by Logan Petty
“Excuse me! We are the Ghosts of Alfhaven, formerly Mirehawk Team of Rowan Circle Fortress! We are under direct orders from Lady Tirinele to make for Bitterdeep Bog! We need to pass immediately!”
The guard he addressed looked at him skeptically for a moment. He reached out to one of the massive thorns and pricked his thumb on it. He rubbed his bloody thumb on the gate. It absorbed his blood and unraveled enough for Sawain and his team to walk through.
“We just received word from Lady Tirinele a few moments ago. Ancestors guide you, Ghosts.”
Tobi glanced back and smirked at the stunned look on Sawain’s face, “Told you it would work.”
Sawain grinned, “I shouldn’t have doubted you.”
The team filed through the open gate and stood on a ledge of roots and dirt. Massive trees surrounded them. Their boughs grew so close together that they intertwined to make a sort of suspended floor. A walkway of magically fused vines led up into the canopy.
The Ghosts of Alfhaven stood shoulder to shoulder and stared into the dark void of Alfhaven Forest. The great gate of the city wove itself tightly shut again behind them. Morale was high since the guard druids recognized them and let them pass without an argument. Now, as the young rangers stood at the threshold of the vast outer world, nerves began to take over.
Mari approached Sawain and held out a satchel. He took it and looked it over. Mari’s voice shook slightly as she spoke.
“There’s a few days worth of trail rations and a skin of water, as well as a flint rock in there. Emergency rations, in case we get separated for some reason. I have the rest of the food.”
Sawain gave her a reassuring smile, “Thanks. Who’s carrying the ropes and tent?”
Banthan raised his hand wordlessly. Sawain nodded at him. Naralei shouldered her pack.
“I have some potions I’ve been saving for the first mission. There’s only three of them, so we’ll have to be careful and not rely on them.”
Sawain nodded again and looked for Tobi, who was right by his side. Tobi grinned and patted the scroll slung across his back in a wooden tube that was lashed to his back by a leather strap.
“Got the map, boss.”
Sawain smiled, “Good man, Tobi.”
Tobi chuckled, “You mean good elf.”
Sawain laughed quietly, “Right, you are. Okay, everyone here? Loraleth? Jatharr? Timbrel?”
The three remaining team mates answered his call.
Okay, that’s everyone. Time to make for the bog.
“We know that Bitterdeep Bog lies to the south, right?”
Naralei nodded an affirmation. Sawain continued.
“Great, so let’s start heading south.”
There was a moment of awkward silence. Everyone looked from one team mate to the next. Sawain’s mind started to numb.
“Does no one know which direction South is?”
Banthan snapped at Sawain, “You’re the leader. Shouldn’t you know these things?”
Sawain snapped back as ire rose in his chest, “I can’t without the sun. I wasn’t born in the forest.”
Tobi interjected before a fight could break out, “Oh, I know! The city gate faces the west. That’s what I read in a book one time. So, if we stand with our backs to the gate, we are facing west! So that means south is….. That way!”
Tobi pointed his left arm out straight. Sawain clapped him on the other shoulder.
“Good job, Tobi. Alright, Ghosts. Time to move out. Remember to stick to the trees. Spread out, but try to keep visual contact with everyone. We’ll travel in Watcher formation.”
Everyone silently acknowledged with a nod. Sawain could sense the anxiety in his outriders. He put it in the back of his mind and led them into the network of branches above their heads. Everyone scaled the trees and got into position. This formation spread the team out and allowed Banthan to see everyone from his post in the back.
Sawain glanced at Naralei and Tobi and flashed them a hand signal.
They both returned the appropriate gesture.
They were using a secret hand sign code language that Loraleth developed for the team. The Ghosts were the only ones in the world that could read and decipher the hand signs. Naralei and Tobi signaled to their watchers and signaled a moment later to let Sawain know that all was well and everyone was in position. He nodded and gave Naralei the signal to let Loraleth, who was on point, know it was time to move.
