~Travis's POV~

I could have fallen asleep in the middle of the woods, by curling up myself like a ball on a layer that I've made myself of leaves under a tree.

The night was cold outside, there was such cold air, so I was forced to put myself in a fetal position, trying my best to protect my small body from the cold by bringing closer my arms against my chest, my knees against each other, and my head against my bag, but it was still cold, and my body couldn't stop shaking.

Plus, it was such a very uncomfortable position: even if I tried to close my eyes, resting in that manner was really disturbing, preventing me to sleep peacefully. Effectly, I sometimes wake up almost every 10 minutes, shivering from the cold, and frightened by the place.

Yes, to make the things worse, those woods looked so scary, especially at the night. Everything was dark, and trees were very creepy, with their branches looking like long sharp fingers, but maybe it was my imagination. I hoped so, as I was too oppressed by that frightening forest, preventing me to sleep peacefully, and I didn't dare to watch what was around me. I preferred to stay curled up and to close my eyes, while I was imagining some nightmares in my head.

The night seemed so long, I really wanted to go back in my bed, to sleep in a warm bed, comforted by warmth and by good dreams. I wanted to sleep like that again, as I thought this was the worst position to sleep, even worse than my broken mattress in my hut.

I wanted also that Ophilia was there, to reassure me in that hard moment. I would like to sleep on her lap while she is gently caressing my head, and also her to give me a warm hug. She was really missing me a lot...

But I was alone again, in a lost and unknown place. The last thing I could remember is that I've been with Alfyn and Zeph at Clearbrook, but suddenly, I've found myself again into that vortex, before I finished to land in those woods. Was I teleported again ? Did I've moved from a place to another against my will one more time ? In that case, it was such a misfortune for me to have landed in that lost forest. I preferred to have landed into a warm bed, but I also wanted to have landed at the place where Therion or Ophilia were, or else, I just wish I didn't have teleported at all.

Effectly, I wanted to be with Alfyn, so that I could be with my friend. I would like continuing to help him curing sick people by travelling through the world at his sides. I also wanted to find someone who might help me to know more about my magic Alfyn has talked about, as he could help me to find one, but I mostly wanted to be with him. He was such an amazing and loyal friend to me.

However, I don't know why, but my superpowers had moved me from a place to another against my will, without I got a chance to understand anything. Right after I tried to use them, there were unexpected effects, really hard to explain, which made me appearing in these lost woods for an unknown reason. But how it's could be possible ?! Why I've disappeared from the village and reappeared in that forest ?!

Although I was unable to clearly understand the situation, I might have an idea. While I was trying at my best to sleep in my curled up position, I remembered that I used my superpowers just before I was teleported. Yes, there was electricity covering my body before it happened, and the same thing happened right before I left Ophilia from that cold cave. But why did my superpowers would teleport me although I never wanted to use them ?! Did they were at the origins of my travels through the land ?!

If they did, maybe if I used them again, I could get back at Clearbrook with Alfyn and Zeph whenever I want. However, I couldn't manage to control my powers, despite all my efforts to produce any small sparkle on my hand. It was really necessary for me to control them, but it was too hard for me to use them, even if they were really powerful. Indeed, I wasn't able to decide using them, because they have only appeared randomly, but sometimes miraculously, because they permitted me to save Ophilia and Alfyn and to fight all those monsters. I tried everything I could to make them appear again... without result.

Instead, I just tried to sleep. It was too dark to see, and I was too scared by the night. So I preferred to wait until the day.

~A few hours later~

It's been at least 6 hours I've slept. I was used to know how much time I slept, because when I lived in the streets, sleeping within the cold into my hut was quite uncomfortable, so I was used to count in my mind how much time I sleep.

It was the same thing now, except that, in my opinion, I slept with the most uncomfortable position to rest, between the cold and the fear in the night. Feeling a cold wind freezling my neck and hearing some nocturnal birds was really disturbing.

I finally opened my eyes, when I noticed the sky was white. Despite I had a good vision, I couldn't see the sky, not even a cloud, just like there was an enormous cloud covering the sky. I was slighly confused, when I decided to watch at my surroundings.

There was a lot of trees, all very high as each other, where the majority of them was covered by a large coat of green leaves, but there were less leaves than a fir tree, and I've also noticed some trees were bared. Actually, the trees were all so high that we couldn't spot the top, but it must be that kind of white sky which hide them.

When I watched far away, there was less tree than I expected, a few of them could be only seen by their silhouette. In reality, there was a kind of white smoke which was spreaded at the ground, preventing me to see further. Actually, it was a mist.

Yeah, a mist, like the ones I've heard about in the books. We said that they were just clouds which float at the surface of the ground. It was really strange, that a cloud could go wherever he wanted !

By the way, it prevented me to see clearly how the forest really looked like, but my vision was still able to see a forest composed of trees. There was also grass at the surface, with a darker color than the one we see at Clearbrook.

I was really impressed at the view of the forest, me who absolutely wanted to visit a forest a day. Honestly, I found those woods much more impressing than the woods I've visisted with Alfyn. Everything looked so strange, so mysterious, especially with that mist, which made me think that it was a new period of the day I've never knew, instead of the day and the night. It was for me the first time I was witnessing such a weird weather, which was hiding a lot of things from my view, but that gave me the will to know what was behind that cloud.

Out of curiosity, I've finally decided to get up with difficulty, hurting my body a little after sleeping in that uncomfortable position.

I stretched my arms and yawned, still feeling tired, before I calmly said to myself.

"Where am I ?"

I won't find the answer of my question if ever I stay here in place. I have to walk through the forest again, even if I didn't know where I was actually. Maybe I will find something interesting...

"I better have to leave.", I spoke, while picking up the bag Alfyn gave me, and carrying it around my right shoulder.

I was still in possession of my bag, where was stowed the axe Therion gave me. It was such a very useful thing, not only because I didn't have to carry my axe behind my back anymore, but also because there was more place to stow a lot of things, like the precious stone Ophilia gave me. This brown bag contained the only keepsakes I have from Therion and Ophilia, but I don't have any keepsakes from Alfyn.

