Follow The Raven

"He must have been lying," Remy concluded as Damian put me down against a tree a few hours later. We took ex-thug's directions and went ahead like he said a town would be located. But lo and behold, we've been going for hours and we have yet to find a single sign of civilization. He was either lying or we took a wrong turn somewhere. It's not like there are signs directing you or anything.

"Those are pretty bad," Remy said, cleaning up my neck again. Damian did that handkerchief trick, which helped but didn't stop the deeper ones from closing, and Remy has tried to cover them up, but that's proving to be pointless as well. The blood loss is certainly not helping me, especially considering the fact that I've been sleep-deprived since we even stepped into this forest. Who am I kidding, since I stepped into this world.

"Stay awake," Damian called loudly trying to get our bearings, making me jump slightly. Too tired to even be startled anymore. Well I'll be damned.

"Why can't I sleep for just a little bit?" I asked, too tired to even open my eyes.

"We can't risk it, so stay awake," he said, continuing to look around. For what, I have no idea. You can't see anything beyond the trees in your current vicinity in this place, hence the whole thug ordeal.

"It's harder than it looks," I said, more like sighed than anything, as Remy changed the bandages he had put on there not fifteen minutes ago.

"The bleeding's not stopping," Remy said, a look of worry on his face.

"Here, try it again," Damian said, the handkerchief back and bloody. I didn't know this was going to be a regular thing. Remy reluctantly took it and started gently putting it over the cuts.

"What are you looking for?" I asked quietly, directing my gaze at Damian curiously.

"You're bleeding profusely, which will attract basically every creature in this forest. Better to avoid what happened back there and be prepared," he said, holding my gaze for a millisecond before looking around again.

"Alright, we gotta keep moving," Damian concluded suddenly, going to pick me up again but stopping short to look at my neck.

"You did a pretty good job kid, two more to stop and she might actually survive the night," he said picking me up after Remy bandaged my neck again. I didn't need to ask why we were moving so much, it was kind of obvious. As he said, because I'm basically 'attracting every creature in this forest,' its a pretty good idea to not sit around and wait for all those creatures to actually get to us. If I have a chance of surviving this, I would very much like to take it.

"There has to be something in this bloody forest," Damian grumbled looking around a while letter as Remy took the time trying to stop the bleeding of the last two cuts.

"Yes, there are trees, trees, and more trees, with the occasional rabid animal and the rare thug," I said sarcastically, irritated myself. I'm emptying out people! Naturally, I'll be a little cranky, it's not the most pleasant feeling in the world you know.

"Don't give me a reason to end your life faster," Damian hissed, glaring down at me. What are you gonna do, thug seems to have beat you to it! Dammit.

---

~Remy's Point of View~

I sighed, cleaning up Lara's neck again. Had the situation been a little different, their bickering would have actually been amusing, like it usually is. But considering the fact that Lara is basically dying and there seems to be nothing we can do about it, I think there are more important things to worry about than "who was right and who was wrong about making that last turn at that one tree back there."

"I told you to go left," she fired back, crossing her arms trying to look intimidating. That wasn't working considering the fact that she's being carried by him, and he looks intimidating all the time.

"Why left? What's wrong with the right?" Damian said, getting angrier.

"When in doubt, always go left," she stated.

"Who declared that?!" Damian exclaimed.

"I just did," she said making me shake my head. It's obvious she enjoys pushing his buttons, seeing how far he'd actually go, making her either incredibly stupid or incredibly confident. I don't know which one yet, but it seems to be the latter considering recent events.

"Could you two lay off each other for an hour perhaps?" I asked loudly, making both of them stop arguing and look at me, Damian with a glare basically 'saying who died and made you in charge?' *Sweatdrop* Okay, I'll stay back here then, let them kill each other up there. Lara was about to say something as Damian turned around to keep walking, but one of the second worst things (second after Lara getting hurt) happened.

"Halt!" A shout resounded around the little clearing, making it basically impossible to pinpoint its origin.

"Are you friend or foe?" Another voice asked, this time from behind us, making me turn around only to see nothing there.

