“Interesting,” Ken said, peering at the tree closely. He laid a calloused hand on its rough bark then shook his head. "To answer your question, more than enough to build a house or two. It's a lot of wood."
“No Pyth to loot or Inheritance for me, here. It just looks and feels like a big tree to me. We’ll have to be more careful about what we touch. If you can get one from a tree, I imagine any dead creature could work,” he added, tapping his lips thoughtfully with his thumb.
Something familiar drifted in on the breeze, catching Stace's attention.
"Do you smell that?" Stace asked Ken and sniffed harder. "It's familiar, but I just can't place it."
Ken followed suit and drew a long breath in through his nose.
"No, but I imagine your nose is better now that you're a cat," Ken suggested. "Where is it coming from? Any...characteristics?"
"Bittersweet?" Stace said with a shrug before pointing behind and to the side. "Everything is more potent now, and it's harder to match what I smell with what my mind knows," she added, though she felt the explanation was lacking.
Ken looked at the nearly nonexistent trail ahead then around and back at the tree before settling back on Stace. "Which way?" He asked.
"Just follow my nose?" she asked wryly.
"Have to refill that mind of yours," he gave her a slight smile and gestured for her to lead the way.
"Right," she said, unable to help the small return smile.
"Yep, that's gonna take a while to adjust to," Ken shivered then cocked his head at her as though to say, well?
Stace nodded and followed her nose back under the fallen giant's trunk and on a path perpendicular to their previous one.
Stace found herself pacing slowly through the brush pausing every so often to recapture the smell. It was difficult to adjust to the new experience, but she was confident that the smell was at least getting stronger before it was overpowered by a stronger, and the now familiar, smell of blood and death drifting in from her right.
She paused to let Ken catch up before whispering, "I think I smell blood."
"Where?" Ken asked softly while panning his gaze around.
Stace pointed to her left.
"That's back towards the last one. Is it close?" Ken asked.
"I don't know. I'm new to this whole bloodhound thing,” Stace reminded him.
"Let's look. At the very least it will help you get a better handle on your nose. I have a feeling it will become mighty useful in our immediate future," Ken said gesturing her forward again.
Stace nodded and once again led the way slipping almost silently through the low vegetation.
"Do you hear that?" Stace asked, stopping once more. She couldn't quite place it, but it sounded a lot like a dog working at a large bone mixed with rustling leaves.
Ken nodded. "Sounds like something is eating our target," he reasoned. "If it's like I suspect. I’ll offer a small warning: You never get between a predator and its meal, but it should be safe to watch from a distance if it’s eating. Come," Ken said while moving to take point.
Ken took very slow steps as he restarted their walk, careful to make as little noise as possible.
Not twenty feet further in, the brush and giant trees opened up into a small clearing trampled flat by the admittedly large fight that must've taken place there. A grisly scene filled the area starting not twenty feet in front of them.
Ken stopped short and took a knee beside one of the giant trees, gesturing for Stace to look over his shoulder.
What she saw there was horrible and visceral. The clearing was full of bodies.
Some appeared to be impaled on a strange growth that hugged the forest floor. Others looked burnt or had smashed heads, but most looked to be cut up or filled with dark arrows.
It looked like a tight group of men near the center of the clearing had fought and died to the last in a tight formation. They wore distinct but uniform clothes and armor. A few of their fellows were scattered amongst the other, dirtier and ragged corpses.
There was blood and other horrible body parts everywhere. Stace didn't let her eyes linger long on any one spot. Once again, she fought her rising gorge at the pure savagery displayed in front of her.
But that wasn't the worst of it. No, the most terrifying thing was the 3 large, no huge, green and black cats feasting on a dense cluster of bodies near the edge of the clearing. Some of which looked like they were roped together.
Everything was eerily still and quiet, other than the crunching and tearing sounds the lions were making.
Stace looked at her companion and found him studying the scene intently.
Then Stace brought her gaze back to a few large bloodstained mounds to one side, that she’d initially dismissed when she realized they were lions also. But these didn't move.
"Bad business this," Ken said flatly, his gaze fixed on the cats and their meal before he waved Stace back from the scene.
As he spoke, the large male looked in their direction, shook his impressive mane, then snorted before returning to his meal of what was once a rather large man.
