Fate's Forge

Chapter 4

The night air hummed with the whispers of ancient trees as the immigrant company made camp on the edge of the Forest of Death, a name that sent shivers down the spines of even the bravest souls. The forest, tangled and dark, was said to be a bridge to the afterlife, where spirits lingered among the living. Legends had this forest as the sacred forest to the ancient god of death.

Jas Cutter, his lean figure wrapped in a worn cloak, was roused from sleep by the sound of giggling-a sound so out of place in the eerie quiet that it instantly pricked his ears. He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and noticed that the boots and mittens he had left out for Remy were gone. The giggles beckoned him again, luring him outside the flimsy safety of the camp.

By the light of the moon, Jas found Remy, a shadow of a boy, playing tag with Misty, Jas's large pet cat. Her silver fur glinted as she darted between Remy's legs, her bell-like meowing mingling with his gleeful squeals.

"Hey there, Remy," Jas greeted, stepping into the moonlit clearing. To his surprise, Remy didn't bolt like usual. Instead, he paused and looked up at Jas with big, curious eyes.

"Hi, Jas," Remy replied, a shy smile tugging at his chapped lips. It was the first time he had acknowledged Jas without a hint of fear or mistrust.

"Those boots look good on you," Jas remarked, nodding toward the snugly fitted boots that had once been his own.

"Thanks... they're warm," Remy mumbled, scuffing the ground with them.

Something about the boy's demeanor made Jas crouch down to his level, his brown hair falling into his eyes. "You know, you can tell me anything, right? We've all got stories here."

Remy's gaze flickered to the foreboding trees before returning to Jas. "My mama... she died two winters ago." His voice quivered like the last leaf clinging to a branch in autumn.

Jas felt a pang in his chest, a kinship in grief. "I'm sorry, Remy. That must've been real hard."

The boy nodded solemnly. "Then I stayed with some men. They were nice at first, but then..." He trailed off, his small hands balling into fists. "They did bad things. I ran away. Lived on the streets 'til you caught me."

"Caught you being quite the pickpocket," Jas said with a half-smile. "Ever think about joining us instead of running? You'd make a great addition to our ragtag family."

Remy shook his head fiercely, but his eyes held a glimmer of longing. "Can't. But you should know... there are horsemen following your company."

Jas stiffened, his playful demeanor vanishing. "Following us? How do you know?"

"Seen 'em. They're bad news, Jas. Just like those men..." The little boy's voice dropped to barely a whisper, carrying a weight too heavy for his years.

"Thanks for the heads-up, Remy," Jas said, clapping a hand on the boy's shoulder. "We'll keep an eye out. And if you ever change your mind, we'll be here. You are always welcome with us."

Remy nodded, casting one last wary glance at the forest before fading back into the shadows. Jas watched him go, wondering about the choices that lay ahead for both of them-choices that could bind or liberate, choices that shaped the path between life and whatever lay beyond the ominous stretch of the Forest of Death.

Jas's breath misted in the chill morning air as he approached Mathen, who was busy tightening a wheel on one of the wagons. "Got a minute?" Jas asked, his voice low.