It had already been a few weeks since we had left and pursued this contract, since we ventured to the cold unforgiving north with gold as our promise and so few men.

  We rode along the Kronstad road, having ridden past Lethae and Pentumol, the towns were merely hamlets back then. Our horses being large overbearing war herds, bred for more than we were giving them. They hauled our wagon with such ease it was as if they were sleeping more so than working.

  But once we reached the High Veil, we had to slow down drastically. Known for its bandits and wild beasts it was an obvious hazard that would more than easily slow us down if we moved in carelessly. So I chose a simple, albeit effective strategy. Letting Lucas and Saundy go ahead of us, meanwhile Jerard would hold back watching our backs with his long bow.

  So as we rode on further and further through the deep forest and its overburdened roads. Vigilance had become our dearest friend.

  With our wagon slowly easing forward, the light cracking of the leather reigns echoing on. I could feel every bump of the road.

  “Saundy and Lucas…not what I would’ve chosen but its a fairly good choice.” Karlson sighed, holding his sword and sharpening it with a small whetstone.

  “I’d have to agree, but Saundy and Jerard aren’t exactly a sound idea either.” I replied to him.

  The wagon shook for a moment, the wheels having pulled over the top of a high sitting stone that overlapped the road.

  Karlson on the other hand gave me a subtle raise of his brow, his hand stopping short from the tip of his blade.

  “I don’t quite see it.” Karlson added, “I always thought the two were at least lukewarm friends. If not just decent allies.”

  “Bah, that's rich.” I laughed, “ever since we went around Lethae they’ve been going at each other's throats. And while Saundy is being himself, Jerard seems to be taking offense to it.” I huffed leaning back in the short stool seat.

  Karlson didn’t seem to understand at first, he had seen the occasional butting of heads but never looked too much deeper into it other than what was on the surface. But I could see him trying to wrap his head around it, with some difficulty.

  He placed down the whetstone into the pouch of others and sheathed his blade, the metal grating against the raspy wood and leather.

  “Could never understand that, the bitterness I mean. Back in the normal regiments of the Roue we’d disagree but we’d still fight side by side.” Karlson patted his hands, cleaning the steel and stone dust.

  “Even so, I’d rather those two keep their distance in case a real threat comes. I’d rather they spot it on their own instead of being distracted bickering with one another.” I admitted.

  Karlson gave a firm nod, rubbing his bearded chin as he leaned back. His mind is sharp but pondering. While the wagon continued on, the bumps grew rougher and more sudden with each passing moment. There was a sudden stop. I lurched to the side, slamming down onto one of the seats. Karlson, sharp as a dagger, caught himself the moment he felt the wagon shift. One hand on the seat bracing himself as he looked over.

  I picked myself up just as Judr had peaked his head in from the front.

  “Oh by Oriboris! I didn’t mean to stop the horses so roughly.” he said with eyes wide and weighed in shock.

  “Its- alright kid.” I groaned.

  “What happened?” Karlson asked him.

  “It's uh Lucas and um- Saundy, apparently there’s a tree in the road.” he quickly answered.

  Mine and Karlson’s eyes met, his expression being a mix of confusion and curiosity. When he started to stand I stopped him with a raise of my hand. Grabbing a sword and an axe before saying: “You wait here, Judr, come with me.” I ordered as I stepped out from the wagon.

  When I hit the ground I could feel the dry rough soil of the road grate against my feet, almost sounding as if I were walking on stone. I sheathed the axe in my belt and wrapped my longsword around my torso before walking to Judr. He hopped down from the driver’s perch with only his dagger, a bag of herbs and his backpack of medicinals. While he looked at me eagerly I couldn’t help but get a strange feeling that he was underarmed. So with a sigh I dug back into my belt and pulled out the rough bearded axe, handing it to him and saying: “That knife might be good but I think you’ll need this.” I told him about as cold as ocean winds.

  When he took it, nearly being surprised by the weight of the thing, the two of us marched over to where Lucas and Saundy were. We marched over a hill blocking our view of them, but as we climbed over the hill I could hear them long before I saw them.

  “Oh for fucks sake Lucas its just a bloody tree.” Saundy barked, his voice raw with frustration. “Lets just get the damned cutters and hack it down already!” he emphasized.

  “I’d usually agree with you. But something about this isn’t right.” Lucas protested, his voice sitting lower, more hesitant.

  “It ain’t right? No bloody dancin’ around it! That thing is as big as the damned wagon.” Saundy snapped back.

