Ceel awoke before the sun. His stomach felt empty—well, it was empty—and his throat was dry and scratchy. Quickly, he gobbled down some 더 많이 berries and took a quick swig from the bottle, promising to himself that he would pay back the elf as soon as possible.
Remembering what Myrtal had said about finding the edge of the forest, he fluttered up into the air, deciding he would find a quick way to get there. As he flew, however, the air grew thin and dry. He was struggling to breathe when he glanced down and saw that he could find no end.
He could make out a queer part of the woods, though. The trees were sparse and leafless, from what he could see, and although most of the forest’s ground was covered with thick underbrush, this part’s looked mucky and brown.
Ceel tried to climb higher, try to figure out what this strange place was, but the air pressure was too high. Grimacing from the pain in his lungs, the faerie shot downwards.
“Ceel!” he recognized Myrtal’s voice calling him. “Damn you, Ceel! Where are you?”
Ceel sought him out and zoomed down towards him, picking up speed as he neared the ground. He almost collided with Myrtal’s brunette head, though the elf managed to jump out of the way in time.
“What is wrong with you?” the elf cried, his eyes flashing. “I thought maybe—maybe!—here’s one faerie who’s not an idiot. But now 당신 nearly kill yourself and me!”
“Sorry,” Ceel said rather timidly. It had seemed a fragile friendship had been forming between himself and Myrtal, and now he had ruined that 의해 trying to help.
Myrtal sighed. “It’s fine. I thought I had 로스트 you, that’s all.” He grinned a little. “Who would carry the 음식 then?” he joked, tossing Ceel the bag of victuals.
Ceel caught it. “Thanks.”
Myrtal raised a thin, pale eyebrow. “For what?”
Ceel shrugged. He was just happy that Myrtal wasn’t mad at him.
Myrtal looked at him with a curious half smile. What a strange creature. Flying around on those strange clear wings and now thanking him for nothing. He shook his head and checked to see where the sun was. It was peeping over the trees in front of him, so he headed towards it, to the east.
“What where 당신 doing up there, anyhow?” Myrtal asked.
Ceel fluttered into the air and flew after him. “Trying to find the edge of the woods. Didn’t see anything, though. Just some weird brown patch up ahead.”
Myrtal’s brow wrinkled. “How far until we get there?”
Ceel shrugged. “Not quite sure. A mile 또는 two, perhaps?”
“Then we’ll reach it today,” Myrtal said. “We should find it sometime after the 다음 hour.”
They did find it. It only took half an hour, contrary to Myrtal’s prediction. What they discovered was a large, marshy swamp, barren of all trees but dead, blackened ones with miserable-looking hawks sitting on the branches, peering down at the two figures below them.
Myrtal looked up at the hawks, squinting against the yellow sun. One of them cocked a bald head and stared back at him with clear, copper eyes.
The elf took and 칼, 나이프 out of his jacket, wound up, and threw it. The 칼, 나이프 buried itself in the hawk’s chest. The bird spread its wings, as if to take off, but instead toppled into the swamp.
Myrtal plucked the bird out of the thick muck. “Dinner,” he said. “If we can start a fire, at least.”
“What?” Ceel asked. “We have food! There’s no reason to kill it!”
Myrtal snatched the bag from Ceel and peered in. “Hm. We have a few squished berries, three wild onions, half a fish, and two apples. Three, counting the one in my pack.” He looked up at Ceel. “That seems hardly enough for both lunch and dinner, but if 당신 think we can fare, feel free to eat this instead of this poor bird. I prefer to be full, however.”
“The bird’s already dead. There’s no reason for me not to eat it,” Ceel pointed out.
The elf ignored him and kept walking. He was starting to think he may regret bringing Ceel along.
“Something moved,” the irritable faerie exclaimed.
“Probably just some old toad,” Myrtal said without turning around.
Ceel flew up in front of him. “I’ve never seen a toad bigger than me before.”
Myrtal sighed. “Where’s this giant toad?”
Ceel pointed over Myrtal’s shoulder.
Myrtal sighed again and turned around.
A large lump rose out of the marsh. It was a bit toad-like; hunched over and brown, but its dark eyes had an intelligent spark in them, and it was grinning a little. A sword was grasped in its long, claw-like fingers.
Without warning, the ‘toad’ attacked.
It—or he, as Myrtal had come to think of it—lunged forward, swinging the sword. With a yelp, Ceel fluttered up in the air. Myrtal ducked under the blade quickly, out of instinct.
The toad brought the blade down. Myrtal rolled out of the way, reaching into his 재킷, 자 켓 for a knife. They were, in actuality, throwing knives, but he couldn’t be picky now.
The blade of his 칼, 나이프 clanged against the sword. Myrtal retreated a little, and circled, crouched, ready for the 다음 attack.
The sword arced out. Myrtal jumped back, ducked under the blade, and came up 다음 to the handle. He raised his knife, meaning to cut the toad’s hand off.
“Myrtal!” he heard the faerie call a warning.
The blade came back around towards him. Without thinking, Myrtal sprang into the air and over the sword, flipping around to keep his balance. He hit the ground lighter than he had expected, rolling to break the fall.
“Wow,” the toad said.
Myrtal turned to face it.
“I had known elves were quick, but…” the toad shook its brown head and made a whistling noise, then paused. “You are an elf?”
“Yes,” Myrtal said cautiously. He was still crouched, should the creature attack.
The toad lowered his sword. “I’m a goblin. Name’s Crescent.”
From what Myrtal knew of goblin names, Crescent was feminine, but he wasn’t quite sure. “Isn’t that a boy name?” he asked, too late realizing if it was a boy, it would have sounded like he thought he was a girl.
