They had made good time. It wasn’t long until they arrived at their previous campsite. The only thing that marked that they had been there was a little barren black spot where their fire had been. From there, it only took them a few minutes to reach the edge of the forest. All three of them stopped, silently standing side-by-side.

Standing there Xecran understood why the wooded area he had mistakenly thought was the forest, was indeed not the forest.

Now he was close enough to the edge, he could properly see the trees. They were tall and thick, although not compared to the Beacon Trees, but they still looked ancient. Their branches blocked out so much sunlight that it had stunted the growth of many of the shrubs and bushes that characterized the wooded area behind him. The air was heavy with the scent of the forest, and the breeze emanating from the deep canopy was cooler than the surrounding air.

Xecran felt an urge to run into the forest; it was tugging at him, urging him forward, while simultaneously, he experienced that same feeling of foreboding he had first felt upon seeing the forest all those weeks ago. "He looked left at Kamilis, then right at Klavis. Without a word, they all understood. In unison, they stepped forward, crossing into the forest proper.

They all exhaled a breath they hadn't realized they were holding. They were still alive. It felt like an eternity, but in truth, only a few moments had passed. They looked back. Nothing had changed; they could still see their path. The white of the Beacon Trees remained visible through the foliage. They exchanged glances and burst into laughter, releasing the pent-up tension.

Klavis clapped Xecran on the back. “See, nothing to it. Just as we thought.”

Xecran grinned, playfully shoving Klavis. "I saw your face; you were just as scared as I was.”

“Yeah, I'll admit it. I was a bit afraid, but as usual, Kamilis was right. I should know by now he's always right. Well, when it comes to magic at least, but women... he's clueless.”

“You know I’m right here, don’t you?” Kamilis asked dryly.

Klavis rolled his eyes. "Whatever, you know I'm right." He clapped his hands together. "Well, time to get moving. It's getting dark." He glanced around. "A lot darker than I expected.”

They didn't have to walk much further to find a suitable campsite. The ground was level and free of small rocks, ideal for their bedrolls. There was also ample dead wood scattered on the forest floor for a fire. In no time, they had a cozy fire blazing.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Klavis located a large, flat rock nearby, which he carried to the fire and placed partially in the bed of coals. While waiting for the rock to heat up and glow red, he retrieved a pot from his bag and began preparing dinner. He tore up several pieces of dried meat, tossing them into the pot along with herbs and dried vegetables, then filled it with water. Finally, he set the pot on the hot rock to boil.

By the time the sun had set, they were gathered around the fire, eating stew from wooden bowls and using bread as spoons.

Xecran broke the silence. "It's darker than I imagined."

Klavis nodded “Yeah it is.” He looked up. The fire illuminated the branches and leaves of the trees around them, but it didn’t travel up far enough to illuminate the forest’s canopy, ending only in darkness above. “I’m not used to being out at night and being unable to see the stars. It’s just darkness.” He looked back down to the fire and his family sitting around it. “I imagine it should feel ominous and oppressive, but honestly, I don’t feel either, if anything I feel content.”

Kamilis nodded. “I feel the same. I wasn’t sure how I’d feel, but I didn’t think it would be like this. I figured I’d at least feel thrilled to be one of the first to ever walk the forest, but I don’t even feel that. I just feel, yes, content. That’s probably the best word to describe it.”

Klavis looked at his brother. “So, now what?”

“What do you mean?”

Klavis shrugged. “I mean exactly that, what’s next. You’re usually the man with the plan. I figured you’d have a plan.”

Kamilis set his empty bowl down. “Well, I figured we’d just kind of look around. I brought copies of the few books that discuss the forest and the world beyond. I scanned them before we left. They really didn’t seem that helpful though and I’m sure it’s outdated. Most of the information seemed to be second-hand stories, written down from the legends told by the first ancestors. I will look through them again tomorrow to see if I can glean anything new.”

Klavis looked incredulously at his brother “So we’ve done the impossible, we’ve walked past the Beacon Trees and we’re camping in the forest no one has gone into for untold generations and your plan is to read a book?”

Kamilis shrugged. “Yes, I guess so”

Klavis just threw up his hands. “Bah, you’re useless.”

Xecran cleared his throat. “Well, I have a plan. I plan to get some sleep; it’s been a long day.”

“See” Klavis said as he gestured to his cousin “he has a good plan. Maybe I should start listening to him instead of you.”

Kamilis raised an eyebrow. “Yes, or you could start making decisions for yourself.”

Klavis glared at his brother. “Oh no, don’t start with all that find your path crap, you’re worse than father.”

“Well, father has a point. if you’d just…”

Xecran had heard this argument countless times. He decided it was best to silently slip away and crawl into his bedding before they tried to get him to take sides. He learned long ago to just walk away. It wasn’t long before he was sound asleep.