The figures on the horizon moved like shadows, their forms blurring against the fading light of the plains as they rushed toward us. I couldn't quite tell what they were, but my heart thudded in my chest as I squinted, trying to make out details. They were too far to see clearly, but the way they moved—swift, purposeful—sent chills down my spine.

“Dogs!” Farvad shouted again, his voice cracking as he did. He pointed wildly, a wild smile spread across his face. His eyes were hazy and unfocused. “Dogs, I tell you!”

“Come on, old man. Get your ass moving!” Vral shouted and pulled on his arm, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Why would we run from a pack of pups?” Farvad’s eyes grew even more hazy. “I grew up with a dozen of them. I used to roll around and play with my pack every day. Grandpapa was a shepherd. We would—”

“Yeah, yeah, I'll buy you a damn dog when we get to the temple. Now move!” The little goblin heaved as she continued pulling on the man's arm, but he was far stronger than he looked.

At her words, his head whipped around. The gnome looked at her with suspicious eyes. “You mean it?”

“Yes, now come on!” she shouted through bared teeth.

With a broad smile, the gnome turned, throwing Vral off of him as he did, and began marching down the road. “Hurry along, whippersnappers!” He started whistling as he walked. He didn't seem to have a care in the world.

“We're so dead,” I muttered, my hand instinctively going to the hilt of my sword. The weight of it was comforting, but the memory of how close I’d come to dying in that alley hours before was still fresh. I wasn’t ready for another fight. Not yet. I just wasn't strong enough. That thought stung.

“Hey.” Tristan placed her hand on my arm. Her sapphire eyes met mine. "You're doing everything you can. Don't beat yourself up." Her lips curled up into a small smile. "We're going to make it, okay?"

We'd learned so much about one another over the past year. She knew my thoughts so well now. I let go of my sword and reached up to squeeze her hand. "Thanks. I appreciate it, Tristan."

She smiled back at me. Something changed in her eyes.

"Let's go, you two! There's no time for that!" Vral shouted back at us, her green skin glistening in the evening light.

Tristan and I nodded at one another and ran to catch up. Luckily, Vral had gotten Farvad to speed up by the time we reached them.

"What do you know about them, Vral?" Tristan shouted to the goblin ahead of us.

Vral pulled her hood down, her red braids swaying as she turned her head. “Mercenaries,” she said, her voice low and grim. “Strong ones. And they’re not here to talk.”

I watched as Tristan's hands found her mace and gripped it tightly, her knuckles turning white. “How do you know?”

“Because I used to work with them,” Vral snapped over her shoulder, her sharp teeth bared in a snarl. “And trust me, they're all strong, and they don’t take prisoners or leave survivors. My guess is the boss found out I'm still around and knows I joined up with you idiots. He doesn't want to leave things to chance. We need to move. Now.” She pulled on Farvad's arm. Luckily, the old man sped up even more.

I glanced behind us. The mercenaries were closing in fast, their silhouettes growing larger with every passing second. I could make out them out better now. Each had the same green skin as Vral, and they were riding some sort of animal that looked like a cross between a dog and rat. I vaguely remembered reading about them, but I couldn't remember any details.

What was worse is that they were gaining on us, and fast. A sinking feeling hit my gut. There was no way we could outrun them. I couldn't keep everyone safe.

“Alex…” Tristan panted. Her voice was soft, gentle, but tinged with fear. “What should we do?”

“I don't…”

Before I could finish my words, I saw their impact on her. She deflated, her blue eyes dropping to the ground. She looked so defeated. Her look wounded me more than anything pain I'd ever felt. She was looking to me, trusted me, and I was going to let her down.

A thought hit me. “Into the forest,” I said, my voice firm. “We’ll lose them in the trees.”

Tristan’s eyes lifted back up, meeting mine. The fear behind her blue eyes melted away, replaced with something else.

Trust.

Absolute and unshakable trust.

In that moment, I realized how much she meant to me. If we survived, I'd let her know.

She nodded, her face pale but determined. "Then that's what we'll do." She sprinted forward and grabbed Farvad’s arm, helping Vral guide him into the woods. As we hit we moved off the clay road, the old man stumbled, but somehow, he managed to keep up, helped in no small way by the two women pulling him forward, his little legs moving in a jerky, uncoordinated rhythm as his three bags jostled violently on his back.

“What’s the plan?” Vral asked as I caught up to them.

“Lose ourselves in the trees and pray.”

“Works for me.”

***

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

The forest loomed overhead, its dark canopy stretching out all around us. The trees were ancient, their gnarled roots twisting out of the ground like fingers. Everywhere I looked, I thought I saw the shadows move. It wasn’t a comforting sight, but the further we went into the forest, the more confident I was that I'd made the right choice.

Vral was at my side, her movements fluid and effortless. She didn’t seem winded at all, even as the rest of us were reaching the point of collapse.

I lifted my arm and gestured for us to halt.

“They’ll catch us if we don't keep moving,” she said, her voice calm despite everything.

“We can't go any further. Look at Farvad.” The old man had fallen behind some time before. I could barely make him out in the distance. Tristan was helping him along, but he looked like death and was visibly limping. By the time he caught up with us, he was huffing and puffing, his cheeks flaring with every choking gasp. Beside him, Tristan didn't look much better.

