(A/N): Hey friends! This is the first part of a two part story I'm currently working on, so I hope you like it! I'm trying something a little different in it, so let me know what you think. Also, I'm not sure when the second part will be coming out, since I have a few other projects going on at the moment. This is what I've been working on mostly, though, so I wanted y'all to see it. Enjoy~

From the head of the bed, Alyss watched as her husband shoved the last few items he would need for this mission in his satchel. She always spent this extra time with him before he left, if only to get a few more hours before she would go days, weeks, months, without his touch.

A blank notebook that Halt had handed him, murmuring something about keeping his way despite Will's incredulous looks, was slid in the side. No matter how weird the advice, Will would follow Halt's instructions. An extra pair of gloves, new ones, were shoved beside the notebook. Charcoal to write with was dropped in a pocket. A bag of gold, for lodging and food was wrapped tight and packed into the bottom. The majority of his clothes were in Tug's saddle bags, which were already packed up and on the waiting horse.

Will threw a few other items in the bag that Alyss didn't notice, her attention shifting from Will's actions to Will himself. He had washed himself before he was due to leave, expecting the fact that he wouldn't get a chance to get clean while in the middle of a giant forest. His pants hung low on his waist, and he was yet to put his shirt on. His wet hair curled around his ears and above his eyes and dripped onto his bare, toned chest.

Goodness, she would miss him.

"How long do you think you'll be gone this time?" Alyss asked, drawing her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. She hoped he wouldn't be gone for too long. It always got lonely when he was gone, even if she spent the nights at the castle rather than alone at the cabin. The bed would still be cold on his side and she would still be alone in the apartment.

He shrugged, scrunching up his face as he thought about it. "Probably at least two weeks. Few days there, few days back, and I have to figure out what's going there in the first place."

Alyss raised her eyebrows. "You don't know whats happening?" She hadn't seen the briefing, and Will had only previously mentioned that he had to investigate a large forest up north. She had assumed it meant he was dealing with bandits or a murder. Apparently, he didn't know either.

"No," Will replied, straightening. He closed the bag and turned to rifle through the open dresser. "The local Ranger was contacted when multiple people went missing, all traveling through the same stretch of forest, all at night." He dug a thick, long-sleeved shirt out of his drawer, and shoved his head through the collar. He continued to speak through the cloth as he attempted to shove his arms through the sleeves. "They're assuming it's an animal of some kind, maybe a wolf pack or something. It's a possibility that it's a bandit group, picking off travelers for their money and valuables, but they haven't found any bodies as of yet." His head popped out of the neck, smiling at her as he blew a kiss in her direction. "Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

Alyss laughed. Will stuck his tongue out at her, and when she laughed harder, Will jumped at her, snaking his arms around her waist and falling over her. Alyss wrapped her arms over his neck as he rolled over, her ending up on his chest. She looked down at him, at his disheveled hair and bright eyes and knew that it would be hard to let him go again. It always was. It always will be.

"You'll be back soon," she said, more to herself than to him. But he nodded.

"I will," he murmured back. Cupping her face with his hand, he drew her to him and kissed her softly on the lips. He tasted like coffee—as always. "I promise."

Day One, Entrance to Sunworth Woodlands.

I just made it to the southern-most part of the Sunworth Woodlands. I made good time getting here, taking just about two days if you don't count the fact that I got here during the morning of the third day. I have to say, compared to Grimsdell Woods, these don't seem that scary. Grimsdell, you could tell from the very beginning that they were dark and hard to traverse.

Sunworth just looks like any other forest.

I still find it a little weird using this journal, writing down what I'm doing and what I plan to do, and all that. Normally, I would have just tossed the book in the bag and gone on like usual, but something about Halt's look made me think otherwise. We both read the same report, so I knew what I was getting into, but Halt made me promise to use this. And, even though I don't get it, I trust Halt. Even if it turns out to be nothing (which, honestly, I think it will probably be), I'll still do this, for him.

Honestly, this kind of seems like a mini vacation. My prediction is that I'll be here for a week, find absolutely nothing, and will head back to Redmont afterwards. The only thing that stops me from calling it a vacation is that Alyss is stuck back at Redmont.

