Fiora was still shaken after the whole incident. Walking back down the trail, her mind was in a daze as she grappled with everything that had happened. It only just seemed to be sinking in, but those two had nearly violated her. She was having a mild panic attack, all the while feeling pissed off at the same time.

  It was an odd combination of emotions that created a volatile mixture inside of her. She wanted to scream, cry, and kill someone all at once. If it wasn’t for the hermit intervening, it would have happened.

  Thinking about the enigmatic individual who had saved her helped to calm her down. She had never given much thought to all the rumors surrounding the forest, but now she was seriously considering them and cursing herself for brushing them aside in the past. She made a promise to herself to find out more about this hermit, but that would have to wait until after she got home and cleaned up. Her dress was a mess after being shoved down into the dirt.

  Fiora lived with her father in a house that doubled as his place of business. It was near the outer edges of the village and had enough space to comfortable provide for the two of them. Her mother died of an illness when she was still very little. That tragedy prompted her father to take up medicine and study as an apprentice apothecary with the church. It took several years, and they had to live in rather small quarters while he trained, but now he was registered and able to practice on his own.

  Of course, just because he can work as an apothecary doesn’t mean it was easy to find a place to work. Most of the cities and large towns had well established and reputable apothecaries already. There was no room for her father to try and fit in out there. So, he had to look further out and came to this village during the earlier years of its reconstruction. Out here people could get sick, injured, and be too far away from any professional help to survive such things. It was not glamorous, and jobs were still sparce, but it was enough to earn a living and build a reputation.

  The two-story house was made from sturdy planks of wood with three shuttered windows, two on the top and one on the bottom. The shingled roof had become standard in the village as it expanded, a testament to their growth. There was a heavy scent of herbs surrounding the building, both from inside and from the small garden out back where her father grew some of the medicinal plants that were more difficult to come by out here.

  Fiora sighed as she approached the front door, brushing off the front of her dress in a futile attempt to correct her appearance. She opened the door and was greeted with the familiar sight of her father, Emil, working with a mortar and pestle. He was sitting at a table pushed up against the far wall, surrounded by herbs both dry and fresh. The first floor of the house was dedicated almost completely to her father’s business, and as such almost every available inch of space was taken up by either the raw plants that were used in the creation of medicines, or vials upon vials of completed products that were for sale. The rhythmic tap and grind as her father reduced a mixture into a paste was maintained with discipline, even as he turned his head to see her.

  “Hey sweety, did you find the--” The slight smile he had on his face disappeared as he noticed the state of her. His rhythm disappeared as the work was forgotten in favor of standing and checking on her. “Fiora! My God, what happened to you? Did you fall? Are you hurt anywhere?” He pulled a twig out of her hair while fussing over her.

  She let him fuss, though also gave a small sigh. “I’m fine, dad, but there was a... problem. The idiots followed me out there.”

  His brow raised and then dropped into a scowl. “Cassian and Bertrem. What did they do?” He was angry now, justifiably so.

  Fiora knew that saying any more would only make it worse, but also that saying nothing would just make him more insistent. “They got... forceful, with their advances this time. N-Nothing actually happened, but-”

  Emil’s face contorted into an even angrier snarl. He turned toward the door and Fiora panicked as she grabbed onto him. “Dad, what are you doing?”

  “I’m going to the alderman and demanding punishment for those two.”

  “Dad, you know as well as I do that the alderman won’t condemn his own children. The most that would come of it would be him yelling at the two in private only for them to start again next week. Not only that, but they might even start targeting us, making things worse.”

  “You’re telling me to do nothing, then?”

  “Yes,” she answered firmly. “Believe me, I wish I could drag those two naked through the streets tied to the back of a horse, but we can’t.”

  He was agonizing over this until eventually he released his anger with a deep huff as he sat down heavily in a chair. Fiora knew how much he wanted to keep her safe and healthy. Ever since her mom passed away, Emil worried over the tiniest cut or scrap that would happen to her. She loved her father, but sometimes he could be a little overbearing, even if this instance was justified.

  Emil rubbed his forehead, trying to work through the stress. After a moment, he huffed and quirked a brow in a considering manner. “You know, I could probably slip something into their drinks the next time I see them at the bar.”

  Fiora was mildly horrified by that. “Dad!”

  He held up his hands. “Nothing that serious! I was thinking about making them lose control of their bowels for the next few days.”

  She sighed, feeling exasperated, amused, and touched all at the same time. “Dad...” Her face went through a range of emotions before she settled on a slight smirk. “Maybe. But we’ll save that for later, so they don’t suspect anything.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  That was a good bit of levity after such a harrowing situation, and Fiora was already feeling better. Handing over the herbs she gathered, she left her father to work while she went to change her clothes and clean up at the wash bin. After she was presentable again, she went down to the shop to talk to her dad. Her curiosity about the hermit was getting the better of her, and she figured she could start her investigation at home.

