[SOLO] A Strange Darkness (Hyela x Shen)

[Nori Ishida]

The forest looked unassuming enough from the outside, surrounded on three sides by high, snow-capped mountains, expansive and deep. A lazily flowing stream trickled out of the forest and a dark, feathered mare stood at the edge of the trees, drinking deeply from the stream. As she raised her head, there was a soft clacking as the beads that hung around her eyes settled into place and she squinted at the bright light that shone into the valley outside the boundaries of her forest. She didn't leave the cover of the trees often, but when she did it was usually at night, and never very far from her wooded home. She rarely even came out this far to the edge of her domain, but she was making her rounds, checking her bones, and listening to their messages.

Not much happened in the forest without her knowledge. She had been here for so many years that she had lost count, but she knew it to be in the hundreds. She was a young filly in her prime when she had first stumbled upon the wood during one of her nocturnal flights. From above, the forest was darker than the surrounding night, reverberating deeply with a magic that Hyela felt in her bones. She felt it drawing her in, calling to her and she could not resist it. As she landed at the forest’s edge, she could feel it pulsing and undulating as if it was breathing. With her first step beneath the trees, she felt a warm embrace and hadn’t gone more than a few leagues from the forest since. It was hers.

Over the years, she learned to listen to the forest and developed skill in the reading of bones. The earth could speak to those who had the patience and knew how to work the right tools. She began collecting bones, both from ritualistic sacrifices and those left behind from meals when she indulged her more blood-thirsty side. These bones were hidden strategically about the forest, buried in the dirt, beneath rocks, or high in the trees, wedged into the crooks of branches. She would visit them from time to time and they would share their secrets and observations with her. She knew the comings and goings of all life in her forest.

She turned from the bright valley to head back into the comforting darkness of the woods. A few yards within the forest, she found a familiar rock and, lowering her head, turned it over with her muzzle. Digging lightly with her clawed foot, she unearthed a pair of femur bones from a rabbit and laid them out next to the overturned rock. She picked up a stick between her teeth and, holding it next to the rock, struck the rock sharply several times with one of her claws until a spark caught and lit the end of the stick. The flame burned briefly, long enough for her to singe the bones before it faded out, leaving behind burnt black marks. She gazed at the bones, interpreting the pattern laid across by the flame, and slowly a low growl formed in her throat.

When she spoke, her voice was hoarse and raspy, the one thing that truly hinted at her ancient age. “Hmmmm...a stranger.” There was somebody in the wood. They hadn’t been here long, perhaps three to four days, but they were still here. She glanced into the darkness of the wood, listening and smelling the air. “A foe?” She turned her gaze back to the bones, but they gave her no further information. “Bah!” She hissed, kicking the bones away from her and turning to march deeper into the forest. Branching to the right, away from the stream, she came upon an interchange of several well-worn paths. She stopped, lifting her head and sniffing the air. Even this close to the edge, the forest smelled damp and earthy, the air thick, but there it was - the hint of an unfamiliar scent. She let out another slow growl as she turned to the northeast, following the scent. “A stranger…”  

[Nori Ishida]

Having been set free of his guilt and the burden of searching for his brother, the ruddy-colored stallion had set off to explore the world, revisiting all the places he had seen on his search for Huojin but hadn't allowed himself to enjoy and explore. He was so grateful to Rook for giving him some guidance and easing his mind, letting him know that he had done his best. He hoped the best for Huojin, but he knew it was time to get on with his life now.

He had left the plains near his mountain home and headed east, as far as he possibly could and had found himself at the edge of a massive, dark forest. Sharp mountains rose on three sides, enclosing the forest in a type of cove on land. He had stood at the edge for quite some time, debating whether or not to enter. He wasn't necessarily afraid, but there was a type of energy radiating from the forest that he wasn't sure of. It was almost as if the trees were whispering to him, but that couldn't possibly be. Steeling himself, he had decided to fully embrace his adventure and entered the forest.

