The Hero of Brookshire

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning, the sun's glaring rays shone down on Amere and Ewyn, waking them up from their slumber. They could hear birds in the distance chirping in the sky, flying around searching for their morning meal. The smell of burnt wood permeating through the air came through the ashes from the lit fire they had made from the previous night before.

There was a calmness in the forest the two were in that was bountiful. The wind wailed at the distorted, unmoving trunks, carrying the fresh smell of leaves on the brown trees waving from side-to-side in the air going through them. The rustling of squirrels and other wildlife could also be heard scrambling about.

Amere was the first to open his eyes, adjusting them to the sunlight.

He let out a loud yawn before stretching his arms out. His mind then thought about the next adventure that awaited him. Despite getting a good night's rest, he felt the sharp pain in his back from sleeping on the grassy ground. The painful feeling shot up to his back making Amere tightly clench his eyes closed as he absorbed the full brunt of the anguished feeling.

It was times like these that made Amere miss his bed. For the first time in his life, he actually did. He could remember the comforting feeling it gave his body. It was nothing like the hard ground his back was facing and laying on all night.

While waking up, Amere also remembered Utorg. He thought of how he would come into his room and wake him up when it was time for them to start their day.

Next to rise from his slumber was Ewyn. Unlike Amere, Amere noticed that Ewyn appeared fine despite sleeping on the ground. He had to remind himself that Ewyn was a traveler and was use to camping out and sleeping in unconventional ways.

"So, today is the day that we go and meet the elf tribe you've mentioned?" asked Amere.

"Correct," answered Ewyn before reaching into his brown pouch. "In my travels, I've managed to receive a map that will tell us where the elves are located."

"Where are the elves located anyway?"

"The elven tribe we need to speak to live out in the Hisarii Forest. There's three elf tribes total, but the most prominent is the one we're seeing—the Re'el."

Hearing the name of the forest, worry ran over Amere's mind. He knew the elves weren't to be associated with by any non elf for fear of being killed. He knew in the past that the tribes were once enslaved by humans. It wasn't until five hundred years pass did slavery of the elves cease.

Amere remembered when he was younger, Fenyl told him that after the elves were freed from slavery, they were given portions of Braisen by a past king of King Arturion's family as reparations. Amere remembered Fenyl going on to tell him never to travel toward the elves. He remembered being warned of them killing trespassers to their land without a good reason.

"I heard it's dangerous to enter into elven territory, especially if you're human," said Amere.

"I'm friends with the head of the elf tribe there so there shouldn't be a problem with us going," said Ewyn. "Elorathorn, the tribe's leader, knows me."

"Well, before we go, we should go back to the stream and catch some fish to eat over another fire."

"You're right, it will be a long trip from where we are to getting to the Hisarii Forest. I'd suggest you go to the forest's stream and catch us two fish while I start another fire."

Following Ewyn's instructions, Amere went to the nearby stream and caught two fish for Ewyn and himself. After starting another fire and eating freshly cooked fish, Amere and Ewyn continued traveling through the woods. Following Ewyn's map, it led the two of them on foot many miles through Braisen before they came across elven territory in the Hisarii Forest. The elven tribe leader they were on their way to meet lived in the most southern part of Braisen along with other ancient elf tribes that remained through the test of time.