“The gods be damned!” Garth bellowed angrily, slipping in the mud at the edge of a stream. He cursed again, then carefully knelt to refill his flask.
The grumbling dwarf had been having a considerable amount of trouble since joining the companions. So many commonplace things caused him unending trouble, but for some reason, he stubbornly refused to stop or give up. Since rescuing his betrothed, he was constantly tripping over himself in an effort to keep her safe from any further harm. He jumped at every sound or movement, his battle-axe held at the ready, and he refused to journey more than ten feet from her side. Now that he had her back, it was obvious that he wasn't going to allow her to be taken from him again.
Damion, Sly, and Dar watched the cursing dwarf in amusement as he nearly fell into the shallow stream, trying desperately to keep their worries about Kariah at bay. It had been five days since they had encountered the great scarlet dragon, and they had been wracked with worry the entire time. Damion had pushed the companions to the brink of exhaustion, desperately trying to catch up with the scarlet dragon, but he soon he realized that it was fruitless, and he finally relented, allowing Dar to take the lead.
It was near dusk the fifth day after the dragon’s attack when Dar had called for them to halt for the evening, and he and the others quickly set up camp. A heavy cloud of despair had lingered over the companions since losing Kariah, and they rarely spoke, preferring to keep their fears to themselves.
“How far did we travel today?” Damion asked as he lounged against the trunk of a tree. The silence was beginning to get to him, and he desperately needed to keep his mind away from the burning anger that raged inside.
“About fifteen leagues, but the next few are rather treacherous.” The childlike Alena replied as he put the last finishing touches on a stew he had whipped up from items scavenged from the area. He ladled it into five different bowls, which he passed among the others. “There are hundreds of mud pits dotting the area ahead, and quicksand that can swallow a man on horseback in seconds. We will have to be very cautious as we pass through.”
“Why is it called the Endless Forest, anyway?” Garth asked as he shoveled a spoonful of stew into his mouth.
“The forest is immense, stretching for almost four hundred leagues to the south.” He took a large bite of stew. “The forest is haunted, according to the legends of humans, and is inhabited by evil, supernatural creatures, ghosts, wraiths, and the like, who lay in wait ready to ambush anyone foolhardy enough to venture into the forest.” He snorted in amusement. “Of course, that's all quite ridiculous. The inhabitants of the forest have encouraged the rumors for centuries now in an effort to avoid any attempts to destroy or invade it.” He smiled. “In all actuality, it is a wonderfully pristine forest that is home to thousands of different creatures.” His face fell, taking on a distinctly sour look. “Humans have encountered some of these creatures in the past and killed many innocents, including many of my own people.”
Damion and Sly exchanged looks, then waited for Dar to continue.
“The inhabitants of the forest rose up and drove the humans away each time, though there were many losses. The humans finally gave up and began to avoid the forest, creating the legend.”
“At least we don't have to fear any curses.” Damion grunted. “What about the forest's inhabitants? Should we expect any trouble from them as we make our way towards the dragon's lair?”
The boy shook his head. “You seem to forget that this forest is my home. We should be able to reach the cavern without any difficulty.”
“What kind of creatures will we encounter?” Gretta asked, looking up from her bowl of stew.
“I doubt that we will encounter many creatures,” Dar replied reassuringly. “but we will have to try to avoid crossing paths with the harpies. They are a nasty bunch. And several ogres also roam the forest causing as much mayhem as they possibly can, but they can usually be avoided.”
“Harpies?” Sly exclaimed in disbelief. “I thought all of the harpies had been destroyed centuries ago!”
“Nay." The boy shook his head, then took another bite of his stew. "Many still survive and make their home in the forest. There are several flocks of the repulsive creatures living there, causing no end of trouble for the other inhabitants of the forest.” His face grew disgusted. “They'll eat almost anything, whether it is dead or not.”
“How long will it take us to reach the dragon's lair once we enter the forest?” Damion inquired.
Dar's face grew thoughtful. “At least two weeks. It's located in the center of the forest, and is rather difficult to reach.”
“Is there a back way into the lair?”
The childlike Alena shook his head. “Nay. There's only one way in and out of the cavern. Tempest closed all other entrances to protect her horde of treasure.”
“Well, at least Kaviel won't be able to escape this time.” Sly growled grimly, drawing his sword and setting a whetstone to its edge.