Although... the bag itself might be a keepsake from Alfyn: he gave me this bag, I could help him harvesting some herbs in the woods. Indeed, it almost looked like his bag, and also like Zeph's bag, which was the same than Alfyn's bag. It was very sympathetic for me to have this bag very well stictched of brown leather, I was always thinking to him when I was watching at this bag.

So, I began to walk through the deep forest, leaving the place where I've landed before. I needed to know more about that area of trees which made 20 times my height, maybe more. Perhaps I'll finish to find the exit.

~A few minutes later~

It's been a moment I was walking through the trees, while hearing some birds singing in a weird tone. Despite it's been a few minutes since I left the tree where I slept, I was still finding myself in those lost woods. Every trees were almost the sames, just like every spots in this forest, even if I was only going straight, by turning at the left or at the right only if I have to avoid an obstacle a front of me. It was more difficult to find his way than it was in the other forest, if only Alfyn was there with me, maybe he would find the right way...

However, I could admit that I was completely lost in that giant labyrinth. We can even said that I was lost in the woods.

It was quite annoying to be lost in such a place. Although venturing into the woods would be such a sympathetic adventure, because I heard we could do many fun things, like harvesting shrooms, or meeting wild animals, like wolves, bears, or foxes, and it was even an activity made in family, I also knew that it was unfortunately also a dangerous place to visit.

Effectly, I've heard a lot of scary stories about monsters and ferocious beastes living into the woods, like the wolf. Yeah, the wolf who hunts in the nature, and there was also that famous tale about that little red hiding hood who wanted to visit her grandma, although it was the wolf who was dressed as her grandma after he had eaten her, and who now wanted to eat the girl at her turn. There were thansfully some versions of the story where the red hiding hood and her grandma were miraculously rescued by a nice huntsman... but sometimes not.

I've just met a few animals like birds or squirrels after walking so long, but I was really convinced that I will run into a wolf if ever I continued to venture into that forest. But I was mostly frightened to be alone in such a lost place, without any people to help me.

I may walking for a long time, looking for someone else, by turning to turn my eyes in every directions, and trying to find some clues which might help me to leave that forest, but it wasn't easy to see through that mist, which was hiding the large majority of the woods. Even if I tried to climb at the top of a tree in order to see better the whole forest, it would be useless as we could see nothing because of the bad weather. How could I do to leave that forest if I didn't know where was my position ?

I was quite troubled to be in such a place, I was quite oppressed by that worrying environnement surrounding me wherever I go, without knowing about all those ferocious beast I could meet. Everything seemed strange, just like the trees were in perfect harmony with the weather, and the nature was so calm despite how it looked like.

However, I was quite impressed about the look of those woods. Since a long time, I was telling myself how a forest must be looking like in reality, but this one was much more different than I expected. Even if it was really calm, I still have never seen a lot of animals through the woods, just like they were all hiding from me... or something else. Even if I found there wasn't something abnormal, I think this place was too calm for a forest. Only the wind made the loudest sound, while it was freezing a little my body.

Honestly, there was such a feeling of danger inside those woods, just like an invisible menace covered the whole place... It's just like the forest was a person itself, an insidious one, who was playing tricks on me, by making me lost my way thanks to that mist, so I was really confused, unable to know where I was actually heading. But what was hiding that mysterious forest ?

I already understood I must be in the Woodlands region, because I was actually into the woods, so that was quite logical. The last thing I remembered from that region is that according to that map Ophilia had shown me, it was located between the Frostlands region, where she was living, and the Cliftlands region, where I've met Therion, but I was now very far away from the Riverlands region, where I've been before with Alfyn.

I was quite glad to be next of 2 of those regions: maybe I would finally find Therion or Ophilia, who must be actively looking for me since a long time. However, I must be too far away from Alfyn, so he couldn't find me for the moment, and I wasn't really sure if Therion and Ophilia knew where I was actually.

Where are you, guys ?...

I sighted, feeling a bit sad to have been brutally separated from all of them. I just hoped they were all ok, while me I was having some problems by losing myself into the woods. Therion still has to steal some treasures for the Ravus lady, and I've promised to help him. Ophilia has to bring the sacred flame through the country with her green lantern, and I sweared to help her as well. And finally, Alfyn said he wanted to leave the hometown in order to travel through the world for curing sick and wounded people, while I also wanted to follow him everywhere. I would like to help all of them, but I was mostly thinking if they were safe.

For the moment, I have to fend for myself alone in the middle of those woods.

Gargblrgblr...

It was my stomach who just growled. I stopped in my tracks, feeling the pain inside my tummy.

"I'm so hungry...", I said to myself.

It's been at least 10 hours that I've eaten anything. I didn't even have the chance to eat something before I was teleported into that forest. It was really bad for me to walk with an empty stomach, I needed to eat something.

However, my bag didn't have any food. There was just my axe, and a few tissues.

"Oh no..."

It was really a bad situation: I was very hungry, but I had nothing to eat. I absolutely wanted to eat anything, like a small piece of bread. I was already used to be hungry like that, as it was difficult in my old life to steal delicious meat, bread, or fruits. I quickly have to eat something, or I will finish to die from hunger, but where could I find something to eat in a place like that ?!

I finally decided to stop walking, sitting down against a tree, and feeling tired after walking for a long moment. I observed the spot was a small hollow of around 3 meters radious, arounded by a pair of tree, where the ground was covered by a mixture of dirt, leaves and bark. I think I'm gonna stay here for a moment.

I was too blinded by hunger that I was looking everywhere for foods, even above my head, when I just remembered something I've read in an old book. There was a famous guide which explained how to survive in the wild nature, like in a forest, or on a desert island. It was telling us what we have to do if ever we are lost in place like this, like how to fins some foods. I didn't remember all the details, but I knew that we could find some fruits in a forest, like delicious raspberries in a bush.

