The throbbing in Devin’s hand lessened slightly as they continued their trek northward. From his severed fingers to the rope it still pulsed, a deep ache that made his stomach roil, but it no longer travelled up his arm. Teryn’s rope seemed to be doing the trick, as any sign of infection or red streaks had ended at the rope.

The landscape rolled by them slowly, with more and more pine trees starting to fill in the meadows that had surrounded them. Towards the middle of the day, Daisy directed them slightly eastward and they emerged onto a well travelled road, running north into a thick forest of tall sentinel trees.

As they stepped onto the road, Murton asked, “Shouldn’t we be avoiding roads so we aren't caught by anyone? We aren't exactly in peak fighting performance, myself obviously excluded.” The past week had done much to improve his broken face. His bruises had paled from nasty purple and red splotches to a slightly more sightly yellow with green tinge. What was most impressive was his facial hair.

When they had left Mossglenn Depot he had been nearly entirely devoid of facial hair, something that had struck the dwarf deep down. Now, sitting outside an unknown pine forest and approaching the hitherto unknown orcish city of Grinnish, Murton sported a full beard and moustache, the hairs already a few inches long and covering his face again. They were a lighter red than before, more of a pale orange rather than the auburn copper richness it had held before. Murton had explained it would deepen as it grew, something the others expressed deep skepticism at.

“We can't move through the trees anymore. They get even thicker than what you see here. Brambles and other lovely bushes fill in the tiny gaps they leave. If we push hard enough we should meet the entrance to the Under Mountain before the sun sets. From there we can decide what to do next,” Daisy gave a slight nod toward Devin. He was grateful for the gesture, reaffirming him as the leader of the group. It had been a strain having his team follow the directions of an unknown orc into unfamiliar territory.

Murton huffed at her statement but did not say anything else.

“Ready to move on?” Devin asked the group. When there were no objections, he turned toward Daisy, “Lead on.” She gave a quick nod and turned toward the imposing forest.

As they approached, the trees blocked the view of the mountains to the north. Stepping past the trees into the forest was like entering another world. The sounds of the meadows behind them faded almost instantly, being replaced by a thick silence broken by the occasional bird call. Though he could not see anything, Devin felt like hundreds of eyes had turned on him, watching him. They were ancient eyes, neither friendly or angry, just watching him and his group passively.

A shiver ran up his spine and he kept walking forward. Their boots crunched on the dirt road, which was strangely devoid of any sort of pine needles or other plant clutter. Daisy had mentioned it was a well travelled road, but the lack of anything other than the road was still strange.

After several minutes of walking in silence, Shia was the first to break it.

“What is wrong with this place?” she whispered. Though it was only a whisper, her voice carried to their ears without any problem, dying as it hit the trees.

“It’s an ancient forest. Been here as long as the world itself. The tree’s don't mind people walking through, but they always keep an eye on you.” Daisy turned back toward the group over her shoulder. “Don't do anything to hurt the trees. They keep off the road and we keep to ourselves.”

“I thought we only had to walk on the road because of the brambles and shit? That's what you just told me,” Murton huffed at her.

“It was an easier explanation. I wasn’t sure how you would take the idea of trees that watch you until you felt their presence,” Daisy said, looking forward again and walking down the path. They continued on, the ever-present feeling of being watched prickling over Devin’s skin. The hairs on the back of his neck had stood up since he stepped into the forest and refused to go down.

“If everyone else is all right, we can pick up the pace a little bit,” he said after a few more minutes of walking in the thick silence. The group nodded and agreed quickly. Daisy shrugged and started walking faster. He wanted to get out of this forest as quickly as they could. No matter what Daisy said, he felt like he just did not belong here.

As they trekked deeper into the forest the sunlight became dimmer and dimmer. Devin did not have a way of telling how far the day had gone, as he could not see the position of the sun against the trees. Whether they had actually been walking for hours, or the thickness of the pines around them had blocked off more and more sun was anyone's guess.

A little while later Teryn came over to his right side. She gave him a look, eyebrows up, and he extended his right hand toward her. She kept on the edge of the path, blocking most of what she was doing from the group as she went over his mangled hand. For that, Devin was grateful. He was not ready to share the extent of his injuries with the others. Let them just think he was missing some fingers, they did not need to know about the rot that was fighting her rope as they walked, trying to worm its way deeper into his body.

He felt her tying the bandages back over his hand and he looked over. She gave a small nod and wandered back a little, pretending to look at the trees as she picked over the path among people. He wondered if she was really that comfortable in this forest, or if it was just an air she had mastered projecting in her many years of life. Devin’s eyes narrowed a little at the half elf. One day he’d find out how long she had been alive. Maybe when he asked about her brother he could sneak in something to reference their childhood days. But how long was an elvish childhood? Hell, did her half human side make a difference to that too?

