a god when the kingdom was established so long ago. The Heart of the Forest was home to the King and his family. It towered above all other trees in the land, and its white, pink and green leaves and flowers clear for all citizens to see. Within this castle, carved with the utmost care, were a plethora of rooms and sanctuaries, where the novitiates trained and studied. At the center of the tree, was the Soul of Gaia, a sacred plant that all knelt before when they could. Near the top of the tree, was Thicket’s throne room, where the King himself resided as he watched his kingdom grow and prosper.

But all was not well, yet few knew how dire it was becoming. King Aspen, ruler of Thicket, sat upon his throne as he tried to keep a calmness about him for the sake of his subjects. A rotten stench hung in the air that made him gag every so often, though almost no one else noticed. His people, and even his son, went about their daily lives, ignorant of the terror that slowly invaded their homeland. The only other ones not oblivious to the scent were the Druid Priestesses. They called the foul stench the Rot, a sign that their forest was suffering from neglect. King Aspen and the Priestesses carried a burden each day as they tried in vain to stop the Rot, but they knew that it was futile without their grand priestess, Tulip Shy. She had passed away a little over nineteen years ago, leaving a hole in Thicket’s hierarchy.

Had she not passed so tragically, perhaps he would smell the wild flowers that his son described when visiting the Flower Grove with the novitiates, or the beech and pine trees that grew in the northern tip of the Kingdom that his beloved wife once loved. Instead, he could only smell the black claw of death slowly strangling his forest.

Part of him wished he could blame this blight on the breezies to the west, Dawn Break to the north, the ports built by the gargoyles, centaurs, and the ponies on the eastern and southern coast, or the humans, vile creatures that once dwelt in dark caverns. He knew better.

The breezies were mere legends, made up by their forefathers to trick children into never straying far from home, lest the breezies snatch them up with thorny vines and drag them off to never be seen again. Moreover, the Nudonians and port folk had lived by Thicket’s laws regarding the forest for generations, never once changing or arguing with them. Finally, the humans had been extinct for over three millennia, though their city ruins still stood tall. It crushed his heart, but he knew the Rot was because he and the priestesses were failing their people.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked towards an attendant, a young doe that stood patiently by his side. “Maple,” he said in a near whisper, “Please, bring me the Priestesses.”

“Right away, my King,” she said, bowing to her liege.

The doe left, only to return with five priestesses. Four of them were deer; the remaining one was a pony named Tree Hugger. Each one bowed before him, waiting for their king’s request. It still frightened him to his core, seeing only five maidens before him. Thicket used to have ten priestesses including their Grand Priestess, but tragedy after tragedy had befallen them. Now only six were left. The sixth, Briar Rose, a pony, was on a retreat in the forest, being called there by the voice of Gaia, or so she said.

“Rise, good priestesses,” Aspen raised his hoof upward as he fixed his gaze on Tree Hugger. “The rot is worse today than it has been in years. I ask you, how might we treat what ails the forest?” Part of him found it shameful to be asking others what could be done to help his kingdom, however, the rot was not something a king could solve. It was not a nation that he could wage war against, nor was it a murderer in need of judgment, and it certainly was not a riot in need of suppression.

As the Priestesses described it, the rot was punishment for the constant neglect of the forest. There were trees in the forest, special things that needed constant care. Gaia’s Hearts they were called, ancient woods that were strewn across the kingdom. Once, every thousand years, a new Gaia Heart would bloom, and a priestess, any priestess would be sent to christen it, adding it the array of hearts that were kept and loved by Thicket. Because of the Hearts, the forest was fed, and the plants thrived, even in the coldest, bitterest winter. But, once christened, only the Grand Priestess, the living symbol of Gaia Everfree herself, could maintain such a thing. Once a year, every year, the Grand Priestess would make her way across the kingdom, and perform a ritual six times, one for each tree that existed, before honoring the Soul of Gaia itself with the entire kingdom in a rite that known to all. The prayers said and the offerings given would strengthen and revitalized the hearts and the soul and keep the forest healthy. However, since the Grand Priestess had passed, and a new one had yet to be ordained, such a task could not be fulfilled.

“We’d need, like, a grand priestess for that,” Tree Hugger said with her eyes closed. “The vibes we send to the forest aren’t like the ones from her.” Unlike the rest of the priestesses, who stood at attention, Tree Hugger tilted from side to side, never swaying too far in either direction, but never still.

