Sally, Part 43

Sally, Part 42

As they came to the first twist in the path Stacey took a look back at the sliver of sunlight that marked where they'd entered the wood.  It would be the last sunlight he'd see in a while.  Together, they turned the corner and the sunlight was gone.  Stacey felt as though someone had ripped a blanket off of him on a cold winter's day, uncomforted and wronged.

"Is there no other path than through this forest?"  Stacey's voice croaked a little, and he hoped the other two wouldn't notice.

Mattias looked back as warmly as he was able on a path like this, "None less dangerous or uncomfortable.  Don't worry Stacey, we'll be through it before you know it."  He turned back around and walked a few more steps before bringing his head back to Stacey again, "Stay on the path though.  Otherwise, it'll be much longer than you'd think."  With that, Mattias faced the path again, and left Stacey wondering why he hadn't let them kill him earlier.

What was more curious than the lack of light in the forest, was the existence of some.  Not once did Stacey see a beam of sunshine coming through a hole in the canopy, and yet, they all could see enough to recognize the path, even if they couldn't see beyond it on either side.  It was as if there was a magical ray of sunshine that started bouncing between the trees centuries earlier and continued doing so even after the trees grew to their monstrous heights.  Stacey decided not to ask Syrin or Mattias about the light, as Mattias's answer to his last question hadn't really helped him, or even made him feel better.  He'd just trudge on, and be glad there was any light at all.

Syrin led the three, because of his exceptional eye sight, and Stacey took up the rear because of his exceptional... well, because he was Stacey.  It didn't bother him at first, until he started seeing eyes appear between the trees.  Occasionally, he imagined that some of them were just barely off the path, but decided that could not be so.  Wood dwelling creatures are always afraid of and standoffish to people.  Surely nothing would attack, or even come near them on the path.  Nothing would dare.