The Harrowed Half-Breed: A Tarnished Lands Story (Forgotten Woods Book 1)

The Deep

~Barne~

Barne woke up abruptly, not to the crashing sound of the human, but to the marching drum of war. His people were on the move. That meant only one thing—they had found him.

He rushed over to the stream to rejuvenate himself for the long journey ahead. The water was cold and refreshing, tasting alive.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted something floating downstream. Bobbing up and down, it was caught in the current. Thinking nothing of it, he continued to lap up water, letting it spill all over his clothes.

A few more items raced by, this time in a pack. Again, Barne tried to make out what they were. Taking in one last gulp from the stream, he finally recognized them.

"Pits..." He spat out the last of his mouthful and took to the forest.

His people were dying upstream, and he had an idea as to what was doing the killing—a force that he couldn't beat, nor did he want to try.

After running for what seemed like hours, he eventually came upon a stone tower that peered over even the tallest of trees. Mesmerized, Barne didn't know if it was constructed to show its dominance over the forest, or simply as a beacon to disclose its location.

Normally Barne would have run as far away from this monolithic marvel as possible, but after meeting a real human, he didn't find them at all terrifying. Maybe this castle would shed some insight on his place in this world. Or perhaps this was the very same castle Bae had spoken of.

He lived his whole life in a hidden village, where each entryway was carefully concealed between trees, leaving access only to those with the know-how to find them.

Humans, on the other hand, had a very intriguing, here I am, so deal with it, type approach.

Barne walked along the human trail paved in stone. He couldn't miss the many signs and arrows posted everywhere, even if he tried. Barne started to get the idea that humans had no sense of direction.

Many twists and intersections later, he was nearly at the foot of the castle. He found it quite odd that not a single human was outside.

"Castle Deep," Barne read the sign posted in front of the archway.

How come I can read it? He wondered if the sign was written as a warning to the folk or if they shared the same dialect.

How do the humans ever enter the castle walls? He thought maybe an invitation was required.

He walked closer to the castle. Smoke encircled the monstrosity. He smelled fire and instantly felt the need to take to the underground.

Resisting the urge, he decided to have a closer look. Surrounding the castle lay a deep ravine. It was filled with smoldering trees which had been cut and quartered. It all seems so foreign. He couldn't figure out the purpose of any of it.

Without warning, a blast of fire erupted out of the ravine, knocking him off his feet. Ash and soot marred the walls, as the heat forced him backwards.

The raging fire rippled like a stream and circumscribed the entirety of the castle.

He really started to wonder how they got in now. What humans lacked in physical prowess, they more than made up for with their ingenuity.

He wondered if the fire was set ablaze just for him. They know I'm only one person, right?

Barne causally sauntered away from the impenetrable castle, thinking he wasn't at all welcome.

That's when he got his invitation, from an arrow as it stabbed him through the back.

Not feeling the sharp pain right away, Barne touched the point sticking out of his chest before collapsing.

***

Freezing cold water washed away Barne's slumber. He was chained to a stone wall. The stones were colder than the water. Still shivering from the shock, another bucket came at him with little warning, hitting him directly in the face.

"I'm awake!"

"It can speak..." the bucket man said, with a raised eyebrow.

Unable to wipe his face, Barne used his breath to blow the constant dripping off the tip of his nose. "I've come peacefully. I only wish to gain entry to your fine castle."

"Congratulations, you're already here," the man said, stacking his wooden buckets inside each other. With an uninterested shrug, he left the damp room.

Cold light from the moon illuminated the smoke outside through a small arrow slit. He knew he was drawn to this place for some reason, and now that he was here, he didn't know what he had expected exactly, but this wasn't it.

Before long, he was met by a stout man decorated in shiny garments, which were most likely human metal. He had deep lines on his expressionless face—evidence that he had, at one time, showed emotion. He was accompanied by an armed guard.

"Greetings, feather-man. I am Lord Neff, the commandant of this castle."

Barne wondered if this could be him—his father. He froze at the very notion.

"Why are you here? I once gave your people a message. Or was I not clear?" the lord continued.

"I came to see you," Barne said, finding his voice.

"What business could you possibly have with me? Please, indulge me."

Barne wanted to tell him about his mother, and that he was his own blood. He imagined them sharing a warm embrace and living in harmony. Maybe the lord would be convinced that the forest could be shared by both their kind living equally. He soon realized that was just a dream when...

"Spit it out, boy!" the guard ordered, accompanied by a metal-handed slap.

"Peace. I've come for peace."

"Really? Have you? Then why do you break our truce?

"I don't follow."

"By coming here, you have raised a banner of war," Neff said, stroking his stubble. "Kill him. Send a message of war back to those feathery folks."

The guard happily drew his longsword. Barne noticed that his eyes didn't blink at the same time; one was slightly slower than the other.

"Wait..."

"I don't think you're in any position to make demands."

"I'm not a feathered-folk..."

The guard let out a huge amount of laughter, lowering his sword.

"...I'm a half-breed. I'm your son."

Without missing a beat, the guard hit Barne over the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking him out cold.