Our journey soon took a completely opposite character. The forest around us became even thicker than before. But the sun's rays still slipped through the cracks between the treetops, made of multicolored leaves, stretching from a shade of deep green to a strange silver, even blue shades.
No matter how we searched, there was no sign of the siren's lake. Considering how well Vyn said he knew his stuff, we were completely lost. This wasn't the first time so I was laready used to us not knowing where we are going.
When my eyes fell back on Vyn, his face looked thoughtful. The red-haired man's green jewels stared straight ahead without the slightest hint of emotion. I've saw him this deep in thoughts. Something serious must have been going through his mind, and it made me think too.
What could trouble him? Normally, when I stared at him for more than a few seconds, he always noticed me, but now? It's as if his mind is locked in a box with his soul. I had to talk to him at least four times before he finally woke up.
"Vyn! What is up with you? Are you good?" I asked him with worried voice.
He stared at me for a moment, confused, before finally speaking. "Oh, I'm sorry I just have been thinking about the direction we are going and how we will get to our destination as fast as possible."
Something was off. This wasn't his usual behavior. At least from what I noticed so far. However, I decided not to dig into it. But there really was something wrong. Something didn't seem right, and my senses told me to do something about it as soon as possible. My lips parted with a question in my eyes. While I was searching for the right words, his gaze fell from the horizon to me.
"Vyn. I think we already went past the lake. Maybe we should go back a little."
Before I could continue, he cut me off with his suddenly abrupt voice, which lacked his usual humor and the tingle of obscurity with which he spoke.
"No! Look I don't think it's safe for you to go there. You may survive those creatures before, but this is something different! You're mortal Leya! Underwater, you don't stand a chance. Sirens will pull you deep without any problem. Even if your skin and muscles weren't immediately shredded by them, you wouldn't have a chance to swim back to the surface before you ran out of oxygen." In a matter of seconds, the almost screaming became nothing more than a silent confession.
"That's why I went around the lake without telling you. You're stubborn. You wouldn't let me tell you and you'd go there. I can't let that happen, I'm sorry."
I stared at him in shock. On the one hand, I was angry with him. Not just because he thought I was weak, which wasn't exactly a lie considering I'd never been a trained fighter, but I also felt bad that he lied to me. He tricked my mind into thinking we'd gone astray. At the same time, he knew all along that we wouldn't even pass by the lake.
On the other hand, I understood. He was right that I probably wouldn't let anyone tell me and I would pay for it with my life. Just the thought of the sharp claws of the sirens tearing at my skin and tearing at my flesh as the cold, cloudy water swells into my wounds and my oxygen-deprived lungs clenched in pain sent shivers down my spine.
With a sigh, I agreed with Vyn, even though I didn't want to. "So? What now?" My voice maintained a serious tone that interspersed with mild curiosity. What could he possibly have planned now?
He thought for a moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was a little calmer than before. "We will soon arrive under the mountains. Getting over them will take us three days if we will move fast." His eyes leaned forward again as he stared at the horizon with his arms folding behind his head while his fingers intertwined with each other. However, just like the forest, mountains have their own dangers and guardians. The mountains are protected by stone golems, which are much more aggressive than the forest ones."
