The sun was shining on Torden's face who has already reached his family's house, he was setting on the castle walls, staring at the dark forest way beyond the horizon, he stared and stared at the forest, from behind him a voice appeared
"You still have that habit don't you, wandering about the forbidden," said the voice
"Master of the walls, I see your still alive, I doubted I would ever see you again" Said Torden as he looked back at the old man with knight armer, it wasn't that clean, it showed battle experience over it scars
"Ohno, the last thing that would take me is old age, be sure that my death will be in blood and not in bed" said the master of the walls as he came closer to watch the forest with Torden
"So? Another failure" said the master of the walls
Torden did not respond, its already known what has happened across the red sea
"Don't be so clumsy, at least you've held your grounds till some rescue came for you, what use I dying on a battlefield in your age" said the master of the walls trying some condolement for lord Torden
"Sadly, all that is to be remembered is my defeat, none will care what led to it" said Torden, his eyes staring at the setting sun beside the forest, only the far half was lighted with its shine, and yet nothing to see as if the dark swallowed all light
"Well, your father must've known about your great achievement, you've held your grounds for a pretty long time, one of the black sheep generals he- "said the master of the walls before Torden cut him saying "all he asked was if I killed the general, the look on my face told him everything as he said congrats on returning alive before dismissing me"
"I am sure it is all because of the big festival coming to the doors of the Kazar kingdom, he is just busy with the preparation" said the master of the walls
"Yes, preparation to marry me off and out of his sight" said Torden
"So you already know about that, I did not want to tell you this one you are a bit more- "said the master of the walls before Torden stopped him again
"More what, calm? Mature? The same things my father has always been waiting for me to become" Torden calmed down and sat silent for a moment before he continued "He did not tell me, everyone already knows that with this failure and at my age best thing for me and the thing that will bring the family most profit, is getting married and straitening the ties between the royal family and ours"
Trying to change the subject the master of the walls stared at the dark frost far away across the green fields
"I once walked alongside its trees" said the master of the walls
"And did you perhaps see any demons or ghostlike creatures; I am not that 8 years old kid anymore" said Torden with a slight smile on his face making fun of what ever Th master of the walls will say
"No, we did not" said the master of the walls as Torden looked at him waiting for what he is about to say" believe me or don't, we once were sent there to build higher fence around it, for some kids went messing as they played with sundown near its greens, by nightfall we found, the corps of one of them, it looked as if he died of a shock, not fear, Nor is it torture, no signs of abuse, all he missed was his set of eyes"
"So you are telling me there lives black magicians?" said Lord Torden
"No actually, it was no magic, it as if he was hypnotized into going there, all corps that was found near it had no signs of fighting back" said the master of the walls as his face colours changed, he said
"I remember that cursed day many, many years ago when we were on a patrol near its trees, I saw a tall man with arms and legs not matching his body size, he walked on two even though he looked like a shadow of an ape, as I held my spear I felt dizzy, none of my companions could wake up, as he saw me standing he picked up the boy and started running, I followed after fighting the urge of the night, but no matter I couldn't get close, he seemed to be going further and further" The master of the walls stopped talking as the night creeped in
"And? What happened did you see his face" said Torden
"No he stopped as I was too tired to walk anymore, he looked at me as he held the sleeping kid, eyes dark as night, hands and legs too long for a human, all was seen is a slight drop of light in the position of his pupils staring at me, as if telling me to stay back, or that what ever we do we can't stop him, or them, they found me sleeping near the forest, just out of the forbidden zone" said the master of the walls
"And the kid's body?" said Torden "It never came back, alive at least" replied the master of the walls
"So, whatever lies there is not human you say? And you don't think of it as a demon either" said Torden
"I guess we will never know" replied the master of the walls
"And did you perhaps tell my father the lord about it?" asked Torden curiosity growing bigger
"I did, but no matter we can't cut the trees they only grow faster and larger, we can't get in for there is no light out, all we did was send carriages and get the villagers away from it" replied the master of the walls as he stepped away from the wall
"Now you better go to bed, the wall is not your duty, tomorrow might be a very long day for you" said the master of the walls with the smile fading from his face "Your younger brother is coming back from his travel to the Hallow Stones family"
Curiosity went with the winds from lord Torden as the master of the walls said his words and went away checking the walls, he stared once more at the forest far away, and walked back to the stairs going inside the castle halls