At first, he stayed to the edge of the small stream that flowed from the entrance of the forest, it's banks quickly swelling into a wider, swifter river. As he traveled through the woods, he noticed it was scattered with an unusual number of bones, sometimes seemingly gathered in careful configurations as if specially placed there by somebody or something. He tried to pay it no mind, but as he noticed more and more bones, he began to grow a little uneasy.

After a day or two, he had decided to leave the banks of the river and wander deeper into the forest. He had discovered countless twisting and turning paths throughout the dense forest, many of which came to dead ends. At one such dead end, he had turned around to retrace his steps, and found himself at an intersection of three trails, unsure of which way to turn. He pricked his ears, trying to listen for the sound of the river, sniffed the air but only smelled the dank muskiness of the forest - even his hoofprints seemed to have disappeared, the ground appearing untouched. His brow furrowed as he wondered if he had gotten himself in over his head, been a little too confident.

"You can do this," he whispered to himself. How long had he journeyed in search of his brother? He had developed excellent navigational skills, and had rarely allowed himself to get this lost. But again, there was just something strange about this forest that had thrown him off. Making another brazen attempt, he randomly chose the path heading...well, he wasn't sure which direction, but it looked slightly familiar, and he hoped it was the way he had come.

He walked along the trail for nearly an hour, quickly losing hope that he was heading in the right direction. As he came upon another forked path, he decided to turn off and follow a slightly less worn path which was overgrown with vegetation and moss. This trail twisted and turned back around on itself several times before emerging on a small clearing that was adorned all around with skulls of all shapes and sizes - some the size of small stones, others almost the size of his own head, several with beaks, numerous different-sized fangs and sharp teeth. He stood rooted to the spot, his mouth open in awe. There was fear there as well, but he wasn't terrified as one might expect to be upon stumbling on such a collection of skulls. Here the air smelled different, a smoky herbal scent permeating the small clearing.

The feeling that the forest was alive still remained, whispers just below hearing level, he could almost feel the forest's breath in the soft, warm wind that circled around the clearing. While he still didn't feel afraid, he did feel as though he shouldn't be in this place. At the very least, this was not the way he had come and he should try and find his way to a safe place before night fell. He started taking a few small steps backwards as he gazed around the clearing one more time, taking in all the strangeness of the scene he had found.

What a story this would be for Rook, if he ever managed to find his way out.  

[Nori Ishida]

The stranger was an easy quarry, his path sticking mainly to the riverbank. A safe bet. Very little risk. A clear way out, she thought. "How dull." The river barely scratched the surface of what her forest had to offer. There was much more to see, smell, taste, and feel. How boring to stay with the river. Perhaps this was to be a lackluster encounter. "Dull." Hyela sighed, fluttering her lips in an exasperated raspberry as she exhaled.

While she did take great care in protecting her forest and knew all that went on here, she was not inhospitable to visitors. She knew it was impossible to prevent others from wandering into the forest or passing through. The river conveniently cut a path through the woods and over the mountains to emerge in the forest and fields below. Not too far in the other direction was the great desert. Thus she had met many new friends from many different lands passing through on their way to other places. Most meant no harm, but every now and then, a foe would come. And she had ways of dealing with foes...

There were also others that lived in the wood. There were forest creatures as well as other soquili here when she arrived, and their families continue to take residence in the deep, dense wood. Sometimes visitors decide to stay. Some help keep watch, alerting Hyela to any strangeness in the wood, but mostly the mare kept to herself. Her long life had lead to much loss, and she grew weary of grief. Easier to keep others at a distance, don't let them get close.

As she followed the stranger's safe trail along the river, she occasionally stopped to check little stashes of seer bones she had tucked away. She learned a little more with each message she received. A stallion. Young. Single-horned. "Hmmm..." The Uni, a peaceful race. "Though always exceptions," she croaked. "Rare with this breed." She looked down at a quartet of jaw bones stuck firmly into the earth, hidden beneath a low-hanging, wide-leafed plant. "Zealous. Curious. Doubt. Hmmm...ahhhh yes, finally courage." She lifted her head and gazed back towards the riverbed. Here the stallion had finally branched away, leaving the safety of the water. "Yes, finally courage."