Once they'd retreated a good distance down their path, Ken sighed and tugged on his large earlobe.
"There was something wrong with one of the living lionesses. At least they strike me as lions, just the wrong color. They were way too large also. Almost the size of rhinos," Ken said, his eyes unfocused.
It seemed to Stace like the old man was rambling, and she waved a paw in front of his face. "You okay?" she asked while studying his face.
"I will be." He took a long breath then let it out slowly before meeting her eyes. "Never thought I'd ever see a battlefield again. The individuals were one thing. People die. No worse than a few rollovers I've found. War is different...worse," he explained then smacked his cheek lightly. "I'll be alright. How about you, you going to be fine?"
"I imagine it will plague my dreams," she joked, trying to forget it all. It had seemed too absurd to be real, like a medieval b-movie from a distance, but Ken only nodded sagely, leaving a pit to form in Stace's stomach.
"Break it down, corporal," Ken muttered to himself then louder said, "Most of the better-equipped men that I could see were young-looking, maybe 16 to 20 rangeEEEEcould be even younger if people age faster hereEEEEwith a few veterans mixed in. I guess some sort of militant group. Most of the others weren't nearly as well trained or equipped. Evidenced by the lopsided number of casualties. And it looks like this second group was moving prisoners or slaves. No, must've been slaves. Too many women in the chained group for it to make sense as prisoners." There was a tightness to his eyes and mouth as he spoke.
"But what about the lions!" Stace prompted.
“A prime example of the forest dealing with the bodies. Though from their own dead, they had a part in the whole thing. I suspect later in the fight though. Not more than a half dozenEEEEgive or take what they were eatingEEEElooked to have been killed by them. No cubs around, so keep an eye out; they may be hidden nearby. We wouldn't want to trip on any. For cats that large, they will be big, and all we have are your knife, and this," Ken observed shaking his Roman sword. At least it looked like steel. "That said, lions are lions, regardless of size. Once we are out of their territory, they won't concern us. I'm more concerned about people and their relationships, and that back there looked like a real mess. We will have to do our best to not look like either group if we don't want to run afoul of either."
"Come, let's explore the perimeter a bit then see about that other smell. There is no use hanging out here with lions about. We can see if they leave later and see about getting inheritances and other things we can scavenge,” he added, setting his shoulders and walking a bit further before leading her in a large circle around the clearing.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
“Please tell me if you smell any that are closer,” Ken asked while studying the bit of visible sky. "We need to find somewhere to set a camp soon. I think a fire may be a bad idea too."
Stace nodded and followed the dwarf. Making a game of placing her feet to make as little sound as she could.
They made it about a third of the way through their circuit before Stace’s nose led them to a pair of bodies slumped against a nearby tree with arrows peppered throughout their bodies.
“Archers,” Ken said softly and bent to grab a bow from the ground near their feet to show Stace. “Have you ever fired one of these?” He asked while propping it against a tree and using his short sword to cut the man’s belts and retrieve the small quiver of arrows. He handed the bags to Stace who sorted them like last time before discarding the extras.
“No.” Stace shook her head.
“Shame, it’s been a minute since I shot traditional, but it should be worth taking,” he said, removing the second archer's belt also and again making her sort the rest while he added the arrows to the first quiver and tied it on his belt.
“Aren’t we going to, you know, do the inheritance thing and loot them?” Stace asked as Ken turned and started walking again.
“No,” Ken shook his head. “There were plenty of bodies back there, and I think we should endeavor to be choosy in who we take the rest of our ‘inheritances’ from. I may be wrong, but it could matter. I’m hoping the lions leave after they get their fill, and we can get our pick. The devil said they only needed heads for it to work. We can come back for the other stuff later, let’s continue,” he explained.
They continued their circle, finding a handful more archers that they relieved of belts and arrows. Stace kept her ears and nose peeled for any sign that trouble or the lions were approaching.
They made it back to their starting point without incident and approached the clearing again, and Ken checked on the lions.
"Still there," he reported then passed her, retracing their steps back to where they left their original path. "Can you find that other smell still?" he asked.
What they found after another few minutes of hiking was surprising in a more pleasant way. At first, it didn't stand out as distinct from the surrounding forest.
