My job is not an easy one, and I have been doing it for almost fourteen centuries. Let me introduce myself – my name is Ainigriv, and I am a female wood elf of the planet Bren. All my life, I have been doing a job that I absolutely love, but I am coming close to the end of my lifespan. So Giai, the master of our world, has demanded that I take on an apprentice to train so that they can do my job. You may think that this is a bit harsh, but really it is not, for wood elves like myself have been doing this for eons.
I guess I should explain to you what my job is. Quite simply, it is my job to dress and undress the trees. Now this may sound strange, but really it is not. On my planet, we have four phases of life; the first is awakening, of which it is my job to prepare all the trees for budding. The second phase on our planet is called strength; in this phase, it is my job to ensure that the trees reach full foliage and that their sap runs pure. The third phase, which is my favorite, is called aging; during this phase, I have to paint the tree leaves from green and blue to gold, red, brown, and orange. It is also my job to gather the nuts and cones that the forest creatures use to survive. The final phase is called sleep; during this phase, I have to strip the trees of their foliage and lay them around their base so they can feed while resting. It is also my job to lacquer the branches and base to insulate them from the biting cold.
Now when I said that I took care of the trees, I did not tell the whole truth. Actually, I do not care for the trees that bear fruits. That's the job of another wood elf who takes care of them through the four phases. And during the phase of aging, it is that wood elf's duty to contact the farming and gathering creatures so that they could bake, jar, and preserve the different fruits and trade with the wood elf community. It was also that wood elf's duty to gather the spoiled and rotten fruits, feed the forest creatures, and gather the seeds for future groves.
When I said that I loved my job, I did not state that there were many challenges that I had to overcome. Giai, in her wisdom, besides giving me four phases to deal with, also made my job a bit difficult by creating inclement weather to deal with. Also, I had various diseases and damaging insects to overcome. Now I know that Giai's idea was to challenge me and the trees, to see that the weak were thinned out and the survivors were made stronger. But Giai was fair, for she had also given me a bag of salves and potions to use; it was just up to me to figure out what combinations of items it would take to defeat her. The one pleasant side effect was that different trees produced different types of saps that were good for making syrups and mead.
So now, I am at the end of my story, for I see my apprentice, Adnil, I believe her name is, approaching; and I am sure it will take her at least twenty or more phases to get all the things down that this job entails. As for myself, I plan to spend what time I have left in my garden. Hopefully, Giai will grant the time to enjoy the flowers and butterflies that reside there. Thank you for listening.
______Mystikos Samaritan_______
