Bond of the mind - part two - chapter 6

Senna and the pair who were guiding her were almost in the middle of the forest. The huge tree standing there seemed to grow larger with every step they took. It wasn't the first time she had been here. Since she lost her sister, she had spent most of her time here before she met May and Spark. As she walked through the forest, she thought about the two of them constantly, and it troubled her that she would probably never see them again. They entered the elven city that sprawled around the huge tree. Just a few steps earlier, it seemed as if they were just walking among the trees. The capital city was protected by the forest, so it was impossible to see it until you were actually inside. It was exactly as Senna remembered it. The houses here were built with the help of trees, thanks to the elves' strong connection to nature. Therefore, every tree that grew here also created a home for other elves. Everything here was completely natural. The elves never exploited nature and never harmed it in any way. They lived in harmony with it. That is why, for example, their weapons, such as bows and spears, were gifts from the forest. For this reason, they were also better than those made by humans, because it could be said that their weapons were literally alive.

 The pair led Senna straight to the largest tree. As they passed the other elves, Senna noticed their looks of contempt. Such were their customs, and everyone respected them. Once someone left the forest, they were considered a traitor. But she couldn't blame them for that. She realized that all elves grew up with this. It was their law and their customs. That was why it was unusual to meet elves outside their territory. They stood directly in front of the tree. The royal guard stood at its roots. They were the best elven warriors. You could tell by their armor, which distinguished them from the others. Their armor completely covered their entire bodies, including their faces. The only thing visible were their eyes, which shone through the openings in their helmets. However, each of them wore slightly different armor. This always depended on which animal from the forest realm they had chosen. 

They parted and let the trio pass through. They descended into the huge hall of the forest king. It was really spacious. There were many rooms on either side, and Senna herself did not know what was hidden in them. After all, they had had the same king since she was born. They continued deeper and deeper. They crossed a bridge over a crystal-clear river. Soon they reached the throne room. Here sat the king of the forest with several other elves, his most loyal followers. They soon noticed that they were approaching.

"Who are you bringing this time?" asked one of the elves near the king.

"An elf named Senna, who left our forests and tried to return," the pair replied in unison. The king then sat down on his throne. It was fascinating, but the huge roots behind them and all around them were constantly moving. It was as if the largest tree itself was constantly moving and listening to them.

"We don't usually allow anyone who leaves our forests to return. This time, however, we have made an exception. Only because your sister truly sacrificed a lot for our people and was known to all," said the king finally, continuing, "Unfortunately, a better fate does not await you here, because you must understand that even so, we cannot treat you differently. You will spend the first hundred years in prison for treason, and then you can apply for a review of your sentence."

Senna said nothing. She knew that the king's judgment was always final and that there was no room for argument. The two men turned to leave, and guards approached Senna and led her deeper into the prison. There they locked her up and left.  nd the elf settled into a corner, where she bowed her head and fell asleep. After all, she was tired and exhausted. Now she had a long time to think about everything...

May woke up again. She must have fallen asleep for a moment without realizing it. Nothing had changed. It was still dark around her and she couldn't see anything. She was still alone in the endless darkness. At times, she thought she heard voices, but it was probably just her imagination, because when she tried to focus on any sound, she heard nothing at all. Just endless darkness without any sound. She was slowly beginning to come to terms with it. This must be what the end was like. She couldn't even cry anymore and realized that she was stopping thinking about anything. Soon her head was completely clear and she just stared into the endless darkness. As she stared into the darkness, she had the impression that something flashed far ahead of her. She rubbed her eyes. Again. May tried to get up. At least she imagined she did. She lunged forward. She wanted to go forward, but she felt as if she were going backward, because the flashes in front of her grew weaker the closer she tried to get. It was pointless. Soon she had no strength left. Her legs hurt terribly and refused to move. She fell to the ground. May bowed her head in exhaustion and closed her eyes.

"Are you planning to give up now?"

The group gathered for breakfast in the morning, just as they had for the past few days. Today, silence reigned again. It was as if the talking from yesterday's performance had stopped again. 

