Chapter 16: Into the Forest

Cassian groaned and stretched, every muscle screaming in protest. Trying to keep up with Rufarill during weight training had been a mistake. But it was a mistake he welcomed—a penance for that night in the glade. What else was he supposed to do with his guilt? Each ache and twinge was a reminder, a physical manifestation of the turmoil roiling inside him, a turmoil that he completely deserved.

Today was the day of the expedition into the Forest of Whispers. The final briefing was underway, and Professor Thorne was not in a forgiving mood. “Listen up!” Thorne’s voice boomed across the assembly. “Director of Security, Captain Nolan, has some important instructions. Unless you want to end up flayed and devoured by a Flayer Vine, you’d best pay attention.” Thorne's gaze settled on Cassian, who tried to avoid eye contact. Why he was being singled out, he didn’t have any idea.

Cassian had spent the past few days trying to approach Isolde since that fateful night at the glade. Each attempt was met with icy silence, or curt dismissals that cut deeper than any blade. Her indifference was a stark contrast to the warmth he once felt from her. Unfortunately for her, their shared training sessions and briefings over the past week made it impossible for her to avoid him completely. He wanted to take her aside. To explain. But every time he ran through his options, he thought he might just end up making things worse. The truth would require revealing his bond with Lyra and evoke images of him sleeping with another woman. Lying that he had some kind of disease he didn’t want to spread wouldn’t work, since he could just be remedied by visiting a healer. Any and all other excuses just felt lame and unworthy of her.

Captain Nolan stepped forward, his presence radiating authority that demanded immediate attention. “We have thirty people on this expedition, with Expedition Leader Thorne being number thirty-one. If one of you gets injured or, gods forbid, perishes, do you have any idea the amount of paperwork that would entail?” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “The Forest of Whispers is not a place to be trifled with. We will be facing any of a wide variety of rift wolves that can rip you to shreds in moments, and spider monkeys that, despite their name, are eight-limbed terrors capable of shooting webs out their arse and ensnaring you before you have time to pray to Mommy. You won’t even realize they are there. Make no mistake—this forest is a predator, and we are its prey.”

Cassian couldn't help but chuckle at the name 'spider monkeys,' before their description really hit him and he felt a little sick.

Captain Nolan glared at him. “Just to be sure, this is no laughing matter. If you see one of these ambushing creatures, they’re likely a scout, and the pack will soon follow. Use your alarm charm immediately. Everyone’s charm should be clipped to their shoulder strap for easy access.”

Captain Nolan outlined their positions in the convoy. “Logistics will be in the center, protecting our most sensitive equipment and supplies.”

He went through all thirty-one people on his list. Gareth was assigned to the middle with the equipment. For the outgoing leg of the tree, Isolde was assigned to the left flank.

Cassian was on the back right. His heart sank, knowing he wouldn’t be able to interact with Isolde much during the hike. Not that she’d want to anyway.

Gareth leaned over and whispered, “Relax, Cassian. Everything will work out in the end. Just give her time.” Cassian nodded, though he wasn’t convinced.

The convoy set out over the living bridge, their gear rustling with each step. Cassion had the sudden urge to vindictively flip the guards the bird for blocking his way all this time. Not that they would have any clue why he did so.

They hiked for most of the day, the dense canopy overhead casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. Cassian marveled at the strange flowers that pulsed softly with inner light, their glow competing with the scattered sunbeams that pierced the leaves. Iridescent birds flitted from branch to branch, their bright blue eyes watching with unsettling intelligence. This forest was alive, breathing, and every step took them deeper into its ancient, whispering maw.

To distract himself from the ache in his muscles—which he knew in the back of his mind he could heal if he tried, but stubbornly wouldn’t—he planned his clandestine mission. He decided the third or fourth night would be best to make his escape, once he had a sense of the routine and could sneak away unnoticed.

Extending his senses, he tried to detect nature magic, hoping it would give him a clue how to find Aria. Information flooded into his mind. He felt the forest, the fluctuations in the ambient mana. There was something like feedback or static, like an unsteady radio signal while you turned the dial looking for a working station.

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Sometimes the signal would stabilize, and he could feel what maybe the forest was supposed to feel like. Like harmony, like connectedness. Then the signal would surge in volume and become filled with feedback once more. It was painful to keep his senses extended toward it.