Vral took a glance at the gnome and nodded. “Got it.” She threw her pack down. “In that case, I'll do what I can to get them off our trail.”

“How?” I asked, my breath coming in short gasps.

She grinned, her red eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “I woman has her secrets."

"Don't be gone long, okay? And don't take any unnecessary risks."

Her smile twisted. "Thanks for the concern, but I'm a big girl. Just get the old man settled. I don't need to lose out on the quest because he keeled over in the middle of nowhere.”

Before I could argue, she darted away, her cloak billowing behind her like a pair of dark wings. An instant later, she was gone. I shook my head and wondered how I'd ever beaten her in a duel. The woman was formidable.

“Do you think we lost them?” Tristan groaned. Her chest heaved, and she was coated in sweat.

“I hope so. Vral is going out to make sure.”

“Thank the Goddess,” Tristan panted, her voice strained and cheeks red. She let go of Farvad’s arm and collapsed onto a nearby stump.

Farvad stumbled beside me, his breath coming in ragged wheezes. The old man collapsed into a heap on the group and, aside from his breathing, didn't move. A moment later, I could hear soft snoring.

Looking around, I found a well-shaped nook in a nearby stump. I didn't want to rest, but I wouldn't be fit to do anything if I didn't get recover some. Shaking my head, I forced myself to sit. My legs burned, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. I realized we had to have run for at least four hours.

It was almost as bad as Renard’s punishments, except this experience was the real deal.

As I cooled down, I could feel the cold night air biting at my skin. I did my best to stay alert for a time, ensuring I'd be ready to protect us if I need to. But, after an hour of nothing but the sounds of the forest, I started to relax. I let myself tune into the world around me. The air was cold and wet here, and the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves permeated everything. The smells and sounds made long-forgotten memories bubble up in me. For the first time in a long time, I thought of home.

I camped a lot as a kid in forests just like these. Dad was always gone, and Mom was always drunk. Neither cared what I did, so I'd disappear for days, wandering the woods and finding hidden treasures. A raccoon skeleton. Some yellow mushrooms. An abandoned burned-out car. An old rotten tree fort. The woods always had something to find, and I'd made sure to find everything I could on my little expeditions. I pulled my cloak around me and relived my experiences. Despite everything, I felt a smile spread across my face.

I heard something to my left. Looking toward the noise, I watched as Tristan walked over to me. Without a word sat between my legs. I felt her slender back press against my chest. I pulled my cloak around her, followed by my arms, and she settled into me. She was shivering, so I drew her closer. After a few minutes, her shivering stopped, and all that was left was the sound of our breathing and the creaking of the forest around us.

Neither of us spoke. We simply sat and breathed together. I could smell her scent in her wavy black hair. She smelled like sweat, earth, and woman.

She smelled good.

After a time, her breathing slowed. A small twitch told me she'd fallen asleep in my arms. Despite our circumstances, I felt a small smile creep across my face.

***

I stayed awake, listening to the sounds of the forest and enjoying Tristan's body pressed against mine. Just as sleep almost took me, a twig snapped somewhere near us. I tensed and reached for my sword. There was another sound, closer this time, followed by the faint rustle of leaves. I shifted, trying to ready myself, but Tristan was out cold.

“Mmm…” Tristan moaned.

Before I could do anything, a shape darted out of the trees and approached. Red eyes reflected the dim light on the moon.

“Look at you two. I knew you were a thing.” Vral’s voice whispered through the night.

Every muscle in my body untensed when I heard the goblin's voice. I let go of my sword. “Are we safe?”

“Much safer now.” Her teeth gleamed in the night.

“Thanks. I owe you.” I said.

“Yeah. You do. And I'm going to collect right now. Open your cloak. I'm freezing.” Before I could stop her, the woman darted into the fabric and pressed against my side. Her skin was like ice. “You two are warm.” Her teeth chattered as she pressed into my side.

"Why'd you open the cloak?" Tristan mumbled.

"Vral's cold."

"Oh. Okay." Tristan yawned.

"You don't mind, do you?" Vral asked hesitantly.

“It’s cold out, and you helped us. You've earned a spot in this cloak.” The quarter-elf scooted over and patted my leg. "It's warmer up here."

I felt Vral tense, but a second later shuffled under the cloak and nestled into the spot Tristan created for her.

“Do you think we’ll be safe tonight, Vral?” Tristan asked.

I felt the goblin nod under the cloak. “Safe as we can be," she chattered. "We should all be able to get some sleep. They won't find us anytime soon." She sounded confident.

Feeling her shiver, I wrapped my arm around her, and her skin began to warm. Tristan shifted closer to her and pulled the cloak tight.

“Thank you.” Vral's head rested against my chest. "Not many people show my people kindness. I thought you'd shoo me away." Her chattering slowed.

Tristan shifted to the right, resting her head against my shoulder. "He might be a dope, but he wouldn't do that. And neither would I."

“We aren't most people,” I added.

“I think I'm starting to see that.” Vral’s voice was strained. She was exhausted. "Maybe I actually made a good decision for once by joining you two."

I didn't know what to say, so I left her words unanswered and willed my heat into her. After a few minutes, I heard both of their breathing slow. Pulling them close, I listened to the night and the soft sound of Farvad’s snoring.