Man, I wish I had Alois here. He knows all kind of laws, Silence thought. Gods, I hate adults. Can't he see he's upsetting the kid?

Silence said, "Yeah, this ain't really property you own, and I'm sure you're doing something probably illegal since, like, you don't own the property. So, like. You should probably stop."

The fact this is coming from a gothic punk ninten year old is a bit funny. Of course, though, they're really just saying it because they've seen that people get nervous when the law is mentioned.

The man's eyes narrowed slightly. "Nobody owns this property, I can cut as much wood as I want. And who's going to stop me anyway, you? You're just kids. Besides, half the trees here are dead anyway. I'm doing these woods a favor."

Zioki had a dangerous light in her eyes. She looked like she was about to singlehandedly destroy this man herself.

(I immediately imagined Joker from Persona 5 and I have no explanation for this)

The man eyed the newcomer suspiciously.

Zioki almost forgot her anger in her surprise of this newcomer. Despite her strong urge to hide from him, she stood her ground.

"We can rip his fingers off if he doesn't want to compromise," Silence suggested, somewhat absentmindedly as they watched a leaf tumble around. 

"Let's get to a common starting point," he suggests, taking the permit as permitted. As he unfolds it, Xolani tries to stare over his shoulder like a curious penguin.
"First, we all don't want the others here to get ticked," he says, using his free hand to briefly make a "one" gesture. Seeming to have finished reading it (please narrate/summarize what is on it, including when it was issued, who issued it, and other such relevant specifics), he hands it back to the man. "That would not resolve anything and would result in violence, so that is quite unsatisfactory as outcomes go."
Xolani nods, not that they really want anything.
"Second, there's a bottom line we all have that we cannot have crossed. I personally would prefer no mutilations of any sort, whether of one's fingers or anywhere else. But the guardian of this forest here--apologies in advance for not speaking your names--wants to avoid any actions that may lead to past circumstances recurring. That is, destruction, death, and deforestation. You, of course, sir, want to save some money from having to buy firewood. Oh, by the way, I would like to say in advance that I appreciate your recognition of the difference between dead wood and live wood." 
He smiles again, seemingly without any hostility.
"I am not sure whether you have encountered similar circumstances in the past, but I assure you that this case is different from most others. It transcends legality because the circumstances aren't quite under the jurisdiction of any governmental entity that might have issued you that permit. She--" he gestures slightly towards Zioki, "--is not just who she appears to be. She lives in these woods, and her existence may well depend on them."
"It is her home," Xolani decides to add, making the other stop in his speaking temporarily. Fixating their gaze on the treecutter, they suggest, "The right to regulate what guests may or may not do in one's home is protected, not just under laws."
"Right," he agrees, just going along with the flow for now. "It's not your fault for wanting cheap firewood and for entering without permission for that purpose. You didn't know, after all. But what she fears is that you might bring less considerate people here, who might destroy her home."
Not that he's very considerate, but y'know, you don't call someone you're compromising with a jerk. Neither does he believe that the other truly is a complete jerk, at least for now.
"So, here is my take on this situation," he says, glancing at Zioki and then to the man again. "I believe that if you are willing to respect her boundaries as the one who has the right to decide what happens in her home, she would possibly be willing for you to take wood from here, given that you follow certain conditions. For instance, such conditions could entail doing so in sustainable amounts, only chopping down trees that have truly died, and not advertising this area as a woodcutting place to the public in the future. In the future, I would suggest that you seek a permit in places that do not have the complex circumstances as this one."
He lifts his hands slightly, one hand inclining towards Zioki and the other towards the man. "How does that sound to you two for now? We can all work this out more if that is agreeable to the both of you."

"Stories?"

Silence sat down on the ground, shifting into a cat again.

"Meow, what kind of stories? Is this even a well-known area? It looks like a plain old woods to me."

"Hey, leave the kid alone," Silence hissed.

"Well, if I may interject, stories are what they are so named--stories. However, if elements of what you said are true, then I find it hard to rationalize through your hypothesis. How does it matter how old she is?" The adult speaking, of course, an amused expression on his face.

"Bye, sir. Have a nice day," the man says after the other's departing silhouette, sounding perfectly unbothered. 
Xolani, who doesn't know what they did but honestly could not care less, tugs on a bit of his companion's clothing. Upon the other looking at them, they shake their head briefly and drop their hand.

He laughs. "It wasn't half bad, compared to some other situations I've come across. Maybe cut him a little slack for now."
He pauses.
"Now, if I may..." He repositions himself to face towards Zioki and Silence. The wind blows through his hair, though none of it obscures his face. Though the sun has mostly fallen, there is still enough light to see that his features are rather kind. He appears to be in his younger twenties, the mid twenties at most, though behind his age there seems to be plenty of wisdom.
"By technicality, I may already know your aliases, but they were, unfortunately, acquired as if by eavesdropping. I consider that unpleasant, so if you are comfortable telling me what you are addressed as, I would be quite honored."

Zioki, noticing the man looking directly at her, dropped her eyes. "My name is Zioki." she said quietly.

"Nice ta' meet you all," Silence nodded.

Zioki's eyebrows furrowed. "You're searching for a...walking forest?"

Zioki was trying to figure out if Nagesh possibly meant a group of wood nymphs. I mean, if they're tree spirits...they could be considered a walking forest.

Silence looked confused.

"Forests can, like, move and stuff? Like, change location???"