So, I just have to find a bush like that, and I could finally survive in the forest. Today, I have to learn alone how we can survive in the woods according to that book.

I started looking for a bush, a green one filled of red fruits. I walked around the spot where I've stopped, while trying to not go too far away, else I could be lost again, but it was quite difficult to find some fruits with that enormous and annoying mist. I wanted to eat some delicious fruits, like how the forest's animals must do to survive. Maybe I should hunt for some little animals, like a rabbit, but first, I didn't have seen any animals for the moment, and second, I didn't want to harm a poor little bunny for eating me. So, I preferred to "hunt" for fruits, because it would be so much easier than looking for animals.

I was walking at the right of my basement, when I saw something that had caught my eyes.

A bunch of fruits were suspending on a leafy long branch of a tree, not too far away from my basement.

"Oh yes ! Food !", I exclamed, feeling quite happy to have finally found something to eat.

I quickly headed to that tree without hesitation, when I approached the branch full of fruits which was slightly higher than me. The fruits have a purple color, like grapes, except that they were slightly bigger, and some of them have a small leaf at the top. I guess they must be plums.

"Plums ! They look so good !", I said happily.

I was amazed to have finally found something to eat in the middle of that lost forest. I did great to move through the woods, because I was sure I would find something useful to survive. Indeed, it wasn't difficult at all to look for fruits: we just have to look at the right place !

I extended my arm over me, picking up one of these fruits, when I said to myself.

"Have a nice meal !"

I opened my mouth wide by smiling, and chewed the fruit with my teeth.

However, I just noticed it has a bad taste, making me wincing at the sour taste of the plum.

Bahhhh... Too sour !

I wanted to spit it out, but too late, I already swallowed it with a goosebump, as I didn't want to waste it.

Seriously, fruits were really tasteless in that forest ! Me who thought they were delicious, I was totally wrong. I just remembered they looked similar as those I saw in the other forest yesterday. Alfyn explained to me that they were motivational plums, which permitted to concoct some potion in order to cure people, but they were also not very good to eat.

What an idiot am I... Why haven't I noticed that sooner ?! And that was quite ironical, because I wasn't motivated anymore after eating them.

What a bad luck to have found those fruits... Finding food was much harder than I expected, because if they were only fruits with that taste, I think I'm gonna eat again of those fruits with disgust. It would be good to find apples in these woods, to eat their delicious, sweet and juicy taste, until I'm full.

"I really would like to eat an apple...", I said to myself, upset to have eaten something bad.

I missed apples: since I've eaten my first apple, it quickly became my favourite meal, and whenever I was hungry, I always wanted to eat an apple, no matter how: by eating it entirely, by eating pieces after it was cut, or even a piece of apple pie. However, there was not a single apple at my surroundings, and the mist was preventing me to see further. If ever I tried to find an apple, I could risk to walk away from my basement, and I could lose myself one more time. I have to stay here for the moment.

Right after I finished the plum, I quickly decided to not eat one of them anymore, and after all, I wasn't really hungry !

Garglegrumble....

My stomack growled again, as I put my palms against my tummy by reflexe. I was too hungry, in reality...

I then felt a small puff of cold wind, which made me shivering, when I quickly put my hands against my underarms.

"My God ! It is cold !", I exclamed to myself.

I was really cold in those woods. The sun couldn't warm me up because the mist was hiding it, and I hoped it won't rain at a moment, I didn't want to be soaked. Thanksfully, there was still not any single drop of water falling from the sky, but it was too cold, and I was sure I will be frozen if I stay here outside. There was no shelter at the horizon, and I was only wearing my pullover and my shirt, but they weren't warm enough to protect me from the cold. If only I still have my warm coat that Ophilia gave me, and also my bonnet, while we're at it...

What am I supposed to do ? How do I do to resist from the cold without shelter and coat ?...

I didn't have any idea about how I could survive at this freezing cold... when I got an idea.

"I've an idea !", I exclamed happily.

I quickly remembered one more time the book I've read about how we survive alone in the nature at the library. It even tells us that to survive from the cold, we have to create a fire in the nature, a warm fire which could protect us from the cold, and even cooking some foods, like marshmallows !

"I could create a fire for warming me up, just like how would do the guy who has written this book !", I said happily, finding that it was an excellent idea.

Effectly, I remembered there were 3 ways about how we start a fire: first, we could collide 2 rocks between each other, permitting to create a spark, just like how would do prehistoric men. Then, we could use a magnifying glass and attract the light of the sun to burn woods. And the last way, it was robbing a piece of wood with another, creating a fire.

"I just need to find some woods !", I said calmly, when I started to look after woods.

Yeah, making a woodpile was essential for making a campire, else how I could burn my sparks ?

I just saw dead wood at my feet, as long as my axe, when I picked a few ones, and started to carry them in my arms at my basement. But first, which way I'm gonna use to create a fire ? The first one, with the rocks ? I don't find any rocks anywhere, so, impossible. Maybe with a magnifying glass ?! But I don't have any glasses on my bag, and the sun was hidden by the mist.

I think I'll probably use the 3rd method, with woods, but first, I would need some wood.

I put on the floor all the wood I've found in the middle of my basement, trying to gather them at the best, like how must looks like a campfire, but I thing I'll need more wood. So, I left the valley again in order to search for some wood.

It was quite easy, because a forest was really the perfect place to find some sticks and twiggles ! Sometimes, when trees are too old, some woodsmen cut them down, and that's why we could sometimes find dead wood on the ground. I didn't have to cut some wood with my axe, because there was already a few ones on the ground.

After harvesting the twiggles on my bag, I noticed two big sticks at the tree of the ground, slightly bigger and longer than my axe. I used my both hands to carry them, and they were pretty heavy. However, I was strong enough to carry them.

I put them on the ground, and took off the twiggles from my bag, when I disposed all the wood, in a way where the biggest pieces were in the middle, with a crux form, before I deposed all the rest on them.

I observed at the result: it was really looking like the ones I've seen in the book, even if was a little weird because all the twigs were put in every senses, like a broken mikado. No I have enough wood, I could start a fire.

