Awesome narrative! Interesting characterization of the wood elves. Good job overall. :)

Ah, I love a good tale about imperialist exploits going wrong! As others have said, I felt that the elves’ reasons for hostility at the end weren’t gotten across the best - although, now that I think about it more, the Guide would’ve led them around the thicket, and thus avoided being executed for needlessly murdering plant life. So I take that critique back!

This one is a very well-written story with a lot of technical skill. I think the one thing missing that really would have elevated the story for me is a bit more explanation of the vines - how are they related to the elves? Is it just a 'defacing nature' thing or is there more at play? Having that relationship more clearly defined would have strengthened the story for me, but even without it it's still an engaging read!

Your story blends traditional high fantasy elements with a darker twist, making it an interesting read. The grim implications of the exploitation of the Wood Elf added a nice layer of complexity. The ending, though, felt a bit rushed and left me wanting a clearer resolution. Great job weaving in the themes!