...as we walked among the trees

***

Sometimes I wonder - who was the author of a phrase 'life like a theatre'? Was it some famous philosopher? Maybe an art critic? Perhaps, I don't know this because I wasn't interested. Or the mystery behind those words is older than anyone could imagine. Maybe there is something or somebeing in our world, that could be described as 'The Author'. This being is so powerful, that watching the world is an entertainment. Drama, comedy, action, love... the being was so bored, that it created a whole world just to see - how long this play could entertain. Or... watch one mortal goes trough his or her life from birth to death. If that metaphorical being would watch now - the description of this scene could be called 'hopeless but needed actions'.

After the appearance of Beatrix Glowstone - hospital's morgue got seven new bodies of the brave, yet foolish guards in the span of 15 minutes. Fallen sister's surprise attack incapacitated Coraline Sol and killed the guards, leaving shortly afterwards in the form of a smoke cloud towards the Old Castle. Desciple of Princess Sol decided to track Beatrix down with a small squad of guards and a couple of town's enthusiasts. Jacqueline was one of the enthusiasts. She even said, that there is a person, who could lead them to the Castle, but... they... declined.

It sounded like a bad joke at first. The reason was that Val was not a mage, he's mute and 'probably couldn't find - which way South is'. In that moment - Val wished he ate or stepped into something, that caused hearing hallucinations. Jackie was baffled by this. She tried to argue, but found out, that she was the only one that didn't agreed with those words, verbally that is. Another two were the shy veterinarian and town's baker, who got really saddened by the act and words of guards and their 'leader'. Others just followed the voice of many in silence, after all - 'going in big group will be safer and more efficient'.

This was a hard thing to swallow, even for Val. He knew, that they will go into an unknown territory, without any kind of knowledge about the forest or a simple map. Not only that, but they wanted to go in soon to be night. They have a high chance of dying. He wanted to advise them, to caution them, but something clicked in him. He was fed up with those words, said by Princess' desciple. Relationships with the other guards and his recent ban were the fuel, and this was the spark. With a burning fire of spite in his glassy eyes - he quickly scribbled couple of final words for the group.

《Do as you wish.》

And with that - he left with Jacqueline, who decided to go with him, trusting his knowledge more, than a voice of a crowd. Two people versus twelve, in a metaphorical race of who will get to the Castle faster and with less injuries. Beatrix should be busy for a long time, dealing with hordes of fungals, or searching for 'The Seals'. The only hope Val got is that Beatrix has enough power to stay her grounds long enough and flee inside the Castle, if needed. If his calculations were right - The Beast was gone for now, and lunatics... he hoped - they weren't there. Fungals may be dangerous and had numbers, but lunatics had an actual tactics.

***

Now, Val with Jackie behind him, were walking trough the evening forest. It was still bright enough to see without a lantern, the autumn stormy wind of Evergreen was slowly yet steadily making blonde woman's hands cold. At least she listened, when Val wrote her - what she should wear and take with her. Outfit, that was suited for late autumn camping trip, backpack with raincoat, dry clothes, some food, oil lantern, a hatched on the belt and her dad's double-barrel shotgun with ammo. For somebody - it was unnecessary, but the forester knew better. Better have it and don't use it.

After an hour of silent walking - the forest dimmed down, so it was hard to see further, than ten steps. Not only that, but the deafening cracks of an aproaching thunderstorm were not a pleasant news. Good thing, that Val's cabin was not too far. Surprisingly enough - they didn't encountered any dangers. A little part in the back of Val's mind hoped that the other group attracted them. While it was still bright enough - Val wrote to his companion about their camping site for the night. Jacqueline didn't argued with that during their walk, seemingly admitting that going at night in heavy rain trough dangerous forest is a bad idea. They left the town around 18:40, now it was close to 20:00. Just before they reached the 'cracked bowl' - first droplets of rain started to fall on leaf-cowered soil. Val motioned to quicken the pace and within next three minutes - they stood inside the cabin with a slightly wet clothes.

Val let out an exhale, hearing how the rain picked up it's pace and turned into storm. He imagined those poor souls now looking for a safe place to hide, without any protection from the ruthless wind. No way to set up fire, no place to dry themselves, nothing to eat. Fate of the guards and their leader is not going to trouble Val's sleep, their companions however... This reminded him of how Anthill fell and followed after that street fights. Those, who should protect the innocent were shooting at unarmed people with supressing fire. How many dead citizens he saw, floating in the sewers and laying in tight alleyways and near the walls with numerous bullet holes in their bodies? Not counting those, who were killed in their homes... no, don't dig too deep. Otherwise you will not able to sleep.

