"Right," Fendros said, focusing back on the tracks, for as well as he could follow them. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even consider that Meesei could be in danger, she seemed powerful enough to face anything. Ahnasha was right, considering she doesn't get intoxicated so easily, anything could have happened. As they proceeded, Fendros lost the track a number of times, only for Ahnasha to find it again. He hoped that his inexperience wasn't proving to be an encumbrance.

They ran into a serious problem at the base of a tree where the trail stopped, nowhere were they to be found. Ahnasha's frustrated suggestion that she might have climbed the tree honestly seemed like the only remaining plausible option. "Short of disappearing from Mundus altogether," Fendros added, "there's only one way to find out." Fendros jumped up and grabbed onto a thick branch above him, pulling himself up and reaching for the next branch above the tracks. He had a feeling Ahnasha would be more suited to the task, but he wanted to feel like he was helping.

The scents on the branches were faint, sometimes supplemented by small scratches on the bark. There was apparent evidence that Meesei had indeed climbed up the tree. He carefully followed the branches until there was no trail, except down a particular branch that led to a good holding on another tree. [i]Oh for... really?[/i] Fendros edged out on said branch as far as there were handholds, then cursed as he realised he would have to balance and run to retrace Meesei's steps. He looked down, then immediately leveled his head. He was at least six metres off the ground, but it looked like more. Looking at his target once more, he heavily breathed in, then made a break for the next tree along his branch. Every running step, the branch thinned and drooped until Fendros jumped with his hands outstretched. The branch that Meesei would probably have landed upon gracefully was a branch that Fendros slipped his feet on, causing him to scramble for handholds. His arms stopped his fall as they landed on the target branch, causing Fendros become winded and scramble his arms until he had a good hold. He found his hold and winced at the scratches that the bark put on his chest and arms. He was able to pull himself up after a moment and catch his breath. Looking around, there were no immediate signs that the trail continued.

Fendros hung his head in disappointment, but his eyes grew wide as he noticed something on the ground below that he didn't initially notice while he was down there. Large footprints. Two toed. "Ahnasha... I think I found the trail," Fendros said in a very unsure tone. The footprints started out narrowly spaced, but immediately ran off in a straight line from right below where Fendros was sitting on his branch. Fendros had heard of riding horses to break them, but trolls? Surely not, no one in their right mind would try to ride a troll. However, they weren't exactly tracking someone in their right mind.