Eternal Forest

by Faith Naff

  “No,” Rosewood said with a gasp. Her free hand reached for her face as her fingers delicately rested on her lips. “They couldn’t do that. Why would they…?” Before she could finish, a commotion from the bushes stole her attention. She and the others turned just in time to see two goblins come charging out from the undergrowth.

  Caught off guard, Shimmer was knocked to the ground as one of the disgusting creatures landed on top of her. Her hands managed to find their way around its bony wrists, allowing her to divert its hands from wrapping around her throat. The look of sadistic glee in its hideous face bearing down on her was the stuff of nightmares. Its breath was toxic, like smelling the carcass of a fallen beast in the hot sun. Thick saliva dripped from its stained, cracked teeth as its boil-covered tongue whipped around like a fish on the shore.

  She screamed as she stared into its face, trying to hold it back just enough to keep those teeth from finding their way into her neck. She was strong enough to hold it back but not strong enough to keep this up, and the goblin seemed pretty intent on seeing this through. With the strength in her arms failing her, the goblins body drew ever closer. The edge of its tongue danced across her cheek, leaving a sticky residue in its wake.

  It wasn’t until the last of her arm strength failed her that Valdin’s arm found its way around the goblin’s neck and pulled it from her. The goblin flailed in excited protest, but such movements were quickly ended with a swift jerk of Valdin’s shoulder, breaking the goblin’s neck with a loud crack.

  Shimmer scrambled to her feet, a task proven difficult given the cramps in her biceps. She was breathing heavily and her legs were wobbly beneath her. The attack had taken her completely by surprise and had all gone by in a blur. Needless to say, she was quite startled.

  “Are you alright?” Valdin asked.

  “Took… you… long enough,” she snapped back through her heavy panting.

  “I’m sorry,” Valdin said as he turned his head. “I was a bit preoccupied.”

  Looking up at him, Shimmer noticed three, fresh gashes on his face. One ran down his cheek, another over the brow above his right eye and across his nose, the last catching his other cheek just enough to leave a mark. Streams of blood ran down his face from the wounds. Another dead goblin lay at his feet. “Lady’s grace!” Shimmer shouted. “Are you…?”

  “I’ll be fine,” Valdin said. “But none of us will last much longer if we don’t find some weapons. Look!”

  Everyone turned their eyes towards the village. The goblins were breaking back through the trees at the edge of the water and filling the already limited space between the tree trunks and small huts. The battle was leaving the shore and returning to the village.

  “I can’t believe this,” Rosewood whispered softly to herself. “How could this be happening?”

  Valdin stepped in front of the high priestess, blocking her view from the chaos and carnage befalling her village. “Your grace,” he began. “We need weapons or we’re all going to die.”

  Rosewood blinked hard, as if snapping herself out of a trance. She nodded her head quickly. “Of course,” she said. “My hut is not far from here and along the perimeter. Follow me.” The high priestess began making her way west, moving along the shrubs and thick underbrush that lined the perimeter of the village. Elves never cut down trees, but they did clear vegetation along the forest floor to allow easy foot travel within the village. All of the open space, however, was currently occupied by an unexpected war spilling out from the clearing by the lake.

  They tried not to watch more than they had to. The sounds of screaming women, growling goblins, and structures being smashed to bits were enough to haunt any civilized creature. They kept the battle in their peripheral vision, but mostly kept their eyes forward as they moved along the brush.

  Rosewood’s hut was indeed not far away. She was likely on her way there when Shimmer and the others found her hiding in the bushes. It wasn’t long before she stopped in front of a large structure with walls built from branches held in place by a web of woven rope. Straw and mud filled the gaps and crevasses and a roof of grass and branches covered it from above. A blanket of fur taken from the hide of a bear covered the entrance to the high priestess’ home.