He put his backpack on the hook near the entrance and took off his mask, taking a second to hear around him. Good thing he put a lot of firewood to burn before leaving. First floor was warm, that was good. He locked the entrance door behind them and with a gesture of his hand invited Jackie in. She was looking around, taking in the atmosphere of an unknown place.

"Nice place ya got there, Val. I'm assumin' - we will wait 'ere for th' storm to end?" - To wich he nodded to her, taking his backpack and walking further inside. He sat down at the kitchen table, laying his backpack at the table and taking out the other materials he ordered. Jackie in the meantime took off her backpack and sat down on the couch, in front of the fireplace.

Forester's hands were working like a machine, finishing what he didn't had the time for on the farm, while Jacqueline was lost her mind, looking at the dancing fire in front of her. Both were troubled by their own concerns. Jackie was thinking about this whole deal, about her family that stayed in town, about her friends not taking her side, preferring to walk in large group without any knowledge. She felt like she was betrayed, in some way. And at the same time she was worried for her friends.

Val, on the other hand, didn't had that kind of thoughts. Why should he? Friends? They died in Anthill or on the streets. Family? He had nobody to call his family, couldn't even remember the faces from his childhood. A life, that could be described as faceless existance. But maybe, just maybe... he could fix that. He abruptly stopped working and looked at the blonde on the couch. She was a hard working girl, smart, with a whole life before her. He gave out a single silent laugh. Maybe she would like to learn something new... With that in mind - he scribbled a short message, after wich walked to Jackie and gently tapped her on the shoulder.

《Would you like to learn something useful to past the time?》

***

Suffice to say - she was eager to get away from the silence and her unpleasant thoughts. To Jacqueline - Val was some kind of a special type of being. She knew, that despite him having a strange aura of an outsider - he had a good intentions. She doesn't knew him that well, but some part of her was telling, that he wasn't bad. He didn't gave out that feeling. So with that in mind - she agreed on joining him at the table.

Finally sitting together - Val first of all inspected the weapons of his companion. Jacqueline wasn't opposed to that, believing that he knew more in those kinds of things that she did. Upon inspection - Val found out, that despite her gun being put together property - it was dirty and not oiled. After disassembling her weapon - he started to show her how to properly take care of this gun. Under forester's tutoring - she managed to fix her dad's double-barrel shotgun under one and a half hours. (At this point - I should mention, that Jackie's weapon is basically a TOZ-66, only more older looking, since this was her father's gun.)

Time was passing by while Jacqueline was working on her weapon. She found herself loosing track of time, starting when Val took her gun apart and showed her - what's the problem till now, when she finally put it back together, admiring her work. Now properly cleaned and oiled - she showed her work to the forester, who nodded in appreciation of her fixed errors. After that - it was a turn of her hatchet.

Jackie finished with her weapons when it was past midnight, had a light dinner and was about to continue with her other stuff, but was too sleepy. The day worn her out more than if she was working on the farm. Val wrote, that she was okay to have some shut eye, until it's either morning, or the ending of the storm. Jacqueline agreed with that and laid on the couch, her back turned to fireplace, while Val stayed awake, looking outside of his house trough cracks in the boarded windows.

01:09. The storm quiet down, turning into a calm rain. Val was still sitting near first floor's window, looking outside, listening to the forest. It was peaceful. Incredibly peaceful... for a normal person, that is. What is supposed to be a calming sounds of water, dropping from the skies - for Val only made him nervous. Like a reverse spell - all of the things, that supposed to calm only fueled his paranoia. Sounds of water reminded him of the hateful sewers. Rain was a sight of being deafened by something. It was strange, but instead of the usual ringing - he always heard rain. And fire... fire made him sad and hateful, for some reason.

It reminded him of the past too much. Trying to remember his past was akin of trying to remember ones deam. You could remember some pieces of the puzzle, but couldn't put them together, to at least create a resemblance of the whole picture. Too much is missing.

Returning to 'something that couldn't calm down' - Val heard a distant grunts not too far from the shack. Despite it being night - he could make out some moving sillouetes behind trees. They were humanoid, at least four... no, five figures. Two were in front and three behind. Their walking pattern was tired, stumbling in wet leafs and dirt. Val took his rifle in both hands, still observing those figures. Lunatics? No, probably not. They didn't knew - where he lived and could probably hide inside the Old Castle. Lost hunters? Not the right season for this. Fungals didn't walked like that. The only reasonable answer that was left - this was the other group.

