Chapter 3: Man Named Ambroz

BRANCHES creaking, feet shuffling through detritus, squirrels chattering, leaves rustling, wind whistling around trunks/disturbing the leaves, birds singing, insects humming/ churring, rustle of animals rooting in the underbrush, scrabbling of lizards on tree bark, limbs... "I am Ambroz and I know nothing about a creature." Theon was awestruck when he heard him answer. Ambroz left him dazed after he exclaimed that he does not know nor see such a creature lurking inside the woods. "Impossible..." He mumbled. Ambroz walked back inside the cave leaving Theon behind. Meanwhile, Theon was just staring in nothingness as he kept recalling the time when he heard such noise. No. More like a roaring sound. "Are you really sure you know nothing about-" He stopped talking when he noticed Ambroz was not there anymore. He looked like a fool bouncing around looking for Ambroz. However, he paused as it came out of the cave carrying a bow and arrow. It was rusty and obsolete but was sharp enough to kill a person. His eyes widened. "Where are you getting on using that?" Pointed at Ambroz's weapons. Ambroz halted and was disturbed by him frequently asking him so many questions. He asked himself how the bloody hell did he end up with this person? "What do you think this is used for, airheaded?" He asked caustically in his deep voice. Theon innocently glanced at his face and then back with the weapons. He gasped and said, "Are you going to slaughter the conquerors?" It was in a tone of disquiet. Ambroz took a deep breath and pursed his lips, he was at the edge of his fury. Such a naive man in front of him. "Why do you think I could singlehandedly slaughter those men? And didn't I already tell you that they attained weapons that we don't?" Theon immediately realized it. He was right after all there can't be anybody who could actually defeat those armed enemies. Ambroz was confused all of sudden by the change of expression. "Stop asking questions and feel frustrated right after it." He complained. "Then, where are you going to use that rusty weapon?" He asked with no harm intended. Ambroz took it seriously, however. "This is not rusty. Also, why are you still here? I've given you so many chances to escape my sight yet you really are testing my patience." "I was just asking you where you use such weapon and yet you are getting mad about it." He looked dismayed. Ambroz was now pissed. ‘Does he have a habit of asking and saddened by the answers?' he heaved a sigh. "This," He showed his weapon. "Is for hunting. My stomach is empty and moments will pass I might just have to eat you alive or do you prefer to be cooked?" He was taken aback by it. "Absolutely not." "Then you must leave before that happens." He ended the conversation and moved onwards. As soon as Ambroz disappeared from his vision he heavily sighed. For a while, the tragedy last night had left his subconscious mind and also the extraordinary noise he heard. He sat by a near tree to calm down himself. He was not wounded but he feel as though he was hurt intensely. He couldn't believe that the people he treated as a family was gone. "I even dreamt about them for the last time." He was in a miserable state. However, he stood up. He almost forgot but the people of the village was entrusted to him. He should get out of the forest before the conquerors caught him. They might be searching for him by now. The people might or might not have been found out. "But, how would I know where my people are?" He asked himself and roamed his eyes. Of course, only trees were surrounding him. "There's also no end to this forest. How can I lead them out when I haven't gone further than the river?" He has never crossed outside the forest. It was strictly forbidden. And the road where he usually wanders around was nowhere to be found. He massages his head and was silent again. But he kept an optimistic attitude and planned to do his best to get out of here as soon as possible. The people will be in danger if he stayed here longer. He roamed his eyes at the atmosphere and see if he can recognize any details that he could hold onto. Absurdly, there was none. So he decided to walk whichever way and find out eventually. As he traced his every step, leaves kept falling above his face. He ignored it and kept walking. Yet, endless leaves fell off and it almost filled his face. He stared above and saw a squirrel playing around the branches. "Uh, hey! Mr Squirrel, can I ask you something?" He playfully talks to it. The squirrel stared at him while holding an acorn. As if it understood him, it climbed down and went in front of him- staring at his face. Theon bent his knees. "Is it possible for you to lead me the way out of this forest? Or to my people?" It was one in a million chances that this squirrel might actually help him out. They stared at it each other and the squirrel then ran towards somewhere and he began to follow it. It then climbed back to a tree and Theon saw monkeys after. "Monkeys?