The Untold Forest by Elisa Menz (ebook offline reader TXT) 📕

Regn made her quiver. He snarled towards the village, to a cabin near the trees where three small bodies laid almost hidden by the briar.

Maeve gasped in horror at the sight of the children covered in blood and huddled together. Their faces were hidden as their little hands clutched each other’s clothes, hinting at the terror they must have experienced in their last moments.

Her hand flew to her mouth to hold back a scream. All resemblance of control abandoned her body, and only Hakken’s quick reaction prevented her from falling to her knees. “Hakken, I can’t!”

“Breath, Maeve, you are safe with me. You are all right, beautiful, don’t look at them...” His voice faltered, and she couldn’t help to glance over his shoulder. Now, closer to the village, she saw dozens of bodies scattered. Women, men, children. They spared no one.

“We need to find them.” Kniv’s strained voice shook her from her awful daze when he stood in front of her. “Maeve... sweetheart, I’m sorry, but I need you to focus.”

He reached to wipe her tears with a rough but tender hand. “Can you sense anyone alive? You tell us, and we will go to them.”

She turned to face the village once more, with Hakken’s safe warmth enveloping her from behind. Maeve closed her eyes to the awful sight and tried her best to focus. The foreign fear she sensed moments ago was gone, and knowing what it meant made her whimper.

Hakken nuzzled against her neck. “Don’t force yourself. If you need to stop, just do it.”

There was a moment of peace when all she could perceive was the wariness of her companions. But then, a sharp emotion hit her like a wave, and her eyes shot open, gasping for breath while she clutched a fist over her heart.

Seeing her so frightened, Regn jumped to her side and yelled. “Maeve, stop!  If you are going to hurt yourself, we will find Hurtig on our own!”

Maeve turned to Kniv. “Someone’s there, near the burning hut at the other end!”

Hakken rubbed her back. “Is it Hurtig? The boys?”

“I don’t think so. You should be careful. Whoever this is, they are furious.” They walked in a tight group, scanning their surroundings while trying to locate survivors. The attackers were gone, but so far, all the casualties looked like Red Moon Valley people.

Did the attackers take their own warrior’s bodies with them? Maeve hoped that was the case because the alternative frightened her. They crept through the burning huts, Kniv and Regn checking the bodies, holding on to the possibility of finding someone alive, with no luck.

Maeve bit her bottom lip in a futile attempt to control her fear, and soon, the taste of blood shook her to her core. She knew the world wasn’t always a peaceful place, and life in the Forest was a lot harsher than the life she was used to. But this was beyond all comprehension.

Surrounded by death, Maeve tried to avoid seeing the corpses at first, but she forced herself to stare into their eyes. Not their wounds or their pain; that was not who they were. It felt important to acknowledge those around her, not to ignore their fate, and to bid one last farewell to the people she would never meet.

However, one lifeless pair of eyes rattled her so hard, she fell to the ground, letting out a heartbreaking cry. Vorka was dead, his throat sliced, almost ripped apart.

“That is enough! Kniv, I’m taking her out of here!” Hakken took her in his arms again before striding away from the others. Only after a few steps, a terrifying sound made him stop.

They were near the hut Maeve pointed out, and under the rubble, a man struggled to rise. A pointless attempt, since a wall had collapsed on top of him, and long wooden beams pierced his abdomen.

How he was still alive, it was beyond their grasp. But the long strings of red dust that wrung around him, converging at his wounds, gave them a hint. Red and white war paint adorned his body, and he had a birthmark on his chin, shaped like a water drop. Maeve could feel the anger from her friends at the sight of the young man.

“Mountain tribe,” Regn grunted.

All three men’s hate was too much for Maeve to bear, and she begged them to stop. “Please... don’t. He is going to die, anyway, there is no need for your hate.”

She was right, and they were glaring at a dead man. Ashamed, they stood around him, keeping their distance. They watched him growl and throw angry blows their way, harmless.

“We should try to get some of that dust while we’re here,” Kniv said.

“I’m not going anywhere near him. Let’s wait until he dies.” Regn’s voice dripped anger, and Maeve couldn’t stand it. Regn was one of the sweetest souls she had encountered in her life, and to feel sheer hate coming from him was disheartening.

Without him noticing, she reached to touch his shoulder. “Don’t say that,” she pleaded. Regn stared at her in shock before awkwardly patting her hand.

The young man bared his fangs at them, growling and trying to claw his way out of the rubble, but it was clear he was losing his strength. The blood loss caused his face to grow paler, and his eyes turned glassy and red. He didn’t utter a word, acting like a wild animal instead.

They all stood in silence, waiting for his demise.

“Please...” All eyes snapped to him. “I-I’m sorry... please.” Tears covered his face while his shaky voice begged.  “It hurts! Please, make it stop! Make it stop!”

All the anger Maeve sensed coming from him was gone. Pain, regret, and fear were all the young mountain warrior gave off now.

“Are you watching this?” Hakken whispered. Kniv was the first one to react, reaching for the young man’s hand out of instinct. But as soon as he was within reach, his expression switched, and the painful grimace turned into a violent scowl.

“Watch out!” Regn barely prevented the blow, hauling Kniv