The Child of the Forest called Leaf climbed down from the tree warily, an obsidian dagger strapped to her back—perhaps a longsword for someone of her size.
She had pointed ears, gray skin covered by a red-leaf cloak, and the most striking feature of her face was her catlike eyes, streaked with gold and green. A messy mane of brown, red, and golden hair hung over her narrow shoulders, threaded with grapevines, twigs, and withered flowers.
"How did you know my name?"
She had used that name before. The other Children of the Forest had no names, but after traveling among the human kingdoms of the south for two hundred years, she had acquired a name in the Common Tongue.
Naturally, Su Ming was not about to say it was intelligence from his previous life.
"Because... I am the Sorcerer Supreme! I know that among all the Children of the Forest on this continent, only you speak the Common Tongue. I also know that you serve the Three-Eyed Raven."
Leaf tilted her head, looking up at the two humans with a thoughtful expression.
After confirming that she had never seen them before and had never heard of the title Sorcerer Supreme, she shook her little head.
"No. I don't know you, so I can't let you see the Prophet. According to the ancient Covenant, the forest belongs to us."
She had the voice of a grown woman, sweet and high-pitched. Even though Hermione could not understand what she was saying, she could still sense that this fairy-like creature was rather adorably clueless.
Su Ming crouched down so he could meet her gaze and pulled a piece of jam bread from his belt pouch.
After all, if he took out anything else, she would not recognize it.
"I see. Then can