I had expected life to force my hand soon. But not like this.

I stood a few feet away from the bundle of blankets. Light snores came from beneath them, and the slumbering woman sounded deep in sleep. Odds are even if I hadn't been able to be as silent as I was she'd not have woken on my approach.

The nearby campfire was just a pile of smoldering embers. Another small pack, similar to the one resting beneath her head and being used as a pillow, laid nearby her feet, half open. She must have dug something out of it before lying down. Maybe a snack or something.

Keeping a sigh from escaping, I glanced around at the nearby trees. We were just on the edge of the Dark Forests. The large forest that surrounded the Owl's Nest. Not far from here was the edge of the forest, and beyond that a huge prairie of grass and small hills. Those hills used to be full of flowers, which were gone now. When had those flower fields disappeared…? And why had they? Had a flood occurred or something?

Paying the change in scenery not much mind, I returned my attention to the sleeping woman in front of me.

I'd usually not bother someone sleeping like this. Although the Owl's Nest was secluded, the forests around it were not. Many humans traveled around this area, thanks to the nearby towns and villages. Some came here to hunt, others were just passing through. Such people were usually not worth my attention, or worry. No humans dared the darkness of the forests around Lilly's home, and even if they did there was no reason to worry. Even if they somehow survived the bear, odds are they'd not find the small patch of light within that very darkness. And even then, they'd have to then deal with Lilly and Windle.

As far as I was aware in all the years the owls had lived in their nest, only on three occasions had humans been able to reach them. And of those three, only one had survived the journey. One had wounds too severe to survive, and the other had starved to death. They had wandered the forest, lost and unable to find food or water. The third had survived the journey, but not Lilly.

Shifting a little, I glanced at the direction the woman had been facing before lying down. Where I had come from.

This spot was a little unique. And not just because it was near the small cabin that Lilly had built for our weaker members. A place for them to stay and wait for Lilly to come to them, so they didn't have to dare the forests and the monstrous bear that lived within it.

I had passed by it, checking on it, on purpose. Not just to make sure no one was there waiting for Lilly, or any letters, but also to make sure it was unoccupied still. There'd been a couple times that humans had tried to settle down at it, thinking it abandoned and unoccupied.

Humans usually didn't mind sharing their hunting lodges, so to them it was normal. They knew that as long as they kept it tidy, and replaced anything they used, they were usually allowed to use such places as long as they're unoccupied. When someone spent longer in it than necessary Lilly or I would bribe them to leave. A small bag of coins was normally enough to make them hastily pack up and leave, never to return.

Though…

Looking back down at Mapple, I glared at the foolish woman.

The cabin had been empty.

So why was she camping out here, alone?

Mapple had always been weird. She hated the church. Not like I did, but with genuine disgust and vitriol. Yet she served the cloth, and even wore their robes and colors. I'd always praised her for the loyalty she displayed to those she deemed her mothers, but… sometimes she took that loyalty too far.

She did not get along with Lilly. Not because she felt Lilly was a psychopath, or murderer as so many others in the Society did. Rather only because of Lilly's and the Cathedral's differences. She sided with the church, thus saw her as an enemy.

But although she saw Lilly in such a way, she did not and would not have ignored the cabin. There was no point to. She was still a member of the Society after all, as was Lilly.

Which meant her camping at a distance from the cabin… had a meaning behind it.

The first, and most obvious and likely reason, was Renn. Mapple must have been sent to keep an eye on Renn and Cat as they headed northward.

I had left the same night that Renn and Cat had from Telmik, so it wasn't a stretch to think Mapple had sneaked away not long after I had left and caught up with the two. Renn was actually a seasoned traveler, after having spent so long with me, but Cat had been human. She would not have been able to move quickly enough to outpace Mapple.

But I had expected someone to follow her. Though to be honest I had not expected one of our own. I had expected a human. A member of the cloth, sent to watch Renn and Cat from a close distance, since they would not have outright noticed or assumed a traveling nun or priest to be anything dangerous.

Yet Mapple…?

I had not thought her willing to incur my wrath in such a way.

So… What to do?

Mapple's snores were light, but consistent. Her feet even twitched occasionally, from her dream. She looked peaceful as she slept, enough so to make me almost feel bad about what I was about to do. Almost.

"Do what?" I asked myself, whispering aloud. Mapple didn't wake; her light breathing didn't hesitate or change. She slept through my voice.

Which told me she wasn't as acutely aware of me as she pretended to be.

Renn would have woken from that. Even my smallest whisper could wake her sometimes.

Really… what was I going to do?

She was a member. And by all rights may not even be here to do anything nefarious.

