With night, the mist receded, shrinking back to its hidden lair somewhere deep in the forest. The bark of the pine prevailed through the moisture, and a small but smoky fire grew in their midst. They circled it closely, cooking an evening meal, their shadows dancing on the boulders behind them.
Noises erupted from the darkness around them – the snapping of a twig or the rustling of leaves, or even the distant howl of a beast in the deeps. Now still and calm, Durian caught scent of something that startled him. Very faint and detecting it only for a moment, it was the distinct smell of a lovely perfume. Durian breathed in deep, but the fragrance had passed.
“What are we going to do about the old man?” Blair asked.
“I've been thinking about it and I just can't figure it,” Baron responded. “Nothing's adding up. I don't know how the old man's connected, but he has to be involved somehow. How else could he march alone straight into a dark forest unless he knew there was nothing to fear?”
“If that's true, then it can't be some magical beast come down from the Westward Wilds,” Blair said.
Baron's eyes narrowed as he thought, gazing deep into the fire crackling in front of them. He grabbed another small log to throw on the fire but stared at it for many moments.
“The woodsmen said they smelled perfume and smoke, didn't they?” Baron asked.
Durian nodded.
“Where there's smoke there's fire. And where there's fire there's got to be people. What if the old man's not alone?”
Durian glanced to Blair who seemed equally in the dark as to what Baron was implying.
“What if he's a spy?”
“A spy?”
“He'd make the perfect spy – an unassuming old man. And it's convenient – he happens to show up just at the only time of year when he could go unnoticed.”
“Spy for what? The only people we're at war with are the barbarians, and they're hundreds of leagues to the north.”
“What if they've sent a force down?”
“How could they send a force to Thob Forest undetected?”
“What if they came through the deep woods, even skirting the Westward Wilds between here and Kester?”
The other kingdom of men, the House of Kester was on the far northwestern side of the continent. Between the two kingdoms to the west was a labyrinth of forest and mountain and swampland. But to the north, the barbarian kingdom spanned between Kester and Forthura.
Durian could well understand why the barbarians would want to sneak around the defenses of Eulsiphion and attack from far behind. Though the barbarians outnumbered them greatly, the capital of Forthura, Eulsiphion, was a massive walled city at the edge of the barbarian kingdom, near-impenetrable by ordinary means.
It was widely accepted that Eulsiphion was not built by the people of Forthura, but rather was found almost a thousand years ago. Whatever ended the Prosperous Age also forced the people of that day to wander the world for a time, nomadic drifters making their way across the plains. There were more than a few centuries of unrecorded history. The people of that day slowly spread across the highlands of the north where the Horctura now dwell and came at last upon a deserted city, one terrifyingly beautiful in size and splendor.
Unsure at first about the city’s strange state of abandonment, they set up camp nearby to watch for its rightful owners to return. But no one ever came and Forthura claimed it as its own. Small Forthurian villages spread out across the plains from there throughout the broad southern peninsula.
“They must be making the fog somehow,” Baron decided. “To cover up their workings. And the smoke is obviously from their fires. The perfume... that's just strange. But what if everything happening in Thob Forest is all just a ruse to keep us too scared to search the woods?”
Durian's thoughts drifted back to the old man. Though he was mysterious, the old man didn't act like a spy. The only times Durian had seen him, he was off wandering away by himself, or seated alone in a tavern. He wasn't out sneaking around the city, measuring its defenses or spying on its chief officials. Perhaps it was because he had already seen how defenseless a place Suriya was.
Baron had the only explanation that made any sense. And whatever the old man's intentions, they could hardly be innocuous. Durian felt suddenly exposed. If there really was a force of barbarian warriors in Thob Forest, they could be anywhere. They could be watching them now.
“Where do you think he was headed?” Blair asked.
The old man had been far south when they spotted him, near the old pathway to the Estees Mountain range.
“If I were building a secret fort, a mountain range like the Estees would be perfect,” Baron contended. “It's defensible and out of the way and no one goes there anymore.”
But as Baron continued his train of thought, something still felt wrong to Durian. His gut feeling told him the old man couldn't be a barbarian spy. But then who was he? Nothing made sense. Their discussion had led to more questions and yielded no answers. But everything felt connected somehow...the old man, the tragedy at the Estees years ago, and the fog now blanketing the forest.
Had dark things been stirring in Thob Forest for that long, building slowly, patiently, all this time? An uneasiness was growing in Durian's mind, one that told him to leave this place and never return. He felt convinced that something menacing and purposeful was carrying out a dark and devious plan. Durian thought of the stone that lay on the edge of a cleft on the nearest mountain. Was it some ancient magic, long forgotten, now again being wielded?
His heart beat faster in his chest. Baron and Blair were gazing deep into the fire, each feeling similar notions. But they knew they couldn't leave. No one would give gravity to a report of an old man spotted entering Thob Forest. No alarm would be raised on that account.
The three laid down for the evening. But every time Durian fell asleep, the cracking of a twig or the rustling of leaves snapped him back awake.
