To Trait chapter 3
To Trait chapter 3. I hope you enjoy:3
Chapter 3
Nine days, nine days, since the monastery burned. I've read that Manitsh once fought a great titan for 9 day, I pity her, and us. My paws are blistered and sore from the continual climbing of the trees. My stomach is empty and wild with hunger. My body is sore and weak. But my mind and spirit, however mortal and perishable, have not yet fallen to inanition. Dahany is quiet, as he always is, but I know he feels the same as me. Palosi is as always cheerful enough in his stout spirit to bring brief and fleeting levity to our party with his remarks. Cafrakila , may his soul be blessed, is much to old. His body lacks the vigor of youth and bears the weight of the slow decay of age. But his spirit is steadfast, his faith has not wavered. Even Dahany has found comfort in his teaching and sermons.
As night approaches we begin to prepare to scale the trees when Cafrakila collapses in front of it. Everyone is concerned.
“Brother Cafrakila , what? happened are you ok?" Palosi voices his concern first
“I don't have the strength to climb. Go ahead and leave me."
Dahany retorts
“You did not leave us to our fates. Why would we leave you?"
“You must, night is falling. We will all die."
This situation is…unfortunate. I am prepared to throw my lot in with Cafrakila. We've lived and survived this far together. So, I suppose we die together. But, I will try to avert such a course.
“Palosi?"
“Yes Ghake?"
“Do you remember any other remedy for the beats?"
Palosi was silent before he spoke in a whisper
“No."
I take a step back and organize the situation. To survive the night we have to climb the pine tree, Cafrakila cannot.We could construct a device to lift him up into the tree. But we have not the time or tools. The issue isn't Cafrakila it's the beasts. The beasts need to be avoided. To avoid them we climb the trees because they cannot. The beats do not climb the trees, because of the scent…therefore…we can mask our own with the pines!
“We can mask our scent."
The group looked at me inquisitively.
Dahany asks
“What do you mean?"
“The beasts don't like pine, so we should make ourselves smell like pine."
“Palosi?" Dahany asks
“Yes?"
“What did the book say on that." Dahany asks hopefully.
“Nothing. It was quite specific, only climbing the trees would work."
“You heard it yourself Ghake. It won't work."
I thought for a moment before speaking, the words I spoke next were painful.
“It could be wrong."
“What!" Dahany and Palosi exclaimed. I was sure of my idea. In my mind thoughts began to form on this subject. But now was not the time for an inquiry on the fallibility of the books. I had to convince the others that we should try the idea.
"It could be wrong, we should at least try. Either we don't try and die, we try and die, or we try and live. It's simple logic.
“I suppose so. Neria teaches, that sometimes to discover the Hidden, we must look at the Unhidden." Cafrakila responded. Dahany would not have it
"'Yes and the Unhidden speaks against this idea. What is written is correct, we do not change it, we respect it and enrich it through analysis. This is neither, it is heretical."
"Dahany, my son. Please go along. If not for your sake, then for mine." Cafrakila pleaded. With his word Dahany and Palosi looked at each other and back at me.
“I figure the best way to go about this is to gather as many needles and cover ourselves with them." Luckily the forest had plenty of needles to gather. We spent the next 2 hours of sunlight doing just that. By the time night had fallen we were nearly covered in pine needles. We as all ways heard the beasts before we saw them. Their savage howl ruled the night. After a while the beasts came to the tree and sniffed. Hunting us. They did not find us. A few stragglers attempted to approach the stack of needle, but none investigated it well. We spent the night in fear, until at least the soothing scent of the needles and the warmth they provided lulled us into what was something we have not had, a nighttime sleep.
“Ghake, Ghake you did it" Palsoi woke me up.
We survived the night. I was correct and more importanty the book was…wrong. Before we began our travels we stuffed our robes with pine needles. Rest did Cafrakila well. He was still weak, very weak. But somehow he summoned the strength to continue the journey. By my estimation we are nearly halfway to trait. Trait is 100 miles away. We've walked around 5 miles a day for 9 days. 55 miles to go. As we walked we came across a large stone pillar. It was 2 foxes high and was made of a gray and black granite[[1]](#_ftn1). On it was an inscription in old Fupithy[[2]](#_ftn2). I read it aloud.
“Here lies the boundary between the Wild lands and the lands of Falathy Irifalathy Fa cakipibo. Beware."
Dahany looked at me and asked
“Aren't we in the wildlands."
Before Cafrakila could answer I responded
“Technically yes. But these lands were tamed when the monastery was built."
“If these lands are 'tamed' I'd hate to see them untamed. We were almost eaten. Many, many times at that" Palosi interjected.
“You didn't think to say something Ghake?" Dahany was rather irritated.
“Nobody asked. Besides, it's irrelevant. We have no choice but to continue."
“Whatever." Dahany responded. Palosi starred into the woods in fear.
Cafrakila attempted to cheer the two up with slight success.
We steeped over the boundary. The forest was exactly the same. But there was an odd feeling, an eerie overtone filled the forest. We continued on. As we did so our senses were heightened. We looked at for anything out of the ordinary.
As night fell, we continued walking. As we did we stopped and froze, completely still in a way that only primal fear can cause. A large cloaked figure moved through the woods. Its shape shifted and blurred, blending with the shadows and the veil of night. It was large. 10 foxes tall. It appeared to be robed with darkness. Its arms long and spindly like that of sticks. It slinked through the forest and with it carried a dark aura. It did not see us or I fear something far worse than death would befall us. After that, every step was careful, we regulated every noise like coin. Our fear was much different than before. It was dread. Here in the wild woods I… and I suppose the rest of us, realized that we are nothing. The…things that inhabit the forest are beyond us.
The rest of the night was filled with more terrifying creatures. Ravens flew in the sky, omens, of what kind I dare not speculate. Sounds unnatural were heard throughout the wood. Shapes and figures moved through the wood with grace unnatural. As we walked or more accurately trudge along in overwhelming fear we found a small nook in a tree. We hid for the rest of the night. We would not go on. We could not walk any further for fear had overcome us. We quaked and sweated with a dread not known to us before. I slept a sleep that bordered on waking. I did not dare dream lest it be to good, and I refuse to wake up in the accursed wood. In my mind the only thought that played was that of the morning and the Sun. With its golden rays and balmy touch of love. I hoped to live so that I could see it once more and so that my last memory would not be of the wretched wood.
[[1]](#_ftnref1) The granite here was mined in the further north in the mountains from the reign of Artuosi I till Osidi the black shut the mine down to direct resources to his campaigns.
[[2]](#_ftnref2) Fupithy is the languge spoken by the protagonists.