Aella (manxman) - ON HOLD

Little pearl

Ithel

Hold on, my mate,

I will find you!

I was running at full speed as soon as I distanced myself from the two Aella hunters. I didn't care about my own tracks anymore. No matter what, I had to find him. And all my instincts screamed at me to follow the trace of that wicked hunter, Drita.

Some parts were more difficult than others as I couldn't find her footprints, but I managed to track where she came from, and the path seemed to keep going around the mountain without climbing it. I ran for more than an hour and I met no other hunter. She had them search other areas while she kept this whole part to herself. That reeked of suspicious behavior, but I didn't really need proof to believe anymore. I didn't need to see to know,

The vicious woman had him.

She wanted to keep him for herself and that was extremely disgusting. But also somehow relieving because that meant that she wouldn't harm him so easily. So he must be here somewhere, trapped and waiting for help. He must be-.........

I came to a sudden stop under the strong sunlight, in an area where the trail seemed to go into a total mess. I leaned down and touched the ground. I inspected the chaotic patterns of the dirt, only to realize with horror that there was a recent struggle here, right beneath my feet. There were traces of someone being dragged into the forest.

Then I saw smaller footprints under a tree.

My Aella...

This was definitely him!

I gathered the dirt in my hand and brought it to my chest, my eyes still scanning my surroundings. And there it was, another footprint of his going into the forest. My brave mate, did you escape? But why were the prints so close to each other, were you walking slowly? Are you hurt??

I followed the trail and it ended sooner than expected. It stopped where the dragging marks have begun. As I inspected the tracks closer, I realized... He wasn't taken into the forest; he was being forced outside of it.

I immediately turned on my heels and hurried back to where the dragging ended, outside of the forest and close to the mountain. I decided I had to climb it, maybe that treacherous hunter found another way to the Aellas' village on the mountain, and she was hiding him there?

It was a tiny possibility because I've always been told that there was no way to the Aellas other than the main path that they all used and guarded. But I had to try this even if it took a lot of time and risk. I had to find him NOW!

I went climbing the large gray rocks. After merely a couple of them, something shiny caught my eyes. A few step further than where I as searching, something on the ground was twinkling under the sun. I jumped off the rocks and moved towards it. What I found there made my heart sink and my knees buckled.