Thob Forest was now to him a living, malevolent thing. The thought of straying into its bounds in the morning brought a tinge of terror to Durian's heart. What if they disappeared, never to be found? They would be gone and no one would ever know why. Or for what.
Whispers and Shadows
Baron was the first to stir, leaving his tent to check for coals. Rustling the sparsely glowing ash, he worked to revive the fire. Durian heard him and arose.
“I wouldn't,” Durian said. “Someone might see the smoke.”
Though a thick veil of fog once more encompassed them, above them a mere stone's throw beyond, was open air. Baron stomped out the fledgling fire. The mist was thicker than the day before, and carried with it the scent of perfume and smoke, though the latter could very well have been their own fire.
The three packed their things, concealing as best they could the evidence of their lodging. Then they departed, making for the plains. Drawing near the forest edge, the world was suddenly bathed in a blanket of light.
They ran a few paces into the plains and turned round to face the forest. The eerily undulating fog laid claim to the forest, but some intervening force kept it from seeping into the plains. There was something unnatural in it all. The fog was a solid wall but for thin wisps that broke off in regular intervals, escaping the indefinable mass and creeping forward, only to dissolve in the sunlight.
Standing here, now, at the edge of the dark forest, they each seemed to realize the foolishness of their misadventure. They should have taken precautions, should have told people where they were going and why. But none could have anticipated the events to unfold as they had.
“Come on,” said Baron at length. “We better get moving.”
Jogging along the treeline, they made for the forgotten trail to the Estees Mountains. None of them had ever taken an expedition to the mountains but they knew of an outcropping of boulders that marked the head of the trail. The expeditions always camped there and made for the mountains at first light.
There were five large stones against the treelin
e in the distance. The boulders were partially in the forest and partially in the plains. Reaching them, they scanned the treeline for evidence of a trail. But Durian noticed something odd about the boulders, or rather, the ground at the base of the largest boulder. It looked ruffled and soft.
He stood over it, moving the dirt with the toe of his boot. The dirt was loose. Bending down, he grabbed some with his hand but quickly drew his hand out with a gasp.
“What happened?” Baron said, running over to him.
Durian didn't answer them, but continued to disturb the ground with the toe of his boot. After a few moments, a thin band of smoke came up from the ground.
“I thought I was bitten by a snake.”
“The old man must have stayed here,” exclaimed Blair. “He tried to cover his tracks.”
As Blair said the words, a feeling of unease hit the three Suriyans. Why would he hide his tracks? Or rather, from whom?
“He must be onto us,” declared Baron.
“What? How?”
“He's probably just being cautious,” commented Durian.
“What if he's not hiding from us?” Blair asked. “What if he's hiding from whatever's in the forest?”
“That doesn't make sense,” said Baron.
“Of course it does. The old man can't know we're following him. So if he is hiding from someone, it can't be us.”
Every new discovery ended in more mystery. But Blair's reasoning struck a chord with Durian. Durian didn't know why but something told him the old man wasn't an enemy.
“Let's find the trail,” Baron said.
Though the pathway to the mountains hadn't been used in years, signs of it should still exist – a vague indentation in the earth accompanied by brushy new undergrowth but nothing mature.
Durian saw a small fern that looked as though lightly trampled. He scanned the forest slowly, waiting for his eyes to hit on something out of place. After a moment, Durian whistled for Baron and Blair, motioning to a barely perceptible footpath. Baron traveled down it slowly, running his hands through various bent ferns and trampled verdure.
“Come on,” said Baron.
Just inside the forest, the curtain of fog drew thickly around them. Baron set a quick pace but it proved too quick. After only a minute he was forced to stop, the pathway no longer before him. Durian marveled that the trail could only be seen when one stared directly down it. If slightly off to one side, the path would disappear from sight. After backtracking a few paces, they were able to resume their course.
Sections of thick underbrush also hindered their sight, forcing them to trek whole sections without direction. But the brush was matted and trampled in places, proving a better guide than the path itself.
Hours melted away, all their focus on keeping to the trail. After midday, they happened upon a bubbling brook that paralleled their course for a time. There were very few sources of fresh water in Thob Forest, and coming upon one was no accident. Overjoyed to refill their water skins, they stopped for lunch.
“How long to the mountains?” Durian asked.
The sound of a voice seemed out of place in the misty woodlands.
“We won't make it today,” Baron answered.
“Why don't we stop here then, where there's fresh water?” Blair asked. “There's always the danger that if we push too hard we'll overtake the old man.”
Durian needed little encouragement to drop his pack, and rubbed his aching shoulders. After making camp, they came together and rested on a nearby fallen log.
“Do you think it's safe for a fire?”
That was a question none could answer.
“Let's do it,” Baron said. “I don't want my eggs spoiling.”
They set off in search of dry wood. But finding wood that hadn't succumbed to months of damp was a difficult feat. Durian ambled along the stream. He was deep in thought as he mechanically scanned the forest for the driest of timbers. But something brought him back to his senses.
