Chapter Twenty - The Curse of the Forest

It had been two days since Elric, Avan, Gaden, and Findhar had left the safety and luxuries of Alderhaven led by Gaila. Their horses had been left with Garrin and Daea, it was just too much trouble to hope to lead them along as they trekked through the forest. Gaden was glad they had Gaila leading them through the forest. He exhibited a show of expertise in navigating the forest that they clearly would have missed had they traveled alone.

Their journey was very long. The Nymphs had given them some specially treated Alder leaves and instructed them to place them inside their shoes. The oils secreted by these leaves provided a certain medicinal quality to ease pain or blistering from long, hard walks. Gaden had to admit the effect was indeed welcome, though he noticed green stains on the bottoms of his feet when he removed his shoes at night before going to sleep.

Gaden was also learning a lot about the nymphs from Gaila. Gaila rarely slept. He might catch an hour or two at the end of the day, but he was always awake again before the rest of them had begun to sleep too heavily. According to Gaila, this was normal among nymphs. Their ability to refresh themselves was well trained and quite efficient. It was especially beneficial to them as he could stand guard overnight while the rest of them slept.

Gaden, who was stranger to long journeys in the wild away from his family, found it difficult to allow himself to sleep too much. Sure, he did some traveling on his hunting trips, but never longer than a couple days. So he was enjoying the company of Gaila, who seemed to like Gaden. Gaden had spent several of the last few days staying up very late by Gaila’s side. They would talk late into the night, sometimes nearing dawn, though Gaden could not tell, as the forest so consistently blocked the sun from view.

So far, Gaila had been successful in his attempts to lure their trail away from the prowl of the creatures he called polgers. He warned them of their ferocity. These creatures, he told them, were a direct result of Seevus’ attempt to ruin the land he spitefully cursed so many centuries ago. From what Gaila had told him, the nymphs sounded much like a sort of anti-polger to Gaden. The nymphs were a result of Amos’ attempt to right the wrong Seevus had done to the land. The polgers were other creatures too unfortunate to have benefitted from his efforts to restore a sense of normality to Seevus’ curse. And so evil was the curse, that it was no wonder the polgers were as feared and vicious as they were.

“Better to avoid them, than to kill them.” Gaila had told them. “Battle with a polger is never a certain victory.” The polgers were, after all, the reason for the birth of the nymph’s masterful bow. No ordinary bow could possibly be fast enough to slay a polger.

It was these types of thoughts which kept Gaden awake relentlessly at night. What evils were they provoking in this effort? What dangers and demons were they to find along the way? Were they digging their own graves? Haela’s last words to him had been a plea for him to leave this behind and cleave to her and their family before it was too late. Had he been foolish to ignore her plea?

“Stop that,” Avan said, sitting beside Gaden, a mug in his hand.

“Stop what?” Gaden asked him.

“That look on your face… You’re thinking about things you can’t change. It’s written on your face like ink to parchment. Here, have some tea.”

“Where did you get tea?”

“Gaila. It was blended in Alderhaven, he had some in his pack.” Gaden took the tea. Gaila had lit a fire in the center of this evening’s camp.

“I still don’t know how they do it,” Avan said as Gaden sipped the steaming tea.

“Do what?”

“Light a fire when the wood is so damp.”

“They live here. They had to learn I suppose.”

“Yeah, I guess so. Has Gaila given you any indication on how long until we reach the end of the forest?”

“Not really. I haven’t asked him though.”

“What do you two talk about at night?” Avan asked. Gaden looked at him, not sure what to say. “It’s no secret you know.”

“I didn’t realize everyone knew I wasn’t sleeping.”

“Of course, we know.”

“I don’t know, we don’t really talk about a whole lot that’s important. We just talk, you know? Sometimes we don’t even talk, he just hums, staring off into the distance.”

“It must be odd, talking to a nymph. Most nymphs don’t get along with people.”

“Gaila’s different,” Gaden said. “He’s practical.”

“He seems so, or maybe he just likes you,” Avan said as he watched Gaila stoke the fire alone. Elric and Findhar were rolling out their blankets on the forest floor. “You should try to sleep tonight.” Avan clapped his hand on Gaden’s back and stood up. “Look up, there’s a clearing, and you can almost see the whole moon. It’s a clear night, try to get some rest.” Gaden nodded to him, and he looked up. You could indeed see the occasional ray of moonlight through the thin branches above.

The truth was, Gaden, did not like this forest. He was convinced it did funny things to him, all the way back to the first night they spent in the forest before they were disturbed by the wraith that so nearly tore up their first camp. Gaila had been their savior that night. Since then, he had somewhat lost his liking for peaceful nights in a cot on the floor of the Tulusbian Forest.