  “Quickly, inside,” she insisted. The interior of Rosewood’s hut was much like any other in the village, only larger and adorned with more treasures reflecting her status within the tribe. Animal skins hung alongside finely woven tapestries across both the walls and the dirt floor below was stripped of all vegetation. A bed of straw and grass lay bundled together on the far wall and a large table of split logs sat in the center of the room. Anything made from a tree’s trunk was rare in Moon-hollow, for a tree would have to fall naturally in order to be utilized in such a way. A naturally fallen tree was a gift from the Lady herself and its resources were used only in making fine antiquities or items for persons of stature.

  Rosewood pointed to a large basket in the corner made from bundled twigs. A lid made from the same materials sat atop it. The basket was about the size of a coffin. “In there,” she said.

  Valdin raced over to the large basket and tossed back the lid on its rope hinges. Within he found a treasure trove of all manner of weaponry. There were swords, bows, knives, and spears, enough to outfit a small army. The high priestess held the weapons of war for the entire village, distributing them only when necessary. Were they to have had proper warning of this attack, these weapons would currently be in the hands of every male elf able to fight.

  Eagerly, the harmonious human sifted through the armory, finally fishing out a sturdy long sword in a black, leather sheath and belt. “Everyone, come grab a weapon!” he shouted while he fastened the belt around his waist. The sounds of war were becoming louder outside the walls of the hut. The goblins would be upon them any second.

  Rosewood pulled a slender blade from the box. It was small, but it was light enough to hold in one hand, allowing her to keep her staff in the other.

  Shimmer and Snowflake ran together to the trove of weaponry and looked inside with wide eyes. “I’ve never used such things in my life!” Shimmer shouted in panic. “What should I use?”

  Valdin reached into the chest again and retrieved two short swords. Each of the blades measured about two feet in length. Rotating the blades in his hands, he extended them hilt-first towards Shimmer and Snowflake. “These will do,” he said.

  Snowflake and Shimmer each took a weapon. Full of fear and doubt they rotated their wrists slowly, studying the blades as carefully as they could. “I’ve never even held one of these,” Shimmer said. “I don’t know how to use one.”

  Valdin retrieved a bow from the box along with a quiver of arrows. He slung them together over his back before turning again to face the girls. “See that pointy tip at the end?” he asked.

  The two girls nodded.

  Valdin smiled. “If you want something to go away, stick that in it.”

  Shimmer glared at him. “Lady be praised,” she said sarcastically. “For a moment there I thought this was going to be…”

  “Silence!” Rosewood shouted as she lifted her staff into the air. “Listen.”

  Everyone within the hut fell quiet as their ears perked up. Amidst the now familiar sounds of carnage and destruction, a series of ground-shaking thuds were echoing in the village. Shimmer and Snowflake gasped as they heard the familiar sounds of grunting and roaring they’d been introduced to earlier.

  “The trolls are…!” Before she could finish, the far wall where the priestess’ bed sat burst into a shower of debris. The massive form of a troll came charging into the hut in a flurry of destruction. Everyone dove to the side, narrowly escaping a sure trampling under the creature’s enormous feet.

  Rosewood rolled along her left side as she dove. Using the momentum of the fall to her advantage, she rotated on the ground and came to rest upon the balls of her feet. Her head snapped back, catching a glimpse of the troll as it burst through the other wall of he
r home and back into the village. Slung over its back was a large sack, crudely woven from rope and vines. To her horror, the sack was filled to the brim with the seeds, nuts, fruits, and berries that the elves of Moon-hollow had spent all summer collecting.

  “No!” she shouted as she ran through the new gaping hole in her wall. She extended the tip of her staff as she ran. Full of rage, her eyes began to glow a brilliant orange. Upon the emerald at the tip of her staff, a ball of fire began to form out of thin air. With a flick of her wrist the flaming ball shot forward, striking the troll in the back of the neck.

  Halting its charge, the troll reared back and let out a roar of pain. The flames singed the straps holding the bag and its contents fell to the forest floor in a pile. The troll turned around, its left foot nearly crushing enough food to feed a family of elves for three weeks. It roared in rage, sending a spray of saliva flying off of its crooked teeth. Its face was covered in scars and one of its tusks was broken in half.

