Kurii are in the Northern Forest

Waking in the early hours of the morning, still shaken by the startlingly realistic dream I had the night before, I rose from the furs and quickly got the fire going once again. Deciding I might as well spoil myself, I set about making myself a fresh cup of tea, grateful for the warmth as the biting chill of morning settled into the cave.

Taking my tea, I started toward my usual place to sit when I noticed Ember was already awake. Setting my cup aside for the moment, I went to pull back the cave covering and let her out, standing there watching as the young panther stretched and shook herself before beginning her morning exploration. It was then that I heard the call. I knew it immediately as one of Etna’s, and I sounded out the answering call as I made my way down toward the creek, where I could keep a better watch over Ember while also meeting Etna without revealing the location of my cave.

As Etna approached, I walked out to meet her, and I could tell by the look upon her face that something was wrong. She did not waste time with pleasantries before speaking. “The Kurii came through our camp. They got just under half of the girls. We move now, two hands earlier than we intended, to our most southern camp. You, too, should come. It is dangerous for you to remain alone.”

Before I could answer, Ember returned, trotting from the trees, only to stop directly in front of me and plant herself there. Etna stared at the young panther in surprise, and I could not help the faintest hint of amusement as I looked down at her.

“I’m not alone.”

Etna sighed and slowly nodded. “You know how to find us if you change your mind.” With a shake of her head, she took one more long look around, and I knew she was searching for my lodging. I offered her nothing, allowing her to look without giving away what I had worked so hard to conceal. Finally, with another shake of her head, she turned toward the nearest tree and shimmied up the trunk, disappearing into what remained of the canopy.

I watched until she was gone before looking down at Ember. The Kurii. Here, in the Northern Forest. For the first time since Etna had spoken, the full weight of her warning settled over me. They had come through Etna’s camp and taken nearly half the girls, which meant they were moving through these woods, and if they had already reached the southern camps, there was no reason to believe they could not come farther north.

I thought of the old trader at the exchange point and his warning, and a cold unease settled in my stomach. While I hadn’t dismissed much of what he had said as trader’s tales I still had thought he had added exaggerations as a man who wanted to make a sale. Perhaps he had not been exaggerating at all. My thoughts turned to Scar before I could stop them, and I found myself wondering what he would think of Kurii coming into these woods. Would he be angry that they had entered the forest, or would he simply see them as another threat belonging to the natural order of things? I almost smiled at the thought, but it faded quickly when I remembered that I did not even know if Scar knew what Kurii were, and besides, he was gone. Whatever he might think of them did me little good now.

I looked toward the trees, suddenly seeing them differently. Every shadow seemed deeper, every movement of the branches making me pause and listen for something that was not there. If the Kurii were moving through the forest this close to us, then the cave was no longer simply my hiding place. It had become something I might have to defend. It was Home.

I needed more wood, more water, and more food within reach. If I had to remain inside the cave for days, I needed to be ready for it, and if I had to leave in a hurry, I needed to know exactly what I could carry and what would have to be left behind. I pushed that thought aside before it could take root. There was no point frightening myself with possibilities when there was work to be done.

But first, my tea.

Once I was certain Etna was good and truly gone, I made my way back toward the cave and reached for my tea, only to frown when I found it had grown cold. With little choice, I swallowed what remained in the cup in one go, deciding the rest waiting in the kettle could stay warm until I had finished my morning chores. Setting the empty cup aside, I picked up the hand axe and looked once more toward the forest.

If the Kurii were truly in these woods, I intended to be ready for them.

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There will be added sections of Melete’s day, but those can only be found in my group.