Her feathers ruffled in excitement as she followed the stranger's path from the river. Perhaps this encounter wouldn't be so dull after all. His rather twisted and nonsensical wanderings had him looping back around his path several times, not really getting him anywhere but deeper in the forest. She had created an intricate system of paths, shortcuts, clearings and even sometimes traps throughout the forest over her many years here. Visitors often got lost, but she always found them...eventually. The stranger had found some of her more hidden paths, which was impressive, but it had not served him well. It was clear he was lost.

Suddenly, a warm wind blew from the south, and she turned, sniffing the air. The earth could speak to those who listened. She let out a low cackle as she ducked behind a bush, following a twisting trail around to one of her small shrines. Here she got her first glimpse of her young visitor as she came up behind him, her clawed feet barely making a sound on the soft mossy ground. She knew by now he had no malintent, so she allowed him his gaping stare at her shrine. She was proud of it, after all. She loved showing off her collection. After a minute or so, she was growing bored again so she finally spoke, hoping she would give her visitor a nice startle.

"Hello, young stranger," she growled in her froggy voice.  

[Nori Ishida]

Shen spun around as a croaking voice spoke behind him. As he laid eyes on the bird-like mare, he took a couple steps back, his mouth still hanging open.

"My goodness! I..." He paused, of course, taking in hear appearance, particularly the skull atop her head (again reminding him of Rook), and the paw hanging around her neck. It was safe to assume that she was the owner of the collection of bones he had stumbled upon. Her sinister appearance made him slightly nervous, but she did not seem hostile...at least not yet. He lowered his head, showing he meant no harm, but made sure to keep his eyes on the mare. "I apologize if I've upset your private space. I must admit, I'm quite lost."

Ah yes, she had given him a good fright. Good, good. "Good," she said aloud. "Yes, quite lost. Your path was bad. Laughable." A cackle burst forth from her mouth, as if to illustrate just how laughable it had been. "Clearly lost."

She ruffled her feathers and stretched out her wings, flapping them once as if to show off, then walked towards the young stallion. She got very close to him, staring deep into his eyes and, leaning forward...she sniffed him, inhaling deeply. "Hmm..." she growled as she began circling the stallion, taking in his decadent golden adornments. "Extravagant. Pff." Coming back around to stand in front of the stallion, she stared at him for a moment, head cocked to the side, before gesturing around at the small clearing. "The bones. You like?"

The mare seemed to have no qualms about personal space. He recoiled slightly as she leaned in to smell him, unable to escape her own pungent odor. She smelled of dampness, smoke, and dried blood. He couldn't help but be slightly offended as she called his jewelry "extravagant." True, the gold he wore was fine and more than some possessed, but he never thought it to be over the top. Pushing this slight insult aside, he followed her gesture at the collection of skulls, and nodded at her. He still did not know this mare's intentions, but he was admittedly impressed with the collection.

"Yes, I was admiring them when you caught me unawares." It seemed the mare took pride in the bones, so he played that angle with her, hoping to keep the meeting friendly and not deadly. "Where have they all come from?"

"Kills," she said simply. "Sacrifice. They tell the truth, if you listen." She walked past the stallion into the clearing, strolling slowly around, gazing at each skull as she passed it. "Only a few, these are. Many more, everywhere you step. They told me of your...bad path." She cackled again, tossing her head back in laughter. "Many more, I have, yes." She sidled up to the stallion, again coming in very close and sniffing slightly. "Back at home, many many more. Tell more about you, they can...if you like" She smiled slyly at the stallion, hoping he would take her invitation. It had been some time since she had a visitor, and she did love showing off her skills. "Hyela. Bonesinger. The bones tell me, and I tell you. Perhaps they can tell me more of your path. Perhaps going forward...will be a less bad path." Though she did not laugh this time, a smirk pulled at the corners of her lips.

Kills?? He was aware that the hippogryphs were sometimes known to eat meat, but hadn't known them to keep bones like this. He hoped that he was not meant to be one of her sacrifices. She also confirmed his suspicions that the bones he had seen throughout the forest were placed there on purpose.

