Author's Note:
We're off on our adventure, so stay tuned for the pace to pick up slightly. In the future, I may introduce something called filler chapters, to advance the relationships and other things I think are important to make the story more well-rounded. If so, I'll mark them so that you don't have to read them if you don't like.
The three are going to Ravenwood first, as that's the order of the story arc. You'll see what happens! :)
I guess this is something authors do, so please review the story if you've got any suggestions. Honestly, this story has been seen more than I thought it would already, so thank you very much, guys :))
-Tangent
Ean had never seen an area quite like the Green Weed Plains. The grass was long, dragging at their heels in certain areas. The ground was soft, and the air seemed slightly heavy. The scenery was nice, but the whole area felt tense and dangerous. Rye noticed his discomfort.
"It wasn't like this before. The grass has grown a lot since I was last here." The path that the travelers were on was narrow, and it was often covered by grass as they walked. By Rye's estimation, it would take almost an entire day of walking to reach Thais from their current point. The plains cut between two ranges of mountains, and was bordered by the ocean to the south. Ean swatted a fly away from his face, wiping the sweat from his brow in the same motion.
"Are there… monsters here?" He panted, tired from walking. Rye looked uncertain.
"I'm not sure. I've heard stories of bears roaming these plains, but hopefully we won't encounter one." Iya nodded fervently at that idea, and Ean looked to see that she was tired as well. Her staff helped support her, but it was slightly too short to provide any real comfort.
"Hey, there's a hill up ahead. Should we climb it to get a viewpoint?" Ean asked, and their companion seemed to consider the point.
"Couldn't hurt, I guess." They climbed the hill, pulling themselves onto several rocks to rest for a while. They could see that the plains stretched out for many miles, and Iya could see a pass between the mountains in the distance.
"That's our goal." Rye said, pointing at it. "We've just entered the plains, so it'll probably take around-" He was interrupted by a roar that came from behind them, and the three of them whirled to see a massive creature approaching from behind. It was brown, and had four savage claws on its hands and feet.
"Oh, crap! A bear found us!" Rye jumped to his feet, nocking an arrow, and the bear charged at them. They split up, with Ean and Iya leaping to the right as the bear's claw swiped forward. Rye fired an arrow, and it sank into the creature's shoulder, causing it to stagger. By the time it had recovered, Ean was swiping at its flank with his claws, drawing a small amount of blood.
"This thing is tough. Rye, use your bow!" He rolled aside as the bear tried to bite him savagely, and another arrow found its mark in the bear's leg. It roared in anger and swiped at Ean, catching him with a glancing bow and knocking him over. As it reared up, a powerful gust of wind slammed into it, knocking it to the ground. Ean turned to see Iya standing there, her song orb upon her arm.
"New spell?" She nodded, and the bear lunged at them. They dodged, splitting up again to distract it. Ean had just moved out of range when he tripped on a root and fell. The bear, sensing triumph, launched itself at him, and he held up his arms blindly. Just as the bear was about to descend, a shaft of wood sprouted from its chest, and it collapsed. Rye had fired an arrow directly into the animal's heart, and he strode over to Ean, pulling him to his feet.
"Thanks for the save." Ean said, and Rye nodded.
"It's good. Come on, we should move quickly." He turned away to face Iya, and in that instant, a creature reared in front of Ean and struck, sinking its fangs into his side. He screamed, and Iya whirled to see a massive snake biting Ean. His arm was limp, and she reacted instinctively. A blast of wind caught the snake head on, hurling it down the hill and out of sight. Ean collapsed to his knees, clutching his side.
"Ean!" Iya cried, falling to her knees next to him. His breathing was labored, and he looked at her.
"Poison…" He murmured, and fell with a thud, his breathing shallow. She cried out, trying to wake him, but he would not move. She began digging in her packs, looking frot he herbs to cure the poison, but Rye grabbed her arm.
"Iya, we have to get out of here. There's more snakes coming. I saw them."
"But, Ean! He's-" Rye stooped down and picked Ean up, who was pale.
"I'll carry him. But we have to get out of the grasslands. Can you cover us?" Iya felt anger course through her, and her mind focused on only one thing: keeping Ean safe.
"Yes." She said, her voice strong, and Rye nodded. He took off, carrying Ean back to the path, and Iya followed, her magic pulsing wildly.
