Records of the Forest (Completed)

Entering Alderwilt

Crack!!

Rowan felt her bat connect with something crunchy and solid. The vibrations sent up her arm sting like crazy, but she managed to hold on and run. "What the heck was that?!"

"Good shot Rowan!" Haider's cheer came. "That was a Shifter! A moment more and he would have gotten you!"

"What?!" She yelled in disbelief.

"Don't think about it!" Anne said. She was a good few feet in front of Rowan. "Just keep running!"

Jack, who despite is appearance was actually rather fast, pulled on Rowan's pant leg to run faster. "Oh, goodness... They're everywhere!"

Rowan ran faster, holding the bat tight. The feeling, the aura of the forest was so deep and dark she could feel it. The trees were enormous, much bigger than what should have been in the regular Alderwilt. And bugs poured from every dead crack and crevice.

"We need to spilt up!" She yelled.

Haider nodded. "Jack, Anne, you two go! Rowan and I will meet you!"

"Right," Jack huffed back. And before Anne could protest he pulled her away, veering sharply to the left. The swarm of bugs hesitated, deciding who to go after. And in that moment Haider pushed Rowan down and around a deep pathway hidden by enormous roots.

"Run!" He hissed. "Keep going!"

Rowan nodded, huffing. "Is it working?"

"Well I'm not stopping to find out!" Haider rushed ahead, far faster than his old age should allow him to be. And quickly he was out of sight.

"Wait!" Rowan yelled, pushing up out of the roots after him. The forest was right and warm and full of sunshine. But she still felt cold to the bone. He the giant stone heads broken along the beaten path didn't help.

"In here!" Haider's voice called from one. His hand shot out and snatched Rowan, pulling her into the hollow head. Moments later, the sound of dozens of winds rushed near, with voices all calling out, looking for them.

"Where did they go?"
"Not here!"
"Keep moving, they couldn't have gotten far!"
"Right!"

Just as soon as they appeared, all but one Shifter left. Their swarm flew directly by the opening in the head. But the two of them were so deep in the shadows they weren't noticed. The one Shifter remaining looked around suspiciously.

"What are you doing?" Another Shifter, a massive grasshopper asked as he flew back.

The first one, a wasp, glared at the head. "I thought I saw something... There!" He quickly drew his bow and arrow and shot into the hollow space. A moment later a stony *clink* followed.

"See?" The grasshopper moaned. "Nothing there. Now, go back to the East! Apparently there's a chipmunk up there causing issues!"

"Yessir!" With that both bugs left.

A few seconds later, Haider let out a breath. "Good thinking with that pebble," he said in pain. "Now get this damn arrow out of me." He saw the hesitation in Rowan's expression and sighed. "Just yank it."

Rowan, who had every intention not to just yank it, carefully grabbed what she could of the arrow. This was more nerve-racking than being shot at for some reason. Danger is one thing, utter embarrassment is another. If she failed pulling this arrow out... she could just die. Holding her breath, she pulled. The arrow pulled out with a sickly sound. "That... Is a tiny arrow. Are you alright?"

"Yeah," he groaned. "Thanks for asking. Come on, let's get out of here. Jack and Anne will, hopefully, be waiting for us."

The two stepped out of the head and ran back the way they came. But where they took a left last time they went straight. They went deeper and deeper through impossible thick trees. After about five minutes of walking, Haider sighed loudly. "We'll be coming up on the Chimes' Meadow here in a bit. Hopefully Jack'll be there. These Shifters got me worried."