  By the time we had come over, both me and Judr saw it. A massive log, almost twice the size of the other trees, was resting across the road. With the tree line and vegetation being so thick that going around would be impossible if not difficult. But even with my thoughts on our escape Judr was more surprised by the tree itself. He wasn’t just surprised, he seemed more amazed.

  We both kept walking down to them, “if you think our axes are going to cut through all of that you’d be out of your mind Saundy.” I stopped him.

  I could hear him let out a huff, almost as if he were a forge bellowing his own heat away. As for Lucas his eyes never moved from that large log. Shifting from one end of it to the other.

  “That is one hell of a blockage…” I added.

  “I never had seen anything like this before. Not in my whole life!” Judr said excitement nearly overwhelmed him. But he quickly came back down, letting out a small cough, “I mean…its a uniquely large tree.”

  While we exchanged looks to Judr, somewhat admiring their excitement over a simple tree I prodded Saundy and Lucas.

  “So this thing, does it seem as if people had brought it down intentionally?” I asked them.

  Saundy gave a look to Lucas, half expecting him to chime in before he spoke.

  “Nope, couldn’t find not axes, no wood chips or loose bark. Pretty damned clean to be fair.” he answered.

  “But there’s no stump, no loose lodging. Nothing.” Lucas added, “It's too clean, too neat.”

  “And? Could be a damned beaver and a Haucktucker.” Saundy interrupted.

  “No, they’d leave a trail or a mess. Even drag marks, but instead…it's empty.” Lucas pointed out, taking a singular step away from the large trunk.

  “So what, you think the thing just moved here? On its own?” Saundy taunted.

  But as Saundy’s once stern face turned to an angry smirk Lucas simply returned the look with a cold glare. One that turned over to the side of the road, I followed where his gaze went to. And what do I see? Nothing. The foliage was clean, the trees undamaged, the loose sticks and rocks seemingly unturned. All of it felt bizarre. Not even signs of a powerful blow from the skies above. Only clear and calm nature. Then his view turned to me, a single look that told me his request. But there wasn’t many options, at least none that could stand out for now. That was until Judr approached the tree with Lucas.

  He looked at one part of it, towards the end of the log.

  “Those are strange.” he wondered aloud, “I've never seen a spider’s egg sac that size before, not even in the medical scrolls.” he pondered.

  For me it seemed ordinary but for Lucas it was a sign, one that he seemed familiar with.

  “Egg sacs?” he questioned.

  “Yes, some spiders make large webbed sacs to develop their young, especially medicina-” Judr had started.

  “Get back! Those aren’t sacs.” Lucas exclaimed.

  There was a loud, almost aggressive crack as a part of the log suddenly came undone. Judr was pulled away, both him and Lucas nearly stumbling back toward the ground as they hit the dirt. Bark and wood ripped away as a piece of it fell unnaturally, slamming down with a crushing force where Judr was standing.

  He was taken by surprise, the log having left a small hole where it landed, but while Judr laid on the floor with his eyes wide in shock and horror. Nearly meeting death before we even drew close to the mountains.

  Lucas glowered. He picked himself back up, dirt covered his back as he glared at the fallen piece. Beneath the skin of bark and damaged wood, underneath these layers were more sacks. These ones were larger than the one Judr had seen. They carried a greasy smell and amber color that glowed like a warm hearth. Back then I hadn’t even known of these creatures before, or of its existence.

  A Weave, a creature Lucas was all too familiar with.

  Saundy was already eager to cut at the thing, no doubt or hesitation, just a single grin as he unsheathed a blade.

  But Lucas was quick, he turned to me and Saundy as Judr was still picking himself up from the floor.

  “Wait! Don’t swing at it!” he told Saundy before turning to me. “This thing, its dangerous. And will more than likely knock us around worse than we’ll do to it.” he explained.

  Normally, I’d have been behind Saundy, an axe and a few hours would do. Yet Lucas’s eyes and sharp tone made me hesitant. While Saundy looked to me for some kind of answer, even a beckon to egg him on and strike into the wood, another idea came to mind.

  “Saundy.” I turned to him, “get the torches.” I instructed.

  I watched as his small grin turned into a wide smile that reached ear to ear, a giddy laugh crept out of him as he rushed back to the wagon.

  “Torches?” Lucas questioned.

  “Its body, it's mainly wood isn’t it?” I pointed out, “so we let's use it as it’s intended to be used. As good kindling.” I assumed.

  As I heard Saundy rush off back to the wagon, his metal boots and chain rattling. I walked over to Judr and helped him back to his feet. Pulling him back up by his arm as he stood almost on instinct rather than simply standing alone.