“No.” The goblin shook its head. “I’m a girl.” She smiled then. Myrtal noticed she had mud-caked locks hanging from her scalp. They looked brown, but he couldn’t be sure.
“Come down here, Ceel,” Myrtal said, watching the goblin cautiously.
Ceel fluttered down and took his place 다음 to Myrtal.
“Let’s go,” Myrtal said, turning and starting to walk away.
“I could show 당신 the way out,” Crescent called. “If that’s where you’re going.”
“We’ll be fine,” Myrtal called back to her.
Ceel nodded and stepped off of a log and into some thick muck. Instantly, the mud dragged him under, leaving only his hands poking up and waving frantically.
Myrtal moaned, gripped the small, pale hands, and pulled Ceel back up onto his log. The faerie whimpered unhappily, surveying his mud covered wings.
“You sure 당신 don’t want a little help?” Crescent called after them.
“A little might be nice,” Ceel said.
They looked at the elf, who sighed heavily.
“Fine.”
Crescent smiled. “Okay. Just tell me where 당신 want to go.”
So that was how when Old Grevins poked his head out of the cool muck to see what was making so much noise, he saw that troublemaker girl Crescent from over the cattails, a strange creature with straight brunette hair, who was complaining loudly, and a small little thing with some mud covered thing drooping from his back, which he kept looking back at forlornly.
Strange, Grevins thought. What’s that on his back? Some kind of weird bag of something?
“And then Crescent had to go and attack and I dropped the hawk,” the brunette said crossly, breaking into his thoughts. “And I’m assuming that Ceel went and 로스트 the 음식 when he fell into the mud.”
The small one with the strange thing on his back looked at the ground, shamefaced.
Ceel, Old Grevins thought. Elf name, isn’t it? No, no, elves are taller than that. Nymph, perhaps? He paused, thinking. No, the Nymphs have Sæl 또는 something. Faerie! Grevins smiled triumphantly. Of course, it’s a faerie. The little thing on its back must be wings!
Grevins sniffed the air. A nice, nourished faerie. Old Grevins smiled again. Just the kind he liked to munch on.
Goblins do 사랑 a good faerie. Not the brown ones. The black ones like Grevins. Black goblins 사랑 faerie. It’s a delicacy, and not one they get often.
Old Grevins slipped out from under the log and paddled quietly after the trio, sliding his sword, Death Biter, into its sheath.
The elf—Turtle, Crescent thought, 또는 something like that—fell silent in the middle of his complaint that the mud kept almost pulling his boots off of his feet. The goblin looked at him.
“Why the sudden silence?” she asked, grinning.
Turtle was standing still, tilting his ears back, the way they had come from. “Do 당신 hear anything?”
Crescent listened. “Nope,” she said, though she didn’t really trust her dull goblin’s ears.
The faerie stopped, too, listening intently. Through what Crescent had heard of his and Turtle’s conversations, she had learned that his name was Ceel.
“I hear it, too,” Ceel said. “Oh, never mind. It’s gone now.”
Turtle shook his head. “Just because we can’t hear it doesn’t mean it’s gone.”
“Right. It only means it probably is.” Ceel continued on his way. Every once in a while his wings would flutter limply, then droop back down, remembering that they couldn’t lift the faerie caked in mud.
“Turtle,” Crescent called to the elf.
Ceel burst into laughter. Crescent stared at him.
“Turtle!” Ceel gasped out. “I’m gonna call 당신 터틀, 거북 from now on!” His little body shook with mirth.
The elf rolled his eyes, scowling.
“Your name’s not Turtle?” Crescent asked.
“Why on earth would my name be Turtle?” he asked, exasperated.
“Myrtal,” Ceel said, still giggling. “His name’s Myrtal.”
“Oh. Sorry,” Crescent apologized, embarrassed. “Uh…what did it sound like?”
“What did what sound like?” Myrtal asked.
“That thing 당신 heard. What did it sound like?”
Myrtal shrugged. “Someone swimming.” He paused. “There it is again.”
“Let’s hurry,” Ceel said, quickening his pace. “Whatever it is, we don’t know whether 또는 not it’s dangerous, and if it is, I don’t want to be around.” His wings did the limp fluttering thing again. “Especially when there’s no way to escape,” he sighed.
“You’ll be fine,” Myrtal said. “You have a weapon, don’t you?”
Ceel pulled a long 칼, 나이프 from his belt. Crescent gave an appreciative whistle.
“Nice and long,” she said. The goblin ran her finger across the blade. “Sharp, too. 당신 could use that in hand-to-hand combat.”
Ceel smiled and slid the 칼, 나이프 back into his belt. “How much farther till we’re out of here?”
Crescent shrugged. “I never measured. It’s about four 또는 five 더 많이 miles. We may have to sleep here.”
“What do 당신 eat?” Myrtal asked. He hadn’t had breakfast, and his hunger was making him irritable—at least 더 많이 irritable than he usually was.
“Fish. Hawks. Frogs. Things like that.”
Myrtal cocked his head, curious. “Frogs?”
Crescent gave him a look. “Don’t 당신 have frogs where 당신 live?”
Myrtal shook his head. “Not as far as I know.”
Crescent glanced around, then pounced into the muck. When she came up, she had a small, green animal cupped in her hands.
“This is a frog.” She held it up. “They’re okay raw, but we like to cook them.” She broke the frog’s neck with a twist of her hands and stuffed the dead body into her pocket.
“How do 당신 cook it?” Myrtal asked.
“Fire.” Crescent continued walking.
Myrtal’s brow wrinkled. “You can start a 불, 화재 here?”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Crescent gestured to a small strip of land off to their left. “Those are dry enough cook on.”
