The Forgotten
Chapter 4

Nearly three weeks had passed with Rendall and Celer tending to the new guardian of the woods. They were still confused about what happened, yet as the days passed they noticed an influx of wildlife including white foxes and black bears, which at first was intimidating, the giant creatures though completely harmless often just roaming the new woodlands taking all the new aromas and sites. Trees and plants that seemed to be dying, or at the very least barely surviving now thrived with blooms of red, blue and orange for hundreds of meters in every direction. It seemed to have become a haven for the beings of the forest, and none seemed to be bothered by Rendall or Celer. What seemed most strange to Rendall is the burnt shell of his home had become a makeshift wall for the tree, the blackened wood surrounding the trunk and the old doorway was now the only entrance in. The magical tree seemed to restore life into an area that was withering away over the years; it was a spectacle of life.

Instinctually both knew what to do. They spent weeks lengthening a small stream that cut through the forest half a kilometre to the south of the clearing. The river seemed unnatural in its environment, with rough banks either side made from the pair’s paws and hands. While it was not fast-moving with a depth of two feet it was easily able to supply water to the wildlife and creatures of the area.

After the endless digging Celer’s white paws were stained brown with mud, even after constant time spent in water each day she could never get it off alone. To her great delight, Rendall would sit down with her and clean it off. It was like heaven every evening as not only was she being cleaned but he massaged her paws making her often fall into a trace that she would only wake from when he stopped. She would always grumble before rolling over and falling asleep within seconds. Yet she was sure that each time he turned, he would laugh to himself at her behaviour.

As the wolf fell asleep Rendall couldn’t shake the thoughts of the bandits that he had encountered, the same vile men robbing, stealing and possibly intending to murder. He still didn’t know how to feel about the man he killed, his face stuck in his mind. His eyes bore an intense gaze of shock as the blood flowed from his mouth mixing with dirt and dust on the ground which caused the man to fall into a coughing fit in his final moments. Rendall realised the man had recognised him, the years spent in the forest hadn’t seemed to have done much to his figure he thought. Nevertheless, it was not Rendall’s figure, hair or clothing that gave him away. He had changed considerably, the years spent in the woods would do that to anyone. No, what made Rendall someone that would be remembered was his unique silver eyes, eyes that no one else in the kingdom had.

The boy thought it was strange that he felt no regret from killing the outlaw but at the same time didn’t enjoy it or get any peace from knowing the scum would not walk the earth again. Rendall sat staring at a rock in front of him no bigger than his palm while he contemplated whether he was any better than him, or whether this is how the man felt when he killed someone. He had spent many evenings lying in the cave on the mountain thinking how he would hunt and kill those responsible. Sometimes it was the only thing that kept him going, the thought that he would one day get justice at his own hand.

A spring of worry appeared in the boy’s mind, the worry that Celer was now in grave danger. Never had anyone of his kind see her before and most thought that wolves were little more than legend now. Guilt was rising inside him as he remembered that the man and woman who survived knew of her and even worse, he had let one of the men run into the woods.

Putting his head in his hands, Rendall rubbed at his eyes in an attempt to force the images and worry from his mind. He hadn’t of bothered, remembering what Celer had done to the other bandit, the brutal and relentless slaughter of one of the thug’s friends who stood no chance despite best efforts. Besides, he thought, no one would actually believe them should they go running through the streets shouting about what they saw.

Rendall mulled over the events in the weeks that had past for several more hours. The world was still full of people who were only interested in their own gain and no one had even remembered him. No grave was marked for the young boy that got away. Raising his head he looked at the forest around him, he slowly fell into a deep sleep lying against the magical tree. Its aura calming him, so that he can do it all over again tomorrow.

-

“Ralf, get up you old lout,” Said Suzy sharply while she prodded him in the ribs with her foot.

“Ouch, watch it! What do you want woman?” Replied Ralf.

“We’re going out again, the lord has left for a few days hunting, now get up.”

Ralf slowly sat up rubbing his eyes, red after a bad night’s sleep. “We’ve tried this, the woods are vast, we have no clues and have no idea where to look.”

After a few seconds, Ralf pulled himself up by holding onto the window sill. Groaning, he clung at his ribs with his free hand.

“I know we owe the boy our lives Suzy but what more can we do?”

“What’s the matter?” Said Suzy.

