Nat found what he was looking for a few hundred meters from the camp and carefully selected a large, flat rock from the outcropping.  He carried it back the camp and gently set it down beside the fire pit.  Already there was a growing pile of fallen wood handy and a moment later Mark came up with another load.

               “Isabeau’s in her tent,” he said, eyeing Nat’s rock.  “Table?”

               “Yeah, be right back with chairs,” Nat said and headed back to the outcropping.

               When he carried two smaller boulders, one on each shoulder back into camp, Mark had a fire going.  Nat set the rocks in place before the ‘table’.

               “You will be useful,” Mark commented.

               “How’s that?” Nat noted a basket sitting in the center of the table.

               Mark flipped back the cloth covering it and began to set out a small feast of fresh baked bread, fruits and a wooden bowl of nuts.

               “This one’s like grape juice,” Mark held up a skin canteen.  He picked up the other and pulled the stopper.  “This one’s wine.”  There was a conspiratorial grin and he threw his head back and took a long pull, his Adam’s apple bobbing.  With a hearty sigh he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

               “Guess the girls needed to freshen up,” Mark commented.

               Nat lifted the tent flap and leaned down.  “Isabeau, you feel like something to eat?”

               “NAT!” Mark scowled.  “That’s the girl tent!  NEVER LOOK IN!”

               The tall surfer folded his arms across his chest.

               “Unless they ask you too,” Mark added.

               “We just saw four nude elves . . .” Nat said.  “Three of them girls.”  He let the flap fall.

               “Yeah, but these are not elves,” Mark explained.

               Isabeau’s voice floated out of the tent.  “No, I am not hungry but thanks for asking.  I just want to rest a little, maybe my powers will recover faster.”

               Nat leaned down, his mouth nearly touching the canvas.  “Sorry, Isabeau.”

               You can't just expect these girls to act like that,” Mark said.  “Man, you have a lot to learn about cultures.”

               “My culture is a beach on the Silver Strand or Mission Bay,” Nat growled.

               Mark grinned slyly.  “Yeah all them HALF naked girls but just because these girls are here to help don't mean they will go running naked.”

               “I never expected them too.”

               Wren had stopped just inside the edge of the trees, behind Mark.

               “And a lot of the elves won't be naked either.”

               Nat shook his head but he was watching as Wren ran her hands over the smooth trunk of the tree.  It was like a caress.

               “Jessy will be going with a team of elves to plant trees in a few days,” Mark went on.

               “There aren't enough already?” Nat said.

               “The plains elves are already getting ready to move,” Mark said.  “And no, these are thirteen SPECIAL trees.”

               Wren circled one particular tree and used her powers to raise herself up to the lowest branches.

               “It will be the life trees of each kind of elf,” Mark went on.  “If anything should happen to that tree the race will die out . . . so the legend goes.  So each of them has to plant their seed in the land of their people.”

               “I just came here as a pack mule, Mark, nothing more.”  Nat said dryly.

               “Lucky you,” Mark said just as dryly.

“Sorry you gotta be all serious and stiff.”  Nat said with a shrug.

               “Yeah,” Mark went on, “I got this sweet little mare to let me go for a ride.  Man is she fast!”

               Finished with her inspection of the tree, Wren silently settled back to earth.

               “I have to be a little on the serious side,” Mark said.  “This is the re-founding of my bloodline.”

               “I am happy for you,” Nat tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

               Mark eyed him.  “You are just saying that.”  He picked up a loaf of bread and tore it in half.  “I rather be back home in the valley resting but duty called.  What a way to spend my summer vacation, in more woods.”

               Wren stepped around Mark.  “May I cut a branch off one of the trees?  And if so, what is the proper way to do so?"

               Nat smiled at Mark’s look of near horror.

               “Best not to cut any branch,” Mark told her.  “And if it is needed than you will have to ask the tree if it is okay.  You don’t want to upset the spirits of the trees.”

               Wren nodded.  "So, I ask the tree.  And how do I know if the tree says yes?"

               Nat had to fight to back a chuckle.

               “Why do you want to cut a tree branch?” Mark asked.

               “That's none of your bui . . .” Wren said sharply then caught herself.  “It's personal . . .” The set of Wren’s lips told Nat she was annoyed with Mark.

               Mark shrugged.  “I know the wood elves can speak to the trees with spirits and so can my Mother.”  He gestured to Nat’s stone table.  “Come on eat.  I brought a lot.”  He looked down to the lake where Marina was stretched out on the thick grass.  “Marina!  I brought us lunch, come and eat!”

