"I just thought you should know," Celine said. She waved farewell, before returning to the rest of the group.
As Cyrus finished the berries, Harro made his way to the middle of the clearing, and crossed his arms.
"Listen up, everyone! We'll be heading out now. There's a creak nearby which will provide us with water as we go, but I don't know when we'll be able to find food again. That's why, if you see anything, let others know, so we can gather it as we walk. Lastly, we won't be stopping for any reason. The sooner we get to Eldenfel, the sooner the wounded can be treated. If you lag behind, it's on you to catch up. Do you understand?"
The villagers mumbled their agreements, and nodded in approval. Harro let out a deep sigh, then turned to face the forest.
"Good. Let's get going then."
...
For the first few days of the journey, Cyrus trailed behind the villagers, and kept his head down. Occasionally, one or two would glance back, mumbling amongst themselves, but none slowed down to speak with him.
On the third day, the stream trickled into a river, which blocked the path forward. A few of the wounded villagers turned back to the forest, muttering about finding a different way, but Harro ignored those people, and continued onward.
The water splashed against his chest, threatening to pull him under, but he stayed upright until at last, he climbed up the opposite bank. Soon, the other villagers began to follow, until only the wounded and a few others still remained behind. One was Haldin, who supported his wife, whose leg was still wrapped in the coat.
"Father! What about the wounded, and the elderly? Are you just going to leave them behind?"
Harro glanced back. "There's no time to waste. If we wish to save them, then we need to reach Eldefel, and get the knight's aid. If you want, you can stay here with them."
Haldin opened, then shut his mouth. Clenching his fists, he called back. "Very well. Continue on your way then. We'll follow once we can."
Harro turned away, resuming his march forward. A few of the villagers held back, wishing to help those who remained, but most followed after Harro, turning their backs on the rest. Concerned, Cyrus made his way over to Haldin, who was trying to help his wife into the water. As he approached, the young man glanced over, a deep scowl etched onto his face.
"What is it, warlock? Do you need something?"
"No, it's not that…" Cyrus trailed off. His gaze flicked to the woman, who sat on a mossy log, rubbing her legs. "I thought I might be able to help."
Haldin narrowed his eyes. "Oh? And what help might that be? Are you going to conjure another bridge for us to cross the river? Or perhaps-"
"Haldin, enough." The woman squeezed Haldin's shoulder, narrowing her eyes as he tried to speak again. Sighing, he turned his head away, and she looked back at Cyrus. "I apologize for my husband. Now then, how did you wish to help?"
"If you're willing to give me your leg, I'd be happy to show you," Cyrus said. He knelt before her as she stretched out her foot, and rested it on his leg.
Around them, the other villagers stopped to watch, their wary gazes clear. Avoiding their gazes, Cyrus grabbed several thick twigs, and a handful of weeds. As he set them to the side, the woman eyed the plants curiously.
"What are you going to do with those?"
"I'm planning on creating a brace of sorts," Cyrus said. He unwrapped the coat, revealing her swollen leg, stained with blood. A bit of her bone poked through the blue and purple skin, and she winced as he positioned the twigs on either side.
"Please, be gentle," the woman said. She smiled through her tears. "My name is Alicia, by the way."
"Cyrus. Let me know if this gets too tight," Cyrus said. He tied the twigs together with the weeds, then placed his hand over the strands. Alicia gasped as the plants came to life, twisting around the twigs, and tightening their hold.
"What are you doing to her?" Haldin asked. He shoved Cyrus back, and stood between him and Alicia.
"Haldin, stop. I'm fine," Alicia said. She tugged on Haldin's hand, pulling him towards her. "Look at me. I'm fine, okay. He didn't hurt me."
"Are you certain?" Haldin asked, his shoulders still tense.
"Yes. Look at my foot. It doesn't hurt as much now," Alicia said. She raised her leg, revealing a cast of plants, forming a sturdy boot. "Here. Help me up."
