Emberwood: Chapter 6

 

Chapter 6: Paths Crossed in Shadows

The wiry man crept closer, each step sending a fresh jolt of panic through Ariel. Zed’s wide, panicked eyes pleaded with her to run, but she couldn’t. Running would give them away immediately, and there was no way she’d outrun them with Zed injured. Ariel’s mind raced. The only chance was to stay hidden and hope the wiry man’s search didn’t bring him all the way to the log.

“Do you see anything?” the bearded man barked from the bridge, his voice impatient and sharp.

The wiry man squinted into the dense shadows of Ember Hollows. The light filtering through the canopy was faint now, and the looming trees made every shape indistinct. “Nah, nothing here,” he finally called back, turning reluctantly to rejoin the group.

Ariel let out a shaky breath, her grip on Zed loosening slightly. The wiry man’s departure felt like a reprieve, but her nerves were still on edge.

“Let’s cross this cursed bridge and get out of here,” the lanky man grumbled. “This place gives me the creeps.”

“It’s not the forest you need to worry about—it’s the wyverns,” the bearded man retorted, his tone laced with a grim amusement.

“It all creeps me out,” muttered the wiry man as he fell back in line with the others, his hand still resting on the hilt of his dagger.

Ariel stayed still, listening as the men and their wagons began clattering over the old bridge. The wood groaned under the weight of the thornpaws and their cargo, the sound echoing eerily through the forest.

When the group was far enough away that their voices became a distant murmur, Ariel dared to speak. “Well, Zed, the bridge path isn’t an option anymore,” she whispered, more to herself than to him.

Zed gave her a faint snort, nudging her with his muzzle as if to say, We need to move.

Ariel stood carefully, scanning their surroundings. The men were now out of sight, but the sense of urgency pressed on her like a heavy weight. “We have to go back down the way we came,” she told Zed softly. “We’ll use the meadow bridge. We can’t let those ugly men get to the ranch before us!”

Zed tried to rise to his hooves, but his back legs wobbled, giving out beneath him. Ariel knelt beside him, brushing his mane gently. “Looks like I’m your taxi again, Mister,” she said with a wry smile.

Hoisting Zed onto her shoulders, she began the descent. The path they’d climbed earlier was steep and uneven, but going down was an entirely different challenge. The rocky terrain was slippery with evening dew, and each step had to be placed carefully to avoid loose soil or hidden roots.

Ariel moved as quickly as she dared, the urgency of their situation at odds with the caution the path demanded. Zed’s weight bore down on her shoulders, his soft breaths warm against her neck. She didn’t mind the burden—it was better than leaving him behind—but the strain was undeniable.

As she rounded a particularly sharp bend, her footing slipped on the damp ground. Zed shifted instinctively, trying to steady them both, but it only made things worse. Ariel’s foot caught on a gnarled root, and she felt herself tipping forward.

Time seemed to slow as she realized she was going down. With the last of her momentum, she twisted, pulling Zed into her arms to shield him from the fall. Her back hit the ground first, the impact jarring her to the core.

Then they hit again, bouncing against the unyielding earth as they tumbled down the slope. Ariel clung to Zed, bracing him with her arms as the world spun around them.

---

Back at the ranch, Noah and Nick were preparing for their own journey into Ember Hollows. The stone barn where they had secured the stunned wyvern stood ominously in the distance, its thick walls reinforced with enchanted mortar.

“Are you sure that wyvern can’t get out of there?” Noah asked nervously, glancing toward the barn.

Nick, his expression serious, nodded. “It’s a young wyvern, and Celeste’s stun will keep it sore and sluggish for a while. That barn has held much worse in its time.”

Nick turned to Silvermist, who stood patiently nearby. He hastily scrawled a note on a piece of parchment and tucked it into the small canister affixed to her saddle. “Take this to the Ember Assembly in Emberfall,” he instructed.

With a soft nicker, Silvermist pushed off the ground effortlessly, her wings spreading wide as she ascended. Her white feathers shimmered in the fading light, and with a powerful flap, she soared into the sky, disappearing toward the distant village.

“Now,” Nick said, turning to Noah, “we’ll take the secondary path into Ember Hollows. If Ariel’s still in the forest, she’ll likely be on or near the path. Let’s see if we can meet her coming back.”

Noah watched as his father reached for the unicorn blade—a long spear tipped with a rare and sacred unicorn horn. The sight of the weapon sent a chill down Noah’s spine. He’d only ever seen it displayed, a relic from the Drakeclaw War fought generations ago. Seeing his father dust it off and take it in hand made the gravity of the situation crystal clear.

“Let’s move,” Nick barked, snapping Noah out of his thoughts.

“Why don’t we take the meadow bridge and try to catch up with Mom?” Noah asked, almost jogging to keep up with his father’s brisk pace.

Nick shook his head. “Ariels not going back to the meadow. If she’s still in the Hollows, she’ll either be hiding or heading for the falls bridge. We’ll take the secondary path, and if we don’t find her there, we’ll head to the village. By then, they’ll have Silvermist's message.”

Noah adjusted his pouch of star fragments, the weight reassuring but small comfort in the face of what they might encounter. They jogged toward the forest, their breath visible in the cooling air. The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows over the meadow as they entered the oppressive twilight of Ember Hollows.