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Description
“We’ll cut through the forest and reach the mountain path before nightfall.”

Nesta nodded though she was distracted with the antsy prancing of her mare. Dante’s mare nervously huffed, but otherwise remained still. Arden was oblivious to the tension. He rolled up the map and stuffed it unceremoniously into his saddle bag. He nudged the sides of his stallion.

The archway of trees made Nesta’s skin crawl. She turned to Dante, who impassively stared back at her with his one brown eye. Nesta kicked her mare forward and cut off Arden’s jaunty trot. “Arden, perhaps we should rethink this.”

Arden laughed and maneuvered his steed around Nesta. The reigns bit into her palms as she squeezed them. “Always so cautious! I have it in good faith that this is both the quickest and safest path. Now onward my companions! Adventure awaits!”

Nesta sighed and looked once more to Dante. Dante gently and silently guided his mare after Arden, as he had done when Arden had found the map. Nesta shook her head and pushed her mare forward.

Arden was too foolish to question the directions of a bar wench.

/=\

Nesta gasped as her foot slipped on a loose rock. The rock clacked against the cliff side, disappearing into the fog that hindered them. A large hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the safety of the rugged wall. Nesta regained her balance, and Dante released her. “Are you sure that we’re still on the right path?”

Dante didn’t speak. The whistling wind that had become their new third companion rustled the map he held. Dante turned to follow the path once more. Nesta walked closer to the wall. “Perhaps we should find a wider path.”

Nesta sighed as Dante made no sign of hearing her. Loose rocks continued to plummet into the unseen depths of the fog. The wind pushed at their backs. Nesta eyed the path in front of them from around Dante’s wide back.

Dante was too loyal to divert from his predetermined path.

/=\

“You have traveled a long distance to reach this place.”

Nesta smiled at the reclining mermaid. Her tangled nest of dark hair and the off-white scales trailing across her torso to meet the fishy flank lazily floating in the brackish waters was almost as underwhelming as the swamp where the map had led. Nesta rolled the parchment and knelt by the water’s edge. A second eyelid flicked across clouded green eyes.

“I have traveled far,” Nesta began, “and the journey has not been easy, but…”

“Where are your companions?”

Nesta’s smile wavered. “Companions?”

“The ones who began this journey with you.” The large fin flicked water into the air. “The one whose heart was true though his senses were lacking.”

“Oh.” Nesta bit her bottom lip. “He perished in the forest. We were misled and found ourselves surrounded by carnivorous trees.”

“And the one whose silence spoke louder than his words?”

“He lost his footing on the mountain.” Nesta bowed her head for a moment. “Tragically plummeted to his death to ensure I stayed on the path.”

The mermaid hummed. She slipped from the wide log where she lounged. The weeds in the brackish water parted from her path. “So you alone survived the perilous journey.”

“Sadly it is true,” Nesta answered, though the mermaid’s tone suggested her input was unneeded. Nesta leaned closer to the water. “When we found the map, we all agreed to split the treasure we found. Arden insisted that even if only one of us made it, we should still take the treasure in memory of those who were lost. Dante agreed.”

The mermaid hummed as she leaned out of the water. Nesta’s eyes strayed to the long strand of pearls sitting between a pair of naked breasts. “How unfortunate. I did wish for a full course, but you alone shall do.”

Nesta was too greedy to notice the four rows of jagged teeth aimed at her throat.

Description
“We’ll cut through the forest and reach the mountain path before nightfall.”

Nesta nodded though she was distracted with the antsy prancing of her mare. Dante’s mare nervously huffed, but otherwise remained still. Arden was oblivious to the tension. He rolled up the map and stuffed it unceremoniously into his saddle bag. He nudged the sides of his stallion.

The archway of trees made Nesta’s skin crawl. She turned to Dante, who impassively stared back at her with his one brown eye. Nesta kicked her mare forward and cut off Arden’s jaunty trot. “Arden, perhaps we should rethink this.”

Arden laughed and maneuvered his steed around Nesta. The reigns bit into her palms as she squeezed them. “Always so cautious! I have it in good faith that this is both the quickest and safest path. Now onward my companions! Adventure awaits!”

Nesta sighed and looked once more to Dante. Dante gently and silently guided his mare after Arden, as he had done when Arden had found the map. Nesta shook her head and pushed her mare forward.

Arden was too foolish to question the directions of a bar wench.

/=\

Nesta gasped as her foot slipped on a loose rock. The rock clacked against the cliff side, disappearing into the fog that hindered them. A large hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back to the safety of the rugged wall. Nesta regained her balance, and Dante released her. “Are you sure that we’re still on the right path?”

Dante didn’t speak. The whistling wind that had become their new third companion rustled the map he held. Dante turned to follow the path once more. Nesta walked closer to the wall. “Perhaps we should find a wider path.”

Nesta sighed as Dante made no sign of hearing her. Loose rocks continued to plummet into the unseen depths of the fog. The wind pushed at their backs. Nesta eyed the path in front of them from around Dante’s wide back.

Dante was too loyal to divert from his predetermined path.

/=\

“You have traveled a long distance to reach this place.”

Nesta smiled at the reclining mermaid. Her tangled nest of dark hair and the off-white scales trailing across her torso to meet the fishy flank lazily floating in the brackish waters was almost as underwhelming as the swamp where the map had led. Nesta rolled the parchment and knelt by the water’s edge. A second eyelid flicked across clouded green eyes.

“I have traveled far,” Nesta began, “and the journey has not been easy, but…”

“Where are your companions?”

Nesta’s smile wavered. “Companions?”

“The ones who began this journey with you.” The large fin flicked water into the air. “The one whose heart was true though his senses were lacking.”

“Oh.” Nesta bit her bottom lip. “He perished in the forest. We were misled and found ourselves surrounded by carnivorous trees.”

“And the one whose silence spoke louder than his words?”

“He lost his footing on the mountain.” Nesta bowed her head for a moment. “Tragically plummeted to his death to ensure I stayed on the path.”

The mermaid hummed. She slipped from the wide log where she lounged. The weeds in the brackish water parted from her path. “So you alone survived the perilous journey.”

“Sadly it is true,” Nesta answered, though the mermaid’s tone suggested her input was unneeded. Nesta leaned closer to the water. “When we found the map, we all agreed to split the treasure we found. Arden insisted that even if only one of us made it, we should still take the treasure in memory of those who were lost. Dante agreed.”

The mermaid hummed as she leaned out of the water. Nesta’s eyes strayed to the long strand of pearls sitting between a pair of naked breasts. “How unfortunate. I did wish for a full course, but you alone shall do.”

Nesta was too greedy to notice the four rows of jagged teeth aimed at her throat.