People of the Forest

  They came out of the forest, just a trickle at first, but soon with no fanfare, came the rest of the people in a flood! They seemed to have melted out of the darkness of the forest into the brightness of the rising sun? It was as if they had just appeared from out of nowhere?  John had not heard the commotion at first, not until he felt Max tense at his feet. Max was sitting focused on the parade of little people as they emerged from the woods. His most serious pose, the one that always made his ears fold up forming that soft flat piece that John liked to pet. But Max could control himself no more, and he bolted up from the bedroll, and began sniffing at every person he could! That is until he came upon Miss Lottie Dee Fess, who smacked him hard across the snout, causing him to yelp! None of the people were larger then the dog, but after he gave it a brief thought of concern, John dismissed it. Max would not bite anyone who was not a threat. Lick them to death maybe, but never a bite!
  As the people came out from the forest, some pushed wheelbarrows of what looked like brightly covered moss? There seemed to be a moss for every texture and hue that you could imagine! There were many shades of green as you might well expect, but also oranges, yellows and browns. There was another that looked quite elegant as it was royal purple in color, interspersed with golden flowers which looked like buttons! But there was one other, more beautiful then all the rest! It was pink in color, but it wasn't the color of the moss that John felt so drawn to, but rather the heavenly glow that came from it!
Thomas, John asked, what is that pink moss, and why does it... Beautiful isn't it, Thomas interrupted. The pink moss is a very special moss, he explained, it comes only from the garden of the Lady of the Forest! It is so special, that only one family can tend to the Lady's garden, and it is considered a great honor! And so, it passes from one generation to the next. These tenders are called, The Keepers of the Pink!