The faint smell of smoke was on the mist. Durian froze and peered outward, breathing deeply. Though the smell was faint, he clearly detected the scent of burning wood. And he almost thought he saw a glow through the trees. Anxiety hit him as he realized he was alone.
Durian dropped what little wood he had and ran up the stream toward camp. Finding it empty, his heart beat quickly as his eyes darted about the forest. Darkness descended through the trees.
Where were they? Why had they gone so far from the campsite? Had they been taken? Durian heard the sound of a cracking twig behind him. He spun round in fright and saw Blair walking up to him, a pile of wood in his arms.
“Why aren't you gathering any firewood?” Blair asked.
But Durian didn't answer him. He held his finger up to his lips and came toward him.
“There's someone here, I think,” Durian whispered. “We need to find your brother.”
Blair dropped his pile of wood.
“What! Who's here?”
“I'm not sure. I didn't see anyone. But there was a glow in the distance and the smell of smoke.”
Just then, Baron approached.
“What are you two doing?”
“Durian saw something downstream.”
He motioned to the area and set off, followed by the twins. With the encroaching darkness, the mist began to recede. They came to a spot where the stream curved away and stopped, fearful of getting lost.
Breathing in deeply, the three detected the smoke. The smell was different than before. It was an oily smoke. Blair's hand shot up, finger pointing to a barely perceptible glow not far beyond them. Baron set off in its direction to the horror of Durian and Blair. Durian almost called out after him, but he dared not.
The three crept forward, ever so slowly. As they drew near, the sound of flowing water came back to their hearing. The stream must have curved around and doubled back. Durian took heart. The sound would mask their movements and keep them also from getting lost.
The glow was only a stone's throw beyond. Baron was coming dangerously close. The trees were obscuring anything definite from view, but they heard the sound of muffled voices. There were people in the distance ahead.
Baron held up his hand for the other two to wait while he alone advanced. They halted, concentrating with all their might to discern any of the words being said. But a thick treeline stood between them.
As Durian stood there, a realization dawned on him. There were very few sources of fresh water in Thob Forest. It wasn't an accident they had stumbled into someone here in the forest. Baron moved through the trees quietly. Now that darkness filled the forest, Durian could see that the glow was actually an array of smaller lights. It had to be torches. Baron was almost out of sight.
Durian heard the unmistakable clang of metal from up ahead. It sounded like armor. Baron reached a large tree and peered his head around it. He lingered for many moments. But the glow was diminishing.
Baron returned to their side.
“What did you see?”
Baron shook his head slowly.
“They were leaving by the time I got close enough. They were soldiers of some kind.”
“Soldiers?”
“They were having a meeting it looked like. They broke company just as I got there, moving off in different directions.”
Silence filled the night air. Their worst suspicions had come true. Suriya was in grave danger.
“Let's get back to camp,” said Durian.
The others nodded and set off toward the stream north of them. Drawing near their campsite, Durian scanned it closely for signs of tampering. But it looked undisturbed. They hadn't been discovered yet. When they arrived, Baron sat down on a fallen log, content to settle in for the night.
“I don't think we can stay here,” said Durian.
“Why not?”
“It can't be an accident we stumbled into someone here. Whoever's in Thob Forest, they're using the stream for water, same as we. It's only blind luck they didn't discover
us. We can't stay here. We've got to get back and warn Suriya.”
Baron clenched his jaw. That left them in a bind. The pathway through the forest was difficult enough to follow by day. They had no hope of keeping to it by night. If they left tonight, it would be through the open woods without direction. Baron glanced to Blair, but Blair only shook his head.
Quietly, they dismantled their camp, camouflaging the evidence of their presence as best they could in the meager starlight. Then shouldering their packs, they came together in a circle.
“I hope you both are up for a long night,” Baron said.
Then they set off through the open woodlands. The mist was all but faded from the forest and Durian felt strangely naked, having grown accustomed to the fog's haunting presence.
Weariness took hold, striking hard as the fright of their encounter passed. Every part of Durian's body ached. They walked till what must have been midnight and stopped at a downed log to rest. It was a well-sheltered, brushy patch of forest.
“We're not going to make it out of here tonight,” Baron said. “This looks like as good a place as any.”
Durian was overjoyed and plopped his pack down, erecting his shelter hastily and falling into it fast asleep without a bite of dinner. But he awoke to a ravenous hunger just at the glow of dawn and couldn't fall back asleep.
Leaving his tent, he found the mist just beginning to gather among the trees. Like a snake, wisps emerged from the deep forest, slithering among the timbers.
Now that it was certain that soldiers had occupied the forest, the mystery of the fog and perfume struck him more than ever. How in the world was it possible for the barbarians to cover an entire forest with fog day by day? Whatever was happening, it seemed bigger than a barbarian invasion. He couldn't help but wonder about the strange dream he had awoken to only days ago. What did it all mean?
Baron and Blair emerged, snapping Durian from his ruminations. Without a word they packed and ate, setting off into the forest, hoping to be clear by late morning. But there was no guarantee they were even going the right direction.
The Banished Lands- The Complete Series Page 5
