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“Meri, could you get the pan out of the bag for me please? ” I hear my mother from the kitchen say as I already go to grab the pan out from the old sack where we had put most of our necessities. “Here you go!’ I yelled as I ran over to the other side of our small 2 room house. I eagerly handed the pan over to my mothers large hands. “Thank you dear but try not to be so loud, you know with ears as large as ours you don’t need to raise your voice” She said. I had forgotten that we were in a smaller space now, I can hear even a mouse trying to find a way away from the cold. The outside isn't nearly as loud as the screams outside our last house.
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What are you making? I thought we were just having berries and fruit for dinner?” I asked as I stood on my toes trying to see over my mothers arm. She seemed to be baking a pie, even if she usually only does so for holidays. “Food for the neighbors dear, we don’t have many left so I’d like to be friendly” she said. I thought we should probably keep the food but I didn’t dare say anything. When she turned her head and saw a sour look on my face she sighed. “Don’t be like that, look how about this, you can be the one who delivers it, that sounds like fun right?” she said, instantly excitement ran through me, nowadays I couldn’t go out as much as before.
“Okay I’ll go get ready” I started moving through the small kitchen to grab what I needed, as I was beginning to reach for a picnic basket my mother stopped my hand. “You’re not going today Meri, the sun will be setting soon and I don’t want you in the dark by yourself.” she said, gently moving the picnic basket onto the counter next to the shelf. I tried to move past her for the basket. “I’ll be fine, I used to go into the woods all the time. I can just go now” I said trying to convince my mother that I can just go. I rarely have something actually fun to do now, and it would be hours until I could go if I went in the morning. “ No Merrin, wait until morning, that's final” she said, her voice a little more stern this time. “Fine, I guess I’ll wait” I responded, already planning the opposite. I walked over and sat down, planning my escape.
With my mother busy cooking, I went into the other room in our makeshift house. In the room there were three small cots, a mirror, and a couple of easy to carry boxes and bags. We still haven’t taken all of our stuff from when we moved here. I ran over to a small purple backpack and took out a folded cloak, just in case it got chilly. I then ran over to the mirror and clipped a couple of small bows to my cloak, even tying some to my big ears. I looked at myself in the mirror, seeing the cloak and bows that made my elephant-like laxodon appearance more nice. It was hard finding colors that went good with bland gray skin. My mother said it was important to look neat and put together.
Now all I need to do is wait for six, because at that time my mother sets out to where my dad goes, he works with the guard or something. But at six pm my mom walks until the land stops, out to the beach. She gives my father food and talks about the recent battles that took place. And what that means for us before returning home. When my mother left I ran over to the wooden counter and took the freshly baked pie. I placed it neatly in my basket with the candle and bandaids I brought just in case.
With my mom gone I can just sneak out through the front door and she would never know. I don’t want to wait until tomorrow. When I get there I can ask to stay then leave in the early morning. I’ll be back home before my parents even notice I left.
With everything ready I opened my front door and started the trail away from my house, out into the surrounding woods. The trees were tall and all around, encompassing most of the forest. With their pine leaves providing cover for the few animals that were strong enough to survive. The endless terrain never looked scary to me, even if some would get the creeps. With my hearing nothing could sneak up on me, so even as the sun started to set I kept walking along an old path leading to an old house. Our neighbors were lucky, instead of having to build a makeshift home again they stumbled across an abandoned house when we ran. And of course they called dibs on it. They convinced my mother they needed it. Said their grandma couldn’t walk well and wouldn’t survive if they stayed in the cold.
Even so I wished we lived closer to our neighbor, or better yet have more than one or two people who were a thirty minute walk away I thought as it felt like the walking was taking forever. I wish that whenever we have to pack up and leave we march all the way to a bustling city just full of people. My mother said it would hurt my ears and I’d soon grow too tall to fit under any doors and soon I’d grow tired of the city life and begged to move far away from the trouble city life brings. But maybe a village will do, just a small village , I’d be fine with oh only about twenty maybe thirty people, and maybe a couple kids my age that I could play with, yeah that would be fun.
My father says he used to live in a small village, where he had friends to run around with. He was really young back then, even smaller than me, he said. Back when death and blood were only threats and fights. Where people could build a home and stay in it for their whole lives. I wish I could just stay in one place and not have to worry. I got lost in thought as I wandered the tall forest, thinking about the neighbors and where I could've been if it was safe enough.
Suddenly I realized the path I was taking disappeared somewhere along the way. The dark forest canopy now blocked the light as the sun slowly fell. I must’ve wandered too far from it at some point. All the trees now looked the same, and the darkness obscured most of the ground, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between the dirt and gray rocks.
I fumbled around for the unlit lantern I kept in my bag. When I grabbed it I checked the candle then reached for the matches, lighting the lantern up. The light emitted a white glow surrounding the pitch black flames. With the new light I looked around the forest. It didn’t help much but at least I could see in front of me. Slowly I started walking more into the forest once again.
As I made my way through the forest, I could hear every creak and scatter in the leaves. Animals scurrying around trying to find food or shelter. The woods were painted by the white glow, what I could see were dark muted colors. The tall branches leaped overhead with purple pines and leaves covering all above.
