Next morning they were all eating breakfast Bebuli prepared for them. It was some kind of vegetable soup followed by sweet roots.

“You have done excellent job again.”

“Have you even doubted we will?” Lillium was happy he didn’t kill any more birds so she decided to let him brag. He needs some kind of outlet, or he will turn into a bomb with all the pressure. That was Schnew. You have to keep him preoccupied all the time just like a child.

“I don’t doubt in you, and I don’t doubt you will do the last assignment as good as previous ones.”

“And what it would be?”

“I have a report of disturbances in the woods south of here. You will scout the area for me and bring me report of what you find. Travelers have reported that sometime around this area they can hear screams and cries. It could be anything, but I need to know what it is. Be very cautious, this sounds like an easy task, but who knows what kind of monsters spawn in the fog.”

“We will. Hurry up with your meals guys, we have land to free and war to win. We can’t afford to lose any more time serving this ex god in a form of an infant.”

Bebuli was smiling. Schnew was very lovable once you learn to deal with annoyance. “On your way back you should stop by Iron tree, I know it’s in the opposite direction, but their leader said that as a sign of gratitude they will temper your leader Subito.”

“What does it mean “to temper”? I wouldn’t mind never to see that place in my life again.” Schnew was unhappy.

“It would make him a better fighter. They say he is worth it. Some kind of force they have seen in him.”

“We will stop by.” Subito decided. And they were on the way again.

A landing spot was in the coniferous woods. Rug made of needles was so soft, eating away almost all sounds their feet were making. It was so silent and peaceful, perfect place to forget about the war and the outer world. Even birds were singing softly and melodic, nothing like a sounds magpies or crows would make outside of this forest. Here and there occasional rock covered with moss would emerge out of the ground. High above them in the crowns of the trees were glittering drops of water condensed from the fog. Everything was perfect except they couldn’t hear any crying, so they were forced to search the woods. Search has lasted for quite some time and Subito had to mark the trees on their way so they wouldn’t get lost. He would just peel off a square shaped piece of bark off the bole every five hundred feet or so. At the same time Lillium was drawing a map of the terrain. She even made some kind of device, filling a bowl with water and setting thin piece of bark to float in it. Then she would just rub the needle on her clothes and put it on floating bark. The needle was always turning to the north. And they walked as hours were passing. Nothing changed, always same conifer woods, if he hasn’t been the one who was marking those trees, Subito would think they were moving in circles. No matter how god or beautiful something was, humans get fed up with it really fast if it is always the same. We are made for constant flow and change, when movement stops we feel encaged. In such situation we can feel every second counted down toward our death. Actually if we stop to move we are already dead, immobility is for rocks not humans. Schnew climbed every high tree to see if there is an end to this forest. After a while he hasn’t even coming down anymore, instead he was jumping from branch to branch same way Hull Termians were doing. They could see him sometimes sitting on the branch waiting for them and opening cones with his shiv in search for seeds. When he would see them approaching, he would throw away destroyed cone, finished chewing last bits of seeds in his mouths and continued forward. Soon they were gathering cones too, and eating nutritive seeds. Tired and hungry, they needed all of their will power to keep on moving. Bird song was even quieter now, since the birds were avoiding them after Alma killed a few of them hurling her rock on the string. She threaded them on the branch she was carrying on her backs. They were about the man’s head size and had gray feathers and big round eyes. It was well after the noon when they heard a cracking noise up in the tree crowns. Schnew was coming back toward them. Sliding down the tree, he announced:

“I think I heard something east of here.”

“Was it crying?”

“No, it is water.”

“Well if something is crying in these woods, it has to drink too.”

“Yes to replenish all those tears.”

“Lead away.”

