The Journey of a Novice

er in the

med for her to run, but her legs refused to move. The figure sto

of her backpack tigh

she called, her

surrounding her, pressing in from all sides. The figure

both distant an

not belo

wled down E

shot back, forcing con

... it shifted. As if a hundred unseen voic

cautious st

ed her movement,

heart

u want?" sh

rom the figure but fr

n ba

unison. Echoing. C

r feel unsteady. The trees stretched taller, their twisted branches curling to

elt t

ad made h

d not tu

e wasn't sure if she was speaking t

defiance, the figure d

lau

d, like the rustli

long-fingered, unnervingly still-an

pulse

mean?" she asked, her voi

re didn'

, it va

mist. Not i

...

hispering

ce entering the Veilwo

shakily. Had s

o

ged, the way the mist ha

direction the fi

ead, half-hidden by the thick fog. S

knew o

eant to f

orest

f sending a jolt of adrenaline through her veins. The V

hat w

laces where the air was thick with unseen

idn't fee

lt...

forest was

dg

it

minding herself why she had left Willowbrook i

ther that only slivers of light cut through the canopy. Shadows moved where the

h

sn

a br

oot

around, hea

th

nother

os

ucked into her belt. It wasn't mu

st a tree, scanning

h

of mo

meone-rushed

just as a dark figure lunged from the mist, narrowly missing

feet, knife clutch

uched in front

o unnatura

d, wild-eye

and

blood tu

teeth. "Didn't think I'd find

a step t

knife, forcing herself to keep

ou'll cut me? Look at you-just a

lun

vely-dropped low, ducke

zed his arm,

mbling back. "

wait for hi

e

her, but she didn't stop. She could hear him crash

h

ff's

h her feet. Below, the land fell away into a d

art po

ap

ing beh

rned-t

r, sending them both

e

ed. Wind scream

desperately grabbing for anyth

h

ran

ed around it at

ked to a stop, the bandit's weight yank

" he snarled

burned, her

he rocks

ed, desperate t

s slid ano

ldn't h

ad se

a ch

y. If she kept holding

eyes wide. He knew

't," he pan

le

d, she saw the ho

he wa

hitting the rocks echo

the branch, p

just kil

had been hi

felt

ouldn't s

ing limbs,

p

w

solid

ed the top- She lo

covered

he ba

r

ood had t

e had

t wha