Naralei gave the signal and everyone moved almost simultaneously. Quickly, quietly, they moved through the dark treetops. Every few minutes that passed, Sawain would notice a glowing gash in one of the branches above his head. Loraleth was marking their trail. The resin from the Arborhart must have been the reason for the glow left in the wounds on the trees. Sawain tried to keep their pace down, because he was not sure if Jatharr was not used to moving in this mode of transportation. An hour of jumping from tree to tree passed before he signaled to Naralei.
She signaled to Tobi the same question. A few seconds later, the reply returned to Sawain.
Sawain grinned. He was not ready to stop yet, but he had to consider the whole team.
A moment later, the convoy halted. Everyone held their positions, but sat where they were, breathing hard. Even after a year of training under the combined regime of Captain Nerelis and Lady Tirinele, they still could not go an hour without getting winded. Sawain looked for Tobi. He found him sitting beside Jatharr. Both of them dangled their legs over the edge of the thick branch that supported them. Tobi was breathing heavier than the others. When he caught Sawain’s gaze, Sawain signed to him.
Tobi replied,
Tobi pulled his map from the tube on his back and unfurled it. He studied it for a moment. Though it was difficult for Sawain’s half-elf eyes to penetrate the darkness of the forest, he could tell by Tobi’s body language that something was wrong. Finally, Tobi signaled Sawain.
Sawain was on his feet in an instant. He jumped over to the branch Tobi and Jatharr were on, which caused them to hold on for dear life as it rocked violently. Sawain whispered in harsh tones.
“What do you mean it’s wrong?”
Tobi stammered back in a whisper, his eyes filled with dread, “I-it’s not the right map. She gave me a map of Alfhaven the city, not the forest. I—”
Banthan was on his feet as well. He griped in a much louder voice than a whisper.
“Great! Leave it to Tobi to mess up his one responsibility! You fungus brained little toad! What is wrong with you? Why didn’t you check the map before we left?”
Tobi stammered, “I-I tried to, but—”
Banthan cut in again, “But nothing! We trusted you with one thing and—”
Naralei cut him of with a violent, but hushed warning, “Shut up, Banthan! You’re going to attract every predator in the area!”
Sawain heard Timbrel’s thick accent, “That’s about all he could attract!”
Mari drew in a deep breath through her teeth, “Ooh, stinger!”
Banthan glared at them, but before he could retort, Sawain stopped all the ruckus, “That’s enough! You’re rangers! Act like it!”
Silence followed his words. Everything was so still that it made Sawain nervous. He quickly signaled to Banthan and Loraleth.
They quickly obeyed and scoured the surrounding canopy for any signs of danger. A minute later, they signed back.
“Aaah!”
Mari’s shrill shout rang out through the trees. Sawain quickly turned toward the scream in time to see Mari and Timbrel jump away from a massive Spider-like creatu
re. It was ten feet long and six feet tall. It had too many legs to be a giant spider. Its exoskeleton was covered in wicked looking thorns.
It opened a maw of razor sharp fangs and spewed a stream of liquid at Mari. She was able to recover from her last jump and dropped to a branch below just as the strange expulsion struck the platform she was on. Sawain heard a sizzling sound and saw wisps of pale smoke rise from the covered branch.
“Don’t let that thing spit on you! Tobi, what is it?”
Mari bounced to a safer limb just as the acidic spittle burned through the other bough. It crashed through the treetops until it collided with the ground below. Loraleth and Naralei launched a barrage of knives at the beast. Some of them managed to stick into the monster’s hide, but it did not seem to notice. Its attention was fixed on Mari. Tobi stared at it in horror. Sawain shouted at Mari.
“Mari! Get moving! We’ll kill it while you draw its attack!”
Mari was visibly shaken, but she nodded and broke from the fray. The monster sprang after her. Jatharr was the first to get in its path. It tried to bowl the halfling over, but he swung hard at it with his serrated buckler. The round shield hacked into one of the monster’s legs and got wedged into it. The creature roared and halted long enough to violently shake off Jatharr. The buckler ripped loose and the halfling flew through the air, bouncing off of a branch or two. Loraleth happened to be in the right place to catch him before he crashed into a tree trunk.
