For a moment we just stared at one another, giving me the chance to inspect them a little closer. We were in what seemed to be a tent of deer design given the complete lack of sun motifs. There were also carvings of deer and other antlered creatures, mostly busts but there was one tall complete sculpture.

I didn't pay them much mind, however, and mainly observed the three creatures standing above me. From right to left they were a tall, aged, and elderly-looking female deer, a second female deer, this one much younger. Then finally there was a tall, well-muscled, and commanding pegasus mare wearing a set of pony plate mail.

The eldest of the bunch wore a wooden crown the top of which sported several small branches ending in a collection of leaves. Her features were lean, her eyes bright, and she peered down at me with a mix of curiosity as well as concern. The wooden crown was not all she wore, however, as a regal deep green cape hemmed with gold hung around her shoulders. The older doe had faded brown fur, a white muzzle, as well as deep bags that hung beneath her eyes.

In contrast, the deer next to her wore nothing save for a band of metal around her neck, upon which was a cylinder of some kind. Without anything to cover her body, I could tell that she was young, athletic, and sported a pristine coat of dark greyish blue fur. The only spot of white hung under her eyes and was accented by a painted black arrow that pointed downward. Her expression was dark, and I could see anger warring in her intense eyes.

The lone pony of the group wore the only armor, with the only bit missing being her helmet which lay on a nearby table. Thankfully without it, I could see that she had light pink fur, and a dark yellow mane the same color as her eyes. Which she used to gaze at me with a mix of horror and disgust, a hoof clenching the hilt of her sword.

“What is going on?” whispered the solar guard. “You said she was alive.”

“I said she was probably alive. The spell was inconclusive,” calmed the elderly deer in an even tone.

“That matters little at this point. My sister is gone and someone has stolen her body, the only question is who,” stated the intense younger deer.

“Are you sure it's been animated through foul sorcery?” asked the pegasus. “Other than have creepy eyes it's just been… sitting there.”

The older deer began to lean down but was stopped by a hoof from the younger of the two.

“Wait,” warned the darker furred of the pair. “We don't know what has ensnared her soul.”

“If it was feral it would have attacked us already. Be at ease, Quaking Yew,” remarked the older deer. “We should parlay with the entity. Perhaps it may tell us more of what happened to your dear sister.”

“Whoever is using her head clearly killed her,” Quaking Yew retorted. “Why is this even a question?”

“I agree with Quaking Yew,” stated the pegasus. “We should cleanse it in holy fire, and see about burying your dead.”

“We do not bury our dead, commander Rays,” retorted the older deer. “But that doesn't matter at the moment. We must prepare the necessary incantations. Perhaps we may find out more about what happened to Sweet Willow.”

“We should not be asking anything of whatever monster took my sister from me. We should be extracting what we need, by force if required,” Quaking Yew stated, clopping a hoof angrily against the ground.

“Allow me,” Commander Rays declared, reaching into her bag.

The elder deer who I hadn't had the chance to catch the name of, seemed ready to intervene, but I wasn't about to take any chances. I had no idea what they were capable of, and though I wanted to simply sever the ties to the skull I also wished to apologize. I knew it wasn't the best plan, but I pushed a bit of magic into the skull and floated it up into the air right as Sun Rays threw a net. The weighted projectile landed amidst the rotten gore and missed me by mere inches.

“Get it!” Quaking Yew shouted.

“No, wait!” interrupted the elderly deer, though her cry was in vain.

Both Quaking Yew and Commander Rays were attempting to pin me down either with hooves or the net again. Weaving through the creatures, I made a beeline for the exit, using my momentum to brush aside the flap. Immediately outside I found myself in what looked to be a small encampment of narrow, but tall tents all clustered in a clearing.

I didn't exactly stay long enough to inspect my surroundings, however, as I was already flying back towards my main body. While this was happening, I sent Stalwart’s skeleton on an intercept course after casting a ventriloquism spell on her. With that done, I briefly considered sending the dragon as well, but held back on that, keeping him in reserve as I didn't want to scare them.

At least not yet.

