My own part of the bargain complete with the final blood of the sacrifice, I hear the old branch drop from the tree behind me. A new druid walking stick cost only the lives of every beaver colony within beaver territory of the tree. A price I paid gladly for this discarded branch from such an otherwise strong and powerful tree. Freely given in honor of a noble deed, this branch now held all the spiritual power it held in life, but it was mine to wield, for the price of being the arm of vengeance to the local trees. The beavers would return, eventually, and all would balance out. But it would take a generation or two before they filled the niche in this tree's range regarding beavers. Thus it had nothing to fear of beavers anymore and my deed was worthy of the sacrifice. The weak branch just gave way, and humans appreciate fallen branches. This would be the best fallen branch. I expressed my amazement and promised to return on my future travels. I do not tell them I spotted signs of rabid in the poor creatures and it was a mercy killing. I would have to remember to keep a closer eye on that. It could become an epidemic in the area if it has spread behind the beaver population at mating season. I'd also need to continue to watch the beaver population as well as some other animals prone to get the disease in this area.

Dragging my branch, apologizing for anything breaking off, and taking them with me as impossible to part with, if I'm able, but forcing nothing to break, I continue my now very excited journey through the wilderness.

I intended to be well out of range of the tree's territory before gifting most of the branch to the next beaver colony over, in showing I am no threat to them specifically, and to allow myself a closer evaluation of their temperament. I marvel at the beavers beginnings of this year's dam, and explain my own carving project, in doing so I explain to the beavers my own problem with separating the two arms of the branches and which parts I'm wanting, I was born with the unfortunately small teeth of a human. I then offer to split this wonderful powerful gift with them if they can help me solve this seemingly impossible task. I even end up helping them plan their build using the branches of my gift as key supports and the twigs as the perfect filler because I'm already breaking it apart into just the right size, I just couldn't break or gnaw through that one area because it was too thick for my small human teeth. I'm ever so grateful when they are easily able to solve my problem. The staff is the only part I needed of it, so they can have all the other parts. Once I explain the energy even in those parts I don't need, and how it's fate that we crossed paths and I happened to choose camp right in their territory because it would be perfect addition to their build. Even make the supports stronger with the residual magic.

They are thrilled at so generous a gift, knowing they feel silly for how easy it was for them to help. I stay and finish making camp, using old gathered branches for firewood, a little farther from camp than I like to scout for branches this large, but it's the ones the beavers haven't bothered with yet, and are actually easier for the human strength to drag fully closer to the planned dam. Of course they're glad to help me making the types of sticks I like. Humans do like special shaped sticks. They are fascinated by the idea of my druid powers to keep away predators with special sticks. The idea of me spending a night near their planned lodge and dam this early in the season is sounding like a great idea. Their shelter will be strong, but they've just barely begun building it. Perhaps if this "fire magic" I have is so powerful, they better watch me do it. Who knows, if it keeps the predators away maybe they could learn to do it too. Beavers are great with sticks after all. They are not sure it's manageable by the end of my explanation and once my fire is stoked. It is magic to them. Even if a beaver had the magic, try as they might beavers simply do not have the dexterity to start a fire with sticks. But for a night, the beavers worry about if they'll finish before the cold comes, or if there will be still or this year like there was last year. Convinced of my "controlled fire" being druid magic. If a druid said his fire would keep away predators, and he did what was clearly magic, you'd stick near him for a night too. You'd do all you can to help him chew his magic stick to the right shape and even dispose of the druid's unneeded bits by using them in the dam. Given freely and retaining the same power. These branches would now serve wonderfully for their dams, being guaranteed more structurally sound than any exact copy of the branch they would happen upon. It was an utterly reliable branch for them, and the cast off parts for my staff for me.

They thanked me before retiring for the night with promises of any stillborn of their litter that was birthed in the lodge they built. A cast off for them, an incredibly useful trade item for me. The perfect balance to the trade. It also was an offering by the group to check back again at birthing season, a sign of trust. Should the branches hold, I will return to find friends, gifts to fulfill promises, and perhaps more trades or requests that can become beneficial. With luck the explanations of rabies will keep them vigilant and the extermination I had to preform will be the last in the area. My visit also served to show humans can use special sticks for many things, and that special sticks make humans happy. Some humans can do magic with sticks. If other humans come and take sticks from beaver territory or even lodge as I have heard my kind has done, it might be just the right stick for magic. Beavers should be careful, and forgive humans for taking sticks, because most are not as wise as I.

In the morning I left, using the shortened and trimmed branch as a walking staff now. I knew the perfect frog pond I could reach by lunch. I intended to soak the bark loose there. This druid staff would take a lot of effort, but I had the general plan. I would need to find some bark beetles willing to eat their fill of soft bark and wood, but only in specific patterns I already laid out using an ink they find distasteful already to outline their path. Nothing they wouldn't do anyway, but this branch was enchanted. They would get more than just their fill. They would get the energy they needed to make it through the season, ensuring the next generation, and an unnaturally long life for them, with little hunger. It would be an excellent trade up for them. Only problem was getting the idea across. Beetles could be very casual about life until birds came along. I would need to begin some carvings and stuff the splinters into the beetle bores. Give them a taste. Lucky for me I kept many of the splinters from the beaver chewing. No piece of this gift should go to waste.

I swiped a handful of the poisonous berries spotted along the same stream as the beavers. I'd been following this streambed for a while and it was leading me in the right direction of the pond. I promised the berry bush to spread it's seeds far and feed additional ones to birds to speed farther. It was the fruit that I needed for inking my rune outlines upon the staff bark, and keeping the beetles from eating outside my desired design. There are a few other ingredients to gather along the way, so I stored the whole fruit away, making sure to mark it as poison. The frog pond would be the perfect place to mix that ink, with the cattail being a perfect binding ingredient. there always were a few birds there drinking, another safe place within this magical forest. Ones that would be very happy to take the seed cast-off now that I've rendered it safe and taken the poison part off it.

Shame it's too early in the season for fireflies. The frogs will love them around the pond next season. While it would have been neat to have the runes in the staff glow with firefly light, it may have to wait for the next staff. I lament this to the bird as I cast off the seeds. They have no solutions for me, but suggest I investigate the glow-moss they have seen on their migrations. I assure them that sounds like exactly my interest, asking their directions, and the birds are happy to describe to me their flight. My pitiful human wings built more for warmth than for flight, I pull my cloak tighter around me. A chill in the air, the weather will be changing soon and I still have too much forest to patrol. Never enough of a druid to go around.