Before I go too deep, I'm thinking of stopping by Sasha's cabin, see what they think. They obviously know the area better then me, but I also don't want to deal with that usual attitude other Rangers get when the Task Force is called to work on something in their fief. They get protective and a little angry, and it makes our work so much harder. Even if Sasha had insight into this problem, would it be worth it? It was their report I had to read before coming here.

This investigation is probably useless. Sunworth covers the majority of the western coast of Northern Araluen, as well as a large part of the western coast of Picta. It's a large expanse of land that not many people live near or in. If, say, a hunter got lost in one of the more isolated, denser sections of the woods, they could end up at the ocean or in Picta. It's not hard to believe that they stumbled across the border and was picked off by one Scotti tribe or another. And that's if they didn't die from starvation or wild animals.

Writing that all down, it really proves how hopeless this mission is, which is probably why Crowley only said one person had to go. He didn't need to take two Rangers and a knight out of commission for a month to wander around a forest trying to find some lost villagers. As cruel as it sounds, that's not our job.

I'm just here to investigate the possibility of Scotti involvement.

This is going to get boring fast.

Day One, (Different) Entrance to Sunworth Woodlands

I started to head for Sasha's cabin, but I decided against it not to far away from it. Sasha included a note in their report about the forest, saying I was welcome to stay with them a few days before heading into the forest to prepare. As tempting as it is, I don't want to deal with any unnecessary tension they'll have with me taking an assignment from them. Plus, spoiling myself with a bed, after sleeping in the open for a few days already, would just make Sunworth so much more frustrating.

Sasha would understand, and will honestly probably be happy I didn't show up.

That leaves me to enter this forest though, and … well, I find that I don't really want to. Even though it doesn't seem that bad, something is making me feel like I shouldn't go in. Looking at this forest, it just seems … off. With Grimsdell, it was up front about how creepy and confusing it was, but this one, it seems like a more secretive older sibling. Like, it's just as wild and dark, but it's better at hiding it.

Obviously, I'm still going in. But, since getting here, I'm kind of glad that Halt gave me this journal. I'm marking my location on the local map Sasha sent with the report whenever I make notes in here, so hopefully I'll be able to keep track of my whereabouts and be able to retrace my steps if necessary.

Because if this place is anything like Grimsdell, I'm in trouble.

Having finally moved in to her spare castle apartment, Alyss slipped into a fresh dress, and went to greet Pauline before heading off to dinner with Jenny. The only thing that the young courier liked with her husband being gone was the time she was able to spend with her friends. She rarely saw George anymore, and Jenny was so busy, so their schedules often conflicted. With Will absent, Alyss's schedule was fluid enough for her to meet them for lunch.

She knocked at her mentor's door, and waited a moment, watching out the window that was at the end of the hall besides the door. A stable boy was leading a brown spotted horse into the stable, while the owner nervously watched. Alyss smiled, recalling Will's insistence on always caring for Tug himself.

The door opened, and Alyss turned back to see Halt standing in the doorway, dressed but without his cloak.

"Halt," Alyss said, smiling, "Is Pauline in?"

Halt flashed her one of his rare smiles before shaking his head. "She was called off to Castle Araluen just this morning. She wanted me to apologize to you for leaving."

Alyss shrugged, "She said it was possible, so I don't blame her."

Nodding, Halt stood to the side of the door. "Did you want to come in, or did you have some place to go?" He tilted his head to the side, motioning inside his apartment where Alyss could see a steaming mug of coffee, a small pile of paper, and . . . A journal.

"Well," Alyss murmured, hesitating. "I have to meet Jenny and George for dinner, but could I ask you something about Will's solo mission?" She crossed her arms below her chest, and looked down the hall. They were alone.

Halt did the same thing, before nodding. "Of course," he said simply, looking at her.

"Why did you give Will a blank journal before he left?"

The older Ranger paused, scrutinizing her. He was silent for a moment, before he asked: "Did you read any of the brief? Or did Will just tell you about it before he left?" He leaned against the door and crossed his arms in front of his chest. Alyss leaned on one foot, and shook her head. "Okay," Halt nodded again, before motioning inside the apartment. "Let me show you something."

Halt moved inside the apartment, and Alyss followed him, shutting the door quietly behind her. When she turned around, he was standing at the table she could see from the hall, and was pulling out a few papers from the pile he had spread before his seat. He selected a few, glanced at them, and handed them to Alyss.

