Breath rattled through Shale's chest as she leaned against the monastery doors. As the minutes passed, she expected them to reopen and for Zeera to demand that she stop being ridiculous and go back to bed. But they never did. Reality was slowly dawning on her that there was no coming back from this. She was going to be excommunicated from the Hekkari, forever.

Surprisingly, the thought brought little regret. Her lips formed into a beaming bright smile. She'd finally done it. After all the years of dreaming about it, she'd taken the leap. Now, she would live life on her own terms.

After jumping down the steps, she ambled into town. There was no rush. No SanMothers would pursue her. The inns, taverns, and alehouses on the south side were still glowing with the light of lanterns and candles. Rising above them, as the largest silhouette against a clear night sky, was the Blackbird Inn. It was much quieter than the others.

Her new friends would be in for quite a shock on the morrow when they would wait in the prayer room all day with no sign of Shale. How long would it take them to realise what'd happened? Likely, by the time they'd figure it out, Shale would almost be a day ahead of them and on such a busy route, her tracks would be untraceable. They would never catch her.

As she passed through the main thoroughfare, she savoured every moment, saying her goodbyes to all the familiar landmarks. Until she was brought to an abrupt halt by something she saw on her peripherals.

Had something moved in the alleyway?

When she turned her head, she found it empty. Probably just her imagination playing tricks. It was either that or a stray cat. Nodding to herself, she began her journey eastward with more intent, going into the forest.

Silverwood Forest was even darker than expected. She'd never known night outside the town, but it made for a deep, all-encompassing darkness. She found difficulty navigating over the roots and undergrowth, nearly tripping and falling flat on her face several times. The silence was another thing. There was no music or chatter emanating from the town, nor were there the usual birdsongs from the canopy. There were just her feet, digging through the leaves like crashing waves.

When she emerged into the clearing, she was taken aback by its beauty. Moonlight dyed the twin bonewoods an iridescent sapphire. The gullies ran with liquid silver and the pond reflected the stars so crisply that she could make out the constellations.

She crept over to the bonewood, careful as a fawn, and retrieved the bow and quiver from the hollow before slinging them over her shoulder. The lack of weight in her quiver caused her to frown. In time, she would earn enough to replenish her stock, but for now, the five she had remaining would have to do.

When she came onto Cemar Road, it was almost a relief. Although it was near as dark as the thicket, at least here she could see the sky, which was a comfort. Plus there were no roots to trip over.

The narrow road, however, was rutted and muddy, due to the constant use of merchants and hill folk. It was said to have a constant flow of traffic during the light hours, but was now barren. It reminded Shale of tales of the Dusty Days, when magic was said to be so thick, that there was an entire month when people had to stay inside, living off supplies, because strange things would just appear from nothing. The entire world was said to have fallen asleep during those times. Now that's the kind of world she traversed. A sleeping world.

She would have to endure it until it opened up onto the hills, where she'd find farms and hamlets. In the coming days, some landowners might be kind enough to offer her a bed for the night if she agreed to read to them in return. Then, after that, she'd eventually come to her destination, the city of Blackfin.

And after that, who knew?

As she plunged eastward, she expected the hedges to thin, but it was just the opposite. They became so dense that they arched over the road, blocking the sky, creating a tunnel.

The further she walked down the tunnel, the more active her imagination became. Every creak and rustle here twisted her stomach. She even thought she saw more shadows, moving from within the thick of the forest, but had the presence of mind to know it was all in her head. Such was the curse of having-

A howl sounded through the land.

Shale stopped for a moment, feeling a chill in her blood. She had to keep moving though. If she just stood there, all it served to do was make her easy prey.

Reaching behind her back, she toyed with the fletching of her arrows. The touch of the feathers on her fingers reassured her that it was okay. The howl had come from leagues away. Usually, wolves avoided people, or so she'd heard. But if a pack did attack her, she'd plant an arrow directly between the eyes of the alpha, as a warning to the others.

As she continued down the tunnel, she soon became aware of another sound, a feint hissing, like a misting waterfall. What was that? She expected it to stop eventually, but it continued to grow, becoming louder with every step, escalating from one source to many. Soon it was all around her, harmonising into a choir of whispers.

Her heart was thudding so hard that she could feel it in her throat. Whispering trees. Hadn't she heard something about whispering trees in the hinterlands recently?

No. They were only stories and superstitious nonsense. She wasn't a child anymore. She had to realise that such things were silly. Still, the sooner she was back beneath clear sky, the better. She quickened her pace.

The hedges bordering the road were shuffling and brushing into each other, like fae folk dancing an outdoor ball. This sight gave her an uneasy feeling but she was unsure why. It was only as she walked another hundred yards, that she realised what was wrong with it.

She stopped dead in her tracks.

The wind. There was no wind.

How could the hedges be moving like that when there was no wind? Peering through them, she searched the forest for a possible external source, but only darkness stared back. Her attention returned to the gnarled bonewood hedges and her skin prickled. Was there something strange about their shape? She could no longer ignore that distinct, gut feeling of being watched.

After one more, shaky breath, she ran.

Her feet slapped wet mud as her lungs tightened. Another howl rang from within the forest, much closer this time, but a pack of wolves suddenly seemed a small trifle. Her thighs and calves burned as she took long strides.

A gap appeared ahead and the feeling of relief was almost overwhelming. If she could just exit this tunnel and get onto clearer land, everything would be okay. She was quite sure of that.

Her thoughts and her feet were brought to an abrupt halt as something crashed out. It fell from the forest, into the middle of the road, right in front of her.

One of the hedges had fallen to block her way. She licked her lips as the muddy floor consumed her feet. It was just a bush, for Bragan's sake, just a bush. Dozens of these probably fell everyday. All she had to do was carefully step over it and someone would clear it in the morning. Forcing herself to calm down, she advanced.

The sticks and leaves shifted.

Branches snapped with sounds like breaking bones and reattached into new shapes. Bones were how they looked too as they knit together to form a ribcage and long, spindly limbs. The final touch was hundreds of smaller twigs curling and twisting around each other, until they created a large skull.

In less than a minute, the hedge had completely transformed into a towering, skeletal figure. It stood tall, several feet above Shale, and had to arc to stare down at her through empty eye sockets.