  His eyes never parted from the log, neither did Lucas.

  He stood in front of the fallen limb, his face coiled in disgust and already holding a large bearded axe that he had brought with him from the wagon. His eyes lingered on the thing, the creature, whatever it was, stood still.

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  While I was unsure of what the nature of this creature was, if it was malicious or even if it was some form deadly predator. I had only one thought weighing on my mind, what were those amber colored wrappings in its oaked flesh. I didn’t have much time to think on it, because as soon as that thought came to me I heard more foot steps from behind.

  Of course Saundy’s but then there was Karlson’s. Who I could tell because of the brief silence between each of his steps, his right side being the only side he cared to put armor on as he fought that side toward all of his foes. As the two of them came down, Saundy slowed his steps as he walked and Karlson wore mostly plate on his shoulders, leg and part of his torso. I saw they both carried six torches, all of them splashed in whale oil and beaver spane. Smells so strong it could rival liquor with its odor.

  “Damn, never seen a tree like that.” Karlson uttered out.

  As soon as those words left his mouth the log suddenly moved again, another part of it cracking loudly as small splinters fell and tapped on the dry dirt. It was less violent, almost instinctive, as if beckoned by the sound of more intruders.

  I raised a single finger to quiet everyone down, each of their eyes narrowing at the log before I pushed Judr gently back and gestured for Lucas to step away. He inched back, slowly, every step a gamble of whether he’d step on a rotted stick or his weight would shift making a sudden noise or movement. Every small breath he took was controlled, like a hunter cautiously watching his prey, his eyes not being pulled away by anything.

  In a moment, I saw him suddenly step onto the foliage beside the road, the gentle crunch eliciting a small reaction from the thing. A low coo, the kind you’d hear from a bird making its call to the wild.

  We all stood silent, unsure whether to make a sound or to march back up the hill. Even when Karlson gave me a questioning look, one asking: “what is the plan?” I simply crouched there in hesitation. Ever since I had begun that company, I had never seen a beast like this before, for once I feared what it would do. Fearing how it would react, how it would strike back if provoked.

  But my fears would be ignited right in front of me.

  While still watching the beast, my hesitation practically was worn all over me like a tabard. I heard the faintest click before a sudden flash of light and heat rushed beside my neck. It was Saundy.

  He lit up one of the torches and with a spare piece of flint against his armor, then charged forward to the tree. Then in one quick motion before anyone could reach him or verbally stop him. He threw the torch.

  It rolled beside the opened bark on the creature and in an instant it erupted. Flames suddenly lept and ignited the left side of the log. A bright orange and yellow glow rose higher than all of us, before a hellish scream echoed through the forest. Its sound still haunts me even today, even matching all the dread and regrets I faced.

  The creature suddenly turned its body, the engulfed side smothered on the ground as it turned and stood erect. Arms and legs snapped from the log and soon its body revealed more orange amber bulbs that protruded through the wood. Then its limbs grew warped, sharpened into long claws, the once cleanly cut wood halves now split between the pair of limbs. One pair holding it, the other pair acting as its arms.

  We all drew our blades and axes, instinct at first driving us as our hearts pounded. But eying the torches for a moment told me enough. If this thing hates fire we may have to utilize all our torches to kill it.

  It didn’t roar, it didn’t hiss or even groan. It grumbled, mimicking the sound of a rushing wind cracking a boulder with its force.

  “Everyone, disperse. Don’t make yourselves a bigger target!” I ordered.

  Once those words left me, it moved to strike. Its lumbering deceived us, its speed was swift and unbreaking. Its arm catapulted to us, forcing all of us to separate anyway. Dirt and stone flew up from the ground as Karlson and Saundy moved right leaving me, Judr and Lucas on the left.

  Karlson moved in to strike, at first his blade slicing into the wood causing splinters and bark to fly off with no effect on the creature at all. The creature suddenly shot forth with his other arm, driving forward like a spear toward Karlson. But his pauldron had deflected it just when he was too slow to evade, but as he moved his blade spun and swung into an amber pocket. A loud pop echoed through the forest as we heard the creature let out the same hellish scream.

  Lucas made his move, rushing to the amber bulbs and attempting to strike the creature in its exposed side. When he reached it attempting to drive his own blade into it, the creature lurched back and sent its bottom trunk into Lucas’s chest. It knocked him back, slamming him into a nearby tree. Judr was reactionary, not thinking, he charged towards the beast with the axe I gave him. Only to be swatted away like a horsefly, sent flying back into the torches Saundy had brought and knocking some of them free all over the ground as he landed back first.