Three full pages of writing, and Alyss didn't have much time between now and when she was supposed to meet Jenny and George. She looked up to Halt, the words already on her lips. But the Ranger spoke before she could. "You can take them to read later, but," he pointed to the second page, "one of the people who got lost made it out and the local Ranger, Sasha, found her. She goes on to describe getting lost, even though she claimed to know her way. She went on about how she took the same route day after day, but the time she got lost, it was like her entire memory was erased from her head. She tried to guess where she had to go, but ended up guessing wrong. That was why she had gone missing. When she finally remembered, she was days away from her home, and had to find her way back from land that she wasn't familiar with at all."

Alyss flipped to the page he motioned to, registering the unfamiliar handwriting, scratched out lines, and other scribbles. Halt's story was interesting, but what did this have to do with Will and the journal? Alyss raised an eyebrow, and glanced up to Halt. "That doesn't answer my question," she said bluntly.

Halt nodded. "I half did. Will isn't familiar with the area, but it falls under the Task Force's jurisdiction with the forest, Sunworth, spreading into Scotti territory. If someone who is familiar with the land gets lost all of a sudden, who says what will happen to someone who's been in the area only once or twice?"

Alyss nodded slowly, but still had a slight frown on her face. It just didn't really make sense to her. Even if Will didn't know the area around him, he still had his Ranger training to get him out of the forest. He could follow his own tracks or the sun, or, if really necessary, he had his compass, even if he didn't really trust it since Arrida.

The older Ranger seemed to sense this. "Other people have reported different events. One person said they were chased by something, but they didn't see it. They ran far enough that they were out of familiar territory, and it took them weeks to get back to their area. Another person lost their friend to the forest. They said their friend was paranoid for days before, and then just ran off before they could get out."

Smirking, Alyss folded the papers, and slipped them into a hidden pocket of her dress—one of her favorite new additions to the Courier uniform. "So you're answer is that you're concerned about Will losing his way, and gave him that journal so he can write everything down?"

His cheeks reddened, but he remained unflustered as he nodded confirmation. If there was one person Halt was comfortable acting like a father to Will around, it was Alyss.

Or Pauline.

"It could be absolutely nothing," Halt said, turning away from her. "Or it could be something serious, and I didn't want to take that chance, especially with Crowley sending him alone." He shoved the rest of the papers back into a pile, glad that he had copied down the majority of the files before Will had left. His apprentice had taken most of the report, only leaving some unnecessary pieces. But Halt had sensed something about this mission, something he didn't trust. "I'd rather be overly protective and make a fool of myself then to lose him."

Alyss's eyes raised, shocked by the morbidity in Halt's statement. But at the same time, she understood. She would much rather make a fool of herself, forcing Will to stay, rather then to send him off to something she thought would kill him.

It was then that Alyss noticed the time and realized that she was going to be late for her dinner with George and Jenny. "Thank you, Halt," she murmured, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She turned out of his apartments, heading off to dinner with two of her closest friends. She just hoped that she could focus on them, instead of focusing the what Halt had just told her.

Day One, Hour south of Snowbush

Instead of heading to Sasha's I decided to swing around to a village that one of the survivors is from. I traveled for a few hours before the sun started to set—I'm pretty sure I got to the southern most point of Sunworth around midday, so I'm impressed with the time Tug and I made. We're not to Snowbush yet, and I don't intend to sleep there, so I don't mind sleeping an hour away from a village.

At the moment, I'm currently settled in for the night nearby a little pond. It's technically in Sunworth Woodlands, so I'm a little on edge, but at the same time, it's pretty nice here. The pond has a few fish in it, and I was able to snag a rabbit not too far from here. I much prefer rabbit over fish (sorry, Jenny, but really. I really can't stand fish). Either way, it's a nice place to settle for the night, and I'm marking it on my map for future reference, in case I ever come back this way.

My plan after getting to Snowbush tomorrow is to ask around, possibly meet with one of the survivors. After that I'll head directly into the forest. I might as well get it over with, and circling around the outside of it will only take more of my time.

