The rest of the day was absolute chaos.
Not just for Luca and Leona, who were darting through the forest like mischievous spirits, but for the entire village.
Word spread like wildfire through the trees.
A second tree had moved. Then a third. Then a fourth.
Before noon, every elf who could walk had joined the chase, their faces alight with wonder and excitement.
"There it is! Another tree!"
"How is it moving so fast?"
"The forest spirit must be incredibly strong!"
They ran through the underbrush, climbed trees for better vantage points, called out to each other across the canopy.
Children rode on their mother's' shoulders, pointing at the drifting trunks in the distance.
Elders who hadn't moved this fast in decades found themselves sprinting alongside their grandchildren, laughter bubbling from their chests.
It was the most exciting thing to happen in the village since—well, since the Hero arrived.