"Let's go on an expedition!" Lilly said angrily. She couldn't take it anymore. Mirthana and Tragir stared at her in surprise. But Lilly wasn't finished and continued, "When I joined you, it was because you were all really pulling together. I may not have been with you as long as the rest of you, but this isn't right... Don't you miss Senna? Do you want to leave it like this?"

Mirthana bowed her head. She knew this wasn't right. She missed everyone too, but she didn't know what to do anymore. After Lilly's words, she began to feel hope. She also realized that either they did something, or it was the end of their group...

"The girl is right," Tragir laughed deeply and continued, "We can't leave it like this. It looks like we're going to the elf forest." Lilly and Tragir waited for Mirthana's response.

"We have to go there. Senna didn't even say goodbye to us. We can't just leave it like this," she said, a smile appearing on her face and her eyes shining. This time, however, it was not sadness, but joy.

"Let's pack up and get going. We've been sitting here long enough," Lilly decided. Everyone nodded in agreement, got up from the table, and ran to their rooms to gather their things. Soon, everyone gathered in front of the guild building, ready for their next adventure.

The three of them set off together. They knew that the journey ahead of them would be long. They had to head south from the kingdom where they were, and then there was one more country they had to pass through before they could reach the land of the elves. It was no problem for hunters to travel through different kingdoms, but not all countries maintained control over their territory. Therefore, the situation was different everywhere.

At the moment, there was no carriage heading to Osten that they could hitch a ride on, so they set off on foot. Tragir and Mirthana felt nostalgic. This was where it all began for them, and where they first faced the forces of Darkness together. Lilly noticed their thoughtful expressions and slight smiles. She was burning with curiosity, because she had no idea what they were thinking about. 

"It looks like you've been through something interesting," Lilly said as she walked, because she was dying to know what they were both thinking about. Tragir looked at her and smiled broadly. 

"If you want, we'll tell you about it," said Mirthana, but looking at Lilly, she realized that the question was somewhat pointless. So she began to tell Lilly how they had faced the forces of Darkness while defending Osten, and Tragir added his own comments. The girl from the desert listened attentively to every word. After all, all the stories she had heard so far had always been the same, because not much happened where she lived, and this was one of the first stories she had heard about this new world. The journey passed quickly as they listened to the story, and soon, as dusk fell and the sun set below the horizon, they could see the towers and walls of the city of Osten. Lilly immediately noticed that this city was somewhat different from Arnu. She could tell just by looking that this city was much smaller and clearly much poorer.

The trio slowly approached the city.

"I'm quite curious about this May you talk about so often," Lilly said. Tragir and Mirthana immediately changed their expressions and now both looked worried. Neither of them had any idea what had happened in the castle, because Senna had not returned with them. They didn't even know what had happened to Spark. This was the second time Lilly had asked about May. It wasn't exactly a topic Mirthana wanted to talk about at the moment.

"She's a girl from another world, but she's our friend and she's close to the elf," said Tragir. It was obvious that he didn't want to talk about it either, so Lilly decided to leave it at that for now. 

They stood at the gate to the city, where they proved that they belonged to the hunters' guild, and the guards let them in. They headed straight for the guild, hoping that there would still be some rooms available. During the time they had been away, the guild building hadn't changed at all and looked just as they remembered it. They were lucky, there were still a few rooms available, so they booked two of them right away. They sat down at one of the free tables and ordered something to eat and drink. After all, they had been traveling for a long time and had spent almost the entire day on their feet, and the journey ahead of them was even longer. Over dinner, they just had the usual conversation about the day's events. They agreed to discuss their plans over breakfast. Soon they had finished eating and drinking, and all three headed for their rooms. When they reached Mirthana and Lilly's room, Tragir wished them good night and headed for his own room. Both girls were already inside, getting ready for bed. They wished each other good night, and then Mirthana turned off the lamp. After all, they had another day ahead of them that would be spent on their feet.

