InkHeart

Chapter 3

The sound of a twig cracking caused Dustfingers eyes snapped open. It was still dark but the disgusting scent of bandits was strong. Dustfinger looked around until he spotted a shadow on the edge of the forest and slipped his hand in her boot pulling out his dagger and watched the  shadow creep closer. When the shadow was at his the edge of the shadows and one more step would bathe it in moonlight, Dustfinger jumped up and rushed the bandit. "Wait! Wait! Wait!" Shouted the shadow. Dustfinger slowed but kept his knife pointed in the shawdows direction. Lyra stirred awake at the shouting and stood up. "What is it?" She asked, tired. "I-i don't know." Dustfinger said more to himself than lyra. "What-. who are you?" Dustfinger called out to the shadow. The shadow did not move. "Move into the light slowly or I attack." Dustfinger warned his confidence growing a bit. The shadow slowly strode towards the light and Dustfinger prepared himself for the worst. Lyra, now wide awake, watched, standing behind Dustfinger. The shadow stepped into the light, and what Dustfinger caught him by surprise.

A Satyr boy walked out of the shadows his eyes red from crying. He couldn't have been older than 15 to 16 years of age. his hair was rugged and longer but not past his ears and he had freckles and blue eyes that stood out like glasiers. His fur below his waist and legs matched his hair and his hoofs were a shiny black. Small grey horns poked out of his head. Dustfinger lowered his knife and lyra rushed to the satyr boy to comfort him immediately. "Lyra! We don't who this boy is!" Called Dustfinger still wary of the boy. But, Lyra raised her hand and shooshed  him. "I'm sorry, Forestchild. We did not mean to scare you." She soothed. The teen hugging her, sniveling. After a few minutes the boy bounded up and skipped over to Dustfinger, no longer afraid, his nose loudly sniffing him and the satyrs hoof making a thump into the dirt. Moments later the boy stood upright in front of Dustfinger. "Hello!" He said joyously. "I am Pamualïn. Or Pam, for short. May the forest smile upon our meeting." He bowed and looked up at Dustfinger, waiting paciently. "Um, I'm Dustfinger. Dustfinger for short. A pleasure." Dustfinger bowed back and forced a smile even though he was confuesed and looking between Pamualïn and lyra. "Pam is a Satyr, a child of the forest, the are very joyful and innocent. He was captured by bandits, which is why he smells like them, and he saw me and heard about the fireeater prophecy, and hoped you would help him." Dustfinger nodded slowly looking at Pamualïn who nodded quickly. Tucking his knife back into his boot, Dustfinger sighed. "What do you help with, son?"

"I wish to come with you." Pamualïn blurted quickly. This again caught Dustfinger by surprise. "What no! You may not come back to this forest and the trip will be tough and long." Dustfinger warned. But Pamualïn persisted. "Please. I want a chance, to go out in the world. I already left my village, might as well have a great story to come along with it." Dustfinger opened his mouth to protest but lyra spoke instead, cutting off Dustfinger. "Fire eater, you may not know, but Satyrs stay in their villagw for their whole life. They stay near ponds that grows lots of friuts to  eat and they sing and dance, never knowing what is outside. This boy will never have a chance like this agian, if you send him home that is." Lyra spoke calmly and though her thoights on the matter were clear, she did not show it. Dustfinger threw his head into his hands in defeat. "okay. You can come, but if you slow us down-"

"I wont! I promise on Irises Heart to try my best to keep up!" Pamualïn grinned from ear to ear. Dustfinger frowned. "Who is Iris?" He asked slowly, hoping he wouldn't offend Pamualïn. "Iris is our maker and our mother. She is us as you are her." Pamualïn answered a smile still on his lips. "Okay. Well if there are bandits near by we better get moving." Dustfinger said to the air. Lyra strode to her cot and rolled it up as well as Dustfingers, and stuffed into his knapsack and began collecting everything else. Dustfinger brought the two tankerns to a small stream near the back of the clearing and cleaned them, filling one of the cups with water and sipping some of the clean water. "Pam, ckme rinse yourself in the waters, you reak of bandits, which is saying something because i dont have the nose of a dog." Dustfinger joked, as Pamualïn trotted toward the water and stepped in, cupping his hands and dumping it over his head.  Once  everything was back in knapsack Dustfinger kicked the ashes spreading around the clearing till only a trained tracker could follow them. "Alright, lets go." Dustfinger placed Gwin on the ground so he could wander and run ariund since he had been sleeping so long. Pamualïn reached into the sack around his hips, which was the only thing he had on next to a beaded necklass that had a few ruins on it that Dustfinger could not understand. Pamualïn pulled out a leaf and palced it into his mouth chewing it but not swallowing. "What is that?" Questioned Dustfinger, after Pamualïn had been chewing it for a couple minutes. "Its a ganjer leaf, it gives one energy, we only eat them on nights when we sing for days at a time without end to stay awake. But i thought now is a time i need engery more than ever, would you like one fire eater?" Pamualïn asked kindly. " no thank you pam, you keep them for later. "