He… He… They were back on the path, Rye sprinting back towards the lake with Ean in his arms. Iya was behind him, and they were almost back when she heard several hisses behind her. She stopped, turning around and facing the oncoming enemies.
"Keep going!" she shouted to Rye, who stopped in alarm at her actions.
"But…"
"Just go!" She said as she blasted the first snake back into the weeds. A second one leapt at her, but she hurled an ember at it, causing it to recoil. The elf held her ground, giving Rye time to escape with Ean. After a few minutes, she saw that Rye had disappeared, and she turned and sprinted after them, the snakes giving chase. She managed an occasional blast of wind and fire, but it was not enough to shake them all off. Several bit at her heels, and she ran faster, bursting out of the grass and into the open.
"Iya, move!" Rye shouted, his bow ready. The elf rolled aside as the man unleashed three arrows, directly into the snakes that were pursuing her. They keeled over, dead, and the other creatures retreated back into the grass. Iya came up and knelt next to Ean, her face pale.
"I have-" She dug in his pack, pulling out the herbs he had bought earlier. She fed one to him slowly, and his breathing seemed to ease. Rye pulled out a bandage and wrapped it around the elf's side, stopping the bleeding. However, Ean did not awake, and Iya began to panic.
"Why isn't it working?" Rye grabbed her arm.
"Iya, listen. That poison is something beyond even the herbs, I'm sure of it. We need to get help for him."
"But where can we go?"
"There's a village to the south, in the Shadow Woods. It's called Ravenwood. They might have something." Iya looked at him, worry on her face.
"How far?"
"Not very. Maybe 4 hours."
"Will he survive that long?" Rye looked hesitant, and then nodded.
"I think so." Iya stared at him, and then agreed to go with him. Rye picked Ean up, and they began to follow the road south, to Ravenwood. They ran, making it in just under two and half hours. Ean was silent now, and he was getting worse…
Iya shivered as they entered the fringe of the Shadow Woods. Here, the trees were dark and menacing, looking as though they reached out to snare travelers. Rain was pouring down on them, and Rye had to place a cloak over Ean, still carrying him. His arms were aching, and he wanted to collapse, but he had to keep going.
I don't even know why I want to help them so much… That was truth, he thought. The two elves were special, even he could see that. Perhaps he just knew that he had to, or maybe the Goddess was guiding him. Regardless, he kept going, staggering through the rain that had soaked him. Suddenly, through the trees, he saw a wooden bridge with a signpost next to it:
-Ravenwood-
"We made it!" He said, using a last burst of energy to move over the bridge, Iya right behind him. The town was small, with the houses composed of dark wood and cold stone. The town was virtually lifeless, and he assumed everybody was indoors. The town was built on a series of cliffs, with bridges leading down to the next levels.
"Please, can anybody help us?" He shouted, but the howling wind and rain was his only answer. "Our friend has fallen ill!" He heard footsteps, and turned to see a woman dressed in a robe standing there. Her eyes were wide as she took in the three travelers, and her eyes landed on Ean.
"He was poisoned by snakes in the plains. Please, ma'am." Iya begged, and the woman turned.
"Take him to my hut." They followed her to a small house on the outskirts of the village, and she opened the door to reveal a dingy interior, but cozy as well. She ushered them in, directing Rye to lay Ean on the bed, his arms limp at his side.
"Can you cure him?" Iya asked quietly, and the women looked at her sympathetically.
"I can try." She set about brewing some herbs into a tea, which she then gave to Rye while propping Ean up. "Give it to him." Rye obliged, pouring the tea into Ean's mouth, and the elf spluttered and choked, swallowing the bitter medicine. The woman lay him back down, and turned to Iya.
"The fever should break soon, but a cold washcloth should help." She handed Iya the wet rag, and showed her where to place it on Ean's forehead. The elf looked a bit better, and color had returned to his face. He breathed in and out, sleeping relatively peacefully. Rye put a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Iya. I should have known better." She looked at him in surprise.
"It was not your fault, Rye. You could not have known." She was surprised to hear that she meant it, and Rye looked gladdened to hear her say it. He stood, pulling on his cloak.
"I'll look around the village, see what we've got." She nodded, and he went out into the freezing rain without another word. The woman bustled around behind her, mixing something else in a pot.
