The Truth Over The Wall

Chapter 2

Sixteen years later...

The Captain of the elite guard stood on the roots of an ancient tree. His eyes were closed and his head was tilted to the side as he heard for something they could not see.

A soldier came running down the hill with urgent news ready to relay it to the captain first hand. Lieutenant Bard threw out her arm and caught him in time.

"I hope there's a good reason I just saved your position, soldier." She said, releasing him. She swung back on her heels and regarded him with an air of boredom.

The soldier swallowed hard, looked in the direction of the Captain and whispered,

"There was a witness," The soldier said urgently, "They were carrying him away to the doctor's hut when he yelled: Not that way, not the woods! The woods was where it came from!"

The soldier took a deep breath, a little more confident now. He kept his words whispered though; to make sure the Captain didn't hear, "So I thought I should come and tell you, we're on the wrong track."

"If we are," Bard whispered back anxiously, "Are you the one that's going to tell him?"

"But the witness said-"

"That the wood was where it came from," The Captain said making them both jump, "So it's possible it fled elsewhere to avoid detection.

"Then again," He continued, his head still titled to the side and his eyes still closed, "I find that if the creature wanted to hide from us, he'd choose an environment that he knew better than we did. Namely, the same woods."

Bard's face flushed angrily, "You could hear us?"

"Of course I could hear you," Dominic shrugged, "Amazing the things you can hear if you stop and listen.

"Now, may I?" He very clearly said over his shoulder, "Listen? With your permission, soldier..."

"Yes, Your Highness," The soldier bowed his head nervously before catching himself and biting down on his lip.

Dominic winced inwardly. People didn't call him that, not anymore.

"Yes Sir," The soldier corrected himself quickly at a look from Bard and swiftly shuffled off.

"He's new," She explained, "He didn't know any better."

"I know," Dominic said, "I know."

Before Bard could say anything else Dominic raised his hand suddenly and pulled it back just as quickly. He needed to contract himself as much as possible.

He needed for there to be the least amount of Dominic present so that the forest could stretch around him more comfortably. For it to go about its business, walk and fly...

And whisper its secrets.

About ten yards out, he heard a flock of birds angrily squabble before wrenching off their tree as though they had been disturbed.

Dominic's eyes popped wide open and he jumped off the roots. Without a word, he started to run in the direction of the disturbance knowing that Bard would follow him as noiselessly as possible.

Dominic loaded his bow just as it came into view. A small figure just up ahead using its hands and feet to plough into the earth and propel itself forward.

There was a sack tied to its back and Dominic aimed for its contents to slow it down.

But then the sack moved.

"Did that thing just-"Bard exploded, having seen what Dominic had seen.

The creature looked over his shoulder, realizing he was being followed.