Ralf pulled up his shirt to reveal his rib cage, battered and bruised he sported purple circles the size of fists all over his torso.

“Our king had a few too many last night. After the party. he decided to test his new baton on me before he retired to his room.”

No words escaped Suzy’s mouth as she stared back at him in shock, her mouth open slightly to give some form of comfort but had nothing to say, it wasn’t the first time nor would it be the last. With bloodshot eyes from the sleepless night, Suzy looked at Ralf who was sporting many scars from the years of abuse yet with the purple tint to his chest and stomach he looked like a dying man. Looking him up and down she saw several broken ribs, the bones protruding towards the surface of the skin.

Being the practical sort and not knowing what condolence she could offer, Suzy replied, “Have you seen the physician?”

“No, not yet, don’t worry I will. It was late when this happened, just past the fourth bell, no one else was awake and all I wanted to do was get some sleep.”

As Suzy’s gaze bore into him, Rolf hastily continued, “Let me get some clothes on and a wrap for my ribs, then we’ll go look for the boy.”

As the man rose he grimaced when he placed his hand on the left side of his chest where one bone had moved as he shifted positions.

“We need to get away from here.” She said distantly, more to herself than anyone else.

Then snapping out of her musings she said, “You’re not going anywhere Ralf you need to recover, you look like you have a few broken ribs with who knows what else. If they don’t heal properly then you’ll be in even more of a state.”

A look of relief passed through Rolf’s eyes for a moment, but he didn’t like being worthless so began to stand.

Knowing that he would not give up so soon, Suzy looked at him and smiled, “I’m glad you have seen sense, it would be better for you to see the doctor as soon as possible.”

“N….” Suzy cut off Ralf before he could get a word out.

“Come on you old fool.”

Sighing to himself, Ralf conceded and with the help of his wife clasping his arm he made his way to see Doctor Malov.

They walked down the stone corridor slowly, Ralf having to stop several times to catch his breath that also caused shooting pains throughout his lungs. Being early in the morning a cold chill lingered through the keep and caused a tingle at his lungs causing him to fall to his knees in a coughing fit. No one else was yet awake, the sun only had started to pierce the horizon, not yet reaching the windows to disturb the locals’ slumber.

After long minutes they made it to the doctor’s residence. With three loud knocks on the door, they heard some stirring from inside. A loud thump could be heard from the room followed by what sounded like silverware falling to the floor, the clinks and banging of the items bouncing off the ground as they fell.

“Ouch! No, no, no, bugger! Who the hell is bothering me at this hour, I swear if they want some tonic so they can fool about I will shove it down their throat glass bottle and all, that’ll stop any ill effects,” Shouted a voice from the other side of the door, slightly muffled from the door in front of the pair though still clear enough.

The couple looked at one another, Suzy whispering to Ralf, “Well we are here now, might as well go through with it.”

As the doctor answered the door he was clearly nursing a hangover, his bleary eyes telling more than he needed to explain. It was clear that the good doctor did not expect to see anyone that morning so on seeing Ralf, he started an onslaught of curses both at them and any God that listened. Suzy did not dare get caught in the man’s ire, she quickly made herself scarce, sneaking back out of the room only moments after Ralf had sat down on the man’s bed.

Despite the doctor’s curses, Ralf was in good care and Suzy wanted to get back out searching the woods again. They had been searching the surrounding areas on their own for weeks, they would often sneak off the grounds when they had a break or when the king was gone or at least busy so they wouldn’t be missed. The king’s servants and staff, including some guards, all helped one another out so it would often be that someone could be gone for several days and no one would notice as their tasks were still carried out. If questions were asked then others would make up excuses for their absence. No one had been caught yet.

Working in the keep, Suzy had gathered a group of people who would talk about rumours, finances and interesting conversations between the nobility. Everything came back to Suzy, she was the unofficial leader. Anyone involved would report back to her, gardeners, cleaners, servants and guards all would see her out. She had quickly realised the king’s compulsion for domination and ill-treatment was not confined to the lower class. Nobles, knights and many others of the higher ranks would actively avoid him, and if not possible they would be most agreeable towards his plans.

