The forest didn't open up much. It wasn't trying to be welcoming. The trees pressed in at odd angles, old trunks twisted with time, their roots heaving out of the soil like bones that had decided they were done being buried.
The path, if it could still be called that, dipped into a slope now. Snow had melted here, only in patches, leaving behind damp earth and flattened leaves that stuck to boots like guilt.
Lindarion stepped around a moss-covered stone. His foot slipped slightly, then caught. Not enough to stumble. Just enough to remind him that the ground didn't care who he was.
'Definitely not a normal road.'
Behind him, Ardan's boots made a steady, deliberate crunch. One that never sped up. Never slowed down.
Ahead, Ren was crouched on a fallen branch, poking at a cluster of mushrooms with a stick. Not for any reason. Just because they were there and she had a stick.
'She's acting like a toddler despite how strong she is..'