“Well, let’s eat, then,” Myrtal said. He pulled a 칼, 나이프 out of his 재킷, 자 켓 and used it to fell another hawk.
The three of them clambered up onto the land. Myrtal hurried around, gathering all the dry wood he could find, and dumped it on the ground. The threesome ringed the wood with some stones, then Crescent dug a flint stone out of their pocket and struck it, holding it to the wood. The flame flared up and light. Crescent blew on it gently. It roared, then settled into tranquility.
“There,” Crescent said satisfactorily, holding her bumpy hands over the 불, 화재 to warm them.
Ceel set about crafting a makeshift spittle out of some sharp sticks, which he used to cook the hawk on. When Myrtal claimed it was done, Ceel removed it and carved it with his knife.
Myrtal snatched a piece and bit into it, not waiting for the others. His eyes widened appreciatively.
“I thought it would be stringy,” he said. “I’ve never had hawk before.” The elf tore off another piece with his teeth.
Ceel took a nibble of his slice. “Is it just me, 또는 is someone watching us?” he asked, a nervous expression crossing his face.
“Just you,” Myrtal said, taking another portion of the hawk.
Ceel looked at Crescent for confirmation. She nodded.
“I really don’t think anyone’s watching us, Ceel,” she said.
“Alright…I just feel like someone’s here.” Ceel’s brown eyes darted back and forth, searching the bog for signs of life.
Myrtal bit into the 사과, 애플 he had stuffed into his pack. “It’s fine, Ceel. You’re just getting paranoid.”
“I didn’t know elves ate that much,” Crescent marveled, watching the creature devour the 사과, 애플 in seconds.
Myrtal glared at her. “I didn’t have breakfast and I’ve been walking for at least an hour. Do 당신 expect me to eat a slice of hawk and be full?” He studied a small shrub covered in bright red berries. “Are these edible?”
Crescent looked a bit amused. “They’re edible, as long as 당신 don’t eat too many. You’ll get a pretty bad stomachache.”
Myrtal plucked a berry of the 부시, 부시 대통령은 and popped it into his mouth. “Anyway, like I was saying, I think you’re just getting paranoid. There’s certainly nothing to be afraid of. Really, Ceel, what would be watching us?”
Ceel shrugged. “King Gerald’s soldiers?”
“Why would they care about us?” Myrtal asked. “Why would they be—” Suddenly he was on his feet, a 칼, 나이프 in his hand. “Did 당신 hear that?”
Ceel fluttered his wings nervously, trying to take off. “Hear what?”
“I thought I heard a rustle 또는 something.” Myrtal sat back down and ate another berry. “You’re making the rest of us nervous, Ceel.” His angled eyebrows knit together in a scowl.
“Sorry,” the faerie said. “Remember, don’t eat to many of them. You’ll get sick.”
Myrtal waved a hand dismissively and ate some 더 많이 berries.
“Maybe Ceel’s right,” Crescent said worriedly. “I mean, 당신 both heard something twice. And I could’ve sworn I heard something too, that time.”
“Eh, it’s nothing,” Myrtal said. “He’s just making us jumpy, like I said.”
“Either way, let’s get a 옮기기 on,” Crescent said, dousing the 불, 화재 with swamp water. “I’d rather not risk it.”
That evening wasn’t the most pleasant. They were all weary and footsore from walking, but both Ceel and Myrtal refused to sleep in a swamp, so they kept walking. Furthermore, Myrtal had gotten a stomachache from the berries, despite both Crescent and Ceel’s repeated warnings. He grumbled as he walked, and snapped at Ceel whenever the poor faerie announced that he had heard someone following them again.
Much to Myrtal and Ceel’s relief, they soon reached the edge of the swamp, however. They clambered out of it.
“Let’s find somewhere to sleep,” Ceel suggested. He hurried forward, searching for a comfortable-looking place to 침대 down.
Myrtal nodded, his arms crossed tightly over his stomach. Crescent gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. The elf glared at her and shook her off angrily.
“Here’s a good place!” Ceel called back to them. “It’s got a stream and everything!”
Crescent and Myrtal followed his voice into a small clearing. It was surrounded 의해 trees, and, like Ceel had said, it did have a stream. The faerie was sitting 의해 it, kicking his legs happily.
“Now I can wash my wings off,” he said, looking up as they came over. A brief frown crossed his face. “Of course, I won’t be able to fly until they dry off. Oh well.” He shrugged and starting to rinse off the mud.
Myrtal and Crescent set about the task of building a fire. It took a while, and 의해 the time they were done, Ceel had not only cleaned his wings but his entire body. He sat down 의해 the 불, 화재 to dry.
“I can clean your boots if you’d like,” Ceel offered to Myrtal.
“Why would it matter if my boots are clean?” Myrtal asked.
Ceel shrugged and turned to Crescent. “How long does it take for the berries effect to wear off?” he asked her, thinking that feeling well might improve the elf’s foul temper, if only a little.
She shrugged. “Usually until 당신 throw up.”
“Very funny,” Myrtal growled.
“No, I’m serious. Wait and see,” Crescent said. Her face showed no sign of a joke.
Myrtal’s eyes widened slightly. Ceel scooted away from him.
“So, have 당신 two heard anything recently?” Crescent said, leaning 앞으로 to look at them. The dancing, weaving flames made her face look strange and foreign.
Ceel hesitated. “Well, I heard a bit in the swamp. Not really since we left it. Maybe they’re gone?” he said hopefully.
Crescent nodded. “Maybe they’re gone; maybe they were never there. Either way, we don’t have to worry about them anymore.”
Myrtal stood abruptly and disappeared behind a tree. Ceel heard retching sounds from behind it. He grimaced a little.
“Now he’ll start complaining about an empty stomach,” Crescent said, prodding the 불, 화재 with a nearby stick.