“Get some sleep, Gaden. You need it.” Elric yelled to him across the camp.

“In a bit.” Gaden waved back. He looked across the camp and saw Gaila sitting on the edge of a cliff, his short legs hanging beneath him. He was staring out over the tops of the trees below. And then Gaden heard him humming. He may have been wrong, but it almost sounded as though it were one of the lines to the life song they heard back in Alderhaven. It was amazing to him how just one nymph voice, singing only one line of a song under his breath, could stir so much emotion in his heart. Gaila’s voice dug deep, even for a man, it was full, and the hymn soft and slow, mournful.

“Good tea,” Gaden said as he took a seat beside Gaila.

“You are sleepless again?” Gaila asked.

“I suppose you could say that.”

“I thought I just had,” Gaila said, confused.

“I’m sorry, it’s just an expression we use. Yes, I suppose I am sleepless again.”

“It was from Tiasha.”

“From Tiasha?” Gaden asked confused.

“The tea. You said it was good. The tea was from Tiasha.”

“Well, Tiasha makes good tea. Who is she?”

“Tiasha is my intended one.” Gaden swallowed his tea hard at this.

“You mean you two are betrothed?” Gaila smiled and nodded.

“To use your words, I guess you could say that.” Gaden smiled and took another sip of tea. “Our mates are arranged for us at birth. Our society places a lot of importance on partnership.”

“That sounds awful. We used to do the same thing centuries ago. It was a culture that was abandoned.”

“Why do you think it is awful?” Gaila asked.

“Well…” Gaden thought for a minute. Gaila watched him patiently. “Well, what if you didn’t want to marry Tiasha? What if you like someone else more than Tiasha?”

“Why should I like someone else more than Tiasha?” Gaden fumbled his response again.

“Well, I don’t know,” he took a sip of tea to buy himself a moment. “What if there was another girl who you just liked better?”

“But there is no other girl I like better. Why would there be?”

“Well just say there was, you know?”

“Why say that? Tiasha has dedicated herself to me alone. No other nymph can say that. She would do for me things she would do for no other. Why would I wish for someone else?”

“But, you’re missing the point, what if she wished to do that for someone else? I don’t mean it seriously, just… you know, what if?”

“Why would she do that?” Gaden did not say anything. It was clear they were going in circles.

“I honor my intended one because she honors me. Is this not how you respect your intended one?”

“Well, yes, of course, but we chose to be with each other. We could have chosen other people, but we chose each other.”

“We could have chosen not to honor the agreement,” Gaila said. “We could have chosen to remain individuals.”

“But you couldn’t have chosen other nymphs if you wanted?” Gaden asked.

“No, of course not. They are already intended to someone else. It would be the height of dishonor to rob someone of their intended one.”

“But that’s my point. You couldn’t choose someone else even if you wanted to.”

“But we never want to.” Gaden looked at him unbelieving. Gaden sighed.

“Never? You mean to tell me that no nymph has ever committed infidelity?”

“Certainly not.”

“Never, not even once?”

“Not even once. That would be the height of wrong to shame yourself, to shame your partner, and to spoil your neighbor’s intended one. Nothing could be worse. We choose to honor each other. Who can one trust if you cannot even trust your intended one?” This time Gaden was truly out of argument. The nymphs may agree with the prearranged relationships, but Gaden was perfectly happy with having his own choice. Gaila was obviously a man of honor, and he respected him for it. But inwardly, he was glad he could choose his own wife.

“I didn’t think the Tulusbian Forest had a clearing,” Gaden said after several minutes as he gazed into the sky at the first moon he had seen since leaving Alldel. It beamed down over the treetops below, their legs swinging freely from the cliff beneath them as they sat on the precipice.

“It has very few. This is a good indication that we are nearing the forest’s edge.

“We don’t have to scale down this cliff, do we?” Gaden said, noticing how deep the drop was beneath him. Gaila smiled wide.

“No, we are going the other way.”

“Do you not get bored just sitting here at night while we all sleep?”

“No, this is what I would be doing if I were at home.”

“What? Just sitting outside?”

“Well, maybe not outside. The night is when we meditate. We work on our music or purge our minds of the day behind us.”

“That sounds terrible. I could leave you alone. Why haven’t you told me?”

“You are not bothering me. I rather enjoy your curiosities about us.”

“Well, Gaila…” Gaden said, taking another sip of tea. “I rather enjoy your company.” Gaila laughed and nodded his approval. “And Tiasha’s tea,” Gaden said, finishing the rest of his tea.