I just took a tough and long stick next to me, and I just have to rub it against a big one, and to turn it with the palm of my hands in order to create a fire. I just remembered one more time at a detail of the book I've read: it explained that it was quite dangerous to create a fire, because we could provoke a big fire if we're doing it wrong. And it was pretty reckless to try to lighten one alone, and he also confirmed that it was not recommended for kids, when there is not any adult with them.

I knew I don't have to create a fire without adults to watch over me, but how am I supposed to do if I am alone. It's not like I could do nothing and to freeze to death ! And how would we do if a day, every adults suddenly disappeared. It's not like I had the choice, and I didn't want to be cold anymore. Maybe Alfyn would help me, but he wasn't there. So, I have to do it by myself, I just need to be careful...

I took the long stick and put it against the big log, grabbed the top with my bare hands, and I started to rub the stick against the log by spinning it quickly with my hands. 

After 30 seconds of spinning that thin stick, not a single spark camme out immediately, and I might need to be quite patient before that I'll be warmed up. It was quite hard to hold this stick properly, and to spin it vertically on the log, but I keep practicing.

However, despite all my effort, there was still no fire.

"Why that doesn't work ?... Come on !", I exclamed desperately, still trying everything I could to make fire.

I couldn't understand why no fire appeared. Although I have collected enough wood for making my campfire, and assembling them right how they did in the book, there was still nothing, not even a single flame came out on the log.

I could notice the stick was deteriorating itself due to me rubbing it against the big piece of wood, becoming slightly less longer as the bottom part was turning into bark powder, but there was still no fire.

Maybe if I pressed harder...

I pressed harder while keeping rubbing my hand for spinning quickly the stick.

CRACK !!

"Oh... Come on !", I complained, feeling quite upset to not manage to create fire.

The stick was broken in 2 pieces, which were now remaining in the middle of the woodpile. I didn't understood: I even followed the instructions from the book I remembered, but why did each time I try to accomplish something particular I always fail ?!

But I was cold, and there was no way that I will give up too soon: so I took another stick on my right, slightly less longer but thougher than the precedent stick, and started again the same method, by making sure the stick was well put against the dark brown log.

I stayed focused, turning slowly but attentively the stick, trying to make sure I would make appear a fire. There was still nothing, so I decided to press harder the stick, but not too hard like last time, in order to avoid to break the second stick. I don't have to hurry up, I must stay patient if I wanted to create a small spark and to burn the woodpile, before I could blow it.

CRACK !!!

"Oh ! Are you serious ?!", I complained again, breaking a second stick, as I started to be quite angry due to my repetitive failures.

I sighted desperately, when I noticed there was no more stick anymore for using it to create fire at my right, when I was feeling slightly tired to have done all these efforts. In reality, it wasn't easy at all to create fire, and it was clearly very difficult to survive in a forest, and to accomplish things alone.

I knew I was used to do things alone, like stealing food, collecting lost coins, or looking for abandoned stuff in the streets, but surviving in a forest was, in my opinion, harder than surviving in the streets. Effectly, there was everything we could find in a large city: food, clothes, books, and a lot of useful things, like a wallet for carrying the money, or wood planks for building anything, like a hut. However, in a forest, it was totally different: no cars, no buildings, no shops, and no people. All of these were being replaced by trees, leaves, a few animals like birds, and I could see anything due to that mist spreading across the mysterious forest. Everything that I could find when I was living in the city, I was now forced to build them by myself, with only the material at my reach, like wood or leaves.

But even with the instructions from the survival guide, even if I tried at my best to do the same thing right how they explained, that wasn't working. When I think that people had to make fire like this several millions years ago, although now we can use electricity for warming up houses and turning on streetlights from outside.

"If only Therion was there... Maybe he could use his magic fire for igniting a flame...", I said to myself, remembering that Therion used a fire magic during his fight against this old butler.

Therion was missing me a lot: if ever he was still there with me, I was sure he would find a solution, because he wasn't only an amazing thief, he was also very smart and attentive, just like he often kept a step ahead, like how he had anticipated that something bad would happen to him before we infiltrated the Ravus manor, even if he has a good plan...

Wait a minute... Fire ?... Magic ?...

I clapped my hands when an idea came in my mind.

"Hey ! I could create fire by myself with my superpowers !", I exclamed happily.

But that's right ! I could use my electric superpowers for bringing up fire ! I knew I couldn't create fire like Therion, but we said that during storm, a thunder could provoke a fire. And I remembered to have found old newspapers which explained that there was a big fire in a forest due to natural reasons, where the lighting had struck a tree before it burned the others trees on the area, until firemen had thanksfully the time to extinguish the flames.

So, if I create some electricity, I could maybe make a lighting against the woodpile, and burning it for appearing a fire ! That was such an excellent idea ! What a genius am I !

Well, all I have to do, is using my magic for making appear a spark, and attracting it at the woodpile, so I could bring up a fire, just like how would do someone who lives in the woods, and warming up myself !

So, I bended down a front of the woodpile, extended my hands towards it, and started to concentrate myself.

"Gnnnnnnnnn !!!!....."

I attentively tried to create some electricity, while shaking my hands in a rhythmic manner to make sure I would create a few sparks, just like how I did to show at Alfyn and Zeph.

However, after a few seconds of trying again and again, that wasn't working as well !

"No... Not now ! Come on !", I exclamed again, still feeling as concentrated as usually.

I tried every manner for making electricity: I clapped my hands, rubbed them between each other, rubbed them agains the stick, pointed them at the wood pile, moved my fingers just like my hands were spiders, all by concentrating myself by watching carefully at where I wanted to bring up fire... But still nothing.

Everything I've tried was useless: even my superpowers couldn't help me. Honestly, I mostly thought it was them who didn't want to help me instead. That's right they were really hard to control, and it's been 2 days that I've started to use them unintentionally. I better have to find quickly a specialist for he could help me to control them.