The beast continued its pursuit of Mari. Branches snapped and debris flew in every direction as the many legged terror crashed through the foliage. Sawain did not wait to go after it. He had to act fast or he would already be down an Outrider. He glanced to his right and saw Naralei. She weaved her way through the forest on the other side of the monster. He heard Tobi shout out from behind him.
“I know what that thing is! It’s a Spinereaver Solifuge! They’re druidic experiments gone wrong. That armor’s tough, but I read that it has a gap between its head and its upper torso segments! You could get a sword in him from there!”
Sawain grit his teeth as he dodged a shattered branch, “Have you seen the spines on that thing? If we try to get on its back, we’ll be impaled!”
Naralei shouted from the other side of the carnage caused by the Spinereaver, “Lora can hit it with a knife! She’s the best on the team when it comes to long shots like that!”
Sawain scanned for Loraleth. She was behind him, to his left.
“You up for it Lora? We’ll help you get a clear shot.”
Loraleth looked nervous, but nodded as she drew a pair of knives from her belt. Sawain turned his attention to Naralei.
“We need to get that thing to hold still long enough for Lora to get a shot. You up for a skirmish?”
The familiar blood lust Sawain was accustomed to shone in Naralei’s eyes, “Let’s get it.”
Sawain nodded and put all of his willpower into a headlong sprint at breakneck speed. He had to get between Mari and the Solifuge, or all was lost. He watched the behemoth from the corner of his eye as he raced alongside it. He had to move faster. He could see that the gap between Mari and her predator grew shorter.
Timbrel clung to Mari’s back. He clutched a small tambourine. He beat out a steady, rhythm that grew faster and faster. Sawain felt renewed strength in his legs as he listened to the cadence. The gap between the pursuer and the prey widened. Sawain was a foot ahead of the Spinereaver now.
He glanced past it. He could see Naralei. She pulled ahead of both of them, her sword already in hand. Sawain drew his own blade. He gave Naralei a signal with his free hand.
Naralei nodded. Sawain let out a breath. Any lingering fears about jumping into the acidic mouth of the beast were pushed aside. He gathered all of his strength and jumped to his right. He and Naralei landed on a thick bough directly in front of the rampaging monster. They turned on it with their swords raised.
The Solifuge did not bother slowing down, Sawain had to stop it or he and Naralei would be shredded to ribbons by it’s thorny carapace. He readied his sword for a thrust. Naralei followed suit. The monster was on top of them now, going full speed. Sawain prayed hard.
Please let this work.
“Stab him now!”
Sawain and his cousin stabbed upward at the Solifuge’s underside. They hit it at a softer spot, where crashing through the trees wore down its armor. Their resin coated blades slid through the exoskeleton. The two of them together were not enough to stop the monster’s momentum. It roared and crashed down on them.
Piercing pain shot through Sawain as one of the spines ran through his shoulder. Another spine penetrated his left thigh. He grit his teeth and pushed upward with all of his might. A deep growl rolled through his chest. The Solifuge struggled to its feet. The spines ripped from Sawain’s flesh. He roared in pain. He heard Naralei emit an agonized scream. He looked over to her as he ripped his blade from the monster.
She was grasping at a wound in her stomach. Fear washed over Sawain as he watched his cousin’s blood seep from the open hole. He could tell from the glazed look in her eyes that she was going into shock. Her words from earlier came back to him.
There are potions in her pack.
Sawain made a dash for her. The spot he was laying at an instant earlier was covered in acidic slime. He grabbed Naralei and ran for cover as the bough under his feet began to sag. He glanced behind him. The Solifuge reared up on its hind legs and was hissing at the two attackers.
Sawain ducked behind a tree trunk just as another volley of acid splashed against the other side. He held Naralei close to keep her protected. Sweat covered her face, but her warmth quickly fled from her skin.
“Stay with me, Nara… Loraleth! Today would be nice!”
