Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

hung on the air like a curtain, marking the new beginning of the long night. Rupert shivered, and pulled his cloak tightly about him. Lowering clouds hid the midday sun, and the bitter wind was thick with sleet. The air was tainted with the smell of corruption, and the surrounding trees were gaunt and twisted, withered and malformed by the approaching night. Their desiccated bark was flecked and mottled with a dozen kinds of lichen and mould, and dead leaves choked the ancient trail. Behind him, Rupert could hear his guards shifting nervously as they got their first good look at the Darkwood. He frowned, and gestured for the Champion to join him. The sooner he led his guards into the long night the better, before the darkness destroyed what little confidence they still had. Rupert glared through the driving sleet, unable to tear his gaze away from the rotting trees that bordered the Darkwood. He could feel his hands shaking, and the smell of his own sweat was strong in his nostrils. He'd hoped this journey would be easier. He'd already survived the darkness twice. He had a troop ot guards to back him up. But still his breath caught in his throat, and his heart hammered against his breastbone. His hands closed tightly on the unicorn's reins until his knuckles showed white, and he shook his head quickly to clear it. He was going back into the Darkwood come what may, and this time he'd leave the demons a sign to mark his passing they'd never forget.
    The Champion guided his armoured warhorse in beside the unicorn, and nodded briefly to Rupert. 'So this is the Darkwood,' he said slowly, a strange excitement stirring in his cold, dark eyes. 'It's everything you said, Sire, and more. It's like a nightmare thrust into the day, a pathway to hell itself.'
    Rupert raised an eyebrow as he turned to face the Champion. 'Are you telling me you've never seen the Darkwood before?'
    'I'm afraid so, Sire. As Champion, my duties have always kept me close to the Castle, and the Darkwood hasn't been a real threat to the Forest for centuries; the Tanglewood saw to that. I've read all the reports, of course, but ...'
    'Yes,' said Rupert. 'I know.'
    The Champion studied him closely, as though seeing him for the tirst time. 'And you braved that darkness twice. No wonder you came back changed.' He turned away before Rupert could comment, and brought out a leather map from one of his saddle panniers. Rupert waited impatiently while the Champion unrolled the map, and then he leaned over to point out their position.
    'You can see for yourself, sir Champion, we have to go through the Darkwood. There's no other way.
    Head east, and we come up against rhe Starshade Mountains; west, and we'll have to cross the Bright-water rapids. Either route will cost us weeks of travel we can't afford. But, if our intelligence reports are right, the Darkwood's spread pretty thinly here. We should be able to punch our way through and out the other side in two or three hours, if we're lucky.'
    'And if we're not lucky, Sire?'
    'Then we won't make it at all,' said Rupert evenly.
    The Champion grinned suddenly, and turned to study the darkness waiting before them. 'Has it occurred to you, Sire, that the Darkwood may have been left deliberately thin, as a temptation to travellers?'
    'Oh sure,' said Rupert. 'It's almost certainly a trap. That's why speed is so important; we have to get in and out before the demons even know we're there.'
    The Champion shrugged resignedly, and rolled up the map. 'A pity. I was hoping I'd get the chance to
    try my steel against a demon or two.'
    Rupert rubbed briefly at the thick scab that marked the right side of his face. 'It's an overrated pastime.
    If the demons find us, sir Champion, we're as good as dead. All of us.'
    'I'm sure they seemed fierce enough when you had to face them alone, Sire, but ...'
    'You didn't understand the Darkwood until you saw it,' said Rupert harshly. 'You won't understand the demons until you've seen them gather in the darkness. Now get the men ready to move off, we've wasted enough time talking. I'm not sure how the horses will react to the long night, so to begin with everybody walks, leading their horses on a short rein. Light every lantern and oil lamp we've got, and strap them to the guards' saddles. From the moment we enter the Darkwood every man carries his sword and buckler at the ready, but our only real defence against the darkness will be the light we bring in with us.'
    'Don't you think you're