May was still sitting with her head resting on her knees. She was deep in thought. Everything was playing over and over in her mind, as if it had just happened. Watching her last moments was as painful as if she were going through it all over again. She felt the need to take a breath. She didn't know if she had succeeded or if she was just imagining it. Although she felt like her eyes were open, she felt blind because she still couldn't see anything. For some reason, her body decided to get up again and she took a step forward. She didn't know why. Soon, however, fatigue returned and she fell to the ground. If there was anything beneath her at all. She curled up into a ball and rested her forehead on her knees.

"Are you planning to give up now?" the voice said again. May lifted her head. She had the impression she had heard this before. There was still endless darkness around her, without any sound. Maybe it was just her mind asking her these questions. No matter how hard she looked around, she couldn't see anything. She began to bow her head.

"Are you planning to give up now, child?" she heard. She quickly raised her head. This time she saw some lights in the distance. She was terribly exhausted, but somehow she managed to stand up. She began to walk slowly toward where she saw the lights coming from. It was different than before. May began to feel that she was getting closer. Soon she could see that wh nd she saw were actually two large eyes shining in the darkness. She fell to the ground. She didn't have the strength to move. She wanted to go on...

"You are so strong, my child," the voice said again. This couldn't just be in her mind, she thought. There was something warm and familiar in that voice. May felt her heart pound and she began to cry. 

"Why are you crying, my child?" she heard even closer than before. But the girl was at the end of her strength, and that was the last thing she heard. Then everything fell silent, and endless darkness surrounded her once again. 

Lilly woke up and rubbed her eyes. Through the window in her room, she noticed that it was still dark outside. It was still early in the morning, but she knew they needed to leave at dawn. She forced herself to get up and began to get ready. Mirthana woke up with a yawn and sat down on the edge of the bed. She noticed that Lilly was already slowly getting ready.

"Good morning..." she said. She sounded tired. Lilly just nodded with a smile and continued getting ready. By then, the forest girl had also gotten up. Soon, they were both ready to go. Mirthana pulled the door handle, and Tragir literally rolled into the room. There was a grumpy grunt after he stopped at one of the beds.

"I see you're ready earlier than usual today," said Mirthana as she looked down at the dwarf. He was on his feet in an instant.

"Sure. Today we're heading to a new land. I couldn't even sleep," replied Tragir. It was unusual for Tragir to show his enthusiasm like this. Both girls looked at him for a long time.

"What? Can't I be excited?!" asked the dwarf, throwing his arms wide. This made them laugh.

Then all three headed for the guild hall, where they wanted to have breakfast and discuss their travel plans.

The guild hall was deserted. Most of the hunters were still asleep, so the only ones there were those who planned to leave early in the morning and those who had returned to the guild. They sat down at one of the empty tables and ordered breakfast. They didn't have to wait long before they could start eating. When their plates were empty, Tragir pushed his aside and placed both hands on the table.

"So... what now?" asked the dwarf, looking at Mirthana and Lilly. 

"I'm honestly not sure. I haven't heard much about the kingdom we have to go through," replied Mirthana.

"It probably wouldn't hurt to get a map or something," said Lilly, thinking.

"That won't be a problem," said the dwarf. He searched through his things for a moment and then threw a rolled-up piece of paper on the table. Noticing the questioning looks, he continued, "In Arnu, while I was looking around the market, I came across a guy who was selling this." He then unfolded the paper on the table. It looked like a map of the kingdom below them, because they noticed that part of their kingdom was marked on it. On the edge of the paper was written "map of the kingdom of Kreideglaklp." They already had the impression that the name was quite complicated, but the names from the country Lilly and Tragir came from weren't exactly easy to pronounce either. As they looked at the map, they got the impression that the country was quite mountainous. Everyone tried to find the shortest route. 

"I've got it," said Mirthana, pointing to one of the cities. Grastregk.

"This city seems to be the closest to our border and also the closest to the border of the elven country. Plus, we'll be able to avoid most of the small towns," added the forest girl. Tragir and Lilly stared at the map for a moment, but in the end, they couldn't help but agree. It seemed like the fastest and best route. Still, something didn't sit right with Tragir.

"So it's agreed," Tragir concluded and rolled up the map. All three of them got up from the table and headed straight for the guild's exit.

