Embers of Frost

Chapter 25 - Dawn

Dawn crouched next to the heap of wood, her fingers brushing against the rough surface. A soft flame burst from her fingertips and trailed into the wood stack. It blazed into a fierce fire as the heat fanned her face.

Abigail smiled at her before sitting down, cross-legged. "Faymere Forest is just up ahead." She jerked her chin to the north. "We'll make camp here tonight and set out at daybreak."

Dawn sat next to her and looked in the direction Abigail had pointed. The moonlight lasted for only a few feet away before it abruptly trailed off into darkness. A pair of tall, spindly trees loomed over them. Their bodies were hunched over, long branches interlocking with the partner tree on its side. Leaves were crammed into their bushy crowns. There was an unnatural hole at the center of them in both the trees, parallel to each other.

That's when she saw it for what it really was: a pair of interlocked hands and uncanny eyes staring out at them. Staring right at her.

Her skin crawled at the sight, nervous jitters rocking her frame. She hugged her knees to her chest. She felt someone tap her shoulder as she swerved around, hands flailing wildly.

"It's just me!" Keith said, capturing one of her hands in his own.

Dawn blinked. A relieved sigh left her as her gaze fell on their joined hands. She pulled her hand free at once. "So," she cleared her throat, "That's Faymere Forest. It looks different from what I had imagined."

I always knew it was haunted from that childhood tale Mother used to tell me, but I never thought it would actually look like this. This is something much more... dark.

"Well sorry that it isn't as glorious as you thought," Adam said, as he took a seat next to Abigail. "But anyway, gather around children. It's storytelling time!" He threw his arms in the air and smiled crookedly. He looked at each of them, Dawn keenly noticing the way his lip curled when it came to Keith.

Keith raised his eyebrows. "Storytelling? We're camping at the edge of a haunted forest, and that's what you want to do?"

"Unless you want to braid each other's hair, I can't think of anything better."

Dawn glanced at Keith from the corner of her eye. His jaw had tightened, a flash of fury glinting in his cobalt eyes. She could clearly see the disdain his face held for the other boy.

Adam, what are you doing? Making a mercenary your enemy feels wrong in every way. Especially when it's Keith. I don't know what 'resistant' is, but it doesn't sound pleasant.

When Keith said nothing, Adam smirked. "I thought so. Now then, listen closely for this might be the last time you'll ever hear this tale- Ow, Janet! Fine, I won't say that! No need to hit me."

He took a deep breath, amuse in his eyes replaced by seriousness. Then he began in a low voice, his voice dropping to an ominous whisper. "Before any of these kingdoms existed, people lived in tribes. They hunted and foraged for food and water. From one such tribe came a man named Faymere.

"Faymere was a very kind person, helping anyone he could. He was adored by the whole tribe and treated as their son. Everything was great... or so it seemed like. Faymere was greedy. Terribly so. He lusted for the best of everything; the best shelter, the best weapons, stuff like that. Faymere wanted to be the 'best' person around. He couldn't tolerate anything below that."

"I thought he was nice," Keith scoffed. "Seems like the opposite to me."

"Well, there were two sides to Faymere: one being the loving person everyone saw him as, while the other of a selfish man who cared about no one but himself. His other side was hidden well. And do you mind not interrupting me?"