While riding into the forest, Katerina arms circled around the child in her lap. The horse neighed softly at the tiger that walked ahead of them. The two never had gotten along since Athena had join the family. Katerina was reluctant to buy Athena, but she was a mom now. Looking down at the child in her lap, Kiyomi’s big jasmine eyes stared out in front of them. They had gone a long way since the pirate ship, where she found the Kiyomi. The child who never said a word for weeks almost months, finally was talking, even if it was only a little bit. “Nena…” Kiyomi said happily and patted the horse's black curly mane.  The horse neighed in response while a smile lined the elemental’s lips.

This wasn’t just a trip for them, Katerina had read a posting at the village just on the outskirts of the forest, it read, “Missing, Four boys, Last seen heading into the forest three days ago.” The wolf demon had asked around if they had found them, but there was no luck. Everyone had thought the boys were dead. Stories had floated around the villages folk for years that there were trolls deep within the forest.The trolls had stopped hunting for people for years. All because of one wolf demon. She told them long ago, if they took anymore human’s that she would come back and kill them. Now they were back at it again, maybe they had thought she had past on. Whatever the case may be, they were sentenced to death.

Making her way through the forest, it didn’t take too long to find the troll cave.  The cave was dark, the sun only lit up the entrance of the cave. Crystal blue eyes glanced around the cave, no one was outside. She had to go inside. Leaning down, she kissed the child’s head. “I will be right back, you stay here with, Alexander and Athena. Okay?” The child turned to look up at her mother’s voice, a frown linding her lips. “No no, mama.” She whined softly and leaned into her mother’s chest. “You will be safe.” Katerina kissed her child’s head again and jumped off the horse. “I won’t be long. Promise.” The elemental looked up at her child while she opened the pack that laid on the horse. “Here is, Sammy.” She said as she handed the rag doll to her daughter. “Okay, Mama.” The child said with a nod. With a glance at the white tiger, they gave a short nod to each other. “No harm will come to the child.” Alexander spoke with a soft accent. With that, the elemental turned and walked into the cave.

Walking deeper into the cave, the cavern started to open up, a soft light came from the back of the cave. Eyes narrowing, Katerina held out her hand, a flash of light and smoke shot out and faded into a sword. The hilt was stripped with a bright blue and gold. Ancient lettering engraved down the blade of the sword.  With a speed of a wolf, the demon ran towards the light. Getting closer, there were three trolls hanging around a large pot over a fire. In an instant, she appeared behind one of them, the blade at one of the trolls throats. “We had an agreement!” She yelled at them. Her eyes staring at the two others before her. “We…We didn’t do anything!” They both said shakily. Stepping back against the wall, they shook in fear. “We swear it!” The troll with a blade to his throat, choked out. “Then why is there four boys missing from the village!? Why do the village people say it was TROLLS!?” Moving a blade slightly at her words. Blood trickled down the green skin of the troll. “One of you is missing…” She whispered as her eyes glanced around the cave. “Where is he?” He was the one that was always against her. The one she almost killed. A missing arm was proof.

“He…He left! He said you were long dead! That we could do all we want.” One of the loose trolls said. Then the last finished, “We said no, we couldn’t take the chance, so he left! We don’t know where he is at now.” She didn’t know if she should believe them, but with a blade to their friend’s throat, they would be more willing to tell the truth. Removing the blade, she shoved the troll into the stew before them. “Stick to the animal life. Or you are all dead.” Katerina threatened as she fisted her blade hand, making the blade disappear in a puff of icey cold smoke.  Turning quickly, she disappeared into the darkness of the cave. The echos of, “We will..We Will.” Reached her ears before she reached the entrance of the cave.

“It wasn’t them.” The tiger stated, seeing that the wasn’t a drop of blood on the woman’s clothes. “Who has them?” He growled. He was very protective of children, especially Kiyomi. “One are the trolls went rogue.” Was all she needed to say before the tiger turned to start to walk into the trees. “Mama!” The child cried aloud with a smile on her face and her arms out wide. “Kiyomi, you can’t yell like that in the woods. It isn’t safe.” The child frowned and her shoulders slumped forward in her dark blue dress. Her cape falling down her shoulders. “Mama, mad.” She whispered into her doll. “Sweetheart, it is alright, I am not mad at you.” The elemental said as she jumped onto the horse behind the child. Her arms circling her in a hug.  “I could never be mad at you.” She whispered into the child’s ear. Grabbing the child’s hand, Katerina turned up the child’s palm upward. She traced a heart with her finger in the palm of the little girl's hand then kissed the child’s cheek. A soft giggle left the child’s lips and leaned back into her mother. With a smile, the elemental grabbed the horse's reins with her free hand and lead the horse away from the cave.

