BEYOND THE NORTHERN FOREST

THE HUNT The first thing lucan noticed that morning was the silence. It wasn't unusual for the village to be quiet before sunrise. At that hour, most people were still asleep, their homes dark and their fires reduced to glowing embers. But lucan had always been a light sleeper. He noticed the smallest sounds—the wind pressing against the walls, the creaking of the old wooden roof, the occasional footsteps of someone leaving early for the fields. That morning, however, something else woke him. Clink. Lucan opened his eyes. For a moment, he remained beneath his blanket, staring at the wooden ceiling above him. Clink. There it was again. Metal against metal. Lucan sat up. The room was cold. He rubbed his eyes and looked toward the doorway. "You’re awake already?" Lucan froze. His brother stood in the doorway. He was already dressed. A thick brown hunting coat covered his shoulders, and a leather strap crossed his chest. His bow was leaning against the wall beside him, and a small hunting knife hung from his belt. Lucan frowned. "What time is it?" "Early." "That's not a time." His brother smiled. "It is when you're supposed to be asleep." "You woke me." "I didn't." "You were making noise." "I was breathing." Lucan narrowed his eyes. "You breathe loudly." His brother laughed. Lucan grabbed his blanket and threw it at him. His brother caught it easily. "Very dangerous," he said. "Give it back." "No." "Give it back." "You'll have to come get it." Lucan jumped from the bed. His brother stepped backward, laughing as Kael chased him around the small room. "Stop!" "You started it." "Give me my blanket!" "No." Lucan reached for it. His brother moved aside. Lucan nearly fell. "You're cheating!" "There's no cheating in a blanket fight." "You moved!" "That's usually how people move." Lucan finally grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled. His brother released it. Lucan stumbled backward and landed on the bed. He held the blanket above his head. "I won." His brother crossed his arms. "Of course you did." Lucan grinned. His brother walked over and ruffled his hair. "You're getting stronger." Lucan pushed his hand away. "I'm not a child." "I didn't say you were." "You treat me like one." "Because you act like one." Lucan opened his mouth to argue. Then stopped. His brother was smiling. Lucan smiled too. For a moment, everything was normal. Their little house was cold. The roof leaked whenever it rained too heavily. One of the windows had a crack running through the glass. The table had only two chairs because they had never needed more. There wasn't much food in the cupboard. There wasn't much money hidden beneath the floorboards. There wasn't much of anything. But lucan had never considered himself poor. Not when he had his brother. His brother had raised him for as long as Kael could remember. Their parents had been gone for years. Lucan remembered very little about them. A woman's voice. A man's hands. A warm room. Then nothing. His brother was the one who remained. He had taught Lucan how to cook. How to chop wood. How to set traps. How to clean a wound. How to use a knife. How to keep a fire alive through the night. Whenever lucan was frightened, his brother told him there was nothing to fear. Whenever lucan was hungry, his brother found something for them to eat. Whenever lucan wondered whether tomorrow would be better, his brother always said the same thing. "It will be." Lucan believed him. His brother reached for his bow. Lucan noticed immediately. "You're going hunting?" "Yes." "Where?" "The northern forest." Lucan's smile disappeared. "The northern forest?" His brother nodded. "There's been deer activity near the river." "You said you were hunting near the hills." "I changed my mind." "Why?" "Better hunting grounds." Lucan folded his arms. "Take me with you." "No." "Why?" "Because you're terrible at hunting." "I'm not." His brother raised an eyebrow. "You stepped on a branch yesterday." "That branch was hidden." "It was lying across the road." "I was distracted." "By what?" Kael hesitated. "A bird." His brother stared at him. Kael looked away. His brother laughed. "You see?" "I can be quiet." "You lasted five minutes yesterday." "I can last ten today." "No." "Fifteen." "No." "Twenty." His brother shook his head. "You'll scare everything within a mile." Kael frowned. "I won't." "You will." "I'll prove it." "You can prove it tomorrow." "Why not today?" "Because I'm going alone." Kael stared at him. "Why?" His brother's expression softened. "Because I need to move quickly." Kael looked at the bow. Then at the knife. Then back at his brother. "You'll be careful?" His brother nodded. "Always." Kael knew his brother was an experienced hunter. He had gone into the woods countless times. He knew which paths were safe. He knew where the animals gathered. He knew how to read tracks. He knew how to survive. Still, something about the northern forest made Kael uncomfortable. It was farther than the places his brother usually hunted. The trees there were older. The forest was thicker. Even the villagers avoided going too deep. Not because anyone could remember anything terrible happening there. There were simply old stories. Stories about strange sounds. Lights between trees. People who wandered too far and returned days later without remembering where they had been. Kael didn't believe those stories. At least, he told himself he didn't. His brother walked toward the door. Kael followed him. "How long will you be gone?" "Most of the day." "When will you come back?" "Before sunset." Kael nodded. Then he asked the question he always asked. "Promise?" His brother stopped. He turned around. For a moment, he simply looked at Kael. Then he smiled. He raised two fingers. "Promise." Kael smiled back. "Good." His brother opened the door. Cold morning air