For three days, the journey north remained uneventful.
The harsh terrain of the Abyss had gradually given way to rugged hills covered in patches of forest. The ground was uneven, and the roads were little more than natural trails winding between rocky slopes, but compared to the darkness below, the open land felt almost peaceful.
Caius walked beside Sereth with his pack secured across his shoulders. The twin short swords hung at his hips—the lighter blade Sereth had recently given him paired with the first short sword to form his new dual set. Nightdancer, his father’s heavy Macrae heirloom, remained strapped securely across his back alongside the old human warbow Sereth had provided.
The further north they traveled, the colder the air became, and the trees grew progressively thicker. By the third afternoon, Sereth slowed as they approached a vast forest stretching across the hills ahead.
The trees were old and enormous, their twisting branches locking together high above the forest floor. The canopy was so dense that the woods below remained buried in shadow, even while the sun still hung above the horizon.
Sereth stopped at the edge of the tree line, and Caius looked at him. "What is it?"
"We are entering the territory of the northern tribes," Sereth said, studying the deep woods ahead.
"What kind of tribes?"
"Barbarian tribes." Sereth adjusted the strap of his pack. "They are not part of the human kingdoms. They live in these forests and mountains, and they defend their land fiercely."
Caius peered into the dark forest. "Will they attack us?"
"They may try," Sereth replied, glancing at him. "It will not be a problem for me."
"Why?" Caius frowned.
"The Nyx and the northern tribes have an ancient truce," Sereth explained as he continued toward the forest. "Dark elves are permitted to pass through their territory without challenge. In return, our people do not hunt their tribes or claim their lands."
"What happens if they break the truce?"
Sereth's expression turned icy. "They know better. If they attack a dark elf without cause, the truce ends, and the forest tribes would have to defend themselves against dark elf hunting parties."
Caius understood the unspoken threat. "So they will let you pass."
"They should." Sereth stopped and looked directly at him. "But you are different."
Caius looked down at himself. "Because I'm human."
"Exactly. The truce protects dark elves; it does not protect you." Sereth's tone turned severe. "They will see you as an outsider, an intruder, or an enemy traveling under a dark elf's shadow. Do not assume my presence will make them friendly."
Caius rested a hand near the hilt of one of his short swords. "What should I do?"
"Do not draw your weapon unless they attack."
Caius nodded. "And if they attack?"
"Then survive."
They stepped beneath the first trees, and the atmosphere shifted instantly. The biting wind died down, replaced by a heavy, muffled silence. The thick canopy blocked out the remaining daylight, leaving the forest floor shrouded in shadow, covered with moss, fallen leaves, and twisted roots.
Caius's senses immediately sharpened. He could feel eyes tracking them from the darkness.
Sereth continued walking as though he noticed nothing, and Caius followed closely behind. They had taken only a few dozen paces when Sereth abruptly halted.
Caius nearly walked into him, but before he could speak, a sharp whistle cut through the quiet air.
An arrow struck the earth directly in front of Caius, its shaft burying itself deep into the dirt only inches from his boot.
Caius froze. Sereth did not move.
For several agonizing seconds, the forest remained dead silent. Then, Sereth slowly turned his head toward the thicket, his stoic expression unchanged.
Caius's hand moved instinctively toward Nightdancer's hilt on his back, but Sereth raised a hand. "Do not."
Caius stopped himself.
Somewhere beyond the shadow of the trees, the creak of a pulled bowstring echoed through the wood. Caius could not see the archers, but he knew they had their sights pinned on his chest.
Sereth raised his voice, speaking into the gloom. "We travel under the ancient truce."
A harsh voice answered from the dark canopy ahead.
"You may pass, dark elf." The voice paused, dripping with malice. "The human stays."