Time took on less and less meaning as Kai pressed deeper into the forest, propelled by a sensation he could not define. The villagers barely took notice of his absence, and for the very first time in his life, he felt grateful for this. He was far more akin to the trees and the shadows than he had ever been to others. Here, he was not "the Marked Boy" but something else, though he knew not what it was.
Every morning, at the first streaks of dawn, he would get up, and instantly his head was clear, his senses sharp. He almost had the feeling of his tuning to the rhythm of the wood, aware of all life in it. He never carried traps or arms with him; he simply didn't need them. Animals that crossed his path showed acquaintance with him, passed by not hastily but comfortably, as if on mutual agreement.
On the fourth day, Kai walked a path of wild ferns and twisting roots. He felt that now- familiar prickle at the back of his mind. The woods fell silent, and the air felt strange, tight with a presaged violence. He slowed his pace, peering between the trees. There was something close, something very old and very strong, and it was watching him.
He reached for the amulet Lena had given him and pressed it against his chest. Its warmth took hold of him, calming him. He closed his eyes to the treetops above and breathed deeply, waiting. The forest fell silent with him, deeper than a hush, like he was inside it.
Then he saw her.
At first, she seemed more of a flicker, a shadow merged with the mist. As she came closer, though, it defined itself into clear detail: a female form in loose, brown robes, the shadows of her hair framing a face like something whittled out of the woods themselves. Her eyes, piercing and green as the deepest moss, showed a strange sadness.
"Kai," she said-her voice soft and yet distinct, the trees seemed to be talking through her.
He blinked. His heartbeat quickened. "Who are you?"
She smiled, a small sad curve of her lips. "I am that which has been left of those who came before," she replied while her voice was as soft as the breeze rustling the leaves. "I am a memory, a guide-a part of the forest, attached to its heart.
A chill ran down his spine as he felt this. Stories of spirits that remained in the forest, voices of people long gone-he had heard but never believed them until now.
Why are you here?" he asked in a voice little above a whisper.
She turned her head; her eyes went soft. "I am here to watch over you, Kai. To prepare you."
"Prepare me for what?
A path few are even able to see," she said, and a light of secrecy shone in her eyes. "A path you are supposed to pursue. One your mother desired you to find.
The mention of his mother stirred deep inside, memories he would not want to remember. "You knew her?" he asked hoarsely with longing.
She nodded, her face clouding for a moment. "She was a part of this place, like you are now. Her spirit joined with the roots of the forest, as yours will one day. She was under the impression you would carry on her work, that you would understand what she meant when she believed herself to be a part of the forest.
Kai swallowed, trying to digest her words: always knowing he was different, to have his mother have a purpose other than Elderwood, to have left a legacy to follow-just all a bit too much.
"What… what was she working on?" he half dared to ask.
The look on the woman's face softened, and the sadness crept in. "She was a guardian, a healer; she traveled the old paths, healing whoever was in need, caring about the secrets of the forest. Yet there dangers were hers too. There are powers, Kai, able to have dominion and try to cut that tie between people and the forest. Your mother knew how to preserve that balance, and she gave her life to protect that.
Kai felt his chest tighten as pride and sadness started to grow inside him. He had always wondered at his mother's silent strength, why she would stay in this forest even when it meant being alone. Now, he got it. She wasn't stuck by her bond, but she welcomed it.
Her hand came closer, indeed, to his scarred cheek: "This mark," she whispered, her fingers almost touching his skin, "represents that bond-a reminder of her gift to you. She wanted it to help you when the time came.
He'd felt her warmth, though she hadn't touched him. It was a ghostly touch that lingered on long after she drew her hand away. He had wanted to ask more questions about his mother's legacy, but suddenly the woman started to flicker and faded back into the mist.
"Wait!" he called, reaching out instinctively.
She turned then, and the softness in her features whispered her words as low: "Believe in the bond, Kai. Listen to the forest. It will guide you.
With that, she was gone, leaving him in his loneliness again.
The meeting had remained in his head as he kept hearing her words while going back to his hut. The days that followed, he had spent just walking in the forest, feeling life around him: the trees seemed to speak to him, and messages were held in the rustling of leaves that he partly comprehended.
One evening as he sat by his fire, he gazed at the shadows at the edge of the clearing; the Shadow Wolf was something he perceived, yet tonight it seemed closer, almost as if it waited for him.
He took a deep breath and rose, pressing into the darkness, aware of everything around him. The wolf emerged into this small pool of light, his silver eyes brilliant with acute intelligence. It moved noiselessly, its dark fur blending with the night, and yet its glance, as it regarded him, was soft.
Kai, the wolf's voice rumbled in his head, low and strong, as if emerging from the very core of the ground.
He swallowed, feeling a surge of emotions he couldn't name. "You… you're real."
His head tilted and came back up, showing understanding. "As real as the bond you have," he said quietly, a low growl in his mind, "and I must protect anyone who travels this path.". In the same instant, a great wave of gratitude washed over Kai, along with an iron determination: he didn't know what his purpose was, just that there was this creature, this guardian, here to see him through.
"Can you help me?" he asked in a very low tone.
The wolf did not appear so fearsome, and he felt comforted-like a warmth spreading inside him. "Yes. But the journey will be hard. There are risks, powers that want to break the bond you have.
Kai nodded, feeling a quiet strength settle within him. "I'm ready. For whatever comes."
The wolf watched him for a few moments, then nodded. "Then let's begin."
With a sweep of its tail, the wolf turned and pulled him deep within the darkness. Kai followed, heart racing and pounding, yet he moved steadily forward.
The woods opened before them, the shadows racing away from them as they walked, revealing pathways he had never seen before. They walked in silence, the companionship of the wolf a comforting presence within the shifting shadows. Kai felt the hum of the forest around him, the life within every green leaf, every stem, every whisper of air.
It is as if he had never known it before-the sharpness of his senses, the connection to gentle patterns in nature. As they walked, the wolf suddenly stopped, his ears up and his eyes glinting in the dark. Kai followed his gaze to a figure standing in the shadows-some creature he did not know.
It was tall and lean, its skin seeming to take on the aspect of rough stone, while its eyes shined like polished onyx. He leaned his head to the side, as if in acknowledgment of the wolf, then nodded toward Kai.
"You walk with a guardian," he said, his voice soft and melodious. "That is a special bond. A little fear grasped Kai but he calmed himself and looked directly into the face of the creature.
"Who are you?" A small smile curled his lips. "I am one who watches and waits," he replied mysteriously.
"And I have waited a very long time for one such as yourself. He turned and vanished into the fog before he could further his questioning, therefore leaving him with more questions than he had initially sought answers for. He looked into the wolf's eyes and found some understanding therein.
"There are many who are watching," the wolf said softly, "and not all of them wish good things. Be careful, Kai. What you have there is a blessing and a weight. Kai nodded, feeling the importance in the wolf's words.
Many secrets lay within the forest, deeper into which he knew his journey was only just beginning. But with the Shadow Wolf standing beside him, he felt a strength he had never known existed, one he knew he would continue to need in the trials before him.