It seemed he could not escape reminders of Rook. Was this strange mare offering a reading, as Rook had? Though her methods were clearly different, it seemed that she also knew of ways to see the future, help him along his path. Though he still couldn't shake the feeling that this mare might be luring him to his death, he gave Hyela the benefit of the doubt and agreed to go with her.

"It is nice to meet you, Hyela Bonesinger. I am Shen and yes, I would like to see what your bones have to say."

Ahh yes, good, good. "Good," she said aloud. She turned to leave the clearing, stomping along proudly. In addition to the pride she had for her bone collection, she also loved showing off the network of trails she had built. This stallion was in for a treat! "You follow. I know the path." She looked over her shoulder, back at Shen, a grin cracking her face. "Is not a bad path." She threw her head back in her loudest cackle yet.  

[Nori Ishida]

Her repeated ridicule of his path through the woods irked him slightly, but he was able to push it out of his mind. As he followed the mare out of the clearing, he tried to keep his guard up while allowing himself to be taken in and fascinated by her. This strange and interesting creature had clearly been here for a very long time, probably longer than he even understood, and the forest seemed to come to life around her as she moved along the twisted and overgrown path. Was it his imagination, or did the leaves waft and wave at her as she passed?

The path to the clearing was so tight and close he had to follow directly behind Hyela as she led him back to the forked path where he had become truly lost. As the path widened, she picked up her pace, and Shen trotted lightly behind her to keep up. She navigated along the intricate network of trails without thinking and Shen had the impression she could find her way with her eyes closed. He tried hard to keep track of where they turned, hoping that he might be able to find his own way out, but they were so deep in the forest, it was impossible for him to keep his bearings. At times, Hyela would suddenly duck behind a shrub or rock to move onto a path that was completely hidden from Shen. At times, they even passed through underground tunnels, just tall enough for a soquili to pass through. He wondered how she had accomplished all of this seemingly on her own.

Never sparing a look behind her to make sure her new friend was keeping up, Hyela made he way deftly through the forest. After many twists and turns intentionally created to confuse others, they emerged from the brush to come into a clearing occupied by a deep, clear blue spring. She stopped there, finally turning back to her new companion.

"Almost there. You may drink, if you have a thirst." As if to illustrate that the pool was safe to drink from, Hyela lowered her own head to take a few large gulps of the cool water before fixing her gaze back on Shen.

"Passing through, you are? To which lands are you headed? Desert or plain or swamp or wood? Many destinations on the other side of the mountains."

He was indeed thirsty after their journey through the forest and followed Hyela's lead, taking a large drink from the spring. He smiled as she asked where he was heading.

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest." He paused, thinking of how he had aimlessly wandered into this forest and smiled. "Probably one of the reasons my path was so bad."

"Lost you were before coming here? Not a good place to come, if you do not know your way."

"Not exactly lost, no. I guess you could say..." How to phrase it? "I guess you could say I've set off to find myself. You see, most of my life I have been searching for my brother. We were separated years ago and I searched far and wide, trying to find him. Unsuccessful, I have recently decided to..." To what? Give up? Abandon his search? That sounded as if he had given up on Huojin. But it was something different than that. "I have recently decided to move on." That was true enough. And, he reminded himself, probably what Huojin would want for him. "I've moved on, and now I am exploring the world to learn new things, meet new soquili, and explore new lands. I suppose I'm trying to be adventurous, but here I've already gone and gotten myself lost."

She considered this for a moment. "Hmmm, certainly not new, this place. Very very old. Older than Hyela. Old as mountains." And he was certainly going about finding himself in a strange way. "If lost you are, perhaps bones can help. Almost there, we are. Come."

She turned from Shen and followed the bank of the pool around to the other side, where a rocky wall was covered heavily with thick, trailing vines. She knowingly moved behind another shrub to squeeze through a small corridor between two large rocks to enter into a small, dank cave.

Following the mare into the cave, Shen blinked as his eyes adjusted to the dim light. Small cracks of sun peeked through gaps in the rocky ceiling of the cave. Whereas the clearing with the pool outside the cave was strangely absent of any of Hyela's bones, this place was again littered with them, much like the clearing where she had found Shen. Except here, there seemed to be a little bit more ceremony - he noticed several small bowls containing what appeared to be varied herbs and roots, remnants of fires and, eerily, stains of blood against the stone.

