That 'little jog' lasted for several hours. The sun kept slowly journeying across the sky towards the western horizon. Hellrien begun to lapse into a strange, trance-like state where she could distance her mind from body and observe her state of exhaustion like she was happening to someone else. Hunger didn't bother her all that much, but thirst was beginning to be intolerable. Ranesora had a talent of recognizing just how far he could push the people he was training or leading, then calling a break when they were mere moments away from collapsing to allow them to rest, drink or eat, according to their physical needs.
When they reached the tree line, the sun was already beginning to sink behind the horizon. Ranesora called in a break, and allowed everyone to drink. Everyone was too tired to say anything - well, maybe Ranesora wasn't, maybe he just enjoyed the silence. Then the break was over and they started walking towards the marshes. Soon they were swallowed by the lush gloom of the woods.
Hellrien immediately picked up the peculiar atmosphere in the forest. Woods were nothing new to her as such, for she had treaded in most places in Bree-land, Shire and Ered Luin and their austere woodlands. But they had been ordinary forests. Harloeg's wetland basin was something completely different. It was oozing with humidity. Trees were connected by networks of lush, leafy twines. Unhealthy swamps and incredibly big ferns covered the soil. Decaying trunks of wood, brought down by the winds, lied down scattered here and there, forming dangerous traps under the fern mat. Brightly colored flowers were oozing cloying, sappy scents that grated her nostrils. Overhead the treetops were so dense it was as if they were walking in a half-dark, poison green tunnel. Birds were singing in the foliage. Birds and strange creatures fled from their path. Buzzing insects were bustling and swarming everywhere. Unspeakable creatures were croaking in the slimy bogs. And every now and then Hellrien could hear low grunts and splashing from the gloom of the forest.
She was soaking with sweat. She could keep up with Aaverie and Ranesora without difficulties and soon got used to walking carefully and quietly. Her strong, trained legs carried her along. Ranesora and Hellrien kept their bows nocked and at the ready, Aaverie clenched to her mallet. Alert eyes were throwing sharp glances in between tree trunks dripping with humidity. Often they scared away animals - muck-crawlers, hatchers and bog-neekers fled in panic from their path. Every time they froze still and clenched to their weapons, knuckles white.
Suddenly Ranesora raised his hand. Aaverie and Hellrien huddled in the brushwood. Ranesora stood hunched down for a long time, staring at something. Then he beckoned them over.
Through the coppice they could see a small forest clearing surrounded by tall trees. Bright green grass was growing there, and a small fountain was burbling and gurgling, sending out a small stream to the edge of the forest. A lot of animal bones were scattered here and there, and there were also many footprints. Huge footprints.
”Trolls”, Ranesora said. ”This is their favorite hunting ground. We are now entering the part of the forest where they dwell. Not many men have ever ventured there. Even less have made it out alive. This is going to be tricky.”
The forest arose in front of them, oppressive and green and wide like a wall. The silence itself seemed to say: This far, but no further! There was something evil and sick in the forest. The stench told that whatever fell and lied down, was soon swallowed by ravenous growth.
Ranesora begun to sniff the air. Gradually he rose up.
”Let's eat now. We will need our strength.”
They sat on a slope, opened their sacks and ate a little. The water of the stream was cold and had an alkaline taste to it.
Suddenly Hellrien heard a sound. She turned quickly and saw the others standing still and staring in the same direction.
”Don't make a move!” Ranesora said from the corner of his mouth in a low voice. ”Observe!”
There was another crack in the bushes. Suddenly a horrific silhouette stood against the green background. It was at least as tall as the giant Hellrien had fought against with Burwod, but twice as wide. And way uglier than anything Hellrien had ever seen in her life. The voices emanating from it's throat were so low-pitched that human ears detected mostly only low creaking and snapping sounds.
Hellrien glanced at her companions, noticing that Ranesora was gone. She hadn't even heard him move. Then she heard a sound from the direction of the lumbering monstrosity. The next thing she saw was the troll tumbling down on the slope, and Ranesora's silhouette standing next to it, sword in hand. He returned to Hellrien and Aaverie.
”Let's get moving. I'd rather get this part over with before it gets too dark to see.”
Aaverie and Ranesora were moving fast. Hellrien had to push all her strength to be able to keep up with them. The forest grew denser and damper. Creepers intertwined to each other, forming a nightmare of obstacles. Every now and then they would stop and hide in the bushes or under the undergrowth, waiting for a towering hulk slowly pass by, making those horrendous creaks and snapping sounds. Sometimes the creature would stop right over them, stretch it's head in all directions and sniff the air. Then it would grunt and keep going.
Aaverie grinned at Hellrien. ”Devilish, isn't it?”
Hellrien nodded. Her eyes kept scanning the surrounding forest. Rootstocks were sticking out of the sludge, green, torn like rotting human limbs. Suddenly she hoped the trolls would spot them. She wished for a senseless battle and mayhem, just to get out of this green, sick inferno.
Suddenly Ranesora stopped. He stared at something for a while, then nodded with satisfaction. He turned to the others with a strange, red stare in his eyes.
”We've found it. Over there.”
Hellrien inched closer. Beneath them, an almost overgrown forest path winded up a knoll and disappeared between two huge rocks. In front of the rocks there stood two giant trolls, as if guarding an entrance to a palace.
”We have to take them out”, Ranesora said to Aaverie.
