Their journey through the rest of the forest was peaceful, the chirping of crickets and singing of birds a welcome relief from the wailing they had heard just a short while earlier. A soft wind wove through the trees, stirring their branches and rustling their leaves. Asteria had not realized how much she missed the sounds of the forest on a sunny spring day. It made her a tad homesick even. 

The wind not only made the forest feel alive, but it carried the smells of the valley with it. The scent of flowers, the trees, and a rippling stream rushed past. However, there was something else. It was slightly sickening, like a hint of burning wood and decay. But it was faint, not strong enough for her to determine exactly what it was or where it may have come from. The wind came from the north, perhaps there was something upwind causing it. She shook off the thought, focusing on the smell of the field of flowers that had clearly been that way as well. 

As they left the treeline, Asteria nearly let out an exhausted groan at the sight ahead. The valley’s eastern side was a tall hill, nearing mountainous height. It was not a steep incline, but she could tell that they would be spending the rest of their morning hiking up its slope. She glanced over to Oren, but his eyes were set on the slope with a hint of a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. He stood so confidently; she couldn’t help but stare at him. With a quick look back, he signaled to her that they needed to keep on. 

Asteria took a moment to catch her breath as they reached the top. The trek uphill had been harder than she expected, and yet she noted how Oren seemed to have little to no trouble with it. A quiet laugh escaped her; she could not help but be impressed by him at times. She found her way to a nearby tree and leaned against it. Beads of sweat coated her forehead and the back of her neck. She untied the cloak’s strings and folded it, storing it in her bag. 

Her eyes wandered across the valley below, shocked by how little progress they seemed to make despite already spending half of their day on the road. Just a little ways north she noticed that beyond the forest’s edge was a field of wildflowers. It was a gorgeous sight, colors of every shade dotting the green landscape. It was no wonder why the smell of flowers was so strong. Her gaze traveled a little south. A plume of smoke rose from the forest below, a glimpse of Lastbrook visible in the clearing. She saw as flames reached up and flicked into the sky and looked to Oren, wondering if he too saw it. His deep brown eyes were fixated on the scene that had unraveled below. The two of them stood there for a long while, taking their rest as an excuse to watch the grim event.

“What did you tell them?” Asteria inquired. She had only grown more inquisitive during their hike. Her need for the answer had grown rabid, and it seemed as good a time as any to ask. 

“What they needed to know, I suppose,” he replied. “I explained that the person they likely knew well had grown desperate enough to commit one of the ultimate sins. I wrote about what had happened, what we discovered, and where they could find their missing loved ones. Lastly, I apologized for what our arrival to their village had brought upon them. While our visit to Lastbrook may have stopped the devastation that had been unraveling, it also disrupted the thought that it was a random monster compared to a beloved neighbor and friend.” 

Oren turned his back on the valley, ready to continue onward. He waited for her, though. Asteria took a final look at the burning tavern before taking her place by his side.