The tall tree

'Hey Deb just wondering can you tell me how big Drakemere Forest is?'

[Drakemere Forest isn't the biggest forest that Teragaian has only around 50 acres or so, with only some of the forest ranging to 40 meters in height.]

She supplied and I gasped slightly.

'That still means this forest is huge! I'm not sure we even covered 8 acres yet, and we have only come across one of my tribes men. Have the others even made it in this far? I mean it has only been two days since the start of the Trial of Life after all ~'

"Little mate, we will find them do not worry. Yes Drakemere is vast but that doesn't mean our noses aren't leading us in the right direction. " Shadows voice filtered in soothing my worries.

'Yea sorry, I forgot you were tracking us by scent.' I said as I gave his head a few rubs, his purring easing my stress further.

" Your good little mate beaides ~ " Shadow trails off and lifts his muzzle. He gives a toothy grin and then let's out a howl.

"One of your tribesmen are near, hang on! "

I hold on as he picks up speed. Weaving through the densly packed trees I can kinda make out a cave that we are heading towards.

'A cave? Isn't that too obvious though? ' I thought as we neared it.

Shadow didn't head for the cave, instead he turned left and stopped in front of one of the tallest tress I've yet to come across in Drakemere Forest.

"No little mate, your tribesmen is up there. " Shadow laughed through the link. "Actually ~ " He sniffed again. " I smell at least two of them. "

' Two, that's great news Shadow! Why do you still look weary though? '

His ears were back and the emotions flowing into the mind link were of anxiousness, and fear.

'He was afraid of something? '

Altia came up besides us just then her ears also flat and her nostrils flaring. She looked pissed off. She nudged Shadow with her muzzle several times which seemed to wake him out of whatever it was.

Emotions of shamefulness and relief came through the link intertwined with anger and an strong urg to kill someone. Wait I could see it! It wasn't a someone it was...

'Your fathers killer? He was here recently? ' I asked softly through the mind link.

I knew from Altias story that Shadows father had been killed by another buck who then made it his mission to hunt and kill her and Shadow. That was him?

Inside our mind link I got an image of a Fox Deer whose body was covered in battle scars. One of his horns was broken, and an eye was white with blindness. However the scariest thing about him was that he looked crazed. His good eye was wild and there was drool dripping from his mouth.

Shuddering I tried to picture the field of bluebonnets. I thought about the field we had seen in my dream and how peaceful it was.

The turmoil of emotions started to calm down. Gratitude and love began to make itself known through the link.

"I'm fine now, thanks little mate. I'm a little ashamed that you had to witness and feel that though. " He admitted softly.

'Its fine, we all have things that scare us. Though unlike everyone else, the two of us have a built in lie detector. So I was bound to know sooner than later. ' I said while petting him and turning sideways letting him know I was ready to get off.

He bent down to allow me to slide off while I gazed up into the branches of the Drakemere tree. I couldn't see anyone from my viewpoint.

"Hello ~" I called out as loud as I dared. Maybe I needed to fly up there. Because of how high the tree was I bet they were pretty far up there.

Unfurling my wings I took a short jump and headed upwards.

'This damn tree is huge.' I thought as I passed about the 20th meter. I could not see anyone yet though I had an inkling I was going to find them soon.

' I mean seriously how far up could they be? '