He was right. Soon they were on the banks of a rocky bead creek. It was rather broad, but very shallow, just below the knees in the deepest part in the middle. Many fishes were flowing in its waters, but they were Brightly colored and our heroes were not sure if they were poisonous, so they were not hunting them. There were some willows and other trees next to the conifers along the banks of the creek. They decided to follow the creek upstream. Maybe an hour later they have found springs that fed this creek with water. There were three of them not more than hundred feet away from each other. Some ancient long forgotten people made thin channels in stone leading water from springs into the small pond, and creek was flowing out of the pond. Some wild roses were growing and flowering around the pond and springs. They had two options now, to go around the springs and go into the woods that were across the creek, or to go back and follow the creek downstream. It was not a hard decision, everyone wanted to stay near the water, so they decided to go back and follow the creek in another direction. But Subito noticed some animal tracks near the pond. Hiding behind wild rose bushes they have set the ambush. It wasn’t long before the sun set, and animals came to drink. It was some kind of roe, only with just one eye. They were really timid, so only Alma managed to entwine her stone on a string around legs of one of the animals. Others missed, Lillium’s weapon was even taken away stuck in antlers of young stag. Caught animal was finished off with a swift hit on the forehead. It was almost a night, so they had to make camp here and continue their search in the morning. Schnew elevated one-eyed roe on tree and hang her bottom up from one of the branches. Jumping back on the ground he wondered into the stream and picked one heavy and one smaller rock. Then he was hitting smaller rock repeatedly with bigger “hammer” rock, till the smaller rock fell into pieces. Inside it was like glass, and very dark. He chooses a piece with sharpest edges and wrapped one side of it in cloth. Using this makeshift knife he opened roe’s stomach and pulled out the intestines. Separating heart, spleen, kidneys, lungs, liver, stomach and balls he put them in a kettle, rest were the guts and he had to wash them thoroughly in stream before adding them to the kettle. In the meanwhile Alma was cutting and adding in some carrots, radish, turnips and potato. They were given these vegetables by Bebuli, and they were not quite sure how he was getting them, since they never saw anyone visiting the cave, especially not any delivery wagons. Subito took another piece of shattered stone and started to peel of creature’s hide. He was moving his fist slowly beneath the hide and cutting it off the meat. When he finished, he cut the head off and tossed it in a kettle. Schnew applied large quantities of salt on a remaining of the killed animal. This will prevent the meat from getting spoiled too quickly. Lillium was making fire. First she cut a small piece of coniferous tree and hollowed out a small hole in it. In the hole she inserted piece of harder wood, after collecting grease next to her nose with a tip of it, she quickly rubbed it between her palms in a downward motion. Soon she had a sparkle to apply on kindling. The stew was already cooking, when Lillium suggested:

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“We should make bows. You all saw what happened when I attempted to hit that animal. We are not skilled enough with Utrikat stone.”

“I don’t need a bow, but I will help you make yours.” Alma decided.

“It will give us something to do before stew is cooked.”

“Subito you will separate ligaments from that animal’s body and entwine them using your spit, we will need a lot of strings. Schnew you will find young and flexible saplings. I will need six pieces, and you should carve them to be narrow on one end, and broad in another. Alma you will find me branches for arrows, they should be straight as possible. You will also additionally straighten them up on flames. My mission would be to use bones to create hand holders and ends for our bows, which will hold the string in place.”

After a while she had all of the ingredients and was ready to assemble the bows. But before that she ordered Subito to make small shards of obsidian stone for arrow heads, Alma to fletch arrows with feathers of birds she killed earlier today. She would be tying feathers for arrow shafts using strings Subito made of ligaments. Schnew’s mission was to split the top of the shaft and insert arrow head gluing it with same glue she made for assembling bows and secure them in place with string. She made glue by melting some conifer resin and mixing it with carbon from burning woods. Soon her bows were ready and she tested them on nearby trees. Arrows took some more time to get finished, so she helped others in making them. When the stew was ready for serving they had three bows and somewhere around hundred arrows. And stew was really tasteful, so they were happy. Subito took Alma’s hand and lead her toward the pond. Soon they were swimming naked in it. Schnew shook Lillium’s shoulder:

“Don’t look at them and smile like a maniac, come here, I have to show you something.”

Alma was whispering in Subito’s ear, shaking: “We are different, I know. Your eyes are dark as the night sky, and mine is blue as the skies during the day. But even two skies meet twice every day at evening and at dawn. They meet to kiss and die consumed with love. Love is stronger even than a death.” Subito kissed her gently.

Night covered secrets of the lovers with black shadow of her wings, same as she always does.

In the morning they followed a stream back to the same place from which they have left yesterday, and kept on moving downstream. Schnew tied killed animal around long pole and carried it on his shoulder. Before the noon they were able to hear crying. Voice was female, high and gentle, but terribly sad. They hurried up toward the sound, and soon found the small birch grove in the middle of coniferous woods. With its snowy white bark and hanging black branches similar to the hairs, birch tree resemble woman most of all trees. Maybe only the willow could be considered to rival it, considering this matter. Birch grove was really small so they quickly reached the center of it. There was a small lake, and blue sky captured in it like in the mirror. On the bank of the lake was a small hut made of yellow straw and surrounded by birch trees. In front of the hut, looking at the lake was a young girl with long blond hair, she was the one they heard crying. Her eyes were so intensively blue that they made lake and sky in it look poor and pale in comparison.