The lord, which he preferred to be called, was otherwise known as Myval Nicoll and his rise to power was ridden with deceit and death. He was the middle brother of three and third in line to the throne of Wendallin. His father witnessed his temperament and his desire for inflicting pain on others and so, had no plans to give such a man such power over thousands of people. Rumours had spread though that Myval was behind the death of both of his brothers yet was never able to get details. Ultimately while his father did not want to grant him leadership, he saw he had little choice if he wanted his line to continue. As the old man aged Myval did improve, without his brothers around he began to learn how to rule. Yet after his father’s death, Tocking Vale was driven into a field of blood. Anyone that stood out against him or criticised his plans were often killed on the spot or flayed alive first.

Suzy went pale at the thoughts of death that followed for a week after his rule began. Like it did with many others it haunted her though she had to push it to the back of her thoughts, trying to forget.

Her group of informants had given her outlandish gossip that the woods to the north had come alive again. Trees shone in the sunlight, the green leaves glowed as if they radiated light, the trunks looked revitalised with life leaking resin from the cracks of the bark. Some old trees that hadn’t grown or flowered in years had now come out of their slumber. What’s more is that life had returned, for years hunters would not bother to go north as it would be a wasteland, now however there were stags, deers, rabbits, and even signs of boars in its depths. The tale was so odd that Suzy did not believe it, only a few weeks ago everything there was dead, she had even been there herself not long ago and the trees were rotting away.

She didn’t know what to make of this information, it was strange most certainly, but she had learnt over the years that no matter how unusual the tale there was often always some truth to it. With no better clues Suzy decided to investigate. She changed into some brown slacks and a loose-fitting white top tying a belt around her waist with a knife sheathed in a simple brown scabbard. She pulled on some long fitting brown leather boots, which she adored and tied up the laces which finished just below her knees.

It was still early, many were now waking, others had already started work. She took herself off to the stables to borrow the stable master’s pup, she wanted the company and decided that having a dog that could sniff out a person with just a scent was a worthy companion. The stable master had never named the dog. A large black dog with brown eyes that bounded like a puppy still as he ran. The pup knew Suzy straight away, running up to her and jumping around her wanting to play. They had spent many hours each week playing with one another, at one point she tried to distance herself from the pup to avoid being so attached as she knew that she was not able to look after him herself.

“Going for a stroll are you Suzy?” Said the stable master as he appeared from the doorway of his home.

Suzy smiled a glowing radiance as she had the dog come up to her. “Yes, um I was going to head north and walk through the woods, I’ve heard some strange rumours. Could I take this little boy with me?”

“Even if I said no, I think he would follow you anyway. Of course you can my girl, it’ll do good for him to get out.”

Blushing, “Thank you, I love him too.”

“You know I’m happy for you to keep him too. I know you’re not supposed to but you can if you want. Think about it and if you do, perhaps you can give him a name, it’ll do him good.”

She smiled at the man and hugged him, holding the man close, who was clearly not expecting it.

“Err… Well, that is unnecessary, but thank you none the less,” the man said as he stumbled over each word.

Leaving shortly after with a giant, four-legged bundle of joy, Suzy left the castle grounds with a huge smile on her face and a jolt in her step. She had been given the most wonderful gift, a new family member, a new lifelong friend. It didn’t take long for her to come up with a name for the dog staring back at her with his mouth slightly open and his pink tongue poking out of his mouth.

“Decan, your name is Decan.” She said while looking into his eyes.

She pulled him close in that moment and kissed the dog on the cheek as he licked her face in return.

The roads were mostly clear of people, the footprints and wheel tracks had disappeared overnight though would be replaced in only a few hours with the excessive use. She exited the castle grounds, leaving the stables behind, the sun now warming her skin as she walked through the town. Already there were many stalls of meat, clothes, bread and other goods on display with people shouting the deals of the day and looking to entice a buyer.

“Venison, come get it folks while you still can!” Shouted one butcher who clearly hadn’t slept much last night, from the blood-stained apron he wore and bruised eyes.

“Freshly baked bread, cakes and pies.” Echoed another though this man was stuffing his face with his own produce. Suzy wondered how many he would sell and how many he would eat on a daily basis, his large round belly and bright red face giving more away than the man would like.

