“We need shelter,” Sofia explained, “we made a group with some people who needed help. We left our homeland and are trying to get as far away from the goblins as possible.”

  “We’re no cowards, human,” Carlos quickly added, as if ashamed, “I’m ready to give my life for the cause! But someone needed to protect the others on this journey. And that is no easy task!”

  “Many of us are too old, sick, or hurt, to face the forest alone,” the woman said, with a sad expression, “but they couldn’t stay. If the goblins found them, they wouldn't just kidnap them for work. They’d kill them. And I won’t let that happen,” she looked up, with a resolute fire in her eyes.

  “So how many of you managed to escape exactly?” Varre asked.

  So far, he had only seen four of them. The strange witch, who managed to enchant all of his companions, as well as the three archers that still sat on top of the trees. Though they lowered their weapons, the king was sure they could instantly prepare another shot if needed. They were still a threat, ready to stop a hostile human or animal in a single moment. They certainly didn’t seem like the weak and injured refugees that apparently left the Northern war zone.

  Sofia took a moment to respond. As if the mere memory caused her pain. “There were close to fifty when we started. Ten didn’t make it.”

  “A wyvern attacked us,” Carlos spat, “at the very day I was out hunting. The others had no hope of facing it alone.”

  “A wyvern?” Kerryn repeated, “you should be lucky you survived. It takes a team of expert adventurers to safely take down a foe like that. Do you really think you’d have stopped it alone?” he asked, with a tone that almost seemed hopeful. The man knew better than most just how strong some people could get. He’d met many through his work at the guild.

  “Not alone,” the archer replied with a hiss, “with my brothers and sisters. But I would not have let it take anyone but me. Instead, it took three of our warriors. A terrible loss, but they gave their life to defend the weak. We will not forget their sacrifice.

  “A couple more died when we were attacked by wolves. Their injuries were too grave,” he spoke with a sorrowful expression, “we simply didn’t have enough bows to cover every angle. And with every loss, hunting became harder and harder. We needed meat. But we needed to protect the rest too.”

  “This far from home, we couldn’t heal the injuries,” Sofia continued, “the others… were simply too weak already. With so little food, their bodies couldn’t handle the forest.”

  “I am sorry for your losses,” Varre replied, “I know how hard it can be. You feel the weight of responsibilities on your shoulders,” he nodded, as if to himself.

  “But I’m sure you did all you could,” Elvira quickly added, “you managed to save forty of your people. They wouldn’t have made it without you. You should be proud.”

  “Maybe… maybe you’re right,” Sofia said, “but it is not easy. I will not forget them so quickly.”

  “Of course not. No one is saying you should,” the king reassured her, “but you are safe now. I will make sure of that.”

  “You?” Carlos widened his eyes, “I can see that you bring many armed with you, but don’t underestimate Gomera. The forest will eat you alive and spit out nothing but bones. It is no place for a human.”

  The woman glared at him. “This is no regular human Carlos! He is the king of this country. Do not disrespect him needlessly!”

  The archer nearly fell off of his branch at that revelation. He must have stayed too far away from his companion and missed the beginning of the conversation. He was not aware that Varre had already introduced himself as the ruler of this land.

  The other warriors were just as confused. They exchanged glances and then carefully reassessed the situation. They weren’t sure what to do, but securing the bows to their backs seemed like a good enough start. From this position, the weapons would be much harder to retrieve in a hurry. A sign that they had no intention of attacking first.

  But this wasn’t the only thing that surprised their leader.

  “The king of Langogne?! Here?!” Carlos spat out.

  This was unexpected. Why the hell is he thinking of those bastards? Varre wondered to himself.

  “No. Logres,” Sofia elaborated, “it’s a kingdom to the East of Langogne.”

  The archer sputtered. “How did we… no matter. What the hell is the monarch of a nation doing all the way in Gomera?!”

  “Hunting,” Varre pointed to the dead Aurochs still lying on the ground beside the elf woman, “at least until we encountered your friend.”

  “I see…” Carlos replied, though it was clear that he was still confused.

  Regardless, he attached the bow to a holster at his back, like the others, and swiftly descended from the tree. He was very athletic, though Varre realized that perhaps this was to be expected of an elven warrior. If the man was even half as talented as his claims suggested, he was an expert with years of training. Maybe even decades. Or centuries. The former earthling had no frame of reference to the life expectancy of these people.

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  The archer dropped from the branch he was sitting on, and grabbed it with his left hand before he fell too far down. Then, he effortlessly swung to the side and softly landed on another outcrop. He moved like a cat, confidently flowing from one spot to the next, as if he weighed no more than five pounds. Or rather like a gibbon. He used his arms just as much as his legs, swaying from place to place before finally landing softly on the mossy ground.

  The Royal Guards jerked at the finality of that sudden motion, though by this point they understood that these strangers held no ill intentions. Carlos couldn’t blame their reactions. He was the one who ambushed them from above to begin with.

  Though he wasn’t sure why Sofia allowed herself to get so hopelessly surrounded, he wasn’t going to waste time by investigating the details. If she needed help, he would rush to save her. Same as any other elf in his group. They’ve lost far too many lives already, and the warrior was prepared to do anything he could to make sure they wouldn’t lose a single more.

  “In that case, forgive me,” the archer said as he got down on one knee, “I did not mean to ambush you as I did. Are we in your territory?”

