The Open Sky: Eternal Forest Saga - Book 3

Chapter 19

 When he first set off from the Grove, Zehlyr's steps were hurried. His angst at seeing that valley again filled his mind with sorrow, and all he wanted to do was put as much distance between it and himself as possible. He traveled well into the night, only sleeping when his legs simply couldn't carry him anymore. Still, when the sun arose he was back on his journey home, and it was at its highest point when his surroundings started to look familiar.

But it wasn't just the trees he recognized. Zehlyr had a way of knowing when he was back in her part of the forest. He couldn't see his beloved Azalea anymore, but he knew her spirit was all around him in this place. It's why he called it home, why he could never live anywhere else; even if that meant living physically alone for the rest of his life.

It was a warm day, but a cursory glance up into the canopy foretold the coming fall. Tiny spots of brown and yellow dotted the otherwise sea of green above. Zehlyr hated the cold seasons. They meant wild game would be sparse and he'd have to rely more on Meadowgold for his basic needs. But it was more than that. With the trees bare and the sun unable to warm the forest, his home felt all the more empty. The flowers on Azalea's tree would all be gone for the season. Even under the warm sun, he felt a chill as he thought about the future.

A sound caught his ear. At first, he thought it was just a passing animal; a squirrel or deer perhaps. It wasn't moving, but rather shuffling in place. He froze when he realized it came from his camp. Zehlyr took slow, light steps. He pulled his knife from the sheath on his belt. If someone from town had come to raid his camp then they were about to discover they had terrible luck with timing. The trees were still too dense to get a sightline on the camp. There were more noises, scrapes of a boot across the dirt in a steady rhythm. Walking? Was someone just walking around in his camp? He didn't hear them going through any of his belongings.

At last, with his knife ready, he reached a wide tree just on the other side of the camp. With his back against the trunk, he listened to determine the intruder's size and position. Years of living in the Savage Lands had taught him to use his ears like a second pair of eyes. He could tell a lot about something by the sounds it made.

"You can put the knife away, Zehlyr," said a female voice he didn't recognize. "I'm not here to rob you."

Utterly perplexed, Zehlyr sheathed the knife and stepped around the tree. There was a woman standing in the camp near the azalea bush. Her skin was pale and her hair was fiery red. Her arms were folded in front of her and her head was tilted to the side. Zehlyr noticed her footprints all over the campsite. How long had she been here? "How do you know me?" he asked. "And... how did you know I was carrying a knife?"

The woman smiled. "Don't worry, we're going to get to that."

Zehlyr looked her over in confusion. She was about the average height of a human woman, but with a more slender, angular structure. Her ears were pointed like an elf's, but only as tall as his own. "Are you an elf?" he asked.

"Can't we start with names at least?" she asked in return, her tone implying that his question was quite rude.

"You seem to already know mine," he reminded her.

"Well, I'm Gayla," she said with a shrug.

"What are you doing in my camp, Gayla?"

"I'm here to give you a message."

"A message from whom?"

Gayla looked over her left shoulder and pointed to the azalea bush with her thumb. "From her."

Zehlyr's eyes widened. "Wh... what do you mean?"

"Exactly what you think I mean," she said with an exasperated tone.