(2025-08-18) Cleaning the Felwood

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Hespyth, Iphindra, Kaladris, Qelida, Sarandis, Syreithe, and Velrin meet up at Whisperwind Grove to do what they can to help the flora and fauna of Felwood move towards healing. ~1700 words.
Rating:	T for Teen

The team assembles in Whisperwind Grove.

Iphindra waves.

Qelida nods.

[Iphindra]: Hi! I- I'm ready!

[Sarandis]: Hello, Iphindra. It seems there is still much work to be done here in the north.

Hespyth waves shyly at Iphindra.

Qelida nods. "Kaladris," she greets. "This is Iphindra. Iphindra, this is Kaladris."

Syreithe inclines her head to Iphindra. "Welcome back."

Velrin stretches and tightens her gauntlets as she joins the group. She tugs a line of wire from each wrist to make sure they're working properly.

Sarandis turns to the kaldorei woman nearby.

[Sarandis]: Tender Puregrove — we come from Kelnir, a dryad to the south. She is well.

Tender Puregrove says: Kelnir? Hahaha… Sometimes I wonder if her chatter drove all the other dryads away. But I'm glad she is safe.

Iphindra gasps. "Nooo, Kelnir is great, she wouldn't drive everyone away!" She seems a little saddened by that joke. She bows her head to Kaladris afterward as a greeting, then waves.

Tender Puregrove says: In any case, welcome to Whisperwind Grove. Hold peace in your heart, and you will find a home here. I hope you are also here to help.

[Hespyth]: Yes!

[Qelida]: What aid do you require?

Tender Puregrove says: Good, good! I'd love so much to save every creature in the forest, but as you probably have seen, some are just too far gone.

Hespyth's ears droop.

Tender Puregrove says: When we first founded Whisperwind Grove, the woods just to the south were full of beautiful coursers, majestic and gentle creatures. The corruption here hasn't made them violent, but they've wasted away to nearly nothing.

Velrin frowns knowingly.

Tender Puregrove says: They will need to be culled. Still… while the larger animals are too far corrupted to save, you'd be surprised how hardy the little ones are.

[Sarandis]: The little ones?

Syreithe glances to her sister. "Not so surprised." She smirks.

[Iphindra]: The babies! *She beams.*

Hespyth blushes.

Tender Puregrove says: Take the squirrels, for example. After washing in corrupted water, they can spread illness far from the original source, but it's slow to affect the squirrels themselves!
Tender Puregrove says: In fact, a simple washing will result in a clean squirrel and a safer forest! Here, take this bottle of cleaning mixture. Grab and scrub any squirrel you see in the woods to the south… they'll be thankful for it!

[Sarandis]: Wash… the squirrels?

Velrin smiles in relief, "I'm glad it isn't too late for all of them."

Iphindra takes the bottle. "It'll be done!"

Syreithe arches an eyebrow, then shrugs. "Simple tasks build complex character."

Hespyth nods; she knows all her sister's little sayings by now.

Syreithe murmurs to Hespyth in Darnassian, "Brannagen has been helping me to translate the tenets."

Hespyth claps excitedly for Syreithe.

Iphindra hands the bottle to the rest. "Does a-anyone want to handle the squirrel wash- washing?"

[Hespyth]: I… would not.

Qelida shakes her head. She does not want to wash a squirrel.

[Sarandis]: I am not terribly practiced in washing small animals.

[Iphindra]: I'll do it then! *She seems absolutely delighted that the others refused.*

[Velrin]: I can help wash the squirrels.

[Sarandis]: The two of you, then.

[Iphindra]: Oh, su- sure! We can do it together.

Sarandis scans the ground, looking for squirrels.

Hespyth is looking a little squirrely.

Syreithe dives for a squirrel…but no, it's a rat.

Iphindra finds a squirrel, she points at it. "It looks s- sick… Come here, friend." a few petals flutter from vines on her hands, and the squirrel comes to her, unafraid.

Qelida nods in approval.

[Sarandis]: This is a much more straightforward task than before. No slimes, no satyrs behind walls of fire.

Hespyth cries quietly.

Velrin rubs Hespyth's back.

Hespyth gives Velrin a wobbly, grateful smile.

Sarandis looks back towards Hespyth, frowning. "Are you well?"

Iphindra looks worriedly at Hespyth.

[Hespyth]: Fine, fine, they're only tears…

[Sarandis]: For the coursers?

Hespyth nods.

[Qelida]: It is unfortunate. They are not violent, but the illness has harmed them badly.

[Sarandis]: It is a shame we cannot simply clean them, as the squirrels.

[Velrin]: It's sad, but we can't let them spread their illness further.

[Hespyth]: It is too deep in them, yes.
Hespyth wipes her eyes.

[Iphindra]: I kn- know what it feels like, Hespyth. When you're s- sad for others, everything feels a litt- a little heavy. Like it's dragging you to the ground. But think of a- all the animals you're helping here, too.

[Sarandis]: The squirrels look so full of joy as they scamper away.

Iphindra nods at Sarandis.

Hespyth smiles a little about the squirrels.

Qelida tosses a crystalline totem to the ground that slows the movements of a nearby squirrel, making it easy to catch and scrub. She gathers her totem before they move on.

A clean squirrel jumps onto Iphindra's shoulder as she washes it. "H- hello friend. Yes you can c- come with me for a little bit!"

[Kaladris]: I couldn't touch it.

