What Lurks Behind The Trees

Relief

Laina's skin was pale, her face wet with sweat and her lips quivering in distress. She lay there with her mother Ada sitting by her on the bed. They waited. The minutes felt like hours and Dyron felt weak and ashamed, unable to aid his family in a time of need because of his own carelessness during hunting.

"Dyron. They've been gone for hours." Ada said with worry evident in her voice. At that moment someone banged on the cabin door. Ada gasped and ran to open the door, hoping it was her son,but to her disappointment it was a man was at the door, one of the stablemen, he was panting and wheezing. Dyron frowned.

"Sir Dyron! Two horses-" he stopped to catch his breath. "Two horses came from the forest without their owners." Dyron stood up quickly causing him to grimace because of the sharp pain that came from his leg. Ada fell to the floor, her eyes emotionless.

"Let me see them." Dyron used the stick that the healer gave him to walk, the man leading him to the stable. And there they were, Cherry and Ash. Gregor and Celia's horses. Dyron's eyes widened and his mouth opened in shock.

"Why is Celia's horse here?!" he screamed. "Where is Celia?! Where is Sam?!"

"Sir, Sam was out of the village all day."

"What?!" Dyron's voice bellowed.

"A-and we think Celia is with your son, sir."

"Quickly! Gather all the men you can." Dyron made his way to the stable.

"But sir, it's night and your leg is wounded."

"I don't care!" he held the man by the collar. "I want my children back alive."

The stableman ran to gather men, and once they were all ready, they galloped to the forest carrying torches so they could see in the thick darkness.

Gregor and Celia sat around the fire they built, warming their hands and eating the bread Celia snuck into her pouch before following her brother. Every few seconds Celia would peak at her brother's red eye in wonder. "Um, Greg, can you see with your left eye?"

He hummed a yes, then covered his right eye to check properly and nodded. Celia then looked at his left arm, it was still pale with black veins. She tilted her head to the side and frowned in confusion "I thought the pond water was supposed to heal you."

Gregor swallowed the bread "I think it only stopped the spreading of... whatever this is." he laughed.

"How can you laugh in this situation! We've been here all day, we don't know how long we're going to be here, we don't have enough food, your arm is abnormal" She inhaled "and we have these tall lanky creatures hiding behind the trees. How can you be so calm?" She pouted.

"I'm not calm Lia. I just don't know what we can do."He sighed, and looked at the Silent Silverglow "I don't even know if we could get this to Laina on time, or ever."

Celia sighed and laid down on her pouch "Well I'm getting some sleep or I might pass out. That means you have to stay on lookout." She smiled innocently.

Gregor glared at her. He leaned on one of the trees and stared into the darkness. He was scared. What if those creatures appeared again? What will happen to his arm? Is he cursed? The thoughts kept floating in his brain waiting to be answered.

A few hours passed and Gregor jolted from his doze, when he heared horse hooves stomping in the distance. He gasped and stumbled to wake Celia up "Celia! Celia wake up!" She woke up with a jump and stared at Gregor.

He stood up and shouted towards the sound of hooves "Father! We're here!"

Celia's eyes widened along with her smile. She started shouting with him to get her father's attention. Just after a few minutes they saw their father along with five other people riding towards them. Celia's tears ran down her face from happiness and Gregor laughed. Dyron unmounted his horse and they both ran to hug him "My children!" He cried hugging them tightly. He looked at their faces and frowned when he saw Gregor's eye "Son, what happened to your eye?"

"Father can we get out of here first, it's a long story."

They rode back to the village and Gregor exhaled in relief. It was already the morning of the next day. They reached the cabin and Ada ran to her children and cradled their faces in her hands "Oh my sweet, sweet children!" She paused and looked at Gregor "Your eye-"

"I'll explain later mother."

Gregor walked to Laina to see that she had become worse, her breaths shallow and painful. "Father! We found the flower!"

They called the healer to their cabin and gave him the flower, he looked at Gregor impressed. He examined the flower in fascination "This flower is wonderful, amazing! You have done well boy." He looked at Ada and said "I need a bowl with boiling water and a pestle and mortar."  He grounded the flower and mixed it the boiling water making it glow silver. They all stared in astonishment. The healer lifted Laina's head up and poured the mixture down her throat and laid her back on the bed. "It should take her a few days to heal, but I think she will be awake in a few hours." He then looked at Gregor "May I ask what happened to your eye boy."

Gregor explained everything to them and they stared in horror. "Let me have a look." the healer said as he examined his eye. "This is permanent. Your eye will stay like this boy, but I don't know if it will affect you." He stood up to leave.

"Thank you very much, I am forever in debt to you." Dyron said. The healer bowed his head and left. Dyron turned to Celia and Gregor "You two follow me, we need to speak." They both followed their father to his room. "I thank you both for what you did. But that does not mean i forgive you for disobeying me." They both look at their feet in guilt. "First you leave without your uncle when I specifically told you to seek him. Then you follow your brother to danger and you allow her to follow you." His voice was serious and his face showed disappointment.

"Forgive me father. I was only thinking of Laina and nothing else. I understand there are consequences." He glanced at his sister and jabbed her with his elbow.

"Um, f-father. Please I only wanted to help Greg, please forgive me."

"Alright, since you're both guilty and proved to be courageous, I will forgive you."

"Thank you father!" They both said in unison.

The next morning soldiers of the capital came banging on their door. Dyron opened the door and they barged in and went to all the rooms looking for Gregor. They dragged him out of his room "Hey! Let me go!" He struggled

"Why are you taking my son?!" Dyron shouted in anger.

"We are here on behalf of the king's orders. Your son is cursed and must be taken away."

Dyron pulled at his son to get him back but one of the soldiers pushed him away causing him to fall to the floor in pain. Gregor struggled as they put him in a carriage cage and rode away.

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