Black Eyes To Blue

- 3 -

There are many things that can cause one to lose focus. Things that distract the senses into leaving blind spots, opening up vulnerabilities in one's guard. Constant vigilance matched by deafening silence is a fatal combination. Remaining constantly vigilant in the face of an unknown enemy is tiring, exhausting even, when forced to remain so for hours on end. Coupled with a dead forest that refused to make even the smallest sound beyond the soft footfalls of the travelers. The pair felt like they were being watched. Even if they couldn't sense a soul nearby. The longer they trekked, the more each soft footfall seemed to be transformed into a booming stomp echoing through the trees. Announcing their unwelcome intrusion with an alarm loud enough that it just might wake the dead, and alert the dying.

Soris was walking slowly behind Mardston, trying to hide behind his large bodybuilder's frame in a vain attempt to make it seem like she wasn't there. That if anything that was coming up in front of them couldn't see her, then it wouldn't take notice of her. It was all she could do to trick herself into making herself feel safe. She may not have been able to see forwards, but the way behind her was wide open. She kept looking back, keeping an eye on the road behind her. Whenever she felt that little shiver run down the back of her neck, the little tingle of imminent danger, she would whirl herself around. Frantically grabbing onto his pack for stability, she would scan the woods behind them searching for something. Anything. There was never anything there. Nothing other than apathy and the stench of death.

Since she was a young girl, she had spent most of her life in the woods, being surrounded by trees. She found comfort in the forests. Though not every wood gave her the same feeling of safety, having grown up in the area around Wrentset Forest, she had become familiar with many different types of places and trees. Her favorite places were the most beautiful and peaceful places, that for her, there would be no beauty in the world that could possibly compare. While there were others that made her feel at unease. The Grove where she spent most of her life feeling trapped within was like that. With the trees themselves seeming to give off such a powerful aura of sadness, that it seemed to penetrate into your very bones.

So at night, or during the day when she felt bold, she would sneak out. Or manipulate her captors into letting her out, and would visit the beautiful places in the world. The great waterfalls to the north, near where those unfriendly dwarves lived. To the south where the nice humans had their nice little towns who were always so happy to see her and play with her. Or on days where she really wanted to disappear, she would head off to the west to see the ocean. Where she would put her toes in the sand, and watch those big ships with their big white sails float gently across the waves into the little port. Laying there in the sun until her agoraphobia drove her back into the comfort of the trees. Or until her guards came to collect her, and bring her back home.

It was on her most recent trip to see the ocean that she found the courage to go into that little trading port, to see what was really there. Hoping to see if they were just as friendly as the Farmers that she had been visiting since she was little. She expected they wouldn't be, but Soris was the epitome of optimism, so she strode up the main road with an open heart excited at all the wondrous things that those big ships had been bringing in!

The town wasn't very friendly. Though it wasn't openly malicious, it did smell bad, was much too crowded, and there were far too many people yelling and shouting about one thing or another. There were a few people who approached with malicious thoughts towards her, and some she felt directed at others. Most of them were weak minded enough to make it easy to reach into their minds to convince them otherwise. The others being easily immobilized with her telekinesis until she, or their other intended target had passed by. Overall, while a little underwhelming, she did remember having a fun time going around to all of the little shops and market stalls, and looking at all the delicious food and neat little trinkets that were for sale. An enjoyable enough time to last an entire day of exploration. A day that she vowed to come back and do again when she actually had some money that the townsfolk would deem acceptable. Maybe go visit one of the little human hamlets to trade with the farmers for some? Or help Mrs. Witherby make more of her baskets! She always said she liked her company, now that her boys are working in the fields all day.