Briar Amulet

There was once a dryad, a spirit of the forest, who fell in love with a wanderer. The wanderer was on a long quest which stretched the length of the land, but she could not leave the forest, bound as she was to the earth and trees. When the time came for the wanderer to continue his journey and they were to be parted, the Dryad wept green tears that watered the ground. From her grief, a briar grew and it did not bloom with flowers, but was imbued with the strength of her enduring love. She fashioned a branch of the briar into a perfect, unbroken circle, which she gave to her love to represent her vow; she would wait for him to return, even if they were parted for many ages.

Many years later, upon the fulfillment of his quest, the wanderer returned to the forest, still bearing the unbroken circle. But when he reached the river bank where the Dryad dwelled, he found that she had waited in place for so long that the passing years had transformed her into a weeping willow. Distraught, he threaded the briarwood circle onto one of her branches and kneeled in despair by the river. To his amazement, by the strength of their love, she was restored to her true form and they were reunited at last. They spent many happy ages together and their home was filled with music and light.

The Briar Amulet is a small piece of that original token. A sacred symbol of a bond that cannot be broken - be it an oath to another, or a promise to oneself. May it serve as a token to remind you that some journeys, and some loves, never truly end.