               She sat up and propped herself up on her elbows.

               “Thanks!” she waved at him.         

               Coming to her feet, the girl strolled back to the camp.

               “Thanks,” she said again, taking a seat on one of Nat’s chairs.

               Mark pointed at Wren with his partially eaten half loaf.

               “After lunch, I will get you a wood elf to help you, Wren,” the elf boy said.

               Wren gave him a curt nod, a slight look of gratitude mingled with her normal air of indifference.

               “All right,” Wren replied.  She settled onto a stone and selected a fruit with a rind not unlike a citrus.

               Sampling one to the local berries, Marina smiled at Mark.

               “What should I wear to the party? Is it casual or formal?" she asked.

               “Oh, very casual,” Mark said, taking another pull on the wine.  “No one has anything but camping clothes.”

               “Cool!”

               “You will be the belle of the ball, Marina,” Mark said bowing to her.

Marina blushed and changed the subject.  “So what exactly are we out here camping for?  Just for the fun of it?”

“Nope,” Mark chirped.  “Building the tree city and then we will move out to help the different tribes form their homes.”

“Oh,” two lines appeared between Marina’s eyes.  “For the elves right?”

Mark grinned, “Yep like me . . . But I got shanghaied.  I come home for a vacation to get away from the forest and here I am back in the woods.”

“Anyone gonna be staying here?” Nat asked, meaning the immediate area.

“Oh yeah,” Mark nodded.  “This is going to be the main city for trade.”

“Which race?” Nat finished one of the orange-like fruits.

“There will be some of each,” Mark replied.  “In the times to come . . . but right now this will be where all of them start out.  So as mom brings more they will settle here till they are educated and then strike out to join their people and some will come back to trade.  Right now we have to set it up for all the tribes to start here, just a few hundred but I know my mom, she will fill this place in no time.”

He paused to take a swig from the skin of wine.

“Anyone want some?” He offered.  “Or is the grape juice okay?”

“I prefer water,” Nat said with a slight nod of the head.

Marina hesitated, “Er, I’ll try some grape juice.”

Mark retrieved a wooden cup from the basket and filled it for Marine who took it up and sipped.

“Who wants to go to the high camp?” Mark asked, pointedly looking a Marina.

“Can we get a big pot?  Something to put water in?” Nat asked.

“Yeah,” Mark replied. 

“You mean the elf one?” Marina sounded eager.

“Nah, the high camp is Jessy’s camp,” Mark explained.  “It’s a tease ‘cause she’s up so high.”

Comprehension dawned in Marina’s eyes.

“I’m game,” she said.  “Just as long as Wren doesn’t have to lift us there.

Nat’s eyebrow went up at the comment.

“Your confidence in my skills is astounding,” Wren said dryly.

Marina smiled at Wren with an apologetic little giggle.  “You skills are pretty astounding,” she added.

“She keeps me up . . . “ Nat injected.

“Nah,” the elf boy said.  “We have ropes and ladders . . . not many elves can fly.  And we could stop by the main camp too if you’d like.”

Mark offered Marina his arm.

“Come on lets go get your pot and I will show you to where the party will be,” his tone changed to a low conspiratorial whisper,  “she even snuck in pop . . . Dr Pepper, 7Up, Pepsi, Coke . . . “

“Finally!”  Marina sighed.  “Something ‘I’ know about!”

Wren’s attempt as a smile failed, “You guys have fun.”

“Come on, Nat,” Mark urged.  “I will send you back a wood elf, Wren but I wished you would come with us.”

“I would,” Wren replied.  “But I don’t think Jessy would want to see me right now and I would prefer she be happy.”

“I don’t want to leave this camp incomplete,” Nat said.  “Besides, I’d like to get in some swim time.”

“Doubt that,” Mark said.  “Have you checked out the surf? It’s pretty monster.  Jessy made a cool ramp down to the beach.”

“I don’t need surf to swim,” Nat said.  The guy’s superior attitude was beginning to wear on his nerves.

Mark shrugged “Okay, I’ll send a pot back with the wood elf.  Come on, Marina, I’ll show you around.”

“That would be lovely,” Marina said with a huge smile.

Mark strutted out of the glen with the girl in tow.

“So how long have you been at the school?” Mark asked as they stepped into the trees.