Suzy couldn’t deny that the smells of warm bread, sugar, roasted pork and other fine foods were on their own enough to make her want to buy something. She hadn’t eaten breakfast, so conceded that a treat wouldn’t go amiss. Walking up to the baker she bought a large bun seemingly to be bigger than her hand. It had icing all over the top that dripped down the sides with a cherry in the middle. She hadn’t even waited to pay and immediately started eating when she picked it up and dropped two copper pieces into the man’s hand. The slender woman always had a sweet tooth, especially when it came to breakfast, she thought if a day was to start well then you needed something to sweeten it. She also bought Decan a slice of venison from the meat vendor on the other side of the market, the dog seemingly not taking his eyes off the stall since they came into range. She gave the dribbling mouth in front of her the slice of red venison, which he greedily ate in one without chewing. Moments later his greediness and lack of chewing came back to haunt him as Decan started coughing on the ground. After a moment he looked back at Suzy then back at the butcher once more.

Seeing the little pup in front of her, Suzy laughed and said, “ha, no way greedy!”

She continued to walk down the main street giggling to herself at Decan, the hound following her and all the while polishing off her cake then licking her fingers to ensure she didn’t miss anything. Sighing with satisfaction as she ate every last crumb, and looking up and around as she passed the rim of town seeing fields of crops and beyond the forest. From this distance the north still looked like the rotting baron land she remembered.

Since their run-in with death Suzy hadn’t been on the road alone since. Ralf had always accompanied her. They provided one another with a sense of safety, even though when they were attacked, they were together. Although the road was well looked-after and busier than other side roads out of town, alone though she felt an apprehension of the road and an urge to continually look around her.

After a couple of hours of following the road she realised that she needed to turn off it, the boy would not be found sat next to it. She thought if the boy were truly living in the woods he would be in a small cave or up a tree hiding away from the world. So after another hundred meters the woman with her loyal companion turned into the woods.

As she walked she was wary of coming across a bandit camp. It would indeed have been bad luck to encounter another group of them, and thick woodlands near a road was a prime opportunity for them to hide and make a base near. Hours went by with not a sign of life, tree bark would crumble with just a touch and the heat from the sun had made the land too dry for plants to grow. dried up any local source of any animal or new vegetation to grow from. The day was hot and she and Decan avoided the sunlight where possible in the shadow of the trees. Though it would only help a little as the rays of sunshine piercing the gaps would heat the forest floor to an uncomfortable level. Taking a drink from her water skin and pouring a little over her face and Decan’s head to cool him a little, the pup was thankful, nuzzling his head into her.

Making her way further, stepping over the abandoned rabbit holes that were plentiful in the woods she looked up and saw a wonderful sight. Suzy looked around and wondered how out of all the time she had only lived a handful of miles away but never witnessed such beauty. Animals roamed only meters away, not caring that she was close by. A stag with great antlers looked back at her, his flock standing behind him eating leaves and grass. The great beast stared at her for a long moment then went back to walking through the woods. She didn’t know what to make of it, they had locked eyes and she surged with happiness, almost like the stag itself was presenting her with a gift. Surprisingly the hound poked his nose in the direction of the deer but didn’t make a move to chase or hunt them. Strange she thought as the stable master had always told her that he would often return with rabbit, badgers or just blood spattered around his face.

The tree next to her held a beehive dripping with fresh honey. Mouth watering at the sight but knowing better as looking around she saw hundreds of bees swarm the surrounding flowers, and a small division of them buzzed around her head for several seconds before flying off. Not wanting to anger the bees she thought it best to leave them alone.

“This place is magical,” She whispered to herself. A sense of awe washed over her face, not wanting to miss such beauty.

Continuing to walk in a trance and after another hour she came upon an area that seemed just freshly grown. It was rich in life, blueberry bushes in full bloom, red, white and orange roses had climbed around trees to give off all sorts of wonderful colours. Fresh lush green grass reflecting the sunlight gave off the most vibrant green and in the distance, she saw a small river that flowed through with dragonflies and water lilies dotting along it. It was picturesque, a treasure to behold though as she looked around the area she stopped, now looking at a small figure in the distance.

Rendall looked back at her, he was sat leaning on a tree with Celer lying on his feet. He was startled for a moment as he didn’t think that it was real, no one had ever found him and certainly, no one ever ventured into the woods on their own.

Celer sensed the onlookers and opened one eye to see a woman and a dog that stood half the height of her sensing its need for the hunt. She immediately stood and took a low threatening posture. She didn’t dislike the dog or the woman in the distance but she was the protector of this area and they were trespassing, any creature that dwelt here was under her protection.

Rendall noticed his wolf’s aggressive stance and stood slowly and cautiously, not wanting to spook anyone. He grabbed the bow laying next to him and an arrow that he had stuck into the floor, nocking it.