As they moved through the trees, they didn’t follow any trail. She knew the way to the many caves that were scattered throughout the forest. There was only a few that were large enough for a troll of his size.

Thinking of the caves, while the child played with her doll in her lap. Katerina’s eyes looked up through the trees, the sky was beginning to darken. It was time to make camp. Her eyes glanced around till she found a clearing just a few feet ahead. It was large enough for a tent and fire. A fallen tree was perfect to sit on. Changing her course, she moved the reins to the left, so Athena knew where to go. “Alexander. Scout around this clearing of the trees. We are making camp.“ The elemental said to the tiger. Without a word, the tiger ran off into the trees. “Is it okay to take camp here? With that troll on the loose?” The horse neighed to Katerina. “Yes, we’ll be okay. He won’t come near me. He is too much of a coward.” The wolf demon replied. “Alright..” Athena wasn’t sure with her new owner, but she trusted her.

Only a short leap and the wolf demon was on the ground. “Mama.” The child said softly reaching out toward the elemental. The action brought a smile to the woman’s lips. If someone would had asked her ten years ago if she would ever be a mom, she would of answered no. The feeling she got looking at this child was like nothing else. This love between them was the most amazing feeling ever. She never wanted to let it go. Putting her hands under the girl’s arms, the wolf demon lifted her off the horse and put her on the ground. As soon as Kiyomi hit the ground, she ran around the small clearing, her feet jumping over small rocks. “Mama. Mama!” She called over to her mother in a soft voice. With a smile on her face, the wolf demon ran after her child. Her feet slower so the child could laugh longer. After a few minutes, Katerina caught her, lifting her up into the air. A laugh escaped the child, as her the wolf demon tossed her into the air. Bringing her back down, she hugged her child. This child before her hadn’t laughed in such a long time. Katerina was happy, she was the one to make her laugh. Putting the child down on a fallen tree, she turned to look at the small open area. The tree’s were tighter in one area, she would put the tent there. The child didn’t say a word, she watched intently as her mother started to use her magic.

Soft swirls of smoke and ice crystals moved around her wrist and up around her elbow. A glow of light appeared in the palm of her hand, as she moved her hand in a circle over the area. The light moved from her hand to the dirt, a puff of smoke appeared. As it dissipated, a tent was left behind. It was a dark brown, large enough for three people to sleep, and tall enough she could stand in the middle. The opening of the tent was lifted up with two wooden poles. The opening made it easier to go in and out of the tent. Like the wolf demon's daughter was doing. Jumping in and back out of the tent, then flopping onto the blankets that laid in the middle. A small smile crossed the wolf demon’s lips as she turned around. It was time for dinner.

As time past, Katerina had made a fire just a bit away and Alexander had dropped off two dead rabbits for his two friends. After the good meal, Kiyomi had grown tired. It wasn’t long before she fell asleep in the elemental’s arms. It was a long time after the moon was high in the sky before Katerina had moved her child into the soft blankets inside the tent. The tiger had also came back to the camp. He made his way to the front of the tent and laid down. His eyes staring inside to watch the child sleep. Soon he was too in dreamland.

The music of the forest, made the wolf demon start to hum along. The howls of the forest didn’t bother her. Her friends were roaming on their own. She would call them if she needed help. Sitting on the log, she was staring down at the fire, occasionally she would look over at the tent. With her wolf demon ears, she could hear the quiet breathing of the child. The sound soothed the demon, it cleaned her thoughts as she stared down into the crackling fire.

Valnar couldn't believe he was back in Virens after all these years, bad enough he nearly had to pass back through his home town on his way here. The Deett farm was almost a stop while he was traveling but he knew that if he stopped there he probably would never head back out into the world with the condition his adoptive parents were in, so he had decided against making a visit. Now he wished that he had, it would have kept him out of this eerie forest!

