Caspian's Legacy: The Scent of Truth (book two)

Chapter twenty-nine

Caspian had completely forgotten about Aurora and his best friend, Soren. He worries about them both for their safety; Soren isn't that much of a fighter. He was hoping that somehow they would be able to find them and convince them to return to safety. But deep down, he knew that it was unlikely. They were both stubborn and determined, just like him and Oak.

"We sent Aurora and Soren to the north, didn't we?" Caspian asked, still worried about their friends. "They should be safe there for now. but we must find a way to gather the leaves from the tree of wisdom quickly. The longer we take, the more danger they're in." Oak nodded in agreement, her tangled black hair swaying gently behind her.

"We have been here for too long; this forest is going to drive me mad." Caspian sighed, looking around at the dense foliage surrounding them. "I wonder if Aurora and Soren are doing better than we are," he added with a small frown. Oak shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, Caspian. But we have to focus on our mission and hope that they're safe. We can't let our doubts distract us." She glanced over at her friend and packmate, her golden eyes filled with determination.

"I hope you're right about that. Soren isn't that much of a fighter, and Aurora would just hide from danger. She's not cut out for this," Caspian sighed, looking at the ground. "But we can't dwell on that now. We need to find the tree of wisdom and gather those leaves as fast as we can. The guardians must be close by, and we need to be prepared for anything." He glanced at Oak, their eyes meeting, and nodded.

Oak nodded in agreement, her chest tight with worry. They continued their journey deeper into the forest, the trees growing taller and more twisted as they walked. The air seemed to thicken with an unnatural stillness, as if something ominous lurked just beyond their sight. After several hours of walking, they came across a small clearing, the center of which was dominated by a massive, ancient tree. Its bark was blackened by time, and its branches were twisted into gruesome shapes, as if they were the writhing limbs of some long-dead beast.

"This must be the tree here, because my scent is the strongest here," Caspian says. He sniffs the air, his nose twitching. "Let's be careful, Oak. There's something off about this place." He takes a few steps closer to the tree, his senses on high alert. The wind picks up, rustling the leaves of the tree and sending a shiver down his spine.

He reaches up one of the branches and shakes it. Leaves rained down on them, a few falling on his face and hands. He picks one up and shows it to Oak. "This is it; the faeries need this, and after we are done, we can check on Soren and Aurora to see if they have a sprig of mistletoe and river stones from a river nearby." Oak nods, her golden eyes glancing up at the tree's gnarled branches. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself for what is to come.