The group advances through the forest with Elden, a youth of the Fern Tribe.
Later, it was revealed that he was usually a hunter. Despite his appearance suggesting he ate grass, he loved meat.
We began walking again through the quiet forest. As usual, Cecilia walked silently, not speaking to her companions. The morning sun shone gently through the trees, and dewdrops on the grass sparkled. Even as the sun rose, the overlapping leaves maintained a pleasant coolness.
But such a peaceful hike came to an abrupt end. Suddenly, Elden stopped and began to scan their surroundings vigilantly. He took his bow from his shoulder and nocked an arrow. Sharin also seemed to notice something and quietly drew her dagger.
“What is it? Is something there?” I asked.
Just as I spoke, two large dogs leaped out from the bushes beside us. The dogs barked ferociously upon seeing us. Elden immediately loosed an arrow. The two dogs, their throats pierced, cried out in pain and thrashed about on the spot. He quickly finished them off.
“What was that…”
“Hunting dogs. They’ve revealed our location. There are hunters nearby.”
The word “hunter” made me flinch for a moment, but then I realized we weren’t prey like deer. Moreover, we had killed their companion dogs.
“I guess we have to apologize for the dogs.”
As I muttered this, two men appeared, pushing through the grass. They grinned when they saw us.
“Haha! We finally found you, that Sphinx from before. We won’t let you escape again.”
