The forest was old – that much was certain.
Ancient trees hung with moss, roots all tangled together.
It was also dark; and the air was dank.

The forest filled me with terror – what ghosts and spirits are in here?
What demons await me?
But what choice did I have?
I stepped into the great wood and headed into the darkness.

That night, I lay in my camp. Listening.
Listening to the sounds of the forest; the creaking of the ancient trees, the shuffling and breathing of creatures unseen and unknown, the sudden crack of a stick nearby, and the booming of my heart afterwards.
Listening and imagining what lay around me in the darkness.

Why do people fear the night, I asked myself, why do I of all people fear this darkness, this unknown?
And then, suddenly, I understood.
There are no ghosts, I realised, no demons in the dark can haunt us.
The answer was simple!

You have returned, they said.
As I promised, I replied.
What was there?
Something valuable. I shall teach you.