Ileus: The Dark Prince

"I will," Anastasia replied, closing her hand over his arms that were around her waist.

They increased the pace of the horses. Zlu and Carrick had found a dirt road and they took it. It was wet and muddy and every kick of the horses was sending a lot of mud flying, but that was the least of the concerns. There was a roar, turbulence in the far distance that kept reaching their ears, which worried them. Aed Ruad's soldiers were frantically searching for the group, for Anastasia. Suddenly the entire cavalcade was covered with thick mist, which dissipated after they rode the whole morning.

Despite the bright sun, cold wind slapped her face and hair. It was after almost mid-noon when they came across the first signs of the Gavron Wilds. After stopping for an hour to rest the horses, they started again.

Across the snow-covered hills in front, thick mist shrouded the wilds very high and all Anastasia could see were tall, dark trees rising above the mist like spires. Storm clouds had gathered and hid the sun behind them. The sky was a mix of grey and silver shades as if hiding layers and layers of dirty secrets. The group slowed down the horses. Cold gusts of wind blew right in their faces.

"I am sure a blizzard is waiting for us there!" breathed Carrick.

Kaizan grunted. "There is no other way Carrick!" He said and nudged his horse to move at an aggressive pace.

They ascended the hill and quickly made their way to the wilds. As soon as they entered the thick mist, they slowed the speed. Anastasia could only make out the silhouettes of men in front of her. Although Kaizan had come right next to them, she couldn't even make him out. The mist settled on her, coating her with a thin sheet of dampness. Her hands were freezing and her cheeks had become as cold as the snow around them. The temperatures must have dipped down by twenty degrees at least.

Ileus took out his cloak. "Cover yourself with it princess," he instructed, giving it to her.

Anastasia draped it over herself from the front and also tried to cover Ileus with it. The care for him felt natural. He simply bent his head to plant a kiss on her head—a routine that had become kind of a reflex for them.

"The Gavran Wilds are mysterious forests and have proven to be treacherous quagmires of these lands," said Ileus.

"Well, more than that a lost traveler could lay down on a thick bed of moss and would wake up the next morning surrounded by hags and trolls and rogues," Kaizan added. "There are far too dangerous creatures in the shadows of these tall trees."

Anastasia noticed delineations of pine, spruce and birch trees, with dark and damp branches hanging low.

"The bogs and marshes here are graveyards of men and animals. This forest is dark and mysterious and the heavy clouds above block most of the sunlight," Kaizan continued. "Making it very difficult to navigate."

"How come there is absolutely nothing about these in the library?" Anastasia wondered. "I had heard that mother had traversed through Sgiath Biò to meet father, but I am sure she mustn't have come here."

Kaizan chuckled. "I am damn sure she couldn't have passed through this forest. I mean look at the green and the black lichens that drape around the tree—even they look like hag's hair."

A rumbling sound from somewhere near stopped their conversation.

Anastasia was startled as hell. "What is that?" she asked, whipping her head to the left.

"Stay quiet," Ileus whispered. "Remember not to look down or around you now."

She nodded. He took his hand to his belt, unsheathed her dagger and gave it to her.

Anastasia held the cold pommel in her hand and rested it on her thigh, just in case.

"Are you scared, princess?" asked Ileus.

She didn't know. "Maybe… of the uncertainty." Not of the wild animals or mysterious creatures.

The group moved at a very slow pace and everyone became deathly quiet, the crunch of dead pine needles and twigs could be heard under the hooves of the horses. A crack of branch breaking in the distance invited a screech of an animal as if being pursued. The smell of rotting wood was mixed with that of pine and moss and… putrid odor. Flurries of snow started falling.

They followed each other's outlines in twos. After they rode for hours, they came across a clearing. "Should we stop here?" Kaizan asked. "It is getting dusky and we can stumble upon animals if we move further."

"I hope we are going in the right direction," Anastasia blurted. Her back had become very stiff and she also wanted to rest.

Ileus took a deep breath. "Even if we continue in this direction, we are going to cross Gavran Wilds and definitely reach somewhere. It's not a very big place. I just hope that we don't go very far off from Óraid!" He looked at Kaizan. "Let us camp here for the night."

The group dismounted and they erected tents at a fast pace. Darla busied herself along with Zlu to burn a small fire in order to warm the food. Anastasia walked up to them and said, "I think it isn't a good idea to burn fire. Smoke can lead animals here."

Darla gave her a sharp look. "I think you should keep yourself protected, princess! Don't be bothered with what peasants do. Your dinner shall be served soon."

Anastasia pursed her lips and lowered her head. She sat down on a stump near the fire after clearing ice from its top.

Carrick came and stood next to Zlu.

Zlu chuckled. "Stop picking on her." He passed a small bag to her in which meat was wrapped in a cloth. "This is the last we are left with. After this we have to ration our intake!"

"Zlu, this place is filled with animals. I am sure one of them is going to come our way!" Anastasia said while mocking Darla. "We will have plenty of meat. Don't worry."