Stellas 23, 296 e.m.
Day 10,
We awoke this morning to the horses in a panic. It is a good thing we tethered them to a tree well away from our sleeping area, or we would likely have been killed under their flailing hooves. Kayissa, Kadon, and Daeroth were already trying to calm them when I opened my eyes, and Brilynn, Kyrainna, and Len were rising as I hurried over to help. The horses all ignored our efforts to sooth them, and after several moments of this, Kyrainna began to speak in what I could only assume was elvish.
"Alinatha kor isthae," she began in a clear, calming voice. "Terinno es taer orraino. Farith oris nalindilae eth. Taeroeth.... Taeroth."
Suddenly, it felt as if a weight I didn't know I was carrying was lifted from my heart. The horses calmed down, their muscles relaxing and their rolling eyes focusing.
"What startled them?" I asked Daeroth, who had been on watch.
"I don't know," he responded. "Whatever it was was gone by the time I got to the horses. I thought I saw... Nevermind. A trick of the eyes. It was probably a fox or some similar creature."
"What did you see?" I demanded. He seemed to hesitate, so I added, "It may be important Daeroth."
He finally relented. "I saw a.... a shadow dart into the trees. I really didn't see much of it, but whatever it was, it radiated more dark power than the Tysirian Forest."
Kyrainna shuddered and spoke a sharp word in elven. "Ternok! Do not speak of that place, even in passing. It contains the vilest of evils, and many of its creatures have eyes everywhere."
Daeroth looked almost ashamed. "I apologize my lady. But the evil around that shadow-thing was very great. It was gone so quickly that except for that aura I sensed, I might have assumed it just a trick of the light."
I thought for a moment and then nodded. "All right. Daeroth, you and Kadon go see if you can find any sign of this shadow man in the nearby area. Don't go too far though! Stay within shouting distance."
"Wait!" Len called suddenly. He seemed a little disconcerted as our alarmed eyes turned on him. "Let me go instead. Listen!" he yelled again as we turned away. "I am a thief after all, and I'm well practiced at moving about unseen. Chances are, if they go, the shadow creature will be frightened off before they even get close. Or, on the other hand, there's a good chance they could walk right into an ambush. My hightened senses would warn me of one before I got near it."
Even with this in mind, I was a bit hesitant. The cheery, clever halfling was really not all that responsible. He was at least twice as likely to get distracted by some interesting bird as to find the mysterious intruder. "I'm not sure that's a good idea...."
He scowled at me. "I know what you're thinking. That I'm irresponsible and too easily distracted. That's what everyone thinks. I guess it's true sometimes. Okay it's true most of the time. But how am I supposed to prove that I can do well if no one gives me a chance?"
How could I say no after that? So Len went on his own and Daeroth and Kadon both stayed.
The sun was nearly up so we decided to get ready to head out. Back at the camp we were greeted by loud snores. Somehow, Zillan had slept through the whole thing. Kyrainna gently woke him while the rest of us packed up. She got him breakfast and he sat down to watch us work.
A short while after we had finished, Len appeared his small face unusually grim. "Whatever it was knew we would search for it. I couldn't find it, but it left you a message. I'll lead you to it. Zillan, you should come too, in case there are magical energies around it or something."
Zillan glanced regretfully at his half-eaten bowl of food and trailed behind the rest of us. Only Kayissa stayed with the wagon, claiming she had no wish to see this "message".
I am no tracker, but even I could easily tell something had been through this way. Some of the lower branches were broken and the foliage layering the ground was trampled.
"I suspected a trap at first." Len admitted as we walked the newly flattened trail. "Obviously it meant for us to come this way. But I searched the area thoroughly and there was no sign of a trap." The halfling seemed proud that he had finally proved himself capable of things like this.
Zillan suddenly slowed his pace. "There is something very wrong here."
Len nodded. "Up ahead. you'll see."
We broke through the bushes into a very small clearing, where we were greeted by a gruesome sight. There, all over the ground were the remains of several dead animals, burning with some kind of black fire.
"Come stand over here," Len called from the top of a large stone. "It gives you a better perspective."
Obediantly, I took my place upon the rock and looked won on the scattered bodies. "It's a skull!" I gasped, and indeed it was. Obvious from my elevated vantage point, the carcasses were organized in the shape of a giant skull.
"We have to get away from here." Zillan said desperately. "There are powers here that should not be trifled with!"
"I agree with the mage." Kyrainna stated, fear evident in her voice. "These deaths were not natural, that much even you should be able to tell. There is a feel of unmistakable evil around this place."
Brilynn smiled slightly. "It is too late for that. This evil hunts us, and no amount of running will change that. That is the message these rotting corpses contain."
"Unfortunately, I think she's right." Len said quietly. "I've been hunted before, through no fault of my own of course, and this right here is just the cat playing with the mouse."
I shook my head. "Either way, we need to move on. And quickly."
We returned to the camp and shared the news with Kayissa, then set out on the road. Miraculously, nothing bothered us while we were moving. Nothing except our own fears. Daeroth allowed me a rest from today's lesson and now I am going to sleep.
We'll see what answers tommorow holds.
Aigon Silverwind,
Hunted
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