The roads were empty as Lira silently moved past them.
No one dared to come out at night ever since the moonstone shattered; coupled with all the recent events at Ironwood, no one was in a rush to leave before the sun came up.
Lira mostly kept to the shadows on her was to border. She was sure she was leaving some traces of her that would be track-able but by the time anyone noticed it would be too late.
The cloak hung heavily on Lira's shoulders but she still moved swiftly through the trees.
As the forest got thicker she became aware that she was near the border of Ironwood. She crouched down near a small boulder as she heard footsteps.
Once she sensed that no one was near she ran forward.
A pair of patrol wolves walked down the path ahead. Lira flattened herself against the bark of a tree and squeezed her eyes shut.
She heard their paws crushing dead leaves in a steady rhythm and it seemed to be coming closer.
It stopped for a long second then it started to sound distant. Lira exhaled shakily and stepped deeper into the forest.
The territory outside Ironwood felt different. It was like the air had shifted ant the forest had changed. It was also quiet, eerily quiet.
Lira tugged her hood lower as a low mist began to creep out in front of her. Each and every one of her footsteps echoed louder than the rest.
Lira couldn't sense anyone at all. She didn't know if it was good or bad. She walked faster ignoring the instinct screaming at her to turn back and return to Ironwood.
Somewhere far off, a low howl rolled through the trees. But it wasn't a normal one; it crackled strangely and ended in a snarl.
It sounded like it came from a throat that was no longer alive. She heard another one that sounded a bit different.
Zombie wolves.
More than one.
She shuddered as the thought of encountering one or even a feral wolf crossed her mind.
She tightened her grip on her cloak and kept moving.
According to the map, if she kept moving north, she would eventually reach Silverstone.
The night eventually thinned out into a gray-blue dawn with pink streaks. Her legs ached and her boots were suffocating her toes. She walked until she saw a tree stump and sat down.
The sun was beginning to rise. She didn't want to rest until she was near a pack that could give her shelter, but she had no choice.
She had walked all night and exhaustion was starting to wear her mind.
She closed her eyes for a minute and took a deep breath. She removed some water from her backpack and took a swig.
Maybe she would rest here for a while before moving to the next pack.
Then a growl startled her.
Lira's eyes flew open. A zombie wolf crouched at the edge of the clearing staring straight at her.
A disgusting thing it was. Its torso was open and its ribs peeked through. Its left hind leg was broken and the bone was exposed. Its breath came out in rotting huffs.
It leaped at her and Lira rolled away instinctively. Its claws had torn into the tree stump she was sitting on.
She scrambled up just in time to raise her hand but nothing came out. The exhaustion had gotten to her.
The wolf's snarling jaws snapped, aiming for her shoulder.
"Ugh!" With a desperate kick, she slammed her foot under its jaw, sending it flying.
The beast immediately leaped at her again. Her body moved before she could tell it to.
She hands shot out in front of her and she released the blast hoping it would keep it off for some time.
Light erupted and ripped through the clearing. It went straight through the wolf, the impact stopping once it ripped through a great oak tree.
The tree exploded. Its bark shattered into splinters. The ground shook through the shock wave. The upper part of the tree fell with a heavy thud that resounded through the forest.
The sound sent many birds flying. Dust clouded the air and leaves rained from above.
Lira's ears rang as she pushed herself upright, coughing.
The Zombie wolf lay twisted on the ground, smoke curling from its fur.
"Perfect. Very efficient. Well done Lira." She muttered. Lira wiped her nose and saw a crimson liquid on her fingers.
A nosebleed, just great.
She stumbled back to the clawed tree stump and yawned loudly once she sat down.
When last did she even sleep? She thought of Kyren and felt an ache in her chest.
She shook her head she she pushed him into the back of her mind. She walked over to her backpack to remove a snack when her ears perked up.
"Who's there?" she called out, standing up and looking around.
The forest was silent, completely silent. But someone was there. She felt it.
Her gaze darted to the tree line and she saw a dark broad-shouldered silhouette, half-hidden between the shadows. She blinked and it was gone.
"Do I just need a nap?" She wondered out loud.
She sat on the stump and closed her eyes again. Sleep almost completely consumed her when she noticed the weird presence again.
Her eyes flew open in annoyance. She was going to have to blast this person or creature into dust.
She got up too fast and immediately felt dizzy. She clicked her teeth and staggered forward, but the moment she reached the tree line, nothing remained.
There were no footprints or even a scent.
She wanted to just write it off as exhaustion but a warning chill crawled up her spine.
She was sure that someone had been here. And that person had watched her obliterate a zombie wolf and a tree.
Her head snapped back to the clearing.
Everything was as she left it; her backpack was beside the stump and the dead zombie wolf was still sizzling some feet over.
But still... something was out of place.