[Sarandis]: The squirrel?

[Qelida]: The illness?

Hespyth seems to be lost in some sort of daydream, following along with the others quietly.

Iphindra hands Velrin the potion to wash squirrels. "Here, for you!"

Velrin takes the potion and gives the squirrels a nice scrubdown while humming.
Velrin looks like a Dawn dish soap commercial.

Iphindra looks a little jealously at Velrin as she gets to wash more squirrels.

Qelida does not touch the squirrels herself, but she slows them down to make them easier to grab.

Hespyth giggles at the sight of the squirrel-scrubbing.

Sarandis does her part with the coursers, and leaves the squirrels to the other two, though she smiles at them faintly.

Soon enough, the team returns to Tender Puregrove.

[Sarandis]: Tender, we have slain the coursers.

Tender Puregrove says: Thank you, Cobalt. They won't spread the corruption any further, and they won't be in pain either.

Qelida nods.
[Qelida]: It is done.

[Sarandis]: We also washed many squirrels.

Tender Puregrove says: Aren't they just adorable? It's those little victories that keep me going. We'll save this forest one squirrel at a time.
Tender Puregrove says: There's one more thing I would ask you — In a place like this, even something as simple as growing flowers and pulling weeds can require some heroic effort.

[Sarandis]: Heroic? *Sarandis raises a long eyebrow*

[Hespyth]: We are heroes…

Tender Puregrove says: The orchid lashers that grow on all sides of the grove are a sign of healing. But they're not flawless; some of them do succumb to demonic corruption now and then.

[Velrin]: Oh? *Vel raises an eyebrow.*

Tender Puregrove says: I've found the best way to check is to just pull them up. If they're normal, they'll wander around a bit and reroot themselves. If they aren't… well, you'd better be ready for a fight!

[Qelida]: We can do this.

Syreithe nods firmly.

[Qelida]: Come, Aegis.

Iphindra hands Tender Puregrove the squirrel that followed them. "C- can you keep him for me for a little bit?"

Tender Puregrove says: Oh, sure! I'd be happy to watch after him.

[Iphindra]: I love g- gardening!

Hespyth jumps!

Iphindra giggles at the Whisperwind Lasher as it jumps out of the ground.

Qelida grabs a lasher by the stem and yanks it up. It wiggles around, perfectly normal.

[Sarandis]: These seem very healthy and vigorous.

[Hespyth]: They… jump

Syreithe chuckles. "It is cute."

[Iphindra]: They do! Isn't it wo- wonderful!

Hespyth startles every. Single. Time.

[Velrin]: I'm glad these all seem healthy so far.

The very next one, pulled up by Syreithe, is dark and thorny with demonic energy. It attacks!

[Sarandis]: Ah… that one was hostile.

[Iphindra]: Sp- spoke too soon…

Velrin frowns. She jinxed it.

Qelida carefully burns the corrupted lasher with a well-controlled flame, then stamps out the embers so it doesn't spread.

[Syreithe]: Oh…hm. I am not the good gardener.

[Iphindra]: It's not you! *She tells Syreithe.* It's the co-corruption!

[Sarandis]: But there are many more healthy than there are not. It is a good sign for the land.

[Hespyth]: I only know how to see the magic in plants. I do not know how to make them happy.

Iphindra nods at Sarandis.

[Qelida]: There are far more healthy ones. This is good.

[Hespyth]: Do you think it will ever be pretty here again?

[Sarandis]: It seems prettier here, than in the south.

[Hespyth]: Yes…

[Syreithe]: Maybe in some hundreds years?

[Iphindra]: I was going to s- say exactly that!

[Hespyth]: Because of work they do.

[Iphindra]: It's not not pretty.

[Sarandis]: Further along in healing, perhaps? Healing can seem like it is not happening, but sometimes it is just very slow.

[Hespyth]: Yes.
[Hespyth]: Like my mind!

Syreithe smiles at Hespyth.

At this, we make it back to the grove.

Tender Puregrove says: How were the lashers?

[Iphindra]: Healthy!
[Iphindra]: M- mostly.

[Velrin]: Fortunately most of them were healthy.

Tender Puregrove says: Oh, that is good news!

[Qelida]: There were only a few ill.

[Hespyth]: Happy to help.

Tender Puregrove says: It's hard work, but it's so rewarding when you see them growing up big and strong. When they're not covered with demonic thorns, that is!
Tender Puregrove says: That's all of the tending I have to do for now, but I'm sure there's other work around the camp. You should definitely check in with Elessa and Hurak while you're here.

[Qelida]: We shall.
Qelida nods solemnly to Puregrove. "I am pleased we were able to be of assistance. Farewell."

[Velrin]: We will. Thank you. *Vel bows*

Syreithe bows before Tender Puregrove.

Iphindra beams. "We will!"

[Sarandis]: I think we could stay here for some time, and help with other matters?

[Hespyth]: Yes.

[Qelida]: Yes, we can do this.

Iphindra nods at you.

Kaladris nods.

[Velrin]: That would be welcome. I actually live in this little grove.

[Hespyth]: I need to go inside now.

[Sarandis]: I would like to see the Felwood flourish again in truth, or at least to know that it will one day… oh?

[Kaladris]: It's lovely.

[Sarandis]: Then even moreso, to help your home.

Velrin smiles and wiggles her ears.

[Iphindra]: Me too. We- we've got all the time in the world to see it grow again. *She smiles.*