Three days past the city of Andorhaven, the sun was finally loving some of its luster. The past few days it had been bright, with ne'er a cloud in the sky to hide the passing of Aeryn the dark maiden. When carriages or patrols passed her, she did well to either hide her face or hide her presence, but now the Blackwood bore over her in full. The melancholic dim of the looming forest was almost a comforting blanket to her, though even she would be aptly aware of its myriad of dangers. With no steed to speak of, she still made good time. Elves, even dorcha could move swiftly under both the sun and the moon, needing little in the way of sustenance unless tired beyond the norm. However, closing in on four days of travel without much respite would wear on nearly anyone. She would need to make camp for the coming night, if for no other reason than to sit and eat what rations she had, and to acclimate to her new surroundings.

The landscape was filled with brush and thick grass, the trees growing thicker and covered in moss. Some had great rending claw marks that told the paths of great beasts, but none looked fresh, thankfully. If she continued east, in two days time she would make it to the Blackwood Baronies, if the peddler was to be believed. Perhaps there she could get her bearings and find rumors of treasure further south, or even find work as a mercenary. The Baronies weren't known for their tolerance, but many Barons were often desperate. Who knows, some might be in need of a woman who could pull off subterfuge and assassination. The possibilities, much like the Blackwood, were nearly endless. 

Moving from tree to tree, Aeryn's keen ears could pick up soft sounds in the distance. A few guttural giggles, though it was clear they weren't at her expense. She could hear further than most could see, and her eyes were nearly as keen. If she were to look to the south, a small scene unfolded before her. Three hunched figured, skin mottled and burnt and ears stretched like they were made of hot wax, anyone of Dorcha blood would recognize gundarogs. They poked and prodded a dead man in the brush a hundred yards away, having found a nice treat in the small clearing they now stood in. The largest gundarog took its jagged sword and began sawing at the man's left arm, clearly taking a large piece to feast upon. Aeryn then heard another noise. One she wouldn't recognize, and yet it was hauntingly familiar. 

Her eyes saw movement before it became apparent what else lurked in the Blackwood. To her (and particularly the gundarog's) surprise, a huge wolf the size of a warhorse suddenly charged out of the tree line, moving like a normal wolf would when going after a rabbit or a deer. The large gundarog had no chance in hell, the thing's maw clamping over half of its body and rending it mercilessly. Before the second monster could make a cry of anguish, it was shoved into the dirt by the predator's paw, crushing its rib cage and keeping it immobile and helpless. The last gundarog loped away as quickly as its long limbs could carry it, sending it straight into the direction of Aeryn. Gundarogs had good eyes in the dark, but it wasn't looking at Aeryn as it ran. What was the dorcha to do? 
[@Stormflyx]