The rhythmic clatter of the carriage wheels gradually shifted as the dirt road led to a path lined with trees. Luke glanced at the map in his hands, his eyes tracing the thick, shaded area labelled "Ashenfen." The forest stretched southward, its trees sprawling across the landscape like dark tendrils. The name itself was unsettling, though Luke had no clue about its origins. Few did. It seemed like one of those places that had earned its ominous reputation over time, whispered about in taverns and passed from one traveller to the next.
The path narrowed slightly ahead, just enough to remind them that they were entering a different kind of terrain. The forest loomed with tall, ancient trees, their branches tangling overhead to form a thick canopy that dappled the light into eerie patterns on the ground.
Luke leaned forward slightly, turning to Rhys, who seemed to know this part of the world better than anyone else in the group.
