Happy November! 🍁 I know Thanksgiving feels more and more like an afterthought every year, but I'm still excited about it. I like enjoying fall through November, then we can start the holiday season lol.
I've updated the other parts of Ereollynda's story. Here is part four of her adventure!
Ereollynda pt IV
The soldiers didn’t notice her when she passed in the brush. The northern path was straightforward to follow. Once the guard post disappeared around the corner, Ereollynda emerged from the treeline. She looked around cautiously. Gripping her shortsword she walked along the edge of the path. The first miles were peaceful. Red and yellow leaves fell from the trees. A weasel or rabbit scampered by occasionally. Birdsongs floated down from the treetops. After a few miles though, things got quiet. The trees got thicker and less light touched the forest floor. Ereollynda froze and crouched at the sight of a group of masked owls coming up the path. She retreated to the foliage again and quietly watched. They casually walked along, unaware of Ereollyna’s presence. Although the creatures didn’t look threatening, she wanted to avoid a fight. It wouldn’t be long before the group faded from sight. Ereollynda unfolded the map from her bag. She did her best to remember what the trade manager said yesterday.
Looking up from the map she could see the mountainous terrain across the way. Despite the manager’s warning, she decided to attempt crossing the range. The grassy foliage began to fade into crumbling rock. Ereollynda climbed the jagged incline. She easily lifted her small frame and slipped into the smallest of cracks. Most of the afternoon elapsed before the ground began to level out. Ereollynda collapsed in the grass patch. She welcomed the sunset and the cool evening air that followed. Sitting up she could see the wilderness continued. Wild elk and boar roamed freely on the hilltops. Once again she opened her bag, this time producing a small flask. She sipped at the water, trying to conserve most of it. Unfolding a small paper bag, 4 plump rolls still sat intact. She took one and pulled it in half. As she ate she felt a pair of eyes watching her. Her eyes darted around until they met burning red ones in the distance. They stood out in the darkening brush and studied her movements. Rather than feeling threatened, Ereollynda saw caution. She slowly reached back into the paper bag, grabbing another roll.
“Here,” she said quietly and tossed the bread in its direction. Nothing happened for a few moments. The roll sat a few feet in the open. The creature looked from Ereollynda to the food a few times. She remained where she sat studying the eyes that stared back at her. Judging its height, she wondered why the creature hadn’t caught a nearby animal or something. Finally, it limped into sight and things started to make sense. The cursed wood stuck out of the crippled right hind leg. Dried blood matted the hair around the wound which clearly showed signs of infection.
What emerged from the shadows was known as a heilang. Along with their blood-red eyes, they possess visible upper and lower canines, sharp claws, and a pitch-black coat. Ereollynda could tell that Heilang was still quite young. The eyes returned to her once it finished the small piece of bread. Again they stared at each other. Ereollynda carefully reached back into the bag for a second roll. She slowly inched towards the heilang until there were a few feet between them. The creature took a cautious step back, watching her hand move up to offer the roll.
“I want to help you,” Ereollynda said softly. She kept both her hands visible and stayed crouched. The heilang reclaimed its step, sniffing the air lightly. Its nose gradually came towards the bread in her hand. The roll gently left Ereollynda’s hand and fell into its mouth. Tentatively, she reached out and barely touched the nose of the heilang. A powerful connection surged through her. Ereollynda frowned at the new feeling and looked at her unchanged hand. Her gaze went back to the heilang who looked less tense than before. Again she touched its nose and the same warm feeling overcame her. It lasted just a minute but reassured her. This heilang wouldn’t harm her. Something told her they were meant to be companions. Her hand moved from its nose to the mane just starting to grow in. She smoothed the fur gently.
“We have to remove that branch from your leg,” Ereollynda spoke lightly. She could feel the heilang shift in discomfort at her words.
“How about a name first,” her suggestion seemed to be taken better. They pondered together. A growing mane meant the heilang pup was male. Her fingers gently twisted a strand of the fur as she thought.
