Chapter 4: Part 1

Authors Note: I hate to keep pestering you with these little notes, but several things have come up lately that have thrown a cog into the process. As a result, I am having a horrible case of Writers block. I've decided to split this chapter into two parts. The reason for this is simply because the first part is done... And I've yet to start on the second.

         We’ve all heard stories of the glorious dead. Those who go off to war die, and come back heros. Songs are sung in their honor, stories are passed down through the generations about their courage and strength. Standing there, looking at the small pile of rubble that was the altar for those dead on the ship, Eric realized there was no glory in their deaths. No songs would be sung about the two hundred soldiers and sailors that went down with the ship, no stories told. There would be no great parade celebrating their sacrifice. To the world at large those men didn’t exist. They had died protecting people who would never just how much had been sacrificed in their honor. Was it all worth it? So much had been lost already, was it worth the cost to continue on? Death was inevitable, Eric knew this. But there came a point where any man, or creature, would have to step back and consider the price of it all. A soldiers life always ended the same. In the end Eric would share it.

Over two hundred dead in a single night. There had been nothing he could have done, even if he had stayed behind. No, in the end a soldiers job was to follow orders. If he had disobeyed there was no doubt he would be dead just like the rest of them. Somebody had to carry on, and it just so happened that it was his burden to carry. All two hundred of their sacrifices would be meaningless if he failed at his job, and it weighed heavy on his heart. What if he couldn’t do it? What if, after it was all said and done, he simply wasn’t good enough to get the job done? Fear was a disease that quickly spread and, if given the chance, could paralyze a man completely. Fear of failure, couple with the overwhelming grief of so many friends dead in a matter of hours might be enough to drive any man insane. Eric didn’t have that luxury. He had to press forward, he would continue with the fight until he was dead. And he would die, there was no mistaking that. Whether it came in the line of duty or a few years down the road in his own bed. At the end of it all you could only hope that your life amounted to more then a small pile of stones on the side of the road.

“Grief does not become you Eric,” A soft, musical voice whispered from the brush. In his self-pity, Eric hadn’t noticed the man creeping silently behind him. He and Casside, humans over shoulder, had finally stopped on their trek into the forest. After setting up camp, he had wandered into the woods alone. The tiny clearing where he had set up the memorial couldn’t be more then twenty yards away from the camp, but in hindsight he’d been foolish to venture even that far away.

“Instead of burying yourself in self-pity and grief you should be more worried about those children.” The voice began to move closer now, twigs snapping silently underfoot as the creature neared the edge of the clearing. Night had fallen shortly after they had set up camp. The thick canopy of tress above strangled any light that tried to make it’s way to the forest floor. There was no way to tell who was out there, or how far away they were. Eric had no weapon, he’d left them all at camp. If he was attacked, he would surely die.

“But don’t worry, I’ve already taken care of them.” The bushes parted, a man stepped forward drenched in shadows. A long main of hair fell down to the middle of his back, braided into one long band. His clothing was odd; a short white shirt where the sleeves didn’t come down past the elbow and a pair of pants cut off just above the knees. His nose stuck out long and narrow, like a birds beak. The moonlight glinted off a pair of glasses. “Besides, they should be the least of your worries.”
The strange clothing, the long hair. The bird-like face and the glasses... There was only one person who dressed and looked like that.

“Edward, you horses ass. You should know better then to sneak up on me like that.” The man began to laugh, and Eric could finally let out the breath he had been holding.

“I am sorry Eric,” the man said between cackles. “You just seemed so lost in thought, I couldn’t pass up the chance to scare you a bit. Besides,” Edward stepped into the meager moonlight. “The look on your face was priceless.”

So here he was, the man they’d been waiting for, as big an ass as ever. His long braided hair shone a glossy brown in the moonlight, his beady little brown eyes glinted between the large glasses he wore. Stenciled on his shirt was the logo of some city in the human world, the word “I” and the letters “NY” unmistakable.

“I see your still wearing that ridiculous shirt,” They clasped each others forearms in the customary greeting. “If you don’t want people to label you as a crazy old doctor perhaps you should cast aside that fascination you have with human artifacts.”

“I don’t know about old,” Edward pulled a small blue bottle from the knapsack hanging from his neck, took a drink and placed it back into the bag. “But we all need to be crazy once in a while. It just so happens that my once in a while is always. Come now, we best be getting back to camp before Mikal comes looking. You know how cranky he can get.”

They left the small clearing, traveling into the dark woods where the canopy choked out the last bits of moonlight that tried to penetrate. In the deep shadows there were numerous places for anybody to hide, and Eric realized just how foolish he had been to wander off alone. Any beast he could handle with ease, but there was no doubt that more then simple forest animals were watching tonight.

“You feel it to then?” The blue bottle was back in Edwards hand, and he began to guzzle down large mouthfuls between breaths.

Eric could only nod in reply. The night was silent. There was no rational reason he should be feeling so... vulnerable. If anybody was out there Mikal would have found them. “Did you and Mikal sweep the area before you came into camp?”

Edward gave him an incredulous look, stuffing the bottle back into his bag. “I may be a burnt out drunk, but you know Mikal. We walked around the area for ages before he would go into the camp. Don’t worry, the guy that was following you is long gone by now.”

Eric’s confusion must have shown on his face because a huge, silly grin covered Edwards.

“I know, shocking isn’t it? The great Eric couldn’t figure out he was being followed.” From the bag this time came a red bottle. “I wouldn’t be too hard on yourself though, it took Mikal ages to pick up on the trail.”
Somebody had been following them? It wasn’t so far fetched. There were hundreds of thieves and other miscreants in the forest. But how had he not noticed it before? And for that matter, why hadn’t Casside? Assume Eric wasn’t the best tracker out there, but Casside should have picked up on it easily. If it had been difficult for Mikal, who was no doubtingly the best tracker in the world, to pick up on it, it could only be trouble. Eric began to pick up his pace until he was in a steady jog, leaving the confused Edward behind. The camp couldn’t be too far away, but any time wasted would only hurt them.

“What.. The hell are... we running for..” Edward huffed as he struggled to catch up. “I told you the man left your trail miles back, and Mikal hasn’t found anything else since ”

Eric ignored him, picking up his pace in reply.

“You said you took care of the Humans. Are they alright to be moved?”

Edward began to slow as he thought. Apparently whatever was in the bottles was beginning to have effect. “I guess so. The medicine I gave them may have woken them even now. But I don’t see what all the fuss is.”

“Did you get a chance to check Casside over? We were well away from the boat by the time it went down, but it’d be a miracle if she doesn’t catch a cold. We can’t let something as trivial as the sniffles slow us down.”

“Casside? You mean that scowling little women? She insisted I treat the children. A rather nasty little woman, if I do say so. She threatened to cut off some rather.... personal body parts if I even tried to examine her. I thought it best to come looking for you.”

They broke through the last bit of brush and into the camp. Frantically Eric began to gather his things, stuffing them back into the bags they had been taken from.

“Gather your things doctor. We need to leave. Now.”

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