Hanging among the flow of nature's aroma was the mellow tune of birds, playing songs on a loop. The forest floor was coated in trees, branches shooting out in every direction, riding became very difficult for the two guests. Trotting was nearly impossible, both horses constantly tripping over roots only heightened the risk of injuries. Slowing down to merely a walk, Helenia started to feel mildly light-headed and her eyesight started to defy her. "Aidan, stop!" She tried to shout, but it came out as a soup of mixed letters.

"What?" He replied, coming to a halt.

"I cannot continue like this. I feel dizzy." She managed to force the words out of her mouth.

"We can rest a while. It's probably dehydration and hunger." A few thoughts roamed around Helenia's mind while she settled near a maple tree that was able to protect her from the setting sun. The sweet scent of the forest became too sweet for her to handle; it turned into a sickly stench. The tunes of the birds drove her mind insane, spinning her head every time it repeated itself. Taking a sip of the rationed water Aidan gave to her, she told him what was wrong.

"Are you sure? I feel fine." He questioned, bewildered.

"Why is it happening to me then?" Helenia asked in a raspy voice, drifting away from consciousness.

"I don't know. Try to sleep, we'll continue tomorrow." He replied while setting up his area. A part of Helenia had hoped to hear that they'd be turning back, but she was expecting the words that came out of his mouth, just not wanting to hear them. Gobbling up a few berries they had packed earlier in the morning, Helenia laid on the grass, blocking out the noise and drifting off to sleep.

*

Aidan was unsure of the situation that played out before him. Nothing like this had ever happened to any soldier that was sent to complete a mission in Misthaven. Through his mind, he searched through all of the documents he had read on past missions, and none contained any mention of a situation similar to this one.

What snapped Aidan out of his search was the mumble that escaped Helenia's mouth. Fire. Jumping to his feet, he realised that in order for them not to freeze when the last rays sunk below the horizon, a fire was in need of making. He scanned the forest floor for branches that could suffice, and in few swift movements collected enough to last them the night. It didn't take long for a roaring fire to be built; Aidan had been trained by professionals, and this skill was one of the first he learnt. Wasn't long before the General, too, fell asleep.

*

Dawn crept up, and with the sun came the birds and their melodies, changed for the new day. Helenia woke up with a sudden jolt, forgetting that she wasn't in her palatial room back at the palace. Her back ached but her headache was gone, and her senses were back on high alert. A rustle of leaves spun Helenia's head to the direction where the sound came from. She hadn't realised that she was holding her breath. It was Aidan. Exhaling, she stood up feeling for her weapons. They were gone. "Where are my knives? What did you do with them?"

"I took them so you wouldn't stab yourself in your sleep. However much I dislike the idea, you're needed alive for this mission. They're over by the logs." She was already putting them in their allocated places.

"Are we going?"

"You just woke up."

"I don't care. I'm not fond of these woods and I'd like to complete this mission as soon as possible." Helenia had already mounted Alfara, which left Aidan with no choice but to follow. Luckily, he packed everything last night, so all he needed to do was strap the bags to Aries.

It was dawn. The sun stretched across the forest bed and illuminated their path. However there was something different about this dawn. The light that it brought wasn't enlightening but more sinister. Helenia could sense a difference in the atmosphere, but had no clue as to what it meant. She just had to stay on top of her game until they completed the mission. She had once hoped to spend time away from the castle but now all she could wish was to go back to her chambers and Moyra. She was convinced that she had recovered from the night before, but she quickly became short of breath, and the adrenaline that she had the day before had disappeared. Hoping that it would pass, she made sure to not let Aidan catch on. Clearing her throat and straightening her posture, she caught up to Aidan. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice that she was falling behind.

By the position of the sun Helenia could tell that it was around six in the morning. Knowing that they traveled approximately 10 kilometres, Helenia sighed, they had a long way to go. She would surely watch the sunrise in Misthaven a couple more times. A thought struck her, they had no map of the possible location, so how could Aidan possibly know where he was going. This created a new feeling in her chest- uncertainty.

"How do you know where you're going?" She let her curiosity take the lead.

"I studied a map before we left."

It seemed like an okay answer for the time being, so Helenia left it alone. Something still kept troubling her. The forest looked the same everywhere. Studying a map would've been useless because the correct path could be anywhere. He wouldn't know unless he perhaps had been here before. On the same path. On the same mission. And she had no clue about it.

"There was a mission like this before. A mission which you went on. Right?"