On the map, it was identified as Hilos.
Wander in there about and you will never come out, as the saying went. A dire rhyme they were all made to learn as children. No one outside of the council knew what lurked in there. But how dangerous could it be if Zev trekked through those woods when he came to visit her each month?
He never spoke of anything frightening prowling within it. That couldn’t mean much. Most found him to be equally frightening, considering his origin.
Regardless, Dyna was curious.
“What’s in there?”she had often asked him.“What’s it like?”
Zev would always shrug as though it was a silly question.“It’s a forest.”
“Then why is it forbidden?”
“You must obey the rules, even if you don’t understand them.”
Her cousin was not of North Star so the rules didn’t apply to him, but the forest mustn’t be so terrible if he went in. The rumors had to be mere superstition.
Or perhaps not.
Her aunt had gone through those woods years ago. She did not return.
Dyna shook off the ominous feeling the reminder brought. She had no choice but to go through the Forbidden Woods if she was to reach Lykos Peak before nightfall. If she went around it, the detour would deviate her by three days. She wasn’t capable of withstanding so many nights—alone—in the dark. Nor could she stomach it.
Dyna glanced at her father’s enchanted cloak draped on her chair. Among the many runes was the rune for concealment. If the magic was strong, it would hide her well enough from whatever made the Forbidden Woods … forbidden.
Lyra mumbled in her sleep, smiling from what could only be a nice dream. She was so innocent and sweet, without a care in the world. Dyna would march through any darkness to protect that.
She rushed to her wardrobe and chose a simple kirtle dress in the color of sage with long bell sleeves. Pulling it on over her chemise, she cinched the laces in the front that stretched along her bosom to her waist until it hugged her slim frame.
Dyna tossed the journal inside the leather satchel hanging from an iron hook on her bedroom door. She slung it on her shoulder and went for the rucksack hidden beneath her bed. It already carried some food and water. She added a few more articles of clothing before securing it on her shoulders.
The floorboards creaked as she flitted to her desk. She slipped on her cloak and grabbed the sheathed, three-inch knife beside a pile of dried stalks, tucking it into her corset
In a clay bowl set on top a pile of books, lay the five Waning Amulets her father had made. Dyna ran her fingers over the smooth wooden pendants. Four would go with the letter she had addressed to her grandmother.
It explained where she had gone and why. In the case she didn’t return, Grandmother Leyla would need to decide which children would receive the amulets. It was unfair to leave such a burden behind, but it was a last resort.
Dyna placed the fifth amulet in Lyra’s palm and closed her small fingers around it. No matter what happened on this journey, she would leave knowing her sister was safe.
Dyna kissed Lyra’s forehead and whispered a soft prayer to the God of Urn to watch over her. She carefully pushed open the window and slinked out, landing on frost-coated grass that crunched beneath her shoes. Her breath clouded in the air, the early morning chill prickling her cheeks. The darkness above tinged a pale blue and pink as the hint of the sunrise approached.
She took in her home, wanting to memorize its worn stone walls, the thatch roof, and the wooden door with a small round window. She could almost hear her mother humming as she tended to the garden, Thane’s laughter as he ran through the yard, and an echo of her father’s voice. A dull ache filled her chest.
He did all he could to save North Star until the last moment. That duty fell to her now.
With one last glance at her bedroom window, Dyna whispered goodbye. She walked away, forcing herself not to look back as she crossed the rickety fence bordered by the stonewalling surrounding her land. Her direction was due east for the valley gorge and the dark stretch of trees that lay beyond it. With each step taking her further and further away, her apprehension grew.
Dyna laid a shaking hand over the journal in her satchel and its gentle energy responded, filling her with strength.
Chapter 4
Dynalya
Dyna hiked through the day, her steady pace taking her deep into the Forbidden Woods. Nothing slinked out from the trees to confront her. All was still and quiet. Evening had arrived if the low light was any sign. Apprehension crept over her nerves.
The thought of finding herself in the dark terrified her, especially in the forest, and this forest wasstrange. Zev had not been honest with her.
The trees were peculiar, ancient giants. Their thick, white trunks bore massive indigo leaf canopies that cast a wide blanket of shade. The undergrowth of massive iridescent flowers in vibrant purple, teal, and pink coated her surroundings in an eerie hue. There were no roads or trails of any kind to walk on in the dense woodland.