They sat for a long time in complete silence listening to the bugs chirping around them, enjoying the breeze passing over their bare feet. Gaila hummed his tune quietly as Gaden rested back on his elbows and listened to him. It eased him as it had done in Alderhaven. Before long he even felt his eyes begin to droop. Thinking he would try for a few hours’ sleep for a change, he stood and left his mug with Gaila.

“Sleep well, Gaden,” he said.

“Thank you, my friend,” Gaden said, and then a thought struck him. “Gaila, if I were to ask you a question, is there any chance you would lie to me?”

“Of course not, Gaden, that would be dishonorable. Ask your question,” Gaila replied.

“Were you trying to make me relax with your song?” Gaila smiled.

“That was not my entire purpose. I often work on my music at night, but,” he paused briefly, “Maybe I was extra careful about the song I chose to work on tonight.”

“Thanks, Gaila,” Gaden said. Gaila smiled and nodded to him. He walked away to his blanket which was still rolled up some distance away from the cliff’s edge. He cleared the ground around him from the sticks and leaves that covered it, and he unrolled his blankets. Gaden pulled the alder leaves from his boots and stretched out under the canopy of the Tulusbian forest.

For the first time in several days, Gaden managed to sleep for several hours. They woke to the first rays of sunlight they had seen since entering the forest. The clearing had been a good place to rest. Gaden was rolling up his blankets again and tying them up for another trek through the forest. He saw Gaila, who was still sitting on the cliff where he had been sitting when Gaden went to bed. He pulled some fresh alder leaves from a pouch in his bag, placed them in the bottoms of his boots, and then pulled the boots onto his feet, lacing them, and standing back up.

“You slept,” Avan said, as they began to follow Gaila away from the cliff, just as Gaila had said they would do.

“Yeah.”

“Are you okay, Gaden?” Avan asked.

“Of course, I’m okay.”

“You just don’t seem the same.”

“What do you expect? We left our homes, our families, and we’re going to a place where we don’t know what we’ll find, but we expect it won’t be good, and none of it can be officially sanctioned by Alldel.” Avan shrugged.

“We are in good company. We have Gaila, we have my dad and Findhar.”

“I don’t doubt them. As I said, I’m fine.” Gaden looked at Avan and smiled.

They pressed on. The forest continued to thin as they walked. Rays of sunlight were becoming visible, and the trees and roots grew less cumbersome, which meant they could move more quickly. Perhaps they were beginning to move too quickly. They were making more noise than was strictly necessary, and certainly more than was wise. And suddenly, Gaila stopped, holding out a long arm.

“Stop!” He said sharply. They did so. None of them dared to make a sound. Gaila’s face was screwed up in a level of concentration they had not yet seen. His pointed ears were twitching around, searching for noise. Gaila pointed into the trees. They looked closely, but could not see anything. Gaden’s eyes were darting left and right, looking around for anything that might be the reason for Gaila’s abrupt change in mood.

And then Gaila reached around his back and pulled from a pouch the fantastic bow he had shown them in Alderhaven, Thunderstring, as he had called it. Elric unsheathed his sword and then the rest of them armed themselves, too. Remembering what Gaila had said about Thunderstring being the only bow fast enough to slay a polger, knew what must be lurking. Knowing his own bow would not be fast enough, he grabbed for the battle axe.

“She is stalking us,” Gaila said.

“She?” Avan asked.

“Only the females hunt. Stand in a circle facing outward. We cannot see her, but she can see us.” They formed a circle as Gaila instructed. Gaden’s breathing was hard, his heart was pounding in his throat. Avan was to his left, Elric to his right. Gaila was directly behind him.

Gaila reached again for an arrow. He carefully slid it from his quiver and nocked it into Thunderstring. He pulled the arrow back and pointed it into the trees. Gaila clearly could see something they could not.

And then nobody was in any doubt why Gaila had stopped. A sudden cry of feline blood lust rent the air and a massive four-legged beast pounced and soared directly toward them. There was an ear-piercing crack, as Gaila let fly the arrow. But it was no use. The arrow bounced with all its force off the beast’s hide as though it were covered in scales of steel.

She had teeth that had to be at least three inches long. Her feet were the size of dinner plates with talons for claws protruding from each toe. The polger didn’t even seem to notice the supersonic arrow that had ricocheted from its hide. She soared through the air right for Elric. Elric lunged with his sword and tried to gouge the beast as she came down, but he had no effect against her. Her armor was too strong. The best thing that came from it was Elric’s strength to redirect the polger’s flight away from him.

The polger turned in mid-air and crashed sideways into a towering oak tree just behind them. She recovered as though it had never happened and charged toward them. They braced for the attack.

“Her underside!” Gaila shouted. “I need her underside!” And then, Gaden had an idea. Moving quickly, he ran and positioned himself between Gaila and the polger. Gaden put his sword away and pulled out his own bow and a single arrow.