But for the moment, I was mostly concerned about the fire I wanted to burn on the wood. I've tried everything I could do, but there were only failures despite I've used all my efforts. So, I've given up, as it was already hard to survive alone in nature. Whatever if I was trying to use the same method from the guide, or to create a thunder with my magic, it always became a failure. All I have to do for the moment, is to resist this cold by myself.

Talking about thunder, the idea that a rain could suddenly show up was annoying me, and I didn't wanted that my clothes were soaked by a surprising rain. I have to anticipate this scenario, so I decided to build a shelter by myself, like how I've build my hut in the streets,  if I couldn't find one in these woods.

Once again, I remembered a page from the book which showed a picture of a shelter, with the form of a tent, and which is only composed of wood. It also explained how to built an hut for taking shelter and sleeping a night in the nature.

"Well. I'm gonna build a shelter. Let's work !", I clapped my hand, ready to get back to work again by making my own shelter.

I was sure my shelter won't built itself alone, so I decided to look for more wood at my surroundings, but biggest ones, as I really wanted to build a tent, large enough to permit me to sneak inside.

I collected some dead branches of tree on the ground, much bigger than the wood I've used to try to start a fire, and even a few of them were slightly taller than me. I carried a lot of them with my strength, putting them next to one of the couple of trees around the valley, before I got back to get more.

I collected some sticks, their bark colored in a dark brown, making sure they were as large as each other, long and tough enough to build my tent, and carried them by walking slowly to make sure I would drop one of them, as they were pretty heavy.

I deposed all the pile right next to a tree with a grey trunk. Some of them were larger than others, but all of them have almost the same height, and they were basically entirely straight. I counted 25 sticks, I was sure there was enough.

"Good.", I said to myself, slightly satisfied to have brought so many wood in my basement, when I asked to myself, a bit pensive. "Now, how can I build my hut ?..."

I was thinking for a while, trying to imagine how I could build my shelter with only wood.

Did I must try to build a real house, like the ones I saw in the village of Clearbrook ? Nah, it might need a lot of time, as I needed to build my house quickly, and I didn't have enough wood and no other kind of material, like stone bricks for the wall, or straw for the roof.

And what if I tried to build again my small hut, just like the ones with the form of a bow, and just exactly like how I've built it ? Maybe that could work, after all, I was used to sleep in a shelter like this, despite it was confortable...

Errr... No.

Honestly, I preferred to avoid that. When I lived in the streets, that gave me a lot of work and time to find the wood planks I needed to build my "house". Because they were all dispersed in the city, I had to build it little by little, until I finally finished it and started to add a few decorations, like a carpet, or an old bathroom curtain. I was lucky to have found them, because they were really solid against the shock and the rain. However, the sticks I've found were definitely not the same: less larger, less solid, and by their shape, it must be totally impossible for me to build a box again. And to say the trust, I didn't really wanted to build a second "box": I was tired to sleep in a hut like this, and that could remind me bad memories. So, I would like to build an original one. But how ?

Think, Travis... There might be something to try !

I continued to imagine how might looks like the architecture of my futur hut, trying to dream the craziest ideas possible, when I suddenly thought back at the book. Maybe there must be a picture which explained how to build it. I finally reminded of the form: just like a tent made of wood, with a triangular form, where all the sticks are separated from 2 sides, and we plant them diagonally in the ground, in order the row of branches at the right would be supported by the row from the left, and vice-versa.

I then watched at the other tree at my left, at the other side of the small valley in the middle of the woods. It has the same height and color than the other tree, but with an huge difference: there was a very long branch at the opposite direction of the valley, about 4 meters, which was at about 1 meter from the surface.

Then, an idea came in my mind, before I said calmly, with a satisfied smile on my face.

"Eureka ! I've found it !"

It was pretty obvious ! I could just simply build my hut at this spot right there, just under this big branch ! Plus, the surface seemed really flat, and there was enough place to build an hut right there !

"Thansfully I have a golden brain !", I said happily, before I started to pick up a few sticks, and spoke again. "Now, let's get back to work !"

I carried every sticks at the other side of the valley, just under the other tree, by going back and forth for doing several travel to bring every pieces of wood.

Then, I just picked up a branch on the ground, a very large one, and I planted it carefully in the dirt, without forgetting of course to remove the dead leaves on the surface, while putting slowly the top above the tree's branch. I slowly dropped the stick to verify if it was hanging on on the branch: it never fell, the stick was stuck in the ground and on the branch.

Great ! It works ! Now, let's put the others !

Right after putting the first stick, I continued to build my small hut, pieces by pieces, by planting in the ground and putting diagonally, at each sides of the long branch, each of the sticks I've found in the forest. I started to take first the biggest sticks for putting them at the beginning on the branch, when I then continued to plant at each sides less and less larger sticks, while using some effort to plant them in the dirt, by making sure they were all well stuck and almost unable to fall.

It was such an hard work: I have to be careful to not make any mistakes, and it was necessary that all the branchs were well aligned at each sides, and each row being well affixed between each other, without letting any holes, or this wouldn't be a real shelter. However, I admitted it was pretty fun to build an house like this, especially in a lost place like a forest, where there was almost nothing to find with the exception of trees, wood and leaves.

When I was getting all my attention in the building of that hut, which was slowly taking form, I couldn't stop to imagine that I was such a true little builder. Exactly, I was using all my heart to build that shelter, even if it wasn't exceptionnal. I was doing like those persons, with an orange outfit and helmet on their head, who worked in a construction site, for repairing a road, or digging the ground with a very noisy instrument, but also for building an house or an appartement.

I remembered one time to have passed next to a construction site: there was a building, which was completely empty, without any walls, any doors, and any windows, but there were just pillars and stairs. There was also a kind of giant machine called "crane", which reached 50 meters of hight, where people were piloting it. This machine could carry some heavy stuff, like a big wood plank, for deposing it at the top of the building. I was really impressed that day, to have seen such a spectacle, but I was sadly too preoccupied to steal for my life.