“Nelius…?” Ereollynda said into the silence. She felt the heilang lean into her hand as if to accept the name.
“Nelius it is then,” she petted her new companion several times before focusing on the more urgent task. Nelius held his injured leg up so it didn’t hold any body weight. Looking closer, Ereollynda could see a sizable piece of wood with odd markings protruding from his thigh. It probably happened many days ago. The signs of onset infection worried her the most. She wondered how far Olvia was from here. She needed to get her hands on some bandages. By now the sun had mostly retreated under the horizon. Crickets started to chirp. A waning gibbous moon began to illuminate the rocky hills.
“We should probably just stay here for the night,” Ereollynda thought out loud. Nelius lay down in agreement. She gathered stones and firewood for a small fire.
“Tomorrow I’ll search for Olvia so we can get you fixed up,” she felt bad that Nelius had to suffer another night. But going out into the night now would only result in getting lost. She sat next to Nelius’ front paw.
“I’m sorry it has to be another night,” she said. Eventually, she leaned back against his arm. Nelius put his head down and sighed. Despite the injury, it appeared he could still rest. At first, Eroellynda sat awake, arms crossed and alert. However, a day of climbing through Olvia’s foothills began to take its toll.
By morning, she lay beside Nelius in front of a burnt-out fire. Dawn was just about to break as Ereollynda raised her head. The changing season brought brisker nights and chilly mornings. They would be unable to stay outside like this soon. As she stirred, Nelius raised his head. She petted his side.
“I’m going to find the next town. You stay here,” Ereollynda looked down at his injured leg. It would only get worse if she didn’t find help. Nelius tried to stand, but she shook her head.
“No, you have to stay here. I’m sure it’s already been difficult in the hills by yourself.” Now with some of his trust, she could see the worry in the young heilang’s eyes. She patted his head reassuringly.
“Hey now, I’m not just gonna leave you,” she said. Ereollynda knew all too well what it felt like to be abandoned.
“We gotta get your leg fixed though, and I need to find help to do it.” Nelius appeared to understand well enough and lay back down with a huff.
“I’ll be back. I promise.” She strapped her shortsword to her waist. Not only did she need help with Nelius’ injury, but food and water were scarce. Finding Olvia was the top priority. Ereollynda set out with the rising sun. Beams of light poured through the bushes and trees. She climbed to higher ground and spread the map out on the cool stone. Although this was an unfamiliar land, she understood the principles of direction. She’d gone north until cutting into the mountain range. According to the compass on the map, continuing east would land her in Olvia. It shouldn’t be that far, she thought, rolling the map back up. She slid down the rock and into the foliage with the sun on her back. After another minute, the ground began to decline. The rocky hills smoothed into grass fields with taller trees, and sure enough, Ereollynda could see the backside of a few buildings. Relief washed over her as she stepped on the overgrown back path. It soon blended into one of the main roads. The town of Olvia just started to awake. People had just begun their journey to work. Shop fronts were being propped open and swept. Ereollynda walked down the dirt road in search of the stable; the first place she could think of to have what she needed. She approached the stablemaster who fed the animals in the stalls.
“Excuse me, I need bandages for a…” Her voice trailed off with the realization she didn’t know what exactly Nelius was. She’d never come across a creature like him before, nor had anyone ever mentioned such a thing in her short life. The stablemaster had turned and now slightly cocked his head in question.
“Well… he’s a black creature, a little bit smaller than a horse,” she began to describe her Heilang to the man. Her description, however, caught the attention of someone else.
“Ah, so the heilang in the mountains has called to you?” A woman’s voice asked. She emerged from the shadows of the stable. Her eyes glowed the same yellow hue as Eerollynda’s, and her hair shined the same colorless white. Ereollnyda stood in silent astonishment. No one from her home resembled her, not even her mother. The slender woman smiled.
“I know you must have questions, but your Heilang is injured yes?”
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