”Can I help?” Hellrien asked, aching for action and resenting the feeling of useless. She was scared stiff, the kind of deep, gnawing fear that begged to be released in frenetic heat of action.
”I wouldn't if I was you!” Aaverie huffed. Hellrien stirred when she looked at her grim, grey face. Aaverie was scared too!
”I wouldn't stand a chance in close-range fight, would I?” Hellrien asked.
”None”, said Ranesora. ”You stay here. If you want to do something, practice on your skills with the bow. Aim at the throat, it's the only spot soft enough for an arrow to penetrate. Or the eye, if you really think you can hit that small of a target from this distance.”
Then they were on their way, running down the slope, Aaverie already changing into a bear form. Hellrien's mouth was dry. She could sense the weight of enormous aggression and corrupt evil floating in the air. She glanced at her hands. They were trembling.
Ranesora and Aaverie-bear stormed through the bushes, and the trolls grunted, clenching to their primitive weapons. Hellrien raised her bow and aimed at the throat of the one standing closer by. She released the arrow. Ranesora's blade cut through the throat the same time the arrow pierced it. A few feet to the right the giant brown bear wrestled down the other one, ripping it's throat open with it's teeth.
The battle was over in seconds. Ranesora and Aaverie, in her human form again, were waiting for Hellried in front of the natural gate formed by the two rocks. It lead into a secluded glen formed by rocks and caves. The fellowship moved their way deeper into the glen quietly, backs flat against the stone. When they stumbled upon a half-eaten corpse of a wolf, Ranesora stopped and lifted his finger in front of his mouth. He stood like that for a second. When he turned to look at Aaverie, he didn't look happy.
”Three of them. There used to be only two.” Ranesora frowned and said to Hellrien: ”This is their leader. And his court.”
Ranesora stood quietly for a long time, thinking. It was getting darker and harder to see in the forest. He shook his head and said: ”Only one way to proceed.”
Without warning he leaped to the side, his bow releasing an arrow while he was still mid-air. Hellrien heard a thud as the arrow hit something. Aaverie rushed ahead, growing in size. Hellrien ran to the side, loading her own bow. Now she saw them herself. The one in the middle was huge, even uglier than the others and wore a spiked armor and helmet. A massive close-combat ensued. Ranesora's blade flashed in the air. Hellrien saw the beorning dodging a whooshing mallet. The bear jumped on the troll and sank it's teeth into it's throat. Hellrien released her arrow literally in the same blink of an eye as it jumped on the beorning's back. The arrow sank into the troll's throat. The beorning turned around, growling. A swing of it's paw threw the wounded, dying troll to the ground. Ranesora was standing over the pack leader, fallen down as well. It was twitching and convulsing at his feet. The battle was over.
Ranesora pointed at a cave at the other end of the glen. ”That must be it. Hellrien, go inside and look for the artefact! We'll wait for you outside.”
Great, Hellrien thought, wondering what kind of a clever death trap Dorvairse might have constructed there this time. She entered in the dark cavern, trying hard not to look at the rotting, half-eaten human corpse lying near the entrance as she stepped over it. She groped through the walls with her hands, for it was almost pitch black inside. Near the back she found something. A loose stone on the wall, much like the loose tile in the alcove in the fortress. But was it safe to touch?
”Hellrien, are you sleeping in there? We don't have all night.”
Hellrien cursed and removed the stone. Nothing happened. She shoved her hand in the hole, found what she was looking for and picked it up. Another half-disk, with similar of runes carved on it's surface.
”Found it!”
”Let's get moving then! I'm afraid we can't make it out before dark.”
Hellrien stepped outside and realized Ranesora was right. It was already so dark she could barely see where her companions were standing.
”Follow!”
Hellrien pushed herself to her limits trying to keep up with Aaverie and Ranesora as they made their way out of the forest. She had to rely on them to find their way out without running straight to a troll. She could hardly see past her hand and had lost all sense of direction.
She was wading halfway through a pool of water, up to her knees in it, when she realized the worst had happened. There was no sign of her companions anywhere, she was lost! Things couldn't possibly get any worse from...
Then she heard low creaking and snapping behind her. And a splash, when something huge stepped into the body of water.
Hellrien started running. She ran faster she had ever ran in her life, adrenaline hastening her to reach an almost supernatural speed. Yet it was not enough. The creaking and snapping and sloshing was gaining on her, getting closer and closer at terrifying speed.
She was almost out of the water when something hard and heavy struck her to the back of her head. Excruciating pain hit every fiber of her being, she dropped down on her knees, her hands sank into the wet undergrowth. Blood ran from behind her ears and dropped on the grass while she helplessly awaited for death...
That didn't come. Instead there was a big splash when something huge and lumbering fell on the water, then a gravelly, relentless voice said:
”Pay attention! I said follow, this is not the time to stop to smell the roses!”
Hellrien grabbed her hat. With superhuman effort she managed to get up on her feet and keep running at Ranesora's heels. Suddenly they were out of the forest. The open sky, moon and stars were the sweetest thing Hellrien had ever seen. They waded through a couple of smaller bogs until they found a safe place to rest. Hellrien huddled to the ground, drained out of everything, completely, thoroughly spent. Even Ranesora sat down on a tree-stump.
”Good work, everyone! Let's take a small break here and rest a moment, but don't get too comfortable! We can't stay here for the night, and I want to be back in Ost Guruth before late watches! Wipe that look off your face, Hellrien, you slob! You're out of shape, little exercise will be good for you...”