Every other priestess still wondered how it came to be that someone like Tree Hugger became a priestess. Not just any priestess, but the one in charge of molding the next generation. Not to say ponies were inferior. Anyone could learn forest magic, so long as they respected the laws of Thicket. However, Tree Hugger seemed to be less focused than the others and lacked basic respect towards authority.

“As, uh, eloquent as that was,” one of the priestesses said as she gave Tree Hugger a look, “she is correct, my King. Only the Grand Priestess may alleviate the Rot. The only other way, if we found and christened a new Heart, then, perhaps it would help, but the chances of that are minimal. But be sure that we work on finding a new priestess, but the process takes time, as I know you know.”

“And there is no way that we can expedite this?” Aspen asked. “Please, if you would tell me, how goes the novitiates’ progress? Surely, one of your students shows potential.”

“It’s all good, but it could be great,” Tree Hugger said, swaying in her spot. “The deer are passing all their tests, but they’re just passing, they’re not excelling. My niece, that kid can make a flower bloom faster than anyone can, but the animals hate her. Tulip’s kid is the complete opposite. I mean, she can get a flower to bloom and all, but it takes a while. The animals love her to death though. She’s super in tune with them.”

“She means Gloriosa Daisy and Fluttershy,” one doe quickly clarified.

“I know of whom she speaks,” Aspen said.

“I know. And I know what you’re wondering, my King, but none of them have shown that spark that Tulip had, nor the Grand Priestesses that came before her.”

Aspen lowered is head a little, but turned to Tree Hugger, praying that she might have the slightest inkling which young girl was worthy of the title of Grand Priestess.

“Sorry Aspen, they all need to get better before I can even think about making the decision. I can’t go off and rush things. Their auras are all tense and their chakra’s need to synch with each other by, like, a lot. If we confirm them now, they’ll likely make things worse. Side’s nothing harshes a mellow like someone else getting to accept that title. When Tulip got it, my sister and I were out of whack for days.”

Aspen let out a disappointed sigh. Part of him feared little things. What if one of the students died or got sick? What would happen to their kingdom then? What worried him most was if one of the maidens lost the resolve to be a priestess. They would need to train a new one in her stead. It would be years before they could chose the next Grand Priestess, and by then, the Rot could reach it’s crescendo, leaving nothing but a devastated forest behind.

Images flashed through his mind of rotting trees and sickly animals, crying for their protectors, but not being able to do anything. It was a cruel tradition that he needed to abide by, imposed on the first king of Thicket by Gaia Everfree. When Thicket needed a new Grand Priestess, the King and the elder priestesses had no other choice but to confirm ten new priestesses. There were to be no more, and no less. The first of the ten confirmed would become the Grand Priestess, the group’s leader and the King’s Advisor. The second would be the teacher for the next set of novitiates.

King Aspen laid his head back against his throne, as he nodded. “Very well, continue at your own pace,” he said. “But should you see a chance to hurry them along, all I ask is that you do so with those that can and, if you have time, help those that can’t. I don’t know how long we have.”

“Will do.” Tree Hugger hummed as she turned and sauntered out of the room.

“Tree Hugger, the King has yet to dismiss us,” one of the kneeling doe whispered through gritted teeth.

“I know,” Tree Hugger said blissfully. “But I need to check something and meditate for a bit.”

---

Self-study. It was a strange term, foreign to the ten novitiates. Each of them sat somewhere in the Library, a grand room with shelves upon shelves of Thicket literature and religious texts, and then one, decrepit shelf that held texts of other nations. Most prevalent being the Old Lore, and human texts. Human writings were vile pieces of work, so she was told, and that anything that came from the hand of the dead race should have been destroyed along with them. However, these books served as a reminder to the people of the enemies that they had.

Fluttershy had the writings of the third Grand Priestess open. Oak Leaf been a wise doe and had a better understanding of the trees and flowers than any other priestess before or after her. Yet, even these writings did not help Fluttershy all that much, and she was beginning to despair.

Was she cut out to be priestess? She could talk with animals, sooth them, heal them, and lull them to sleep when needed. She could even turn into a tree, though such a thing was rather boring and was meant for a druid to hide at a moment’s notice. However, she was unable to connect to the plants as the others were, especially Gloriosa Daisy. Gloriosa had mastered the plants, having them grow for her, strengthening them, and having them bear fruit at her command. A true priestess would be able to do that in her sleep.

