As soon as his leg was fully healed, leaving only a jagged, ugly pink scar in its memory, Faolán had set off back in the direction of camp.
He thought he knew where it was. He had a vague memory of the direction, and it couldn't have been that long since he'd left. Those woods over there had to be the woods he'd been attacked in, right? They looked familiar enough...but then again, most woods did. Not that there were many around here. Yeah, those had to be the ones! He'd been attacked and dragged a fair ways before he'd managed to break free, and he remembered limping as quickly as he could through them until he came out the other side, though he'd been half delirious at that point.
But if he could navigate it dizzy from blood loss, he could navigate it at full health! And this time, he wouldn't get jumped.
Taking a deep breath and loosening his sword in its sheath, just in case, Faolán set off into the woods.
And it wasn't long at all before he was quite thoroughly lost.
It had been frightening enough traversing the woods with a partner, but alone? God, what had he been thinking? Actually, he knew what he'd been thinking--he'd been thinking that since he did it once and survived, it wouldn't be as scary a second time, that he'd be wiser now, fearless from his brush with death, and would be all...manly about it. He certainly wouldn't screech at rabbits as he had last time!
But the deeper in he got, the more his confidence leaked out of him. Leon's stories started to come back to him, about the witches the turned people into animals, and every rustle in the bushes suddenly became the monstrosity that attacked him.
As the light began to fade, it only got worse, and the fear became crippling.
Still, he forced himself onward, even as his legs and hands shook and his breathing became shallow.
I can do this, I can do this, I can-- "AH!"
An owl hooted and Faolán tripped over an upturned root, and his yell startled some birds out of their tree and a rabbit out of its bush. The birds took flight, the rabbit bolted--and then there was a bloodcurdling, all too human scream as the owl swooped and pounced the rabbit, right before Faolán's eyes.
That did it.
Breathing hard and shaking almost too much to move, Faolán found a low branch and scrambled up the nearest tree, where he swore to stay until it was light again. Back to the trunk and knees to his chest, he put his hands over his ears, shut his eyes, and tried not to think about those old stories and how that rabbit may have once been a man.
If Raven's light source hadn't been out, he would have missed the fellow in the tree entirely. It rode just over his shoulder, a pale white light guiding his way through the moonless forest.
He stared at the fellow for some time, even waved at him, but he must have been asleep. "Excuse me, what are you doing up there?"
Faolán's eyes snapped open at the sweet, sweet sound of another human being. Yes! He was saved! Now he could get out of this God-forsaken forest!
"Oh God, finally! Hi! Hey!" Beaming with relief, he leaned over and waved at the man, and now that he was no longer alone, now that he was out of immediate danger, he had the clarity of mind to realize how ridiculous he must look. The question just reinforced that.
"Oh, uh, I'm just up here, you know. Scouting. Pretty good view up here! But I'm done now and saw things and you know the way outta here, right? 'Cause I'm heading out, too, so we should really get--ohGodwhat?"
That was when he realized that that light he saw? What he thought was a lantern? Was not a lantern.
It was floating.
Oh hell, it was a witch! He knew it! This forest was cursed! The rabbit was a person! And he was no Mordecai!
With a gasp, he put his back to the trunk. His voice caught in his throat and when it finally came out, it was an embarrassing squeak. "A-actually there's more stuff I gotta see so go on without me!"
"Saw things?" Well that sounded interesting. Sounded like something that needed investigation. Why should this fellow have all the fun, get to see all the goings on? It must have been quite a sight for him to insist on staying up there in that tree like that.
He wasn't going to keep all that to himself. Raven was getting up into that tree!
"I want to see, too. How did you get up there? Do you just climb right up?" Raven circled the trunk, his little light bobbing after him. Only one branch was within his reach, but he'd have to jump to get it.
"What? WHAT? See things? Did I say I saw things? I didn't say that!"
Oh God, now the guy was circling the tree like a bear trying to find its way up into his happy sanctuary. Only he wasn't a bear, he was a witch, which was even worse because he could probably turn him into a bear. And then skin him. And then he'd be someone's bearskin rug somewhere--probably the witch's!
Faolán shook his head furiously, but had to stop when he almost lost his footing. "You can't come up here! There's...there's no room! And there's other trees! Use that one!" He pointed to his left, eyes never leaving the man and his bobbing witch-light, which had probably lured many a lost traveler in the dark...
"Oh." That branch looked like it had plenty of room to him, but really just look at that guy up there, all taking his ease like some tree climbing and branch balancing master. He sounded so full of conviction. How could a guy like that be wrong? With that level of surety?
"What, this one here?" The other tree looked easier to climb, if smaller. "You sure I'll be able to see it from this one?"
He already had his hands around a low branch and was heaving himself up. Whatever was happening out there, it must be a remarkable sight! He couldn't wait to see it!
The vigorous head-shaking turned to vigorous nodding. "Uh...yeah! Yeah, you'll be able to see stuff! It'll be great! Lots of things to see, heh! So just climb that one!"
Faolán crouched down on his branch and prepared to start scrambling down the moment witch-man started climbing up. There was nothing to see from up there but more trees, and he wanted to have a good head start on him before he figured that out.
Raven scrambled his way up the tree. It took him way longer than it should. His friend over there was probably thinking he was crippled or utterly incompetent or some such, given how much trouble this tree was giving him.
He finally wrapped his arms around a big branch roughly of a height with the vantage the other man had. He managed to haul himself up but was rather stuck in a prone position, arms and legs wrapped about the branch. "What am I supposed to be looking for?"
Oh good, there he went, up the tree. Faolán waited, biding his time, and once the man was two thirds of the way up, he scrambled his butt down as fast as he dared.