So, Halt, an hour south of Snowbush. Is that specific enough? Along with the description of the pond and the mark on the map, I think I'm pretty well set. Even though I'm slightly on edge, it doesn't seem that bad. It's just like any other forest we would have traveled through on another mission. I'll even say it here: If I ever get lost, I'll just travel south until I get out of the forest. Or, I could even travel west until I hit the ocean, and then travel south from there to get out of there. I trust my training enough to know that I can't get lost in a simple forest, so I really don't see what the problem is.

I'm going to get settled for the night. Tug seems content to just graze around the pond, and hasn't alerted me to anything, so I'm going to rest. I'll wake up early and try to get to Snowbush around midmorning. Night!

Day Two, hour south of Snowbush

I … I don't know how to explain this to myself, so I'm going to write it down here to help wrap my head around it. Maybe you can help me with it later, Halt. Help me explain this.

Last night, right when I was falling asleep, I could have sworn I heard something move around in the forest, circling me. Whatever it was, it was huge. For a while, I thought it was a damn bear, but I did what I was trained to do and stood my ground. I kept still. I never saw the bear, though, even when I patrolled around after I heard it left.

The weird thing is … there were no tracks.

Throughout the entire time this was around us, Tug was freaking out. I kept trying to quiet him, to calm him down, but he just wouldn't listen to me. I've never seen him act like that before, because he's trained to deal with bears. He's trained to stay still until those things attack. But instead he kept kicking the area around him, neighing in fright and, if it hadn't been for the fact that I left his bridle on for emergencies, I think he would have run. I haven't seen Tug act like that since the sandstorm in Arrida.

I never found any tracks around the pond clearing, but when I searched, I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. I feel it now, too, as I write this. It's morning now, and even though I can see for quite a while around me, I don't see what could be watching me.

Since I never found any tracks, and I couldn't shake the feeling of being watched last night, I barely got any sleep. I ended up staying awake for most of the night instead of getting the rest I intended. I want to move on before night comes around again, but I'm thinking of getting some rest right now. It's light out, and even if the thing is still around, I'm more likely to see it in the daylight then in the darkness.

If there is a bear around, or some other predator, I don't want to stay in this area. I'll cross off the map marker, just so I know that this place isn't as safe as it looks.

Also, I'm going to sleep in a tree. Just because I can.

Day two, after the nap

Just wanted to mark down that, yes, I'm still here after my nap. I did not fall out of the tree (as you always say I will, Halt), and my sleep wasn't interrupted. Tug also seems more calm right now, although he still looks a little spooked. I think he wants to get out of the area as much as I do. After I finish writing this, I'm going to eat my leftovers from last night, and then head on to Snowbush.

Until next time.

Day two, between campsite and Snowbush

I'm riding at the moment, so please don't mind my messy handwriting. I was just reminded of something, and I wanted to write it down so I remember it. Plus, I think it would humor you, Halt, if I ever let you read this.

When you were poisoned by that Genoveson (what was that guy's name? Bacon? Bacard? Bacorn?), I rode through the night so I could get Malcolm to you as soon as possible. On the way there, I took a short nap by these ancient burial grounds. Horace had pointed them out before I left, and he seemed creeped out by them. I told him they weren't anything, but he still seemed a little iffy.

Either way, by the time I got to those burial mounds, I think Horace's comments had gotten to me. I stayed there only for a few hours because I needed to rest, but I also didn't want to take up too much time. I wish I had never stopped there, though. I was woken up in the middle of the night by some presence, and I could just feel something watching me. Some giant presence didn't seem happy that I was there. I'm not superstitious (unlike Horace, apparently), but it still freaked me out, and I rode off without ever investigating it.

When you sense things like that, something different, something dangerous, you're freaked out no matter if you believe in that stuff or not. I rode straight to Malcolm's after that. I didn't dare stop then, and since then I figured it was because of exhaustion that I sensed that presence to begin with. My exhausted mind playing tricks on me.

But now I'm not so sure.

I wasn't that exhausted this time, and I still felt that something was hunting me. That something malicious was watching me.

I know these two events have little correlation, but I wanted to write it down, just so I could remember that this has happened before. Just so I could tell myself that this forest isn't getting to me, that I've experienced this before. Even if the events leading up to these experiences have little in common.

I—I don't really know what to make of it to be honest. Maybe we should talk about it whenever I get back Halt. To be honest, I'd really appreciate it.

