Monsters Beyond the Gate

Chapter Six: Wolfsbane

I stared down from the guard tower into the dense forest below. Regardless of the pale dawn sunlight creeping up around me, inside the trees looked ominously dark.

"You don't have to do this, Ady. This is not your fault. If anyone is to be blamed, it's that idiot stepmother of yours," Liyra whispered from beside me. I was shocked to hear her speak so harshly of stepmother, but also quite pleased.

My stomach hardened with resolve though. I knew that if I didn't go after Fisher I would spend the rest of my existence regretting my decision.

"Tell my Dad I love him," I said while pulling the strap of one of Liyra's old backpacks into a firmer position on my shoulder.

Liyra took a sharp breath, "You can tell him yourself when you get back."

I looked at her skeptically, but held my tongue. There was no sense in arguing the likeliness of my return, for it wouldn't change the outcome. I was almost certain that I'd never return home again.

Liyra and I had dug up some old rope from her shed and used it to construct a makeshift ladder. We didn't know the code to open the gate, so it was my only way down to the forest.

"Remember to pull it back up once I'm down so no Rouges use it to climb over," I reminded her.

"I know, I know," she said slightly affronted; her cataract cloudy as a thunderstorm.

I gave her a sad smile. "Goodbye, Liyra, and thank you for everything."

For a moment it looked like there were tiny crystal like tears forming in her eyes, but when she blinked they seemed dry as ever.

"I'll see you again, Child. I'm sure of it. Now be careful and take care of yourself."

She hugged me fiercely tight.

With trembling knees, I carefully climbed down the ladder. It swayed in the wind as I went. The height was dizzying, but I managed to reach the bottom without fainting or anything embarassing like that. My feet hit the ground with a light 'thud' and a strange sensation carried over my body. I could identify part of it as fear...and another part excitment?

Puzzled, I turned to face the forest straight on. It's massive trees loomed over me. They seemed much taller on the ground.

There was a clenching feeling in my belly. A sharp tingle shot down my spine and I realized that for the first time in my life I was completely free. Free of my father's melancholy eyes, free of stepmother's disapproving glares...free of the gate itself.

I faced the wild, unknown tangle of trees and beasts, but I didn't feel as terrified as I should. In fact, I felt empowered.

With that, I turned and waved at Liyra, who was tugging the rope ladder back to the top, and then I started forward into the forest. I tried hard not to look at the remaining bits of human limbs scattered across the thick green grass. What had not been carried away by scavengers in the night was covered in heavy masses of black flies. I gagged and had to cover my nose and mouth to keep my breakfast down.

Liyra and I decided it was best to take the forest instead of the main road, where I'd be much easier to spot. The path I'd found in the forest was bumpy and overgrown, but still a path nonetheless.

The sunlight filtered in through the green leaves above me and I could see giant paw prints left in the dirt. They looked fresh, so I could only assume that they belonged to the gray wolf that had snatched fisher.

I gnawed nervously on my lower lip and followed the abnormally large prints that showed up every few feet. The beast had taken massive strides.

I glanced up at my surroundings, trying to stay alert. The forest was surprisingly quiet. There was the occasional bird chirping or leaf rustling, but the sounds were few and far in between.