The black silhouette is finally in sight, an almost impenetrable wall of trees against the setting sun that blocks my path as I ask myself if I Should enter the forest now or turn and find a place to pass the night.

By one side, entering the forest cuts the chance of getting caught, on the other, most of the beasts hunt at night and something says me that the best I can do against a beast is to pray for a clean and quick death.

My “equipment” offers little help in a real fight as I only carry a kitchen knife, a jug of water and a few pieces of bread. It was not supposed to be like that but there is little that i can do about it, my little trade turned itself to be a trap and I had all my chips on it. Stealing something was an option of course but it would either get me caught or give away my position and both are too risky to be worth.

It’s not that I’ll encounter a beast just by entering the forest of course, even I know that they don’t hunt close to the borders, usually at least. I even talked to a few people that work harvesting wild herbs around the forest bothers, it was a good and bad knew at the same time. Their words proved the forest safer than I thought but they also made the plan of staying in the borders and far from sights way harder.

I consider for a while more, finding myself weighting more to the side of not entering just as if to give me the last necessary push I hear a not at all inviting howl and a deep scream coming from the forest. They cut the silent soon to be night like a hot knife and my body freezes, hand desperately seeking the knife as I got the answer of my question.

I stay there with the knife in hand, waiting completely still as the seconds pass, the cold winds seeming even colder while I keep trying to hear something in the silence that followed the scream in a not so racional fear that whatever cause it is now coming for me.

Not even inside the forest yet and blood has already been shred, a bad omen I can’t help but think as I get a hold of my feelings, decided to not enter the forest at least for today.

“I pray for your soul, may the Four guide you into a safe rest into their arms” – I start the rites in low voice, prepared to leave after ending them, trying to remember if I past by a good camping place but even before the first sign was made the words are suppressed by thunderous laughs and I stop, my mind fighting to put the recent pieces of information together in a way that they make sense.

The howl came from inside the forest but both the scream and laughs not, close from it, but definitely not from inside, I trust my hearing and the laughs are nothing but loud, I just didn’t paid enough attention to notice in the first time. The chances are that a group of mercenaries is camping close, either to enter the forest by dawn or to rest before moving to another place, both serving me right at the moment.

Meat shields to be used against murderous beasts or a perfect camouflage to escape just needing a little persuasion, and I hardly think that it’ll be hard to prove myself better alive and close than dead, I have a lot of expertise doing that after all.

With a new plan set and without losing time I start the easy task of tracking the origin of the sound, with no much time passing before the light of a campfire with six robust men sitting around it get in sight, seven men – I correct myself as a small, almost frail looking one revels himself by standing. He says something to the others and turn his back while doing some strange motion with his arms, just to receive another round of loud mockery.

At least they seem strong, no weaklings would be so loud and casual this close to the death forest Briddell right? But it could be that they are just arrogant, and I didn’t get this far to die like this. I need to get closer, get some information before revealing myself, who knows what kind of people they are. Even if the risks are small, in the end and after all that I did I don’t want to be killed because I bumped in some group of crazy psychopaths or some friends of the raining skies without knowing, small possibilites but is better be safe than sorry.

I move to the side of the small path, taking the high green and low light as cover as I move closer making sure that I’ll not set my foot on a dry branch and get myself discovered, the experience gained while sneaking my way in and out of the manor put at use while I chose to ignore he latent anxiety born by my choice of stalking seven full-armed mercenaries.

Nothing better than despair to make someone discard some of their self-preservation so I just keep going while thinking about dozens of talks that may or may not happen as I get closer and closer. Maybe start with some casual conversation? Offer myself to carry some of their things? Praise their strength? Ask for apprenticeship and pray for the best? Maybe play the weak and lost card?

Actually I probably should ju- …Oh, he’s pretty close.

–

“Damn those wolves and those mercenaries, how they dare laugh at me? And damn you uncle, why didn’t you not said anything? I’ll sure remember to explain how did you just accepted in silence as those people insulted the family to the elders when we come back just you wait” – I speak to no one in particular, venting my rage and shame while the cold wind bites my skin.

