Chapter 2 - Through the Skotádi Forest

My footsteps on the soft fallen leaves are soft and quiet, making almost no sound. Soft clanking and snapping come from behind me, I glance over my shoulder to see Aren brushing a low hanging branch out of his way. I see Kaida to the right of Aren, her tail sweeping over the leaves.

The light filtering through the canopy makes dappled light, making Aren's armor gleam and Kaida's crimson scales shimmer. The birds call to each other twittering and chattering, their voices winding between thick branches and light leaves.

I arrange my scabbard belt around my waist, shifting the dagger's weight on my hips. I breathe in deeply, Man I missed this.

"We should rest soon. It's getting dark." I glance over my shoulder to the others.

Kaida nodes, Aren says " We should find a clearing then."

We walk around for a while until we find a clearing, I look up to see the darkening sky. Aren sets his bag down and I walk off to find wood for a fire. I come back with my arms full of dry branches, Kaida is sitting on a rock with her medical stuff around her. Aren is sharpening his sword with his whetstone, I plop down on the ground to start making a fire.

"Kaida?" She glances up from the mortar and pestle in her claws, she nodes and gets up. She kneels down next to me and breathes a small plum of fire on the dry sticks I had arranged.

"Thanks." She nods and gets back to her medical supplies. I poke the fire, waiting for it to get hot enough for us to cook. I stare into the flames, my knees pulled close to my chest and my chin resting on my knees. I finger the leather string around my neck absentmindedly, the green shard hanging from it glinting in the fire light.

Once the fire got hot enough we begin to cook, I heave the full pot of water onto the fire. Kaida adds some of her herbs into the pot, Aren comes back with a rabbit. Aren starts to skin and gut the rabbit as me and Kaida start to season the meat and water.

We cook the rabbit meat, before dropping it into the stew. I grab the wooden bowls from Aren's bag, Kaida pulls out her own bowl, we each fill our bowls with stew.

After we finish eating I walk over to the creek a little ways away from the clearing, I kneel down on the bank and dip the bowls into the clear water. Little fish swim around near the bottom of the creek, darting around in the water grass.

I sigh and sit on the bank, dipping my feet into the cool water. I play with the bank grass as I slowly move my feet back and forth in the water, I tilt my head back looking up at the dark sky. Some stars peeking through the canopy of dark leaves and branches.

What am I doing… I flop back into the grass, the grass's delicate fingers brushing my face as a light breeze makes them dance. I close my eyes, breathing in the smell of the damp earth.

I hear a small cracking and the slight sound of metal on metal. "Hi Aren." I open my eyes to see Aren leaning over me.

"What are you doing Av?" His face is dark but I can still see his concerned expression. I sit up, taking my numb feet out of the water. I tuck my feet under me, "Nothing really…"

Aren sit's down next to me, "You sure?" He glances at me.

"Yeah. I'm just tired." I lean against him, resting my head on his bare shoulder. He had taken his chest and shoulder armor off.

Aren nodes, "We all are pretty tired huh?" He stands offering a hand to me, "Common lets get some sleep. Kaida is already asleep."

I smile and take his hand pulling myself up, I grab the bowels and walk with Aren to the clearing. The fire is just embers now, in the faint glow I can see the outline of Kaida asleep. I flop down onto the ground pulling my bag closer to me to use it as a pillow. "Night Aren."

"Night Ava."

— — — —

The sun glares down making my face hot. I wince at the light, still being able to see it with my eyes closed. I open them blearily, sitting up. Ugh… I stretch out my sore back. I think I was sleeping on a rock.

I glance around to see Kaida and Aren preparing breakfast. "Morning sleepy-head." Aren grinned at me. Kaida nodded to me. "Good morning to you Ava."

I yawn, "Mornin.". I walk over to Aren and sit next to him, he hands me a bowl of cooked rabbit meat from yesterday and some fried carrots. "Thanks." I take the bowl from him and start eating.

We finish eating and pack our things to start on the road again. As we walk Kaida starts to get fidgety. "Hey Kaida?"

She turns to face me, "Yes Ava?"

"You okay? You're being fidgety, it's not like you." I say slightly concerned.

"I am alright Ava, I believe that something is following us but the wind is blowing the scent away. It is making it hard for me to pinpoint what and where it is." She looks around, sniffing the air. She shakes her head, "I do not know what it is but I do know it is following us in a group."

Aren stiffens, "It might be monsters."

I nod, "We should be cautious, just in case."