Ceel almost defended his strange half-friend, but realized that if he said Crescent was wrong it would probably be a lie.
Myrtal came out from behind the 나무, 트리 and plopped down in front of the fire. His face was pale.
“Told you,” Crescent said, a bit unwisely.
Myrtal’s quick fingers snatched a hot ember from the 불, 화재 and tossed it into her hair. She yelped and shook it out.
“Do 당신 know what that stuff does to goblin skin?” she demanded.
“I imagine that it burns it, same as everyone else’s,” Myrtal said, rather smugly.
She huffed. “It’s worse for goblins.” Crescent sat back down and prodded the 불, 화재 again. “I guess I won’t make snide remarks at 당신 anymore. After all, that’s your job, isn’t it?” she grinned at him.
Myrtal would indeed have liked to make a rather snide remark at that comment, but watching the 불, 화재 bob and flicker slowly, he felt almost too exhausted to even open his mouth, let alone think of something to say. He let himself fall sideways onto the ground, where his eyes closed involuntarily.
“He looks much nicer when he’s sleeping, don’t 당신 think?” he heard Crescent ask.
His hand shot out and cuffed her across the face.
“Ouch,” Crescent said. He could hear the smile in her voice. “I guess he isn’t.”
Myrtal turned away from them and curled into the fetal position. He heard someone get up, then the sizzle of the fire. The warmth on his back ceased. Someone lay down 다음 to him.
The elf smiled a little and let himself drift away.
Grevins was mad.
He was mad because the 분 he had stepped out of the swamp, he had tripped over a 나무, 트리 root. His sword had flown out of its sheath (which it wasn’t supposed to do), and he had spent at least ten 분 searching through the brush for it only to find it stuck it the root he had tripped over. Angrily, he had pulled it out, taken three steps, and fallen down a dwarf hole, which meant he had to climb all the way back up 또는 talk the short little rock obsessed beasts into showing him the way out. He chose climbing, and his fingers were raw from the ascending.
So it was quite a lucky break when, a few hours later, he poked his head out of a briar 부시, 부시 대통령은 to find not only the faerie, but all three of the little creatures snuggled around a used 불, 화재 pit.
Old Grevins smiled gleefully. “Oh, perfect,” he said to himself. “Perfect, perfect, perfect.” As quietly as he could, the unpleasant goblin scuttled over to the faerie and placed Death Biter on his pale, exposed throat.
Just when he was about to sink the blade into him, he noticed something shining on the other end of the sword.
Eyes, he realized. Too late, however; the creature’s small legs curled up and kicked Grevins back into the thorn bush.
The strange brunette creature was up on his feet in a minute. “What was that? What happened?”
The faerie shook his head, his eyes wild. “I’m not really sure. I woke up, and there was a blade on my throat, and I kicked whatever was holding it into the thorn bush.” He pointed to the shrub in question.
Grevins shrank farther back.
The brunette took a 칼, 나이프 from his jacket, pulled it back, and threw. It thunked into a 나무, 트리 의해 Grevins’ head, quivering.
Old Grevins took the 칼, 나이프 and aimed at the faerie. Unaccustomed to throwing knives, he missed 의해 a few feet and ended up catching the brunette in the leg. He howled.
That troublesome goblin girl was on her feet in a moment. Crescent, wasn’t it? Yes, Crescent. 또는 maybe it was Full. Full moon, Crescent moon…Grevins paused, trying to remember.
“What’s wrong?” the girl asked.
The brunette shook his head and pulled the 칼, 나이프 out of his thigh. The faerie pressed his hands to his bleeding leg.
Old Grevins looked at the sky. Crescent moon tonight. So the girl’s name was Crescent. Pleased with this logic, he returned his attention to the scene before him.
“Someone was following us,” the faerie was saying. “I woke up and there was a blade to my throat, so I kicked whoever was holding it in the bushes.” He pointed to the brunette. “Also, he threw a 칼, 나이프 into Myrtal’s leg.”
Myrtal. The boy’s name was Myrtal. Grevins made a mental note to remember that.
Crescent peered at the wound. “Uh…is that, 당신 know, survivable?”
The faerie nodded. “I’ll fix it. Wait here.” The winged creature disappeared into the underbrush, coming back a 분 later with his hands full of a purplish flower. “Crush these up and smear it on. It’ll stop the bleeding and prevent infection.”
Grevins had forgotten that faeries knew a lot in the ways of medicine. He would have to inflict a wound that meant instant death. Otherwise the faerie would go and heal himself!
Myrtal yelped as the faerie applied the 꽃 to the wound.
“Sorry,” the faerie said meekly. “It stings for a minute. It better now?”
Myrtal nodded and rubbed his leg, then tentatively took a step.
“Careful,” Crescent said.
“I know,” Myrtal said. “I’m fine.” He picked up a small pack lying 의해 the 불, 화재 pit. “Let’s go.”
Crescent nodded and paddled across the stream. Myrtal refilled the water bottle and leapt to the other side. He turned when he reach the bank.
“Ceel! 당신 coming?”
Ceel glanced back at the bushes, then flew across after them.
“We’ll need to find somewhere else to sleep,” Myrtal said unhappily. “And I’m hungry again.”
Ceel recalled something Crescent had said about Myrtal complaining of an empty stomach.
“Do we have any hawk left?” Ceel asked.
The elf dug into the pack and searched around. “No. What happened to it all?”
“I believe 당신 ate it,” Crescent said, grinning. Myrtal said and closed the pack.
“So you’re absolutely certain that they were holding a blade to your throat?” Myrtal asked of Ceel.
“Unless it was Crescent, than yes,” he responded, looking over his shoulder nervously. “You think they’re still following us?”
