Dina Serik

Dina quickly walked across the small dirt road, hunched over and glancing from side to side. Once on the other side she took a deep breath and continued running into the woods. Run she did, over stock and stone for hours. Ever northwards, away from Olineck and those who control it.

She thought she heard something behind her and glanced over her shoulder. In that moment she missed the dried up branch in front of her and she fell over it. The world spun around as she laid there, her heart pounding loudly. Let it be over, Dina thought to herself, end me. Minutes passed yet nothing happened, the forest remained quiet. Slowly Dina stood up and took a good look around. The trees were very old, gnarly and covered in moss. Almost no evening light came in through the the dense canopy high above her. Evening already, she thought, need a shelter.

Dina kept her eyes high, trying to see a good spot to rest up in the trees, far away from the sniffing bone hounds of Olineck. Once a decision had been made she climbed up and settled into a branch fork as high up as she dared climb, exhaustedly pulling her torn clothes tightly around her as the last bit of sunlight left the sky.

Sleep came quickly and initially it was dreamless, but soon the memories of the last day started coming to the surface. The pain and suffering. The panic and sorrow. Dinas eyelids shot up. Someone was humming a joyful tune. Gingerly she moved her head in the direction of the sound. Casually sitting on a nearby branch was a female humanoid clad in furs, carrying a bow and a quiver on her back and with her hair tied back. The person made eye contact which was when Dina noticed the solid emerald green eyes of the fey.

Dina held her breath for what felt an eternity, then the fey opened her mouth and started to speak, still perfectly in tune to the melody: “You are far away from home, child. What brings you here?” Inhaling sharply Dina finally managed to unclench her muscles and sit up, not breaking eye contact. She then slowly brought her hand to her throat and tapped it lightly. “Are you trying to tell me that you cannot speak?” The fey continued. Dina nodded slowly, trying to convince herself to break eye contact, but she failed completely. The fey stood up and walked walked along the branch as gracefully as if she had been walking on solid ground. “In which direction are you trying to run?” Now she stood right in front of Dina. As she absentmindedly pointed towards the north, Dina remained transfixed by those emerald eyes blankly staring at her. “Through Kirrek? In that case I shall accompany you.”

With those words the fey turned, finally breaking eye contact, yet maintaining the ever constant humming. Dina slumped down as if her strings had been cut. The fey looked over the shoulder, asking: “We need to leave with all haste, are you able to make your way down?” Still a bit dazed Dina stumbled to her feet and nodded, while making sure to look at the direction they were supposed to head, rather than the fey. “Good.” The fey then started to swiftly climb down the tree. As Dina slowly made her way down her thoughts finally started to catch up.

What am I doing, she thought, mother always warned me of the fey. Solid ground under her feet made her relax a little, then something made her think. The tune had changed,it was now quicker and more determined. “Follow me and watch your step, or the ground will bite you leg.” The fey took off with light steps. Dina took a few moments to weigh her options, but nothing better came to mind and she followed carefully, as instructed.

The first hour went by without much changing. The fey stayed ahead and Dina followed. Then Dina noticed that the forest began to change. The trees were getting larger in all directions, the undergrowth grew thinner, but more thorny, as the amount of light was taken by the canopy increased. Then the fey stopped walking and humming, pulling Dina out of her contemplation. There they stood for a few moments, then the fey signalled for Dina to hunker down and to stay quiet as she did the same.

A minute passed, allowing Dina to notice that no birds or insects could be heard, but something else was making its way across their path. The size was hard to make out, as was the shape, but one thing became clear as the wood splintered under the beasts feet, it was not to be messed with. At one point its heavy breath could clearly be heard, but it abided as the beast made its way past them, not noticing or caring about the two people watching it from the shadows of the undergrowth.

After what Dina felt as an agonisingly long time after the beast had gone the fey stood up and began humming again. The familiar noise made Dina sigh, only to be interrupted by her stomach growling. When was the last time she had eaten, she wondered. 2 days ago? A lack of water to drink also made itself known as her lip cracked a tiny bit. Dina considered informing her guide, but she had to know that humans need food and water, right?