10 Into the Woods

Reaching the cave with all the maps, John finds Rodko still there, with Ava nowhere in sight.

"What do you want?" Rodko asks upon noticing him approaching.

"Do you have any idea where uh, Cahal, went?" John asks, almost forgetting the man's name halfway through.

"No, but even if I did why should tell you? Yfen said to get familiar with the pack, did he not?"

"Yes, but Ludmilla is keen on finding him, and if I don't go I can assure you she will, I'm gonna go see if I can't find that other chick, uh, Ava," John waves goodbye before walking away. That young girl said she was going to find her to learn coding, but if they had gone to the computer room he should've passed them by...maybe…

"You mustn't go after him…" Yfen's voice suddenly speaks into his ears.

"What?" John asks, looking around to see where his voice is coming from.

"You cannot persuade him to come back...He will return in due time, but for now we must let him find the way back alone…" John looks around before finding a small empty crevice between some rocks to talk out loud.

"Have you told Ludmilla this?"

"Her and Aedanna...are not like the others...their connection to the spirits, is almost nonexistent. I am in no position to use up all my energy to talk to them…"

"How convenient…Look, you wanted me to help take care of the caern right? Doing this so she doesn't go frolicking through the woods is doing that, isn't it?"

"...I, suppose...Why are you so determined to do this?"

"She brought me food, it's the least I can do,"

"...You become more of a mystery the more I learn about you…"

"I could say the same thing about you...Could you like, make an image or something for me to look at? It's weird talking to a bunch of mossy rocks,"

"A spirit stands before you, it carries my voice. Can you not see it?"

"Uh…" John looks around at nothing but a bunch of rocks surrounding him, "No, just rocks," There's an audible sigh.

"Your stubbornness makes it hard for you to open up to the umbra...If you must see Cahal for yourself, I can show you where to start looking…"

As Yfen speaks his voice starts to trail away out from the rocks. John gets out and follow the voice as it guides him to the very tunnel him and Ludmilla had entered. Then, the voice goes silent. John looks around, the tunnel being partly clouded by shadows, making parts hard to see.

"Thanks…" John mutters as he looks around. He looks at the ground first, until he spots some faint boot marks on the ground going outward towards the forest. He places a foot by it, before stepping on one of the prints. Perfect fit, "He might've walked right by us without even knowing…"

John heads back to the barracks to get some snacks.

"That was quick," Ludmilla states as she sees him approaching.

"Had a little help from the tree guy," John comments, "Should be back within a few days," He adds as he takes some of the jerky and puts it in the vest pockets. And with that he starts leaving.

"Wait, that's all you're taking with you?"

"Gotta travel light to travel easier," He shrugs before heading out. As he heads for the tunnel he spots some people he hasn't seen yet making their way to the meeting room. Rodko gives him a side glance as he passes bye.

"Where's that guy going?" One of them asks Rodko.

"To find Cahal apparently," He replies.

"Should we send someone with him so he doesn't get lost?"

"If he gets lost he's not our problem,"

John walks through the tunnel, following the trail of boot prints. They don't go in a straight line for long however, and soon start curving to the right. Despite how far he's travelled the smell of dog has barely grown any fainter. Not even the smell of the jerky is enough to rid his nose of the stench.

"I shoulda brought more food…" He mutters to himself as he bites into the last piece. It's not long before he's left with nothing but the trail of boot prints to distract him from the peaceful quiet that surrounds him. Birds can be heard chirping far off in the distance. It's like the fight in the other place never even happened.

The afternoon sun shines brightly through the tree branches, sometimes blaring in his eyes, forcing him to shade them with a hand. After following the prints for who knows how long, he finds himself at a road running through the forest. On the other side of the road is a diner.

"You know, I shoulda asked for some cash…" He mutters to himself as he stares at the diner, "Guess I should go in to ask about him…" He states reluctantly before he starts crossing the street.