The Crimson King

Chapter 3 | (In)Sight

Hey guys!

Here is Chapter Three. I am excited for this chapter because I finally get to introduce some new characters and some backstory into the main plot. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Next chapter will be up next Sunday :)

Love Always,
Daisy

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Chapter Three | (In) Sight

*

'When I am with you
a n y t h i n g
is possible.'

- Anon

*

Iris woke early the next morning to the dawn chorus, the first tendrils of morning lifting the blanket of darkness from the surrounding forest, while birds conversed nosily from within the foliage high above.

She rolled over, reaching out to her side where Arlo had been sitting last night, keeping watch. The space was empty and cold. She rose immediately, glancing around the clearing superstitiously, her Lycan eyes adjusting easily in the dimness.

"Arlo?" She called quietly, knowing that if he were near, he would hear her.

"I'm here, Beauty." His voice came to her after a moment, just on the edge of her hearing. "I was just checking the perimeter. If you are awake, prepare to leave. I'll return soon."

He sounded slightly distracted and so she let him be, rising with a yawn. The horses shifted comfortably off to the side, their elegant bodies solid patches of darkness in the otherwise grey light. She made her way over to them, the last vestiges of sleep slowing her movements. Still, by the time Arlo appeared, the clearing was cleaned of their presence, the horses had been fed, and Iris was packing the last of their possessions into the saddle bags.

"Ready to go?"

She nodded and leaned into him as he enveloped her in a firm hug. She was grateful they had resolved their dispute. With the new day she felt refreshed, as though - for the moment at least - she had left her sadness behind her.

"Come on then."

The day passed uneventfully, and Iris found herself growing restless.
The forest surrounding them only grew thicker, the dense under growth slowing their progress and she tried not to let her frustration at their pace get under her skin.
It was difficult though; her anticipation of their arrival had been building since they left and now it was as though her stomach was doing backflips.

She tried to concentrate instead; on the route they were taking. Although there did not appear to be a clear path, Arlo seemed confident in his direction and she wondered if he had travelled this way before, or if there was something else guiding him.
She casually scented the area, but nothing stuck out to her. The presence from the day before had not returned either, that she could tell, so she assumed they did not have an unseen guide leading the way forward.

It was in times like these that she truly realised her youth in their world. Unlike other Lycans, Iris's appearance matched her true age and she was reminded of this fact as she watched Arlo make his way assuredly through the forest. Arlo - despite not looking a day over twenty-five - had lived for far longer than a mere two decades and some others had lived longer still. With that in mind, it was not so unreasonable to suppose that Arlo had walked this path many times in the past.

As the day wore on, Iris's nervousness became close to unbearable. She felt wired and restless and shifted constantly in her saddle, her discomfort not passing unnoticed.