The boy had been noticed by the woman. Trying to fade out of view and flanking her would serve no purpose. With his body slightly crouched he moved slowly and silently over the grass all the while ready to shoot should he need to.

Suzy was in shock, had she really found the boy who saved her? She had noticed the boy’s stance, his bow nocked ready to kill and his wolf prepared to do worse if she did anything threatening. She hadn’t used it but the stable master gave her a lead for the dog which she now carefully placed over the neck of the hound and then she held the rope attached tightly around her hand. She had certainly known the dog and it didn’t look like it would either run off or attack; instead, Decan had taken a subservient pose. He was sat down though his head slightly lowered with wide eyes open towards the wolf. He knew that he was no match for the great beast and Suzy seemed to agree and hoped that with the lead and the way her eyes now fell to the floor, may get them through this alive.

Not knowing what to expect either before or after meeting the boy, Suzy thought to herself that she still didn’t even expect to replace him so had nothing prepared. She cursed herself for being so unprepared, it was clear that words may be the only thing that saves her here.

Moment after moment passed with Rendall warily stalking ever closer, Celer by his heels with her ears raised and her eyes looking over the environment for any further threat. Her nose didn’t sense any metal being drawn from their sheaths, neither did she smell the sweat of anticipation that she sensed when attacking the bandits. The wolf also noticed the dog’s submission, which seemed to tower a foot higher than others of its kind but was still only a small creature compared to her.

Celer, while on high alert was angry now, no one had ever gotten so close. If they were hunting Rendall and her, they could have been dead by now as they were easily within bow range which some of Rendall’s kind favoured when killing animals in the forest. She cursed herself for not noticing, and promised herself it wouldn’t happen again.

Rendall fixed his gaze on the woman in front of him. She hadn’t moved and he had now gotten so close they were only meters away. He looked at her curiously with a mixture of confusion and surprise on his face.

“You found me then?” Rendall started after it was clear that she was in some form of shock. It was strange to speak aloud to someone, it had been years since he had the chance yet he never forgot his words.

“Umm yes.” She stammered back.

Moments again had passed and Suzy gathered herself. “I wanted to thank you, for saving us. You left so quickly I never got the chance.”

“You’re welcome, but no thank you was necessary.”

“Truth be told I don’t know why I’ve come. I spent weeks looking for you but hadn’t given the thought to why. You left in such a hurry and well you seemed in pain.”

The boy grimaced, remembering it well. Anger built inside him once more at the thought of the men who had murdered his parents.

“Did you know them?” He blurted out while clenching his fist around the bow’s handle.

“No, never. I was travelling with my husband and while there had always been reports of outlaws in the countryside, we had never been so unlucky. If it wasn’t for you..” She trailed off, not finishing the sentence.

“I’ve been that unlucky,” Rendall mumbled to himself. His face twisted in sadness when he briefly remembered what happened.

Suzy just caught the words and saw the expression of his face. Not wanting to push him away and thinking that she shouldn’t have heard the words she let it go.

Rendall collected himself then and put his bow over his shoulder and put the arrow back in its quiver. The tension between them eased with both letting out a sigh of relief.

“What is your name?” Said Suzy.

“My name? It is Rendall, this is Celer,” The boy replied while gesturing to the great white wolf at his side.

“I am Suzy, it is lovely to finally replace you and your wolf. I thought they were only myths and legends, it is a pleasure Celer and thank you,” She nodded to the wolf in a sign of thanks for saving her and her husband’s life.

Suzy continued, “This is the stable master’s dog, well was. He allowed me to keep him this morning, I’ve called him Decan. May I ask where we are?”

Rendall looked at the great black beast with ears that flopped down by the sides of his head, which he could cover his own eyes with. The large yet young pup had a long tail which he was wagging furiously, eagerly waiting to greet Rendall and Celer. He seemed to act like a puppy which was a change from the giant regal wolf he had by his side. He looked at Decan with a smile on his face making the excited dog run over to him demanding attention breaking from Suzy’s grasp

While answering Suzy he knelt in front of the dog, scratching behind his ears only to receive a slobbery lick in return.

“I can’t really tell you I’m afraid, I don’t have any knowledge of maps as you would know them. However, we are not too far from where a home was burnt down. While the roads there are overgrown you could make your way back to the road that leads to the city after twelve or fifteen miles.”

