Just as Morpheus had taken a step towards the river, he noticed that the two young men were still nowhere in sight. He looked around. "Why are those two still not returning?"
When Ember heard him, she looked towards the place where Erlos and Aureus were sitting a while ago. She stood up with a furrowed brow. "Erlos and Aureus left? I didn't notice. They were here just a while ago…"
Morpheus didn't have a great feeling about their prolonged absence, and then heard Ember ask, "Where is Albina? Did they leave while riding her?"
"Albina?" he asked.
"My horse. A beautiful white mare. Surely, you've seen her…" she replied but panic settled in her body when Morpheus told her he had only seen Erlos' horse which was still munching on fresh grass at a distance from them.
Morpheus sighed as he guessed what must have happened. "This is a problem when one steps on a foreign land while lacking experience. That kid, was he not aware this could happen?"
"What do you mean?"
"Since that elf simply let your horses graze on their own, when the orcs appeared, they were spooked and ran away separately. Those orcs must have caught yours and had taken her away with them."
"How dare they steal my horse?!"
Morpheus shrugged. "Maybe they took her as a kind of exchange for you and that kid entering their territory."
Her shock turned to worry. "Orcs are so big. Will Albina be able to handle their weight if they ride on her?"
"They are big enough for your precious Albina to fill their big stomachs, I think."
Hearing his words, Ember was horrified.
"We must save Albina!"
"We? Oh, no, little female. You are not coming."
"Bring me with you! Please?"
Morpheus was conflicted as he could not leave Ember alone but neither could he bring her with him. At the same time, Erlos and Aureus had been gone for far too long. Handling a dozen orcs would be within their scope, but if those two youths followed that group of orcs back into their village…
From males, to females, to children, the entire population of orcs were aggressive, and to see outsiders approach their village was tantamount to a declaration of war. A single village would have a few hundred warriors. It would be difficult to deal with their numbers unscathed even for Morpheus if they were to battle out using pure physical strength.
Morpheus made a decision. "I will take you back to the palace first and then return to search for them. I can't leave you here alone. Those two are probably not foolish enough to enrage the entire village. Let's hope they hold on long enough till I find them—"
"No. I won't go back to the palace. I will go with you to get my horse."
"It's dangerous. You have seen how violent they are. You can be harmed if a fight occurs."
But Ember was determined.
"Worst case scenario, I can threaten them that I will burn a house or two if they don't give me my horse back. They won't be able to harm me without them getting burned first. Besides, haven't you boasted before that you are the greatest warrior of the kingdom? I am sure that with you, I will be completely safe."
That last line, Morpheus felt how much she trusted him. It made his heart flutter, but he was forced to pretend unaffected by her unconditional trust.
'I will keep you safe even at the cost of my life.'
Morpheus eventually agreed.
"Fine! However, you must listen to my words from now on. Don't do anything reckless on your own. Even if something happened to me or to those two, you should first protect yourself, understand?"
"Yes."
Morpheus and Ember then entered the ancient-looking forest on foot.
"Won't it be easier to search for them while flying?"
Morpheus shook his head. "We are the intruders who barged in the territory of the orcs. In their eyes, we did something wrong first, so it is better to show we come with peaceful intentions. If we fly, it will further provoke them."
Ember had no response to that.
At the start, the trees at the outermost part of the forest were far enough from each other to let sunlight make its way toward the ground, but as they continued to walk ahead, the plants and trees were getting denser and denser, to the point it could be described that everything was overgrown and tangled.
'The atmosphere of the forest is dark and gloomy.'
When Ember was on the other side of the river, all she could see was how the forest looked beautiful under the sunlight, the dense trees like a sea of green overflowing with vitality back when she was looking at it from afar. However, it was different inside the forest.
Heavy and stifling.
The thick branches of those ancient trees intertwined together like a mesh against the sky, not even giving any creature on the ground a chance to see what was beyond those thick, sturdy branches. Because of this, the temperature under those trees was lower as well. It was cold and dark and damp, a thriving environment for various insects, small game and wild plants Ember had never seen in the Forest of the Elves before.
As the shapeshifter and human continued to walk further, Ember realized they never spotted a single orc around. "Why is there no one here?"
"My guess is that those orcs called back their people to share the horse meat?"
"Morph!"
"What? You asked a question. In this forest, orcs normally leave their village to hunt wild boars or small animals like rabbits. They don't really have to guard their territory as no one dares step inside. With a rare beautiful mare awaiting them—large and thick with meat—all the wandering orcs must have returned to their village to get a bite. That must also be the reason why we had yet to see traces of Erlos and Aureus fighting even though we are nearing their village now."
"My horse is not food!" she complained, her expression upset.
"Weren't you salivating over the fish I caught earlier? You eat meat, orcs eat meat. No, don't glare at me like that, little female. You have no right when you have protected those witch snacks to the point you willingly stake your life. It's the same for the orcs—a meaty horse is a special and luxurious treat for them."
"Draven gave me that horse. I can't let it be harmed," she mumbled as her last defense. It was like seeing a bunny with drooping ears. Morpheus had to once again resist thinking how adorable she was.
"Don't worry, we will get her back," he assured after a cough. "Don't frown, don't drown. You don't look pretty at all."
"I don't care."
"But I do."
She frowned harder, even making a face at him. "Whether I look ugly or pretty, it has nothing to do with you."
"I agree. I am just concerned with you being sad."
Just then, a group or orc came into their sight at a distance and they heard the familiar voices. "Let the horse go and we won't harm you.'' That was Erlos.
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