Odds are she had simply been told to make sure Renn actually went to Lilly, and took Cat home. Just a simple verification that her task had been a real one, and she had set forth to actually fulfill it. Nothing more.

So then why did I feel so betrayed at the sight of her?

Was it just because I had hoped my fears and assumptions would have not been proven correct? Had I been hoping to find no one following or testing Renn? Had I hoped that the Chronicler, and her ilk, would have left Renn alone?

Yes. I had.

But nothing ever went my way.

Stepping closer, I knelt a little. Reaching out, I firmed myself as I grabbed Mapple's shoulder as to shake her awake.

"Mapple," I said her name, and had to tilt my head to the left as her hand shot out from under her head.

Although I had dodged the knife, I had not dodged it enough. It clipped my right ear, stabbing through it.

"It's me Mapple," I said calmly as she shot to her feet, half-rolling and half falling as she hurried out from under her blankets. She took two steps back, preparing to attack again, but I remained kneeling there as I watched her wake up.

Mapple blinked at the sight of me, and by the third blink she seemed to have realized who I was. Her pupils went wide at the realization, and she gaped at me. "Vim!" she shouted.

I smiled and nodded as I stood. "Sorry about that," I apologized, but only to a point.

I had done it on purpose after all.

Studying Mapple as she calmed down, I kept a small sigh of relief from escaping.

She wasn't in a full blown panic at being found, or caught, by me. She had been shocked, rightfully so, to be woken up without expecting to be… but not simply because it was me.

"Jeez Vim, you scared me! I got you, you're bleeding," she said as she put her little knife away, sliding it into the left of her robe.

"I'll be fine," I said as I felt the blood roll down the side of my head. It barely stung, but I could feel the tingle of a chunk of ear separated. She had likely split it in two.

"Well… yeah, but still," Mapple nodded, knowing full well such a wound meant nothing to me. She sighed again, and stretched a little. "I was having a good dream you know," she said as she stretched.

I bet. "I'd have let you sleep, but figured you were waiting for me," I said gently.

"Hm…? Oh…" Mapple made an odd sound as she stopped stretching, and realized the position she was in.

I pretended not to notice the way she flinched and scowled at herself, realizing the obvious, and she sighed. "I wasn't here for you. Or I'm not? I'm here for Renn, the cat," Mapple said as she stepped over to her makeshift bedroll. She bent down to gather up the blankets she had flung everywhere in her earlier fluster of movements.

"Renn?" I asked gently, pretending not to care much.

She sighed as she rolled up the largest blanket, as to fold it and put it away. "The old hag sent me to follow her. To see where she took that human. Less and I followed her here," Mapple explained, like usual not able to keep much of a secret.

"Less?" I asked as I looked around. Landi's sister was here too? I didn't see her, or smell her even.

"Not here anymore. After we realized she went into Lilly's home, and has been there since, she went back to Telmik. I'm supposed to stick around for a little bit before heading back… or until she leaves," Mapple explained.

I grabbed her small pack and held it out to her. She smiled and took it from me as to go about putting the folded up blankets into it.

So she, and Less, thought Renn were still in the Owl's Nest. With Lilly.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

They hadn't seen them leave… likely thanks to Lilly. Or they had left on the opposite side of the forest, even though this was the way they had been heading. Maybe Lilly had them leave from the south, and round upward as to check for anyone following them.

"Why's the Chronicler interested in what Renn's doing?" I asked as Mapple went to folding up another smaller blanket, one she had laid under her head and over her other pack.

Mapple shrugged. "Light had a dream about her, I guess. You know I still don't think their so called prophecies ever amount to anything, really," Mapple complained with a huff as she paused a moment to look up at me.

For a long moment I stared down at Mapple. She wore the typical traveling attire of the churchmen around these parts. Thick robes and a headdress. They were dark grays with light blues mixed in, particularly around the cuffs and hems of the robe. On Mapple it looked rather good. She was a pretty woman, and looked the part of a pious nun even though she herself was a pagan.

I blinked, realizing I had been trying to distract myself with her appearance. A terrible effort, since my mind was still numb.

A dream. A prophecy.

About Renn.

Light had one too. Like her mother had.

"Vim? Everything okay?" Mapple asked, sounding worried.

"No. I hate prophecies," I said, hoping that was enough of an excuse to cover up the real reason I was about to panic.

She giggled. "Right! I knew you'd react like that!" she happily declared, and then went to laughing loudly.

Doing everything I could to smile, or at least pretend to, I tried to calm down. Before I shifted and broke the world around me.

