6 Out of the Wailing woods

Living off of the forest wasn't as easy as it may have seemed. Eddie didn't know anything about hunting, and with Dave's broken arm still healing, they couldn't catch a rabbit if it stayed still. For some time, they gathered and ate the black forest berries that grew that time of year, but the woods around them were quickly cleared of them.

"We have to move our asses from here. Until my arm heals we're just sitting ducks. We have to get out of the Woodlands and into a populated area"

"But where do we go? Do we flee the Empire on towards the Broken kingdoms to the east? Isn't that toward the Caliphate?" Eddie was glad to finally be outside the control of anyone, but he didn't know what direction to head to. He didn't know anything about the west, or even the general shape of the Empire and the surrounding kingdoms. He knew about the Caliphate only because of the tension that existed between it and the Dukedom.

Dave's reply was to carefully stomp the earth with his feet, meticulously sweeping any small rocks or debris, to make a mostly flat, clean surface. He then took a small stick, and nimbly drew the shapes of the countries and kingdoms that surrounded them. He also drew some of the big Cities and population centers of the Empire, along with the Mountain ranges and rivers close to them.

"We are currently in the northeast part of the Empire, a straight called Lunt Narrow. It separates the two ocean masses, and is the only land bridge between the Empire and the Broken kingdoms. Going eastward is prohibitive. We'll be wanted criminals in Empire's land, and we'll never pass through the heavily fortified border. Our only option is to march Westward and towards the heart of the empire, with our first stop being the great City of Duinford". Dave's knowledge about geography easily convinced Eddie, and so they slowly headed west, towards the outskirts of the Woodlands, which were far away in the direction they were headed.

After some time walking, they stopped at a creek, through which crystal clear water was burbling. The woods were dark, almost like pitch, and the wind cutting through the leaves of the trees was wailing. In that heart of the forest, where people rarely passed, the two had to find their way with only the dim light of the sun between the tree branches guiding them. They stopped to drink some water and rest. It was already noon, but due to the shadow of the trees, it wasn't too hot. It was just the right temperature for the two to regain their composure.

They continued walking for days in that same direction. Their feet had become sore from all the walking, and the dark aura of the forest, coupled with the repetition of their routine was weighing in their minds. Only after about a week of straight walking, Dave noticed something different while looking around. He had constantly been on alert for beasts, like wolves or bears, so he would easily notice anything odd around him.

A few paces to their right, some metal seemed to shine some paces to their right. They both quickly went to inspect the place, maybe they could find anything of value there. It seemed to be the hidden 'treasure' of some bandit that lived there, but that was a long time ago. Some old coins were scattered around, but it had been years since that currency had been taken out of circulation. There were some armor pieces also lying around, but they all had so many cuts they seemed ready to fall apart. Most of the blades on the ground were so rusty, frail and red, that even holding them up would make them deteriorate. Some were in better condition, but they would still be dull and old, unsuited for even a spar. Whoever used that place as a hiding spot had clearly abandoned it decades ago.

"Maybe he found a girlfriend, and now he's got better things to do", Dave joked, and they both started laughing loudly. Not like anyone could hear them, they were free to dick around however they wanted.

As they were about to leave, Eddie noticed a metallic glint in the dark. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a dagger, one abnormally clean. Not even a scratch could be seen on its surface. It seemed really well made, and a small symbol was inscribed on its side. It exuded a really peculiar aura, one that neither Dave nor Eddie had ever seen before. Eddie decided to take it with him, and later show it to Dave, once they resumed walking. Dave really had no idea what to make of it. 'It couldn't have been left by the bandit recently. All the other items and the money were at least a hundred years old, and it looked as if no one spared a thought for them". He pondered a bit about the knife's origins, but he ultimately concluded that, 'to hell with it', and decided that no harm could ever come from it.

The forest seemed unending, but the silver lining was that Dave's arm was almost as functional as before. He could perform all actions he previously could, but some would prove painful, and his reflexes were still sluggish. They walked for about one week, give or take, through the dark and moody forest, and they could only rejoice once the bright light of the sun blinded their vision. They had finally gotten out, to the western end of the Woodlands, and the Empire's side of Lunt narrow. What was left, was to head on to Duinford, out on the southwest.

They followed the trail that led them through the forest, as it continued beyond, to the west. The path was just a straight line, and they both had no clue where it led, but they decided to follow it either way. They had nowhere else to go, and the track was bound to lead to a small town, or at least a village. After a few days of their usual routine of walking and resting, they met a woman with her children heading in the opposite direction.

"Hello there, lady! Would you maybe happen to know how long down this path do we have to walk to find a town? We are both beat, and in need of real food and a bed" Eddie asked the woman, hoping to receive a better answer than 'twenty days of slowly killing yourselves ahead'.

Surprisingly, the real answer seemed pretty pleasant, in contrast to what they had in mind.

"Yeah lads, just go down the path, and the village will be in your sight by sunset", was the reply they received, and they just let their hearts melt from the joy of hearing it.