“It is no use, Gaden!” Gaila yelled. But Gaden wasn’t going to give up that easily. He held his arms wide, making himself as big a target as he could. And then he yelled at the top of his voice for the polger’s attention.

The polger turned her ugly head to face Gaden, and then she charged. As Gaden had hoped, the polger pounced again. Gaden quickly nocked an arrow, pulled it back, and let go. At the same time, there was another loud crack from behind. Gaila’s arrow soared passed Gaden’s and buried itself deep into the polger’s front left underarm. The hit threw the polger off balance, allowing Gaden’s arrow time to find its mark right through the beast’s heart. Gaden quickly stepped aside, and the polger fell to the ground, motionless.

“Gaden, that was incredible,” Gaila said, stepping forward.

“I couldn’t have done it alone. Your first shot threw her off. I only finished the job. Your shot was more difficult than mine.”

“And I missed,” Gaila said.

“Anyone would have missed that shot,” Elric said, putting a hand on Gaila’s back.

“We can’t stay here. There will be more. They never wander alone. We must move.” Gaila’s voice was urgent. Gaden knelt to retrieve their arrows. Gaila’s arrow was recovered, but his was broken. He sighed and left it there to rot with the carcass.

For the first time since leaving Alderhaven, Gaila was at a sprint, or at least they were sprinting to keep up with Gaila. He moved effortlessly ahead of them between the trees, dodging bushes, stumps, fallen branches, and high arching roots. Twice, he saw Findhar stumble across something on the forest floor. Gaden stretched out an arm to steady Findhar one time.

“I’m okay!” Findhar barked, rudely, and they pressed on.

“Gaila!” Elric shouted ahead. “Slow it down just a bit, how about it?” Gaila turned to look at Elric.

“We have to clear the forest!” He yelled back.

“We can’t keep up!” Avan yelled.

“You have to keep moving, there will be more. They will find us!” Gaila did not yield to their request.

“I hate wood nymphs…” Findhar mumbled under his breath.

“He’ll have heard that,” Elric said. Findhar did not reply. Gaden, who had decided he wanted to prove that he was worth something to the team, put his hunting skills into practice, and picked up his pace. He squeezed past Avan, ducking his head quickly as he dodged a branch, determined to match Gaila step for step. He heard Findhar grumble behind him. Gaden did not care. He was the new guy, and he was outrunning all of them.

It wasn’t the actual speed they were running that was difficult to maintain. It was the obstacle that was the Tulusbian Forest which prevented them from running flat out. It simply was too much all at one time to permit one to barrel through at top speed. Yet, Gaden, eyes peeled, and concentration at full alert, continued to match the agile wood nymph every step of the way. And then he felt a tapping on his shoulder. He looked behind him quickly.

“Did you think you were the only one who can run this race?” Avan had caught up to him. And now it was clearly a competition. Elric and Findhar were falling behind. But Avan didn’t seem interested in pushing it any harder than they already were. He simply held Gaden’s pace as Gaden held Gaila’s.

And then a wonderful sensation hit him. Like being freed from bonds, fresh air hit him full force as they cleared the forest wall. Sunlight hit them. Warm, dazzling sunlight spread over their faces, as the path suddenly became much more manageable.

“We’re out!” Gaden yelled.

“We cleared the Tulusbian Forest!” They looked at each other, gleeful in their expressions. And then they looked behind them just in time to see Elric and Findhar exit as well. Gaila eased his pace. They jogged just far enough to put the forest at a considerable distance, and Gaila finally relented. They stopped, and Gaden, Avan, Elric, and Findhar all went to their knees, breathing heavily.

“You couldn’t have slowed down, just a little?” Findhar said to Gaila with a tone of annoyance.

“Where there is one, there will always be more,”

“What, are you saying they would have sought us out with a vengeance?”

“Yes, that is exactly what would have happened.”

“Come on, they’re animals!” Findhar yelled.

“These are no ordinary creatures, sir. These are cursed beasts. They will have you.” The team was momentarily silent at these words.

“Let’s just keep moving,” Elric said. Findhar started to give Elric a bad look, but he was cut off. “Just keep moving,” Elric repeated slowly. And Findhar went silent.

They rose and continued their journey to the city of Ilgard, capital of Lorlea.

“That cursed forest has been a barrier between Lorlea and us for centuries. Elric told them. They moved ceaselessly for hours. The sun was falling quickly, and the sky was becoming less blue and more orange. The air began to cool around them as crickets began singing from somewhere in the distance. But it wasn’t much longer after all of this that they saw clearly on the horizon a large city gleaming through the sunset. The city of Ilgard.