“It can’t be that much further to Macula?” Cole said to himself. “The direct path through the forest took would have considerable cut the time it would take in following the road we traveled from the city. So did I go past her while traveling through the forest or was she already in the town?” The unanswerable question was plaguing him as he was nearing civilization. It wouldn’t be much longer until he would come to the edge of the forest, where the first few of the houses on the outskirts of Macula stood. Kryschenn, so far, was nowhere to be seen. The possibility of Kryschenn’s entry into the town and subsequent capture by Yarfellian troops was beginning to seem all the more likely. Regardless he felt a need to know for certain before taking action. Hoping to find out her real location despite the image that appeared in his mind, Cole decided to break his word as reached for his weapon. But before he could lay a finger on the Stone and turn thought into deed, a sudden cry rang out among the trees.
“SHYTTE!”
His eyes widened immediately after he heard the short yell. “I'd recognize that ‘SHYTTE’ anywhere!” he said facing the direction of the shout came from. It was Kryschenn, and that was all he needed to know. Steering his horse into the location of the short cry, Cole then put his horse to charge. “It didn’t sound like she was having such a good time on her way to Macula,” he muttered as he scanned the area ahead of him, navigating the horse through the lush greenery of the forest.
He then recalled she wasn’t totally unarmed after all. She still carried her dagger and the rose, the latter could be effectively used as a weapon. But would they be enough to face off against a major threat? The darkness of the deeper forest gave him no comfort either as the thundering hooves of the steed carried him onward. Drawing the sword from her belt, Cole raced to her aid, ready to help face down whatever foe presented itself to her.
