----
As the group disappeared into the trees, Fowad finally let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
His mind raced, replaying everything he had seen and heard.
Helena was the daughter of a wealthy family, sent into the forest to train.
She was around his age perhaps a year younger or older, though he couldn't tell for certain.
Her determination to become stronger, despite her privileged background, struck a chord with him.
But her presence in the forest also raised questions. What kind of training was she undergoing?
And why had her family chosen the Sapling Forest, of all places a place so dangerous that even experienced tamers struggled to survive?
Fowad frowned, his fingers unconsciously tightening around the hilt of his knife. He couldn't afford to let his guard down.
Helena and her group might not pose an immediate threat, but their presence in the forest was a reminder that he wasn't alone and that others could stumble upon his secrets if he wasn't careful.
---
He decided it was time to leave, Fowad turned and began making his way back through the forest, Foxy padding silently at his side.
Fattey, who had been unusually quiet throughout the ordeal, chirped softly and fluttered onto Fowad's shoulder, his small body warm against the cold.
"We'll need to be more careful from now on," Fowad murmured, glancing down at Foxy. "If they can navigate this deep into the forest, who's to say others won't?"
Foxy gave a quiet bark of agreement, her sharp eyes scanning their surroundings as they moved.
---
As they reached a safe distance, Fowad paused, turning to look back in the direction Helena and her group had gone.
He couldn't shake the feeling that their paths might cross again, whether he wanted them to or not.
For now, though, he had other priorities. His training was far from complete, and the forest still held countless dangers and mysteries waiting to be unraveled.
With a deep breath, Fowad squared his shoulders and continued onward, his companions close at his side.
The Sapling Forest was his domain, and he wasn't about to let anyone human or beast drive him away.
---
The morning after the encounter with Helena's group dawned quietly.
Fowad sat perched high in a tree, watching through the gaps in the leaves as the group began packing their supplies.
The soldiers moved efficiently, their movements deliberate as they dismantled their temporary camp.
Helena stood apart from them, her expression clouded with a mixture of frustration and lingering curiosity.
Fowad stayed hidden, his sharp eyes tracking every motion.
He hadn't forgotten what he had overheard the previous day: they were leaving the Sapling Forest.
Though this meant they were no immediate threat to him, the nagging curiosity about their purpose in the forest still burned at the back of his mind.
His attention shifted to a table near the center of the camp, where several scrolls and a worn leather map lay spread out.
The guards occasionally glanced at the table as they moved, but they were too preoccupied with their tasks to pay it much mind.
"A map…" Fowad whispered under his breath, his fingers tightening around the bark of the tree.
He didn't know the forest's layout beyond what he had explored on his own, and a map could be invaluable for navigating deeper regions or finding his way out entirely.
If he could get his hands on it, he might finally be able to locate places of interest, including the village where he had once lived with his father.
---
Fowad waited patiently, his muscles tense as he assessed the situation. Timing would be everything.
The guards were still busy, but as the camp grew more organized, he knew it wouldn't be long before they packed away the map.
He glanced at Foxy, who was crouched silently beside him, her intelligent eyes locked on the camp.
With a quick gesture, he signaled her to stay hidden. Fattey, perched on his shoulder, chirped softly in protest, but Fowad gave him a sharp look.
"Not this time, Fattey," he murmured.
The bird tilted his head, his feathers puffing up indignantly, but he remained still as Fowad descended the tree.
Moving like a shadow, Fowad crept closer to the camp, using the cover of the thick underbrush to mask his approach.
His heart pounded in his chest, but he kept his breathing steady, his movements deliberate and silent.
As he neared the table, he paused, watching the nearest guard carefully.
The man turned to help another soldier with a heavy pack, leaving the map momentarily unguarded.
Fowad seized the opportunity, darting forward and snatching the map with practiced ease.
He didn't linger. Folding the map quickly, he slipped back into the shadows, retracing his path to the tree where Foxy and Fattey waited.
---
Back in the safety of the forest canopy, Fowad unfurled the map, his eyes scanning the markings with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
It was more detailed than he had hoped, showing not only the layout of the Sapling Forest but also paths leading to nearby villages and a distant city.
His breath hitched as he spotted a familiar name: Sapling Village, the place where he had lived with his father before they had fled into the forest.
His fingers traced the route leading there, memories flooding back of simpler times, of safety and routine.
The map also revealed areas of the forest he had never explored.
Some were marked with warnings symbols of danger and notes about high-level beasts while others showed potential safe zones and hidden paths.
"This is more than I expected," Fowad murmured, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "With this, we can go anywhere."
Fattey chirped excitedly, hopping onto the map and pecking at one of the marked trails.
Foxy nuzzled his side, her tails swishing softly as if sensing his optimism.
Fowad's gaze drifted to another marking near the edge of the forest, close to a clearing.
His chest tightened as he recognized the location it was where he had last seen his father, lying injured after their fateful encounter with the bounty hunter and the unknown beast.
Fowad thinks. I didn't see the beast which was after us that time.
He regrets and thinks, Only if I could see the wild beast.....
---