Runes of the Forsaken

A Shard of Trust

The forest canopy grew denser as Eryndor and Kaelen ventured deeper into the Shadowlands. The air grew colder, tinged with an earthy dampness, and the eerie silence was broken only by the occasional rustle of unseen creatures. Eryndor’s steps were deliberate, her senses sharp, but her exhaustion was starting to show. Kaelen, walking a few paces ahead, seemed unnervingly at ease, as if the hostile terrain were his natural domain.

“Do you always stare at people when they’re walking?” he asked without turning his head, his voice laced with amusement.

Eryndor stiffened, realizing she had been studying his movements. “I wasn’t staring. I was… making sure you weren’t leading me into a trap.”

Kaelen glanced over his shoulder, his grin wolfish. “If I wanted to betray you, I’d have done it already. Plenty of opportunities back there.”

Eryndor’s hand instinctively went to the hilt of her dagger. “That doesn’t mean I trust you.”

“Good,” Kaelen replied, pushing a low-hanging branch out of the way. “Trust is a dangerous thing out here.”

The path widened into a small clearing, bathed in the pale light of the late afternoon sun. Kaelen stopped abruptly, holding up a hand to signal her to halt. His demeanor shifted, his casual arrogance replaced by sharp focus.

“What is it?” Eryndor whispered, her own senses prickling with unease.

He didn’t answer immediately, instead crouching to inspect the ground. “Tracks. Fresh ones.”

Eryndor knelt beside him, her eyes narrowing at the shallow imprints in the dirt. “Too big for wolves.”

“Too deliberate for anything wild,” Kaelen added. “These are boots—military-grade. Empire patrols.”

Her stomach sank. “They’re close?”

“Close enough.” Kaelen straightened, his eyes scanning the perimeter. “We need to move, now.”

As they pressed forward, the forest seemed to close in around them, every shadow hiding potential danger. Eryndor’s thoughts raced. If the Empire’s soldiers were this deep in the Shadowlands, they weren’t just patrolling—they were searching for something. Or someone.

Her.

“Why are they here?” she asked, her voice low but strained.

Kaelen hesitated before answering, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “The Empire doesn’t waste resources on random hunts. They’re after something valuable.” He shot her a sidelong glance. “Or someone.”

Eryndor clenched her fists. The rune on her palm itched beneath her gloves, as if in response to her growing anxiety. “They can’t find me.”

Kaelen smirked. “Then don’t make it easy for them.”

She wanted to retort, but a sudden noise froze the words in her throat. The snap of a twig echoed through the trees, too loud to be an accident. Both of them stopped, their breaths shallow. Kaelen’s hand slipped to the hilt of a dagger at his belt, his movements silent and precise.

“Stay behind me,” he whispered, barely audible.

Eryndor ignored him, her own dagger sliding from its sheath. The rune on her palm pulsed faintly, a warning she couldn’t ignore. She tightened her grip, her heart pounding as the shadows ahead shifted unnaturally.

The first soldier emerged from the treeline, his armor glinting faintly in the dim light. He was followed by another, then another, until a small unit stood before them. Their leader, a tall woman with a cruel smile, stepped forward, her sword drawn.

“Well, well,” she said, her voice cold and mocking. “What do we have here? Strays?”

Kaelen stepped forward, his posture relaxed but his grip on the dagger firm. “Just passing through. No need for trouble.”

The leader tilted her head, her gaze shifting to Eryndor. Her smile widened. “Passing through the Shadowlands? Unlikely. Especially with her in tow.”

Eryndor felt her blood run cold. They knew.

“Run,” Kaelen whispered, his voice urgent.

Eryndor’s instincts screamed at her to flee, but her feet remained rooted. The rune on her palm flared, a faint glow seeping through the fabric of her glove. The soldiers reacted instantly, weapons raised.

“Seize her!” the leader barked.

Kaelen moved first, a blur of motion as he hurled his dagger. It struck true, embedding itself in the throat of the nearest soldier. Chaos erupted.

Eryndor’s survival instincts finally kicked in, and she bolted. She darted between the trees, her heart hammering as shouts and the clash of steel echoed behind her. The forest seemed alive, the branches clawing at her as if trying to hold her back.

“Eryndor, this way!” Kaelen’s voice cut through the noise, and she turned to see him sprinting toward a narrow ravine.

She didn’t hesitate. She followed him, leaping over roots and dodging low-hanging branches. The sound of pursuit grew fainter as the terrain became more treacherous, but Eryndor didn’t dare slow down.

Finally, they reached the edge of the ravine. Kaelen paused, his chest heaving as he assessed their surroundings. “They won’t follow us down here,” he said, gesturing to the jagged rocks and dense underbrush below.

Eryndor glanced at the drop, her breath coming in gasps. “You’re insane if you think I’m jumping down there.”

Kaelen shot her a sharp look, his usual smirk replaced by urgency. “Do you want to stay here and discuss it with them? Because I’m sure they’d love to talk.”

The sound of approaching soldiers left her no choice. Eryndor clenched her jaw, muttered a curse under her breath, and leapt. The descent was chaotic—branches clawed at her, and the uneven slope made it impossible to control her fall. She hit the ground hard, the impact jarring but manageable.

Kaelen landed beside her a moment later, remarkably graceful despite the rough terrain. He offered her a hand, but she ignored it, pulling herself to her feet.

“Next time, a warning would be nice,” she snapped, brushing dirt from her gloves.

“Next time, don’t hesitate,” Kaelen retorted, already moving deeper into the ravine. “Come on, we need to keep going. They’ll search the area, but they won’t risk following us down here in the dark.”

Eryndor didn’t argue. She followed him, every nerve on edge as they wound their way through the rocky terrain. The faint glow of her rune flickered beneath her glove, a reminder of the power she couldn’t control and the danger it attracted.

As the forest above grew quieter, Kaelen finally slowed, glancing back at her. “You’re full of surprises, you know that?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, her tone defensive.

He shrugged, his expression unreadable. “You don’t move like someone who’s spent their whole life hiding. You’ve seen danger before.”

Eryndor’s jaw tightened. “I’ve had to fight to survive. That’s all you need to know.”

Kaelen didn’t press further, though his curious gaze lingered. “Fair enough,” he said finally. “But if we’re going to make it out of this alive, you’ll need to start trusting me at least a little.”

She didn’t answer. Trust was a luxury she couldn’t afford, not with her life at stake. But as they pressed on into the growing darkness, a small part of her wondered if she’d made the right choice in following him.

For now, she had no other option.