  The creature’s focus turned to Lucas as it aimed to crush him with another well planted stomp. But I intervened, I rushed in using the buckler I had carried on my hip to deliver a strong blow into it. While I merely bruised the surface I heard another loud pop that made its focus come down to me. When I saw the creature’s arm reel back I watched as an arrow hit into the creature’s log center. Before it could turn its attention to where the arrow had fired from another one was loosed into it with a hard knock into its center.

  I turned just in time to see Judr rushing over toward the creature, one hand holding a torch just freshly lit with its oils dripping onto the floor, the other still clutching onto that axe. As he slammed the axe into the creature just beside Karlson who focused down its side. The beast just about reared its arm back ready to deliver another strike.

  In a split second Lucas recovered, rushing back to his feet and charging at the bulb he intended to destroy. With one quick stab the beast's attack was repelled before Judr slammed the torch into the beast’s lower log. It quickly was engulfed in a fiery blaze, heat rising from it as its stump turned into a blazing bludgeon. It raised its foot about to crush Judr before Karlson leaped in and pushed himself and Judr out of the way of the crushing blow.

  Then I heard it from Judr, “Jerard! Shoot it in its center!” he screamed out, a mix of fear and battle frenzy filling his voice.

  I watched as a flaming bolt was loosed into the center of the beast, fire erupted with a loud boom as the blaze rose high above the creature. It swung its arms wildly knocking Lucas back again. He crashed into a rock with an audible crack breaking through the sound of its screams of pain.

  It began to retreat, fire carrying its every step as it ran down the road ahead of us. I watched as embers rushed from the beast as if to strike us back for burning it. Yet just as soon as battle had begun, it had ended just as swiftly.

  While the creature’s screams trailed off I looked over to Lucas knowing that the last blow had struck him hard. Marching over I decided to shout: “Everyone else alright? Any injuries?”

  “I’m fine, kid you okay?” Karlson announced.

  “Yeah, just…just shocked is all.” Judr answered, shaken but then again this was his first fight.

  “I think the damned thing knocked me on my arse.” Saundy replied.

  When I made it to Lucas I could see him stubbornly trying to pull himself up, I went over sheathing my sword and trying to lift him onto his feet. I gripped onto his shoulder and then I felt it, a strange almost unnatural crunching noise. He groaned and winced from the pain and I let go once I felt it.

  “Lucas, your arm.” I had finally noticed.

  “Its fine, I just need to get up.” he denied it at first.

  From here I changed my attempt, helping him up from his left instead of his right. He groaned again, louder this time as his right arm went strangely stiff. As I walked him out from the tree line I could see Karlson shaking his head.

  “shit…Judr they might need a hand.” he pointed out.

  Judr, still somewhat lost in thought was only briefly snapped out of it as he saw the two of us. Karlson and Saundy watched the road the beast retreated down. Meanwhile Judr and I moved Lucas back to the wagon. Judr was cautious with him, mainly helping him walk but also examining his arm. When we made it inside, I sat him down on the interior benches and Judr began to look him over.

  “Umm, well this is bad, it could be worse.” Judr explained, albeit with a natural nervousness.

  “What? Is my arm just exhausted? Took too many blows?” Lucas jumped to this conclusion, his denial noticeable to me but not Judr.

  “No, you're injured and that arm is not going to do very good if you take another hit like that again.” Judr told him, a strong earnestness in his tone. “I can make a splint for your shoulder but you can't use that arm for a while.”

  “How long’s a while? A few days? A week?” Lucas questioned.

  “A month, maybe more until I can fully look at your shoulder and examine it somewhere safe.” he answered.

  Lucas scowled, giving a glowering look at the young Judr. But there was no malice or anger towards him from what I remember. He seemed more disgruntled, angered that he had let himself get that hurt.

  “Damned Weaver…never thought I’d encounter another one like it again.” Lucas let slip.

  “No wonder you could identify it so easily.” I sighed.

  “Yeah. I did encounter it before when we were resting in the city. Mainly doing an odd job for a few courier guilds…I got lucky when I burned it but I knew it was still alive somewhere so raced back home.” he explained, then turning to Judr with his look having eased down to a more sour and bitter one. “You can do the splint. I’ll stay here…I might be useless if I were down there with you three anyway.” he sounded defeated.

  Judr couldn’t help but feel a slight of pity, his eyes barely refusing to meet Lucas’s as he stared off to the ground. Yet when his eyes met the floor they glowed with an idea.

  “You might not be able to use an axe or a sword…but I think you could use something light like a crossbow.” Judr told him, a small wave of confidence filling him.