He knew it customary to compliment a new acquaintance's home, but he was finding it difficult to identify any pleasant aspects of this place. "Your home seems very safe and hidden. I'm sure you never have worry of intruders." He knew it was a bit of a reach, but he could fathom no other compliment for this place.

"No, no, young Shen. Not home yet...almost there." With that, she turned towards the back of the cave and disappeared.

Taking a deep, nervous breath, Shen followed the feathered mare to the back of the cave, through another small corridor in the rocks, and out into yet another clearing in the forest...  

[Nori Ishida]

Exiting the cave into the largest clearing yet, Hyela turned to watch Shen's reaction. Her home clearing received varying reactions, from amazement and awe, to complete revulsion. She enjoyed all reactions and always loved seeing her guests' faces as they laid eyes on her home for the first time.

His first impression of Hyela's home was the overwhelming scent. It had the same stench of dampness, smoke, and blood as Hyela did, but amplified a thousand times. Shen resisted the urge to wrinkle his nose in disgust at the odor, not wanting to offend Hyela.

This clearing was the most adorned space Shen had seen yet. Bones of every size, shape, and type covered almost every surface. Skulls climbed the trunks of the surrounding trees, hollow bird's bones were threaded into many trailing and climbing vines, delicately configured piles separated by type of bone arranged neatly around the clearing. Off to one side was a surface littered with varying herbs and plant cuttings, earthen bowls, and several small, clay vials containing unknown substances.

At the center of the clearing was a large fire pit surrounded by heavy stones. There, a fire had been built but not yet lit, dried leaves, twigs, and logs arranged carefully in the middle of the pit. Above the readied logs hung a spit that held a large clay-made pot, and scattered around the edge of pit were many more bowls and piles of herbs and powders. At the far end of the clearing was what appeared to be a sleeping shelter - a roof of branches hung thick with vines overhanging a well-worn spot on the ground and adorned with some of the most impressive bones in her collection.

Finally, on the opposite side of the clearing from the sleeping shelter was a worn spot of earth that was deeply stained with what was clearly blood. It was here that his gaze landed and lingered as Hyela croaked somewhere off to his right.

"Home, this is. And over there, sacrifice." She turned her gaze to the spot that Shen was staring at. She did not sacrifice visitors, unless they revealed themselves as foes, but she sometimes liked to see the fear in her the faces of her new friends. You know...just for fun. After she watched Shen squirm with discomfort for a few moments, perhaps questioning his own mortality, she threw her head back in a laugh again. Her cackle rang out for a while before she finally collected herself and looked back to Shen.

"Hyela does not sacrifice friends, young Shen! Worry not, worry not." She turned to move into the clearing, heading towards her potion-making area and beckoned with her wing for Shen to follow her. "Come, down by the fire. A few things we need, before the bones will speak." She rummaged around her stashes, bent low over her surface, her back turned to the clearing.

He breathed a sigh of relief as she dismissed his fears. Though she may be strange, Shen was coming to believe that Hela truly meant him no harm, as long as he meant her no harm. Following her instructions, he made his way to the center of the clearing and lowered himself to the ground at the edge of the fire pit. He watched as Hyela drifted back and forth between her herbs and the fire, placing several ingredients next to the fire pit. She then circled around the clearing, seemingly taking great care in picking out bones for her reading.

"Hmmmm," she growled as she paced around the clearing, stopping to consult different piles of bones. "A young stallion..." She moved to a tree and plucked a canine skull from the trunk, and placed it next to the fire. She gazed at Shen, contemplating. "Courageous? Not sure. At times, perhaps. Hmm..." Shen again tried to bury his irritation at her derision but perhaps it showed through because she cackled again and said "Yes fine, this one has courage." She moved to pick a scapula from a nearby pile and lay it next to the skull.