Suzy saw how the dog and the boy acted with one another.

She replied “He never has never been so trusting with people, especially people he has just met. He’s used for hunting with the stable master and can become quite protective over his home and food”.

“I have a way with animals, all the animals around here let me approach them to feed them or just to say hello. They just seem to like me. Plus, I do have this great beast that follows me around that might have something to do with it.”

She smiled as his remark, it was nice in a way that he wasn’t alone, though how much comfort animals can give she did not know.

“This place is extraordinary, have you been here long?”

“I used to live here many years ago in the house,” Rendall trailed off for a moment before continuing. “Recently though I’ve only been here for a few weeks, before that I lived east from here.”

“East? There is nothing but mountains and forest, exactly how far do you mean?”

Rendall didn’t reply, seemingly slightly annoyed about the intrusion and constant line of questioning that was happening . After several long seconds, he said, “I’m sorry I must get going.”

“Sorry I didn’t mean to offend, just surprised that is all. I will leave you alone although would you mind if I stay in the woods for a while? It is quite extraordinary.”

“I do not own the woods, it is open to all. You can let your dog off the lead too, he will not harm any creature here, he may roam as much as he likes,” Rendall said as he turned from Suzy and back to a patch of flowers he was tending to just before she arrived.

She listened and without realising she let the dog off its lead and it went bounding over to Celer who was now lying on the floor with her head looking over the forest. The dog wagged his tail furiously and nudged Celer until the wolf stood and suddenly chased the dog around the woods, weaving in and out of trees and nearly even knocking Rendall over to which he smirked and continued walking.

Suzy stood for a moment, looking down at the ground she noticed that her boots were completely hidden from her. Grass covered the ground swaying in the light breeze that blew through the woods. Dots of various blues and oranges appeared throughout the grass which homed beautiful flowers which bees flew around collecting nectar and pollinating others. Worried she would harm the wildlife she took slow cautious steps, however, as she did she noticed that the grass and plants would pass beneath her. The forest seemed to be alive so far as she could tell.

Wandering around the woods birds sang melodies of all tones and pitches, each seemingly trying to attack others of their kind. A bird that she had not seen before, its long tail spanning half a meter showed different colours down its length depending on what direction the light reflected off of it. Its chest mirrored its tail, yet its colour was not the most fascinating thing. On the tree branch that it stood, it danced while tweeting its melody. The bird took three steps to the right, following with three to the left with a small jump and a flap of its wings at the end of each shuffle.

Gazing at the bird, Suzy, eventually pried her eyes away as she looked around the woods, noticing rabbits, forest mice, owls, long-tailed foxes and dragonflies all in the space of moments. It was an array of life that showed animals and creatures all living together. Never has she witnessed such a mass of nature’s beauty all in one place. Slumping back onto a tree and sitting on the floor, it was soft under her with the thick, vibrant grass beneath her. With Decan running around chasing the wolf, the young woman just sat there feeling a sense of peace surrounding her. It was an expression of life which she watched until the last rays of sunlight left the forest.

“I must go.” She whispered to herself.

“Decan, come boy, come!” She shouted, only realising that the last time she saw the dog was when she also saw the boy, yet he was certainly gone now.

Turning around she heard the branches parting and twigs being stood on. Within seconds the dog appeared in good health with his eyes looking at her like a child that doesn’t want to go home yet.

“We need to go home, and I’m pretty sure I won’t replace the way without you, it’s too dark now.”

“You’ll struggle in the dark, plus it wouldn’t be safe to travel if anything like what happened the other day is common,” the boy said as he appeared from the darkness.

“Have you been watching me?”

“No, though I knew where you were as you haven’t moved since last we spoke. When I heard you call Decan I figured you might be looking to leave. The forest will look after you, just sleep under a tree. You won’t get cold or wet, it will be comfortable enough.”

“I don’t understand. You speak like the forest is alive.” She said confused.

“I’m sorry I don’t wish to talk any further. You’re welcome to stay, you’ll be safe here.”

Rendall walked back into the darkness, only a shadow could be made out of his figure. He was right she thought, not considering the fact that she didn’t know the way but also that the roads and woods were no place to travel at night.

Suzy beckoned her new companion over to her and they laid down together, her arms wrapped around the animal as his head nuzzled into her chest. They both fell into a steady sleep quickly, peacefully resting in the bows of nature.