Coven of Outcasts (Book one - Four Broken Pieces)

Chapter Three - Echoes of the Forest

         Night fell over the forest and the rain slowed to a drizzle, eventually dissipating. Shivara, unlike the rain, didn't stop, until the goat fell asleep standing.

          Shivara grumbled in frustration, "Shivara? Friend, you should rest, you aren't looking great," I told her.

          "Can't sleep. On lookout," Shivara snapped, clearly exhausted.

          I creaked my eyebrows at her, "I doubt Sheriff Donnie has followed us this far, I've seen the man get winded knocking on a door.

         Shivara glared at me, her eyes tired and bloodshot, bag forming underneath them. "We can't be too sure," Shivara, "Can't take a," Before she could finish her sentence, she drifted off to sleep.

         Seeing as we had no blankets, I took off my cloak and covered Shivara with it as if it were. The cloak was a deep purple, and lined with the fur of a beast, sure to keep one warm. 

        I slept in the back of the wagon.  The next morning I awoke, the morning dew glistened on the trees and grass around us, the dirt of the trail had become dark from the rain, the flames and smell of burning wood.

        Flames?

        I sat up in a panic, looking around frantically for the source of the flame. There sat Shivara, roasting roadkill over a campfire, and sharing it with the goat.

        She looked up at me, "Hey kiddo, want a bite? 

         I sighed in relief, "No, no, I'm not hungry."

         Shivara shrugged, "Your loss. Oh, by the way," she tossed me my cloak, "Here's your cloak back. Thanks for that, kid."

         I creased my brow, "It's no problem, but do you actually know my name?"

          Shivara nodded, "Yeah, its Stick, right?

          Before I could object in any way, we were interrupted by what sounded like a young girl screaming from the trees, "You let go of me, you horrible creatures!" 

          Startled, I grabbed hold of my shattered lute, wielding it as if it were a club, Shivara held her staff in both hands defensively.

         She led the way through the forest, following the fearful sounds, and tightly gripping my hand as the forest got darker and darker, making it near impossible for me to see anything.

          We came to a sudden stop, and hid behind a bush. From what I could make out, it seemed to be a small child struggling away from two cloaked figures. I readied my lute for attack, but Shivara shushed me.

         She yanked a fistfull of petals off of a nearby rose bush, and started to recite an incantation as quietly as possible. Suddenly, there was a thump in the grass, whatever Shivara had done made one of the figures fall to the ground, unconscious. 

          The still-standing figure started searching around, child still in their grasp, they near immediately spotted us, and Shivara cursed under her breath.

           The figure pulled out a crossbow, aimed it at Shivara, and fired.