Outside, dawn was slowly breaking, and the first rays of sunlight were already visible. They knew it was time to leave because they planned to reach the kingdom's border as soon as possible. They had a simple reason for this. At least, Tragir and Mirthana could find a reason. On their way south, they had to pass through the Eagle Mountains. It was better to travel through them during the day. After all, the troll lair they had cleared out earlier was just one of many. The mountains had never been fully explored or searched, so there were still tasks to be completed after someone got lost there.

The sky was clear today, with only a few clouds here and there. This was the safest weather for traveling, because they knew that the sunlight would protect them from the monsters of the darkness. When the sun was directly overhead, they reached the border crossing. There was a small stone fortress with a permanent garrison. The guards in this fortress were always on high alert, as the nearest town was several hours away and they were specially trained for this task. There was always at least one dragon knight among the crew. At night, the area around the fortress was not safe. However, the presence of the knight gave everyone the courage to wait out the night.

The group still had a few hours before nightfall. They had to decide whether to continue and take the risk or rest here and wait until dawn. Everyone was unanimously in favor of continuing. After all, they still had time, and that was what the life of a hunter was all about. So they crossed the border and continued into a land that was completely unknown to them.

Tara finished school a little earlier today. She knew that her grandmother wasn't planning on visiting May in the hospital, so she decided to go see her on her own. Luckily for her, it was only a short distance from the school she attended, so it wasn't a problem to get there. She already knew the way there. The hospital staff knew her well because she was there quite often, so they had no problem letting her see her sister. Spark greeted her at the door, sensing her arrival. She quickly checked on her sister and then headed outside with her dog so she could run around for a while.

Soon they returned to the room together. Spark immediately ran to sit next to May's bed and stared intently at her. Tara pulled a chair over to the other side and sat down.

She also watched her sister. But somehow it seemed to her that it wasn't enough, so she started talking to her. It was just a monologue, because she didn't expect any answers from her sister. So she decided to tell her about everything new that she thought was important. Unlike Tara and their grandmother, the other members of the family didn't visit very often. They came to see her at best once a week and left after a while. Tara was here, but she liked it. She felt as if her sister was always close by, even though she knew she probably couldn't hear her. She told her everything she wanted to say and then just watched her again. She wondered what was probably going on in her sister's head. 

Suddenly, she got up from her chair. She moved closer to the bed and then climbed onto it. She was really close to her sister and noticed that Spark was watching her intently without making a move. She placed her palms around her sister's face and stared into her eyes. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against May's. She was startled and quickly opened her eyes again. But she was no longer in the hospital room. There was darkness all around her. Yet Tara could see something, or rather someone. There was a body on the floor in front of her. She recognized that long, light hair.

"May? May? Nurse!" she cried and threw herself on the floor next to her. She couldn't touch her, and it was as if her sister couldn't hear her. She kept calling her, but her sister didn't move. She began to panic because she couldn't think of anything else to do to alert her sister to her presence. She began to cry.

Her crying sounded dark...

"You shouldn't be here, child from another world," came a voice from somewhere behind her. She immediately turned toward the voice, but had to cover her eyes because the light she saw was blinding. The figure began to approach Tara silently. She knew it was right in front of her because the warmth emanating from it was growing stronger.

"You shouldn't be here, child from another world," the mysterious figure repeated.

"Who are you? What have you done to my sister?" Tara cried out. After this, the mysterious figure laughed, but it was a sincere and warm laugh. The kind that makes you smile too.

"You don't have to cover your eyes anymore," said the figure, and the girl could finally see who she was talking to. Standing before her was a girl who was perhaps as tall as she was. But what struck Tara was that she was truly beautiful. Her eyes shone like two suns, her hair was the whitest color imaginable and flowed all around her. The dress she wore was dark blue and seemed to literally sparkle with stars. Tara felt like she even saw one of them fall. She was speechless. The little girl standing in front of her laughed and crouched down directly opposite her. Now she was looking Tara straight in the eyes. 

"You shouldn't be here. Why are you here?" the little girl asked her. To be honest, she didn't even need to ask. She knew exactly what she was thinking and what was going through her mind, but it had been a long time since she had spoken to anyone.

