While riding through the fog-filled meadow, Kevin and Terrin seemed to enjoy each other's company. Despite seeing them talk and laugh, I couldn't hear what they were saying. It would be nice to talk to Terrin in private and get to know him better.

I pulled Salina to the side, far from Kevin and Terrin's ears. "I need to talk to you about something," I said, trying to keep my voice down.

"Okay, what's up?" Salina asked, looking curious.

"I don't know how to say this," I began, feeling embarrassed. "But, um, I think I'm attracted to Terrin."

Salina's eyes widened in surprise. "What? The knight guy? The one we just met?" she asked, sounding incredulous.

I nodded, feeling my face flush. "I know it sounds crazy, but there's just something about him that draws me to him. He's brave, he's strong, and he's...well, he's kind of cute."

Salina looked at me for a long moment before shaking her head. "I don't know, Jessica. He's from a different time, a different place. He's not like us. Besides, what would happen if he found out about your...you know."

I felt a pang of fear at the mention of my werewolf condition. "I know, I know. I'm not planning on telling him anything. I just can't help how I feel, you know?"

Salina sighed, looking sympathetic. "I get it. But maybe it's just a crush. Maybe it'll go away. We have bigger things to worry about right now, like getting out of this place alive."

I nodded, feeling slightly deflated. "Yeah, you're right. I'll try not to think about it too much. Thanks for listening, Salina."

"Anytime, girl," Salina said, giving me a small smile. "Just don't do anything stupid, okay?"

I rolled my eyes, but I knew she was right. I couldn't let my feelings for Terrin cloud my judgment. We had a mission to complete, and we couldn't afford any distractions.

When we halted on our horses, I saw a dark foggy swamp at the end of the trail ahead of us. The swamp looked eerie, with a faint mist and a faint smell of decay. I shuddered at the thought of riding through it, but Terrin said it was the only way to Lord Dregan's castle. We had to ride through the swamp to reach the dark forest.

Terrin's words made me feel uneasy. The thought of riding through that murky swamp gave me the creeps.

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"Are you sure there's no other way to get to Lord Dregan's castle?" I asked, hoping for a different answer.

Terrin shook his head. "I'm afraid not, my lady. The swamp is treacherous, but we must face it to defeat Lord Dregan."

His words sounded so confident, but I wondered if he felt the same fear I did. Salina, on the other hand, appeared eager to take on the challenge. "Let's do this!" she exclaimed, with a fierce look in her eyes. I admired her bravery, but I couldn't help but feel a knot in my stomach. This journey was getting more dangerous by the minute.

The atmosphere was unsettling, with the misty fog that surrounded us, and the dead silence of the swamp. It seemed like the swamp was swallowing the sound of our horses' hooves, making everything eerily quiet. I didn't like it one bit, but I knew we had to press on.

As we made our way through the swamp, I could feel the slimy mud under the horse's hooves, and I could smell the rotting plants in my nostrils. I could see murky water and murky lumps of vegetation all around us. It was a nauseating and disturbing sight.

I could tell that everyone was feeling the same way as me, but we had to keep going. We had a mission to accomplish.

As we rode through the swamp, I couldn't shake off the creepy feeling. The mist was so thick that it was hard to see what was around us. And the smell, oh god, it was like a mixture of rotting vegetation and decaying flesh. My nose burned with each breath I took.

I tried to focus on the path ahead of us, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was moving around the murky trees.

"Did you guys see that?" I asked, pointing towards a tree where I thought I saw movement.

"What? I didn't see anything," Kevin said, looking at me in confusion.

"Me neither," Salina added, narrowing her eyes.

Terrin, however, didn't say anything. He just kept riding, looking straight ahead.

Was it my imagination playing tricks on me?

Suddenly, roots burst out of the water and smacked us off our horses. I landed hard on the ground and heard Salina and Kevin screaming in pain.

I looked around and saw that the roots had grabbed two of our horses, tearing them apart with ease. I felt sick to my stomach, watching their entrails spill out. The other horses ran off screaming into the mist.

We quickly got up and drew our weapons, preparing for any other attacks. The mist around us seemed to thicken, making it difficult to see. I was terrified, not knowing what other dangers awaited us in this cursed swamp.

The swamp was alive with the sound of moving trees. They seemed to be inching closer and closer to us, their long gnarled branches reaching out like fingers. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as the ground beneath me trembled. Kevin, Salina, and Terrin were back to back with me, ready to fight off whatever was coming our way.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong with this place. The trees moved with a sickening fluidity as if they were alive and angry. I tried to focus on my breathing and my training, but it was hard to keep my cool with the trees closing in on us.

Suddenly, the trees sprouted roots from their trunks and began to lash out at us with a fury. Kevin and Terrin were able to dodge them, but Salina was caught off guard and hit hard. She stumbled backward, barely managing to keep her feet.

I could feel my adrenaline kicking in as I fought back against the attacking trees. I swung my sword with all my might, determined to protect my friends. But the trees were relentless, and their roots were everywhere. We were surrounded and outnumbered, and I began to fear that we might not make it out of this alive.