Fluttershy often wondered if her being chosen to be a priestess was not in part to her mother’s legacy. It was said by the eldest of all the deer that it was like seeing their Goddess incarnate when they looked towards Tulip. Even the deer who jeered and scorned her brother and father, often sung her late mother praises, be it of her virtue or beauty.

She couldn’t possibly be like that, could she? She was a great animal caretaker, but what use was a priestess that couldn’t commune with the forest? Fluttershy shook the doubts from her head. She was Tulip Shy’s daughter. Her mother was a great priestess, and so would Fluttershy once she was ordained. She needn’t be ordained Grand Priestess, it was enough to know that she was a priestess.

There came a tap on her shoulder that earned her attention. Behind her was a guard, dressed in light robes light golden and orange robes and a deep green sash across his chest. In his light blue aura, several books and scrolls of Thicket Lore along with stories and legends of Gaia Everfree. He was tall, a light brown with tall horns. He was a well-known guard to those in the king’s home, nearly twenty-four years of age. His name was Forest Spear.

“Afternoon, Little Flower,” he said with a smile, bowing his head. “Might I sit with you?”

Little Flower was a term in Thicket that was meant to be endearing, meant to describe a young woman’s growing beauty, her gentleness, or in the case of her father, her fragility (She was is only daughter, and youngest child, so it made sense that he would still see her as needing him). Fluttershy hated being called Little Flower by most anyone. She didn’t mind it when her father called her it, and her brother could just barely get away with it when he used it mockingly. Thinking about it, perhaps she wouldn’t mind terribly if Discord called her Little Flower. But Discord was her friend, and Forest Spear was simply a guard she knew.

The other novitiates never quite understood Fluttershy’s reservations though. Forest Spear was the greatest warrior of their generation. He had protected the kingdom using his magic, fought off bandits and invaders of all kinds, and even warded off beasts when an occasion arose that a priestess couldn’t handle. Nowadays, once King Aspen took notice of the buck, he was often seen accompanying the young Prince of Thicket, Bramble. Most doe would swoon at the mere mention or sight of Forest Spear, but he never showed interest in anyone save for Fluttershy. Fluttershy was normally happy when Forest Spear came about, not to say she liked him, but his presence normally came with a visit from Bramble. Being in line to be the next king, all the novitiates knew him by name and vise versa, and all kept on friendly terms. Fluttershy especially. Bramble was too adorable not to love.

“Forest, good afternoon,” she said with a smile. “I don’t mind, at all.” While she didn’t like being called Little Flower, Forest was a decent enough fellow, and it would be rude to just send him away. “What are you reading?” She asked.

“Old lore regarding Royalty and certain practices,” Forest chuckled to himself a bit. “Bramble has been asking me about such things, so I thought I might be able to refer him to some books if they have what he wants to know.”

“Shouldn’t he just ask King Aspen?” Fluttershy asked.

“King Aspen has been preoccupied for a few weeks now, Little Flower. Important business regarding the forest and the priestesses. And Prince Bramble’s tutors aren’t so well versed in such matters. They teach him to read, about our laws, and other such things, but they know nothing when it comes to high lore. What about you? I thought novitiates were to be learning under Lady Tree Hugger.”

“She said that we should focus on self-study for today. Find a place that we’re struggling in or are unfamiliar with and work on it. I can’t commune with plants all that well so that’s what I’m focusing on. Not that it’s helping all that much.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Me, I don’t know if I’ll be able to help Prince Bramble at all. Now that I think about it, perhaps you might be able to help him.”

“Me?”

“You are knowledgeable on the lore of Thicket, no?”

“W-well, yes-”

“Excellent! Maybe when I’m escorting him later in the week, I’ll bring him to you. I’m sure that he wouldn’t mind seeing you.”

“I-I’m sure he wouldn’t, I wouldn’t mind seeing him again, but, Forest, I know about royal duties, but I don’t think that means that I’m qualified to teach the prince about them! Not yet anyway. At least not until all of us are ordained.”

“If that’s the case, then perhaps we could research the topic together? I’m sure that we could learn something that could sate Bramble’s curiosity.” Forest placed his hoof upon hers, only for Fluttershy to pull it away. His smile faltered a bit, but it soon returned as he moved his seat a hair closer to her, which was a hair to close in her opinion. “Perhaps we could meet sometime later in the week, say after sundown?”

It was this part of the conversation that Fluttershy often dreaded. She could feel a slight, uncomfortable shiver roll down her spine as she considered ending the conversation then and there. “Oh, w-well I-um-I don’t think that-that-”

“Fluttershy, there you are!” Someone called. The voice was loud, obnoxious, and lacked any reverence for the library. Forest and Fluttershy turned around to see Zephyr Breeze approaching them. Fluttershy couldn’t be happier to see her brother.