"That's strange," Ken said pointing to the base of a nearby giant.
"Why?" Stace questioned following his gaze. She just saw more bushes, ferns, and trees.
"No access to good sunlight there, and a lot of the growth blocks itself from the light it would get," he explained searching behind them to find the sun's direction where it was sinking through the foliage.
"Really?"
"What? Been a farmer for near-on fifty years, light is basics," he raised a bushy eyebrow at her. Do I still have eyebrows? she wondered with horror.
"Do I have eyebrows?" She blurted then blushed. One benefit of fur. You can't see me blushing.
"Not as such. But I can still sort of make out the changes in your expression," he responded normally.
"Oh, okay," Stace said.
"Don't worry about it. I'm sure I'll have inane questions of my own eventually." He gave her a reassuring smile.
As they drew closer, the strangeness intensified. The large dense growth of bush and vine Ken pointed out was tucked under the exposed root of one of the giants forming a natural tent of sorts. It even had a fairly large opening in the side facing them.
It was the berries on the bush that surprised her, however. Berries that looked very familiar and likely the source of the smell.
"Careful, that looks like it could be some creature's den. With an opening that large..." Ken warned as she drew close to the opening. "Lions aren't the only thing this forest likely holds."
Stace paused and listened for a long moment. She didn't hear anything but the gentle creaking of the trees and the sigh of their leaves.
"I don't hear anything," she said before stalking forward to peek through the opening.
The inside was even more baffling. A tight dome of vegetation hovered over bare dirt and what looked to be a large hammock formed of tightly woven vines hung near the back.
"Ken? You have to see this," she said.
Ken came to look around her then grunted. "Huh," he said before entering the small space to run his hand over the vines that made up the hammock. He then followed one vine with a finger tracing it all the way back to the ground.
"They're still alive," he said with a tinge of awe in his voice. "Dorothy, we're not in Kansas anymore," he said ruefully.
"This is wonderful," he said then spread his large hand, running it over the surface again.
The dwarf got a grin on his face then hopped up onto the wide expanse of vines. It barely shifted under him.
"Nice and firm," he said sprawling out on his back. "And best of all: off the ground."
"Is that important?" Stace asked.
"More than most people realize. You lose a lot of heat to the ground if you sleep on it," he explained.
"Too bad there aren't any blankets," Stace pointed out.
"Can't win them all, but I'm sure you'll be fine, with the fur and all." Ken pointed out.
Stace felt her face heat again and coughed. "Right, I'd almost forgotten for a second there." Stace felt a hole open in her stomach and her confidence drain out. "I'm a bloody cat now," she muttered, her shoulders sagging.
"A Lynx," Ken corrected then winked at her. "It will turn out useful just you watch," he reassured her with a firm nod.
"Right, you said my smiles are terrifying," she said and sat at the foot of the hammock and looked up at the clusters of berries overhead.
"Just learn to do the happy dog look," he suggested. Stace glared at him, and he paused for a full second, studying her face before chuckling.
Ken shook his head then reached up and pulled a single berry from the bush overhead and examined it carefully. "Looks a lot like a blackberry," he mumbled before placing it on his forearm, squishing it into a pulp, and rubbing it around.
"What are you doing?" Stace asked.
"Never trust an unknown berry," Ken cautioned.
"Looks like a blackberry to me," Stace suggested, using his own words with a shrug.
"New world, remember?" Ken cautioned. "Just give it a few minutes, and I'll move on to the next test."
"Aren't we going to look for more bodies?" Stace asked looking around outside the shelter.
“No, it’s getting dark, and I don't relish the idea of traipsing about this forest at night. I think we've found a perfect camp, and there were plenty of bodies in that clearing. We just have to hope the lions don't eat all their heads before leaving," Ken said lightly while pulling another berry from overhead and studying it.
"I don't want to even think about that right now. What if the owner comes back here?" Stace asked with a shudder.
"Do you smell anything other than the berries and dirt in here?" Ken wondered.
Stace took in a deep breath through her nose then shook her head. "No, just you, the ground, the trees, and berries."
"Good," Ken said with a smile, discarding the berry. "You can take the first watch, wake me in a bit so I can do my second test. I'll try and sleep as much as I can while it's still warm."
