“I cannot. I must give heed to the unicorns’ wishes, for that is how I maintain peace on Faythander—through respect. This is a quest you must accomplish without me. Search out the stone. If it is gone, which I suspect it is, then search for any clues as to its whereabouts. Return quickly, for this path you take is one of grave danger. When you have learned the truth of what has happened, meet us here and we shall return you to the dragons’ caves. And…” Fan’twar exhaled a great sigh, causing steam to rise from his nostrils. “Take care, young one,” he said quietly. “You must not linger too long in this forest.”
“I understand.”
He nodded. The dragons backed away, then took flight. I watched as they disappeared, anxiety making my stomach churn. Fan’twar’s golden scales reflected a stray sunbeam as it pierced through the low-lying clouds, and then his form faded as he flew away from the forest.
The broad expanse of woods spread below us, an impenetrable fortress of leaves and limbs. It was impossible to tell what lay inside.
Heidel gathered her cloak, her face growing pale. “Do you think the rumors are true?” she asked.
“Rumors?” I asked.
“Yes. Now that we’re here, I am reminded of the stories I heard when I was younger.”
“I am not familiar with those stories,” Kull said.
“No, you wouldn’t have known of them,” Heidel answered. “They weren’t told by the Wults, but by the goblins.”
A stiff breeze pulled at the dark strands of her hair as her voice drifted back to another time. “It was said that a witch lived in this forest—one who had hidden here in order to evade the burnings during the elven inquisitions. She was said to drain the blood of anyone who crossed her path.”
The swaying trees stirred in the valley below us, creaking as the branches caught the wind.
“Couldn’t you have warned us of this sooner?” Kull asked.
Heidel shrugged. “It was merely a goblin superstition.”
“But what do you think?” I asked. “Do you believe a witch hides in these woods?”
She shrugged. “I suppose we’ll find out.”
Without another word, she made her way down the hill, and we followed, approaching the edge of the tree line. As we stepped into the woods, the shadows blocked out the sunlight, making the air grow chilly. I pulled my cloak tighter as goose bumps formed on my skin.
Our booted footsteps were muffled by the damp leaves covering the ground. Old, thick trees, their trunks covered in carpet-like moss, grew along our path. Their gnarled trunks and crooked branches seemed to grow at unnatural angles, some branches sweeping the ground and growing in a dense jumble that made one tree indistinguishable from the next. Even the rocks and tree stumps were covered in the same verdant moss.
Kull inspected the map as we walked. When we stopped for a brief break, he opened the map for us to see.
“There should be a trail not far from here that will lead us to an elder tree grove, which should provide good shelter. I believe we should do our best to make it to the grove before nightfall. From there, we will follow a river. It looks as if the river breaks off, and so we will have to follow one of these streams.” He ran his finger over the parchment, then looked up. “The map does not give the exact location of the stone. How are we to find it?”
“That’s probably because the location is hidden,” I answered. “However, I saw the place in a vision in Fan’twar’s chambers. The stone had been floating over a small pool of water. Is there anything like that on the map?”
He studied the map, then shook his head. “I see nothing.”
“Then we have no choice but to follow the map,” Heidel said, “and hope that we come across it.”
Kull sighed. “This forest is exceedingly large. We may be wandering for quite some time.”
“My magic can help,” I said. “I’m sure I can come up with some sort of spell that will draw us to the right place.”
“Very well,” Kull said, “but I think it unwise to travel this forest in the darkness. We are not sure what lurks here. Making it to the elder grove should be our first priority.”
He rolled up the map, and we continued walking. Soon, we found a narrow, winding trail that snaked through the trees. Patches of sunlight filtered through the branches and painted glowing splotches on the forest floor. The air was still, without the slightest hint of a breeze. A rich, earthy scent filled the woods. On occasion, something would move in the trees, although I never saw what caused the noises.
As noon approached, we found a small clearing with a few felled logs, then got ready to eat our lunch. The Wults had come prepared, with dried meat, nuts, and salted maepepper leaves rolled and filled with something that tasted similar to corn mash.
“I’ve never tasted anything like this,” I said as I tried the leaves.
“My sister Eugrid makes them,” Kull said. “When she’s feeling up to it, she prepares hundreds before we go off to battles or on expeditions. She means to keep us fat even while we travel.”
“They’re very good.”
“If you say so,” Heidel answered. “But you’ve not eaten as many as we have. After time, they lose their appeal.”
“Don’t tell my sister,” Kull said, “but there have been times when the bog-beasts have been unusually well fed.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Is that so?”
“It is.”
Our eyes locked, making my heart give a small flutter, and I couldn’t seem to pull away from his gaze. Old memories surfaced, images of times I’d hoped to forget. I heard his voice in my mind—something he’d said to me once, a long time ago.
We are not meant to be apart, Olive. I will always find you. No matter how far we become separated, I