Myrtal shrugged and, just like Grevins had done hours ago, fell down a dwarf hole.
Remembering what Myrtal had said about finding the edge of the forest, he fluttered up into the air, deciding he would find a quick way to get there. As he flew, however, the air grew thin and dry. He was struggling to breathe when he glanced down and saw that he could find no end.
He could make out a queer part of the woods, though. The trees were sparse and leafless, from what he could see, and although most of the forest’s ground was covered with thick underbrush, this part’s looked mucky and brown.
Ceel tried to climb higher, try to figure out what this strange place was, but the air pressure was too high. Grimacing from the pain in his lungs, the faerie shot downwards.
“Ceel!” he recognized Myrtal’s voice calling him. “Damn you, Ceel! Where are you?”
Ceel sought him out and zoomed down towards him, picking up speed as he neared the ground. He almost collided with Myrtal’s brunette head, though the elf managed to jump out of the way in time.
“What is wrong with you?” the elf cried, his eyes flashing. “I thought maybe—maybe!—here’s one faerie who’s not an idiot. But now 당신 nearly kill yourself and me!”
“Sorry,” Ceel said rather timidly. It had seemed a fragile friendship had been forming between himself and Myrtal, and now he had ruined that 의해 trying to help.
Myrtal sighed. “It’s fine. I thought I had 로스트 you, that’s all.” He grinned a little. “Who would carry the 음식 then?” he joked, tossing Ceel the bag of victuals.
Ceel caught it. “Thanks.”
Myrtal raised a thin, pale eyebrow. “For what?”
Ceel shrugged. He was just happy that Myrtal wasn’t mad at him.
Myrtal looked at him with a curious half smile. What a strange creature. Flying around on those strange clear wings and now thanking him for nothing. He shook his head and checked to see where the sun was. It was peeping over the trees in front of him, so he headed towards it, to the east.
“What where 당신 doing up there, anyhow?” Myrtal asked.
Ceel fluttered into the air and flew after him. “Trying to find the edge of the woods. Didn’t see anything, though. Just some weird brown patch up ahead.”
Myrtal’s brow wrinkled. “How far until we get there?”
Ceel shrugged. “Not quite sure. A mile 또는 two, perhaps?”
“Then we’ll reach it today,” Myrtal said. “We should find it sometime after the 다음 hour.”
They did find it. It only took half an hour, contrary to Myrtal’s prediction. What they discovered was a large, marshy swamp, barren of all trees but dead, blackened ones with miserable-looking hawks sitting on the branches, peering down at the two figures below them.
Myrtal looked up at the hawks, squinting against the yellow sun. One of them cocked a bald head and stared back at him with clear, copper eyes.
The elf took and 칼, 나이프 out of his jacket, wound up, and threw it. The 칼, 나이프 buried itself in the hawk’s chest. The bird spread its wings, as if to take off, but instead toppled into the swamp.
Myrtal plucked the bird out of the thick muck. “Dinner,” he said. “If we can start a fire, at least.”
“What?” Ceel asked. “We have food! There’s no reason to kill it!”
Myrtal snatched the bag from Ceel and peered in. “Hm. We have a few squished berries, three wild onions, half a fish, and two apples. Three, counting the one in my pack.” He looked up at Ceel. “That seems hardly enough for both lunch and dinner, but if 당신 think we can fare, feel free to eat this instead of this poor bird. I prefer to be full, however.”
“The bird’s already dead. There’s no reason for me not to eat it,” Ceel pointed out.
The elf ignored him and kept walking. He was starting to think he may regret bringing Ceel along.
“Something moved,” the irritable faerie exclaimed.
“Probably just some old toad,” Myrtal said without turning around.
Ceel flew up in front of him. “I’ve never seen a toad bigger than me before.”
Myrtal sighed. “Where’s this giant toad?”
Ceel pointed over Myrtal’s shoulder.
Myrtal sighed again and turned around.
A large lump rose out of the marsh. It was a bit toad-like; hunched over and brown, but its dark eyes had an intelligent spark in them, and it was grinning a little. A sword was grasped in its long, claw-like fingers.
Without warning, the ‘toad’ attacked.
It—or he, as Myrtal had come to think of it—lunged forward, swinging the sword. With a yelp, Ceel fluttered up in the air. Myrtal ducked under the blade quickly, out of instinct.
The toad brought the blade down. Myrtal rolled out of the way, reaching into his 재킷, 자 켓 for a knife. They were, in actuality, throwing knives, but he couldn’t be picky now.
The blade of his 칼, 나이프 clanged against the sword. Myrtal retreated a little, and circled, crouched, ready for the 다음 attack.
The sword arced out. Myrtal jumped back, ducked under the blade, and came up 다음 to the handle. He raised his knife, meaning to cut the toad’s hand off.
“Myrtal!” he heard the faerie call a warning.
The blade came back around towards him. Without thinking, Myrtal sprang into the air and over the sword, flipping around to keep his balance. He hit the ground lighter than he had expected, rolling to break the fall.
“Wow,” the toad said.
Myrtal turned to face it.
“I had known elves were quick, but…” the toad shook its brown head and made a whistling noise, then paused. “You are an elf?”
“Yes,” Myrtal said cautiously. He was still crouched, should the creature attack.
The toad lowered his sword. “I’m a goblin. Name’s Crescent.”
From what Myrtal knew of goblin names, Crescent was feminine, but he wasn’t quite sure. “Isn’t that a boy name?” he asked, too late realizing if it was a boy, it would have sounded like he thought he was a girl.
“No.” The goblin shook its head. “I’m a girl.” She smiled then. Myrtal noticed she had mud-caked locks hanging from her scalp. They looked brown, but he couldn’t be sure.