He kicked at a rock in the path absentmindedly, sending it rolling off into the brush and carpets of pine needles to his right. As it left the path he felt an immediate pang of regret. This feeling grew as he heard a groan rise from the forest, like a tree when the wind was pushing it almost too far, the wood straining against itself. The groan rippled around them, washing from where the rock entered to fill the air around them.

The group halted, afraid to move, afraid to even draw a breath too loudly. The groan rippled outward, falling in noise as it travelled further away. It got quieter and quieter until it finally faded away. After a few moments, Daisy turned back toward him and hissed, “What in the hells did you do?”

Devin shrugged helplessly, his mouth forming words noiselessly before finally managing, “I kicked a rock?”

The rest of the group, minus Griff who was always impassive and, surprisingly Teryn, looked just as bewildered as he felt.

“I told you to leave them alone,” Daisy shot back.

“I didn't mean anything by it, it was an accident that it even went off the path!”

“They don't know that,” Daisy said, waving at the trees around them. Her gaze followed her hands, looking angry and almost fearful. “Let's keep moving, maybe they won't retaliate.” She turned on her heel and started off at a fast walk.

“What do you mean, retaliate?” Shia was the first to speak again after a few moments of walking.

It was Teryn who answered, “They will do something they feel is equal to us. Whether that be throwing a rock at us, or felling a tree and crushing us.”

“And how could that be equal?” Murton puffed up, eyeing the trees nervously. Every tiny sound that came through the forest, whether it be an animal scittering or the faintest gust of wind, made them all jump.

Teryn gave a half shrug, “They are trees, and ancient ones at that. They are governed by ideas that are rooted in them since long before we started to walk this land. Who is to say they are the incorrect ones and we are the correct ones?”

Murton shivered a little and kept glancing around. Devin could understand his nervousness entirely. Devin had been the one to kick the rock. If the trees or spirits inhabiting the trees or whatever they were decided to exact some form of revenge, surely he would be the target of their anger.

His nerves began to settle slightly, still alighting with lightning like fire at every strange noise, but were calming as they kept moving at a brisk pace. The air around them seemed to start getting slightly darker. He could see just a little less further into the dense trees and undergrowth with each passing step. As the light continued to fall, a low lying fog started to creep onto the path, snaking pale tendrils across their legs like the fingers of a ghost.

As they walked, Devin swore he could feel a slight weight in the fog as it thickened, eventually blocking their feet from their sight. It was almost as if it were a tangible thing, trying to hamper or slow them down. He frowned as he felt the tug strengthen with each step he took. It was not enough to slow him, but enough he was very aware of it and knew he was not imagining things.

Glancing around as the rest of the group, he caught them frowning at their own feet every few steps.

“Does anybody else feel-”

“Shh!” He was cut off by simultaneous hisses from Teryn and Daisy.

Confused, he asked, “What? I was just-”

“Hush!” Came a command from Teryn, her brows arched and lips tight. Devin bit back his question, chewing the inside of his cheek. If something could worry or scare her enough to give him such a stern command, it must be particularly nasty.

Night came down on them as they were still walking through the dense forest, with no end in sight. Any chance of conversation was killed, as anytime anyone talked they received a quick rebuke from either Teryn or Daisy. The thick fog had changed, giving them glimpses of the road beneath them and their feet, but had morphed into thick tendrils, each offering significant resistance if they walked through them.

When the shift first happened, Devin had tried stepping over the tendrils instead of through them. He was met by the fog whipping up and wrapping around his foot, trying to trip him. After a few stumbles and failed attempts, he resigned himself to just wading through the foggy fingers. It was not pleasant, but was easier than tripping over them.

Devin walked up next to Daisy and leaned over to her ear, “How much longer until we get to our stopping point,” He whispered as low as she could. She still shot him a warning glare, but let him finish.

She held up a single finger.

“Hours left?” he mouthed. She nodded. Satisfied, he let himself drop back a little, coming to a brisk stroll in the middle of the group. Everyone was exhausted, letting the pain of the march over the past week show clearly on their faces. Even Griff, normally the stoic mountain, was grimacing slightly and favoring his left foot as he walked.

Devin sighed, glad to know they only had an hour longer until they got to some semblance of safety, when he heard a yelp. Whipping around, he saw Shia go down, falling to the ground, only to be dragged away into the forest. Her scream was cut short as she disappeared into the swirling fog , leaving a deathly silence on the group.

Devin started toward the forest's edge where Shia had disappeared through when he was stopped by Daisy. She appeared in front of him, hand to his chest and hissed a warning.

“You can't go in after her, it's certain death!”

“I don't care,” he brushed aside her hand and started walking forward. “I kicked the rock. If this is the forest's vengeance it's my fault she got pulled in. If I don’t come out in five minutes, go on without me.”

Protests started within the group, but he raised a hand. “That's an order,” he said as he stepped off the road and into the fog.