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Monkeys!" He beamed as he remembered what his ancestors taught him. Monkeys in the woods tend to be wise and is conscious of human's every movement. He thought that these monkeys would probably help him out of this forest instead of a squirrel. "Uh, hey!" He called out to them. However, it kept on bouncing around and ignored his yells. He looked around and pick up a stick. He glanced back at the monkeys and threw it at them. Well, he did catch their attention but glares were thrown at him. "My apologies, I was just trying to ask you guys if you know the way out of here..." Suddenly, a troop of monkeys appeared before him. He was shaken at how massive it looked like and all he could do was pause to refrain from the heavy tension. He placed his two palms in front. "Calm down, I have no such intentions." He almost stuttered but he could not ignore the trembling of his voice. But, he was too late. The troop of monkeys were already after him. "Oh no," He started to run. He ran as fast as he can while constantly gazing at his back and seeing if they are catching up to him. He groaned. "Ah, I... I just wanted to... To get out of here and search for my people." He regretted throwing sticks at them. He never imagined he did such a reckless action for the first time in his entire life. Running for his life, he wondered if he can actually die if this keeps up and his breath could break off. Now, he is all alone in the woods. He's almost on the verge of crying once again. If only Eliaz was still with him he would probably scold him. Eliaz was always revealing his strong and brave side. He missed him. Furthermore, he regretted leaving him the most. Theon was still running when he felt that there was no more trace of noise coming from his back. He glanced behind him and he was right. He paused and heard such a refreshing sound. He slowly walked towards it. And he amazed himself at what he found out. A turquoise-blue stream wound its merry way through the forest. Babbling and burbling, it sprung over the limestone rocks in its way. Pebbles whisked about in the under wash like pieces of glitter. Streams are the liquid soul of the forest, and this one was glowing. Chords of soft light speared down from above, bathing its surface in gold. It was a river. The sight of it enlightened him. He breathed the air coming from its streams. It felt soothing. But, he suddenly heard the crackling of an object. "The monkeys, I almost forgot." He uttered. Once again he tiptoed, sat and hid himself at the closest tree that was grown close to the river. He waited for another noise to be heard. He expected them to be climbing around the trees but steps were heard. "Do monkeys usually walk?" He mumbled to himself. Even louder steps were heard and he flinched. He covered his blabbering mouth. And again it was nostalgic. He was right, there really is an enormous creature lurking inside these woods and now he would probably see it with his own eyes. There's no way that he was dreaming when he dropped awake when he saw that creature. He thought, how could Ambroz, a man of that cave, not know of this creature's presence? ‘He must be just ridiculing me.' But he was shocked when an arrow almost hit him, it was pinned close to his right eye and it startled him. "Ah!" His slightly deep voice echoed. He rapidly stood up. He noticed it was just as identical as the arrow Ambroz was carrying earlier this morning. He looked around and he was definitely right when he saw Ambroz glaring at his position and was still holding its bow. He stood up and his mouth was formed in an 'o'. He thought it was a dragon but he was even more frightened right now that he almost died by a mere rusty arrow. "You! Were you trying to kill me?" He screamed in frustration. Ambroz was not trying to kill him but he believe otherwise. Ambroz was trying to kill a fish that his stomach feasted however, it hit the near rock and it landed almost exactly at Theon's stance. "I was not trying to kill you-" "Oh, you were! But luckily, since it's rusty and old it didn't hit me. Otherwise, I'm probably chasing after my breath right now." He exclaimed while panicking. Ambroz tilted his head and shook it. "What are you muttering about? I was not," he sighed. "You know what? Think whatever I did. How about you, why are you hiding behind that tree, didn't I tell you to disappear from my sight already?" Now he reversed their position. Theon was fed up with Ambroz's temperament however, he refused to lose to this argument. He was shaken by the fact he got almost hit by an arrow. He was expecting him to apologize but he never knew he has an even abrupt temper than he already has. His pride was frustrating him. "You really do have no mercy at all, at this point no one would ever like you." After he said that, his conscience chased him real quick. "Uh, I'm sorry." Ambroz just shook his head and went towards him. Theon backed out as Ambroz pulled out the arrow. His silky smooth black hair brushed through his face, he noticed that he tied it. He gulped as Ambroz faced him. 