  “Huh?” Lucas uttered, “if I can’t use a sword, how can I use a crossbow?” he questioned him.

  “It's the shock, or mainly when you hit something that same power that goes back into you.” Judr started to ramble, his excitement lightly unsettling Lucas as he raised a brow. “You swing with your left hand, but if you can shoot with your right you might be able to use it.” Judr quickly surmised.

  Lucas had started to light up again, looking down then at the crossbow wrapped in linen on the floor between the spaces I could see his intent clear as day.

  “Ah, no.” I scolded the two of them, putting my foot down metaphorically. “You are not going to wield anything until that arm is fixed.” I told Lucas, who accepted it without any complaints. Then turning to Judr. “and you are going to fix it by using that…’splint’ as you called it.” I told him.

  While the two seemed to accept my request, it seemed Lucas was in higher spirits because of Judr’s words and ideas. Before long I turned to make my way out of the wagon, leaving Lucas in Judr’s care.

  When I peeled back the cloth opening I saw Jerard standing there with his bow at his side, looking up to meet me as I stepped out.

  “So, now what?” he asked me, “that beast might be out there, and while I’m keen on leaving these woods I imagine it didn’t go very far.” Jerard had deduced.

  “That would be a good thought to have.” I replied to him as I started to walk around towards the front of the wagon.

  I gestured for Jerard to follow me, the two of us making our way ahead.

  “So? If you want I can pursue it?” Jerard offered, “I’m still a damned good hunter and better than that stone skulled Saundy with tracking.” he added, as if to toss hot water onto a cold wound.

  “No,” I simply told him. “While I would agree that you should track it, we need you to move the wagon and keep an eye on it. Especially now that Lucas is injured and Judr is in the back with him.”

  “So what? You want me to just sit there like a damned princess?” Jerard protested, seeming offended by the idea.

  “If it comes to it, yes.” I growled, my brows furrowed at him. “You are one of our best sharpshooters as of right now. And while Karlson is second to you with tracking I can’t simply leave Saundy here.” I added.

  “Because he’s slow.” Jerard assumed.

  “Because he’s tough and brutal.” I corrected him. “Right now precision is off the table, if we press forward with our advantage we will need strength. Your arrows will keep anything unwanted back while we deal with this beast.” I narrowed it down for him.

  Jerard’s expression hardened, his eyes furrowed down the road at the hill as if expecting something to climb over them. But as we stood there his expression eventually softened, the scowl that he held tightly ebbed away before he sighed.

  “Fine…” he finally relented. “But if anything changes I won’t be able to help you from here.”

  “I know,” I reassured him, “just make sure those two are protected.

  As I continued my walk back to Karlson and Saundy, I knew with some confidence that Jerard would do well enough. Although back then I had my doubts, mainly about him following through. But as one wise man once said, you must give your men the room to fail for them to trust you.

  I marched back down the steep hill, Saundy and Karlson already waiting for me at the bottom. Saundy in his bulky armor carried the torches in a small sack that rested on his back. The slings were damaged but not a concern. Meanwhile Karlson kept his eyes on the road ahead.

  Meanwhile Karlson rested on one knee, his vision fixed on the road and ears open to the sound of the winds and brushing branches. Listening for anything that would be out of place.

  “Karlson, Saundy.” I called the two.

  Saundy turned back to me, his face a stone scowl with brows furrowed and a clenched jaw.

  “Hey again, so what's the plan?” Saundy asked.

  Karlson looked back over his shoulder, his eyes peeking over the pauldron resting on his lead arm.

  “Better question being how is Lucas?” Karlson added on.

  “He’s fine, just a bit demoralized but otherwise fine.” I answered Karlson. “He’ll be being treated by Judr.” I said with a small air of comfort and confidence, the kind I’d have never noticed before. “As for us, we’re going after that thing.”

  “We’re going to finish it off? Hell yes!” Saundy smirked.

  “I wouldn’t be so excited,” Karlson cautioned him, “that thing if we can call it that, is probably pretty pissed.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.” I added, “it will be on the defensive. And more importantly we are in its territory…we need to tread cautiously. But once we find it…” I looked at Saundy, matching his small smirk, “we hit hard.”

  Karlson nodded his head as Saundy’s smile grew. I knew that it would be a challenge, not only down to so few in number but now halved even further. This would be a hunt that would easily turn on us. Yet both us and the creature had an advantage, one that would easily be lost if a mistake were made. This would be our challenge to prepare us for what may be ahead.

  I only wish I knew that when we went after this beast.