They were a warning to her.
Theairbristledwiththe calm that came before tempests. Semras could feel it building up beneath her skin, like the prickling sting of a thousand wasps. They were riding toward trouble.
It first manifested itself through the birds—or rather, their absence. Their singing abruptly stopped once the company came across a fork in the path. A fallen tree had been moved to block the older trail, and Inquisitor Velten guided the group onto the other, fresher one without pausing.
Then, the horses grew increasingly restless, resisting as their riders tried to lead them further into the forest. Insects began buzzing incessantly, and the whizzing noise grew louder andlouder and impossible to ignore the further they went. Sword-bearers started slapping themselves, trying to bat the bugs away.
One guard cursed out loud. “‘Didn’t used to be so bloody difficult to cross this Void-taken forest. What’s the matter with all the bugs?”
Still riding sidesaddle on the stallion, Semras glanced behind, doing her best to ignore Velten. A futile effort, considering how she had to grip his shoulder to avoid falling forward while doing so.
The damned man snickered. “Am I in your way, witch?”
She ignored him.
At the head of the column, the inquisitor opened the ride, followed closely by Sir Ulrech. The knight was leading his rose-grey mare in an irregular pattern, trying to evade the groups of flies sticking around him. Behind him, the Venator guards did the same, with just as little effectiveness. Far at the end of the straggling line, Themas rode alone, keeping the rearguard.
Dark clouds of insects swarmed everyone except the witch and the inquisitor—the bugs were steering clear of the half-fey and its uncanny otherness.
Another sword-bearer grumbled his assessment. “A Bleak curse, I bet.”
Whispers of aggravation ran through the group. Those who didn’t join in were too busy trying to control their steeds to keep the line advancing.
Velten followed her gaze back. “Oh, great. Halt!” Nudging her shoulder, he gave her a grin. “Time to earn your bread, witch.”
Semras glowered at the inquisitor. “You ate it, remember?”
“Barely a bite, which means I am at least partially owed your help. Are you trying to cheat me out of a proper Bargain?”
The witch clenched her dress until her knuckles turned white. “You know very well I am not a fey. You will not trap me by playing with words.”
“If you cannot help, just say so. You are, apparently,justan herbalist,” he said, taunting her.
He hadn’t stopped trying to provoke her with little remarks and nudging touches after she had ‘woken up’ half an hour ago—though he had oddly steered clear of mocking her napping in his arms. That man’s rare slivers of decency always showed up at the strangest of times.
Ignoring his baiting remark, Semras surveyed the company with critical eyes. “What exactly do you expect from me?” she asked. “That I weave some threads to chase away mere bugs?”
“No spell, witch. We talked about this before. What I want is to know whether this perturbation is of a magical nature. If it is, lead us there, and I will take care of it.” Velten looked down at his steed’s hooves. Moss and small foliage crept onto the path beneath them. “No matter where it is located. Riding through the undergrowth would hardly make a difference to staying on this loose trail anyway.”
“It is freshly made, my lord,” Sir Ulrech said. “The innkeeper informed me this morning that a landslide closed off the previous one, and local folks have taken to going through here instead. They moved the directional posts along the way, but it has not seen much traffic yet.”
“Great. That means we are on an uncharted road here.” Velten groaned. “Let us pray we do not lose sight of it. Getting lost in the Vedwoods is not a delay we can afford.”
The sound of hooves grew louder behind them. Themas rode into view, and Semras welcomed him with a smile.
He bowed slightly to her, then to the inquisitor. “Inquisitor Velten, what is going on?”
“Ask the witch.”
Said witch rolled her eyes, miffed that the inquisitor was using Themas to make her comply. “A moment,” she said, sighing. “Let me check.”
A cursory glance at the forest revealed nothing amiss; she could faintly see parts of the Arras overlaying the real world, but no threads seemed out of place. Whatever was wrong with the woods hid deeper than at surface level.
“I’ll need to look directly into the Unseen,” Semras said.
The inquisitor furrowed his brow. “Does it require a spell?”
“Unless you call ‘blinking’ a spell,no.”