'Too close' Theon thought. He could feel his breath already, he avoided his gaze as his heart palpitated loudly. He leaned towards Theon and whispered, "I don't care if no one likes me. I don't plead for their affection." Then Ambroz started again to walk away from him. He sighed in relief and held his chest. "What was that?" He murmured. He sensed that he tensed the atmosphere between him and Ambroz. So he kept his mouth shut for a while. "Talk. You haven't answered my question yet. Why are you still here? He asked while leaning on a tree. "I was planning to look for a way to get to the other side of this mountain. But, the monkeys-" He was startled at the grunting he heeded to somewhere. The thought of finally escaping at the sight of these monkeys, delayed. Theon ran towards Ambroz and hid behind him. He closed his eyes while grabbing Ambroz's long coat. He was not able to see it. But once the monkeys saw Ambroz they left forthwith. 'Twas his sharp gaze with his vermillion coloured eyes and the familiarity of his face that skimmed those huge monkeys away. The animal was frightened just by seeing his eye, somehow. Theon was still holding onto him. Ambroz cleared his throat. "They're gone." Theon opened his eyes and peeked. When he found out that they had disappeared, he move swiftly away from him. He was embarrassed but acted as if he wasn't by diverting his gaze elsewhere. "Ehem." He jokingly pretends to cough. "What you're trying to say is that those monkeys were after you? So instead of heading to the other side of the mountain, you had to save your life and get chased no matter where you go?" Theon gulped. "Erm, sort of. Furthermore, I don't know where I am actually heading. The forest seems to play a trick on me." He was a trained warrior but was only taught to fight with his sword and other weapons. Now, that he actually thought about it. It was that very night that he also lost his sword. The moment he fainted in front of the creature he saw. "And I also lost my sword when I saw that creature." He muttered. Ambroz snickered. "You lost your sword because you're careless. Not because of an unreal creature." Ambroz already caught the fish he was targeting a while ago. The man had skills that Theon don't know of yet. "Are you really a warrior of your village? You couldn't even scare off a troop of monkeys." Ambroz asked but Theon felt like he was mocked but the man was right... "I have never seen such animals before. I don't know how I should deal with them." Ambroz chortled. "Even so, running is an act for a wimp." Theon didn't utter a word, he could not bring himself to oppose to him much longer. He was again pressed by his guilt. No matter what he says it does not even matter anymore. All he could think about was how to get out of here and look for the people. He needs to save them and assure that they are protected. There was a lot of youngsters and with juvenile minds. The elders are at risk as well if he wouldn't make it out ahead he might not see them alive. "Where does this river lead to?" He asked Ambroz who was still catching some fish. "I'm telling you. I haven't been out of these woods in a long time. My memory won't serve you right." Ambroz answered. "Then at least give me a few details on how to get to the side of the mountain?" He asked in the most affable way. "This river might lead you to the other side of the mountain. But who knows, the woods play with people like you." Ambroz shrugged his shoulders and later on went out of the river. Theon was thinking seriously about whether to believe the man's words or just follow again the ludicrous instincts that have been failing him since then. "We don't know each other, but I begged of you. Please, don't lie to me." Theon pleaded to him slightly screaming. Ambroz was already at the other side of the river when he heard him. Thinking twice, he really has no reason to fake all that he says. Lying was never his doing as he has no intention to keep someone beside him. "What makes you think that I'm lying. Your leaders might have not told you about this yet. However, the forest is keeping you here as hostages. Try to escape here and you'll find out what's coming for you." He said with a very heavy intention. Theon has silenced again. "Then, do you not plan on escaping the forest, too?" Ambroz was pent up. "I am stuck in here. There's no escaping it. If you can't get out of my sight fine then, stay." He walked away and vanished in the presence of the tall trees. While theon was standing still at the other side having thoughts of two. He thought that he must decide soon or the people will really be in grave danger. He crossed the river and followed Ambroz back to its cave. He thought that asking Ambroz a few questions might just make more sense and will help him get out of this forest sooner. Persuading Ambroz will not take long but is he really aware of what is coming for him? All he knows is that the safety of the people is much more important than anything else. "Eliaz, I won't let you down." He exclaimed. ——————— ABYSSCESS