Page 60 of Whispers of the Elderoak

Mud squelched beneath her hands and knees as Ava crawled out, the stars and moon lighting her way. Rising into a crouch, she wiped the muck from her hands on the canvas of the tent, cleaning them in case she needed to use the dagger. Remy crouched next to her, breathing evenly and ready to follow her lead.

She scanned for any signs of danger. Isolde had said to head straight for the trees in front of where she emerged from the tent. Luckily, they didn’t appear too far off, maybe thirty yards. They snuck in between the other tents waiting for some rogue guard to notice them and sound the alarm.

But there were no guards anywhere. No soldiers or grunts milling about.

The commotion on the other side of camp was almost deafening, the sounds of swords, growls and shouting soldiers a symphony of chaos. Curiosity got the best of her as she peeked around the corner of the tent, searching for the source of the thundering roars. It was difficult to see through the smoke and soldiers running around but she could have sworn she caught the sight of a giant black bear barrelingthrough the tents, snarling as he bit through the daemons in his way.

As she neared the edge of the camp, subtle movement on the ground in front of the trees caught her eye. It was a group of three mice.

Follow the mice,Isolde’s words echoed in Ava’s thoughts as the rodents scurried toward her and then back to the forest again.

So, they did.

Pushing herself to a run, she bounded through the last open area outside the camp, Remy right behind her, before being engulfed by the forest. Chancing one last glance over her shoulder, she looked to where the bear had been. It was gone and had left a dozen bloody bodies and several crushed tents in its wake. She turned back to follow the mice, hoping they were leading her the same direction Isolde told her.

Ava ran at full speed through the dense forest, trying to put distance between her and the camp before they noticed the two of them had gone missing. Remy stayed right beside her, keeping up surprisingly well. She knew it wouldn’t take the soldiers long to figure out they had escaped, and hoped Isolde didn’t pay the price. Legs weak and wobbly from weeks of her captivity, she pushed on, using the adrenaline to overcome her fatigue.

She was free. Liberated from her torture, she focused on what lay before her. She must get as far away as possible and find somewhere safe. Now that she was no longer in the army camp, she could feel that thread of fate pulling her to the mountains once more. The ones she saw the day she arrived. That must be where the capital of Monterre was.

So that was where she would go.

Her energy eventually started to waver and she had to slow down, hoping they were far enough away by now. “I’m tired,” Remy whispered from beside her.

“Me too,” she replied. “Hopefully we’ll be there soon.”

She continued walking, ducking under trees and stepping over logs, breathing deeply to slow her heart rate and conserve energy. Her companion stayed next to her throughout the journey and remained silent.

The forest was mostly quiet, though an occasional screech or growl sounded in the distance. The trees were crowded, and it was difficult to make out the terrain under the dense canopy. Some had giant roots sticking out of the ground, forming little makeshift shelters for the animals of the forest.

Some time later, the forest opened and they came upon the river. Loud and raging, it wound through the landscape and looked impossible to cross, capable of sweeping them away within seconds. Like a sliver of anger cutting through the terrain, it churned and roiled its wrath.

She sat on a small boulder near the edge, resting for a moment as she assessed the best way to cross without drowning, Remy plopping down next to her. Reaching into her satchel, she found the water skin Isolde had left, and handed it to her friend.

Remy took a big drink and handed it back. “We must cross,” he said, gesturing to the river.

“Do you think we can make it across that?” She pointed to a fallen tree.

“Yes. Carefully.”

Thank you,she mouthed to no one as they made their way toward the makeshift bridge.

The mice had disappeared, and Ava wondered where they had gone as they crossed the river, careful not to slip off the moss slick log.

Once safe on the opposite shore, Ava turned to Remy. “Can you help me push this log into the river?”

“Why?” he asked, curiosity in his eyes.

“Hopefully it will slow them down if they come after us,” she answered.

Remy nodded and they both knelt and placed their hands on the fallen tree. A small boulder sat just a couple feet from the log, so Ava pressed against it with her feet as she lowered down and pushed with all her might. Though weak and malnourished, her years of weight training paid off as she imagined she was pushing a weighted sled across the gym floor. With one last grunt, the log moved and a loud splash sounded as it fell into the river and was swept away.

They both stood and she wiped her hands on her pants and looked at her friend. “Alright,” she said. “Next, we find the cave.”

Illuminated by small slivers of moonlight peeking through the canopy, they began to search. Unsure where to start, they walked back and forth, starting at the shore and making their way back into the forest.

The dagger bounced at her hip with each step, reminding her of its presence should she need to use it, and the sounds of night drifted through the forest. The familiar hoot of owls comforted her, their haunting song threading through the night sky as they searched for their mate. The buzz of insects was a constant hum, different from back home, but pleasant nonetheless. If the creatures called, she knew no predators lurked about. Knew this meant the soldiers were not nearby.

They came upon a clearing in the trees at the top of a hill, providing them with a better view of the area. She scrutinized the landscape and noticed a rocky bluff with definite potential for a cave and pointed. “I think it might be over there.”

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