rushed inside. He stepped outside. Kael stood in the doorway watching him. His brother turned once. "Eat breakfast." "I'm not hungry." "You will be." "I'm not." "You always are." Kael rolled his eyes. His brother smiled. Then he walked away. Kael watched until he disappeared around the bend. He closed the door. He didn't know it would be the last time he saw him. --- The morning passed slowly. Kael tried to keep himself busy. He carried water from the village well. He collected firewood. He repaired a broken section of the fence. He swept the floor. He even attempted to prepare lunch. The result was terrible. Kael stared at the burnt food in the pot. His brother would have laughed. Actually, he would have laughed first. Then he would have eaten it anyway. Kael smiled at the thought. He sat at the table. The house felt strangely empty. He looked at the chair opposite him. His brother always sat there. Kael imagined him returning later. He would open the door. He would complain about the weather. He would put the bow against the wall. Then he would ask why Kael had burned the food. Kael would tell him it wasn't burned. His brother would point at the smoke. Kael would argue. Everything would be normal. Kael leaned back in his chair. He looked through the window. The sky was clear. The sun was climbing higher. His brother had plenty of time. There was nothing to worry about. Nothing. --- By midday, Kael had finished everything he could think of doing. He went outside. He sat on the fence and looked toward the northern hills. The forest couldn't be seen from the village. Only the hills. Kael stared at them anyway. A breeze moved through the grass. Birds flew overhead. Children played near the road. Farmers worked in the fields. Everything was normal. Kael checked the sun. Still plenty of time. He went back inside. He tried to read. After three pages, he stopped. He tried sleeping. He couldn't. He went outside again. The afternoon passed. The sun began to lower. Kael stood near the road. People started returning from the fields. He watched every person who came through the village. Every time someone appeared in the distance, his heart lifted. Every time, it was someone else. Then the sun disappeared behind the hills. Kael's smile faded. He waited. Five minutes. Ten. Twenty. Nothing. He stepped farther onto the road. His brother should have been back. Maybe the hunt had taken longer. Maybe he had followed a deer farther than expected. Maybe he had stopped to rest. There were dozens of explanations. Kael chose every one of them. He waited until the sky became dark. Still nothing. Someone approached from behind. "You waiting for your brother?" Kael turned. Tomas stood there. Tomas was one of the village's older hunters. He had known Kael's brother for years. "Yes." Tomas looked toward the northern hills. "He went north?" Kael nodded. "When?" "This morning." "Alone?" "Yes." Tomas was quiet. Kael noticed the hesitation. "What?" "Nothing." "You made a face." "I didn't." "You did." Tomas sighed. "Your brother knows what he's doing." "I know." "Then don't worry." Kael looked at him. "Why aren't you saying anything?" Tomas glanced toward the forest. "Because the northern woods are farther than he usually goes." Kael's stomach tightened. "He'll come back." Tomas nodded. "Yes." But he didn't sound certain. --- Night came. Kael left the door unlocked. He sat beside the window with a lantern burning beside him. Every sound made him look up. A dog barking. A branch snapping. Someone walking past. The wind against the roof. Each time, Kael expected the door to open. Each time, it didn't. The lantern burned lower. Kael looked outside. The village was asleep. He closed the door. Then he sat beside it. He waited. Hours passed. His eyes grew heavy. Eventually, he fell asleep sitting against the wall. --- Morning came without his brother. Kael woke with a stiff neck. For a few seconds, he forgot. Then he remembered. He stood immediately. He grabbed his cloak and left the house. Tomas was already awake. Kael found him near the village square. "He's not back." Tomas looked at him. "I know." "Help me find him." Tomas hesitated. "Kael..." "Please." Tomas looked into the boy's eyes. Then he nodded. "Get your boots." --- Three men entered the northern forest that morning. Kael was one of them. Tomas had tried to leave him behind. Kael refused. The forest was colder than the village. Tall trees blocked the sunlight. The ground was damp. Leaves covered the earth. They followed the river first. Then the hunting paths. They found deer tracks. Rabbit tracks. Wolf tracks. Old footprints. Fallen branches. Nothing. Kael searched every inch of ground. "Here?" Tomas shook his head. "Keep looking." They walked deeper. Lucan's legs began to hurt. His hands became numb from the cold. He ignored it. His brother was somewhere ahead. He had to be. Then Tomas stopped. Lucan looked up. "What?" Tomas pointed at the ground. A footprint. Lucan heart jumped. He rushed forward. But Tomas crouched beside it. After a moment, he shook his head. "Not him." Lucan stared at the print. "Are you sure?" "Yes." Lucan swallowed. They continued. They searched until afternoon. They reached a clearing. Lucan stopped. Nothing. No broken branches. No blood. No torn clothing. No dropped weapon. No sign of a struggle. Nothing. It was as if his brother had never been there. Lucan looked around. "Maybe he went farther." Tomas looked into the trees. "Maybe." "Then we keep going." "Lucan..." "We keep going." Tomas looked at the other hunters. They exchanged a glance. Then they continued. --- They searched for six days. More hunters joined them. They searched the river. The hills. The caves. The old paths. They checked traps. They questioned travelers. They searched places where a wounded hunter might have fallen. Nothing. Not a body. Not blood. Not