The deer skull weaved through the trees, ducked under clotheslines, and swerved around startled deer. I counted a good few dozen of the slender creatures, though I could tell that there were more nearby. I discovered that there was also a full patrol of the sun tyrant’s soldiers stationed at the edge of the encampment, much to my dismay.

“Capture that skull!” shouted Commander Ray’s voice from in the distance.

The cadre of nine soldiers split into two groups, one of which broke camp while the other took up the chase. Though quick, I had a few seconds of a headstart and put it to use by pushing the skull to move as fast as was feasible. The top speed was about as fast as the average pegasus could fly, but I soon discovered that most of the pegasi chasing me were better than just average.

Zipping through the trees with grace and agility came the winged soldiers of Ray’s squad. Lightly armored, and armed with daggers, as well as crossbows, they numbered only three. Still, that would be more than enough to take down the skull provided they were able to catch up to me.

A possibility that was becoming increasingly likely with each passing second.

Think, they must have some weakness! I thought to myself.

I had a few seconds of a lead, and I used it to inspect my surroundings a bit closer, trying to find some edge. The forest was deep, old, with little in the way of bushes, and much in the way of enormous moss-covered ancients that towered over the surroundings. It looked like something out of a storybook, though I didn't exactly have the time to appreciate its true beauty at the moment.

Ducking and weaving through the boughs of the great trees I found that my lead was increasing. Not only that, but the pegasi were struggling to match the turning radius the deer skull had. It was obvious then what I had to do, though it still wasn't easy. Bolts whizzed past the deer skull, and worse still, Quaking Yew had somehow managed to catch up to me.

I spotted her out of the corner of my vision a moment before she leaped from the branches of a tree. Her attempt to capture me was nearly successful, and I only narrowly managed to avoid her by slipping through a hollow log. Bursting out the other side, I continued to try and evade my capture by repeating the same strategy as before.

This was fairly successful, though I never quite managed to shed them, no matter what I did. Quaking Yew made several more appearances though her efforts were largely useless, as I tried to stay higher off the ground. Within a few minutes, Stalwart’s skeleton was standing in a small clearing while the deer skull was screaming towards it.

My pursuers remained hot on my heels, right up until the skull unexpectedly stopped and turned around. Shocked and confused, the soldiers, arrayed themselves around the edge of the clearing, waiting for their commander to arrive. They didn't have to wait long, as Commander Ray burst through the tree cover a few seconds later, sword held aloft in her hoof.

“Why have you all-” she stopped and glanced down at my servants. “So you think you can take us.”

I watched as Quaking Yew emerged from the shadows a moment later, glaring daggers at both of the undead under my command. The elderly deer was surprisingly, not far behind though I didn't even notice her arrival, rather she simply appeared.

“No,” I declared. “I do not wish to fight you, any of you.”

That seemed to shock the group into temporarily stopping their attempt to encircle me. Not like it mattered, as I had cut a deal with a rather large fir tree nearby.

“I told you we should have readied the correct incantations,” exclaimed the older deer, who stepped forward before anyone else could say anything. “Please excuse the hasty actions of my granddaughter, and our ally, Honey Rays. I am Whispering Alder, and I welcome you.”

The realization that I killed this lady’s grandchild plucked at my heartstrings though I stowed my pain deep down inside.

I had Stalwart bow. “Of course, it is forgiven. Though I believe it is you who I should be apologizing to.”

“Quit talking to the abomination,” hissed commander Rays.

“Hold, a moment. Perhaps we should seek more information on this… thing,” Quakin Yew muttered, gesturing to my servants.

“I am not an it, I am a he. Though it's hardly relevant given that I am a tree,” I stated.

“You are a nimloth, or as the ponies say, a ghoultree, then?” offered Whispering Alder.

“I am,” I confirmed. “But before we get further I must apologize for inadvertently killing your granddaughter. My traps did not discriminate, and I admit that at the time I did not know your kind were sapient.”

“How do you know what the word sapient means but you don't know that deer are,” Commander Rays pointed out.

“I have… recently learned much,” I admitted.

“You speak in riddles and half-truths. How can we trust you?” Quaking Yew asked.

“You cannot,” I replied simply, holding out one of Stalwart’s hooves. “Though I hope that I will have earned a little after offering you back the remains of your kin.”