I had no time to get warmer clothes but the cold still is a better treatment than being laughed at, I just hope that this don’t get on others ears, it would need only a single of my peers knowing it and tales of a coward one fearing little wolves would be sung for months.

All because this damn trip, I hate everything about it, hate the fucking forest, the fucking wolves and now this fucking cold. “Fighting against beasts a necessary experience to every practitioner, with the plus of getting some essence cores in hand” they said, and I believed.

“A strong practitioner going to Briddell, ready to make a name to himself and bring honor to the family, their eyes will look you with awe and envy, will you let everything go just because of some little beasts and few days of traveling? No you’ll not! Go there and show them why you are the first in line for succession”

I can’t help but remember as my judgment was blinded by their talk, intoxicated by their sweet promises of how all my dreams were at reach and waiting for me, everything seemed perfect, all the bitter training finally going to pay itself off with only a single more step before it.

And then reality crashed at me like a whole herd of blind horses, my sweet dreams breaking like a sheet of paper cast into the fire. Not that I believe they lied, the Family would never lie to me, the ones to blame are those mercenaries.

The nightmare began at the third day of traveling when I met my new “companions”, thick muscled idiots with almost none, if any, sense of hygiene and nothing to eat besides dried meat, rough bread and cold water. It was bad enough already, but the Four are kind right? Of course our carriage had to hit a rock and break, leaving us to walk the latter half of our travel.

Sure we wad a bit of bad luck, we couldn’t wait for the carriage to be repaired and I couldn’t just turn and leave, I accept that those things gave us little number options but what kind of idiots do not carry extra wheels?

And still they act like they are doing us a favor, full of their sarcastic remarks and cold treatment, it enrages me to be treated like that but uncle keep saying to endure. But not anymore, today was the last drop in the bucket, I’ll not accept being laugh at like that from anyone and I know that father would agree.

A small voice on the back of my head says that I’m again losing control and that I should focus on the important things while another say that I have no time for that now, unfortunately the latter is not mine and is pretty hard to ignore so my walk comes to a halt.

Earth itself telling me about a danger ahead, it’s a big enough of a treat to my life to make it start contact by itself so I really can’t let myself distracted with self discipline now. My mind rushes, both with the strange images received from the earth and with small questions like how something like that is here? I’ve been walking in the opposite direction of the forest and no beast should be around here, above all one that dangerous, however with it at door the last of my worries is how it came to knock.

I let my eyes wander, looking at the dark road ahead my head still, giving no sign of being alert and hopefully baiting it into a mistake, a decision soon proved the right one as I’m rewarded with a movement caught with the corner of my eyes and my body freezes, ready to sprint and trust my blade in the heart of whatever was fool enough to think itself more than a prey to me. Ready to take the perfect chance given by the Four to prove myself and wash away the recent acquired shame, the first blade to see blood, an honor that I won’t let escape after it was so timely given.

And yet some sense kicks in, there is no guarantee of being just one beast and even if it is why should I take such risks and run straight into it? Again another mistake almost made by not controlling my temper I take note, promising myself to let myself meditate in the problem before sleeping and calming my breath.

My body urges me to fight, completely embracing the possibility of being a pack instead of a single beast as i demands me to bring the battle on them, to make them suffer and regret challenging me, to let them fear the Earth. I feel the thoughts empowering me, my essence bumping like blood in my ears as the pulses get stronger with every second and step, giving me clarity and yet blinding me just as much.

My hands itch as I fight the urge, struggling to keep calm, no battles are won by panicking, I say to myself. Control is the word you know that, use the power, do not to be used by it – I continue.

Really slowly I merge my conscience with the earth itself as the familiar mantra invades my mind, guiding me. My eyes no long seeing, my ears no long hearing, and yet feeling every single thing around me. The magic feeling of being one with nature invades me and seeing by the earthen eyes of The Mother Old I confirm my enemy position, one single beast – a shame – concealing itself in the dark, unaware of being already caught, ready to be slaughtered as soon I get in range to do so

And I hope it will be a wolf, it’ll make finding inner peace easily.