"Didn't die in the forest. Must have wits." A vertebra was added to the collection. "And strong, he looks." A femur. At this last addition, she stared hard at Shen again, looking deep into his eyes. There were things she could surmise from her short meeting so far, but there were things she must dig a little deeper for. He spoke of his brother and his search. There was love there, but also great guilt. And she also sensed in him great trepidation and doubt in himself. Yes he was well travelled, but his safe trail by the river spoke of second guessing. Getting lost surely dashed his confidence. She stared a moment longer, then said aloud, "and he is also soft and kind." A few more small bones were added to the rim of the fire pit before she bent down and struck her claw on one of the heavy stones, lighting a spark and easily igniting the carefully built fire she had made.

"A few more steps, young Shen, and the bones will speak."  

[Nori Ishida]

Shen's eyes lit up, reflecting the flames that came to life before him. He watched as Hyela bent low over the fire. It appeared as if she was whispering something to the flames, but he couldn't hear her over their gentle purr. One by one, she added the ingredients she had gathered into the fire, a slight flare erupting from the pit as each one was added. Finally, she took a rolled bundle of dried herbs and held it over the flames, igniting just the end. Shaking her head to extinguish it, she placed the bundle back into an earthen bowl as delicate tendrils of smoke curled from the burnt end, emitting a sweet and comforting aroma. He stared up at Hyela from his position on the ground as her gaze turned to finally meet his.

"Young Shen, you have travelled long and far. Many answers you seek, but guilt and shame have clouded your one true path." Without taking her gaze from his, she kicked her carefully gathered bones into the fire pit where they landed at the edge of the fire. Licks of flame reached out, marking the bones. "Fire and earth know your path. Long before you were born, was it writ. Open yourself to their words, and they shall right your path."

She carefully reached into the pit, gripping her talons around each bone to retrieve them from the edge of the flames. She laid them out carefully on the ground between her and Shen and finally lowered herself to lay in front of him, no longer looking down at the young stallion.

"Hmmm..." she growled. The bones were charred and burnt by the flames, black singe marks painted over their white surfaces. "A troubled childhood, yes. There was great love for the brother you lost. His strength, you wanted to be. But the brother is strong enough on his own, dear Shen." She glanced up at him, a touch of sympathy in her eyes. "But this you know now. Is good to learn and adapt. Did your best to find him, you did, and always will there be love between brothers. Moving on, you are. And proud should you be of that."

She glanced briefly back at the bones, and her eyes widened as a shout of mirth burst forward from her grinning mouth. "Ah! But another has already shown you this way! One of the night tribe, who reads the stars. Good her messages were, and you have heeded. Good, good. Good to stay malleable and open-minded, young Shen. Is how you learn of the world. This one will be special to you, visit her again you will."

He had already told Hyela of his brother, his search, and his decision to move on, so he was less than impressed that she brought up Huojin. However, his heart skipped a beat as she mentioned a nightwalker who reads the stars. Though he had though of Rook many times since entering the forest, he had not spoken aloud about her. Perhaps Hyela wasn't just some crazy old hermit, after all. Stifling the questions blooming in his head, he remained silent and let her continue.

"Young Shen, though you are brazen and brave, still there is much doubt in you. A desire to correct your father's legacy, you have. But trepidation, you also have. Feelings of inadequacy, fear of failure. Ill-prepared, you feel, to follow what your heart truly desires."

She was silent for several moments as her eyes darted around at the bones scattered before her. An occasional growl, or a slight nod or shake of her head were indicators that she was hard at work deciphering their messages. She spoke after a long silence.

"There is one who will offer to give you what you want. There is one who can release you of the burden of fear. There is one who can offer support and strength in partnership. There is one who may try to trick you. Hmm, many decisions you will have to make." She nudged the vertebra bone, turning it onto it's other side and nodded." Yes. Many decisions to make." She returned her gaze to Shen, sitting in silence as she watched him take in the messages she had delivered.  

[Nori Ishida]

Shen sat in stunned silence as he took in Hyela's words. She had spoken aloud his deepest fear, one that he had not shared with anybody. His fear that he would follow in his father's footsteps and be a failure to his family. True, he had all but written off the idea of having children, not wanting to repeat his father's mistakes, but a family of his own was something he deeply desired. Though Shen knew it was likely that he would take lessons from his father's mistakes and be a much better parent for it, there was still...

