He remembered how it had called out his name before, beckoning him further inside, yet now it seemed to push him away, as if it wanted him to stay put right here in Sardorf.
“Garren,” Oriana’s voice pierced through his trance. “This way.”
He smiled weakly, huffing out a quick, “Sorry.” With one last glance back at the looming forest, he turned and followed Oriana farther into the town.
As they passed by villagers, Oriana waved and exchanged pleasantries with a few. Garren didn’t miss how three of the townsfolk mentioned how long it had been since they had seen her and that they hoped she was well.
“Were you ill?” Garren finally questioned, curiosity getting the better of him.
“No,” she said simply.
“You don’t leave Haldis’s often, then?” he countered.
She didn’t respond at first, but when he opened his mouth to question her further, she said, “I’m not sure it’s any concern of yours what I do in my day-to-day life. We quite literally just met one another.”
He chuckled at that, noticing how she stiffened slightly. “Touché,” he said, unperturbed. “Will you tell me what you do for Haldis at least?”
“I help her with whatever she needs, whether it be with a patient, making a salve. Today she needs me to pick up some fresh honey and herbs from the market.”
“That is very nice of you,” he said, attempting to ease the tension in her posture. “Tell me, how long have you been working with Haldis?”
She spun at that, pointing an irritated finger at him. “Look, I’m not sure what your game is or why exactly you are even here, but I’d rather not be interrogated about my life.”
“Okay, okay,” he said, raising his hands in defense. “I just wanted to get a sense for who you are, is all. Can I ask questions about the town then?”
She sighed, some of the tension melting away from her shoulders, “Sure.”
He didn’t hesitate before bounding right in with his first question. “Why does everyone here grow their gardens on their roofs? I’ve never before seen something so fascinating.”
“There isn’t any room for them in the ground. Look around. Sardorf is little more than wall to wall houses, plus the plants flourish more on the roof. Closer to the sun and plenty of water when it rains.”
“Why not use the surrounding field to plant crops and things?” he countered.
“It–” She hesitated for a moment before answering. “It puts people too close to the forest.”
Garren could understand that. The very sight of the forest sent a chill down his spine. He remembered how it felt as if the very life was being sucked out of him, but that had been during the full moon. Was it different during the weeks before?
“How often have you ventured within the wood?”
“That sounds like a question about me again,” she huffed.
“Right, sorry.” He tried not to roll his eyes; this woman was beginning to test his nerves. “How about this, is the forest always so–” he paused, searching for the right word. “–dangerous to walk through or only on the full moon?”
She stopped walking, shoulders rising and falling in rhythm with a deep breath. “The forest is a place of unknowns. It is not a place you or anyone else should ever go. The village knows that. The people here have no reason to go into the Phantom Wood. Everything they could ever need is right here in Sardorf.”
It didn’t exactly answer his question, but he supposed it was as good a response as he was going to get.
Oriana continued walking, and Garren followed, continuing to observe all he could of the peculiar town around him.
It was full of people, more people than he would have expected in a town of this size. The closer they got to the market square, the buildings grew taller and more clustered together. Sardorf certainly wasn’t lacking in numbers. He felt as if he were walking through the Sovereign city or his home of Cirus as he forced his way through the throng of packed people. This town was much too small for this number of people. He feeling a bit constricted, unable to follow Oriana closely.
“Do all of these people truly live here? How do they all fit? The town doesn’t seem large enough,” Garren said to Oriana’s back. “Why has the town not built out further?”
“There is nowhere to build but up.” She gestured toward the towering wooden structures on either side of them.
Garren peered down either side of the wide road. The buildings truly were a feat of genius and master craftsmanship for the simple materials. Each home had been built in unison with the others beside it, creating what looked like a single structure that snaked its way along the curve of the road until it fell out of view.
More structures had been built atop the main buildings, tiered in layers like that of a great cake, each one slightly smaller than the one below. There were villagers on rooftops harvesting their crop, standing on balconies, looking out windows–everywhere.