"I just wanted to see my sister... but now that I see her, she can't hear me anyway..." Tara said and bowed her head dejectedly. The little girl placed her palm on her head and stroked it with a smile on her face. 

"I know what you want to tell your sister," she replied, and after a moment continued, "I'll give her your message, but you have to go. It's not safe for you here." The little girl looked more serious than she had a moment ago, but she didn't stop smiling. Tara just nodded her head. She understood that she didn't have much choice.

"Anyway... don't tell anyone you were here or what you saw," said the girl. She saw that Tara wanted to ask "why" and added, "People won't believe you."

Tara now had many thoughts and questions running through her head that she wanted answers to. Today, however, she sensed that she would get none of them.

The little girl smiled at her one last time and then touched Tary's forehead with her finger. At that moment, she disappeared. She silently moved to where May was still lying. She knew that May had no idea she was there. Just like a moment ago, May placed her hand on her head.

"Your sister is still thinking of you. It's not your time yet..." she added. Then darkness fell again.

Tara opened her eyes and found herself back in the hospital. Her sister was still lying there. Nothing had changed. Outside, the sun was setting, and she knew she had to head home.

She took one last look at May, said goodbye to her and Spark, and then headed back home.

The group continued through the deep forest, along a path that had clearly seen better days and, judging by the looks of it, hadn't been used much lately. The trees here were taller than in the kingdom of Ronos, so they kept their eyes on the path ahead. Here and there they encountered stray creatures, including animals, but there were no signs of humans in sight. Tragir looked a little grumpy again.

"We're always wandering through forests. Why not some mines or mountains?" he muttered under his breath. 

"Do you miss the mines full of giant spiders?" asked Mirthana, laughing when she saw the dwarf grimace. Lilly seemed to be still full of enthusiasm. She looked around constantly, trying to keep track of everything. After all, where she came from, there was nothing but sand as far as the eye could see.

"We'll have to set up camp somewhere soon," suggested Mirthana. The sun was slowly setting. Continuing through the forest would be really dangerous. Moreover, in the dark, the creatures of darkness had the upper hand. It was therefore logical that they would have to look for a place to spend the night. However, there were no human dwellings in sight. They decided to leave the forest path and go deeper into the woods. Less and less sunlight filtered through the trees, and it was clear to them that the sun was sinking inexorably and that darkness would soon engulf them. 

Suddenly, cries and the clanging of weapons rang out from the forest. Everyone pricked up their ears and waited. The sounds came from the same distance, so they were sure that nothing was approaching them. They decided to follow the direction of the sounds. After all, someone could be in danger and need help. However, there weren't many people who could be so deep in the forest. As they advanced, the sounds grew louder. Soon they reached the trees, behind which lay a small clearing. Tragir knelt down next to one of the trees, and Mirthana and Lilly peeked out from either side. The clearing was littered with the bodies of grogot and heynen. There were still a few left, but it was clear that they would soon follow. 

In the center of the clearing stood four figures that clearly did not belong in the darkness. Two of them wore armor similar to that of knights, but without any insignia. The third was cloaked in a hooded robe, and the last one held a staff in her hands and was dressed entirely in green. The trio decided to watch and see how they dealt with the remaining minions of darkness. 

The figures in knightly armor stood in the foreground. Both were women and looked exactly alike. One of them used a sword and shield, while the other wielded a large sword that required both hands. Two grogotis charged at them. The woman with the shield managed to stop them without taking a step back. The other didn't wait and quickly jumped out from behind the first. A sword strike came, cutting through the bodies of the grogotis and stopping only at the shield. The bodies burst into flames and soon only ashes remained. The hooded man standing behind them didn't move, but from the movements of his lips, it looked as if he was muttering something to himself. The last of them stood face to face with Heyen. He didn't hesitate and ran forward to attack. But the man didn't move. Heyen was almost upon him, but his body froze. Something was holding him back. A wolf, partially covered in moss, had sunk its teeth into his leg. Before he could react, two more jumped on him and tore him apart. Soon it was all over, and only four figures remained standing in the clearing. The group was captivated. It was the first time Mirthana and Lilly had seen anyone else in action, but even Tragir had a look of amazement on his face. It looked really easy when they did it. 