“Come down here, Ceel,” Myrtal said, watching the goblin cautiously.
Ceel fluttered down and took his place 다음 to Myrtal.
“Let’s go,” Myrtal said, turning and starting to walk away.
“I could show 당신 the way out,” Crescent called. “If that’s where you’re going.”
“We’ll be fine,” Myrtal called back to her.
Ceel nodded and stepped off of a log and into some thick muck. Instantly, the mud dragged him under, leaving only his hands poking up and waving frantically.
Myrtal moaned, gripped the small, pale hands, and pulled Ceel back up onto his log. The faerie whimpered unhappily, surveying his mud covered wings.
“You sure 당신 don’t want a little help?” Crescent called after them.
“A little might be nice,” Ceel said.
They looked at the elf, who sighed heavily.
“Fine.”
Crescent smiled. “Okay. Just tell me where 당신 want to go.”
So that was how when Old Grevins poked his head out of the cool muck to see what was making so much noise, he saw that troublemaker girl Crescent from over the cattails, a strange creature with straight brunette hair, who was complaining loudly, and a small little thing with some mud covered thing drooping from his back, which he kept looking back at forlornly.
Strange, Grevins thought. What’s that on his back? Some kind of weird bag of something?
“And then Crescent had to go and attack and I dropped the hawk,” the brunette said crossly, breaking into his thoughts. “And I’m assuming that Ceel went and 로스트 the 음식 when he fell into the mud.”
The small one with the strange thing on his back looked at the ground, shamefaced.
Ceel, Old Grevins thought. Elf name, isn’t it? No, no, elves are taller than that. Nymph, perhaps? He paused, thinking. No, the Nymphs have Sæl 또는 something. Faerie! Grevins smiled triumphantly. Of course, it’s a faerie. The little thing on its back must be wings!
Grevins sniffed the air. A nice, nourished faerie. Old Grevins smiled again. Just the kind he liked to munch on.
Goblins do 사랑 a good faerie. Not the brown ones. The black ones like Grevins. Black goblins 사랑 faerie. It’s a delicacy, and not one they get often.
Old Grevins slipped out from under the log and paddled quietly after the trio, sliding his sword, Death Biter, into its sheath.
The elf—Turtle, Crescent thought, 또는 something like that—fell silent in the middle of his complaint that the mud kept almost pulling his boots off of his feet. The goblin looked at him.
“Why the sudden silence?” she asked, grinning.
Turtle was standing still, tilting his ears back, the way they had come from. “Do 당신 hear anything?”
Crescent listened. “Nope,” she said, though she didn’t really trust her dull goblin’s ears.
The faerie stopped, too, listening intently. Through what Crescent had heard of his and Turtle’s conversations, she had learned that his name was Ceel.
“I hear it, too,” Ceel said. “Oh, never mind. It’s gone now.”
Turtle shook his head. “Just because we can’t hear it doesn’t mean it’s gone.”
“Right. It only means it probably is.” Ceel continued on his way. Every once in a while his wings would flutter limply, then droop back down, remembering that they couldn’t lift the faerie caked in mud.
“Turtle,” Crescent called to the elf.
Ceel burst into laughter. Crescent stared at him.
“Turtle!” Ceel gasped out. “I’m gonna call 당신 터틀, 거북 from now on!” His little body shook with mirth.
The elf rolled his eyes, scowling.
“Your name’s not Turtle?” Crescent asked.
“Why on earth would my name be Turtle?” he asked, exasperated.
“Myrtal,” Ceel said, still giggling. “His name’s Myrtal.”
“Oh. Sorry,” Crescent apologized, embarrassed. “Uh…what did it sound like?”
“What did what sound like?” Myrtal asked.
“That thing 당신 heard. What did it sound like?”
Myrtal shrugged. “Someone swimming.” He paused. “There it is again.”
“Let’s hurry,” Ceel said, quickening his pace. “Whatever it is, we don’t know whether 또는 not it’s dangerous, and if it is, I don’t want to be around.” His wings did the limp fluttering thing again. “Especially when there’s no way to escape,” he sighed.
“You’ll be fine,” Myrtal said. “You have a weapon, don’t you?”
Ceel pulled a long 칼, 나이프 from his belt. Crescent gave an appreciative whistle.
“Nice and long,” she said. The goblin ran her finger across the blade. “Sharp, too. 당신 could use that in hand-to-hand combat.”
Ceel smiled and slid the 칼, 나이프 back into his belt. “How much farther till we’re out of here?”
Crescent shrugged. “I never measured. It’s about four 또는 five 더 많이 miles. We may have to sleep here.”
“What do 당신 eat?” Myrtal asked. He hadn’t had breakfast, and his hunger was making him irritable—at least 더 많이 irritable than he usually was.
“Fish. Hawks. Frogs. Things like that.”
Myrtal cocked his head, curious. “Frogs?”
Crescent gave him a look. “Don’t 당신 have frogs where 당신 live?”
Myrtal shook his head. “Not as far as I know.”
Crescent glanced around, then pounced into the muck. When she came up, she had a small, green animal cupped in her hands.
“This is a frog.” She held it up. “They’re okay raw, but we like to cook them.” She broke the frog’s neck with a twist of her hands and stuffed the dead body into her pocket.
“How do 당신 cook it?” Myrtal asked.
“Fire.” Crescent continued walking.
Myrtal’s brow wrinkled. “You can start a 불, 화재 here?”
“Oh, yes, of course.” Crescent gestured to a small strip of land off to their left. “Those are dry enough cook on.”
“Well, let’s eat, then,” Myrtal said. He pulled a 칼, 나이프 out of his 재킷, 자 켓 and used it to fell another hawk.
