Tallmen Timbersmith

For the next several hours, I kept to the woods, walking alongside the road that leads into town. The traveler had told me before that a swordsmith lives alongside this road, off into a pavement gravel path that leads into the forest. If I can find him, then maybe he could help me find the path of lost souls.

After walking a couple of miles down the pathway, I finally spot a sign that reads "Tallmen Timbersmith" above a wooden archway. "Welcome, young lad. How may I help you?" Speaks a deep voice from behind a workbench. "Yes, I would like one of your finest swords, Tallmen. Also, the traveler has spoken to me... would you happen to know the tale of the lost souls?" I speak out to him, and he grooms his beard. "Ahh yes... How would one not know about that tale around these parts? Unfortunately, my grandfather has spoken of this tale beforehand..." He speaks, but trails off as he looks around. Picking up an old scroll, Tallmen adjusts his glasses. "Yes.. here's the case, lad." He speaks as he hands me the scroll. "You wouldn't happen to know where the secret lies?" I ask, but a loud thump made me jump. "Ahhh, yes." The man speaks, but suddenly the shop begins to shake. "Run, now! Follow me!" The man speaks again, but everything fades to black.

When I wake up, I am lying on my stomach, dirt and grass covering my clothes. In front of me lies Tallmen. I push myself off the ground and stand up, shaking some of the loose dirt off myself. Tallmen grabs the handle of a large wagon. "Get in, quickly!" He yells as I climb up, the wagon rocking violently as I pull the latch shut, locking it in place. "What happened?" I ask. I turn my head to see Tallmen pulling out a small dagger from the folds of his cloak. "I have no time to explain, sir. I'll meet you at the end of the forest." Feeling drowsy, I start falling asleep once again. The last words I hear Tallmen say is, "Clyde. Pull the lever!"

My eyes snap open and my body flails as the wagon bumps its way through the forest. Looking at my surroundings, I could tell I was nowhere near the village. The trees surrounding the wagon were unfamiliar, and I have never felt anything like this before. My hand grabs onto a nearby branch, holding myself steady. What was Tallmen talking about? Who's Clyde? The surrounding air smelt like burned wood and smoke. As I exited the wagon, I turned around to look at the towering trees surrounding me. "This isn't... This isn't real." I think, and I begin to panic. Where am I? Where's Tallmen?! Looking around frantically, I sigh. But suddenly, a small light catches my eye. Tallmen's voice breaks through my thoughts, "I'll meet you at the end of the forest." I grab Tallmen's dagger from the wagon. Having his voice echo in my mind, I walk towards the light. After following for many minutes, I approached a huge wooden structure covered in moss and dirt. A small door is hidden underneath the moss. After using the blade of the dagger, I get the door open. Struggling, I finally crawl into the entrance of the door. Surprisingly, beyond the door frame, the space of the room was huge. Covered on the walls were green stones, glowing brightly as my eyes wandered in curiosity. Along the back wall lined paintings and bookshelves. However, what really caught my eye was an ancient book that was lying on a stone pedestal.

On the cover of the book stood a small bronze plaque: "Gone Through Time: The Legend of the Lost Souls of Olden Woods." I slowly walked over to the book and sat down on the edge of the pedestal. It had the same design as the ones I'd found inside of the tavern, except this one held a red leather cover, with gold accents adorning the edges of the page. It reminded me of the village's old diary tales of which one predicted the future.

Carefully lifting up the cover, I felt a chill shiver down my spine. Within the pages, there was a picture of two figures standing in a clearing surrounded by a field full of flowers. A woman stands between her son and the figures, while a man kneels beside her. The woman appears to be weeping uncontrollably. Next to the man, stood the boy with blue eyes, staring at the woman. He tried comforting her, but she kept turning away from him. Eventually, the woman pushed the boy away. I read the description of these people in front of me: A girl named Sarah who had traveled throughout many lands, learning many languages in hopes of finding love. The boy in front of us had just turned ten, just as Sarah was nearing twenty. Sarah turned to the other figure who stood alone by himself. I readjust my position, so I could see both of the images at the same time. The man looked to be around my age. His blonde hair hung limply around his head and shoulders. A sword lay on the floor beside his feet, and a brown cloak laid draped across his shoulders. The picture shifted, moving from one side of the page to another. Sarah approached the man. She grabbed his arm and spoke to him. She looked up at him with pleading eyes. He smiled, leaned in closer, and looked deeply at Sarah with his piercing eyes. As Sarah reached him, she gave his arm a gentle hug. The boy, who was younger than the rest of the scene, wrapped his arms around his mother. Even though they seemed happy, I couldn't understand why I was getting so emotional reading that story. Why was I feeling so much pain just looking at those pictures? And why did I suddenly feel as though I knew the man and his family? What could this mean? Slowly closing the book, I took a deep breath, trying to regain control of my emotions.

Getting up from my seat, I placed the journal into my bag. I notice the sun starting to disappear into the horizon, peaking through the door. I take this as a sign to leave the abandoned place, and slip out into the forest.

Suddenly, running through the forest, I see a figure. It is a person wearing a hooded cape which covers their entire head. When they close the gap between us, I realize who it is. "Lad!" Tallmen exclaims, taking off his hood and runs towards me. Pulling me into a hug, he states, "Trust me, I will explain everything. But first, we need to get out of here."

Tallmen explains that the forest is dangerous, especially at night without proper clothing and covering. He told me that he only knew one way out. It's the quickest route to the nearest village, but the path gets progressively darker and stranger as it goes further away from town.

"I haven't had any trouble with the wildlife while staying in the village, but I have seen plenty of wolves and goblins roaming around in these woods. This is why we need to be careful." He warns me as we find our way down the pathway. I had to stop running and face my fate. No longer should I hide myself away, no matter how hard it might seem.

As I follow after him, my anxiety runs rapidly. Cold air fills my lungs as I find it harder to breathe. Winter was always a tough time in the village. It always seemed to have an odd sort of pattern. It never lasted long, yet every day seemed longer.