Discover L (Book 2) | Complete |

~ Elves Are Stupid ~

"So worrying ignorance aside, we should see where the tunic takes us." L used her sense of smell, mixed with a little magic and found a trail almost immediately. "It's extremely faint, but it's here."

L made her way towards the scent, while Bryce and Robbie kept a look out.

"Can't see anything moving from up here, but they'd be too fast anyway. Should I come join you?"

"Yeah, it might be best, but stay as you are."

L was trying to focus on the scent, it kept dipping in and out of her reach. She had to grasp with every ounce of magic she could. They wound around the trees and passed several caves, L had to ignore the smells coming out of most. That is, until a particularly familiar, pungent aroma came from one of them.

"Trolls," L hissed and beckoned both Bryce and Robbie away from it as fast as she could.

Bryce moved silently, perfect for not drawing attention. Robbie, not so much, his large, scaly feet thudded on the ground as he ran.

His huge head attempted what looked like a wince, "Sorry, I'm not really built for sneaking."

"It's alright, let's move quickly before it comes out to play."

They ran ahead, following L's nose and keeping their eyes peeled for a sign of the young Elf- as well as any incoming Troll clubs. Aldrid had taught L how to avoid them, and she'd been meaning to pass the information onto Bryce before they got here. She was about to ask if he wanted to learn now when her nose caught Dryden's scent, it was stronger here. She darted towards a tree and noticed it trailed up the trunk, looking up into the branches but it was empty.

"Looks like Dryden tried to take refuge up this tree. He didn't stay there though, his scent goes off this way."

L steered around the tree and headed in this new direction.

"Looks like he was trying to circle back to the group... or head home." Bryce said, his tone solemn.

L nodded, the sad reality starting to creep up on her. She followed the scent until something else began to invade her nostrils. L almost threw up on the spot, she bent forward, retching until her stomach eased.

"L?" Bryce and Robbie called in unison.

L held up a hand, wiping at her mouth. She recalled the magic and returned her sense of smell to its human state.

"L, what is it?" Bryce answered, clearly sensing she'd pulled back.

L didn't want to say it out loud, she wasn't ready to admit to what she smelt. She turned to Bryce and Robbie, who were watching her worriedly.

She reluctantly spoke, "The scent ends up ahead... it ends, with blood and..."

From the looks on their faces they didn't need her to finish that sentence.

"Is that it? Do we have an answer for his parents, or should we get... visible proof?" Bryce asked, his face contorted in disgust at his own words.

L hated the thought too, but this wasn't anymore of a definitive answer than the scouts had given.

"We have to check." L regretted the words instantly, but they all knew it was the right thing to do.

L took the lead, armed in every way Aldrid had instructed. She managed to utter a few of them to Bryce while they crept towards the awful smell. They rounded an out cropping of land to find a grisly scene laid out before them. It was a clearing of sorts; the trees had been knocked down to create space or laid down almost like seating. And in the middle, was a patch of red, blood soaked earth, on top of which were piles of limbs and other body parts.