"Doubt," he spoke aloud. "Yes, I carry much doubt with me." He considered her closing words, about the one who would make him offers, release his burdens, offer support...but also trick him? "Are they one or many, these that you speak of?"

Hyela cocked her head to the side and gave a nonchalant shrug. "Hard to say," she croaked. "All may come from one. Each may be found in a different one. A mare. A stallion. A friend or lover. Passing acquaintance." She nudged at the various bones lazily with her claws, rolling them over in the dirt, erasing the singed marks from their surfaces. "Opportunities lay all around you, young Shen. A lesson there is in each encounter. Many miles you have ahead on your journey, and many more souls will you meet. Have confidence, friend, for wits and courage you have aplenty."

All her trickery set aside, she offered a warm smile to Shen, the sweet herbal smoke curling around them in the thick air.

He sat silently with her words for quite a while. Her message was vague, but like Rook's, gave one of hope and eventual peace and happiness, though it seemed he still had some work to do first. After a long silence, he returned Hyela's warm smile and bowed his head in thanks.

"I am grateful for your guidance today, Hyela. Both through the woods, and in my search for my one true path. I am afraid I must ask one last favor of you. Might you be able to point me in a decent direction to continue my journey? I have lost all my bearings in your deep and intriguing forest and have no idea in which direction to head."

She allowed herself a short cackle as she nodded at Shen. "Yes friend, lead you out I shall. Make sure the beginning of your next path is good!" She stood and thought for a moment as Shen raised himself from the ground as well. "Hmm...which way is best to head? Mountains here are rocky and steep, and not many who live there anyway. Desert is dull, dry, and harsh. Boring and uncomfortable. Yes, best to follow water and head south. More forest is there, kinder than Hyela's, yes. And plains and swamp. Ocean eventually. Yes, best to head south. Back to the water, then we follow it out. Follow me, young Shen, I will show the way." She turned her back to him and disappeared back into the cave that lead to the pool, easily guiding him through the twisted, turning woods.

It took them a day or two to reach the river, then several more to reach the edge of the wood. Along their way, Hyela would occasionally stop to consult a hidden set of bones, always keeping tabs on the comings and goings in her forest. Shen had the feeling that she would sometimes hunt at night while he slept, as he would sometimes wake to the scent of blood and fear hanging in the morning air. Despite all of her eccentricities, Hyela was pleasant company. Shen shared stories of the journey he had while searching for his brother, and Hyela told tales of the many different soquili she had encountered passing through her woods.

As the trees began to thin and the ground began to slope, Shen could sense Hyela becoming more and more uneasy. As they reached the edge of the forest and more and more of the sky became visible, Hyela eventually refused to go any further. Thrown off by the odd change in his confident companion, Shen turned a concerned eye to Hyela. "Are you ok?"

She cracked a pathetic smile and rustled her wings. "Hyela does not leave the wood. Safer here, where I am known. Outside world...not safe for me." Of course this was untrue, but Hyela had come to trust the safety of her wood. She had been here so long, how much of the rest of the world had changed? No, it was best here in the safe forest.

She looked warmly towards Shen. She hoped he found the confidence she knew was inside him, and that he would find the courage to make his dreams come true. "Dear Shen, wish you the best, I do. Follow the water. Over the mountains it will take you, then south to lands below. A forest on the other side, then leads to swamp." She visualized the lands in her mind, once seen from above when she took to the skies. Was the land unchanged? Did those places still exist? She bowed her head and spread her wings before Shen. "Fare well, young Shen. Welcome here any time, you are." She turned back to her woods, to the closeness of the trees, to the thick air, and disappeared into the darkness.

Shen watched until her dark coat melted into the shadows of the trees, becoming one with the forest that was her home. Much as he felt after his meeting with Rook, he moved forward with renewed energy, but this time with a twinge of anxiety. Hyela warned of one who would try to trick him, and that had him feeling on guard. Trying not to let this hesitation stop him, he set off on his next adventure, following the river through the mountains to the forest on the other side.