The Bounty

Chapter 3 - New Directions

Ferexo was woken up by the sound of hooves on the ground and men shouting orders, looking around and over the edge. A few soldiers who were probably out scouting the area for anything strange or out of place. Not wanting to get caught, Ferexo ran to her horse and got on and started riding, she had a good head start and planed on keeping it that way. As the sun came up it started to get warmer on the cold mountain, but the air was still cold and the wind did not seem to want to stop anytime soon.

Not far from where she was there was a little house with smoke coming from the chimney. Riding toward it as fast as the horse could go, she was soon in the front yard of the house. Quickly getting off the horse, she ran to the door which was surprisingly unlocked and made her way inside. Shutting the door behind her and turning around she saw an old lady standing in front of a fire, the woman turned to Ferexo and raised a brow, before the woman could say anything, Ferexo lifted her index finger to her mouth in a hushing manner. The woman shrugged and  turned back to her food on the fire while Ferexo waited for the soldiers to move on.

Once out of sight the woman said "Well, good morning and how are you?" Ferexo was stunned that the woman had not chased her out yet but responded, "I am well thank you." "Well take off you coat and come here, I want to see if Gerdio really did give you that scar." the woman said, Ferexo found this strange and asked "What do you mean by scar, and if I did know about a scar how would you know who I am?" the woman smiled and said "There are a lot of things that I know, now come here." Ferexo decide to do what the woman had asked and took of her coat and put it on a nearby chair, she then walked over to the old lady who grabbed her face and started to examine it. "You are a very beautiful woman and you are very strong as well." The woman let go of Ferexo's face "Excuse me, but could you show me in the direction of  The Thunder Mountains?"  Ferexo asked, "What you search for is not  on those mountains, what you seek is is at the base of The Red mountains." Ferexos eyes grew wide at the woman's words, she had heard many tales and myths of the mountains. "You must travel through the Dark Forest to get there though, the Dark Wolf, Ash lives there he has what you are looking for, but be ware he plays many tricks and confuses the mind easily." the woman said handing her a small packet that was tied up with a little bow he top, "Use this only in the time it is really needed, you will know when that is, now you should get going." Ferexo walked toward the chair that had her coat, she put the packet away and put on her coat, when she stood on the porch she turned around and said "Thank you" before turning and walking toward the horse and got on.

****

It had been two days, now the middle of the third, the sun was high and the forest was getting closer. Ferexo thought about the Red Mountains and the area surrounding it, The Dark Forest and The Grey Desert that stretched out of miles and miles. The mountain was always know as The Sky Reaches for they went on into the clouds and on a clear day you would not even be able to see the top, only one has ever gotten to the top, his name has long been forgotten but most know him as Maradox, the Dark Wizard. He had put a spell around himself allowing him to breathe, one he had reached the top he started casting a spell, but it had gone wrong or so ledgend goes.

The Dark Forest was once know as The Enchanted Forset, many of the fair folk had live there, dwarfs, elves, pixies and some say that mermaids lived in the crystal clear lakes. The Grey Desert was known as Soft Gold, the dunes where the colour of gold and had shone in the sun.

When the spell had gone wrong, the once green trees on the mountain turned brown and the leaves fell of never to grow again,the rich brown soil turned sandy and red. The forest grew dark and became home to many dark creatures forcing the fair folk to leave, the forest was a dark place with many of dangers. The golden dunes turned a pale grey, the sands, once soft as rose petals turned to stone and a place of many illusions.

Ferexo was brought out of her thoughts when she was at the edge of the forest, taking a deep breathe she made her way inside with the horse beneath her.

****

The name of the forest suited it perfectly, it was dark and gloomy pressing down on your soul making it hard to breathe. Ferexo had taken out her bow and the arrows where in the ready, her eyes where wondering around trying to make out any threat, her ears where purked up listening for any movement. It was very quiet, the only sounds where the klicking of the horses hooves and their hard breathing. The exit of the forest was nearing but, it still seemed so far away, it felt as if someone was strangeling her but she knew it was just the dark magic that was in this place. They had passed many lakes but they had to keep going for Ferexo knew the waters had been poisoned, and they were running low on water.

She could see an opening in the forest and the dark soil was starting to turn red and sandy, they where nearing the exit of this horrid place but she knew better than to be happy for this was only the beginning of their troubles.

****

"Diger, the old lady on the edge of the mountain is calling for you." A messenger said out of breathe. "Thank you Tyson, here go buy yourself something sweet." the man replied throwing a silver coin in the boys direction, the boy caught the coin and sped of to the market place. Diger smiled and turned on his heel walking toward the old lady's cabin which just had to be on the furthest edge of the mountain on the other side of  the village. The village was small and held only a few people, their ancestors had fled to this place when war had started in the lower kingdom where they had lived, they had traveled to many places but none wanted them in their villages so they had settled for this place on Wind Mountain where no one would bother them. The people never really had any problems only the wind but, few ever complained. The man had walked for a while and soon found himself on the old woman's door step, he knocked and heard a voice tell him to come in.

"Ah, you are here. Diger, sit down I have some things to tell you." the woman said once the man had close the door behind him. Doing as instructed, Diger sat down and looked at the woman, "A few days ago a girl had come here, she was on her way to the Thunder Mountains. I knew she would end up here but, she was going the wrong direction. I need you to help her, she is going to need it and if you help her you will find things that will astonish you, you are young Diger, you must leave this place and discover new places this is your only ticket out." she said and gave him a small packet "Only open it when you are in great danger. Remember, find the girl, you will know her when you see her she wears a dark green coat, from there you will figure out what to do next, now go I fear she is already in great danger."