Even if building an enormous appartment was definitely nothing compared to building a small makeshift shelter, I was really proud to create something like this by myself. I'm sure Alf would be proud to see me building something like that !

I finally planted the last stick, and finished to build my hut. I moved back in order to watch the result.

"Finally...", I said calmly.

It was really looking like a shelter, big enough to contain a kid like me, and with a triangular form, just like the one I saw in the survival guide. The shelter was quite weird, with the sticks from the right seeming sligthly smaller than the others, but I found it was such a beautiful hut. Honestly, even if it was smaller than my old hut, I've found it a little prettier than the other one. The hut seemed "natural", as it was made by sticks found in the nature, unlike the old and dirty wood planks I've collected hazardly in the streets. Even if there were no door or curtain, I found it charming. After all, I just wanted a shelter to keep me safe from the rain.

"Waahhh... It's beautiful !", I said happily, feeling very proud of my construction.

I decided to snuck in. So, I crawled carefully in the hut, making sure I wouldn't break it, when I slowly rolled over on my back, and removed my bag from around my shoulder to put it at my right.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh....", I was feeling quite exhausted after working.

But I was really blessed to be no in a safe place. I wasn't really considering this tent like my home, but just like a temporal place to stay safe, the time before I would find the exit of the forest and someone to help me.

It was really fun to rest in a shelter like this one: my entire body could enter in easily, and there were only a few holes, but too thing for letting the rain passing through the roof. I was really relaxed, to discover the nature by adapting myself in a place like this deep forest. Plus, it was really a nice hut: I was done with the annoying and terrible landscape of that city, with the loud noises of cars, and the bad smell of the unbreathable smoke. Now, despite the space was smaller, I could finally breath some fresh air, and listening peacefully at the sound of the forest. All these small noises of the birds singing, of the leaves shaking from the wind, just like the nature was talking to me...

Even if I was a little scared by the mist, I was finally reassured to be in a peaceful place like this, because honestly, I preferred that forest better than the city I lived. Yeah, that's could be pretty fun to live in the forest. I would like to be used to live in such a place, to build a big house in a tree, to learn how to make a campire, and to climb trees like an ape, or like Tarzan. I could even become the king of the forest !

That must be a very fun dream, but I couldn't stay in those woods forever. I made a promess with some persons whom I could count one: Therion, Ophilia, Alfyn... I wanted to see them again, safe and sound, and to help them in their quest. Finding the magic balls, bringing the sacred flame through the country, healing the sick and the wounded... all of that were part of a quest, a medieval quest, a bit like fighting a dragon or saving a princess. I was in a video game which took place in the medieval period, and I've heard in this kind of game, the goal of the game is to accomplish a quest, like fighting evil. My goal was to help those 3 persons, not only in exchange for helping me several times, but also because they were my friends, the first ones I never had before.

I have to find a way about how to get out of those woods, but finding the exit must be harder than I expected with that thick fog. So, I think I'm gonna wait tomorrow before I continue to find the exit, just the time to rest and to find some food.

"I wonder what this fog must hide...", I said calmly to myself, while watching attentively the strange mist, before I continued to speak. "I hope I'll find the exit soon..."

The more I was watching at the mist, the more I was thinking this could be a magic forest. All that feeling of being in a strange place... I was wondering if that forest must be hiding more things than I thought, like elves, ogres, witches, or fairies. Because I was now trapped in a medieval video game, I figured that meeting one of these enchanted creatures might be possible. Indeed, we often tell that there are beasts who are populating this forest, and that thought was frightening me a little. When I was watching at the mist, I was scared that a beast would appear right now. Honestly, I really would like to escape that place by any means. I did great to have built this shelter, I was quite safe from any animals who might annoy me, and even from the rain, or the snow.

I was attentively watching the fog, alongside with the silhouettes of the trees and the grass, lying in a position where my leg was resting on the other hand, and my arms supporting my head, when I fell a puff of wind blewing at my face.

The wind was slightly cold, making flying away some leaves a few centimeters further, but thansfully, the wind wasn't strong enough to make my hut flying away, as it hasn't moved from a single inch. I may have planted those sticks well deep in the ground...

Thansfully that it holds...

By reflexe, I tapped a few times the closest stick at my left, the biggest of my stick which was placed at the left corner, to make sure it wouldn't drop. But suddenly, it fell and roll on the valley, leaving a huge hole on my hut.

"Oops !", I exclamed, feeling quite clumsy.

I may have not planted this log well enough in the dirt, but thansfully, the others sticks all haven't fallen by the shock.

I decided to slowly crawl out of my shelter, leaving my bag inside, when I stood up on my feet, and turned behind me to see the log at the bottom of the hole.

No problem... I'm gonna fix this...

I slowly went down to the bottom of the small valley, by sliding carefully, when I finally reached the log.

I bended down to pick it up in my arms, but when I watched what was underneath the log, I was very surprised.

W-what's that ?!

There was a print of about 10 centimeters of length, with the form of a paw, drawn in the dirt, in the middle of the leaves. I quickly recognized a dog print, because there were claws print above the fingers... unless it was a wolf print ?!

Wait a minute... Do there are wolves in that forest ?!

I quickly feel worried about that wolf print, and I started to have a bad feeling about this. Was there really a werewolf in that forest ?!

I was too shocked to have the time to quickly react, when I suddenly heard a noise from my left.

GRRRRRR...

It was the growling of the beast, there was no doubt.

I quickly stunned at the source of the growl, when I was shocked to see a silhouette in the mist.

It was a wolf, a brown one, who was slowly advancing towards me. He has a fur covering his entire body, especially at the neck,  a pair of darkened and triangular-shaped ears, and a pair of little but menacing eyes.

It that true ?! There are wolves in this forest ?!

I stayed standing in place, right in the middle of the valley, when I dropped the log in fear, as the canine was slowly approaching in direction of the valley, where I was actually.

GRRRRR....

It growled again, watching menacingly at me, making me shivering in fear, as I was sure it wasn't there to play with me.

