❝Lyra observed that her tendency to lash out at ignorant villagers had been rapidly decreasing as she focused her energy on training. The hurtful words the villagers threw about so casually around her, or the disapproving looks they gave her as she...
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Midnight inched forward at an old man's pace. The stars glittered as brightly as ever and constellations of mighty dragons and great warlocks twirled across the night sky.
The sun had fallen behind the rolling hills eons ago but Nathaniel felt as warm and cozy as ever. He was leaning against Elva, who always emitted a great deal of heat. Even in relaxed moments he could sense the intensity of her thoughts. She was little campfire of a person: fiery and passionate.
He was tempted to ask her about what ingenious plans were crossing her mind. But the moment he opened his mouth she started to walk. He followed closely behind, already knowing where she was planning to take him.
They wandered away from the fence of the Sepian family home. Away from the gates of Rentore. Away from the sleepy energy of the dark town. They neared the edge of the forest. A place that was an emerald chaos of wild beasts and foul creatures.
Nathaniel would never dare to come so close to the edge of the forest alone. But Elva was with him, and her lifetime of adventuring across foreign lands meant she was eternally unphased at the threat of danger. Her stubborn calmness gave him the courage to run his fingers through the leafy vines and leave his footsteps on the mossy floor.
Though he knew his audacity would fade like a blown out candle if she were ever to leave his side. Nathaniel remarked the cool dark shadows and realized that the herd had not followed them. He wished that the glow of the sheep would illuminate the path that was a spiderweb of tangled roots.
They had only been walking along the edge of the forest for a few minutes when an earth-shaking roar echoed from deep within the trees.Nathaniel jumped back, his reflexes kicking in. His heart pounded in his throat like the drums that were played during the King's public executions.
He was ready to sprint back to the Sepian family home. Whatever creature had uttered such a terrifying sound was thirsting for its next victim. Elva gave him a proper shove on the shoulders.
"Go boy! Take the sheep back to my field. And then retire for the night. I've kept you long enough."
He eyed her incredulously. "And where exactly do you intend to go?"
He gripped a handful of her wool robe. He was not the slightest supporter of leaving her. Especially not after hearing the proximity of a predator.
Elva slapped away his hands. Frustration seeping into the worn lines of her face.
"I SAID GO, BOY!"
She ran into the forest, exactly in the direction where they had heard the beast.
Nathaniel clenched and unclenched his fists struggling to understand Elva's intentions. Why had she run right into an epicenter of danger and death with such an urgency?
He thought about going back to his home. The warm Sepian household of thick rugs, overcrowded with furniture and trinkets. His mother and sister running around trying to prepare everything for his father's nearing arrival.
If he listened to Elva's instructions he might never see her again. In fact, she could have been snatched by some kind of monster the moment she was too deep in the forest for him to see her.
His next choice was clear to him.
Nathaniel darted into the forest. His knees were wobbly and he struggled through the tangle of vines that seemed to wriggle like snakes upon his every step. His face was flushed and hot but the fear building up in his heart felt like ice.
The light of the moon could barely penetrate the thick canopy of trees. He could hardly see a few feet ahead of him and he was beginning to feel disorientated. There was no sight of Elva.
He didn't know if he would be able to navigate his way back in such darkness.
Something stood out in the corner of his eye. He took a few calculated steps. There was a huddled figure beside a wall of stones.
"Elva? Are you alright?" He yelped.
Nathaniel crouched down but quickly realized that it wasn't his beloved friend. The figure was too small and fragile. Long hair tangled over a bleeding face.
It was a young girl. Perhaps even his age.
She was still breathing but knocked out cold. He wondered if Elva was in a state like this- bleeding out and alone.
In one swift motion he swung the girl over his shoulder. He could feel her growing cold and he didn't have much time.
As he walked back into the the direction he thought he had came, he felt the girls arms. Her cuts were deep but manageable. He was sure his mother had some kind of plant that could speed up the healing process.
He noticed that the wounds were clean and sharp. These were not inflicted by the claws of a beast but rather by a blade of a dagger.