Day two, outside of Snowbush

I just finished speaking with the survivor. His name is Carver, and he's been a hunter in the area for just over two decades. He hasn't always lived in the immediate area, but has for over half his life. He's worked for most of those years in the forest, constantly traveling through them for days.

Carver is a middle aged man, face lined with wrinkles and darkened by the sun. He has a thick brown beard, something the Skandians would be envious of, and messy brown hair that looked to be cut with a knife. He was broad shouldered and thick, with some obvious muscle on him that he wasn't afraid to show off. He was fairly tall, at least half a foot taller then myself.

He's never had a problem with the forest until recently. He said a few months ago, the forest started feeling … different. More hostile. I asked if he could think of an event that kicked it off, but he couldn't think of anything. His mother mentioned something about there being a terrible storm that came in from the ocean, and that part of the coastline was dragged into the ocean. If I remember correctly, Sasha did mention that most of the reports happened after a hurricane hit the coast.

I asked Carver to go over what happened when he got lost, but he kind of gave me a weird look. I got his permission to write it down, so the next page is what he told me, word for word (more or less).

Carver's recollection & our conversation:

"Before I get into this, Ranger, I want you to know one thing. I've been living and working in those woods since my teens, and I've never had a problem before. The most dangerous thing I've run into in those woods is a bear, and it was a mama bear protecting her young. You've gotta be pretty dense if you don't respect a mama bear."

I nodded, remembering the night before. I still don't have a better idea of what it could have been. "Bears aren't the worst thing I've run into," I told him, and he nodded as if he understood my statement, despite previously saying otherwise. I seriously doubt he's ever dealt with a creature literally made to be an assassin when he was fifteen, but I didn't ask.

He continued with his story after that, watching my writing hand the entire time. As far as my knowledge went, not many people in the village could read, let alone write, but that wasn't going to stop me from writing down his story.

"I went into the forest like usual, a few days since I last came back. Normally, I go out there for a few days, hunt around and camp in the area, and then head back to sell my game to the local inn or anyone else who is interested. It's a simple job, but one that I've been doing for years. I had just come back from the forest, and it had that weird feeling to it that's been around since the storm near the coast. A forest that used to be calming was hostile suddenly, and I started carrying an extra blade on me.

"Either way, this time, when I went out, it was worse. The first night out, I could tell there was something stalking me, but I couldn't tell what or where. I didn't get much sleep that night, but I did my hunting like usual the next day, and settled down again for the night. This time, something actually … something attacked me, I think."

Carver paused right here, and he looked behind him where we could both see the forest outside of the town. "Something attacked you," I tried to prompt, but he seemed to have stopped listening to me. "Carver," I said, "you said something attacked you. Do you know what?"

"I—I didn't see," he said, finally turning back to face me. He looked shaken, like he had just seen a ghost. It was odd, because I was looking the same exact direction he was, and hadn't seen anything. "I didn't see what it was, but it tore up my camp and most of my supplies. My horse ran off, and I haven't seen the thing since."

"Were you hurt?" I asked, because I hadn't noticed if he had had any injuries on him.

"I got a few cuts and scrapes, right when it came at me, but—well, I kept my head down. I could hear something smash around the camp, but I stayed down. I don't know what might've happened if I hadn't. And the sounds the thing made—lord, it sounded like it was screaming. I don't even know how else to describe it, but I was too afraid to look at it.

"After that, the next morning, I couldn't find my way back. I've used the same campsite for a months, so I knew my way about. But I just—I just couldn't find my way back. And it felt like something was chasing me the entire time I was searching for my way back."

If an experienced hunter couldn't find their way back, then that was a concern, besides the fact that he admitted he hadn't slept the night before and worked that whole day. Exhaustion could make someone hallucinate, or simply just have a hard time recalling information. I didn't say this to him, though, not wanting to offend him.

"How did you finally manage to get back?" I asked instead.

"I passed out," he said, again admitting his exhaustion. "I hid up in the trees, and passed out. Later, when I woke up, I realized where I was, and was able to make my way back eventually. I haven't gone back out there since, mostly because I lost all of my supplies and my horse."

We talked a little bit longer after this, but nothing else he told me was worthy of writing down. I noted the similarities between his first night out there and mine, just last night, and that makes me wonder what will happen if I sleep in the forest again tonight. Will something attack me?