  “Hey dad,” Emil looked up from what he was doing with a questioning raise of his brow. “I was wondering, what do you think about all the rumors surrounding the forest?”

  “That’s and odd question from you. I thought you weren’t really interested in superstitions?”

  She shrugged, trying to play it off. “Well, I don’t really believe that it’s ghosts or whatever people say, but I figure since I go into the woods often enough, I might as well know what I can about it. Some of the rumors might have a bit a truth in them if you think about it right.”

  Emil shrugged in much the same way as his daughter. “I suppose that’s true. However, I’m sorry to say that I don’t know much myself. The most I’ve heard is that people claim to see glimpses of something large moving through the trees, taller than any normal person. The only thing I hope for is that they’re either mistaken, or that it’s not a bear.”

  So, the hermit is either really tall or people are just seeing a bear wandering around.

  It was hard for her to decide which was more likely, and since it was all rumors, it could have been either one. Not the most useful information, but she could ask other people as she had the rest of the day practically to herself.

  “Well, thanks anyway, dad. I’m going to walk around for a little bit and clear my head.”

  “If those two harass you again, I’m putting something much stronger in their drinks, damn the consequences.”

  “I don’t think even they are dumb enough to try that in the middle of the village, though sometimes I wish they would. It would make it so much easier to get them locked away if they did.”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Do not tempt fate, Fiora. I don’t wish for you to be put in any situation like that again.”

  “I know, dad. I love you too.”

  He smiled at her as she made her way to the door, telling her to be careful as she slipped outside. Of course she would be careful, and having a knife tucked into her hip helped as well, just in case. While she had very few friends in the village, she had a great many acquaintances, and that brought with it the ability to collect a large amount of casual information quite easily. On the average day the villagers were more than happy to talk about rumors and gossip.

  While it was true that they were open to speaking with her, the information was very general and not at all the details she was looking for. Anything that came even close to explaining who the hermit was were nonsensical and often simplified things to them either being a witch, a dark sorcerer, a demon, or some other form of monster. This wasn’t even to mention all the talk about curses, promising a slow, painful death to all who do not heed the warnings from the woods. If nothing else, the people of the village certainly had strong imaginations.

  Fiora concluded that she would not find any satisfactory answers from the other villagers. If she wanted to learn more about the hermit, the truth about the hermit, she would likely have to discover it for herself. She started to form a plan in her head, mapping out the preparations she should take. It probably wouldn’t be wise to make it a long trip, or to go too far, but her curiosity needed to be sated, or it would drive her mad. That was always a weakness of hers, and a constant source of stress for her dad as she stuck her nose into anything remotely interesting to her.

  She knew it was a flaw of hers, but she didn’t much care. Life would be awfully boring if she ignored interesting things just because they might be dangerous. Of course, she’d take her knife. There was a difference between bravery and stupidity. All that would wait for tomorrow, though, when she was rested and had a full day with which she could look for signs of the hermit.

  She didn’t really know what she intended to do if she found them. Maybe she just wanted to know who her mysterious benefactor was, or perhaps she just wished to give her thanks in person instead of a vague direction. Whatever her reasons might have been, she would endeavor to meet her savior in person, if possible.

  Thankfully the idiot brothers were laying low for now, probably one of the smarter moves they could have made as she could very easily have started a scene. If one didn’t count what happened by the riverside, it was actually a rather nice day of socializing. However, she was looking forward to tomorrow, so after finishing a few chores, she retired early to rest and be ready.

  The day came and she found that she was somewhat excited. It felt like she was going on an adventure, even if it wasn’t likely to be all that far away. Regardless, she was eager to get a start to her exploration, so after doing her morning routine and dressing in a slightly shorter dress, she packed a small bag with food and water, strapped a knife to her hip, and told her father she was off to look for more herbs in the forest. It was partially true as she was going to pick up some for him, but she would also spend time on the other side of the river, looking for the hermit.

  As ready as she would ever be, she set out after telling her father she would be back before sundown. The worn trail she often traveled was taken, though this time she did check her back to make sure nobody was following her. After confirming that she was alone, she kept going, eventually arriving at the river’s edge.

  She looked back and forth across the opposite side of the river, trying to pierce the foliage in search of any sign of the hermit. Nothing seemed out of place, and the only movement was that of the branches as they gently swayed in the wind. She would have to find a way to cross as she didn’t fancy getting the bottom of her dress soaked through.

  It took a minute, but eventually she did stumble across a tree that had fallen over the river, bridging the gap and allowing her to cross without getting wet. A little balancing followed by a short jump and she was on the other side, the ‘cursed’ side. Frankly, it didn’t look any different from the other half of the river, nor did she suddenly feel like her soul was at risk. Straightening out her dress, she looked around for a way to go. Nothing obvious stuck out to her, so she instead chose the most notable landmark around: the mountain.