The three of them clambered up onto the land. Myrtal hurried around, gathering all the dry wood he could find, and dumped it on the ground. The threesome ringed the wood with some stones, then Crescent dug a flint stone out of their pocket and struck it, holding it to the wood. The flame flared up and light. Crescent blew on it gently. It roared, then settled into tranquility.
“There,” Crescent said satisfactorily, holding her bumpy hands over the 불, 화재 to warm them.
Ceel set about crafting a makeshift spittle out of some sharp sticks, which he used to cook the hawk on. When Myrtal claimed it was done, Ceel removed it and carved it with his knife.
Myrtal snatched a piece and bit into it, not waiting for the others. His eyes widened appreciatively.
“I thought it would be stringy,” he said. “I’ve never had hawk before.” The elf tore off another piece with his teeth.
Ceel took a nibble of his slice. “Is it just me, 또는 is someone watching us?” he asked, a nervous expression crossing his face.
“Just you,” Myrtal said, taking another portion of the hawk.
Ceel looked at Crescent for confirmation. She nodded.
“I really don’t think anyone’s watching us, Ceel,” she said.
“Alright…I just feel like someone’s here.” Ceel’s brown eyes darted back and forth, searching the bog for signs of life.
Myrtal bit into the 사과, 애플 he had stuffed into his pack. “It’s fine, Ceel. You’re just getting paranoid.”
“I didn’t know elves ate that much,” Crescent marveled, watching the creature devour the 사과, 애플 in seconds.
Myrtal glared at her. “I didn’t have breakfast and I’ve been walking for at least an hour. Do 당신 expect me to eat a slice of hawk and be full?” He studied a small shrub covered in bright red berries. “Are these edible?”
Crescent looked a bit amused. “They’re edible, as long as 당신 don’t eat too many. You’ll get a pretty bad stomachache.”
Myrtal plucked a berry of the 부시, 부시 대통령은 and popped it into his mouth. “Anyway, like I was saying, I think you’re just getting paranoid. There’s certainly nothing to be afraid of. Really, Ceel, what would be watching us?”
Ceel shrugged. “King Gerald’s soldiers?”
“Why would they care about us?” Myrtal asked. “Why would they be—” Suddenly he was on his feet, a 칼, 나이프 in his hand. “Did 당신 hear that?”
Ceel fluttered his wings nervously, trying to take off. “Hear what?”
“I thought I heard a rustle 또는 something.” Myrtal sat back down and ate another berry. “You’re making the rest of us nervous, Ceel.” His angled eyebrows knit together in a scowl.
“Sorry,” the faerie said. “Remember, don’t eat to many of them. You’ll get sick.”
Myrtal waved a hand dismissively and ate some 더 많이 berries.
“Maybe Ceel’s right,” Crescent said worriedly. “I mean, 당신 both heard something twice. And I could’ve sworn I heard something too, that time.”
“Eh, it’s nothing,” Myrtal said. “He’s just making us jumpy, like I said.”
“Either way, let’s get a 옮기기 on,” Crescent said, dousing the 불, 화재 with swamp water. “I’d rather not risk it.”
That evening wasn’t the most pleasant. They were all weary and footsore from walking, but both Ceel and Myrtal refused to sleep in a swamp, so they kept walking. Furthermore, Myrtal had gotten a stomachache from the berries, despite both Crescent and Ceel’s repeated warnings. He grumbled as he walked, and snapped at Ceel whenever the poor faerie announced that he had heard someone following them again.
Much to Myrtal and Ceel’s relief, they soon reached the edge of the swamp, however. They clambered out of it.
“Let’s find somewhere to sleep,” Ceel suggested. He hurried forward, searching for a comfortable-looking place to 침대 down.
Myrtal nodded, his arms crossed tightly over his stomach. Crescent gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. The elf glared at her and shook her off angrily.
“Here’s a good place!” Ceel called back to them. “It’s got a stream and everything!”
Crescent and Myrtal followed his voice into a small clearing. It was surrounded 의해 trees, and, like Ceel had said, it did have a stream. The faerie was sitting 의해 it, kicking his legs happily.
“Now I can wash my wings off,” he said, looking up as they came over. A brief frown crossed his face. “Of course, I won’t be able to fly until they dry off. Oh well.” He shrugged and starting to rinse off the mud.
Myrtal and Crescent set about the task of building a fire. It took a while, and 의해 the time they were done, Ceel had not only cleaned his wings but his entire body. He sat down 의해 the 불, 화재 to dry.
“I can clean your boots if you’d like,” Ceel offered to Myrtal.
“Why would it matter if my boots are clean?” Myrtal asked.
Ceel shrugged and turned to Crescent. “How long does it take for the berries effect to wear off?” he asked her, thinking that feeling well might improve the elf’s foul temper, if only a little.
She shrugged. “Usually until 당신 throw up.”
“Very funny,” Myrtal growled.
“No, I’m serious. Wait and see,” Crescent said. Her face showed no sign of a joke.
Myrtal’s eyes widened slightly. Ceel scooted away from him.
“So, have 당신 two heard anything recently?” Crescent said, leaning 앞으로 to look at them. The dancing, weaving flames made her face look strange and foreign.
Ceel hesitated. “Well, I heard a bit in the swamp. Not really since we left it. Maybe they’re gone?” he said hopefully.
Crescent nodded. “Maybe they’re gone; maybe they were never there. Either way, we don’t have to worry about them anymore.”
Myrtal stood abruptly and disappeared behind a tree. Ceel heard retching sounds from behind it. He grimaced a little.
“Now he’ll start complaining about an empty stomach,” Crescent said, prodding the 불, 화재 with a nearby stick.
Ceel almost defended his strange half-friend, but realized that if he said Crescent was wrong it would probably be a lie.