The path was now lost, but at this point the neighbors house would be closer than my own. I don’t like how dark it is , but the dark usually didn’t scare me. But now the dark is only making it harder to see where I am, or where others are. I began to panic when I heard something, it almost sounded like a voice. I must be getting close I thought as I started walking faster to the mysterious sound.
As I walked closer to the new sound I noticed less of the usual forest sounds which were usually signs of animals. That didn’t make sense but I soon forgot it as a soft white fire light began to shine far out from me behind the shadowed trees. It must be my neighbors setting up a campfire. I started running, walking towards it, relieved that I’d be out of the woods.
Then I heard it. A couple feet before the edge of the forest I heard it. Men shouting and screaming at each other, metal clanging against awful metal. How could I have thought it was my neighbors? Why did I run towards it? They wouldn’t start a campfire, it could attract attention. The once soft glow now seemed blindingly bright, harsh white light burning into the trees. With no way to tell how close the black fire actually was. Past the light, far away figures were moving. And I knew it was here. They crept up closer than last time. Already burning more of the safety of the forest. maybe I just got too close to the outskirts, but that would take me walking for almost a whole day. No, they were coming closer, bringing Null’s death.
I had dropped the basket. Still holding on to the little lantern I ran. Away from the blazing fire, away from the fighting. I tripped and stumbled as I could still hear the violence taking place from behind. The dark woods didn’t seem scary anymore. They were a promise, safety from what was out there. Out there all things end.
I kept running as fast as I could go, wishing I had just stayed home. Suddenly my feet hit something hard, a large tree root I didn’t see. I tripped and tumbled, clutching onto the lantern as I went down into a ditch. I landed on soft leaves, a couple scraps on my arm but fine otherwise. My lantern was blown out but I still had a couple matches I kept in my pocket.
As I was fumbling around for the match I heard a low voice. “Who’s there?” It was a weak sounding noise. A pained whisper, I wouldn’t have heard it if it wasn’t for my hearing. I froze as coughing sounded out from my voice. “If… if it’s just a beast to end my misery here, better to be a meal for a starving crew than a sacrifice to the Null” it said.
At that moment I finally got the match to relight my lantern, a soft glow again shown across the forest. The voice spoke again, with a hint of surprise, “ Oh, Who’s there? Again I say who’s there? I can’t turn my head, won’t you give me the courtesy of knowing whether I’ll be brought to scheming Null or stoic Latome?” The body spoke from the left of me, I shone my light to it and spoke.
“Who, who are you with? I don’t know you, my mom told me not to say anything to Null’s cultists” my voice was squeaky as I brought the fire light closer to the man. He was laying on the ground with his face to the side away from me. He spoke “oh child no I’m not of the dragon killers, I’ve been trying to save this small peninsula, be not afraid of me”
His body was covered in broken armor, he laid on his back in the mud, and from between the joints in his armor, there was a deep purple liquid. “Are you.. okay?” I asked, the man gave a pained laugh and responded in turn “I’m afraid not child, I got hurt real bad earlier I’ll be seeing Latome’s grave soon.” He spoke light hearted, like Latome’s world was not someone to be feared.
“Is there anything I can do? I think I have some bandages in my basket” I reached for my basket before remembering I had left it back at the battle. “For my injuries? Afraid not kid, they are far too deep and I’m sure they're infected by now. But if you could turn my head so I can see the trees and stars I would be grateful” I walked closer to him. Injuries look much worse than what I first saw. Setting my lantern down I reached out and gently pushed his head away from the side.
He was purple skinned tiefling with long dark hair. The horns on his head were cracked and broken off, his pupil's red eyes looked tired and in pain, and his mouth was full of violet blood.
“Thank you kid, now I can actually see you, you one of the hiders? I haven’t seen any Laxodon in the army” he said, coughing up more blood. I looked at him and didn’t speak. “Eh it’s okay none of that matters to me anymore, soon Latome will come and guide me away from the Null” he spoke again. “How, how can you be so okay with it? You're dying and I can’t help” I said, trembling, trying not to cry. “Kid we all die, no matter how healthy or careful you are, we call Latome, better Latome than Null. Better Latome than Erin’s eternal life” he said, his eyes were sad as look above to the tree canopy.
He looked up at the stars, at the moons above as his body went stiff. “Mister?” I asked as I leaned down to shine the candle light to his face. Eyes cold and empty. “Can you not talk anymore?” I asked but I already knew the answer. I set the candle down then took his cold hands at his sides and gently moved them so they would cross over his chest. I reached into my basket and set the pie next to the man, we will have time to make another one later. I searched for a small unlit candle I had just in case the one in my lantern burned out. I found it and set it next to the pie, then lit it with a match.
After I set everything into place I picked up my lantern and slowly got up. It was only then I noticed I could still hear the warfare. Even if it was incredibly faint. It didn’t scare me as much as before, I felt more numb than anything now. I turned to leave back into the dark forest, looking back at the figure laid down in the grass. Hopefully others will go looking for him, if they notice a soldier missing. If not Latome will see the candle.
I made my way back into the gloomy melancholy trees. I know what the war is now, if I just walk opposite of it I should find more familiar woods. Back where my makeshift home is. The violence came closer again and we will have to move. I wasn’t as scared as before, my thoughts were blank as I moved through the woods. The only thought I had was that the war is inescapable. And all it brings is an early death.