They heard the crack of branches behind them, as if something had stepped on them. All three immediately turned toward the sound. Standing there was one of the wolves they had seen in the clearing a moment ago. They had no idea how it had gotten behind them. Up close, it looked even more terrifying. It was larger than an ordinary wolf, but its eyes were lifeless. It growled menacingly at them.

"You don't look like enemies. What are you doing here?" came from the wolf without its mouth moving. 

"It's all over. You can come forward and introduce yourselves," said a woman's voice from the clearing before they could answer. The group stepped out from behind the tree and headed toward the other people. 

Now they stood before them and could get a good look at them. The women in armor looked almost identical. The only difference between them was their weapons and their hairstyles. Both had red hair and dark orange eyes. Their armor looked exactly like that worn by dragon knights, but it had no insignia and looked worn. The man with the hood over his head had his face covered and wore a long robe. The last of them was bald and had a long braided beard. The visible parts of his body were covered with tattoos. They were all symbols that none of them could understand. From this close, they couldn't tell if his clothes were green or just covered with moss.

"We are hunters, and our group is called..." began the woman with the sword and shield, but the second interrupted her with a quick leap forward. She put her hands on her hips and tilted her head upward.

"... Shield of the Sun!" she exclaimed. She looked enthusiastically at the trio in front of her. But they didn't react at all, and an awkward silence fell between them. 

"Oh..." Tragir muttered, trying to laugh. Mirthana and Lilly just exchanged glances. 

The woman turned and looked at her companions.

"You can't expect all the hunters to have heard of us..." replied the first.

"But... but..." the second one began, but her companion interrupted her.

"I am Mari," began the woman with the shield and sword, continuing, "This is my sister and twin, Bari. The hooded man who doesn't speak is Alfred, and this is Oyddren." 

It was clear to the group that they were now waiting for them to introduce themselves.

"I am Tragir," began the dwarf. 

"This is Mirthana and Lilly." 

Bari, who was wielding a large sword, leaned toward Tragir and looked him over carefully. Then she approached Mirthana. 

"Dwarves aren't unusual, but you don't just come across forest nymphs every day," she commented and continued toward Lilly. She walked around her. When she was behind her, she glanced at her sister, who nodded. Bari attacked Lilly without warning. She was fast. Tragir and Mirthana didn't even have time to blink. The sword struck its target...

Blood began to flow from the palm of Lilly's hand, which was clenched around the sword blade. This time, she didn't use any elements. It was her own blood that stopped the sword. Her eyes glowed red. Mirthana was startled. She had seen those eyes before when they were training with Yin. A smile appeared on Lilly's face. It wasn't her natural smile. It looked like it belonged to someone else. 

"So, I didn't..." Bari began, but she didn't have time to finish. The girl disappeared before her eyes. She only registered Mari flashing past her. A blow came from behind her, which even her twin couldn't completely stop. There was a crack, and the two sisters collided and rolled a few meters away. The rest couldn't even see what had happened. Lilly's blood began to cover her entire body. The smile on her face widened. The twins were already on their feet. The two men hadn't moved the entire time. The girl reappeared. She stood in front of her sisters. Everyone felt the pressure and smelled the blood in the air. This was supposed to be the final blow. 

"Lilly!" Mirthana screamed. Lilly stopped. The twins' swords stopped just before her body. The blood slowly began to return through the wounds on her body. Her eyes stopped shining and the girl looked like she was about to faint. 

Mirthana managed to react. She grabbed Lilly and slowly sat her down on the ground. The girl was breathing heavily, but she was still conscious. Lesoženka stabbed her staff into the ground and began to heal her. 

Tragir managed to run up to them. The dwarf was angry and upset by what had just happened. The twins took a few steps back. 

"Why did you attack her?!" Mirthana asked, distraught. Mari hid her sword and slapped Bari. 

