Cast of Characters:

​THE CHORUS
THE TREES
RANGER
BEAR
BADGER
COUGAR
BABY RACCOON

The Chorus sings:
A ranger has a strange and wayward life
You must be in the wild so much of your time
And not many people will truly understand
Your need to be near nature so much of your time
Very few people can take this isolation
And even rangers need a friend now and then

The Chorus sings:

The forests in southern Zoluren
Can be frightening to those who aren’t ready
For the strange and magical creatures
That such places can conjure to mind
Are both beautiful and dangerous
To all visitors to it’s great boughs.

Bards transform into a great trees in the forest.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Ranger steps tentatively into the area, looking around at the foliage and underbrush.

​The Ranger sings:
For many moons I have trained and studied
I have fought and conquered and learned
Of nature at it’s best and worst
And like many a ranger I am impassioned
By all this grand world has to offer
Still seems as if something I am missing.

​The Tree moans.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Ranger glances around the room casually.

The Ranger sings:

There is a need I must try and fulfill
One of more than your average friendship
To be companion and friend and provider
To befriend something so wild, only I can comprehend
Someone whose needs and loyalties are the same
Who will fill this blank space in my soul?

​The Ranger glances around the room casually.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Bear pushes through the bushes in search of food, he spies The Ranger and grumbles quietly.

​The Ranger sings:
A bear is a mighty and fine friend of the forest
His size gives one pause for one thoughtful of attack
His voice is a great bellow of what soon shall come.
Such a beast could protect me,
Such a beast would need no assistance
To befriend him would surely be the grandest of feats

​The Ranger gets corn from his backpack.

​The Ranger offers corn to the Bear.

​The Bear smells the Ranger.

​The Bear sings:
What is this creature who intrudes in my woods
What manner of beast could he be?
I have no need of a beast on two feet
You can’t just come to me, food for my friendship
I can fend for myself and don’t need your charity
So if you don’t mind I’ll be on my way.

​The Bear leaves the ranger standing there and goes on it’s lumbering way back into the forest.

​The Ranger sighs.

​The Ranger sings:
It is true that a bear would need nothing from me
And no proper ranger would hide behind a bear
He would sleep too much of the time
And always wake up hungry
What if this ranger had nothing to offer him?
I wonder if bears would eat rangers as well.

​The Ranger shudders.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Chorus sings:
To be needed and wanted as much as you need
Isn’t that what everyone one hopes for?
There must be a creature that could offer that balance
When he comes, Ranger, you shall know
Hope comes in many shapes and sizes
And if you wait you shall behold your own.

​The Tree moans.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Badger rustles some leaves as he wanders into the area.

​The Badger glares at The Ranger.

The Ranger sings:

The badger is a foul-tempered, bad-mannered beast
How many friends do you think that he has?
But I don’t think I’m willing to offer my hand
To a beast that would bite my hand just to spite my heart
If I could make him trust and be a true friend to him
Would he follow me anywhere I wished to go?

​The Ranger ponders The Badger.

​The Badger sings:
You are a fool boy to think that this badger
Is going anywhere with the likes of your kind
I have seen better food on the end of a stick, Ranger
And as for company I have my own kind
I wouldn’t look twice at your offerings of friendship
I am a badger, please don’t waste my time

​The Badger growls.

​The Badger wanders off not looking back.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Ranger frowns.

​The Ranger sings:
‘A fool’ says the badger. ‘Intruder’ claims the bear
What possibilities do I have sitting here?
All I have to offer is my friendship and my food.
Is there no creature that would take me as its own?
When there’s so much I can offer, and it seems like so little now.
Please send me a sign Kuniyo, tell me what I can do.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Chorus sings:
On that day in the Crossing guild
Remember what Kalika said to you
Go south to Leth, the right spot you shall know
From the wilds your heart calls to it
From the woods it will come
And if you wait you shall behold your own.

​The Tree moans.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Cougar enters the area without a noise.

​The Ranger glances at the cougar.

​The Ranger sings:
A powerful and ferocious beast is the cougar
Its presents demands respect and caution
But would I live to tell the tale
To show my world outside this wood
Mistress Cougar would you befriend me?
Or would I simply offer you your next meal.

​The Cougar gazes at the Ranger.

​The Cougar licks her lips.

The Cougar sings:

I am hungry. Are you lunch?
What creature are you to come into the woods?
Offer your friendship, offer your hand
The hand I bite shall feed me well tonight.
I do not wish to follow you, but if you wish
You may stay and keep me company for dinner.

​The Cougar purrs happily at the Ranger.

​The Cougar scratches absently at a Tree.

​The Tree winces.

​The Ranger sings:
This ranger is no fool, you see
I will not step into your lair
Go from this place, devouring beast
I will offer my friendship somewhere else
I fear I will not ever find
My one true companion.

​The Cougar flicks it’s tail in annoyance.

​The Cougar saunters out of the area.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Chorus sings:
Hope dear ranger, hope will come
With the dawning of the day
And as you offer your corn to the ground
It will come timid as the daybreak
You’re companion will come to you
And if you wait you shall behold your own.

​The Ranger drops the corn.

​The Ranger hides behind the tree.

​The Trees rustle quietly.

​The Ranger frets.

​The Baby Raccoon sneaks in the room.

​The Baby Raccoon sings:

Carefully I come to the clearing
What’s that I hear nearby?
I should not wander into the open
Where hawks and cougars and bears can find me
But I’m so hungry and terribly alone
What can I do to ease my emptiness?

​The Raccoon sniffs the corn.

​The Baby Raccoon eats some wild corn.

​The Ranger steps out of hiding.

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Baby Raccoon shies away from the ranger.

​The Ranger sings:
Child of the forest, how may I serve?
I have food and companionship to offer
This world is not always safe for us
But if we travel it together we could find
A little bit of comfort with each other
And a little peace of mind.

​The Raccoon smiles at The Ranger.

The Baby Raccoon sings:
Dear Ranger, thank you for all that you give
To serve and be served, is a wonderful thought.
I am still small, but as I grow I will learn
To protect and be true to those that I love
Companionship is what I most hope for
Dear Ranger, I will go out there with you.

​The Ranger holds hands with the Raccoon.

​The Raccoon’s voice joins with the Ranger as he sings:
Now we two will go from here
And be with each other in each other’s world
Forest and city, road and field
We know each other a way only we can comprehend
In harmony with nature and with each other’s heart
Together always ’til the Gods send us apart

​The Trees sway gracefully about in an elegant dance.

​The Chorus sings:
Into the world you go out together
Companions protecting and growing as one
In harmony with each other and with nature around you
You have each other and only you can comprehend
Your hearts beat together every moment in time
Together always ’til the Gods send you apart.

​The Baby Raccoon leaps into the Ranger’s arms.

​The Ranger smiles.

​The Ranger walks out of the forest with his new companion.