Mist in the Forest

[ASTER’s Point-of-View]

“LAURENT!”

I called his name as loud as I could.

All my senses are on full alert while we all look for King Laurent on the outskirt of the west premise of the realm. The forest was thick with old giant sequoias and the mist was thick, making it so difficult to search for a person’s body— no… I shouldn’t think that my best friend died in that ambush that happened in one of the brothels in one of the alleys downtown. One of his men survived the attack and managed to follow the assassins in this part of the forest. I just wish we are not too late. I wish he was still alive and just unconscious somewhere.

My sense of smell doesn’t work in this kind of place when all I can smell is the musky scent of the forest trees, the bushes, and the freshly moist dirt. I filled my lungs with the cool, fresh air, hoping it can somehow calm me down while I keep the pace of my horse slow, my ears sensitive to any rustling sounds surrounding us.

“LAURENT!”

I heard Lady Marian’s des