Morning in the forest began unhurriedly. The sun was only just rising, filtering through the dense canopies in soft, diffused light. The damp air smelled of earth, pine, and something else — fresh, as if it had rained recently, though it hadn't rained here for several days.
Three hunters moved between the trees, stepping carefully to avoid snapping dry branches. Their pace was steady, practiced — the kind of walk belonging to men who spent more time in the forest than at home.
— There's usually more game at dawn, — one of them remarked quietly, scanning the surroundings. — Today it's like everything's vanished.
— Maybe the animals moved closer to the water, — another shrugged.
The eldest said nothing. He stopped and listened.
At that same moment, a dull thud rolled through the forest, making their ears ring for a second. Somewhere in the distance, birds burst from the branches, raising a brief, alarmed clamor.
The hunters froze.
— What was that just now? — the youngest asked cautiously.
The elder slowly turned his head toward the coast, where the sound had come from.
— Don't know. Doesn't sound like thunder, — he said after a pause. — We should check it out.
The youngest, who had joined the group only recently, tensed slightly and gave his companion a doubtful look.
— You sure that's a good idea? Maybe we should head back to the village and report to the elder. He can deal with it himself.
The two older hunters exchanged glances, shrugged, and, ignoring the youngest, continued deeper into the forest. The youngest had no choice but to follow obediently.
«How did these old men even live this long?»
They walked for several more minutes, moving farther into the woods. The old trails had long since disappeared, and each of them chose the path by instinct.
The sun climbed higher, the light grew brighter, and the forest slowly came alive. Birds began singing again, and somewhere in the distance a branch snapped — perhaps a deer or a boar. Everything looked perfectly ordinary, and that was exactly what began to unsettle the youngest.
— We've gone pretty far already, — he muttered, wiping his forehead with the back of his hand. — If something serious had happened, we would've noticed by now, right?
— Listen, Garen, — Oven spoke up. — The sound came from the direction of the beach. I think we should reach the main path and follow it.
Oven, Garen's peer, was a half-elf with exceptional hearing. He could hear far better than the others and was usually the one who led them to their prey. Thanks to him, they almost never returned to the village empty-handed.
His hearing had never failed them.
Garen knew that and, after a short pause, nodded.
Turning toward the path, they headed for the coast, carefully scanning their surroundings, trying not to miss anything.
The ground underfoot grew more frequently disturbed, as if something heavy had passed through recently. In several places, the bark on the trees looked strangely darkened — not charred, but somehow faded. Garen stopped a couple of times, crouched down, ran his fingers over the soil, then continued on without a word.
The farther they went, the quieter the forest became. The air felt normal, but there was a faint aftertaste in it — thin, sharp, like the scent lingering after a distant storm. Easy to miss if you didn't know what to look for.
At last, something unusual came into view. About thirty or forty meters ahead, the ground had sunk in, forming an uneven crater. The youngest hunter noticed it first and pointed.
Garen and Oven stopped beside him, peering through the gap between the trees. The earth ahead had indeed caved inward, as if pressed down by a powerful blow.
— Yeah… — Garen replied quietly. — Looks like we're in the right place.
They moved forward again, neither quickening nor slowing their pace. The forest around them remained unnaturally quiet, and that silence felt louder than any sound.
Suddenly Garen stopped sharply and raised his hand, blocking their way.
— Stop.
— What now… — Suron began, but cut himself off.
Without a word, Garen leaned forward and pressed a hand over Suron's mouth, pointing with the other toward the crater.
Suron wanted to protest, but froze when he followed the gesture.
A few steps from the crater's edge, on the damp ground, lay a figure.
Small. and motionless. Wrapped in light fabric that stood out starkly against the dark soil.
— Is that a person? — he breathed.
— We should check if it's alive.
They approached.
Now it was clear that it was a girl — at least at first glance. Long silver hair spread across the ground, partially hiding her face. Her features were calm, almost serene, as if she were merely asleep. The white cloth was wrapped carelessly, as though in haste, but covered her body completely.
— Wow…, — Suron exhaled, then immediately bit his tongue, as if afraid to speak louder.
Garen had already dropped to one knee. He carefully shifted the edge of the cloth, checking her breathing, then placed two fingers against her neck.
