The clouds swirled in the sky. The trees cracked as they rocked and wrestled. Fell winds moaned as they slipped through stone and wood. A pale mist rolled in like a rogue tidal wave. Mortal screams echoed from inhabitants of the small towns, as they desperately ran in vain. The rolling white buried the land instantly in ice and snow.

With the bitter white mist. Mummified bodies frozen in place. Their faces distorted in expressions of horror and pain. One by one, their heads break free, as if animated by some ungodly force. Looking directly upon a single point. They speak harshly in a guttural language.

"...Coward!"

"...Filth!"

"...Traitor..!"

====

The dim purple hue from the lantern rotated through shades of color. Shifting to blue, green then finally soft yellow as Gloam became more continuous, illuminating the surrounding. Aes was curled up in a pile of woven material she had used for a blanket during the night. Breathing with deep huffs. Her light skin had grown paler, with darkened circles around her eyes. She shivered relentlessly. The sky was a coal ash gray. Dim with rolling clouds and heavy mist. Icy winds whipped around the shoreline, blowing cold water and wet soil towards the two.

"Fine'lay. Good weatha'!" He mocked. “Aes…”

“I’m awake.” She responded, “I couldn’t sleep at all, my heart kept pounding, I’m so hungry I have a headache.”

“Food is not too scarce, but difficult to gather, out he’ah.

“I’m so cold…” she whined.

“There is a pelt over the’ah”

“That brown one? It reeks like ass!” Gloam chuckled at her comment.

“You wanna freeze? Mettle is required to survive the hedge.” He chuckled, “Now quit ya whin’n. You need to focus on find’n some food and some medicine, green’ah than a sprite.”

“I checked the baskets and barrels all night, nothing. Just some yellow bottles with roses on them.”

“Blue roses? How many?”

“I dunno? A dozen I think…”

“Blue Rose orchid is a winery within one of the hollows. Pricey, no doubt they were making a delivery. Find a way to carry it if you can!”

“...You rarely talk, but the moment ‘money’ is involved, you open up.”

“I am merely considerin’’ your survival, my sweet childe. Little good wealth can do me, trapped in here.”

“How did you get trapped in there?”

“Another time, de’ah…” Aes sighed at his predicated response.

“Why not just leave it here and come back later?”

“If you wish to return to this place.” He responded. Shaking her head. Aes worked to gather what was possible. Tying a white cloth around her waist to cover her exposed legs. Packing a few of the bottles into an empty sack. She frowned at the sight of the brown pelt. It was far too cold to go without it. Bitterly, she donned it around her shoulders.

The duo ventured off into the wilderness. Aes could navigate the strange landscape far easier. Though it wasn't much more appealing. The trees towered miles into the sky. Their roots had lifted so far from the ground. It could have been a small village. The young human paced each step forward. As now, she actually spotted the hazards beneath.

The winds grew violent as the two traversed up a small incline. Aes noticed there was hardly any plant life. Nearly everything appeared dead or dormant.

"How can anyone survive out here?" She broke the silence.

“I did… once.”

White light barely pierced the overcast, painting the land in an eerie silhouette contrast. As the duo reached the top of the hill, they emerged from the forest to a cliff side overlooking a vast canyon. The air blew colder and harder. Aes almost fell back.

"Where are we going!?" she shouted, trying to be heard over the howling winds.

“Keep ya eyes out for any plant life. Strong herb grows at the end of Lughnasadh.” Aes blinked and shrugged at what he said. “Ov’ah The’ah! Gah’lic!”

“What?!” she shouted again

“Gah ’lic.” He replied.

“I’ll be straight with you Gloam, it’s difficult to understand anything of what you say.” She told him, fighting the strong winds.

“I’ll assist with that. Ya gonna need to learn the language of the denizens he’ah.”

“I really just want to get home. I don’t plan to stay longer than I need you. “She responded, plucking the roots of garlic from the cliff-side.

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“Your journey will be much easier if you do. Now, chew the stems and bulb.”

“Chew raw garlic?!” she asked, hesitant to follow his instructions.

“Childe… Yes. Chew it until it’s mixed with yo saliva.” Aes gagged, with a sour face, from the enzymes burning her mouth. “There ya go. Tear off some of that dress ya got, now anoth’ah. Good, spit into the cloth and apply it to ya wound.” Aes panted in the cold air to cool her mouth, Gloam chuckled a bit. “Now take that second one and wrap it around to hold the wad in place. That’s it! Well done my de’ah”

Aes kneeled a bit as the poultice juice seeped into her wound. Tears of pain rolled down from her red, swollen eyes. “Now what?” She asked.

“Several. First, survey yo surroundin’s. See what ya can fine.” Aes looked out over the canyon, then back to the forest.

“It all looks the same to me. Lots and lots of nature.” She sighed.

“It is the Wyld, ya lookin’ at, and before ya ask, the hedge is part of the Wyld. The primordial, look to ya sinist’ah, ya wounded side, that is!” Aes turned to her left.

“What am I looking at?”

“Heavy vines grow upon that old stone structure. Ya see it?”

“I think so? All that dark purple?”

“Indeed. That will be our destination for the time. Gath’ah yo strength, we shall be departin’ before that storm rolls in.”

“What storm?

