Board Thread:Roleplaying/@comment-3293219-20141201131422/@comment-5583506-20141207053924

"What is so special about that tree anyway?" asked the smith as he observed through a window in the smithy.

Riamide didn't take her eyes from the pages of the book containing the legacy of the smithing knowledge passed down from Starkad's ancestors.

"That's what I am trying to figure out", she said. "I may be a Daedric prince, but there are things in this world and the next that even we cannot fully comprehend. How did that legend about the tree go again?"

He raised his shoulders. "I don't really know all the story. I just know the basis. Some star fell out of the sky and struck an acorn in the ground. The acorn grew roots and eventually turned into that really creepy thing out there."

"Creepy?" she said in an asking tone and raised an eyebrow, but continued to read in the book. "How?"

"Oh, I should perhaps have mentioned this before. Now, I don't whether or not this has something to do with that poor dead girl..."

"Myling", corrected Riamide sharply. "Her name is Myling."

"Sorry. It's just that the night before you and she arrived here in Ekendal there were some strange occurrences involving that tree."

Riamide put the book down. "Occurrences? How?"

He looked confused. "It was... glowing. It was rather eerie actually, but in a beautiful sort of way."

"Glowing?" Riamide's expression shifted to look just as confused as Starkad. "I can't seem to find any connection here. What role exactly does the ghost oak play to Myling? Are you sure this was the night before?"

He nodded. "I remember it well. Did something... strange happen to her around that time perhaps?"

The old woman shook her head. "No, not that I can think of. Myling and I was travelling to this place during that time. The Umbramancer was still after her, of course." She rubbed her forehead. "These trees", she began. "You don't happen to know if there are anymore like it? I mean your ancestors lived here and apparently they knew alot about ghost oaks in general. Do you know if they knew of any other ghost oaks in Skyrim? Or in Tamriel for that matter?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Not that I can think of. Although, my old grandfather used to tell me stories of a tree far to the north of here. It was standing high up on the mountain overlooking a settlement. He said that although the tree still stands to this day, it has lost its life and essence."

Riamide leaned closer. "Did he happen to mention which settlement this was?"

Starkad fell silent for a moment and tried to remember. "It was a strange name... kind of sad one at that. Something about a resting place or something like that. Martin's Rest? No, that's not it..."

Riamide felt shivers running down her spine when she heard Starkad trying to explain the name of the settlement. He had only just begun remembering, but she already knew which settlement he was referring to. It made her feel cold sweat running down her forehead. How she hated to wear mortal guise!

Starkad looked up at her when he finally remembered, but she already knew his answer. "Maiden's Rest. My grandfather told me this through an old poem:

Within the Reach, on the highest crests

a ghost oak still stands, where the maiden rests..."