"What are you making?" Iya asked, mostly to distract herself from her unconscious friend.
"A brew to help him when he wakes up. He'll be weak, but this will get him up on his feet."
"Thank you." Iya said sincerely, and the woman smiled.
"It's no problem, young woman. Or…" She looked at Iya's ears. "An elf, then. It doesn't matter much. I'm Linia." Iya nodded, introducing herself and her companions.
"And where are you bound?"
"Thais, to join the resistance against the Snow Queen." Linia's eyes widened.
"Really? We've heard what happened to Shaenlir, but…"
"Wait, what? What happened to the city?" Iya interrupted.
"Oh, it's sealed off now. There's a magical barrier over the whole city, and nobody can get in. The soldiers on the outside have started guarding all the big towns, like Candar and Thais, but nothing bad has happened to those areas yet. We've gone unnoticed, so we're safe for now." Iya stared, somewhat relieved. At least the Snow Queen wouldn't be coming after her for a little bit. Rye entered the house again, soaking wet.
"We can stay at the inn for tonight. Is it safe to move him?" The last part was directed at Linia, who nodded.
"When he wakes, he can walk over there." Just then, Ean began to stir, and Iya grabbed his hand.
"Ean? Are you alright?" He opened his eyes a small bit.
"W-What happened?" He slurred, trying to sit up, but Linia pushed him down.
"Not yet, young man. Drink this first." She handed him the potion, which he drank. His eyes flew open, and he coughed repeatedly, the effects of the potion burning into his throat in a fiery line.
"What the… heck… was that?" He seemed much more energetic, and looked around the small house.
"Bring him back tomorrow so I can check on him, okay?" Linia said, and Iya nodded.
"Come on, Ean. Let's get to the inn. She took off her cloak and draped it over him. Opening the door, the three walked out into the rain, which was not quite so intense now. Rye led them to a building by the wooden bridge, and they pushed it open to reveal a small bar with a warm fire crackling in the corner. The innkeeper looked up, concerned.
"Oh, this must be him." He said as Iya helped Ean into a chair by the fire. He was shivering, but the fire seemed to help.
"You can pull a table over by the fire if you'd like. There's nobody else in town at the moment. I'll bring out some food." He disappeared into the back, and Rye dragged a small table across the room, while Iya retrieved some chairs. Ean looked at them both gratefully.
"Thank you, Rye. You saved my life." He addressed the green-haired man, who looked sad.
"I should have been more careful. I won't let you down next time." Ean looked troubled at the words, but he was tired, and wasn't thinking too clearly. The innkeeper returned with a plate of food, which he gave to Iya. She thanked him, handing him several gold coins to pay for the rooms. After the man had disappeared, she turned back to Ean, handing him some of the food. She gave Rye a portion as well, and the three settled down to eat their meal. When they had finished, Iya placed the empty plate on the bar and returned to her chair by the fire.
"So what do we do now?" Ean asked, and Rye looked at him.
"Well, I assume you aren't giving up on Thais, so we'll try again once you're better. This town should have a small weapons shop, so maybe we can find something to kill the snakes quicker. We can also make some antidotes. But we'll take care of that tomorrow. For now, let's just hit the sack." He rose, heading for the stairs and taking Ean with him. Iya followed, grabbing their bags and bringing them into their rooms. Rye had deferred to her, giving her a separate room for privacy, as she was the only woman in the party. Ean and Rye would sleep in twin beds in another room. The inn was also equipped with a bath, so they could bathe properly for the first time in a while. Iya went first, bringing a change of clothes into the bath. She went quickly, enjoying the hot water for a few moments, before rising from the pool and drying her body off. After getting dressed, she let Ean and Rye enter the room, heading back to her own.
She had just finished combing and braiding her hair when there was a knock on her door. The elf opened it to see Ean standing there.
"Sorry, are you trying to sleep?"
"No, I was just braiding my hair. What's wrong?" Ean looked hesitant.
"I just… wanted to know if things were alright with you." She stared at him.
"I… I suppose so. Why do you ask?" Ean looked even more hesitant now, and she began to grow slightly suspicious.
"I'm not sure. I'm just worried." He knew it was a lie, but it seemed to set her at ease. Her gaze softened, and she put her hand on his shoulder.