“Once ya get familiar with the Hedge and her temperament, y’all learn the signs.”

Aes rested for a time. The brown pelt had lost its foul odor from the howling winds that blew from beyond the cliff. Slowly she trudged on her bare feet took on reddish blue from the harshness of the temperature. She stopped occasionally to rest and warm herself. Gloam made no objection.

Aes looked out into the horizon of the canyon. Jagged gray rocks held a basin of dark waters. She could clearly see to the other side, a far distance. There was an alien beauty in this place. During each of her pauses, she stopped to admire it, just a bit. When she wasn’t shivering from the cold,

A soft rumble in the distance rolled up the cliff side and bounced off the trees. The sound of thunder, Gloam was right, a storm was rolling in. Aes hurried to her destination, no desire to be caught in a freezing rainstorm. It had taken some time, several rests, before Aes had found a sloping path that led towards the building.

A dark cloud smoldered up ahead. Aes caught a glimpse of something less natural, manmade, hanging in the air. A flag, with a sword impaling a black heart over a red field. She reasoned that someone must be there. Fighting through thick brush and foliage. She hopped delicately on her bare toes through the woods, slipping between bush and branch. Slipping down a moss-covered log to more solid ground, filled with quilled pine leaves that forced her to prance over.

“Stop!” Gloam whispered. “Pox upon the Weave! Knolls! You’ll have to be cautious going forth, De’ah.”

Aes peered through the brush to get a better look. She scarcely spotted a hulking creature. Though it was too far to make out details, it bore a resemblance to a wolf-man. Small yellow eyes and feral features. Clad in some type of para military regalia, arms and armor, with a surcoat similar with the same black heart and sword image as the flag.

“What should we do?” Aes asked.

“It is too late to turn back, ya gonna have ta keep yo wits about ya.” Gloam replied. Aes looked back towards the tower. Uncertain of how to approach, slipped down under a mossy log, hidden under vines and other small brush. She crawled deeper until fully covered by the leaves and limbs. A crack of thunder and lightning broke the uneasy stillness. Several screams rang out from the woods all around her.

“What was that?” She whispered.

“The reason I tell you to make less noise.” Gloam replied.

A long silence passed, and Aes grew more skeptical. What was this? She looked at the small lantern as if to speak. A small creature with glowing red eyes screeched from the limbs above. Aes noticed that its nose seemed to have been cut off, resembling the goblins she had seen before. Its lips were so thin it was difficult to tell if it had gone away. Only jagged rows of shark-like teeth. Something dark brown or rust colored matted its hair.

The red-eyed monkey screamed so loud Aes had to cover her ears. Sounds of furious rustling reverberated off the trees. Clawing, scratching, and feral noises came from all around her. Debris from above fell. Leaves, pine, bark and twigs rained down. Swarms of these red-eyed primates appeared within the trees.

“They emerge when darkness rises. Find a way into the tower before it is too late!” Gloam ordered. Aes took one last listen before emerging herself out from the other side. She tiptoed over the wet ground towards the black heart flag. Maybe there was a path she could find. Looking back several times, as she descended a damp slope, into marshy puddles.

Her attention split between the wild primates high above and the wolf-like knoll that guarded the tower. She cursed under her breath as two more knolls appeared at the entrance to the stone structure. The glowing eyes seemed to follow her movement under branches and foliage. Though they did not descend onto the ground.These creatures leap from branch to branch, Still staring down in her direction.

Using the distraction, Aes kept a distance as she circled, through the brush, around the ruined tower. Her bare feet were ankle deep in the cold puddles. There was an ambient glow from an opening to the side of the building, very low to the structure. She looked up several times while moving towards the small hole.

A steady flow of water flowed out from the opening. Taking several deep breaths, Aes steeled herself to enter. Pulling her pelt and skirt up, crouching through the waterway. It elevated to a small grid drain. Covered in leaves and other objects. She peered through the holes to get a better look at the interior, but her view was limited.

Light from the lantern guiding her, she took the angled ninety to her right. She was fortunate.leading to a partly collapsed room. Placing her sack of supplies and the lantern inside, Aes climbed up inside the stone tower’s darkened room. Overhead, an old wooden ceiling with several holes with a cascade of vines and thorns, and just beyond, was an old wooden ladder. Just past the forest of thorns.

Leaving the bottles behind. Aes hopped delicately through the thorns and vines. Enduring stabs and cuts. Pulling herself up to the second floor. Aes fell back upon the ground. She finally, to some degree, had shelter from the malevolent elements. At that moment, the storm broke. Hard rain pelted the worn stones. Flashes of lightning illuminated the sky, earth shattering thunder rocked the very stones, though the fact that they still stood was a testament to their construction.

Aes tightened the pelt around her, warming her wet feet. With a deep sigh, she closed her eyes for a brief rest. There was, however, a fine smell that tickled her nose, Triggering a sharp pain in her stomach,The smell of roasting meat. Through the small cracks in the wall, she spotted an enormous bird, plucked clean. Hanging over a smoldering flame, It’s blacked skin dripped with meaty juice into the hissing fire. Aes started with the look of a feral animal. She had not eaten in maybe three days?

It didn't matter. If she missed this chance to eat, she might not get another, and she would most certainly die.