ME: well here it is chapter 6 a special thank you to orthodox and Dr1ft3r0I for helping me with editing and advice, forgive the shortness I have been a bit busy lately

TOM: you mean lazy? Cuz I could have sworn I saw you playing call of duty for like 4 hours the other day

Dr1ft3r0I: procrastinating on your own story are we Grim

ME: hey back off you two oh and I almost forgot this is Dr1ft3r0I one of my beta readers Dr1ft3r0I and orthodox have both been helping me edit my story chapters and Dr1ft3r0I will be popping in every so often

Rena: nice to meet you have been doing a great job with the editing….

Tom: ya the first two chapters were he went solo were a mess

Me: hey they weren't that bad right Dr1ft3r0I

Dr1ft3r0I: oh ya they were a shining example of grammar and spelling especially how you used wrong words like shore instead of sure

ME: well orthodox fixed the first two chapters now so HA –HA

TOM: _ your grammar still sucks

ME: grrrr…. Any way enjoy the chapter

Chapter 6 Dead Valley's and Confusing Feelings

The next morning, Rena and Tom broke camp and started the daylong trek to the entrance of the Forgotten Valley. They hiked for most of the morning. There was little conversation between the two voyagers during the long haul.

Around midday, the duo had stopped near a small clearing to rest. Tom set his gear down, sighing in relief. He removed his helmet and the upper part of his armor. After shedding the extra weight, he slumped down against a nearby tree, resting his head against the trunk.

Rena had already taken her own spot up against a large rock sitting next to Tom. She watched as her friend took off the odd armor that he used to protect himself, revealing his pale, furless features. She truly never had seen a being like him before. Light, smooth skin covered his whole body, except for the patch of thick, brown fur that covered his head. Despite looking so unusual, she couldn't help but think about how handsome he was.

She was puzzled as to why he looked so attractive to her. She never felt attracted to any of the males in her village. Some were cute, yes, Handsome even. But she never thought of them as more than that. Why would she feel this way about Tom?

Then she remembered the way she reacted to his scent the night before. How it made her feel so strange, like she wanted him to hold her and never let go. Then a thought crept into her troubled mind. [Could I be falling for him?]She wondered. She quickly shook these thoughts from her mind. She was over thinking. She just got caught off guard by his scent. She hadn't been around a male in a long time, and his scent set off her primal urges. That was all…

After about 30 minutes of rest, the duo continued on, and after another 3 hours of hiking, they had finally reached the entrance to the valley. They stood on a hill looking over the whole valley. When Tom saw the sight that stood before him, he was in awe.

The lush green wood's was replaced by a white, snow-coved forest, and the dogwood, birch, and oak trees, were replaced by conifers and other evergreens. The sky went from clear blue to a dark gray that seemed to cast darkness over the whole valley. Towards the middle of it all stood a large castle like building, with tall towers that were capped with snow and ice. Tom was at a loss for words. He never seen such a sudden change in weather like this in his life.

Rena came up next to him, looking out toward the castle. "Welcome to the Forgotten Valley... come on, we should get going." She walked ahead and motioned to her still stunned friend to follow, her tail gracefully swaying behind her with every step.

The sun was hidden behind thick clouds that cast a shadow over the whole valley. Not a sound could be heard, other than the crunching of the snow beneath Tom's boots and Rena's feet. It was making Tom feel uneasy. He gripped his rifle tight against his shoulder, and was trying to watch for the slightest bit of movement, or hear a quiet sound. But there was no sound to be heard at all. Not even the wind blew. Everything was so still, so quiet. The forest was completely devoid of life. It made Tom think of an old parable he heard when he was younger.

Today I enter the valley of the shadow of death…

If there were ever a true valley of the shadow of death, it probably wouldn't look much different than this.

Tom then looked over to Rena, who was leading the way, seemingly unaffected by the unsettling quiet. He remembered the rest of the parable.

I will not be afraid of the evils that lie within, for you are close beside me.

With that last thought, he moved up next to his partner, feeling confident knowing she was with him.

When he moved up next to her, she looked over to him and gave him a reassuring smile, which lifted his spirits even more.

Tom truly felt close to his new partner, and he could feel a connection with her. But he was oblivious to just how close he was becoming to her…

To be continued…

ME: well what did you all think

Rena: it was short and sweet

Dr1ft3r0I: *snicker*

Tom: What are you laughing at

Dr1ft3r0I:*burst out laughing *ha-ha-ha –ha I…I can't believe you were afraid of a little quiet

Tom: hey I was attacked by a giant spider twice! I wasn't scared I was being cautious

Dr1ft3r0I: oh sure you were ha-ha-ha-ha if you squeezed your rifle any tighter you might have broken it and not to mention you were trying to look in every direction at once . What's the matter scared of insect

Tom: *lunges for him *ill show you scared come here ill …..ack* Rena grabs him by collar*

Rena: oh no you don't , down boy

Me: *sweat drops* well stay tuned there is more to come

Dr1ft3r0I: and don't forget to leave a review or comment

Rena: they all help positive or negative