so people could enter, when they are attacked by the beasts then we would go in and see if there was anything left that could be of use weapons, magic items, anything at all. It solved some of the problems of replenishing raw materials for weapons and the like. ”
“ That is horrible Lela. ”
“ I never said I was proud of what we did to that section of forest, anyhow it does not matter. The protection spells we used to go in Cravenwood stopped working so our people fell prey to the same animals as the intruders. ”
“ But they don ’ t seem to mind Lex, is that right? ”
“ I do not know why that is, but the animals seem to leave him alone. He is one of the last of the ones who enchanted Cravenwood so who knows why they leave him alone? ”
Chapter 12
The entrance to Cravenwood was not like anything Nate imagined. The forest was lush and green with deep green foliage and flowers. The smell of summer was heavy in the air. Cravenwood was pleasant to look at. The sound of a babbling brook was off in the distance. The forest looked like something out of a fairy tale, someplace you would expect forest creatures to be happy and singing, not the death trap Lela had painted it to be.
“ I wasn ’ t expecting it to look so beautiful Lela. ”
“ It is beautiful, but that is how Cravenwood appears to people, as if nothing in the forest would even think of hurting the weary traveler, but it is a lie. People have died in that beautiful place in horrible ways. That is why the elves do not go in there! ”
“ If you say so Lela, Cravenwood just looks cute. ”
“ You will see Nate, so do what I say once we are in there! ”
The path they took was just as lush as the entrance had been. The brook was closer now lending the relaxing sound of gentle flowing water to this Eden in a strange world.
“ Lela, really it doesn ’ t seem so bad here, I understand why Lex likes it here. ”
Lela was tense, her every muscle was taught, ready to fight. She moved cautiously through the forested paradise. Nate was as relaxed as he had been since falling into this world. This land wasn ’ t nearly as foreboding as the section of forest where they encountered the splintered.
The thought of the squirrel thing that nearly took his face off made Nate stop suddenly. Hearing the sudden stop made Lela turn around with an arrow knocked in her bow. Nate ducked with his hands covering his head.
“ Shit, not again! ” Nate nearly screamed.
“ Why did you stop Nate? ”
Peaking up, Nate realized he was not going to be shot again.
“ I was all calm, and then I started thinking of the splintered, it spooked me that ‘ s all. Then you turned around and I thought you were going to shoot me again. ”
Lela gave Nate an eyeball roll when she spotted the tracks. She walked past Nate as he was getting up. She knelt and began to examine the tracks.
“ What animal made those Lela? ”
“ Howlers, there is a pack of them and they are close. ”
Nate looked at the tracks, they reminded him of something he had seen on a wild life program, the tracks looked so familiar, and then it clicked. An icy feeling crept into Nate ’ s bowels, the tracks looked like wolf tracks, but they were slightly bigger. Why the hell did things have to be bigger in this stupid world?
“ We call them wolves where I am from, and now I am not so relaxed! ”
This was bad, if these things were anything close to what they are in his world they were in trouble, and don ’ t forget they are spell bound to kill intruders.
“ Okay, Lela I think I might want a weapon now. ”
“ What do you want sword, bow, or hunting knife? ”
“ I can ’ t shoot worth a crap, so a sword and hunting knife please. ”
“ Nate do you know how to use a sword? ”
“ Pointy end goes into the wolf? ”
Lela handed Nate the sword, it weighed a ton. Nate could barely lift it.
“ How the hell do you lift this thing so easily? ”
Lela smiled “ I have been wielding a
“ That is horrible Lela. ”
“ I never said I was proud of what we did to that section of forest, anyhow it does not matter. The protection spells we used to go in Cravenwood stopped working so our people fell prey to the same animals as the intruders. ”
“ But they don ’ t seem to mind Lex, is that right? ”
“ I do not know why that is, but the animals seem to leave him alone. He is one of the last of the ones who enchanted Cravenwood so who knows why they leave him alone? ”
Chapter 12
The entrance to Cravenwood was not like anything Nate imagined. The forest was lush and green with deep green foliage and flowers. The smell of summer was heavy in the air. Cravenwood was pleasant to look at. The sound of a babbling brook was off in the distance. The forest looked like something out of a fairy tale, someplace you would expect forest creatures to be happy and singing, not the death trap Lela had painted it to be.
“ I wasn ’ t expecting it to look so beautiful Lela. ”
“ It is beautiful, but that is how Cravenwood appears to people, as if nothing in the forest would even think of hurting the weary traveler, but it is a lie. People have died in that beautiful place in horrible ways. That is why the elves do not go in there! ”
“ If you say so Lela, Cravenwood just looks cute. ”
“ You will see Nate, so do what I say once we are in there! ”
The path they took was just as lush as the entrance had been. The brook was closer now lending the relaxing sound of gentle flowing water to this Eden in a strange world.
“ Lela, really it doesn ’ t seem so bad here, I understand why Lex likes it here. ”
Lela was tense, her every muscle was taught, ready to fight. She moved cautiously through the forested paradise. Nate was as relaxed as he had been since falling into this world. This land wasn ’ t nearly as foreboding as the section of forest where they encountered the splintered.
The thought of the squirrel thing that nearly took his face off made Nate stop suddenly. Hearing the sudden stop made Lela turn around with an arrow knocked in her bow. Nate ducked with his hands covering his head.
“ Shit, not again! ” Nate nearly screamed.
“ Why did you stop Nate? ”
Peaking up, Nate realized he was not going to be shot again.
“ I was all calm, and then I started thinking of the splintered, it spooked me that ‘ s all. Then you turned around and I thought you were going to shoot me again. ”
Lela gave Nate an eyeball roll when she spotted the tracks. She walked past Nate as he was getting up. She knelt and began to examine the tracks.
“ What animal made those Lela? ”
“ Howlers, there is a pack of them and they are close. ”
Nate looked at the tracks, they reminded him of something he had seen on a wild life program, the tracks looked so familiar, and then it clicked. An icy feeling crept into Nate ’ s bowels, the tracks looked like wolf tracks, but they were slightly bigger. Why the hell did things have to be bigger in this stupid world?
“ We call them wolves where I am from, and now I am not so relaxed! ”
This was bad, if these things were anything close to what they are in his world they were in trouble, and don ’ t forget they are spell bound to kill intruders.
“ Okay, Lela I think I might want a weapon now. ”
“ What do you want sword, bow, or hunting knife? ”
“ I can ’ t shoot worth a crap, so a sword and hunting knife please. ”
“ Nate do you know how to use a sword? ”
“ Pointy end goes into the wolf? ”
Lela handed Nate the sword, it weighed a ton. Nate could barely lift it.
“ How the hell do you lift this thing so easily? ”
Lela smiled “ I have been wielding a
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