The chill of morning broke over the camp, seeming to seep deeper than the air itself. The Blackwood Legion woke with a somber energy, Brynn's cryptic warnings weighing heavily on their minds. The light of day did little to ease the growing unease; if anything, the forest's unnatural stillness felt even more oppressive.
Elira stood at the very edge of camp, gazing out over the horizon which barely had changed from drab grey to pale gold. She stood with hands resting upon the hilt of her sword, gaze lost elsewhere. Kael came quietly, boots crunching into the frost-laden earth.
"Brynn's fever's been brought down," he reported, his voice having little light of relief in it. "Still, though, unconscious. Whatever happened to him out there, it's not only physical.
She nodded, her jaw set. "If the forest's gift is indeed a leash, then we must find the edges of its control. The Guardian promised aid, but promises from creatures like that rarely come without a trap."
Kael looked back toward the campfire, where Dain and a few others sat sharpening their blades. "Do you think they know? Or feel it, the way we do?
"They're soldiers," Elira said. "They trust me to make the hard decisions. But we'll need more than trust if the Guardian's motives prove false."
Kael hesitated before speaking again. "There's something else. I've been watching the edge of the forest—there's movement. Something's following us."
Elira's grip on her sword tightened. "How many?"
"I can't be sure. They're staying just out of sight. But it's deliberate. Whoever it is, they want us to know they're there."
Elira turned toward the camp, her voice rising just enough to command attention. "Prepare to move. We're not staying here another night."
The soldiers quickly rose, their movements efficient despite the tension in the air. As they packed up the camp, Elira walked over to Dain, who was securing his pack.
"You're with me up front," she said. "Stay sharp."
Dain nodded, though the shadow of doubt lingered in his eyes. "Do you think it's more of the forest's tricks?"
"Maybe," Elira admitted. "Or maybe it's worse. Either way, we'll be ready."
The day passed in tense silence, the frost and moss underfoot muffling the Legion's footsteps. The Wraithwood loomed on either side of the narrow trail, the gnarled trees closing in with every mile. Dain stayed close to Elira, his eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of their pursuers.
Kael's warning proved true. As the sun dipped low on the horizon, the movement on the edges of their vision became more pronounced. Shapes flitted between the trees, too quick and distant to identify but close enough to unsettle.
"They're getting bolder," Kael said, falling into step beside Elira. "It's only a matter of time before they strike.
Elira slowed, raising a hand to halt the group. "Form a defensive line. If they want a fight, they'll find we're ready."
The Legion moved with practiced precision, forming a semicircle with their shields raised and weapons drawn. The torches they carried cast flickering light into the gloom, illuminating the trees in sharp relief.
In one quiet, breathing-filled moment, a gust of distant branches rustling sounded before the voice cut out from the darkness:
"You step where you should not, mortals."
It was soft enough but edged to send ice through their veins. The young woman Elira went forward and unsheathed her sword, her grip tightening upon the hilt. "Step into light and tell your selves."
The shadows formed a figure covered in flowing, dark robes. Its face was lost beneath a hood, but its eyes glowed with that same eerie light as in the Guardian and those Wraithwood creatures.
"We are the Watchers of the Edge," the figure said. "Bound to guard the balance. You have taken what was not yours."
Elira gripped her sword tightly. "We made an agreement with the Guardian. We have the blessing of the forest."
The hollow laugh was low. "The blessing of the Guardian is no protection against truth. Your coming here destroys the balance. Give back what you have taken or face the wrath of the forest."
Kael stood forward, his shield ready. "We have not stolen anything. The Guardian gave its power freely to us.
"A power you do not understand," the Watcher replied. "The Wraithwood does not give. It only takes."
Elira's mind was racing. The Watcher's words were like pieces of a puzzle she hadn't yet solved. "If we're to return what was given, tell us how. Otherwise, you're wasting your time."
The Watcher's form flickered, its voice growing colder. "The path is not yours to choose. The forest will reclaim its due."
With that, the figure dissolved into the shadows, leaving the Legion alone once more. But the stillness that followed was different, more oppressive. It felt like the calm before a storm.
Elira turned to her soldiers, her voice steady despite the unease gnawing at her. "We keep moving. Stay alert and stay together. Whatever the forest throws at us, we face it as one."
The Legion pushed on, the weight of their unspoken fears pulling at them like anchors. The whispers of the forest had long since gone silent, but its presence was more vivid than ever. Each step felt like a step closer to a precipice, and Elira could only hope that when the time came to leap, they would find solid ground beneath them.