  Varre glanced at Rodger. Though the lord frantically nodded, the monarch wanted to keep this conciliatory mood going.

  “We’re close to the border,” the king explained, “as far as I understand it, the actual line of control is a little… iffy.”

  “No need to explain,” Carlos raised his hand, “things work the same way back in our homeland. Can anyone really say that they’ve tamed the forest?” he chuckled, “it lives by its own rules and carelessly cudgels anyone who dares to think otherwise. Hunters like us must learn to respect it.

  “Still, we had no intention of coming so close to your territory. I’m afraid we got lost on the way. Even though we’ve spent our entire lives in the woods, sometimes the paths we take are obscured. Or take us to unknown places,” he sighed, “had I known, I would not have acted so haughtily. I apologize.”

  “Apology accepted. I’m just glad we didn’t end up coming to blows,” the king smiled.

  “The last thing our people need is more enemies,” the archer grinned, “slaying a ruler in his own home would be a terrible crime.”

  Varre looked behind the still kneeling elf as the two other warriors followed behind him. They descended the tree almost as gracefully, and looked around, unsure of what to do next. After a brief moment of confusion, they too decided to get down on the ground in respect.

  “Why were you heading to Langogne then?” the king inquired.

  “That’s the direction that many of our brethren took, when they fled from the goblin invasion,” Carlos explained, “they wanted to go as far away as they could. And there are small elven communities close to that nation’s borders. We followed their footsteps. We were hoping they’d have room to take us in, take care of our injured.”

  Varre raised an eyebrow. “Are there no elves on this side of Gomera?”

  “There are,” the archer conceded, “but the villages are far smaller and further apart. I’m not even sure where to find any. We’d need to scour the woods for days just to find any tracks or signs.”

  “So would the goblins.” the king pointed out, “perhaps they’d struggle even more than you would.”

  “You may be right,” Carlos smiled sadly, “but at this point, our people needed safety. We wanted to move them as far away from the threat as we could. Our invaders would never get all the way to Langogne. It’s much too far. They’d need to pass through the very heart of Gomera. Even those madmen aren’t crazy enough for that.”

  “It’s easy to get lost in the woods. Even for an elf,” Rodger nodded sagely.

  “We did not get lost,” the archer shot back, “but I cannot lie. The road wasn’t easy. The only good thing is that it will be even harder for our foes.”

  “Our Southern brothers and sisters have space for new people and room to expand,” Sofia added, “I am sure of it. Yet they are big enough to have healers that can aid us. It was the safest choice.”

  “That’s right. You said you have wounded, didn't you?” Varre asked.

  “We do. We had to slow down our speed for their sake, but their situation is difficult,” the elf woman admitted.

  “Perhaps we can help,” the king offered, looking towards his retinue of wizards.

  “Of course, we can take a look your majesty,” Elvira replied with a bow from the saddle, “but I only brought the bare essentials in case of an accident on this trip. It won’t be enough to heal a large group.”

  She glanced at the twins, but they confirmed the same with nods. Even though they were apprentices of a medical genius like Master Zarkon, they were but mere students.

  “Then we can take them to the manor. We have some dedicated healers there, don’t we?” Varre suggested, “I’m sure we’ll have enough supplies.

  Once he made the offer, he realized that he probably should have asked Rodger for permission before inviting strangers into the man’s home. Fortunately the lord did not refuse. Maybe it was just a sense of loyalty to the crown. He wasn’t going to refute the monarch’s exact words. Or maybe, he understood just how dangerous the forest was and was willing to help those who suffered its wrath. People needed to help each other in the wilderness. No matter where they came from, or who they represented.

  The elves may have been proud, but they were willing to throw that aside in an instant to help their brethren. Grateful at the offer, they led the group through the woods. None of them brought mounts, but fortunately their campsite wasn’t very far.

  Sofia was the first to abandon it. She had sensed the aurochs' plight from a distanc, as it fled for its life, and threw herself into action, with little hesitation. She knew that the forest was a brutal place, but few monsters were deadly enough to threaten a creature of that size. If the beast was on the run, it either meant that some terrible threat was nearby, or that it was hunted by someone more civilized. And maybe that someone could help.

  When she finally spotted the animal, bleeding and roaring in pain as it lay collapsed on the ground, she couldn’t remain hidden. She used her magic to help it as best she could, and then planned to investigate these unknown humans from a safe distance. Just like Carlos, she too believed she had reached Langogne. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to ask these people for help directly, but if so, the circumstances would have to be perfect.

  Of course, Sofia’s plans immediately fell apart. Varre turned out to be immune to her charms. Somehow. The woman knew that powerful enough wizards could overcome her hypnosis, but the king didn’t seem to be particularly skilled in that field. She had no idea how he managed to avoid her magic and yet she saw it with her very life. She theorized that the monarch might have been equipped with powerful defensive artifacts, but she wasn’t going to pry.

  Carlos’s unexpected arrival had already almost forced these two groups into a fight. Though it came from good intentions, the resulting battle could have been the very end of this band of survivors. After they had already made it through the deadliest areas of the woods.

  She didn’t even want to think about that possibility. Or remind the others of the unfortunate start of this meeting. For now, she was simply grateful for any help they could offer. Her brethren certainly needed it.