Chapter 147: Outnumbered
The forest was no longer whole. Broken trunks jutted out like bones from the earth, the remnants of once-proud trees now reduced to splinters and shattered bark. The path Steve and Fiona followed was marked by devastation—deep gouges in the soil, heavy footprints, and signs of large bodies trampling through. Goblin tracks.
Steve moved ahead with tense shoulders and clenched fists, his eyes darting restlessly from tree to tree, bush to bush. His grip on his blade was white-knuckled, as though the very air around them might burst into violence. Fiona followed close behind, each of her steps measured, careful not to snap twigs or rustle the foliage too loudly. Both knew: the goblin clan could be anywhere.
They kept moving, deeper into the ruined woods. Lake Renfrew loomed in the distance, its elevated waters catching the glint of daylight. The farther they went, the more surreal it felt—as if the trail had no end, winding endlessly through the forest like some cursed loop. Still, they pressed on. This wasn’t just a pursuit. It was reconnaissance. They needed to understand their enemy—to see where the goblins were going, what they were planning. A head-on clash without knowledge would be suicide.
Hours passed.
The sun dipped slowly behind the canopy, casting the trail in long, shifting shadows. Their boots padded softly against the dirt, nearly silent, yet every sound seemed deafening to their straining ears. The eerie stillness of the woods crept into their bones. Every broken branch, every whisper of wind sounded like a warning.
Fiona’s voice finally broke the silence. A low, uncertain murmur.
"Steve?"
He glanced at her, eyes sharp but tired.
"I don’t think we’re getting anywhere," she muttered. "This trail... it just keeps going. I mean, don’t you think we should take a break? We’ve been walking for hours."
Steve didn’t stop. "We can’t afford to rest. They could be close."
"You said that a while ago too," she countered, brushing a lock of hair from her face. "But look around. The trail’s fresh, yeah, but I doubt they’re still nearby. They’ve probably moved on. Just five minutes. That’s all I’m asking."
He hesitated. His jaw tightened. His eyes scanned the darkening woods again.