  “I think you have its attention,” Valdin said as he stopped beside the high priestess. With bow in hand, he knocked an arrow and aimed the tip at the creature’s hideous face. He released his grip on the drawn bowstring, but not before a goblin hiding in his blind spot behind him was able to jump up on his back. The arrow flew off wildly, landing in the trunk of a tree a few yards away.

  Reacting quickly, Valdin rotated his body. His motions perpetuated the goblins momentum and prevented it from getting a firm enough hold to stay atop his shoulders. Surprised by the quick reflexes of its intended victim, the goblin lost its grip and went sailing over Valdin’s shoulder to the ground. Valdin dropped his bow on the ground as his free hand pulled his sword from the sheath on his belt. The goblin was barely to its knees before Valdin’s blade plunged through its mouth and out the back of its skull with a shower of blood. He pulled the blade free and kicked the lifeless abomination away with his right foot.

  Shimmer screamed as another goblin rounded a tree in front of her, coming to a stop a few feet away. Their eyes locked and the creature smiled. She was filled with fear and the hideous goblin was fully aware of it. Ready to take down an easy kill, it leaped into the air with its claws outstretched.

  With her blade barely held in her two shaking hands, Shimmer’s mind went blank. She had no clue what to do. She’d never had to defend herself like this before, let alone with a weapon she’d never once held until now. She finally managed to raise the tip of her sword upward, but the gesture was coming too late. The goblin was nearly upon her and past the point of certain impalement.

  As Shimmer tensed up, preparing to once again be pinned down by one of these disgusting creatures, an arrow suddenly landed in the back of the goblin’s head. The look of sudden confusion on the goblin’s face formed its last expression as the force of the arrow knocked it off its trajectory and over onto the dirt.

  Breathing heavily, Shimmer looked up to see Valdin standing a few feet away with an empty bow pointed towards her. “Could you be any more useless?” he asked with both sarcasm and exasperation. Leaving her no chance to answer him back, Valdin pivoted in place and knocked another arrow. The troll was charging now, still angry from the fireball that had baked his back like a terrible sunburn. Troll hide was thick enough to take such an attack without serious injury, but not without any mark to show for it. With a quick glance to either side ensuring no distractions this time, Valdin let his arrow fly. It sailed towards the troll’s face and struck it in the cheek.

  The troll roared while its thick fingers clumsily fumbled for the arrow lodged in its face. Finally finding its grip, it tugged at the butt end, ripping it from its face. Though free of the foreign object, its actions had left a larger wound on its cheek now than the arrow had caused alone. What trolls possessed in size and durability, they lost in intelligence. Fueled by more rage than ever, the troll reared back while bringing its fists together high above its head.

  “Move!” Rosewood shouted. She, Valdin, Shimmer, and Snowflake dove away from one another like ripples on a pond moving from their source. With a loud grunt, the troll thrust its fists down upon the forest floor with all its strength. Its massive hands smashed into the soil, creating a large crater and sending a shockwave across the ground. The vibrations in the soil were enough to send the rest of Rosewood’s already crippled home crashing to the ground.

  The makeshift quake caused a few approaching goblins to stumble and fall as they charged towards the group. Quick on their feet and anticipating the tremor, Shimmer and Snowflake were able to right themselves again before the goblins had a chance. Seizing the opportunity, they each thrust the tips of their blades into the head of the nearest goblin with a loud yell. The goblins lay still, never to rise again.

  “Hey, I got one!” Snowflake shouted gleefully.

  “Me, too!” Shimmer said in joyful response.

  “How great for both of you,” Valdin said sarcastically as he drew another arrow into his bow. “Now take care of those for us.”

  Puzzled, Shimmer and Snowflake glanced over their shoulders to see a hoard of goblins waiting in a row, their eyes burning with a gleeful hunger to shed more elf blood. The two girls raised their blades as the widened their stances. They knew they couldn’t handle such a force. Should they die trying or attempt to run away?

