[Zoophilos]

       Jared knew exactly what Therese would be saying if she were with him now.  She would be shaking her head and saying “Jared Jonison, you have got to get over your pride and let Ray lead  ya ‘round on your trips to the outback!”  He supposed she was right.  Actually, he knew she was right; if he had waited for Ray to return from the Great Plains so he could guide him, Jared wouldn’t be lost in the middle of Whisper Forest right now.  Lost with a bewildered Cavallion and a Viral Velix.
       Behind him, Charger the common Cavallion munched on what herbs and grass he could find in the mist, patiently waiting for Jared to decide which way to go.  The Viral Velix buzzed and whined right next to him.  It seemed to dislike the damp.
       Jared shook out the little map and looked it over for the umpteenth time, as if this time he would somehow see something new and know what to do.  He had gotten the crude, makeshift map off a trinket vendor in the City of Aldrect, after telling the vendor of his intention to travel to the Dead Coast.  The vendor had told him of a shortcut from the City through the Whisper Forest that fishermen used.
       “There’s a little ferry on the western shores opposite of the Dead Coast.  After you get through Whisper Forest, it can take you right to the Coast!”  The man had assured Jared he should have no problems.  However, not even a half-hour walk into the forest, Jared lost track of the path in the mist, and then all sense of direction.  Now he glanced at the Velix.
       “Are you sure you can’t tell magnetic North?” The velix gave a negative, and rather indignant-sounding, bleep.  It wasn’t the first time Jared had asked, and when given a negative reply the first time, he had then said in frustration, “Then what good are you?”  Jared turned to the map again.  Suddenly, he folded it up and put it in his pocket.  The map wasn’t helping; he was going to have to try something else.  He tightened his jacket about him while looking over the trees, half-buried in mist, and gradually fading into it in the distance.  The forest seemed rather dark and gloomy, and he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.  It made him think of Mirkwood in “The Hobbit”.  He murmured a quick prayer for guidance: “Lord, help me figure a way outta here!”  Glancing up the nearest tree, he thought he might try climbing up to look over the forest, much as Bilbo had.  He would need a tree taller than this one, though.  This deep in the forest, there were many huge trees, and he soon found one that looked suitable.  He was in fairly good shape, so climbing wasn’t too hard.  Charger stared at him, as if wondering what in the world he was doing.  It took some time for Jared to climb high enough for his purposes; the trees were very tall in this part of the woods.  At last, though, he was able to see over the surrounding trees.
       The view he had was eerie and surreal.  The great leafy branches hung over and stretched out above a sea of mist.  There was no sign of the ground, and mist swathed the horizon, so it was impossible to see beyond the forest.
       “Great,” Jared muttered.  Stretching out to try to see better, he caught the faintest glimmer to his right.  He looked, but it had vanished.  After a few moments of staring hard, he saw another glimmer, but it vanished as quickly as the first.  For several minutes he stared, trying to catch sight of faint gleams flashing in the fog.  They seemed to come from only one direction.  Suddenly he realized; it was the light reflecting off the sea!  Now he knew which way was south, at least.
       The climb down seemed to take forever, particularly as Jared was trying hard to keep his bearings so he would remember which way was south when he reached the ground.  Charger looked relieved to see him climb down.  The velix did not seem greatly concerned.  As soon as he reached the ground, Jared set up a branch on a stone, pointing south.
       “That way is south,” he said to the velix.  “Remember that!” The velix beeped obediently, but in a doubtful tone.  Charger returned to cropping herbs, now that his slightly mad master was safely back down.
       Jared pondered what to do next.  The wisest thing to do would be to get out of the forest as quickly as possible, but Jared didn’t know how to do that.  He didn’t know where exactly in the forest he was.  Perhaps the best route would be to head toward the sea.  That way, the sea would become easier to see the further he went.  Though Jared didn’t fancy continually climbing trees to see where to go, but it was pretty easy to lose one’s bearings in this forest.  He picked up the backpack he had dropped some time ago and clicked at Charger.
       “C’mon, you two,” he said, “we’re finally going to get somewhere.”  Charger and the velix followed obediently, both looking relieved to finally be on the move again.
(1) (1)

[Zoophilos]

