The Song of the Trees

The full moon has risen, and it's time for the mysterious allies to show themselves again.

Slowly, the full moon rose high into the sky. Bree awoke from her slumber with a long, loud creak. She stretched her limbs and shook the leaves. The eldest in the woods, it was her responsibility to wake the others. Loudly she sang, "My fellows and ladies, awake! The allies will join us today for a meeting!"

The other trees shook off their sleep and stood against the chilly wind. A group of humans, aging from well into their eighties to at least four years old stepped into the woods. The other trees alerted Bree to their presence, and she sang, "Come, our allies, come and speak with us again."

The humans stepped into the center of the forest, where Bree sat, looking down on the puny creatures. Bree smiled, her bark creaking in exhaustion, though she had just awoken. The eldest human stared up at Bree and called, "Bree, ancient tree, we have come for our peace meeting once again."

"Very well, but change into your proper selves before we commence."

The elderly man nodded and slowly began to change form. The other humans followed suit, and soon even the four-year-old humans had transformed into their wolf selves. Bree nodded, leaves trembling, and said, "Very good. I see you are teaching your young the ancient ways."

"We are. Now, Bree, we have trouble in the human world."

"We never agreed to help your human problems in any way but to conceal your identities as werewolves. We only help your wolf selves."

The term was practically outlawed, and many gasps ensued from her words, which were meant as a soft rebuke. The elder wolf scowled his wolf snout and growled, "This is about keeping our identities secret. And if you help us, our human identities can help you."

Bree chuckled and boomed, "And how can you do that? There has been no trouble in these woods for years, why should there be any now?"

"The other humans--the human humans are going to chop down these woods. I'm sure you're aware that you are not protected by their laws. It was always only a matter of time before you all fell. That is one of the reasons we allied ourselves with you in the first place. For your help, we will help you."

There were murmurs among the trees, and Bree howled, "Silence! Tell us your troubles, Fang, and we will see what we can do."

The elder wolf whom Bree had called Fang nodded, a glint in his eye as he said, "Our young are gaining their abilities younger and younger, and they can't control it. That is why you see some of our young children here today. But the transformations are happening to the youngest of them, and not even only on the full moons. It is getting out of control, and someone is bound to notice their...changes soon."

"And how can we help with this?"

"House our children and their mothers until they learn to control their abilities. They will remain as wolves until they are ready to reenter society. We'll disguise it as...well, we werewolves will deal with that. All you need to do is harbor some wolf-humans."

"And how long will this go on? You won't cease having children, and they won't cease gaining their transformations at inopportune times. It will be to the end of time that we serve you."

"And it will be to the end of time that you survive, Bree, or as long as naturally possible."

Bree grunted, and then sighed.

"The day that the humans chop down one of my family members, Fang, is the day I expose your treachery and fraud to the human world."

"Deal then?"

"Deal. This meeting is over."

Fang nodded and the pack skulked off into the night to participate in full moon werewolf festivities. Bree sighed. What was she getting her people into? But they were their allies, and if the trees didn't assist the wolves, the humans would come and chop every last one of them down. Bree began the long, drawn-out, mournful cries of the song to signify the ending of the meeting. Slowly, one by one, the other trees yawned and slipped back into their month-long slumber. Bree was the last to succumb.