Shadewood and if i go far away i know you'll find another slave

fire had not been exaggerating when she mentioned the shadewood's immensity: caiaphas found herself dwarfed among the tall spires, wandering between leagues of gloomy shadow with the occasional sunspot pale against the pinestraw floor. after a while she became aware of a presence alongside her: she was sly in her careful inspection of the environment around her -- it was a wolf, though he kept himself flitting among the shadows for some time.

when he made himself known the sylph paused and coyly placed one thin front paw in front of the other. he was a noble presentation of a man: a dark, unremitting black pelt and cold, wintery eyes. there was little warmth to him, but that did not dissuade the siren queen.

her gaze traced the puzzling patchwork of scars that marred his back before she spoke. his words seemed purposeful - was he some denizen of this forest, bent on protecting it? such an arrangement of words seemed deliberate: perhaps he lived here, and she was invading his home.

if that was the case, she cared not one whit; giving him a scarecrow's dreadful smile between the crusted cuts on her battered face, she answered: "that depends. is your offer of help extended so that you can sooner see me leave, or is it because you don't like seeing poor old ladies alone in a spooky forest?"