The trio waded through the mist at a steady pace.  The forest now seemed very eerie to Jared.  There was little sign of life besides themselves; an occasional call of some unknown creature, and less often, the cry of a bird.  Other than that, it was very quiet, and very dark.  Suddenly Jared realized it was so dark because it was quite late; nightfall was approaching fast!  Jared stopped short at this realization.
       “Oh, brother,” he groaned.  Charger and the velix stopped with him, wondering what now.  “Guys,” Jared turned to them, “we gonna have to get ready for the night.”
       Jared found the idea of spending the night in Whisper Forest distasteful even if they hadn’t been lost, but he couldn’t see any other choice.  If it was hard to keep one’s bearings during the day, it would be much worse at night, and he didn’t think he had the strength to travel all day and all night anyway.  He began the search for an appropriate place to set up camp.
       Under a huge conifer he popped his little tent that he took with him on all his travels, just in case, and rolled out a sleeping sack in it.  He tied Charger to the tree and removed the pack things from his back, rummaging for his feed.  Charger huddled under the pine tree close to him; he didn’t seem to like the idea of spending the night in the forest, either.
       Supper was a tense and hasty affair, as if the participants were keeping themselves ready to flee at a moment’s notice.  Only the velix seemed completely unconcerned.  Afterward, Jared pulled out a horse blanket for Charger, so he wouldn’t get too cold for the night, and then began to settle himself in his little pup tent.  As he was praying, the velix tried to crawl into the tent with him.
       “No, you stay outside and keep watch!”  The velix peered at him with its eyes very bright, and made a rapid, high-pitched whirring sound.
       “What?” The velix created a little holographic display of its energy reserves dropping as it marched back and forth under the trees under the moon.
       “Oh, c’mon!  Your energy reserves can’t be that low, can they?”  Jared tapped a button on the velix’s shoulder.  “See, you’re good for quite some time, yet!  We could spend several nights here, and you would still be going!”  The velix continued to whine annoyingly.
       “Can’t you set yourself in some low-power state, and scan the area every so often?  I’m not necessarily insisting you patrol the area!”  After a moment of consideration, the velix seemed to accept this with a reluctant burble, and settled just outside the tent’s opening.  Jared rolled over and lay down, drawing his coverings close to his chin.
       “That little machine has quite the personality,” he mumbled to himself.

(2) (2)

[Zoophilos]

Morning dawned dank and damp in Whisper Forest.  Jared awoke to the dim sunlight that managed to filter through the trees and a little bit more chirping than what he had heard yesterday.  Sitting up with a faint groan, he noticed the velix had crawled into the tent during the night and folded itself up on top of him, as the tent was too tiny to have room for it anywhere else.
       “Oh, that VV,” he mumbled to himself.  He rubbed his eyes and blinked sleepily, then grabbed his pack, which was wedged next to his pillow, to get some fresh clothes to wear.
       Sleeping in Whisper Forest was definitely not fun, Jared decided; everything was soaking wet from the dew and mist.  He shook off the tent the best he could before folding it up.  The velix whined and moaned, apparently not any happier about the morning damp than him.  Charger, for his part, didn’t seem to mind the damp, even though his blanket was wet.  He plucked at the grass placidly, yet vigorously.
       After a breakfast of rather cold and soggy oatmeal and desperately needed coffee, Jared decided he was going to have to take another climb to make sure they were heading in the right direction.  This early in the morning, catching sight of the sea was impossible, but he could tell east from the rising sun.  He clambered back down clumsily, almost turning his ankle when he reached the ground.  He brushed off the dew and leaves,  hoping he wouldn’t have to do any more tree climbing!
       “Alright, guys!  South is that way!  Let’s get going.”  It was right then that he heard it - a hoarse chuckling.  Charger started and snorted.  The velix suddenly stood up with a peculiar noise - a whiz boing - and stretched its noise forward.  Jared looked in the direction its noise pointed.  After a moment of searching, he caught sight of a dim shadow crouching low in the mist.
       “You’re lost, aren’t you,” a husky, rather feminine voice spoke.  Jared peered carefully at the shadow, but he couldn’t make out what it was.
       “Well, actually,” he replied, “I’ve figured which way to go - ah, um, well, yeah, we’re lost.”  Better to be honest.  Another hoarse chuckle followed, and the shadow moved toward them a bit, becoming more visible.  It still crouched low to the ground, and it appeared to Jared to be a quadruped.
       “I figured as much.” Jared could just make out a bushy tail.  “Travelers almost never go this deep into the forest, unless they’re good and lost.  And they certainly don’t climb trees to find out compass directions.”  Charger moved closer to Jared, peering over his shoulder at the stranger, until Jared could feel the Cavallion’s breath on the back of his neck.
       “But you know exactly where you are?” Jared asked.  Another chuckle.
       “Oh, yes.  I live here.”
       “Then perhaps you could help us out?”  There was a moment’s pause.
       “You’re no shy one.  Well, I s’pose I could.”  The shadow came closer, close enough that Jared could clearly see that it was a Werecain.
       “So, you poor, lost traveler” the creature said, “what’s your story?”
Wood Werecain  (3) (3)(1)

[Zoophilos]