"I apologize for my sister," said Mari, bowing to express her apology.

"But that doesn't explain anything," said Tragir. It was clear that they expected a reasonable explanation for why they would do such a thing. After all, they were hunters, just like them. Not that this was unusual among hunters, but it was usually the opposite, unless hunters wanted to deprive others of their reward.

"I understand that you demand a reasonable explanation," Mari replied and continued, "Red eyes are not very common in humans. Or rather... She is probably the only one who has them. No one like her has been recorded in the last thousand years. Surely you have heard of the history and superstitions of our ancient past." Mirthana had no idea what she was talking about. Tragir had been around for some time, but he had never come across such information. So they motioned for her to continue.

"Long ago, before the first great war with the Darkness, there were people who had red eyes. Unfortunately, they were more of a disaster for humanity, as most of them fell into madness and thousands of people lost their lives during their rampage. In our world, it was called the 'curse of blood'. After these events, people began to fear anyone with red eyes and tried to eliminate them from an early age..." Mari concluded. After this, Tragir and Mirthana looked thoughtful and a little worried. After all, it meant that the girl was dangerous to them too. 

Lilly began to cry. After all, she had heard everything. She began to tremble. 

"I don't know why this happened. I didn't want to hurt anyone..." she sobbed. "I... I'm scared, please..."

Mirthana hugged her and stroked her hair. 

"You don't have to be afraid. We are with you and we will be with you. Senna trusted you and we trust you too," said the forest woman. Then she looked into the girl's eyes and smiled. She smiled even though she now knew what a heavy burden she was carrying. Tragir stood next to them. He wasn't sure about any of this, but Mirthana was right. He placed his hands on both of their shoulders to reassure them that he was with them.

Mari just smiled and nodded.

"We will respect your decision, but one day there may come a time when we have to confront her again. I hope I'm wrong," she said. After that, Bari stepped forward and crouched down in front of Lilly.

"I'm sorry. I hope we can be friends," she said, offering her hand to the girl. Lilly accepted the offer.

"I'm exhausted after that. I'd rather fight a hundred heyens at once," Bari breathed, beginning to stretch. Her sister gave her only an icy stare.

"Can I take a look at that?" Mirthana asked the other sister. She raised her eyebrows. 

"If I'm not mistaken, you broke your arm when you blocked that first blow. Am I right?" asked the wood nymph. Mari didn't look very willing at first, but eventually she began to unfasten the shield attached to her left arm. Then she sat down in front of Mirthana and tried to stretch her left arm. It was clear that the fingers on her hand were slowly turning purple. The wood nymph slowly took hold of her hand, and leaves began to swirl around it. After a while, Mari's left hand looked much better, and she already had more feeling in it. 

"You should rest it for a few days before it's completely healed," added Mirthana. 

"Thank you," replied Mari and continued, "The mage in our group can also heal, but let's just say it's not as perfect as nature's magic." 

"Excuse me for interrupting, but it will soon be dangerous here," said Oyddren, who was now standing nearby. With those words, everyone realized that it was getting really dark and soon it would be impossible to see a thing. So they all agreed to find shelter for the night and wait it out together. 

"In that direction is a cave with a small alcove where we can hide from the lady of the night. My wolves will lead us there," added Oyddren. Mirthana helped Lilly to her feet, and then they all followed the man who led them between the trees. 

It didn't take long before they reached the place the man had mentioned. 

"We'll keep watch first, then we'll take turns," said Mari. 

"That won't be necessary," replied Mirthana, continuing, "Everyone into the cave. I'll close the door behind us."

Everyone entered the alcove. Lesoženka stuck her staff into the ground, and giant roots emerged, blocking the way inside. Now they were all in complete darkness. 

"Light," Alfred muttered, and a sphere lit up in the middle of the cave, illuminating the entire space. It was only a small enclosed alcove, but there was enough room for everyone to settle down. They talked among themselves for a while, but soon the voices fell silent and the light illuminating the cave alcove dimmed. From outside, various screeches and noises began to echo, made by all those who had become active in the darkness. Everyone remained in a light sleep. After all, they needed to stay alert.