Me and Aren unsheath our weapons, Kaida nocks her bow. We can hear rustling around us now. Kaida growles deep in her throat, "It is Goblins."

Me and Aren groan, "Damn it, really?" We stand ready, waiting for the goblins to strike. A goblin suddenly dashes out of the bushes, followed closely by the other goblins in its group. The goblins are up to my hip in height, their pale green skin leathery looking. Their pointed ears and nose wrinkly, some of the goblins wield short swords and daggers while others hold bowes near the back.

"Be careful!" Aren shouts as he meets a goblins sword, pushing its sword away and slashing down, killing the goblin. We all engage in combat with the goblins, the snap of bow strings and clash of metal on metal reverberating off the trees. I cut down a few goblins, flipping around.

"Ugh!" Pain shoots up from my side, I grip it feeling warmth on my hand. I pull my hand away to see red blood, I look down and see that a goblin madages to cut me when I wasn't looking. "Shit…", I grab my side again and flip around seeing the goblin that cut me, blood dripping off its sword. My blood, it dashes at me grinning wildly, its sharp yellow teeth flashing. I parry its sword and quickly get down low, stabbing it deep in the side. Blood drips onto my hand as I pull my dagger out of its body, it lets out a sickly gurgling sound before it drops dead. I wince. Shit I moved too much. I glance around to see Aren killing a few more goblins, and Kaida killing the last few goblins in a few quick snaps of her bow string. I carefully ease myself into the blood splattered grass, panting slightly as pain fogs my head.

"Ugh..." Kaida looks over and sees me, she walks over, her long legs bringing her close to me in a few quick steps.

"You have been hurt." She says, kneeling down next to me. Peeling my hand away from my wound, I seeth as she lightly wipes away my blood with a small cloth.

Aren rushes over, "What happened?" His voice is shaky with exhaustion, sweat dripping down his face. Goblin blood oozing down his sword.

"A goblin got me." I say through my gritted

teeth, Dammit this hurts.

"She will be fine. I need to clean her wounds so it does not get infected." Kaida turns to Aren, "Can you pick her up so we can go to a cleaner spot with more light."

Aren nodes and carefully picks me up off the ground, "Nnn! Agh…" I seeth as he picks me up.

"Sorry Av." Aren says apologetically, he follows Kaida through the forest until she finds a good spot to clean me up.

"Set her down here." Kaida points to a large-ish rock near a stream, as she sits in the grass pulling out her medical stuff. Aren lays me down on the rock, putting my bag under my head.

"Th-thanks Aren, you too Kaida.." I pant, smiling weakly.

Kaida nods and Aren looks away frowning.

"Aren…" I reach to touch his hand, he turns to face me. "It's fine Aren, it's not your fault."

Aren frowns, "I-I know…But Av…" His voice is filled with pain.

"Aren." I say firmly, "I'm fine. It's not your fault that I got hurt. It's my own fault. I wasn't paying attention."

Aren sighs, Kaida interrupts. "Aren, I need you to fill this bowl with water." She hands him a large stone bowl. Aren nods and walks over to the stream.

I close my eyes trying to calm my breathing, Aren walks over and hands Kaida the bowl filled with water.

"Here." Kaida takes the bowl and sets it on the rock next to me.

"Thank you Aren." Aren nods and starts to pace as Kaida dips a cloth into the water. "This will hurt Ava."

I nod and clench my teeth. She lightly dabs the cloth around my wound, cleaning off the blood and dirt. I wince as I feel the cold cloth on my skin. Kaida works silently and efficiently as she cleans and wraps my wound.

"Thanks Kaida." I sit up carefully, wincing.

Kaida nods and starts to clean up her supplies.

"We should get going." I start to stand but fall back feeling a sharp pain in my cut.

"Wait Ava, I will get you a pain killer." She goes through her bag and pulls out White Willow Bark. She fills a small stone cup with water and heats it with her fire. She drops the bark into a small cloth bag and drops the bag into the hot water. She hands me the cup. "Drink this."

I take the cup and drink it, the warmth of the drink feels nice. "It will start to work in a few minutes Ava." Kaida says, putting away the willow bark and the empty cup.

"Thanks Kaida." I stand and reach for my things but Aren grabs them before I can even touch the air around them.

"I'll carry this." He slings my bag over his shoulder.

"Oh, thanks Aren." I smile and carefully get up off the rock, using the claw Kaida offered me to help me up.

"We should reach Empros soon." Aren says once we start on a path again. Me and Kida nod.