I watched attentively at the creature, when I saw more silhouettes next to the creature.

3 more wolves appeared next to the first one, slowly advancing behind it, as they looked as menacing as their leader, by showing they white and sharp fangs.

GRRRRR.... GRRRR... GRRRR....

I watched at my surroundings when more and morewolves appeared from the mist. The more they were many, the more I could heard their menacing growl through my ears. They was at least 10 of them, maybe 15, and they were all surrounding me around the vally, as they all approached me. They were less bigger than the wolves I saw in the Frostlands region, but far more numerous, just like a pack.

Oh man... They're everywhere !!

I was breathing in fear, observing that a circle of wolves around was becoming less and less smaller.

I turned in every directions to see if there was a way out... but the wolves were blocking all ways, preventing me to escape. We can say that I was really trapped like a rat.

The worst, I left my axe inside my bag, that I left in the shelter, so I was harmless against those creatures. However, I noticed the log and picked up, holding it like a weapon in order to defend myself, as I decided to stayed brave in that moment.

Some of the hungry wolves, including the first ones, went down the valley to approach me, and I was sure they were considering me like their dinner.

When the first one approached towards me, I decided to stay immobile, while still holding the stick, and watching attentively at the creature.

Maybe he will leave if I don't move...

I waited patiently, hoping that they will leave....

GROOOAAAR !!!!

The leader suddenly growled loudly, as the rest of the pack did the same.

GROOOAR !!! GROOOAAR !!! GROOAAAR !! GROOAAR !!!

They all became much more menacing than before !

The closeste one tried to bite me with their fangs, but I managed to stay away from them, even if they were surrounding me.

"GO AWAY !!!", I yelled angrily, as I didn't want to be eaten by those wolves.

One of them from the right suddenly bite my knee.

"AAAAH !!!!!", I screamed in pain.

By reflexe, I gave him an huge blow of my log, hurting him and making him falling.

COUINE !!!

He squeaked in pain, as the others stayed still agressive, when he slowly got back on his limbs.

My knee was bleeding, hurting me, but thansfully, it wasn't deep enough, so I was still able to stay standing, while holding my big stick, determined to beat all those wolves to save myself. But how was I supposed to beat all of them ?! Or just to escape them ?! I didn't have my axe, and they were too many. I was alone against those hungry beasts, who wanted to devour me like their snack.

I stumbled in place, trying to support the pain on my knee, when the leader of the pack jumped towards me, ready to bite my neck.

GROOOAAAARR !!!

Suddenly, something came out of nowhere at top speed, and pierced the wolf's head.

COUINE !!!

He instantly fell on the ground, as the other wolves stopped in their tracks. I noticed there was an arrow on the wolf's forehead, made of wood with a white feather at the end and a spike pierced on the wolf. His head was bleeding, he died on the impact.

I was totally surprised: where did that arrow come from ?!

I quickly turned behind me, in direction where the arrow came from, as the angry wolves watched at this direction as well , when I saw the silhouette of someone hidden in the mist. Wait... there was someone else in this forest ?!!

As the wolves growled at the mysterious person, I quickly noticed he was carrying a bow, alongside with an arrow, when he shoot another arrow on one of the closest wolf, hurting me.

The person finally came out of the mits, and jumped on the air, while shooting quickly another arrow at a wolf, before landing on a wolf, kicking him, and sliding on the ground in order to shoot another arrow at a wolf which was just a front of her.

I was totally confused by the situation, everything went to fast: there was just a man, wearing weird clothes made of fur, even the boots, just like the prehistoric men, who was fighting against the wolves by shooting them arrows while taking another from his bag next to his knee at quick speed, and kicking the wolves, while the beasts decided to attack her instead of me.

However, the man was much stronger than the wolves, who was killing and hurting some of them without difficulty, just to protect me. The most surprising, when I was watching at him, I just noticed that he was in reality... a woman ?!!!

I was totally surprised by her skills and her speed, when I noticed another wolf jumped agressively towards me.

GROAAAR !!!

ROOOARRR !!!

Suddenly, there was a big animal jumping from the left, and attacking the wolf for biting his neck.

It wasn't a wolf. It has a white fur spotted of black dots, yellow eyes, a long furry tail, and a mustache. Did it was a big cat ?! A lion ?! A tiger ?!

What's that animal ?! I've never seen this animal on books before...

I landed on my ass, as Iwas completely impressed and speechless while seeing this kind of big cat attacking the wolf, who tried to struggle from his clawed paws. There were both growling with ferocity, but the big lion had clearly the advantage towards the wolf, as he was slightly bigger than the wolf.

But I was much more amazed to observe such a strong person fighting the entire pack by herself, with only a bow and a few arrows. This strong lady had not a single problem to deal against those beasts.

After she killed one more wolf who tried to bite me, she quickly took another arrow and pulled the rope on her bow with it, ready to shoot one more at the remaining wolves, but she just stayed immobile, and with a cold expression.

She was a tall lady, much taller than Ophilia, and even taller than Therion, but not as tall as Alfyn. She has messily-braided light brown hair, with a long ponytail behind her back, and a pair of green eyes. A sort of white fur of beast skin which looked like a small furry cape, but also like those clothes worn by people during prehistoric times, was covering her neck. Her body was covered by a beige dress made of animal skin, but it was totally different than Ophilia's dress. She also has a pair of black pants, grey furry boots, a pair of brown leather fingerless gloves, and a belt where was clinging on a long bag with about 10 arrows. I found that her look wasn't really feminine, unlike Ophilia.

The mysterious lady just watched at the surviving wolves, without paying attention at me, as the big cat did the same by just growling, acting like the lady without attacking her.

Who's that lady ? Does this big cat belong to her ?

I noticed that half of the pack has been killed, while the others half stepped back from the valley, as they looked frightened by the menacing girl and her big cat.

They suddenly ran away from her cowardly, afraid of being killed like their fellows, and disappeared in the deep mist.