"Shoosh!" Lyra whispered. "Do you hear that?" Dustfinger put a finger to his lips but could only hear the sound of crickets. Pamualïn gasped, and mouthed "bandits" but Pamualïns warning was not needed, Dustfinger found him self paralyzed as he noticed the calm burn of embers just through the trees. The bandits were sleeping but one wrong move and they could awaken one. "Move forward quietly" whispered Dustfinger, picking up Gwin and put him into his pocket. The stepped lightly and for reason. Lyra, and Pamualïn exchanging expressions with eachother. They walked like this for what seemed like years to Dustfinger. And just as the ember glow seemed to be leaving them behind. The crisp and loud snap of a twig echoed throughtout the air.  Dustfinger turned to Lyra who was farther ahead but only shruged. Dustfinger then turned his gaze to Pamualïn who was frozen his face scruched up at the sound. Dustfinger looked to the glowing embers. "Go!" Mouthed lyra and then broke into a run. Dustfi ger followed behinds
and Pam galloped down the path behind the two of them.

"Wait?! Where is the saytr!" Rushed shouting and the sound of swords clanging, echoed behind them and even Dustfinger could hear the shouts of the bandits. They ran about a mile untill lyra stopped. "I....cant...have to......rest..." she breathed. The trio slowed and lyra sat down next to a tree and caught her breath. "I think there gone, we are safe." Dustfinger huffed out. The sun was now coming up, bringing light through the trees and the sound of ravens mocking them echoed throughout the forest.

The three of them sat down and Dustfinger pulled out a map to figure out where they were exactly. "Lets see, we were about here when we had set up camp, and we walked only a few minutes until we reached those bandits, and we ran for a about a mile, so we are about here, only about half a days walk to the nearest town, um, Cædïan." Dustfinger pointed at a little dot on the worn out parchment, and looked up. "Cædïan?" Questioned Pamualïn nervously, i heard about that place, i heard they hunt Saytrs." Dustfinger scoffed. "I doubt that, Pam. It was probably just some rumor they used to scare you onto staying in your village." Pamualïn nodded, unconvincined. The three of them walked at a brisk pace, as Dustfinger was still worried those bandits were following them, after Distfinger had calmed down and allowed them to slow down, Pamualïn reached into his bag and retreaved a pair of reeds and began playing a tune. It was fast paced and had a happy undertone and dustfinger nodded his head to the beat. After a few moments, Pamualïn began playing a slower song, Lyras eyes lit up. "I Know this song!" She cleared her throat and began singing along her voice clear and crisp throughout the cold forest air;

The winter air, as night grows cold,
The childrens spirit now no more,
and as you rest your head to lay,
Your shadows, will come out to play.

They'll dance along the the shore so free,
But never to touch the memorizing sea,
They hide within the trees, waiting,
For the sun to hide underneith.
and as you rest your head to lay,
Your shadows, will come out to play.

she finished and Pamualïn slowly lowered his reed his eyes now red with the tears that threaten fall from his eyes. Dustfinger who was know letting the lyrics replay in his mind over and over nodded once and looked straight. "Wow. Way to darken the mood." He muttered, causing Lyra to laugh through her tears. "I'm sorry fire-eater, it just reminds us of home, and a innocent time of childhood. A time that is now gone forever." Lyra straighed herself up, and flipped her long wavy brown hair over her shoulder and walked toward the now close aproching town of  Cædïan.