  She took her time hiking through the forest, looking around for any sign of the hermit. Along the way she did stop in a few places to take a few clippings from some wild herbs and flowers that her father could use. Fiora wasn’t exactly sure where she might find who she was looking for, but she figured it would be easier if she called out to them.

  “Hello? Is anyone out there? I don’t mean you any harm, I just want to thank you for the other day.” Naturally nobody answered her, but that didn’t mean she was alone.

  Daegal had, in fact, know she was in his territory. She carried a strong scent of herbs on her that he could smell from a mile out. He watched her from a distance, following alongside her progress while being annoyed that he had to deal with humans two days in a row. He preferred it when they just stayed on their side of the river.

  She was getting closer to his home, and at this point, the scattered effigies that he made from animal bones, solely for scaring off adventurous humans, came into view for her. He watched as she paused upon seeing them, examining a few up close for a second. What Daegal expected was for her to get spooked and decide to turn around, but instead she took a deep breath and kept moving with a frustrating outlook on the situation.

  “Well, I guess I'm on the right track at least,” she said as she walked right by the various bones littered about.

  Daegal sneered with annoyance as she blew right by his first layer of repellents. Grumbling under his breath, he scooped up a few rocks from around the area. Grabbing a decent sized one, he cocked his arm back and threw it hard enough that it broke apart on the tree he was aiming for, scattering little rocks and bits of bark around the area where Fiora was walking.

  She flinched, ducking her head in a slight panic as she cast her gaze around. He thought this would be the end of it and she would finally turn around, but she didn’t move from that spot. At first, he thought she might be one who freezes when in danger, but the truth was that she was going to be even more difficult to deal with than he anticipated.

  “H-Hello? Please, I-I'm not here to cause any trouble. I just want to talk.”

  And Daegal didn’t as he continued to growl and complain to himself. “Stubborn little...” He cocked his arm back again and let loose another rock, snapping a few branches off a tree as it sailed overhead. Friora flinched again, but didn’t look nearly as surprised this time.

  “There’s no need for that! I only want to give my thanks and then I’ll leave you be. Please, just come out for one moment.”

  Daegal’s frustration was starting to build as he gesticulated wildly at the air, hurling silent complaints and insults at the stubborn girl. It only got worse as Fiora was starting to get frustrated as well, though for different reasons. She huffed as the one throwing rocks didn’t come out when she asked. Eventually, she decided to try and force the matter through.

  “Fine, if you don’t want to come out and talk to me face to face, then I guess I’ll just see where all these bones lead to.”

  She started walking again, and Daegal could only stare, mouth agape and wide eyed at the shear audacity on display here. He grabbed at his horns, tugging on them with frustration as a low growl escaped him. He couldn’t let her get any closer to his home. Having a human find out exactly where he lived would be the worst possible outcome. Now he was angry at this whole situation, and he started running, intent on getting ahead of her, which wasn’t all that hard considering how fast he was.

  As Fiora plodded along, determined to meet with the person who had saved her the other day, the last thing she expected was to see a large blur of motion leap from the top of a nearby boulder, landing in front of her with a heavy thud. She stumbled backward, nearly tripping before her back collided with a tree. What she saw scared her senseless.

  A gigantic creature standing over seven feet tall loomed ahead of her. Four blood red eyes glared at her as its black scales slowly morphed into fur... no, not fur, hides. It was wearing the hides of various creatures draped across its form, held together by, quite frankly, crude stitching. Its claws were nearly as long as the knife she had thought would be enough to protect her, a laughable notion now that she knew what she was up against. Lastly, it had large, thick horns that curved backward, pointing behind it.

  She had never seen nor heard of such a creature even in the wildest rumors surrounding the forest. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and her breathing came in rapid, shallow intakes. Fiora was not prepared for this, and every instinct in her body was screaming at her that she was about to die. She could do nothing but stare at the monstrous thing that appeared in front of her, that is, until it bared its teeth and let out a low, rumbling growl at her.

  That finally sparked her body into panicked motion as she ran, desperate to escape. She crashed through branches and bushes; mind fractured as the primal part of her took control and pushed her forward. The part of her mind that was still lucid recognized the futility in this as the creature she encountered was likely far faster and stronger than her. She knew this, but she still wanted to live as she ran, convinced that at any moment she would be pounced upon and ripped to pieces.

  Daegal, however, simply stood there, rooted in place as Fiora ran off into the woods. That was the first time he had come face to face with a human in years, and his body was reacting viscerally to it. His hands felt clammy and shook uncontrollably while his heart raced in his chest. It felt like there was a pit in his stomach, almost as if he was on the verge of being sick.

  Despite all these negative reactions to confronting a human again, watching her run away, clearly in fear for her life, made his heart ache. The loneliness of a decade seemed to crash upon him all at once, but he clamped down on that feeling, crushing it inside of him. Clenching his fist tight, he steadied himself as he turned away, going back to what he was doing before this interruption. His resolve had wavered, but he held fast as he reaffirmed his stance.

  This is how it should be.