«Strange… No pulse, but she's still breathing.»
Oven crouched on the other side. His gaze traveled over her shoulders, arms, and legs, searching for injuries.
— Hm… No burns. No wounds… Nothing at all.
Suron glanced around and noticed something at the bottom of the crater — a dull glimmer that remained even after the dust had fully settled.
— Hey, — he pointed. — What's that?
Oven stood and carefully climbed down. The ground beneath his boots was soft and slightly blackened. He bent down and picked up a small object.
In his palm lay a sphere about the size of a large walnut. It crackled faintly, releasing thin electric sparks from time to time.
— A thunder-fox core… And pretty fresh.
He looked up at Garen, then back at the figure lying nearby.
Garen glanced at the sphere, then at the body.
For a moment, he seemed to consider something, but didn't voice his thoughts.
— Alright. We won't sort this out here. First, we take her to the village. To the infirmary. They'll examine her properly there.
Then he nodded toward the sphere.
— We're taking the core too.
Owyn nodded, slipping the sphere into his pocket, then shifted his gaze to the girl.
— And who's carrying her?
Garen looked at Suron.
— Suron.
— Me?! — Suron flared up immediately. — Why me? You found her, you carry her…
— You complain the most and do the least. Might as well make yourself useful for once.
Suron muttered something under his breath but bent down and carefully lifted the body into his arms. It was unexpectedly light.
He instinctively brushed the strands of hair away from her face so they wouldn't get in the way — and froze for a second.
«Damn… Like a sleeping angel.»
— Don't zone out, — Garen tossed over his shoulder. — Let's move.
And they headed back along the path, carrying their strange discovery with them, leaving behind the crater and the silence where the faint scent of ozone lingered for a long time.
.
.
.
Back in the village, the hunters didn't linger and headed straight for the infirmary. Morning had only just begun to settle in; the streets were nearly empty, and only a few passersby watched them with curious looks.
Inside the infirmary, only one healer was on duty — a young woman who, against all rules, had been dozing while leaning against the doorframe.
— Hey, Sophie! — Garen called out. — Sleeping on the job again?
— Ah…! Dad! — she jolted upright. — I'm not sleeping! I just… closed my eyes. For a second…
She was about to add something else, but the words caught in her throat when she noticed Suron carrying someone wrapped in white cloth.
Sophie slowly shifted her gaze from Suron's face to the motionless figure in his arms.
— Who is that?
— We brought you a patient, — he said with a slight smile, clearly trying to appear calmer than he actually felt.
At that very moment, he stumbled over a stone near the entrance and nearly dropped his burden.
— Careful! — Sophie snapped, instantly wide awake. — Quickly, bring her inside!
She turned and hurried in, and the rest of the group followed obediently.
The infirmary was small but tidy. The spacious room was divided into several areas: wooden cots lined the walls with clean sheets laid over them, and a curtain hung beside one of them, currently drawn aside. In the corner, a magical lamp glowed softly, filling the room with warm light without harsh shadows.
The air smelled of herbs and something bitter — a mixture of infusions, medicines, and a faint hint of alcohol. The scent immediately brought a strange sense of calm.
Along the walls, shelves held neatly arranged bottles with labels, bundles of bandages, mortars, and bowls with dried remnants of green and brown powders. It wasn't luxurious, but it was well-kept — clearly a place that was cared for.
Sophie quickly gestured to an empty cot near the window.
— Here. Carefully, — she said in a different tone now — focused and professional.
— And… what are you going to do with her? — Suron asked.
Sophie gave him an annoyed look — the same one she usually gave him when he asked obvious questions. She closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and still answered:
— You just brought her in. First, I need to perform a full examination. Check for bruises, internal injuries, or anything serious.
The hunters listened attentively, but judging by their expressions, they failed to grasp the implication and remained standing where they were.
Sophie slowly turned her gaze to them.
— I said a full examination, — she emphasized. — Which means you should step outside.
The men exchanged glances. Then they looked once more at the figure lying on the cot, and only after a few seconds did the meaning finally sink in.
— Oh…
Coughing awkwardly, scratching the backs of their heads, and carefully avoiding eye contact, the hunters turned and filed out of the room one by one, leaving Sophie alone with her patient.