There Was It Again, That Sound.

I took and chewed a bit on a piece of the dried meat

Let's see... the hound noticed me... I waited a bit... ran out the back of the bush... …next thing I know I stumble over the root of a tree... and end up over there... where Lord Half&Half and his companion are lying. Hmmmm... Any more...? … …

Oh right, he swung his sword into the tree... about head height-- gulp... I remembered what could have happened if that tree hadn't been there.

But, what could have happened shouldn't hinder me at following back my steps, so I searched for exactly that one tree... in a forest.

Surprisingly it didn't take as long as expected. I found it after trying a few dozen trees.

Ok, I found the tree... let me think... he stood there... I stood there... came like this... uhuh... uhuh... guess I came from there then.

And I followed the way I thought I came from.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

After completely focusing on my arm for some time I had back my own arm and hand. Skin, five fingers, nails, hair and all those small marks.

I ate what I had left, emptied and refilled my flask twice. By the time I was done the sun was high in the sky. My stomach was grumbling and I sensed that I was far from my usual state. I usually wasn't the guy to go jumping through the woods because he was overflowing with tons of energy, but now I was near to drained.

It was time to preserve my energy as good as possible, to think twice about it if it's worth running after some prey. Naturally I had to take some risks, but even those had to be close to a bet I'd surely win.

I left all unnecessary stuff at the tree, including my shirt and shoes.

It was rather warm and the air stood still, so it was much more pleasant to run around with just pants, bow, arrows & a knife. Might have been a good idea to take some rope with me too, to set up some traps in case I found any good spots, but didn't really think of that then. The Idea was more, fast & much. And traps usually weren't the fast way of getting prey.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

As I looked around I suddenly noticed the severed head from the headless horseman. The more I looked at it, the more it seemed to be watching me.

Creepy... better put it back to it's... owner?

I got up and walked towards it. As I bent down to pick it up, I for the first time noticed that my leg wasn't hurting anymore. I inspected it immediately.

No injury left, only the scars from the hounds teeth that cut into my leg

I dropped the leg of my pants again and picked up the riders head instead. I went to his body and put it roundabout there where it would be lying if it still was attached.

Then I noticed that the man was carrying a knife on his belt.

I shouldn't...

Büt hê's dæd.

But... that's stealing...

rïght nøw nö ôné døès pôss$ë$ss thåt knîfë, yøú'd stëâl thæt ås müch âs yøü'd stêäl thé førès$t æ hår€ whên yøµ ëæt ît

hmm...

cøme øn, tåkë ît, whö's göññæ pµnïsh yøû för ít?

That was about the first time I agreed with IT. I took his knife, and I did search him for other usable stuff.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

I ran and tried thinking of something.

Come on. I need ideas... ideas... IDEAS!!! come on, right now!! what can I do... what can I do... wait... what can I do, that a deer can't... ok, now we're getting somewhere at least... lets see... I can... climb... … … … damn it! There must be something more... if it'd be just the hound it may be worth a try, but with that rider behind me...

Yøû kñöw... yóµ cåñ dø zï$ önê síng zæt nø ônè æls$së cân dö he he he he

What?! NO! That'd be the last option, that I wouldn't do before he had cau-

Suddenly I hit something with my foot, and I wasn't moving only straight forward anymore, I was... moving towards the ground too.

In that blink of an eye lots of things happened.

First I saw the ground in front of my head, less than an arms length away, I was falling.

Then I realized that I must had stumbled over something, as I slowly looked behind I saw what too. A giant root protruding from the ground

I looked a bit further behind me and saw the hound, already preparing to jump over the root, and the rider only a few steps behind the hound.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Note from the Author

Hey Sorry for the 'long' (I know, it was just a week) break from my side, was sick and in no condition to write anything. Anyway, I'm back to 'normal' and there'll be posts. Double as usual... But only for this week :D

Thanks for reading and thanks for the feedback so far ;)

PS: Ok, it was more than a week, just realized it's Wednesday already :D

And with that I continued on the road. ...actually I guess it was more the official start of it. But you get what I mean... I hope. Anyway, I traveled on.

I continued in the direction that got me here. Wasn't ready to go back yet. I wanted to know what IT is, and I'm still far from knowing.

IT doesn't want me to tell anyone about it. I'd never get the idea to talk with people I couldn't trust about such things, but still it gets me thinking. Why not even with people I trust? Is IT afraid? Afraid someone out there might now what IT is?

Hmmm... very interesting thought... Might be something to go on. I'm sure IF that really is the reason there must be something readable out there too. Some information I just can get without telling anyone about IT directly.

But finding something like that without getting to talk about such stuff, might prove difficult. I have to find some way to talk about IT without really mentioning that it's a fact.

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

' 'tis 'im! Guards! Guards! Capture dis monster!' All people stopped up immediately, and all gazed upon wich the man was pointing.