During Valnar's travels he had come into a town with a notice that mentioned four boys missing and they were last seen entering Virens 3 days ago. Considering his own dark history with Virens, Valnar couldn't help but feel this was no coincidence and that he would have to confront trolls again. This time, their roles would be switched, Valnar promised himself that. So, in the bright, confidence-imbuing light of day, Valnar had purchased a map of Canelux and set off into the forest in search of either trolls, boys or both.

Trouble started for Valnar almost immediately upon entering Virens, the map he purchased was horrible! In the rapidly fading light Valnar notice that the map he had was fairly detailed except for Virens, the forest was merely a dark blob of ink on the parchment, no roads, no landmarks, no distinguishing features of any kind. Needless to say the forest quickly swallowed the unfortunate drow and he became lost in the ever lessening light of day. Night fell quickly in the forest and Valnar so realized, with a sinking heart, that he hadn't purchased any camp equipment in the village and would have to spend a cold night and soggy morning on the forest floor in his cloak. This was turning out to be a very sobering and long education in travel preparation for Valnar, he certainly was never going to forget overnight equipment again.

Luckily for him, Valnar had superb night vision from the heritage of his people and he was spared from a night of stumbling in the dark. Valnar glanced around, "This forest is still terrifying, regardless of being able to see better than most.". Everywhere he looked the trees seemed to press in around him and claw at the sky, almost as if trying to catch every ray of sunlight before they had a chance to hit the forest floor. Valnar proceeded to walk through the dense underbrush and loamy carpet of forest leaves and fallen, rotted branches which looked eerily like bones protruding from the forest floor. Quite suddenly Valnar's drowish night vision caught the flicker of a fire in the distance, crackling cheerily in what appeared to be a clearing in this damnably eternal maze of trees.

Valnar loosened the buckles on Thunder, his new falchion, and notched an arrow into Lightning, his bow. Creeping inch by inch toward the fire, barely daring to breath and trusting heavily on his race's intuitive ability to tread lightly and quietly, Valnar slowly eased nearer the fire. He couldn't believe his luck, all the terrible things already in one day and he had found the trolls or possibly the boys without even having to really search. A few yards away from the furthest reaches of the firelight Valnar breathed deep and pulled back on the string of Lightning nearly to full extension, if the trolls were ready for him he was going to be sure to take one down before they had a chance to successfully ambush him.

Stepping quietly Valnar came right to the very edge of the clearing and immediately eased out the tension in his bow, there were no trolls in sight but there was a woman and child!

The silence of the forest fill the wolf demon’s ears. The breathing from her daughter was the only thing that kept her mind from racing. Crystal blue eyes stared down at the flames. A stray dark brown stand of hair fell into her face, blocking her view  of the fire. The wolf demon didn’t move it right away, she almost didn’t even notice it. The soft breeze that blew made her hair tickle her nose. Bringing up her hand, she moved her hair behind her ear.

Standing up,  Katerina turned to look in the tent where her adopted daughter slept. Her feet moved slowly over to the tent. Her eyes stared down at the at the child curled up in the blankets. ‘She looks like an angel.’ The wolf demon thought, her mind going back to months before. ‘Why did he want you…’ Her thoughts ran all over the place to what this child could really be. “You look like a normal child?” She whispered.

The tiger looked up to the woman before him. He lifted his head to look over to the child then back to the wolf demon. “Smell that?” He whispered inhaling towards Kiyomi. Doing the same as the tiger, she nodded. “Smells different than a normal girl..” He whispered and looked over to Katerina. “Your uncle collected the rare, Katerina.” The tiger laid his head down and closed his eyes. “You are something rare.” She whispered down towards Alexander. He hand grown so much in the last few months. He was almost as large as a full grown tiger. It was something unusual.

Pushing the thoughts away,  she stepped away from the tent and back to the fire. For a moment, she stood there staying at the fire. Watching the flames dance from side to side. Taking a breath, she dropped a log onto the fire. A smell on the breeze made her eyes look up towards the forest. “Stay here.” She said over her shoulder towards the tiger.

With that, she moved into the forest and into the darkness. She moved slowly and quietly. The smell wasn’t of a troll, or even an orc. A drow smell was distinct and noticeable to the wolf demon senses. She moved around the smell silent. With her night sight, she could see the man standing off in the distance. His bow and arrow drawn and staring at her campsite. In a blur, she appeared behind the drow, a dagger laid against the man’s back. “What do you think you are doing?” She whispered. Her voice stern. She froze for a moment, he smelt familiar. She didn’t know why but she has smelt him before.