What is the word?
I bit my bottom lip, surveying the field before us. No tracks, no broken twigs, no clear game trails.
There should be… there should be signs of something, anything but…
Seriously, what is it?
But my focus was divided as I placed my palm against my aching stomach.
No sounds, no wind in the trees, no crunch of dried leaves.
The word for what I'm feeling…
My hunting partner shifted, muzzle trained towards the sky. He didn't smell anything, did he?
Was it unrest? Caution? Disquiet?
And that's when my follower thoroughly pulled me from my thoughts.
"Meelo!" I hissed, eyes widening slightly as my black panther companion lurched forwards, lost to the amber elms and golden oaks once more. The cat held more fascination in chasing butterflies than actual hunting… Which would be dandy if we were not starved for a decent meal. Ever since we left Ninovan, food had become scarce, the usual wildlife taking to hiding for reasons I couldn't figure out. The normal hunting routes and fields were empty, void of deer, wolves, and even vultures. No scurrying of critters in the brush or call of bluebirds in the branches. Usually this would bother me, stealing the brunt of my attention, but I had this overwhelming sense of urgency, like staying in the woods too long away from Alyara would be a quick way to assure the loss of my sanity. It made me feel uneasy and-
Ah, that's it. Uneasy, the word you're looking for is Uneasy.
Had I only known how right I was, I would have turned tail and fled as fast as my elf legs could carry me. Sadly, I was not quite as intelligent as I tried to make myself out to be. I wanted to learn why we were missing prey… but I had to find Meelo first. Meelo, solve some mysteries, get back to camp.
Ninovan's bustling caravan-built shamble of a market with its overly noisy atmosphere would have been a welcome sight, I pondered as I trudged forwards through the foliage and underbrush. The colorful cloths draped through the redwoods, the lanterns casted an array of hues across the folk who passed by below the wooden tree top homes. The massive willow tree acted as a shelter to it all, protected those below with its windy spiraling branches and vines. I missed home… but, more importantly, I missed the food, my stomach growling an ever constant reminder. What I would not give for one of mother's homemade dishes right about now, rabbit stew served with spiced broth and warmed potatoes. I sighed heavily through parted lips, sapphire eyes flicked forward. Thoughts for another time.
Dew soaked the leaves, coated the dirt under my toes, and clung to my bare skin. I dashed through the timbers and brushwood, barely making a sound as I moved. Panther first, food later, panther first, food later… Panther first; by the Gods, why must you move so quickly?
Meelo stayed firmly ahead of me, his black fur making him practically invisible in the shadow from the trunks and canopies. "You blasted cat," I muttered, letting out a low curse as he swiftly changed directions, veering off to the right.
I skid to a stop, reaching down with my gloved hand to gain my balance before launching after him, using my momentum to propel my body forward with added speed. My gut pinched again, warned me, threatened me to turn around. My heart cringed, whispered its plea. This is not the way to go, only heartbreak and doom will follow you if you choose this path. But the unspoken words fell on deaf ears.
Just as I moved to round another bend, I paused. The tell-tale sound of metal slamming against wooden shields rang true in my ears, an angered grunt… and the low growl of a goblin, their stench already noticeable from this distance. "What-?" I mused, moving to duck under the berry bush to my right, crouching lower to the ground.
My breathing accelerated, white blond hair flying wildly behind me as I neared the battle. The fight I came upon was in full swing as a human man faced off against a pair of goblins and their hounds. I knew some of their kind, having fought them before with Alyara on a variety of occasions. Blasted buggers thought it wise to taunt those in Ninovan from the outskirts of the village. They were little challenge for our Hunters, though interesting and diverse enough in their tactics to provide some mild entertainment.