Day two, in Sunworth, before nightfall

Bit of a time skip for this entry, but I haven't had the time to sit down and write just yet. I figured I should write something out before night falls though, just in case something does happen.

After talking to Carver, I decided to still head into Sunworth, heading straight west from Snowbush. His story was concerning, but at the same time, I can't let that stop me from doing my job. Carver was exhausted from the night before, and I at least had the foresight to take a nap after my encounter. Plus, Tug is better trained then whatever horse Carver may have had with him. He may have been a hunter, but I feel that I'm better trained them him to deal with this sort of events.

Right now, I'm camped about five hours deep into Sunworth. About an hour ago, I got to a pretty dense part of the forest, so I decided to slow down. I'm going to sleep in a tree again, and I told Tug to stay on alert. I don't like doing it, but I also kept him saddled and packed up just in case we have to go. I … I don't want to say I believe something is going on in this forest, but something is definitely weird about it. Maybe I don't completely trust Carver's recollection, but I trust my own experiences.

We'll see how this night goes, and I'll update you in the morning.

If this turns out to be nothing, you'll probably never see this notebook again. Sometimes, I feel foolish for believing in these weird happenings, especially when it originally happened with Malcolm, but sometimes I swear … I can't stop thinking about when I was younger, when Morgarath and his wargals were invading the land. It's hard not to think magic and other unnatural things exist when you grow up with that stuff happening all around you. Who's to say that wargals and kalkara and god-knows what else isn't out there?

Either way, Halt, if something is going on in this forest, I'll let you know. But for now, I think it's just a common hallucination from exhausted people. There's a word for that right?

See you in the morning.

Halt sat across the table, staring at his newly returned wife as she worked on a paper. Even though he was happy to see Pauline again, only Alyss's words from the night before circled in his head. "He should've been back by now, Halt. He said two weeks, three at most. He should've been back, Halt."

Loud, hurrying footsteps came from the hallway, and for a moment, Halt didn't register the gait. And then he did. Crowley?

The Ranger stood without saying anything and headed to the door. Flinging it open, he saw his friend, hair a mess and a worried look on his face, his fist up and ready to knock at the door.

"He should've been back by now," Halt muttered, getting to the point and waving Crowley into his apartments. "It's been longer then what he said, and he never sent an update."

His old friend turned in surprise, eyes wide with surprise. "Did you just read my mind, Halt?"

Halt shut the door, but stayed near the entrance. He didn't want to bother his wife more then he already had. He didn't know why Crowley was here, but if he was, he might have answer as to why Will wasn't back yet. He could let Halt go to find his apprentice and cover Redmont for the two of them.

"Is that why you're here?" Halt asked, frowning at the commandant. He kept his voice low, but now, every word just made him want to run out of the castle. Abelard was ready to ride, he just need to grab his bag. If Will wasn't okay … Halt didn't know what he'd do.

Crowley nodded his head, looking down the hallway and seeing Pauline. He seemed uncomfortable. "We got another report about Sunworth," he said, trailing off. He pulled a leather file from the messenger bag at his side, handing it over to Halt. "Sasha forgot to send it in, and was hoping Will would stop by before he went out, but he never did. I—You should have left with Will in the first place. It's my mistake, Halt, but you need to leave now. That forest—" Crowley swallowed, and suddenly he looked sick. "Somethings in that forest, Halt, and I don't know what could happen to Will."

For a moment, Halt didn't understand what Crowley was saying. 'I don't know what could happen to Will' just kept repeating in his head.

"Cover Redmont for me," he said bluntly. He didn't wait for Crowley's response, turning back into his apartment. He already had a bag packed.

Pauline looked up from where she sat at their table, her eyes wide at Halt's sudden entry. "Halt? Is everything alright?" she asked, starting to stand from her spot.

Instead, Halt moved to where he had hung the bag on the chair he had been sitting at. "Will needs me," he said simply, planting a kiss on his wife's forehead, the satchel gripped in his fist. "I'll be back soon."

When he turned, he saw Crowley coming down the hallway, a completely shattered look to his face. He was going to blame himself for whatever happened to Will, even if nothing did happen. "Are you leaving right away?" he asked, his eyes sad yet alert as they tracked Halt's movement around the apartment.

"Yes," he said simply, moving around his friend. "I'm going to get my apprentice back."