  As the two friends contemplated their very poor options, Rosewood leapt into the air with her staff high above her head. Her eyes glowed bright green as sparks of lightning ran up and down the length of her staff. With a loud yell, the high priestess landed between them and plunged the end of her staff into the ground. The sparks ran down the staff and spread out across the ground. With a mighty tremor, the ground beneath the row of goblins suddenly began to split open. Taken by surprise and too bewildered to react, the goblins were tossed into the air as a large chunk of the ground beneath them shot up into the sky like the surface of an egg as the young inside it bursts forth.

  “Th…thank you,” Shimmer managed to say.

  Rosewood gave no response. She only turned again towards Valdin and the troll bearing down on him. The massive creature’s face was now riddled with arrows. Valdin continued firing them in rapid succession as, step by step; he backed away from the charging troll.

  With its cheeks full of bolts, an eye skewered, and a bloodied face, the troll charged its human opponent in what could only be considered a final attempt to slay him no matter what the cost. Down to his last arrow, Valdin was forced to draw his blade again. He dropped his bow as his body turned away. His backward steps transformed into a full sprint as he quickly ran away from the charging beast. The troll bounded after him, fueled by rage. It smashed through structures and small tree trunks moments after the small human maneuvered around them.

  Valdin ran as fast as he could, but the tremors caused by the troll bounding after him made it nearly impossible to stay upright. It was like being pursued by an earthquake. Knowing he couldn’t keep this up, Valdin cut sharply to the right and disappeared behind the trunk of a wide oak. Out of the creature’s line of sight for a moment, he raced around the tree and peered around the back side of the trunk.

  Just as he’d hoped, the troll bounded onward, assuming he would keep his trajectory unchanged. Valdin continued around the tree, coming up behind the beast as it charged onward. With his sword in hand, he threw his arm forward with all his might. The sword sailed end-over-end through the air, finally impaling the troll in the back of the neck.

  Blood poured down the troll’s back as it lost its balance and fell face-first onto the ground with a loud thud. The ground shook beneath Valdin’s feet, but he was expecting that. Able to keep himself upright, he bounded up onto the trolls back and took hold of the hilt of his blade. Before the troll could raise its head again, Valdin twisted the hilt with all of his strength. The tip of the sword buried itself deep into the troll’s brain. A loud squish and the cracks of a few vertebras sounded the end of the terrible monster.

  Fueled by the rush of adrenaline followin
g his miraculous kill, Valdin pulled his blade free and turned to look for his next target. What he found, however, was that there were no enemies left to fight. The army was retreating back the way they had come. An innumerable hoard of goblins—their hideous skins covered in the blood of freshly slain elves— raced through the remains of Moon-hollow. Amongst them, the trolls followed with their wide, thunderous strides. Strapped to their backs were sacks full of every seed, nut, grain, and piece of fruit these elves had tirelessly gathered all summer. Without them, few would last through the bitter cold of the winter months that were not far away.

  Chapter IV

  A tear rolled down Rosewood's blood and dust covered cheek as she gazed down at the pile of food lying on the ground in the fallen troll’s crude sack. This pile of fruits, nuts, berries, seeds, and vegetables gathering dust on the forest floor was all her people had left to survive through the harsh winter just two months away. This small collection would only feed a few families for one month, maybe two if they rationed to only the necessities. The thought numbed her mind and filled her with more emotions than she could ever hope to sort out.

  All around her, the elves of Moon-hollow, battered and bruised as they were, tried to make sense of the chaos that had befallen them this night. Their food was gone. Their homes were destroyed. Their loved ones lay dead on the dust and rocks below them, corpses still dressed for a celebration in their bright colors and floral decorations. It was a joyous moment cut suddenly and horrifically short.

  Shimmer was on her knees, studying the blade of the short sword in her hands. She turned her wrists slightly, allowing the reflections of torch lights to race across the gleaming silver and stains of goblin blood. Too many things were happening all at once. She had never seen creatures from the Savage Tribes before, she had never held a weapon before, and she had never taken a life before, even if a goblin’s existence could laughably be called a life. The huts and structures weren’t the only things lying broken on the forest floor; there, too, lay her innocence. She was an adult now, deemed ready to face the world. But if this was the world she was to face, she wasn’t sure if she was truly ready.