Strel paused in his work, wiping away the curls falling over his eyes. He readjusted his tie, tightening the pony tail. Such a messy job he had done of pulling his hair that day, even though he knew this work was not going to be very easy. He straightened his back and bent his knees as he struck with the axe. The tree quivered lightly as he did so. Growling, the Dauphin struck again, harder. The axe vibrated and sent his arms to twitching along with it. The sapling he cut was drooping beneath his blows, leaning slightly away from him. He hit it again, somehow keeping the same location as he struck. Leaning on the thin sapling, Strelein heard the wood creaking as he pushed it. The smell of sap was thick in the air the more he leaned and the more it cracked. Suddenly, with a rip, the tree fell over, still slightly attached to the tree. The bark had snapped but the inner green was hanging by threads. A quick stroke severed it and the tree was felled.
Dropping the axe, he pulled the tree into his hands and began to drag it out toward the denser clumps of trees. They could come back later for it or take it with them to let it dry out for kindling and firewood. Regardless, Strel dumped it on a pile of other branches and smaller trees. They were mostly still green wood. Turning back to the three others with him, he watched them all easily converse. Two were sons and the other their mother. Of course they could talk easily. He smiled at them rather morosely. Shaking his head, he walked toward them, picking up the axe with him. "It'll look wonderful. With a stage and seats, for plays and for meetings. It'll be a good place to have."
.starsky .ooc {font-style:italic;text-align:center; padding:60px 20px 5px 20px;color:#786762; }
.starsky p {padding:3px 0px; margin:0px; text-indent:20px;}
.starsky b {color:#786762; letter-spacing:-.2px; text-shadow:#3a1504 0em .1em 0em; }
.starsky .line1 {width:150px; border-bottom:1px solid #4e4e4e; margin:0 auto 3px auto; padding:5px 0px 0px 0px;}
.starsky {background-color:#000000; background-image: url(http://i.imgur.com/XPcjE.png), url(http://i.imgur.com/Souo1.jpg); background-position:bottom center, top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; border:1px solid #4e4e4e; font-family: tahoma, serif; font-size:13px; color:#4e4e4e; letter-spacing:.4px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:15px; width:500px; text-align:justify; }
.starsky-border {width:502px; border:1px solid #000000; margin:0 auto;}
.starsky .inner {margin:0px 15px 70px 15px; padding:10px; background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/mfqyi.png); border:1px solid #4e4e4e; border-radius:10px;-moz-border-radius:10px; -webkit-border-radius:10px;}
</style>
[/html]