a broken weapon. Not a piece of clothing. Not even a clear footprint. Nothing. On the seventh day, the village stopped searching. Lucan stood outside his house when Tomas approached. "We'll continue tomorrow." Lucan looked at him. "You don't believe that." Tomas lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry." "He's alive." "Lucan..." "He's alive." Tomas didn't argue. He simply placed a hand on lucan's shoulder. Then he walked away. Lucan watched him disappear. That night, lucan sat alone at the table. His brother's chair remained empty. The house felt different. Too large. Too quiet. Lucan stared at the second cup beside him. His brother's cup. He reached for it. Then stopped. He pulled his hand back. Touching it somehow made everything feel more real. His brother wasn't coming home. At least, that's what everyone believed. Lucan refused to believe it. Not yet. He went to his brother's room. The bed was untouched. His hunting clothes were still hanging on the wall. His boots were gone. His bow was gone. Kael stood in the doorway. He remembered the promise. "I'll be back before sunset." Lucan closed his eyes. "You lied." His voice cracked. He sat on the floor. For the first time since his brother disappeared, lucan cried. Quietly. There was no one there to hear him. --- Three months passed. The village moved on. People stopped talking about Kael's brother. At first, everyone had questions. Then the questions became guesses. Then the guesses became certainty. Some said he had been killed by wolves. Others believed he had fallen into the river. A few said he must have left the region. Lucan listened to all of them. He believed none. His brother had not simply disappeared. Something had happened. But there was no evidence. No answer. Only silence. Lucan searched whenever he could. He asked travelers if they had seen a man matching his brother's description. He asked merchants. Hunters. Farmers. Caravan guards. Anyone passing through the village. Nothing. Eventually, lucan understood something. If he stayed in the village, he would spend the rest of his life waiting. So one morning, before sunrise, he packed what little he owned. A blanket. A small knife. Some bread. His brother's old cloak. He looked around the house. There wasn't much to leave behind. The table. Two chairs. The old fireplace. His brother's empty room. Lucan swallowed. He locked the door. Then he looked at the house one last time. "I'm going to find you." He didn't know where he would go. He didn't know what he would find. He only knew he couldn't stay. Lucan walked toward the road. He didn't look back. By noon, the village was far behind him. By evening, he reached a crossroads. One road led east toward the capital. Another led south toward the coast. The third disappeared into the mountains. Lucan stood there. He had no destination. No money. No plan. Only a question. Where would he start looking? Then he heard horses. Lucan turned. A large carriage approached from the eastern road. Four horses pulled it. Several mounted guards surrounded it. The carriage was black and decorated with a silver crest. Lucan stepped aside. One of the guards looked down at him. "What are you doing out here alone?" Lucan said nothing. The guard frowned. "You have family nearby?" Lucan looked at the ground. "No." The guard studied him. Then the carriage window opened. An older man looked out. He wore a dark coat embroidered with silver thread. His hair was beginning to turn gray. His expression was stern, but his eyes were tired. "Who is the boy?" The guard answered. "Doesn't seem to have anyone, my lord." The man looked at Kael. "How old are you?" "Fourteen." "Where are your parents?" "Dead." "And your family?" Lucan hesitated. "My brother." "Where is he?" Lucan looked back toward the road. "He disappeared." The man's expression changed slightly. "Disappeared?" Lucan nodded. "While hunting." The man studied him for several seconds. "How long ago?" "Three months." "And you left your village?" Lucan nodded. "Why?" "To find him." The man was silent. He looked at the boy's worn clothes. The old cloak. The small knife at his waist. The tired expression on his face. Then he looked toward the road ahead. "You have somewhere to go?" Lucan shook his head. The man sighed. "Bring him." Lucan looked up. The guard dismounted. "Come with us." "Where?" The older man answered from inside the carriage. "To my estate." Lucan hesitated. "Why?" The man looked at him. "Because a boy with nowhere to go shouldn't be standing alone on a road." Lucan didn't know what to say. He had learned not to trust kindness easily. But he had nowhere else to go. So he nodded. The guard stepped aside. Lucan climbed into the carriage. As the horses began moving, Kael looked through the window. The road behind him slowly disappeared. For the first time since his brother vanished, he was leaving the only place he had ever called home. He didn't know that the man sitting across from him was Duke Arven Valerius. He didn't know that the duke's estate would become his new home. He didn't know that he would spend his days caring for horses, cleaning armor, carrying weapons, and working among soldiers. He didn't know that the estate would eventually lead him toward answers about his brother. And he certainly didn't know that somewhere beyond the forests, kingdoms, and mountains, something ancient had already begun moving. For now, lucan was simply a fourteen-year-old boy who had lost the only family he had left. He stared through the carriage window. His brother's last words echoed in his mind. "I'll be back before sunset." Lucan tightened his grip on the old cloak. "Where are you?" The carriage continued east. Toward the duke's estate. Toward a life lucan had never imagined. And toward a mystery that had begun the moment his brother walked into the northern forest.