The same could not be said for their current adversary. I knew the man wasn't exactly outmatched but his sheer inability to land a hit regardless of the fact he had two swords, was becoming a problem. His blades sang through the air but never managed to graze the grimy green flesh of the goblins, harmlessly whistling past without a nick of a blow. The goblin closest to him snarled and swung his heavy barbed mace, striking the man squarely in the shoulder. I heard him jeer in pain, his footing becoming temporarily unstable as he reeled backwards from the shot. The other goblin charged forward, his hound on his heels as they darted towards the man from across the clearing, grass hissing past them.
The verdures next to me gave a gentle rustle as Meelo came to sit to my left, a limp blue butterfly wing hanging from his muzzle and a pleased expression plastered on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him to which he innocently stared back before averting his attention to the fight before us, giving me a knowing glance every now and then as the goblin and his dog neared the man.
"Oh come on," I whispered, "This isn't my fight."
Meelo's right ear twitched backwards indicating that he was arguing against me.
"He can handle it on his own."
Meelo sniffed, clearly he disagreed. And I guess from what was on display thus far, I had to side with him on that point. The human either lacked the talent to fight or wasn't trying to win. He was able to dodge well enough but he wasn't going to get anywhere if he didn't land his own blow sooner rather than later.
"But I don't want to," I disputed, tying the dead rabbit tighter on my belt, my instincts still telling me to turn and get out of there while I still had the chance. Nothing good would come of staying here and aiding this random human. My mind flickered back to my previous adventure… Humans are brash, bold, rude, and irrational, they never think through their actions and blame others for when it goes awry. This man may be no different. I snorted internally. Yeah, sure, let's go with that. Maybe. A highly doubtful maybe.
Meelo's returning expression all but screamed, 'Are you going to let an innocent person die? That isn't like you, even if he is human.'
I snarled low under my breath. "Ugh, I hate it when you make sense," before stubbornly yanking my bow from my back, notching an arrow, and sprinting into the fray.
Please, Densa, pray I am not making a mistake.
My adrenaline instantly spiked, fueling my every movement and action, increasingly my senses and making everything snap into focus. My heart roared to life, each beat strengthening my resolved. My breaths became even and controlled.
With Meelo on my flank, the two of us dashed forwards. The great panther lunged towards one of the dogs of war, his fangs digging deep into the beast's haunches causing it to writhe and wiggle, the dog's whines piercing through the air. "Careful," I warned my companion knowing all too well that the dandruff the dog's shook off of themselves was poisonous. Though I carried a few antidotes, I didn't want to see my panther getting hurt if possible.
Racing along the edge of the battlefield, I let lose two arrows simultaneously, both embedding themselves into the flesh of my target, the goblin that had chosen to chase after the man from across the clearing. It howled, twisted disfigured hands reaching back to try and pull the arrows lose.
With the two of us working as distractions, the human managed to regain his footing. He reached forward and grasped the goblin in front of him, turning the enemy in his arms in order to create a 'shield' so to speak. The beast I had hit yanked my arrows free, using them to send a volley of his own towards the human with his thorn bow. The man winced, thrusting his 'shield' forward in a desperate attempt to stop the oncoming projectiles…. Which worked but his 'shield' twirled free as the bloodied arrows caressed the goblin's left bicep before snatching his hooked blades from the moss at his feet.
"Do you just dance with them or do you actually intend on fighting?" I questioned from my position as I let another pair of arrows fly through the air, both hitting my intended mark. The dog my panther gnawed on gave one last squeal before falling to the dirt. Meelo's ears curled back and he eyed me, 'kill thief' he seemed to bitterly quip.
The man grunted in response though I did note a bit of playfulness in his eyes.
His tactics weren't working, sluggish and poorly maneuvered as they were, and I was able to knock off yet another foe, its blood coloring the ground in a crimson red. Meelo dove past me, delving into the fray with the human. His claws dug into the soft skin of the dog of war, slinking around the enemy, his teeth glistening in the sun. Human watched, mouth agape as I gracefully dodged the mace that flew just above my head before equipping my bow as a staff. Using the momentum, I whacked the goblin hard behind the knee caps, snapping the fragile bone. The way the human stared as my target slunk in defeat made me wonder if he had ever seen a woman in combat before. Perhaps he hasn't. "You going to join in any time soon or just watch?" I smirked, gesturing to the field.
