The Company continued with the long march through the darkness. Aerie moved towards the front with Valygar — she, like other elves, could see grey forms and shadows a short way ahead, even when everything else was pitch-black. Even then, her heightened senses weren't much help, and served mostly to keep the others from running into trees.
As they traveled, the hours wore on: mind-numbing, exhausting, interminable, stygian. Their ears pricked to every noise, their nerves rubbing raw; they all knew that what surrounded them were creatures of night in their native habitat, and that they could strike at any moment. What didn't help matters was that Aerie claimed to see a hooded figure staring at them from a safe distance in the woods.
After the third time this happened, the Company took a short break, mostly to break up the monotony of the march. Lidia took Aerie aside. "Is this thing doing anything we should worry about?" she asked.
Aerie shook her head. "I'll…I'll keep quiet about it," she said apologetically. "Unless…unless it does attack, and we get killed because I didn't say anything—" She shivered.
Lidia shut her eyes and raised a hand. A brief flash passed between her and Aerie. The effect was immediate; almost instantly the elf started breathing easier.
"What…what was that? I feel a lot better," Aerie said.
"Something to help," Lidia replied. "If your fear controls you, you won't be able to listen to your instincts, and that's what will save your life."
"So you…you took away my fear?"
"Yes, but I can't keep it from coming back."
Aerie was still shivering, so Lidia pulled one of her blankets from her pack and threw it around her shoulders. Lidia continued: "This is terrifying, no two ways about it. And there's likely greater danger at the end of it. But you've got everything else you need: a guide for the road, steady hands and feet, and the rest of us at your back."
Minsc barged forward, casting his dark eyes everywhere about him. His hand fumbled for the hilt of his sword "What is at our back? Where? He who sneaks up on Minsc loses teeth!"
Aerie laughed. "No, Lidia was talking about having friends nearby to help."
"Ahhh," he said. "What kind of friend would Minsc be if he let those sneaky things carry off little Aerie? It would be almost too much for Boo to bear! And Dynaheir would have given us a look that could stab like a dagger."
Aerie said, "She sounds like…like she was a powerful mage and a good person."
"Yes, indeedy!" A squeak issued from the hamster on his shoulder. "See, Boo agrees."
As they continued on their way through the forest, the only way Lidia had to mark the time was Azuredge, of all things. As she held the weapon in her left hand, ready to launch it at anything that sprang from the shadows, she noticed changes in the axe's head. From time to time, the gleam of blue light about its blade would suddenly wax, then wane. In response to some danger, perhaps? Lidia wasn't sure. All she knew was that, as they trudged deeper into the unnatural darkness, the sudden blue gleam flared up more frequently.
It was difficult to tell how late in the day they traveled or how far they'd gone; every minute seemed interminable. Still, when they came upon an open spot, perhaps the remnant of a road or clearing, they made camp. They started a fire, had a bite to eat, and took turns fitfully sleeping and taking watches. The fire, started more for heat then for light, was allowed to burn down to embers almost right away; with so much dead vegetation surrounding them, a stray spark could engulf this entire country in an hour. Whether it was out of fear, or a desire to stay hidden and huddled upon the cold ground, nobody said much.
It was one thing to forge ahead in total darkness. It was another to realize that no light would appear to relieve it.
They awakened, but whether to morning or not they couldn't tell. The same pitch darkness covered everything. Still, they resolved to continue, and started packing up. They doused the fire, which seemed to sigh as smoke and steam curled upwards.
Aerie nervously spoke up, and pointed towards somewhere in the darkness. "Over…over there."
Valygar turned to her. "What is it?"
"There's something coming towards us, not just standing around like the last time. "Something…something different. Do you hear it?"
The Company fell silent. A lone murmuring voice, belonging to a man in pain, was floating towards them from a distance, somewhere in the darkness.
Lidia turned towards the noise and cast out a thought in its direction, turning her thoughts inward to focus on any possible reaction. Nothing happened.
She got to her feet, asking one of the others to accompany her. Minsc volunteered first, and so together they towards the sound, carefully testing each step. The light gem in Lidia's right hand struggled, no more potent than a candle in this darkness.
She carried Azuredge in her other hand, glancing from time to time to see if its cold blue light grew any stronger. Every time she laid eyes upon it, she heard it whisper, and more and more she sensed frustration and impatience coming from it, if a weapon could have feelings.
Nonetheless, after she and Minsc traveled about fifty feet, the light they had was enough to get a good look at who was approaching their camp.
The man wore no armor and carried no weapons. He was dressed in only a ragged tunic and pants — the color was hard to discern, for it was covered in blood and black ichor. He crawled on the ground with one arm towards the embers burning at the Company's camp.
As Lidia and Minsc drew closer, they could finally make out what he was saying, over and over:
"We are the flame, and darkness fears us."
Lidia knelt down next to the man. He looked her in the eye, and with a sigh he slumped to the ground, relaxing the arm he'd used to crawl forward. Even in the dim light, she could see the growing puddle of dark blood underneath his prone body.
"Can you hear me?" she asked him.
He said nothing.
She put Azuredge in her belt, and gently tried pushing against the man to roll him over. He was wiry, but he remained still and heavy. "Minsc, help me turn him over," she said. "I'll try to stop the worst of it."
The man suddenly sprang to life. With a blood-covered hand he swatted her away, saying, "Please—death—too many—"
With a shudder, his hand fell to the ground. The light faded from his open, empty eyes.
The hooded figure came forward.
In this darkness, and in the dim light, one could only make out the faint outline of this creature. It cast its cloak aside, and for a moment, it contorted, its form fluidly moving and hunching. It strode towards them, tall, barrel-chested, and covered in fine grey fur, its pointed, furry ears pricking up as Lidia and Minsc shouted their challenges.
The creature smiled at them with the face of a wolf. And then it howled, putting on display its full complement of sharp white teeth. It lunged, not at them, but between them. With small, slender, human-like hands, it took hold of the dead man, not minding the blood. Pacing with the deft swiftness of a hunter, it dragged the corpse away. Soon it faded out of sight.