There was a sense of direction from the source of the disparate signals. The strongest was to the north east, in the direction where the maps they had studied showed the rift was currently predicted to be located. That one was steady and wouldn't move. The other two were mobile. One moved sporadically, like a bumblebee's unsteady flight along a field of flowers.

The third and last signal was strong, but smoother than the others. Cassian felt as if it was coming from behind, in the direction they had come. It began to fade shortly after he discovered it. After a while, he could not perceive its location at all.

As the day progressed and they came closer to the rift, however, the feedback became too much for him to bear, and he closed himself off to it.

There were a few short rests during the hike, times when the party stopped moving, drank water, and the two medical officers went around checking for injuries, particularly blisters. Cassian healed his own blisters as soon as they started forming.

He was stubborn but not stupid.

Several times along the journey, he heard the screech of monsters, or the shouts between team members as they communicated enemy positions. Cassian would see the evidence of battles when he finally reached the spots where they took place—blood, scorch marks on trees, and the occasional corpse of a mutated forest dwelling creature.

At the halfway point to base camp, they stopped for a Cold Meal. It wasn’t actually cold, but referred to food that wasn’t heated before consumption. A simple spell heated his bowl of something resembling macaroni and chili. Good ol’ carbs and protein.

They were allowed to roam during this time, so Cassian sought out Gareth, and together they went looking for Isolde, finding her seated on a rock keeping watch on the forest. Her braid had been cut, and her hair now hung to her shoulders.

"What happened to your hair?" Cassian asked, concern over the cause spilling out, along with the irresistible urge to reach out and touch it.

Isolde glanced at him briefly, scowled, then turned to Gareth. "A vine devil," she said, her tone clipped. "It tangled in my braid. I had to cut it off before it dragged me in." Her eyes flicked back to Cassian, daring him to comment. But Gareth stepped in, his voice soothing. "It looks good on you, Isolde. I think I like it better this way."

Cassian nodded in agreement, even if Isolde didn’t acknowledge him. But then Isolde looked at both of them, ran her fingers through her hair and said, "That's nice of you. I’ll have to see it when I get back. If I like it, maybe I'll keep it."

Gareth waved his hand and incanted a spell, conjuring a sphere of water he reshaped into a perfect mirror. Isolde made a “that was pretty cool face,” then studied her reflection. Cassian was happy to see her smile for the first time since before the glade.

Then Professor Thorne’s voice crackled through their comm devices. “Everyone, return to your positions. We’ll be doing a headcount by section in five minutes.”

The convoy arrived at their destination before dark. They had reached base camp none the worse for wear and ahead of schedule. Everyone split up and set about their tasks, pitching tents and unpacking equipment. The logistics team moved with practiced efficiency, keeping their levitation spells active to hoist crates of supplies into the air and distribute equipment. Gareth was at the center, directing the flow with a series of precise hand gestures that made Cassian jealous just watching him.

"Gareth, wiped the sweat off his brow and sat on the log next to Cassian. “Look at you taking a break when all these hard working folks are all busting their asses.”

“I can’t cast levitation spells. I’m useless right now.”

Gareth squeezed Cassian’s bicep. “Aren’t you working out with that Deepdelver guy? Jeez, I can never get enough of that guy’s name.”

Cassian shoved Gareth away, knocking him off the log. Then he drank from his canteen, quite satisfied with Gareth’s expression. “Maybe later. Right now I’m basking in my uselessness. It’s just as fun as you’d imagine."

As the day waned to twilight, Cassian finally did find something to do. He joined the researchers and got assigned a role and partner for the morning hike, with positions they would shoot for marked on the map. Gareth finally got a chance to kick up his feet, and was now napping by the firepit.

Meanwhile, Isolde was still working, working out the details of the night shifts with her team.

Just as the sun was setting, Thorne’s voice came over the comms again, this time sounding quite urgent. “Assemble immediately. Headcount now.”

Thorne had everyone do a headcount three times. Until there was no denying it.

“We’re missing someone.” Thorne’s voice was a heavy stone dropped in water. Someone had disappeared, and without anyone being the wiser.

It was the younger of the two medical officers on their mission. Yaruvi, the fox kin.

The tension was palpable. The news made Cassian's little hairs stand on end. Suddenly the expedition didn't seem so safe. As soon as the thought occurred to him, the forest felt as if it was closing in around him, the shadows lengthened, like sharp teeth closing in around them as the first night began to fall.