Zephyr quickly walked up and embraced his little sister before looking towards Forest with a raised brow. “Oh, Forest, it was you. Flutters, I didn’t know egotistical foot soldiers were in your repertoire of friends.”

And just like that, any joy she felt not moments before faded into oblivion. Fluttershy clenched her eyes shut, praying to Gaia her brother wouldn’t say anything further. Her brother had a habit of causing a few hiccups from time to time anytime he opened his mouth outside of their home. Fluttershy could only pray that the situation wouldn’t escalate too fast.

“And it still shocks me to my core that a fair novitiate is related to the Bum of Thicket,” Forest said, stepping towards the stallion.

The Bum of Thicket, that was a name that her brother could do without. Every deer in Thicket knew who Zephyr Breeze was. Being Fluttershy’s older brother, it was impossible for them not to know, but he was infamous in another way: Zephyr Breeze was a clerk for his father’s shipping company. In respectable places like Equestria, Dawn Break, or even Arcania, a clerk was a fine profession. But in Thicket, there was no such things as shipping companies and clerks, as Thicket’s folk never had need for such things. As such, he and his father were gifted a title no one in the family cared much for: the Bums of Thicket. (The only reasons that they were tolerated was because of Fluttershy.)

Pushing his sister aside, Zephyr glared at Forest Spear, before smirking and raising a brow. “Do you think this is smart, mocking Fluttershy’s own blood? Do you think that my father or I would let you anywhere near her acting like this?”

“Very Equestrian of you, hiding behind your father and little sister. In Thicket, we confront our problem head on. Like if we take issue with weak men.”

“Well, I am a pony. Maybe a quick kick in the ribs will show you what Equestrians can do.”

“Is that a challenge?” Forest asked. It would bring him, and all deer across the kingdom joy to see Zephyr breeze struck and beaten, especially in a fair match. Forest Spear was certain that even Fluttershy would enjoy it. (Fluttershy would not enjoy such a thing. In fact it would burn the bridge he and Fluttershy shared, which was already decrepit.)

“I think that’s enough,” Fluttershy said, coming between the two. “Forest, please forgive my brother, he can be-” she paused thinking of a word that wasn’t too insulting. “-he can be unique at times. Perhaps it’s time you and I part for now.”

“That’s Fluttershy for ‘get lost’.” Zephyr said, earning him a grumble from his sister.

Forest snorted at Zephyr but bowed low before Fluttershy before taking his leave. “Until next time, Little Flower.” With that, he took his leave and his books with him to find Prince Bramble.

“Is it possible for you not provoke him?” Fluttershy asked.

“That depends, can you actually make it clear that you’re not interested in him like that? We’re guys, we’re stupid, Fluttershy. If you aren’t clear with us, we keep coming.”

“What are you even doing here? I thought you hated the library. I know the record keepers take issue with your volume.” Fluttershy saw one such record keeper glaring at them.

“Why, I’m here to see my kind, wonderful, little sister, of course!” Zephyr hugged her close and smiled a wicked little smile. “Plus, it’s a little after three and father would like you to come home. Guess who’s grounded~!” He said in a singsong voice.

Grounded, but she needed to visit Discord! And her brother, despite being her savoir, was enjoying her misfortune a bit too much. “I’m nineteen,” Fluttershy said in an angered whisper.

“Yes, Nineteen and unmarried! And I’m twenty-six, and Dad is Forty-six. So, as far as Thicket is concerned, Father and I get to make decisions about what you can and can’t do! Isn’t that great!?”

“Unlike in Equestria?”

“Exactly! Once you’re eighteen the worst we can do is mutter our disapproval or kick you out of the house.” He let his smile fall. “If you really want me to treat you like we’re in Equestria, I could just fetch Forest Spear and tell him that your parting was a bit premature. You seemed to be having so much fun with him!”

Fluttershy’s eye became like saucers. “No!” She nearly shouted, drawing a plethora of glares and scowls. After an apology, she lowered her voice to a whisper. “No, grounded is fine,” Fluttershy said, before letting out a sigh. She closed her books and left with her brother home.

As soon as Fluttershy entered their house, she did not go to her room, she did not wait somewhere quietly reading or studying, nor did she ask what was allowed. She just began to bake.