Me.

Two guards came. Both with there sword drawn, but as they noticed there was no danger, they sheated them again. 'What's happenen eya?' One of the guards asked

'Dis fel -- tin' dare, it ate me game.'

'Coost be a bit mower specific? Yom a hunter, many people ate the mate yaouw bren. That is naaa crime'

'Naw. Yer don't git waaat oi say. Yer man ate me game. Oi 'ad jist shot it, den yer man 'oofed over ter it. As oi came ter 'imself an' asked waaat yer man wus doin' 'is bake wus al' deformed wi' razorsharp teet an' yer man 'ad claws.'

The guards looked at each other. They had to hold back their laughter 'Is that the same kind of story loike that 'un with the three-headed elk yaouw met?'

The man was baffled 'Naw! listen ter me-'

The guards nearly pissed themselves from laughing 'It's alrooight, we'll let yaouw get awoy with this unneeded call fer help since yaouw gave us a bostin loff.'

Picture Deer-ner is Served by Hjoldir-Hildwulf [EDITED]

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

A Puddle

Kyne's Peace

I wandered through the forest for hours, lost in thought.

Ok, think rationally. Who... No... What did that blood belong to? It can't be mine, I have no wounds anywhere. Maybe a bird carrying a dead mouse just flew over...

A splash ripped me out of my thoughts. I stepped into water. It was just a puddle --- but I was rather covered in mud than blood.

I dug my hands into the puddle and smeared the mud over my arms. Then I smeared some over my face too --- I wanted to make sure that there was no more blood left.

Picture Quick, paint a forest by kynlo

Music Kyne's Peace by Jeremy Soule

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

She clapped half sarcastically“Lucky shot”

“...thanks, any chance you could... give me some tips for the more precise aiming too? Like... hitting that snowball over and over again?”

“Not much to tell you there, look at your target, focus and gather much experience. You'll learn the best way to aim through just shooting and hitting or missing. And don't get impatient, latter will happen more frequently.”

“Ok, thanks”

I thought about her words; Look at your target, focus and gather experience. Guess of those three I'm mostly lacking experience... which isn't easy to acquire, but that's what makes it worth the work

“It's just like reading tracks, either you hit or you miss. Only more literally”

I nodded in understanding “I'll give that stag another try. You... do whatever you feel like...”

“I'll be in the bushes behind you” She said with a smirk and disappeared out of sight again.

Ok, first I'll see if I can find those arrows.

I found the arrows. At least three of them. The one I shot at the stag I never saw again. As soon as I lost contact with it while still in flight it was doomed to be lost forever.

After that I took on hunting down the stag. It was exhausting following it, it ran quite a bit. But I managed to track it down. Although I was wondering how Ingrid was holding up, and how we'd get that big animal all the way back, naturally only IF I was able to get it.

I was in close vicinity to him again. Was already down crouching. He was feeding of something growing from trees. Curious, never seen that before. Gotta ask Ingrid about it later.

Wåtchà tãlkîñg 'bøüt, bûddý?

Oh not you, fuck off for a moment, would you?

Nãh, Ï fêél lìkê $sstæyïng

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

Water!

Sam Rosenthal: six: thirteen (stretch mix 1)

It was exhausting to walk through the forest. My throat was dry as bone. But it was worth the struggle. After roaming through the forest for a while I found a small pond. Thinking about it afterwards I should have been more cautious. There could have been something wrong with the water. Instead I fell to my knees in front of it, pushed my face into the water and gulped down as much as I could. I felt how the cool water ran down my throat and moistened every bit down to my stomach.

I felt relieved as I sat up again. Not only because I finally got some water, but also because I got some of it onto my neck too. I didn't notice much how itchy the necklace was since I woke up but I felt the relief as I got some water on my neck.

Picture Forest by IIDanmrak

Music Sam Rosenthal: six: thirteen (stretch mix 1)

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016

A Face on the Inside

Papercut

Why does it feel like night today? Something in here's not right today. Why am I so uptight today? Paranoia's all I got left I don't know what stressed me first Or how the pressure was fed But I know just what it feels like To have a voice in the back of my head Like a face that I hold inside A face that awakes when I close my eyes A face that watches every time I lie A face that laughs every time I fall And watches everything So I know that when it's time to sink or swim That the face inside is hearing me Right beneath my skin It's like I'm paranoid lookin' over my back It's like a whirlwind inside of my head It's like I can't stop what I'm hearing within It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin I know I've got a face in me Points out all my mistakes to me...

Picture Disturbed by Dunjochka

Music Papercut by Linkin Park

Note from the Author

Yes, this is part of Bjorn's story. Would be boring to write the whole story like a usual book, wouldn't it?

© The Zero 零 Squad, 2013-2016