No one of them ever saw such pure and beautiful blue. Her body was shaking with sobs, making even her skin look like it is shifting, like she is wrinkled with waves same as the lake surface. They sneaked closer to her, hiding in shrubs waiting to see what will happen. Some hideous creature covered with boils emerged from the hut. Even his long tongue hanging from his mouths well over his chin was covered in boils. And between the boils were running long branched cracks leaking pus. It was speaking in the high irritating screeching voice. They could hear and understand just part of it. He was insulting the girl all the time making her cry even harder. Also he demanded they should go, mentioning it is only a matter of time before they get found by her brother. Hole our heroes made in the fog was especially frightening him, he assumed it was the deed of mysterious brother. Then he started to pull her hair and slap her. After that he was pinching her till she fell on her knees in front of him twitching in pain. Lillium has seen enough, and her arrow quickly, sent him on the ground. In no time they were next to the girl. While Alma and Lillium were comforting her Subito noticed monster is not dead and is trying to stand up, he gave him a strong blow with his mace:

“Lillium you are getting into the habit of missing your prey.”

Lillium smiled and pointed behind him: “Before criticizing others you should make sure your prey is dead.”

He turned around to see monster trying to crawl away from him: “You are just refusing to die, are you?”

He jumped on its backs and turned it around with his hands closed tightly around monster’s neck. Couple minutes of squeezing and it stopped to move. Its eyes big and full of disbelief were not shining anymore. But girl runs to them pushing Subito away and knelt next to her torturer, crying even harder.

“I heard about this, some victims get attached to their torturers,” Schnew said.

“That would explain why I love you, for certain.” Lillium laughed.

Girl was refusing to answer any of their questions. They weren’t even sure she could speak, and she was crying all the time. Instead of calming down over time, her cries were, on the contrary getting stronger. Finally Lillium said:

“Maybe we should let her alone for some time, to calm down. I don’t think anything bad can happen to her now, when we have disposed this monster. We will go to iron tree, and then tell Bebuli about her, maybe he will have some solution.”

“I could use little silence. This crying is really irritating.”

Schnew frowned. Everybody silently agreed, and they were on the way once more.

***

He could feel the fires of his life burning out, when something attracted his blurry gaze. Galatu the bird was rolling over the grass after freeing herself of the wizard’s grip. Twenty feet away she stood up, looking at Lorantid she just removed of her skull by rubbing it on the ground.

“My mind is too strong to be controlled by this creature.” She picked up the slimy creature with her beak and let it slide down her long neck by tilting her head backwards. “Now run away before you force me to do more evil!”

One of the wizards pulled the short axe out of his belt: “She has eaten our friend. It seems we will have bird stew for dinner.” He was approaching the bird rapidly.

He was able to cross just a few steps before the lightning bolt turned him into the pile of ashes. The explosion threw his friends of their feet. When they rose again, clouds were rapidly moving over the sky and a series of thunders were burning nearby forest. Demonic white bird was hovering in the wind, thirty or so feet above them shrieking loudly. With ashes of their friend’s body smeared over their faces and weak streams of blood running from their ears confirming that explosion has taken their hearing away, wizards were running away. Bird followed them for a while, and then returned to her friend. Heavy rain already extinguished fire, but he was not moving. His heart was not ticking anymore and his chests were not taking air. She pushed his chin with a wing opening his mouths. The wind which was entering in and out of his mouth forced his chests to move. Galatu flew up till he got caught in the chain lightning, then he was falling till the tip of his beak hit his friend’s chests. Body angrily twitched, one, two, three times, till Melessar opened his eyes.

“What happened?”

“Wind taught you how to breathe again, and thunder made your heart move.”

“Thank you for giving me my life back. I saw you were fighting.”

“Yes I betrayed Morau, and I am not worthy to be her servant anymore. I had chosen to obey my understanding of right and wrong over Holly Principles. Now I can’t go back in Inner City of Hull Term.”

“You are welcome in my clan house.”

“Thanks friend, I am glad I had chosen life for you. Whatever punishment Morau inflict on me would be a small price to pay. Now don’t speak you are still too weak.”

Bird gathered some herbs and made them into a paste with her beak. He could smell mint when she applied the paste on his skin, then she has woven grass all around him like a cocoon, the way birds are making their nests. After that she was carrying him in her claws, and they were flying. He fell asleep. When he woke up, his uncle was praying above him:

“…Death

Death is not an entity. It is a process of recycling a life. It’s like the fire, spreading around and devouring people, plants and animals. She separates them in smoke and the ashes, or soul and corpse as people call them. Smoke condensate and fall down on the ashes in the form of a rain and new life grow out of the remains of the old one. We are carried by the wind of time, right into flames of death. We should grow, so wind of time can’t pick us up, and fire of death can’t burn us. Shortly after we manage that, they will disappear.”

He gave him a smile, old man returned it and Melessar was ready to fall asleep again.