"I'm okay, Ean. Get some rest, alright?" He nodded, and she closed the door, returning to her bed. She slept uneasily, her dreams filled with cackling laughter and whirling winds of snow and ice. She awoke around two in the morning, tears streaming down her face.
It's not real… It's not real. He's okay.
It took her a long time to fall asleep again.
The following morning was met with grey skies and a fierce wind whipping through the village, breaking branches from smaller trees and causing bigger ones to flex back and forth. Iya rose from her bed, straightening her braid and pulling on her outer garments. She headed downstairs to find Ean and Rye at a table, and after a hurried breakfast, they stepped outside to visit Linia. She let them, directing Ean to a table, where she poked and prodded at him until she was satisfied that he was fit to travel.
"He's good to go, I suppose. Just take it easy, alright?"
"Thank you very much, ma'am." Ean said sincerely, and she smiled at him.
"You are quite welcome. Where do you plan to go next?"
"We were planning on Thais, but we might stick around for a little bit. Anything that needs to be done around here?" The woman froze, and Ean saw fear in her eyes.
"Ma'am? Is everything okay?" Rye asked, his eyes narrowed.
"I shouldn't say. I don't want you to be hurt." Ean smiled comfortingly.
"Don't worry, we're not the reckless type." Iya rolled her eyes at the remark. Linia hesitated, then spoke:
"The Shadow Woods are inhabited by a beast. A massive creature, like a mix of wolf and bear. It's already taken one of the villagers, and it's killed some of our livestock too. There's a hunter trying to trap it, but no luck." She lowered her voice even more, causing the three to lean forward. "And some say it's caused by magic. No creature like that could be natural." Ean leaned back in his chair, thinking hard.
"Hmmmm. Rye, know what it is?"
"Not a clue, but we could take a look at the tracks. Where is this hunter?" He addressed the question to Linia, who pointed west.
"He lives by himself in the heart of the woods. But I wouldn't go there. There's other monsters in there too." She looked frightened at the thought of such young people adventuring into such a dangerous area.
"We'll be careful, ma'am." Iya reassured her. "We're better at fighting than we look." Linia looked unconvinced, but let the matter drop for the time being. They thanked her and left the house, looking around the village.
"Well, the weapons shop is over there." Rye said, pointing across a bridge to a house with a rusty sign out front. "Should we check it out?"
"Sure, why not? How much money do we have?" Ean asked, and Iya counted it quickly.
"Just under a thousand coins. Should be enough, right?" They walked over to the cottage, knocking on the door loudly. A middle-aged man opened the door.
"What do you want?" He demanded, and Ean smiled at him.
"We're here to browse your weapons. May we come in?" The man grunted and moved aside, allowing them in. There was table on one side of the house, with a door that led to a bedroom. The table had several items on it, and Rye picked up a jet-black bow that seemed very deadly.
"What's this?" He asked, and the weapons master explained a few terms to him that the elves didn't quite understand, like "draw weight" and "tension". Rye seemed sold on the purchase, and tested the bow by drawing the strong back and forth.
"How much?"
"240 coins, kid. You have that much?" Iya handed the man the money, and his eyes widened slightly. After that, he was considerably more polite to the three customers. Iya purchased a staff that was longer than her own, and provided more support. It also had a metal spike on the bottom for self-defense. While she was haggling with the merchant, Ean had picked up a pair of claws, also jet-black.
"What makes these different?" The storekeeper came over, clearly excited at the prospect of selling so much in one day.
"Those are made of a stronger metal than the stuff from Shaenlir and Ryva. That stuff comes from caves in the Shadow Woods, and let me tell you, they are quite a bit sharper and stronger."
"You've sold me." Ean said after swinging the claws around a few times to get a feel for them. He paid the full price, a hefty 400 gold, but he was sure it would be worth it. They sold their old equipment to the man and exited the store, armed to the teeth. Per Iya's suggestion, they purchased a decent amount of healing potions from the general store before heading west, following the path out of the village. A few minutes later, they encountered a sign blocking a path that led deeper into the woods.
-Shadow Woods: Enter at your own peril!-
"We doing this?" Rye asked, looking at Ean. He thought for a moment, then nodded, strapping his claws to his arms.
"We owe it to the villagers to try." Without further words, the trio strode into the dark forest.