The sun was colouring the forest in shades of yellow and orange, it was warming up the camouflaged Barandir who was leaning back against the trunk of the pine tree, he was seated on a sturdy branch, and from his position he had a magnificent view of the forest, not that he had much interest in viewing it currently.
Carefully he opened the satchel, not quite in the mood to accidentally drop something. The first thing he saw was a metallic flask, he picked it up and turned it around in his rough hands, he hadn't seen anything of such craftsmanship before. He figured out where the lid was and after a few adjusted tries, he unscrewed the lid. It was clear that it was a container for liquids, there was even still a few droplets of what smelled of some type of alcohol. It was clear that the majority of the liquid had evaporated over time.
After placing the flask back down in the satchel, he picked up a small black leather-bound book, it was tied up with a thin silver necklace, the pendant of the necklace was a flat jet black rough metal that symbolised a raven with its wings spread out. He instantly felt a connection with the necklace, like a lingering physical reaction of the former owner of his body. This was not the first time he had felt this.
Pushing aside his thoughts, he placed the necklace around his neck and picked up the small book. As an army officer, and a practitioner of the warrior arts he was well familiar with books and booklets, however this was the first time he had seen such binding, it was sturdier and more practical. His finger lingered on the black cover page for a moment before it slid to the edge, the book opened up at once, its secrets ready to be spilled.
On the first page a singular line was written.
"The 2nd Journal of Barandir Crowborne – 1567 A.G.I."
To his surprise he could actually read the writing, he obviously didn't recognise the letters, yet somehow he still understood it, much like the vision he had had years ago when he was drowning in the river, and the old lady had spoken to him in a language he didn't understand. With an eagerness he didn't realise that he had in him, he hurriedly turned the page.
"Siimu 14th:
Today was another hot day of summer, the heat is quite sweltering this far down south as we are now, I was never one to enjoy the summer, we do hail from the northern lands after all, but I must make this journey despite my reluctance, for my family, if not for myself. Grandmother was right, I do need to grow up, on the journey south alone I have experienced much, and I have come to understand my own immaturity, as uncomfortable as that makes me to admit. In fact this is already the second Journal that I'm writing, it cost me a pretty penny to scrounge up another book in one of the towns that we passed through, much to cousin Finn's dismay. Whatever doesn't directly contribute to him and his own interests he shoots down as a waste of time. I wish I didn't have to make this journey with that snake of a man. Unfortunately he is older and wields more influence than myself, to my dismay I fear that I would not have been allowed on this trip had Finn not needed and wanted to make the trip himself.
Regardless, I can get some solitary peace whenever I go to the deck of the ship. The fresh air in the evenings are especially joyful, not to mention the view, breathtaking I must say. It is on these occasions of solitude that doubt enter my heart, the closer we are to our destination, the more I doubt myself, the more uncertain of this entire idealistic trip I become. However for my family I will keep my head held high, and press forward! If I fail, well, then fail I will, but I won't give up, there are other solutions, there are other options, I must simply brave the dangers and costs that follow these.
Fear and doubt might have root in my heart, but what excitement this trip brings me! Although the trip over the Southern Magnolia forest will be no more than a five days long, I still look forward to seeing this great forest with my own eyes, who knows what creatures will be visible from the sky?
In fact although father told me that it was a relatively safe flight, there are still the occasional attack on the ships that cross the forest; usually by nothing more than big, Rock Birds or minor Wood Wyverns. Imagine the tales I can tell my dear brother and sister upon my return if I were to experience this?
What a heroic tale I could spin in the local taverns and pubs on our way to the tower. Surely I would be able to sweet talk a lady or two before our, final destination...well that was written a bit ominously, too bad I have run out of ink remover.
"Siimu 17th:
The heat continues still, I cannot wait to return to the north someday, if all goes very badly I'll be home in a matter of months. There hasn't been much to write about since we entered the territory of the forest, but I felt that I should document at least something.
We have travelled over the forest for two and half day, it is truly vast! As far as I understood from the captain we are crossing on the narrow stretch, but the forest itself continues south for far longer. The captain also let on that the further south you go, the more in the heart of the forest you get! Although I'm sure the captain was spinning tales for a young man such as myself, I still feel a need to write down what he told me, just for future reference when I get a chance to read about the forest in detail one day.
The captain didn't have much to say, but he did mention that there are all sorts of strange and dangerous creatures in the forest, and that there are still plenty of unknown species that appear there. Apparently the forest is so dangerous that it is still completely uninhabited by man or other intelligent creatures. When I pointed out that I had seen a few small villages at the border of the forest and a few kilometres in, he simply dismissed it, saying that that wasn't really the forest. To this I say when is it the forest then?! You can't pick and chose these things, if borders were so malleable we wouldn't have war so often. I digress, the captain did swear that he had once seen a dragon from afar while passing the forest, I have my doubts though, dragons in southern Magnolia? I'm hardly an expert, but even general Magnolia is not really a habitation spot for dragons and their kin. Had this been the continent of Ma'ra'Gol I might have believed him, but here in Magnolia? Even up north there is a limit to the amount of mountainous regions.
On a different note entirely, dear cousin Finn has been rather secluded as of late, I presume that I am not the only one who is nervous about the upcoming trial. Any and all attempt that I have had at conversing with him about this very topic has failed, he either responds snarkily, or he simply leaves. I do intend to visit him later in the evening and maybe we can have a good talk on the deck, there is nothing like the fresh evening air to calm ones nerves."
The following page was empty, Barandir quickly shuffled through the remainder of the journal only to find it devoid of content. He could deduce a few things from the diary however, for one he was in the continent of Magnolia, a continent that he had heard nothing of, in fact most of the journal was confusing to him. Dragons? And written of so casually? From his memory the dragon race was exceedingly discretionary and secret, if he had not had a higher position in the army he would have thought them myth entirely. Then there was the dating and the "Siimu" which he assumed was the month, none of it rang a bell to him. With reluctance he placed the journal back into the satchel, how he wished it had contained more information.
The following items that he found were a wooden box with writing utensils, a small round golden item tied to a silver chain, it popped open when he fiddled with it, but it wasn't anything that he recognised, the insides had some type of glass lid with small lines and numbers underneath. The other item was a small silver disk with a glass topping too, in it he saw a small arrow that kept pointing in the direction of the letter N no matter how he turned the small item. The other letters on the disk were S, E, W. It didn't take him long to realise that this small item had the ingenious function of pointing north at all times, what an invention he thought to himself with astonishment, truly a marvel, he would never be lost again!
After he closed the satchel again he looked out across the forest. This Barandir had siblings, dreams and desires, and he lived in the north. With the device he could move northward, but to what degree? For how long? Nonetheless, there was live in the forest, eventually he would make it out, even if the satchel didn't have many answers, it did bring him hope.
A cool evening breeze wafted through the tree tops rustling them ever so slightly, he almost thought that he could smell the faintest smell of burnt wood. He even saw smoke now in the far distance... Smoke! That was definitely smoke, far in the distance he could see it. Surely there would be animals fleeing soon, it was just a question of time before the birds and other creatures would flee away from the area, but for Barandir it was an opportunity, the forest was dangerous, but a recently burnt down area might prove more secure, and with the summer heat it was sure to burn far and wide. Of course there was the risk dying in the flames, but it was a risk worth taking. Decisions made, thoughts sorted; he closed his legs tightly around the branch and began resting, the next couple of days were going to be long and arduous.