Several minutes later, Jared had told her how he had heard of a shortcut through Whisper Forest and tried it, only to get hopelessly lost deep in the woods.  He also learned the Werecain’s name - Dim Shadow.  She was highly amused that he thought he could shortcut through the Forest.
       “Don’cha know anything about Whisper Forest?  Or rather, didja know anything about Whisper Forest when you thought up that brilliant scheme?”
       “Yes, I have heard about the dangers of Whisper Forest, actually.  I have a friend that knows all about it.  Guess my little shortcut was a nice, shining example of stupidity, wasn’t it?”
       “That’s for sure!”  Jared could only grimace sheepishly at this blunt assessment.
       “So, you wanna go to the Dead Coast?  I don’t know how to take you there through the forest - I only know parts of it, not all the forest - but I can get you outta it.”
       “I would be grateful for that.”
       “Well, if you’re ready, follow me.”  With that, the werecain stood up and walked off into the mist.  Jared jumped up and scurried to follow, and Charger and the velix followed Jared.  Charger didn’t weem to like Dim Shadow very much; he kept eyeing the werecain suspiciously.
       Whisper Forest was slightly less eerie during the day than it had been at night.  Visibility wasn’t really any better, but now at least the trees gradually appeared as pale shadows emerging out of the gray mist, instead of as dark forms looming toward one out of blackness.  Birdsong was a little more common.  Despite Jared’s best efforts, he quickly lost sense of direction again, and was soon completely dependent on the werecain for guidance.  He hoped he had done the right thing in putting his trust in her.  Once he asked the velix if it’s internal compass was working yet, but it buzzed a negative.
       To pass the time, Jared tried striking up a conversation.
       “So, have you ever been outside Whisper Forest?”
       “No, not really,” she replied.  “The edge of the forest, where the trees begin to spread out, is the furthest I’ve gone.  How ‘bout you?  Have you ever been inside Whisper Forest before?”
       “Twice, with a friend of mine who’s a guide.  This makes three times.”
       “You go travelin’ through Whisper Forest on your own as a shortcut your third time!”
       “Can we assume that I’ve learned my lesson and won’t ever try anything like that again now?”  The werecain laughed her hoarse chuckle again.
       “Alright, alright.”
(2)

[Zoophilos]

The four wound through trees and waded through mist.  Jared found himself losing track of time as well as direction, until he was reminded by his stomach.  Lunch was a very impromptu affair; he hadn’t planned on being stuck in the forest this long, and all he had to eat was some sticks of beef jerky and a few granola bars.  He watched Charger cropping herbs eagerly while he munched; at least one of them was having a good lunch, anyways.  The werecain didn’t eat at all.
       “You not hungry?” he asked.
       “I don’t carry food around with me, like you do,” she replied. “Nor am I a herbivore, eating plants that can’t run away.”
       “Want some beef jerky?”  The offer seemed to take the Werecain by surprise.
       “It is your food,” she replied.
       “Yes; I’m offering you some.  You want to try it?”  The Werecain took a sniff.
       “It - it smells very strange for meat.”
       “That’s probably because you’ve never had meat that’s been dried, smoked, and doused in spices.” Jared replied, smiling.  Shadow tried a stick tentatively.  The flavor was so foreign to her she couldn’t decide if she liked it, though she didn’t think she hated it either.  At any rate, it didn’t discourage her from taking another offered stick.  When Jared decided he had had enough granola and jerky, they went on their way.
       It was early to mid-afternoon when they emerged from the forest.  Jared blinked in the bright sunlight that filtered through the thinning trees.  It was amazing how bright it seemed after hours treading through the dark forest.  Shadow led them a bit further, then pointed out a curving streak on the ground not too far ahead.
       “There’s your road to the Coast,” she said.  “Try to stick to it.”
       “I will, thank you,” Jared replied.  He added,  “And thank you for your help in the forest.”
       “Ah, don’ mention it,” the werecain grinned toothily. “Try na get lost anymore.”
       “I’m gonna make sure I avoid that.  So long, Dim Shadow.  I hope we meet again.”
       Dim Shadow looked a little surprised to hear him state that sentiment, but merely replied “So long, human.”  Then she turned and walked back into the forest, quickly disappearing among the shadows of the trees.  Charger snorted when she was gone, as if to say “Good riddance!”
       “Now, Charger,” Jared scolded mildly, “she did lead us safely out of the forest - and without eating you, I might add!”  The Cavallion rumbled a petulant reply.  The two cheerfully bickered back and forth with each other, as they made their way briskly down the road to Safir Coast.  The velix tagged behind, silent except for the whirring of its gears, breaking into a trot when Jared urged it, "C'mon, Vee Vee!"
It was hard to see clearly in the dust it was kicking up, but it appeared to be rolling its eyes.
(4) (3)