The tree he was hiding behind shuddered and popped loudly as the Solifuge rammed it. Sawain hoisted the pale form of Naralei again and delved deeper into the tangle. The forest behind them tore to shreds as the Spinereaver followed after them. Sawain knew he would have to stand and fight it again if Loraleth was to get a clear shot.
He managed to get far enough ahead to prop Naralei against a thick tree trunk. He stepped out of cover a second later, sword drawn again. The Solifuge lumbered toward him like an unstoppable storm.
Images of Naralei’s cold corpse filled his mind. Those images turned to anger. That anger fueled his inner Berserker. Red filled his eyes. He could see the monster clearly now. It was mere feet away. A fierce roar ripped from his lungs and shook the surrounding trees. The Solifuge skidded to a halt in front of him. It recoiled at the terrifying display.
A pair of throwing knives shot from the monster’s throat and buried themselves in the wood at Sawain’s feet. Acidic blood dripped from the unaffected hilts and sizzled when they hit the wood. Sawain looked up at the beast as his rage began to subside.
It stood upright again and made an ear splitting hiss as it spewed acid and blood into the air. It was not long before the mist of acid settled on its host and the surrounding boughs. It ate away at the beast’s exoskeleton. It staggered toward Sawain, but the supporting branches were already weakened by the acid. The makeshift floor snapped under the monster’s weight. Sawain was barely fast enough to grab onto another bough as the one he was on snapped away. He dangled by an arm and watched the hissing horror fall to the floor below. Several of the limbs smashed into the insectoid. Sawain’s stomach turned at the cracking sound the beast’s shell made as it was bashed open by falling debris.
He did not see any movement from below after all the debris settled, so he used his sword to pull himself back up. The other Ghosts caught up now. Sawain ran to the place he left Naralei. She was still there, but her eyes were closed and her eyelids flickered faintly. She was pale. Sawain placed a finger to the side of her neck. There was still a pulse, but it was faint and she was cold.
He grabbed her bag in a panic and unlatched it. It was not hard to find the potions. He pulled one out and uncorked it. Lo
raleth was at his side from out of nowhere.
“You need to apply it to her main wound. Here, let me.”
Sawain nodded and handed her the open potion. She lifted Naralei’s tunic enough to expose the gaping wound. Sawain had to look away. The scene was too much for him. Several minutes of work and two potions later, Sawain heard Naralei gasp for air and a sob-choked laugh of relief from Loraleth. Sawain turned back to see Naralei staring up into the canopy, pain etched into her face. He joined Loraleth in relieved laughter as tears filled his eyes.
“You scared me.”
Naralei turned her gaze to Sawain. Her voice was weak, but her words were as strong as ever.
“What are you crying for? I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.”
Sawain grinned at her. He turned to Loraleth and gave her a big hug without thinking. He could feel the heat rising in her face.
“Thank you for saving my cousin, Lora. I owe you.”
Loraleth pulled back and smiled nervously. Sawain could not make out color in the forest, but she looked different, perhaps brighter.
“I— It’s the least I could do… I mean, well, you would have done the same…”
Sawain clapped her shoulder lightly, “You’re my hero today, Loraleth.”
Loraleth was silent, but Sawain could see the smile on her face clearly. He looked around and made a quick head count. Everyone was present.
“Alright, looks like we’re setting up camp early today. Nara’s in no shape to keep moving. We’ll rest for the evening and get back to it in the morning. In the mean time, Tobi, try to get our bearings.”
Sawain glanced at Tobi, who looked mortified, “What is it, Tobi?”
Tobi stared at Sawain, terror building in his expression, “I don’t know how.”
Sawain slowly rose to his feet, a bad feeling in his chest rose with him. He looked at Tobi warily.
“What do you mean?”
Tobi swallowed hard. He was shaking visibly.
“I mean we’re lost.”
Chapter 12
“What do you mean we’re lost? Get us unlost!”
Banthan’s angry shouts irritated Sawain further, “Enough, Banthan. Let me handle this. Tobi, You’re our go-to for this sort of thing. You have all night. I know you’ll figure it out.”
