The forest was dark and gloomy in the early morning light as I searched amongst the trees for medicinal herbs and mushrooms.

Silence echoed throughout the woods, and only insects buzzed in the quiet fog. The air smelled like hot summer rains had just passed through. Every morning this week, the sky was overcast and the trees were shrouded in fog.

Picking through the wet woodland, I hunted for any herbs or mushrooms that looked good enough to sell. When I found one, I opened one of the canvas bags that hung off my belt, and harvested the item in question. This time a red flower with white petals that grew on top of a long-leafed plant.

I plucked off two of them, checked their quality, and then put them gently into the canvas bag.

With less than four silver coins to my name, it was going to take all summer at least, and even the fall too to sell enough herbs and mushrooms for the land I wanted to buy. That wasn't even taking into account the cost of tools and materials that I would need.

Though it wasn't so much work to gather the plants myself, the problem was that the more valuable items didn't grow anywhere near the city of Ardalk. Those having long since been harvested to nothing.

Travel at night was not yet safe as bandits and wild animals still no doubt roamed the fields and woods around Ardalk. Since I needed to get more rare items for some of the herbalists, I decided to spend the next day traveling further into the surrounding area.

This particular afternoon, I traveled farther away from the highway that led to the boundary markers than usual, to a place where a grassy field broke out of the trees. Here, I could find some of the orange shrubs Mrs. Amarelle said were good for repelling various insects, and was almost worth its weight in gold when the fall mists came.

The moment I came across the first patch of shrubs, I knew something was wrong. It felt as though someone was standing behind me, watching me from the shadows.

A moment later, I heard footsteps behind me.

"Who's there?" I called out, turning quickly. "Show yourself!"

But there was nothing but silent moss covered oaks, and long dew speckled grass.

Another set of steps approached behind me. It sounded like someone was walking directly toward me. When I turned again, I saw nothing but the same foggy woods.

"It must have been my imagination." I told myself, the hatchet held in a white knuckle grip. "Probably, since I hadn't eaten anything all day."

I continued harvesting the leaves, wondering what to make for dinner tonight. As though my meager funds left me many options besides what type of hard cheese, and what variety of stale bread I could afford.

Still, I could forage a bit to at least give my meal some flavor -- some wild peppers or garlic, and something that resembled mint.

-----

As I walked deeper into the woods, I kept glancing behind me. My paranoia had grown stronger each day since the attack by those wild dogs on the first night.

*What if someone followed me here? Maybe they're trying to rob and kill me right now!*

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I continued walking, these panicked thoughts running through my head.

There has to be a reason why someone is following me. Did I offend someone? Is that why they're after me? But how could that be possible? Other than some of the merchants, and of course Mrs. Amarelle, I have kept largely to myself. Not yet knowing enough about this world to certainly avoid making a fool of myself.

I finished harvesting the leaves and stepped closer to a massive tree whose trunk was easily ten paces across. It was tall, and I guessed the height of the lower branches above me to be no less than forty feet.

I placed my hand against the bark, noticing that it was smooth and warm.

Did I pass too close to someone else out here?

Why would the tree be warm?

My mind whirled, and the air seemed to buzz as I pulled my hand away.

Then, a breeze stirred the branches overhead.

*No, it's just the wind.* I thought with momentary relief.

A sudden gust of wind rushed down from the tree, knocking me off balance and sending me tumbling backward.

I fell slamming hard onto my pack. When I tried to stand, I couldn't feel my legs, something was pinning my them down. The sensation causing terror to break free of my stunned confusion.

"Help!" I shouted as loud as I could, but my voice rang hollow, echoing through the empty woodland.

Motes of light danced in front of my eyes, taunting me in the sudden darkness.

Another deafening crack as lightning flashed nearby.

"Oh no…" I whispered out loud. The heavy weight shifted with a crunch, pressing down on my legs painfully.

I struggled against whatever it was, but it wouldn't budge, my hands slipping on the wet bark as rain lashed through the trees.

I strained even harder, but my muscles screamed and threatened to tear from the exertion as I finally got a grip on the branch.

The weight shifted slightly, the painful pressure ebbed a hair before coming back in full force as my hands slipped again.

I couldn't move.

I was trapped.

All I could do was scream. And pray that someone could hear me.

-----

I began to panic. There was no way anyone would hear me over the sound of the still rising storm.

As thunder shook the ground beneath me, I started to cry.

The tears streamed down my face, and the rain washed them away.

Every nerve ending in my body screamed in pain. Every muscle contracted, threatening to tear itself apart.

Thunder rumbled, and the ground shook once more.

I mercifully lost consciousness then, sliding into the welcome abyss.

-----

I awoke to the sounds of a distant unfamiliar voice calling out in an unknown tongue. It's muffled tones echoing through the trees and making it's source hard to pin down.

"…help…" I croaked out, still only half conscious.

I felt exhausted and at my limits, certain I would die in this place.

I tried to sit up, but my entire body hurt, and it took several painful attempts before I managed to do so.

My legs were pinned by a log fallen in the storm. Not broken I hoped, but only bruised and battered.

I readied my hatchet to chop at the log, trying to free my legs. Despite the exhaustion and fear, I knew if I didn't free myself I was dead.

I stopped short when I noticed the blood oozing from my left leg.

"No, no…" I muttered, trying to see what caused the wound.

I raised my head and peered into the distance. I could see a figure moving through the trees.

It was too far away to identify, but I knew what kind of person was approaching. Who else would wander these woods alone in a storm?

I tried to free myself again, but my body refused to cooperate as a blinding pain shot through my left leg. The log creaked as one end began to splinter apart under my frantic hatchet blows.

My movements were clumsy, and I couldn't stop myself from rolling towards the forest floor, off the mound formed by the gargantuan tree.

The log broke in two, and I landed badly, rolling onto my side. The hatchet slid out of my grasp and was almost out of reach.

I could barely breathe.

I could not move, and I collapsed again.

The figure came closer. And frantically now, I fumbled for my dropped hatchet.

Turning to face the figure as they approached, I noticed that it was a woman. Her hair was tangled and matted to her head. She wore a thick cloak of furs that covered every inch of her body except for the lower half of her face.

She carried a staff in her right hand, and she was carrying something unidentifiable in her left.

It looked like a shard of crystal that glowed with a faint orange light, though it was all wrong, the facets too organic, the shape disturbingly grotesque. The woman held it in her hand, the facets shifting as it pulsed with a soft amber light.

Suddenly, I realized how weak I was, and how vulnerable I was at the moment.

Injured and helpless, I wondered how I could survive this situation. As the pulsating light grew stronger and more frequent, I realized I didn't care much as I slipped into unconsciousness.