The forest cast mysterious shadows on the moss ridden ground. Here and there pools of glowing light broke the darkness of the forest floor. Looking up no stars could be seen. The wind grew in great gusts and then died down again quickly. This was a strange forest.
As Bali and Astarielle searched the area for any sign of Yanithe. After a while, steadily working their way deeper into the forest, Astarielle say a patch of disturbed soil. Patches of bare earth were visible in a sea of dead leaves.
"She passed this way it seems, however she was not fleeing from danger. Quite on the contrary, her horse was plodding." said Astarielle.
"This tale gets more sinister by the hour." said Bali in a wondering voice.
They continued on following the footfalls but after an hour they ended. They appeared out of the gloom in a spacious clearing, in the centre of which there was a pool, surrounded by leaves. The ground now turned to grass so footprints should have been easy to find and follow. To their dismay even in this saturated ground no trace could be found.
"It's almost like she disappeared." said Bali gruffly.
"or turned aside and covered her tracks to fool the unwittingly." replied Astarielle.
__________________
"I know exactly where I have been,
But never where I will go for
I tavel on the wings of angels"
|