They were coming closer and closer, so the forester could finally see their faces. Tired, scared and pained looks in their eyes. Their clothes were wet and dirty, either from the rain... or blood. Val stood up from his spot, slowly moving to the door and grabbing the handle of a lock, holding his weapon with his right hand, but stopping before opening. Should he help them? Despite him not having a good impression from them - they mostly not guilty for what happened. That idiotic pupil and her guards were at fault. Let most of them inside, but not her? He could.

Val's train of thought was interrupted by a couple loud knocks at the door. They've been already on his porch.

"HELLOOO?! ANYBODY HOME?! Please, we're hurt and don't know - where to go!" - A brash, but worried female voice rang.

"Sshhh, don't be so loud..." - Somebody from the group hissed at her. Another female voice.

"I can just bash the door from it's hinges. This cabin is probably empty." - The first voice said.

"Or maybe it's that forester's hideout... I see a light trough cracks."

"Probably not. Do you remember how he looked like? He's probably live in a cave or something." - It was the voice of that arrogant pupil...

"You are the one to talk, miss 'we don't need his help, he's not a mage and he's mute'. Thanks to your fucking ignorance - we were almost killed! Jacqueline said, that he knows this forest and you dismissed him, thinking you knew better. Well, congratulations, miss know-it-all, your ego costed you seven lives already." - The first voice sounded once again. So that means - guards are dead. As he thought... ah, screw it. What will happen - happens.

Val exhaled in irration, and after mentally cursing - moved the locking slide to the side, opening the entrance door. Before him, as he expected, stood five survivors of the first group - tailor, baker, weather captain, veterinarian with badly hurt left leg and... an egoist. As Val came in their lines of sight - their eyes expressed hope, followed by guilt and shame. Egoistical pupil however had only irration in her eyes, to wich forester had a strong urge of punching her in the face.

With a quick look over - he gave out one more exhale trough his nose, walking out of the entrance and motions with his head to get inside, still holding the knob of the door with one hand and his rifle in another.

After Val let others inside - he closed the door and locked it with a slide, leaning his rifle on the wall at the entrance. Rapid increase of noise and the amount of bodies in the house woke Jackie up. She wasn't happy with waking up at first, but her mood drastically improved when she saw the guests and that the ones she knew were alive. Injured veterinarian was seated on Val's soft chair, while others found their places either on the couch, in kitchen and even on the steps to the second floor. Caring about his guests - he put more logs into fireplace and started to examine the injured leg of veterinarian. While most of them were talking to Jacqueline - some were hardly awake, the captain of weather team to be precise. She was exhausted, judging by her looks and noticeably shaking hands and legs.

Even with a light tap on her shoulder - she almost jumped up from her spot and starting to look around. - "I'm up, I'm up! What's going on?" - She let out a yawn, looking into the eyes of the forester with a slight surprise.

With hand gesture - Val asked her to follow him, starting to climb up on the second floor.

***

To say Angelina Dash was surprised is a huge understatement. She thought, that on account of the strange behaviour - his house and especially his room was a mess. It took her by surprise that Val's house was clean. Not to mention the absolutely mindbreaking map on the wall of his room.

Civil war let forester stash a plentiful amount of durable, comfortable and warm sets of Anthill's prison clothes, like the one he was wearing right now. He motioned for the girl to come and pointed at them, giving her a towel and taking a couple of them with him. Dash looked at him questionably for a second, before it clicked and with a nod - she started to pick up a set for herself. Grabbing a med kit from the closet - he left the girl alone, coming down with towels in one hand and a small metal box with medical supplies in another.

After coming down to the first floor and giving towels to everyone, that was needed it - he's started working on treating veterinarian. It was a sizable cut, that ideally needed stitches. This surprised Val - how she came that far with such wound?

"I don't know - where those clothes from, but they are surprisingly very comfy. I may keep them to myself, if you don't mind." - Sounded the voice from the top of the stairs.

"Clothes?" - Please, have mercy on me.

To tell the truth - if she's comfortable then that is good. But she even looked good in those garbs.

"Mister Val, where did you get such wardrobe? The materials are rough on the outside, but warm and soft on the inside. I might even include that to my stock..." - I c- I can't-... I CAN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW, TOO BUSY PATCHING UP ONE OF YOUR COMPANIONS.

"Whoa, simmer down, Rose. He can't treat Fiona and talk to you at the same time." - Interrupted Jackie, thank you.

I think that I will reach my limit sooner than I wanted.

Nevermind, I should focus on that injury. Clean it to prevent infection, a small shot of a painkiller, carefully stiching the wound, some 'Saviour' cream to for speeding up the process of healing, bandages. It's good that we aren't fighting right now, otherwise I could use medical glue. In any case - after finishing up with the treatment of Fiona's injury - it came down to forming a plan.