This is a fact known to all townsfolk, a warning to not venture off the trails. Rumors of wandering gods, ravenous ghosts, and an evil witch deter even the most reckless adventurers from delving into the forest, afraid of joining the sleeping townsfolk buried beneath the trees.
Unfortunate then, how May finds herself lost deep within the woods, kicking aside fallen branches and crunching black leaves underfoot. She shivers as a cold wind ruffles her skirt and wishes (not for the first time) that she never agreed to come here with her twin in the first place.
She wanders for an uncountable amount of time, searching for a trail or her twin or anything at all familiar. The trees don’t seem to change no matter how far she walks, all ashy-barked and silver-leaved. Despite how the canopy seems to glow with faint iridescence, the forest grows darker yet darker. May swallows back a shot of fear when something flutters in the branches high above. This is the worst.
Getting lost amidst the Gravewood was not the plan, but the twins had to try. June’s leg was getting worse and none of the OTC stuff was working anymore. The idea was straightforward: follow the rumors of a witch in the woods and ask for a potion.
At first May offered to go alone. Maybe if she did this one thing right… But Juniper was insistent on coming, the bonehead. At least with June’s innate sense of direction, it would be easier to traverse the forests. With a crutch under their left arm, they only needed to lean on May a little bit as they walked together past the treeline into the nearby woodland.