Haldin held Alicia's arms as she stood, and took a tentative step. She grimaced, but managed a few more steps along the bank.
"See? I'm already walking much better than I was before. I might even be able to cross the river like this."
"I'm glad it's working," Cyrus said. He broke off a thin branch, and handed it to her. "Use this for support. It'll help balance you out."
"Thank you," Alicia said. She nudged Haldin, and he stepped forward, scratching the back of his neck.
"Apologies… Cyrus. I hope I didn't hurt you," Haldin said.
"You don't need to worry about it," Cyrus said. "I'm just glad it worked."
The leaves crunched behind him as an old woman approached. A young man stood behind her, his arm hanging limply at his side. A dark red patch stained his tunic around his elbow.
"Ex- excuse me, young man. What you did for Alicia here… Would you mind doing something similar for my son?" The old woman stared up at Cyrus's, her hands trembling.
Cyrus faintly smiled. "Of course. I'll see what I can do."
Upon hearing this, the old woman sighed in relief, and the surrounding villagers began to clamor, one by one, asking for his aid. Over the next hour, Cyrus spent his time tending to the villagers' needs, and using his magic to create different tools for each one.
Once everyone was helped, he pulled a vine across the river, and fastened it to a tree. One by one, he and Haldin helped the wounded villagers across the river, and before long, they managed to catch up with the rest.
…
The next several days passed slowly as they wandered deeper into the forest, with the Arenthell mountains drawing ever closer. Alas, on the ninth day, one of the older men passed from his injuries, and Harro allowed them a brief respite to burn his body.
The rest of the villagers didn't look much better as they continued on their way, their skin thin, and eyes sunken. Despite Cyrus's aid, their movements grew sluggish from the lack of food, and shortage of water.
Cyrus did what he could whenever they came across a bush with berries, or fruit trees, but even that only prolonged their survival by a bit. Finally, one the seventh day, Cyrus made his way over to Harro, who surveyed the group as they set up camp for the night.
"How much farther do you believe Eldenfel to be?" Cyrus asked.
Harro peeked through the branches overhead, towards the mountain range in the distance. "We've made better time than I expected, so it should only take us four more days to reach the mountain base. After that, it's only a matter of finding the kingdom," Harro said. He sighed, and crossed his arms. "But it's unlikely we'll stumble across another river or creek before then."
"What will we do for water then?" Cyrus asked.
Harro gestured towards the vines hanging from the branches. "Our only option is to cut the vines, and drink from them. It won't be enough to quench the people's thirst, but at least no one will die from dehydration."
"I see," Cyrus said. "I'll do what I can."
"Thank you," Harro said.
Cyrus nodded, and made his way to a fallen tree. Around him, the villagers piled dried sticks together, and set them ablaze. The warmth of the crackling wood washed over Cyrus, and he rubbed his hands together.
"A stew would be nice right about now," Haldin said, approaching from the side. He sat next to Cyrus, and leaned back. "Perhaps a rabbit, or quail."
"You don't have to tell me," Cyrus said. His stomach growled at the mention of food, and he chuckled. Leaning back, he glanced across the grove at Alicia, who was helping gather twigs for the fire. "How is she doing?"
"Her movements have gotten better, which is good," Haldin said. "Once we reach Eldenfel, I'll take her to see the alchemist. Hopefully, he'll be able to do something about the broken bone."
"That's good," Cyrus said. "I'm glad it hasn't gotten infected yet."
"I am as well," Haldin said. He gazed across the clearing, his brow knitted. "Cyrus, I- I want to apologize for how I first treated you. I now realize it was wrong, when I knew nothing about you."
"You've no need to worry," Cyrus said. "Everyone's tension is a bit high right now, so I-"
Cyrus trailed off, and frowned. It was faint, but he thought he heard a low thumping sound, slowly growing closer. He glanced at Haldin.
"Do you hear that?"