Celine's damn letter had been more than enough as it was. Now there were more?

Why? What for? How? What was it about?

Damn them. Damn those stupid gods, and their stupid toys and plans and…

"I mean really, I'll be honest Vim I really had thought we were all through with all those stupid dreams and stuff. What with mother and the rest dying, and all. Yet here we are, getting involved in it all again…" Mapple let out a deep sigh, sounding suddenly depressed. When had she stopped laughing?

"You mean Light," I said gently, understanding her meaning.

She nodded. "Yeah. She's like Celine, right? Not like the Chronicler," she said as she frowned and looked up at me.

I nodded back slowly. Yes. "Light's a real saint, yes."

"Great," Mapple complained, somehow sharing my sentiment even though not even on my side.

Though… that wasn't entirely true. Mapple was honestly not our enemy. Not yet anyway. Not mine especially.

She hated saints, and their powers, as much as I did. It was just her loyalty; her allegiance to those who had saved her, over-rid her hatred and scorn.

Honestly we were more alike than I wanted to admit.

Stepping away from Mapple, I pretended to get distracted by the campfire. A tiny little flame was all that was left, doing all it could to survive. A pair of small clumps of charcoal was all that remained, surrounded by white and black ash.

Stay strong little flame. You're my only distraction. The only thing keeping me from making a mistake. Another one.

Where was Renn when I needed her?

Though maybe it was better she wasn't here. Who knows what kind of questions Renn'd be hurriedly asking Mapple had she heard what she had just said.

The worst part was she had a right to know. They were dreams about her, after all.

"So uh… Vim," Mapple spoke up, but I kept my eyes on the tiny flame.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well…"

Closing my eyes, I took a small breath of the forest around me. It smelled wet. Damp. And Mapple's stink didn't help much. How come I couldn't smell Renn? She had spent a few nights at Lilly's, supposedly, yet I hadn't smelled her at all. Though that might be thanks to the owls always having all their windows open. They liked the open breeze, even when it was cold and chilly.

What's it even been? A couple weeks at most? You'd think someone my age would not be as bothered by such a short time apart. Especially when I knew I'd soon be back with her.

Once I dealt with this…

"What is it?" I asked again as I looked away from the fire. It was moments from going out, so there was no point watching it anymore.

I found Mapple standing a few feet away, holding her bag close to her. She looked… strangely unsettled, and was staring at me as if I was the cause.

I glanced around, to make sure we were still alone, and realized I had probably just ignored her. She had likely said something, asking a question, and I had not noticed.

"Sorry. I've been distracted lately. What is it, Mapple?" I asked again, this time a little gentler.

She audibly gulped, and nodded. "I… was just wondering if Renn was with you. Or if you're here to pick her up, or something," she asked, speaking softly.

"Yes. I plan to head westward, checking the western coast and the members along it. Unless you have news that I need to know, and will change my plans?" I asked.

She quickly shook her head. "No! I was just told to watch Renn, and protect her at all costs if I had to," she said quickly.

I blinked at that. "What…? Protect her?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yeah…? That's why Less was here. I mean, I'm stronger than most humans and stuff but I'd be no match for a true predator after all," she said with a shy smile, as if embarrassed to admit it.

Huh… "Was that part of the order from the Chronicler or Light you think?" I asked, unable to not.

Mapple shrugged. "I'm not sure? I'll be honest Vim… I try not to get too involved in Light and the rest of them. Even Less," she said with a gesture behind her, as if Landi's sister was here or nearby. "Did nothing but bug me about my faith along our trip here. Kept telling me my mother would be ashamed that I still wore her clothes but not her soul," Mapple said with a huff, annoyed to even say it.

I slowly nodded, not surprised to hear her discontent. Though it was interesting that Less seemed to have become such a devout woman.

She used to be so like Landi. Where and why had they gone down such different paths…? I remembered them fighting, and separating, but not to that degree… or had they and I had simply not noticed?

"Well, I plan to leave in a few days to return to my path. I'll head up north a bit, check on a few of the families I didn't last time I was up here, and then head along the coast. Likely to at least Tor's village," I said, deciding it was time to end this conversation.

If I didn't I'd end up hearing, or saying, something that would cause terrible problems. The type that only resulted in bloodshed.

Celine's daughter had a prophecy about Renn. One that had made either her, or the Chronicler, send their closest subordinates to protect her. As if she was in danger.

Renn. In danger.

While I stood nearby?

Such an idea was ridiculous. What could Mapple or Less do what I couldn't? What could any of them do?

