Stay On the Path

Chapter 3

Fine then. If they want the fire so badly they can have it. They can burn for all I care. A thousand years of culture and science, and it is the creatures of the earth who will inherit this land, not us. We are nothing more than lofty devils now, shaking our fists up at the heavens and cursing them, never realizing it was our will alone that created this personal hell, not theirs. We all belong to the fire now.

-Brimmly Stoker

They didn't sleep a wink that night. The voice kept coming back, imitating all kinds of people to try and lure them away from the fire. Judas heard his father once, then his brother, then his mother, while Esther howled over her missing children.

Peter wouldn't let go of her. Even when the voices changed and called out his name, he wouldn't budge. By the time dawn finally arrived, the voice finally melted away like morning mist, and the soft twitter of bird song returned.

"What were those things," Peter asked, making sure the coast was clear. He stared at Judas curiously. "They...they weren't Forest Folk were they?"

Judas shook his head. "I don't know, really. They existed in The Forest long before my kind started living here. Some believe they're the ghosts of the Old Gods trying to lure us away so they can possess our bodies, but The Forest is a vast thing. The horrors within could be just as countless."

"I think it was you who sent the damned thing to torment us, Hornsent," Esther snarled, glaring at him through red rimmed eyes. She wiped what little tears remained on her fur, and jabbed at him with an accusing finger.

"That's enough," Peter said. "I won't stand for anymore baseless accusations. The last time someone tried, Judas nearly hanged for it."

Judas ran a hand over his throat, the rope burns still tender to the touch, remembering the awful feeling in his guts when he'd been hoisted off the ground.

Esther narrowed her gaze at the Dogman, but didn't say anything more as she turned away, too tired or too miserable to keep fighting.

"Let's strike camp," Peter suggested. "I doubt we'll be stopping again anytime soon. Judas, how much further till we reach the children?"

"A couple days, maybe," Judas said, eyeing the canopy above them. "But it'll be hard to know once we start moving."

"Why do you say that?"

"Once we get to a certain point in The Forest, it'll be difficult telling the time." Judas swallowed as he studied the desired direction, thin shafts of sunlight winking in and out of existence. He cataloged the moment to memory, in case this was the last time he'd ever see the sun again.

"When that happens," he said. "Don't stray too far from the road."

"Why?" Esther demanded.

Judas glared at her. "Because there are far more terrible things in The Forest than what he heard last night. I would hate for you to meet one of them."

"Are you trying to scare me, Hornsent?"

"No, I am trying to prepare you for the worst. I left The Forest for a reason. I'm hoping one day you'll realize that."

Judas stomped off before Esther could burn his beard hair off with one of her scowls. He hadn't meant to snap at the Prickleback like that, really he hadn't, but he was getting so tired having to defend himself again and again and again.

Even Peter, despite coming to his defense time and time ago, was not immune to the distrust Esther was trying to weave. He'd caught the Dogman watching him a time or two when he thought no one else was looking, as if his predacious mind couldn't quite put all the pieces together, that somewhere in his head was an idea or concept about Judas he just couldn't wrap his head around.