I was taking my breath on the ground, still surprised about the events, when the lady slowly lowed down her bow, watched at the mist were the wolves had escaped, before stowing her bow behind her back and her arrow with the rest of the arrows.

She just sighted, without watching me, when she spoke to me.

"Art thou alright ?"

She was speaking in a serious tone, with a weird accent, but I could understand that she wanted to say "Are you alright ?".

I slowly got up on my feet, still experiencing the bleed on my knee, when I mumbled to her.

"Y-yeah..."

"Good.", she answered me.

PAF !!

She suddenly punched me right into my cheek, making me flying away 2 meters further, and landing heavily on the side of the valley.

"Ouch !...", I winced in pain, slightly confused by her action.

My cheek hurt me a lot, she was really strong for a woman to punch me like this. But I couldn't understand: why did she hit me ?! What I've done wrong with her ?!

She seemed pissed, but she stayed calm, as she sighted while watching at the ground.

"Still have unnecessarily to kill some lives...", she spoke low, feeling annoyed by me.

I quickly understood she was talking about the wolves, the ones that she has to slay in order to protect me.

"Huh ?!...", I watched at her, while putting my hand against my cheek.

"You stupid brat... how can not thou understandest... how much are sacred the wolves who populate these woods ?!", she yelled calmly at me, pointing me with her finger.

She was quite angry at me, blaming me while I still didn't understand why.

"Lookest around thou !", I watched around me that a bunch of wolves, all killed by arrows that the lady shoot at them.

It wasn't effectly good to see all of these wolves dead, but why did she was blaming me although I wasn't the one who killed them.

"How much lives I must have sacrificed for helping thou ?!", she yelled calmly but angrily at me, when she pointed her finger at the ground, showing the wolf print I've seen earlier. "Haven't thou never learnedest that it's dangerous to venture here alone like that ?!!!"

"But...", I tried to answer her, feeling quite guilty, when she interrupted me.

"There is no buts ! Everyone knows that this wolf print on the bottom of a valley represents the mark of the territory of a pack !! How could thou be so ignorant ?!!"

I think she was right: if I wasn't trapped by those wolves, she didn't have to kill them for me. She blamed me that I was responsible if she killed half of the pack, and that's right I was stupid enough to know nothing about them, and that forest.

I wanted to apologyze.

"I'm so sorry, miss... I didn't mean to..."

"SHUT UP ! Excusing thyself won't bringest them back to life !"

I sighted, feeling guilty about what happened to those wolves. This lady was really pissed, she must really care about those wolves...

Rawwwrrrrr...

The cat accompagning her, who was sitting down like a would do a dog, calmly growled at her, while watching at its master.

The lady sighted, feeling annoyed by the situation, when she watched at her cat.

"I know, Linde. We have still to heal his wound.", she spoke at her cat.

So, her cat is called Linde ? What a nice name...

She was speaking nicely to her pet, except that she was talking to it just like it was an human. Indeed, this cat seemed really smart, even much smarter than a dog towards its master, as the lady could undertand what it might says.

She said that she's gonna heal my wound, when I watched again at my bleeding knee. We still have to stop it bleeding, maybe she knew a doctor like Alfyn...

"W-who are you ?...", I asked at the strange lady, while mumbling as always when I met a new person.

Although I just met her, I would like to know who was this girl who just saved me from those wolves. All I knew, is that she is a very strong woman with her bow, much more skilled and serious than the mighty Sirius.

"Thou will discoverest it soon, young man. Turn around.", she ordered me.

I did what she said: I turned around at my left. I didn't know why, maybe she wanted to check my wound.

Suddenly, I just felt something falling on my head.

"H-hey !!"

It looked like a kind of net, only made of ropes, which was very large, large enough to trap me in... Wait, what ?!!

I quickly understood and tried to react, but it was too late. The archeress pushed me with her foot, making me falling on the net, when she lifted it up and carried behind her back.

I never expected this: she just trapped me inside this net, and started to walk somewhere just like it was nothing. My face was against the meshes of the net, my hands and feet were too big for making them passing through the holes, and I was upside down.

Of course, feeling annoyed in that position, I decided to protest.

"What are you doing ?!"

"Calm down. I'm bringing thou to the village.", she answered me in a cold tone, while she was walking through the forest.

I tried to struggle out of the net, I was clearly not agree of being carried like this, especially when I was hurt.

"Let me go out !!"

"Why not ? That'll teachest thou to be so ignorant and stupid."

I continued to struggle, but I finally gave up, as there was no way to escape. Seriously, what was wrong with her by carrying me like that, even when I was injured. I wasn't a wild animal, though !!!

I knew I must have annoyed her with this story of wolves, she was even considering me like someone stupid, especially because I was a kid, but it wasn't my fault if those wolves attacked me !

She was quite mad after saving me, and I knew she didn't want to kill all those wolves just for me. By the way, who was this girl ? Why did she save me ? What she wanted me to do ?

She said that she was bringing me at the village, but what village she was talking about ?

Where she is bringing me ? Does there is a village in those woods ?!

~

A/N:

Here comes H'aanit !! The huntress, the number 4, and also my brother's favorite !

It wasn't easy to write her dialogues with her weird middle english accent, especially because I was originally french, but I still have managed to give her that accent thanks to a shakespearean english vocabulary site on internet with "thou" replacing "you" for exemple...

I FINALLY FINISHED OCTOPATH TRAVELER !!! YEAH !!!! (However, I have still the side quests to finish). Maybe I'll be more free to write after finishing that game, but let me know you that I love playing video games and that I'll surely play some new games, like the upcoming Super Smash Bros Ultimate !! (I hoped they will add an octopath traveler character as an assist trophy, but no !!)

Anyway, let me tell you that it still complicated for me to find a writing rhythme, especially for getting the inspiration. Don't worry, I won't stop to write this story. I just think I'm gonna change my way to write (maybe I write too much details).

However, I hope you enjoyed this one, and see you next time for the next chapter !!

P.S.: In my story, H'aanit's fighting skills with a bow are like those of Legolas.