He arched a brow at me likely not enjoying my remark but rejoined once more. His combat style was different… like those who trained in the mountains. And what exactly is a barbarian from the mountain region doing this far South? They have little reason to venture here, trading isn't a grand commodity and they have no use for our weapons…
I knew little of their culture but enough to distinguish their tactics in battle. If he had been up north where the frigid cold would slow the movements of his targets, I was certain he would slaughter them... But he wasn't. It was warm and he was abundantly clumsy. Each swing was weighted but the goblins nimbly dodged and wove around him. Worthless.
Which meant Meelo and I had to do the heavy lifting.
He did manage to get one kill in. One. Ahem, Elf 5, Human 1. I win.
Meelo came to my side as the final enemy hit the ground. "You come here often?" I asked, tilting my head to the side, sliding my bow back over my shoulder where it belonged. My leather armor was soaked with goblin gore along the belt and breastplate, the shoulder guard no longer quite in the right position but otherwise everything was intact. He, on the other hand, was a mess from head to toe. Blood caked his armor, his coal black hair tussled, falling free from the leather cord that once tied it back. Wicked scratches embraced his right cheek and bled down to his collar bone from where one of the dogs must have gotten him. His beard was marred with scarlet.
"Only recently." His eyes watched me warily, debating whether or not I was friendly. Honestly, I was not widely known for my charming conversation or peace keeping skills… usually I caused more mayhem than I rectified. And don't forget it, lest you give Alyara another chance to remind you.
Still, this man didn't need my rudeness this early in the morning. "Name's Albany. And you?"
"Kaldvic… I hail from the mountains." So it seems I was correct. His chainmail gleamed in the sunrise though it was nothing extravagant. He had a hard face, one that I feared would fall apart if he attempted to smile. Still, I would be lying if I said he wasn't a little handsome. For a human. His eyes were a shade of blue I hadn't seen before, and I had a feeling if he whacked off that hair of his he would be popular among the ladies.
"Cold... weather… up there?' Yep, I'm great at talking to people, way to go, sister will be impressed. This was more of Alyara's area of expertise… She could sling sentences together like a wizard could craft a spell. And we're talking master wizard here, not some pansy lame arse apprentice who just opened his first spell book.
He cracked a tiny smile then, clearly amused at my discomfort. "Indeed, you couldn't imagine." Kaldvic placed a hand on his swords as he sheathed them, neither of them requiring cleaning since he simply hadn't managed to land a single hit. Man of few words, I see.
Right, time to get to the bottom of things. I couldn't shake the unease I felt creeping back into my bones. Aside from our little foray, the woods were silent once more, eerily so. "Listen, I just saved your life," he moved to protest but I put a finger up, "I did and you know it. So I feel like you would owe me a favor… My friend and I, we need to get to a town in order to trade some gear and equip ourselves before heading South. You wouldn't happen to know where said nearest town would be, would you?"
Kaldvic gave a curt nod. "I may have an idea, there was a village not too far from here, ran into it yesterday." His gaze fell to the west. It was a tad off from our course but if they had the supplies we needed, I wasn't about to complain. Our goal was to get to the Sun Elves without delay but we needed to make repairs and supply runs now and then. Rushing ahead only assures one thing: a quick inevitable death, the Chief's words echoed in my mind.
"Camp is back this way, follow."
"You can't just give me orders." His tone was annoyed, face incredulous.
"Uh, unless you're my panther, I wasn't talking to you," I replied rather pointedly as Meelo pranced behind me.
"Oh…" I rolled my eyes. Men are idiots... I made a mental note to get rid of this one as soon as we got to town. He would act as our lowly guide likely for the rest of the day and then he could go on his merry way back to whatever he was doing before I ran into him.
Hopefully before we ran into whatever lurked in the shadows.