"Uh. Stuff. And things!" he shouted up to the witch. "Important, exciting things! Just keep looking, you'll see it! I wouldn't wanna spoil the surprise!"
He almost lost his grip a couple of times in his haste and once he was at least five feet off the ground, he let himself drop the rest of the way. His knees buckled on impact, partly from the force and partly from nerves, making for a less-than-graceful landing. But once he picked himself up, he broke out into a run.
Raven was huffing and panting by the time he actually got upright on that branch. Climbing trees was hard work. The only reason he could see for anyone to do this was to see things that were far away, and why couldn't you just use a ladder? Put a ladder at the important trees with the best views?
And where...just where in the seven hells did that boy think he was going.
Gods preserve him from stumbling and falling his way back down this damn tree. Raven fixed a point in his vision, just a few feet in front of that fleeing dog. A flash of light, and he stood before him, right in his path.
"Where are you going?" he said, eyes narrowing as he crossed his arms and planted his feet.
"AH!" Faolán let out a shriek of fright and stumbled to a screeching halt. Eyes wide, he scrambled backwards a couple steps, tripped over his own feet, and landed hard on his ass.
"How the--? But you were--? The tree!" was all he managed to get out, looking back and forth between the tree and the witch with building terror.
Commanding his watery limbs to work again, he crawled backwards a few more feet, struggled with his sword, and dropped it once before he managed to get it free. He held it in both hands, ready to start swinging and thrusting if the guy came any closer. "Stay away! I'm warning ya!"
Raven's eyes dropped to the sword, and he felt a dim glow swell up within them. The world began to buzz all around him as the moonlight vibrated against his sudden contempt—and anger.
"Don't," he said, voice low and slightly echoing, "point that thing at me."
Oh dear Ansgar he was doing magic! The blood drained from Faolán's face and, with a squeak of fear, he dropped the sword. Dropped it like it was made of molten fire and threw his hands into the air as though to ward off whatever it was the mage was doing.
"I-I'm not!"
Raven forced words out past a clenched jaw. "But you were, you shit."
He swept his hands horizontally apart, and a sword of white light manifested in his fist. "What were you going to do? Rob me? Kill me? I do love to put down scavengers who prey on the weak."
"What? What?! Rob you? No! What makes you--how does that--that doesn't make any sense!" Faolán said, stunned by the accusation. He stared at the magic light sword good GOD that the man held and his fingers itched for his own sword.
"Why would I be trying to murder you when I'm runnin' the complete opposite way?!"
"Well...that's—hey!" Raven shook the sword at him. "Stop trying to confuse me! You pulled a sword on me first, you little rat!"
"Only 'cause you startled me!" Faolán said, and scooted backwards more when the man shook that "sword" at him. "Poofing in front of me like that! I was--I'm just--don't stab me, okay? Or steal my soul? I just wanna get through the woods alive, that's it!"
"We'll see," Raven said, but he stopped his advance and let the sword point drift downward. "If staying alive's your goal, picking fights isn't the best way to go about it. I didn't do anything to you, y'know!"
"Yeah, you did! Ya used magic! That's good as pickin' a fight!" Faolán said before he could stop himself. He regretted it immediately and held up both hands. "But I don't wanna fight ya, see? I don't want any of trouble! So...just...stop followin' me!"
"Yeah?" Raven showed his teeth and waved the sword—not quite at the boy, but just to bring attention to it. "And I'm still using it. Is that a problem with you?"
Faolán smiled nervously. "Will ya get mad if I say yes?"
"I don't know." Raven's mouth set in a wry sneer. "Depends on your reason."
He shrugged. "Depends if it's good enough."
If it was, then he might just take pity on the kid and let him off the hook. If it wasn't, they'd find out if Raven really did have the power to steal souls.
Faolán's eyes widened, and he pressed his lips together until they whitened. What a mess. Something that sounded great to him might not be good enough for this crazy mage! His eyes went to the sword, then back to the man, and he swallowed hard.
"Um...what if I say it's not a problem?"
Raven opened his mouth, but snapped it shut again. He, uh...didn't have an answer to that.
"Ummm..." He stared upward and scratched his head with his free hand. "I suppose...that's better, then? But that's not what you said before! Is it or isn't it?!"
"I-it's not a problem!" Faolán said quickly, grinning a bit too broadly. "Not a problem at all! I'm fine with magic! And mages! Very comfortable with all that!"
"Fine! Blessed Kia, it's about time! Now." Raven let the sword point drop. At last they could get back to what was important! "Will you finally tell me what you were looking at from up in that tree? I never saw it!"
Faolán let his breath out in a slow whoosh, some of the tension fading now that he no longer had that magical weapon leveled at him. He didn't relax; he wasn't out of danger yet.
"Um, it was...a bird..." he said. "A really rare one. But it, uh, flew away. So it's too late now! Sorry."
Raven rather doubted that. Still, he was partial to birds, being named after one and all, and that in turn made him partial to this guy in front of him.
"What are you, some manner of falconer?"
"Wha? Oh, uh, no. Just, uh...I really like birds?" Faolán said with a weak smile.
Raven's face broke into a smile. "Birds are remarkable!"
He pressed a hand to his chest. "My brothers and I are named after birds. My name is Raven! What bird is it you were looking for?"
Shit! Shit, shit, shit! Faolán didn't actually like birds! No more than anyone else, that is. They were just...birds. They flew. Some were really pretty! But he didn't know anything about them beyond that, and he could count on one hand the names of birds he actually knew.
So, mentally flailing, he latched onto the first name he could think of.
"Actually, it was a raven!" he said. Oh God. Hopefully that wasn't too obvious! "It...had something in its beak."