Myrtal came out from behind the 나무, 트리 and plopped down in front of the fire. His face was pale.
“Told you,” Crescent said, a bit unwisely.
Myrtal’s quick fingers snatched a hot ember from the 불, 화재 and tossed it into her hair. She yelped and shook it out.
“Do 당신 know what that stuff does to goblin skin?” she demanded.
“I imagine that it burns it, same as everyone else’s,” Myrtal said, rather smugly.
She huffed. “It’s worse for goblins.” Crescent sat back down and prodded the 불, 화재 again. “I guess I won’t make snide remarks at 당신 anymore. After all, that’s your job, isn’t it?” she grinned at him.
Myrtal would indeed have liked to make a rather snide remark at that comment, but watching the 불, 화재 bob and flicker slowly, he felt almost too exhausted to even open his mouth, let alone think of something to say. He let himself fall sideways onto the ground, where his eyes closed involuntarily.
“He looks much nicer when he’s sleeping, don’t 당신 think?” he heard Crescent ask.
His hand shot out and cuffed her across the face.
“Ouch,” Crescent said. He could hear the smile in her voice. “I guess he isn’t.”
Myrtal turned away from them and curled into the fetal position. He heard someone get up, then the sizzle of the fire. The warmth on his back ceased. Someone lay down 다음 to him.
The elf smiled a little and let himself drift away.
Grevins was mad.
He was mad because the 분 he had stepped out of the swamp, he had tripped over a 나무, 트리 root. His sword had flown out of its sheath (which it wasn’t supposed to do), and he had spent at least ten 분 searching through the brush for it only to find it stuck it the root he had tripped over. Angrily, he had pulled it out, taken three steps, and fallen down a dwarf hole, which meant he had to climb all the way back up 또는 talk the short little rock obsessed beasts into showing him the way out. He chose climbing, and his fingers were raw from the ascending.
So it was quite a lucky break when, a few hours later, he poked his head out of a briar 부시, 부시 대통령은 to find not only the faerie, but all three of the little creatures snuggled around a used 불, 화재 pit.
Old Grevins smiled gleefully. “Oh, perfect,” he said to himself. “Perfect, perfect, perfect.” As quietly as he could, the unpleasant goblin scuttled over to the faerie and placed Death Biter on his pale, exposed throat.
Just when he was about to sink the blade into him, he noticed something shining on the other end of the sword.
Eyes, he realized. Too late, however; the creature’s small legs curled up and kicked Grevins back into the thorn bush.
The strange brunette creature was up on his feet in a minute. “What was that? What happened?”
The faerie shook his head, his eyes wild. “I’m not really sure. I woke up, and there was a blade on my throat, and I kicked whatever was holding it into the thorn bush.” He pointed to the shrub in question.
Grevins shrank farther back.
The brunette took a 칼, 나이프 from his jacket, pulled it back, and threw. It thunked into a 나무, 트리 의해 Grevins’ head, quivering.
Old Grevins took the 칼, 나이프 and aimed at the faerie. Unaccustomed to throwing knives, he missed 의해 a few feet and ended up catching the brunette in the leg. He howled.
That troublesome goblin girl was on her feet in a moment. Crescent, wasn’t it? Yes, Crescent. 또는 maybe it was Full. Full moon, Crescent moon…Grevins paused, trying to remember.
“What’s wrong?” the girl asked.
The brunette shook his head and pulled the 칼, 나이프 out of his thigh. The faerie pressed his hands to his bleeding leg.
Old Grevins looked at the sky. Crescent moon tonight. So the girl’s name was Crescent. Pleased with this logic, he returned his attention to the scene before him.
“Someone was following us,” the faerie was saying. “I woke up and there was a blade to my throat, so I kicked whoever was holding it in the bushes.” He pointed to the brunette. “Also, he threw a 칼, 나이프 into Myrtal’s leg.”
Myrtal. The boy’s name was Myrtal. Grevins made a mental note to remember that.
Crescent peered at the wound. “Uh…is that, 당신 know, survivable?”
The faerie nodded. “I’ll fix it. Wait here.” The winged creature disappeared into the underbrush, coming back a 분 later with his hands full of a purplish flower. “Crush these up and smear it on. It’ll stop the bleeding and prevent infection.”
Grevins had forgotten that faeries knew a lot in the ways of medicine. He would have to inflict a wound that meant instant death. Otherwise the faerie would go and heal himself!
Myrtal yelped as the faerie applied the 꽃 to the wound.
“Sorry,” the faerie said meekly. “It stings for a minute. It better now?”
Myrtal nodded and rubbed his leg, then tentatively took a step.
“Careful,” Crescent said.
“I know,” Myrtal said. “I’m fine.” He picked up a small pack lying 의해 the 불, 화재 pit. “Let’s go.”
Crescent nodded and paddled across the stream. Myrtal refilled the water bottle and leapt to the other side. He turned when he reach the bank.
“Ceel! 당신 coming?”
Ceel glanced back at the bushes, then flew across after them.
“We’ll need to find somewhere else to sleep,” Myrtal said unhappily. “And I’m hungry again.”
Ceel recalled something Crescent had said about Myrtal complaining of an empty stomach.
“Do we have any hawk left?” Ceel asked.
The elf dug into the pack and searched around. “No. What happened to it all?”
“I believe 당신 ate it,” Crescent said, grinning. Myrtal said and closed the pack.
“So you’re absolutely certain that they were holding a blade to your throat?” Myrtal asked of Ceel.
“Unless it was Crescent, than yes,” he responded, looking over his shoulder nervously. “You think they’re still following us?”
Myrtal shrugged and, just like Grevins had done hours ago, fell down a dwarf hole.