"How can you just sleep like that?" she asked, but Ken was either already out or pretending to be. She blew air through her pressed lips in annoyance and moved to the entrance of the small tent.
All the death and the changes to her body plagued her as she sat at the entrance hugging her knees and studied the eerie forest outside.
It finally hit her what she found so disturbing. There was no birdsong, just the creaking of the giants and rustling of leaves.
When the sun had sunken lower and something much like crickets started to chirp, she felt the sinister edge of the forest fade just a little.
As the sun sunk the forest into a gloomy darkness, Stace noticed something else remarkable. She had no problem seeing in the darkness. Everything had become hues of light grey, not the deep blacks and greys she was expecting even with the smattering of starlight and the traces of moonlight that penetrated the trees.
She turned her attention to her own changes again for a moment before addressing the heavens. "Loki eh? Well, if you're listening. If you don't hold to your promise and deliver my sister safe and sound, I swear I'll spend my whole being to thwart you."
You're an idiot Stace. That's likely what he wants you to do. He is Loki after all.
She spent a long time in a fugue, gaze fixed outside and her ears somewhat alert, worried about what would be happening to Rony now that she wasn’t around to distract her father, then about the changes to her body and what they might mean for her future.
Will it change me as a person? Do I need it to? She sighed and went to wake Ken.
"Not a dream then?" he asked softly after studying her face in the gloom for a long-frozen second.
"Afraid not," Stace said. "So, you can see in the dark too?"
"It appears so," he responded thoughtfully. After rubbing at his arm for a second, he reached up and plucked another berry from the canopy. This time after he crushed it, he rubbed the juices in and around his gums before sitting up.
"You should get a nap in. I'll take this next watch," Ken offered.
"Thanks," Stace said and yawned, climbing into the still warm hammock after Ken climbed out. It didn't take her long to fall asleep curled up in a tight ball. Just like the cat she now was.
When she woke to a gentle shake of her shoulder. The first rays of morning light were peeking through the odd hole in the brambles overhead. Really not a dream, she lamented as Ken’s younger face hovered over hers.
“Hi. I was really hoping to wake up back in my bed, as shitty as it was,” she told his mug.
“Afraid not.” Ken gave her a wide grin then offered her a hand to help her sit up. “Lots to do today,” he said, rubbing his hands together after he turned from her and looked back outside.
“First things first, I’m confident that the berries are safe to eat. I haven’t had any adverse effects after eating a handful a couple of hours ago,” he said and nodded at the clusters overhead.
“You should consider taking your last two inheritances from the dead cats,” Ken suggested as they awkwardly lay next to each other in the hammock eating the few things scavenged from the pouches they’d taken from the dead.
“Why? Because I'm, what did you call me, a Lynx? Now?” Stace snorted.
“Yes,” Ken said simply plopping a berry in his mouth.
“How's the taste?” Stace inquired.
“Blackberry adjacent. It's different but good. Still doesn't mean it's not poisonous, though it’s rare for berries to affect you days later,” Ken explained. “A few shouldn’t kill us until we know.”
Stace took a few from the brambles and popped one in her mouth. She chewed on it before spitting it out.
"Eh, tastes bland," she complained, wrinkling her nose at the strange texture.
“That's gonna complicate things. I should've known from your teeth. I suspect whatever you are now is a pure carnivore, though like a house cat, berries, and the odd veggie shouldn’t kill you,” Ken said tugging on his beard.
“Wait! Are you saying I can’t eat sweet food?” Stace turned a horrified glare on the man.
“I’m saying a lot of true carnivores simply can’t taste sweet; they don’t have the right taste buds,” Ken said as gently as he could.
“No. You’re fucking with me,” she glared at him.
“Afraid not, read it in a magazine once. These are really sweet and only a touch tart to me,” Ken said holding up a small handful of the berries.
“This sucks,” Stace groaned.
“Likely you’ll soon adjust. Think of it this way: makes it much easier to watch your waistline,” Ken joked.
“Ass,” Stace said and punched him in the shoulder, but the joke still made her smile. A smile that once again sent Ken back a step which improved her mood even more.
“Lord, help me,” he said while looking to the sky and rubbing his shoulder. “Shall we see if the lions have moved on?” Ken asked Stace and stood.