UnSeelie Dreams XIX

“Damn.” He hissed under his breath. The greenish hue would appear and disappear causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. It stayed in the shadows just watching him.

He carefully rose to his feet, never taking his eyes off the unknown creature. The large wall of the rune was at his back. He didn’t want to make any sudden moves but felt the need to flee. He wondered how long the animal had been following him and deep inside knew it would keep tracking him.

“What do I do now?” He muttered sarcastically but no answer came and he sighed in disgusted. Bending down slowly, he picked up the bag from the ground and hooked it back on his belt. The sound of metal brushing metal gave him some comfort. At least he had a weapon at his disposal.

It was time to go, he had rested long enough and he knew he could not trust any place for long here. He walked around the stone and continued on his journey. The tall flowers brushed his bare legs leaving welts but he didn’t stop. His ears were pricked for any sound of movement behind him. But there was no sound other than those of the night.

He tried to pick up the different sounds, the fluttering of insect wings or the cries of birds. There were slight noises but oddly no bird song only a curious low vibration humming barely discernable. Flashes of bright color would flicker then fade from sight.

He glanced down at the flowers and found that he had walked through a patch of nettles. Cussing softly to himself, he began to watch where he was stepping, his legs burned with pain. His guard was still up; he knew it was still out there stalking him.

What was it? His imagination ran wild conjuring up any number of horrors. But in the back of his mind he knew what it was.

As he reached the top of a ridge he noticed a lone tree in the distance and set his goal for it. Hopefully it would be safe enough so he could rest for a little while before moving on. Even through the amber and the moonshine, he longed for the warmth of a camp fire.

He started to look for dried sticks and brush. The thought filled him with solace. The fire would keep away unwanted guests and maybe he would be able to dream about her again.

He traveled for what felt like hours, maybe days or maybe just minutes, and still the tree seemed out of reach. The tall dry grass barely rustled just a bit to the right of him. It was still there. He stopped in his tracks; his hand covered the dagger just in case.

Breathing deeply, he had to try to remain calm and show no fear. He closed his eyes and wished that he was at the tree.