The Call of Home

CHAPTER 6

Seren's friends arrived shortly after dawn, their arrival signalled by the soft crunch of footsteps on the path outside the teahouse. I had just finished packing the last of my belongings into a weathered leather satchel when I heard the low hum of voices drifting up through the open window. The smell of freshly brewed tea wafted through the air, mingling with the cool crispness of the early morning.

Farrah was already downstairs, bustling around the kitchen, preparing the last of our supplies for the trip. She had insisted on making a hearty breakfast to fuel us before we left, and the smell of hot bread and fried eggs made my stomach growl.

I joined the others in the main room, where Seren was greeting her friends.

"Morning," Seren said as she handed me a mug. "Hope you're ready."

"You know it," I replied, taking a sip and letting the warmth seep into me.

The rest of the group sat around the large wooden table, the mood light but tinged with a sense of anticipation. Arwel and Idris had already packed up our gear and were busy checking the weapons one last time, while Cerys was chatting with Farrah about the journey ahead. It seemed everyone was preparing themselves for the task at hand in their way.

As we fueled up on breakfast, the conversation turned to the route we'd be taking and the supplies we had packed. Seren laid out a detailed map of the woods on the table, tracing a path that led deep into the uncharted parts of the forest. "We'll follow this main trail for the first few days," she said, her finger gliding over the page. "But once we hit the ridge here, we'll need to head off into the wild. That's where Elyse will guide us once she recognizes any landmarks. I can't wait, this will be a much needed break. One week to get there, have fun there for a day or two, then one week back."

Once breakfast was finished and the supplies were divvied up between us, we gathered outside, the pale morning light filtering through the trees. The forest loomed ahead, quiet and still, as if it, too, was holding its breath for what was to come. I adjusted the strap of my quiver over my shoulder and made sure my dagger was secure along with the bow that was slung across my back.

Seren led the way, a long, thin blade down the center of her back. The rest of us followed, our footsteps soft against the dirt path. The early morning mist clung to the underbrush, and the sound of birdsong filled the air as we ventured deeper into the wilderness. For a time, the journey was peaceful, almost meditative, with only the rustle of leaves and the occasional snap of a twig breaking the stillness. I found myself relaxing into the rhythm of the hike, my senses alert but not overwhelmed.

Hours passed, and the forest grew denser. The trees towered above us, and the light filtering through the canopy was dappled and faint. The atmosphere shifted—there was an undercurrent of something strange, something ancient. I felt it in the air, a tension that wasn't there before. I tried shaking it off, but it never went away.

☾

Around supper time, the rays of aurora shimmered and danced brightly above us; the shifting colours and hues of pinks, purples, and turquoise, the day readying to turn night. We had found a small clearing perfect to set up camp, and I set my belongings by the others'. My muscles groaned as I stretched, my back in particular looking to exercise my wings. Seren, Cerys, and Idris went about unpacking the food. Thankfully, we had enough food that wouldn't spoil for about four days. We would hunt for the rest of the three until we arrived at our destination.

"Hey, I'm just gonna grab some sticks and kindling," I announced.

Arwel rummaged through his bag, freeing the hatchet. "I will go cut logs."

With that, I launched skyward, just for a few minutes. Soaring along the canopy was one of my favourite feelings of all. Untethered, unbothered, free. I circled back and touched down not too far from camp, gathering dry leaves and fallen twigs shed long ago. As I stooped to gather another bundle of dry twigs, a sudden, uneasy stillness fell over the forest. The birds that had been chirping moments ago were silent now as if some unseen presence had stolen the sound from the air. The hairs on the back of my neck prickled, and I froze, listening intently.