The Soul Forge.

Chapter Sixteen: An Unexpected Turn.

   Tauren, you don’t have to do this. . . . It was one of the voices. . . . You owe this man nothing, killing him now would be the kindest thing you could do. . . . Do you want the drag of his life along with you on this quest of yours? It was, to his surprise the voice that he had dubbed “good”. Suggesting to him that he should kill Vajik . . . Vajik, who had been kind to him, and saved him from Denkald . . ., he kept his face straight as the voice spoke, and when it was done it had simply made up his mind for him.

   He knelt down next to the gasping man.” What happened? How did you escape?” He asked, throwing caution to the winds.

   Vajik’s face collapsed with relief.” I – I – don’t know. . . . The Arrels were about to kill – kill me. But then – then suddenly I woke up here - in this forest.” His usually kind, but now desperate, eyes sagged and almost closed, but he jerked them back open.” I was attacked!” He hissed, fear filling his eyes.” We have to run, Tauren, run! Get out of here or a worse fate that death will meet you!” He tried to push Tauren away but he was too weak and his arms fell back to his sides.

   Tauren glanced up at Detrick who stood behind him, his eyes pity-filled at the sight of Vajik.” Come on, help me here.” He sighed finally, lifting Vajik easily to his feet, glad that he was stronger than a normal man.

   Detrick stepped forward to help, but Vajik gave a strangled cry.” No! No! No! Do not do this! My life is not worth yours, Tauren!” But he was in no position to argue, the words out of him, his eyes rolled and he went limp. Detrick stepped forward to help, but Tauren shook his head.

   “Just take my sword.” He grunted.” I’ve got this.” He heaved Vajik onto his shoulders.” Let’s get out of this forest!”

   “I can’t really help but be more than enthusiastic about that!” Detrick said, taking Taurens sword.” Which way do we go?”

   “Follow the sun!” Tauren replied, heaving the limp Vajik onto his shoulders.

   Detrick glanced around.” Uh, where’s the sun?”

   “What?” Tauren snapped in impatience, but he glanced up and looked around. The faint trace of sunlight showing through the trees was gone.” Oh, hell” He growled, berating his stupidity.” Follow the crushed mushrooms!” He recovered.

    “Tauren” Detrick growled, a hint of fear appearing in his voice.” There aren’t any crushed mushrooms.”

   Tauren kicked his friend in the shins.” Yeah, there are –“The words died on his lips as he stepped around the edge of the tree he’d stepped around. There was no hint that anyone had ever been that way. He looked around; the mushrooms all were the same. The trees all were the same.” Damn!” He cursed himself again.

   He had a feeling that this was probably even more dangerous a place than a raging battlefield.

   “Let’s get somewhere to settle down for the night, somewhere hidden!” He decided.

   Quickly they headed off into the woods, Detrick a bit ahead (Though not so far as to lose sight of Tauren) and Tauren following carrying Vajik. They wandered about for half an hour with no results; the sounds about them were becoming more and more numerous as the light of the fallen sun began to fade.

   Suddenly Detrick ran back to Tauren.” I found a place.” He whispered, the only tone of voice that seemed to be appropriate for this forest. He brushed his black hair so that it stuck up.” Hurry”

   Tauren nodded silently, relieved that his worries of being left out after dark were put down. A moment later he came into sight of a mound of earth that jutted from the forest floor, covered in trees, a black, earthy hole gaping from the side of it. Tauren stopped, he wasn’t sure that caves would be the best place to go.