Editing Teylin, the Ash Knight (section)

==Mistaleinn, the Day's Weald==
Teylin, new to his errantry as the Ash Knight, walked the unaligned kingdoms of the mortal world and came to a grand, distant palace.  There was a great tree in the courtyard and, in its shade, a table laid out as if for banquet, but no servants or lords in attendance.  Teylin was hungry from his journeying but did not assume a right to hospitality, and so resolved to lay beneath the tree until some being came to make him welcome. As the sun set into night, an owl spoke from the tree and warned the elf against staying.  A warrior came with every dawn, the owl said, to claim the palace's bounty, and no hero had yet stood against him until noon.  

The elf noted the tree's golden bough, and the truce it represented, but the owl insisted: to stay was to fight, come dawn.  Teylin resolved not to flee, whereupon the owl invited him to at least feast on a final banquet, as set upon the table.  Teylin agreed, and soon uncovered puddings, venison, fruits and all manner of viands. The cheese he crumbled onto the floor, and indicated that the owl should have its fill of the mice so attracted.   

At dawn the warrior came, armored all in green from head to toe.  He made challenge to Teylin, and then they lay to in many passes, each against the other, with much blood spilt thereby.  Neither had gained the upper hand, until at last Teylin's nameless sword broke against the warrior's scales.  In that moment did the owl tip the golden bough down from the tree and, grasping hold, Teylin stabbed that wood through the warrior's heart. 

The warrior's death came as a breath of darkness cast over the palace, and faded like a sigh, 'til his armor was only leaves and nothing of his body remained, if anything there had ever been at all.  Where once was an owl now stood a queen, wrapped in a cloak of feathers, an old curse broken, as is the way of these things.  And the lethal bough, blessed with thanks by a queenly hand, became a wooden sword.  (Sunblade +2)