The guide mentioned puddles, but I envisioned lakes, deep treacherous lakes, and I was drowning.

One turn has passed, another Solstice is just around the corner, and having an illicit affair with not one but two lovers—smith Ianys and shunned forester Taruif—is taking its toll on truth seeker Kelnaht.

A stripling has gone missing from the tribe, and heavy rainfall hides all traces of his whereabouts. With days creeping by without a lead, it's hard to keep the tribe's spirits up, more so when Kelnaht's own future depends on the elders. Taruif has been shunned for almost twenty turns, but now that a possible forester's apprentice is coming of age, the elders consider reducing his sentence. Taruif could be set free.

In gaining one lover, Kelnaht may lose another. Ianys seems to be pulling away from them both. He doesn't want to hinder Taruif's happiness while an old promise keeps Ianys from loving Kelnaht openly. But Taruif needs Kelnaht and Ianys' support more than ever. If they lose faith in each other, the puddles in their paths will swallow them all.

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wordcount: 35,000 words
TALES OF THE FOREST is an ongoing series of standalone stories linked by a forest world.
Content warnings are available in the book's front matter and on the author's website.