Zephyr hmm’d and hummed as he watched his sister toil away. “Fluttershy, I don’t think you fully grasp the concept of being grounded,” Her brother said, looking over her shoulder. “You’re acting like once you’re finished baking, you’re leaving our quaint little treehouse. Which, according to father, you’re not allowed to do until further notice.”

Fluttershy ignored him until a wonderful meal was made and wrapped in special leaves to keep it fresh. She placed it all in a wicker basket and balanced it on her back before approaching her father’s study.

“You’re not supposed to go in there while he’s working,” Zephyr chided. “Besides, he’ll just tell you to stay here.”

Again, Fluttershy ignored her brother and gave the door a knock. It silently opened, and there at a desk sat her father, and piles upon piles of scrolls and ledgers. “Whatever it is you’re going to ask. The answer is going to be no,” Gentle Breeze said, keeping his focus on his books.

“Father,” she said in a soft voice, approaching the desk. “May I please go out for a little while?” Her father looked up at her and raised a brow. “I know I sneaked out and worried you yesterday, it’s why I want permission this time. May I please go? I’m just visiting a friend. I know I haven’t mentioned them much, they like their privacy, but they’re kind and I like seeing them.”

Gentle Breeze leaned back in his chair, and Zephyr waited for the no. It never came.

“Father, are you actually thinking this over? Spare the rod and spoil the child,” Zephyr said. “Do you really want to go back on your word, so early? Especially after I stared down Forest Spear no less! That took guts and I would like that to mean something!”

“You stood up to Forest Spear. Hmm. Was your sister close by?” Gentle Breeze asked, knowing his son could only be so brave if he knew that he wouldn’t need to put his money where his mouth was.

“You-What-that-I-Yes. She was right next to me.”

“So, she made sure you couldn’t dig yourself too deep into a hole.” He looked between his two children before letting out a sigh. “Fluttershy, you can go visit this friend of yours-” Zephyr groaned as Fluttershy smiled, “-so long as you’re back and hour before sundown,” her father said.

Instantly Fluttershy’s smile faded. “But that’ll only give me half an hour to-”

“An hour before sundown!” Her father repeated, almost shouting. He took a deep breath as he watched his daughter flinch before shrinking. “Fluttershy, I don’t ask you where you go, I don’t ask what you do, I overlook your little adventures every time you think you’re pulling the wool over our eyes when you try to sneak out. I don’t think it’s unfair to at least have a set time for you to come home. I get worried about you. I understand you’re learning this forest magic, but the wilds- the forest is still the forest. What happens if you encounter a warg, or a manticore, or a bug-bear?”

“A bug-bear, Fluttershy!” Zephyr added.

“I’ll just talk to them, and if that fails, I could always fly away.”

“Fluttershy, father is trying to have a serious conversation with you. Would it kill you to not make jokes?”

Gentle Breeze slowly craned his head to glare at his eldest child. He tossed a book at his hooves. “Zephyr, recheck that ledger until Fluttershy and I are done talking.”

“Yes, Father,” Zephyr said, sitting on the floor and opening the book.

“Fluttershy, I want you to be safe. I know you can talk to animals, but I still worry that something else might happen to you. Storms, bandits, Nudonians, a drunken moron!” Fluttershy raised a brow at the last one. “It could happen!”

She let out a sigh. “I understand, but I’ll be fine. I always am. But if it will ease your mind, I’ll be back before sundown, I promise.”

“Good to hear. Because if you’re not, you’re not going out for a week. Deal?”

“Okay. I love you daddy.” She gave her father a hug and kiss before running out of the house.

Gentle Breeze trotted out after her, watching her disappear into the forest. There was a sudden aching in his chest. It was frightening how similar Fluttershy was to her mother. Tulip rarely took a moment to rest, and was often out doing something for someone, be it the kingdom or Zephyr. It was the same as Fluttershy. She was learning to care for an entire forest, caring for her family and caring for her friend.

“You know, with the amount of effort she puts in every day, one might think that she’s visiting her boyfriend,” Zephyr said.

Gentle Breeze scowled and shuddered. “Zephyr, I do not need that image in my head.” Unfortunately for Gentle Breeze, the image was seared into his mind for the next week.

Author's Note:

Problems and Promises, also Known as: Lore Dump the chapter! Like and favorite if you can, as that helps keep this story going. Have an opinion, theory or criticism that you’d like to share? Leave a comment, especially if it’s a criticism, those help.

Next chapter, Training Day: Garble and Gallus bound over combat training.