Yet…

"If that's the case I'll just head home. You'll be heading back to Telmik in a few months anyways on that route, and I don't see how I could protect Renn from something you couldn't," Mapple said happily as she went to finish buttoning up her pack.

I nodded slowly. "I'll keep their warning in mind," I said gently.

"Hm. Oh…" Mapple paused mid-putting the pack onto her back, and then she sighed and shook her head. "Sorry Vim," she apologized.

"For?"

"I uh… probably should have asked. What the dream was about. Why she needs protection. I'm sorry," she apologized again, and sounded sincere while doing so.

"It's fine," I said, and was glad I sounded calm enough to be believable.

Fine? Not at all.

Not. At. All.

Stepping over to the small fire, I went ahead and stomped on it a bit. It was already out, but I wanted to be sure. This wasn't just any forest. This was Lilly's forest… and it was the very forest that kept her and her family safe. I'd not risk it.

No matter how annoyed I was, or how chaotic my mind were… I'd never make such a stupid mistake as that. At least, I liked to think so.

"Then I'll head off then. May as well travel now before it starts raining again. It was storming something fierce the other day, I almost ended up having to hide in that cabin," Mapple said with a small laugh.

"Why didn't you?" I asked, that had bugged me earlier.

"Less hadn't wanted to. She claimed it was unholy or something, I don't know, and I wasn't in the mood to argue with her. You know how she gets, she and her sister are both freaks," Mapple said as she picked up her other bag, the one she had used as a pillow. It was a smaller one, and she tied it to her waist instead of her back.

"I see," was all I said about that.

After Mapple finished getting ready, she smiled and nodded at me, and then pointed at her right here. "Sorry again," she apologized.

"It's fine. Travel safely, let them know my route," I said.

She smiled and nodded. "Sure thing! I'll see you later Vim, maybe next time you're at the Cathedral you'll be willing to have dinner with me? I could use someone to complain to about all the holier than thou jerks," she asked slyly.

"I'll consider it, I usually get in trouble when I indulge you in your heresy," I said.

She laughed, in a way that told me my words had really tickled her in a happy place. "Please Vim!" she shouted in-between her giggles as she stepped away, waving as she did.

I nodded and waved goodbye as she left. She continued to giggle as she stepped away from the small campsite, heading to the edge of the forest. I knew she'd likely follow the edge until the nearby hill, and not long past that was a road she'd be able to travel upon. One that would lead to a main road, one made of brick, and that one would lead her to Telmik.

Watching her go, I relaxed a little… glad that I had not said, or did, anything that could have caused me and others problems down the road.

I had so desperately wanted to.

I was half tempted to go back to Telmik myself. To get answers, real ones, from Light herself.

But I knew if I did that I'd just force the problem. I'd make it worse than it already is. Or was.

But…

Shifting a little, I glanced around and felt stupid. As if I had made a mistake, or many mistakes in quick succession. Big ones, too.

I should have questioned her harder. I should have expected something like this to happen.

Yet like always reality just… slaps me upside the head without warning, reminding me that sometimes I really did need to be a better man.

It was one thing for them all to scheme. To do stupid things, in stupid ways. Although the current vote was annoying, and everything else they were doing, it was still in the realm of normalcy to me. It was within reason. It wasn't something beyond my understanding, or something I didn't believe I couldn't handle.

In fact I was more worried over my own personal problems than I was the vote at the moment.

My exhaustion hasn't gone away. In fact I knew it was getting worse. It was why I had been growing so… unobservant lately. I've always been bad, failing to pay attention on some occasions, but it was getting worse. Far worse.

No matter how shocked or pissed off I was, I should not have ignored Mapple as I had just done. Not when every word she said could have revealed to me more of their schemes and plans.

And there were more issues too, than just my exhaustion…

Reaching up, I touched my ear. I felt the tiny gap where Mapple's knife had sliced it. It was restitching already, connecting back into one… but…

Lowering my hand, I glared at the glistening blood. Blood that was fresh. Wet. Not dried at all.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" I asked myself, and my parents, as I realized the tiny wound had not healed yet. Even though such a fine cut should have healed twice over by now.

Not only hadn't it healed fully… it was still bleeding. As if fresh.

As if I was normal.

Squeezing my hand, I ignored the blood as I squished it.

And now there was another thing to worry about. Something very concerning. Enough so to make me question my own decisions, and my upcoming actions.

Renn was in danger… the woman who I called my wife, and loved, was becoming the center and focus of schemes nefarious. And not just of normal men and non-humans… but of prophecies too.

And the worst part is, or was, that the Chronicler and Light hadn't told me about it at all.

"They had known."

And had not told me.

And to me that was more a betrayal than the vote.

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