Lex of Rhule

Chapter 7 : Trek through the forest

    Lex set off slowly scouring the front of the house until finally finding the soft track of his fathers feet. The impression was faint,but it was all he needed. He took a deep breath and shifted his hands in the pockets of his trousers before making his way steadily across the field.

    There was a time when he was so sure of himself, his father, this life. Now he wasn't sure about any of it. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad for things to change. But what he experienced almost losing his father wasn't too easy. He wondered how much of his life was a lie and how much truth would there be left after he got the answers he sought
.
    But first he had to know what he wanted. He had to know what to ask and he had no clue what it was exactly that he wanted to know. So he would just have to ask for everything. Regardless of his own feelings. Even if it meant losing his hold on reality here in Mirthwood. Even if it meant everything he had ever known was all a lie.

   As he walked the smell of jasmine and lavender calmed his nerves and the beautiful colors drew a brighter picture than his thoughts. Following the tracks became easier the more relaxed he got and as the smell of juniper and pine clashed to deepen his senses he stepped into the woods hoping that he would soon find his father and the answers his heart pleaded for.
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    Kairi left the kitchen and gathered her cloak and a small basket for anything she may find of use on her journey into the forest. Her heart felt for Lex . She felt as if she had betrayed him by not being able to tell him all there was to tell.

    She had grown quite fond of him over the years and even more so now that he was becoming a man. She always knew this day would come and now that he knew about her she could lay her fondness for him to the side. She doubted he would ever trust her again.
    Feeling as if her cloak weighed a hundred pounds she made her way out the front door. She looked up and could see him faintly entering the forest. She ventured through the field picking herbs and lavender that she could maybe use later to give him some space. She may not need any of them now but picking them and carrying around the familiar fragrance set her heart at ease.
    Bundling some eucalyptus and spearmint she noticed that ells had been missing all morning and with everything going on she didn't have to leave the comfort of this field and wild flowers. She could rely on her link with Ells. But she was a big part of Lex's life and even if he was mad or upset he would want her there. She would go if for no other reason than to lend him her strength. Because she knew that no matter how strong he was he wouldn't be able to take in what he was about to discover alone.
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     Lex's sense of direction was beginning to fade he must have been tracking his father for and hour before he started seeing strange things he had never seen in the forest before. Large trees that had to have been hundreds of years old. And moss covering everything. A feeble statue of an old man that looked as if he was looking in the distance at the sun that was now high over the trees. He wondered how it came to be in These woods normally you wouldn't find anything manmade this deep into the forest.
Lost in thought staring at the old mans face there was a loud crack that had Lex reeling back in surprise. Landing on his backside he began to laugh when he realised it was only Ells. Kairi's little cat. When the cat turned away and dashed into the opposite direction.
   Lex knew just like anyone else that if this cat showed up and doesn't immediately flop over for belly tubs that she is only trying to show you something.
   So without hesitating he darted through the low thick brush in persuit of the cat that now looked like a fireball shooting in one direction then the other. He had never seen Ells so frantic before it almost seemed as if she was trying to warn him of what was ahead.
     Lex lost sight of the cat over the hill so he ran as fast as he could not caring that he had lost the trail to his father he just didn't want to lose the frantic cat in these woods. As he topped the hill at a full run his foot wedged under something hard and sent him tumbling down the hill smack into a tree.
 
  When he woke he felt as if his body was trembling and he couldn't breathe only to find Ells with her big fat self sitting dead center of his chest.
    Moving the cat off his chest he began to look around. He had no clue where he was and his ankle was killing him. He began to work on sliding his boot off of his foot when a glare a few feet up the hill caught his attention. He slowly stood testing his weight of his body on his ankle and it held. He walked over to where he had seen the glare and began searching for what had caught his attention.
    Bending down he began gently moving leaves to the side when he saw it reflecting the leaves back to him to make the perfect camouflage was what looked to be a scale of some sort. He looked and looked but couldn't identify it or even link it to anything he had seen before.
    It glistened between silver and gold as he examined it he began to wonder if it was some kind of gem when he heard feet approaching. He took it and shoved it into his pocket just as Kairi came around one of the ancient looking trees.