"Depends whose asking," Damian fired back, looking around quickly, taking out a sword and still holding Lara. Impressive trick.

"This is our domain, you are merely trespassers on our lands. Thus I think it is I who should asking the questions, no?" A voice from the left called out. This time a body coming with it. We turned to face an elf, by the looks of the ears and blond hair (woodland elves have blond hair), a bow at the ready and pointing it straight at Damian.

"Who do your alliances rest with?" The elf asked, the bow never moving as more elves came out surrounding us.

"None. We're just passing through, trying to get her some medical attention and a place to rest for the night," Damian said, surprisingly admitting when he was outnumbered by lowering his sword. I had my hands up the entire time, trying to avoid that one elf with the spear coming awfully close to my head.

"How did you get hurt, girl?" The elf, obviously the one in charge judging by his better clothes and aura of authority, asked Lara. She hesitated, probably unsure whether to tell him or not. I would hesitate too were I in her position.

"Speak up, or has the vampire ceased your ability to do so," the elf said smugly at the prospect of target practice probably. It's rather common knowledge that vampires and elves aren't the best of friends. They're not the worst of enemies, as far as I've heard anyway, but definitely not friends.

"It wasn't him, it was some highwayman, after a couple dimes most probably," she shot back, sensing the growing hostilities herself.

"Defending a vampire? That's a surprise. I hate to break it to you though, there are no trespassers in this forest, other than you lot, but that will soon be taken care of now won't it?" He asked, as Lara's stare turned into a glare rivaling Damian's.

"Shows how close a watch you take care of 'your lands' then doesn't it? Go see for yourself, the corpse is probably still there getting picked at by some animal," she replied coldly. The elf's stare turned into a glare as she said this.

"You doubt the word of an elven prince?" He hissed through slitted eyes.

"If the elven prince can't even come up with a good lie, then yes I doubt your highness' word," she replied just as coldly.

"Brigo, what are you doing?" A new voice called, making everyone's attention to the left, a new elven company coming in.

"Taking care of some trespassers, nothing to worry about, Bacco," the elf, Brigo apparently, replied with refrain.

"I can see that. Some trespassers too, much worse than the gypsy lot that has planted itself in the East, right?" Bacco asked sarcastically dismounting his horse and walking over to Brigo.

"Can't you see I'm busy?" Brigo asked harshly, turning to Bacco completely.

"Oh I can see that, bothering some weary travelers, searching for medical attention and a decent night's rest. Very threatening," Bacco said, looking down at the other, his brother most probably.

"You can be sure that Father will be informed about this," Bacco warned coldly, shoving Brigo to the side and walking up to us.

"You're starting to crush me, you know," Lara whispered harshly at Damian, making him loosen his grip on her a little with a mumbled 'sorry'.

"I'm terribly sorry about anything my brother might have said or done to insult you," Bacco apologized earnestly.

---

~Lara's Point of View~

"No worries, he didn't do any serious damage yet," I replied, going back to my usual self. Bacco seems amiable, unlike his brother who immediately felt like someone absolutely despicable in every way, shape, and form.

"My name is Bacco, and for my brother's inexcusable conduct, I will be most obliged to personally accompany you to the city," he said, lightly bowing.

"You have a city in a forest?" I asked curiously. J.R.R. Tolkein created Lothlorien, but I never thought that a city like that existed, until we stepped into a clearer part of the forest and saw elevated platforms and staircases and houses up in the trees.

"Many cities, this is just the capital," Bacco replied, leading the way as the company followed.

"You will be staying here, I hope these accommodations are suitable," Bacco questioned seriously. Yeah, like a flat six stories in a tree isn't suitable enough when you've been sleeping on roots and getting attacked by rocks.

"It's more than enough, we thank you for your hospitality," Remy said formally, beating me to it.

"I will have my doctors come and treat you shortly, but first I do not yet know your names," Bacco said looking around at the three of us as Damian set me down on a very comfortable chair.

"I'm Lara, and this is Remy and Damian," I said, earning a side-ways glare from Damian. What, can't just accept all this and not even say our names.