The deer skull fell into my open grasp, the tether binding it to me having been severed by a mental command. Thankfully the skills I had taken from it remained, though I could feel that my ability to cast deer magic had suffered. I lacked the proper conduit now but that was not a concern at the moment, rather it was the three creatures standing across from me.

“That is quite magnanimous of you,” Whispering Alder exclaimed. “I had not thought your kind was capable of such diplomacy.”

“I am different,” I replied.

“You are a liar,” spat Quaking Yew. “No tree is capable of such magic, nor such deep thought. They have always been, and always will be, simple creatures of instinct.”

“Hush child, you know not what you speak,” Whispering Alder interrupted.

“I know enough to know that this thing is no simple plant,” Quaking Yew retorted.

“More than likely it is being puppeted by the dread lord Zaxonis, or one of the cowardly thestrals that escaped our grasp,” Commander Rays added.

“That is impossible, as he is dead and they know nothing of such magics. Please,” I urged them, extending Stalwart’s hoof. “Take this as a token of my goodwill. I will quite willingly answer any questions you may have.”

Whispering Alder took the skull and smiled. “I thank you, kind nimloth. I hope we may be able to work together in the future.”

“Grandmother,” hissed Quaking Yew. “This thing killed my sister and uses the dead like puppets. The only thing we should be doing is killing it.”

“You know not what you speak of, child,” Whispering Alder retorted. “The forest knows not cruelty, nor hate. Its magics do not make slaves of the dead, nor does it kill pointlessly.”

“Even if this is some tree, all sapient things are capable of evil and necromancy is evil as well as incredibly illegal,” Commander Rays declared.

“We are not on your lands, we are on ours,” Whispering Alder stated.

“We are on no one’s lands,” Quaking Yew retorted. “Our clan makes no claims this far west.”

“Regardless. I would appreciate it if we found a peaceful solution to all of our disagreements,” I interrupted.

“I agree. Peace shall reign when you are dead and buried beside the slaves of the moon which you seem to know so well,” Commander Ray stated.

I cursed under my breath, only now realizing that I had inadvertently told them that I knew the thestrals and thus the soldiers knew they were near.

“Necromancy is as all magic, to be respected. You know this, child. It is our earliest teaching,” Whispering Alder exclaimed.

“All I know is that before me stands a monster, one whose master I must slay,” Quaking Yew declared.

“Damn your respect. Attack!” Commander Ray ordered.

“Wait!” Whispering Alder shouted. “The ghoultree is an integral part of the forest and of the natural order. Would you bemoan a flower for consuming the sun's rays? A wolf for hunting, or a vulture for eating the dead?”

The passion of the doe’s words seemed to temporarily stun the others into listening to her. I, however, knew where this was going and began to silently back up.

“A nimloth serves as a defender of the forest and takes only what was required to survive. There is no malice in his actions, only a need to survive as all living things do,” Whispering Alder passionately exclaimed.

“I don't care if killing it dooms the forest. It lost its privileged position the moment it took the life of my sister,” Quaking Yew declared.

The enraged doe alongside Commander Ray and her soldiers all leaped at Stalwart’s skeleton, intent on destroying it. By then, however, I had stealthily made my way beneath the boughs of the great fir tree. Whose enormous limbs swatted aside the pegasi flying at me, while blocking Quaking Yew’s path.

While I fled, using the fir as cover, I was hit by two separate attacks, each one of which nearly destroyed Stalwart. The first came from a solar guard, who managed to release some kind of golden blast of energy at my servant. Barely larger than the average bolt, I assumed it would do little but was surprised when it caused the cohesion of Stalwart’s body to suffer.

It took far more strength than what should be necessary just to hold together the undead’s bones. An effort made ever more difficult by the sudden shrill whistle that set my very soul on edge. It was brief, but even after it passed I still struggled to maintain a clear focus on simply returning back to base.

Thankfully the fir tree was as large as it was ornery, and was able to keep the group distracted while Stalwart slipped away. While I ran, I tried to think of some kind of plan but found that for once I couldn't come up with anything at all. Deer magic worked on me, as did whatever spell the solar guard, neither of which I had a counter to.

Plan B then, outlast them. I thought to myself.

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