Once Lost Lords (Royal Scales, Book 1) by Stephan Morse Page A

venture. I assumed, in error, once I got into the
woods the elf would come running up and answer all my questions. Had
he been lying to me? An attempt at separating me from the law
enforcement so he could off me? It could be a trap. One that I was
dragging someone’s family into.
    The wolf reappeared behind some trees, padding a path parallel to
mine. I shouldn’t bother being suspicious, I wasn’t
clever enough or observant enough to be any good at it. My choice at
this point was to stop, turn around, and say screw it. Or chase an
answer and an undefined cut of a quarter million.
    Tomorrow might see me close enough. Maybe the elf would have food.
Maybe I could catch a rabbit. There was a small dose of lighter fluid
and matches in the bag. Not that it was specifically for a meal, I
occasionally had other uses.
    I woke up to talking and a painful reminder of how hungry I was. It
was from near by, more like someone was having an external monolog
and didn’t really expect me to wake up. It was an unremarkable
voice, one that I could never pick out in a line-up.
    “Why are you out here?” Someone new was speaking. My lips
started to respond, but the voice went on without waiting for an
answer.
    “You seem familiar, but I don’t know you. Pops knew you.
Something in his eyes when he stood there.” He didn't wait for
me to speak or respond.
    “Then being in our woods. That’s a lie isn’t it?”
The voice paused again, and time seemed to slip by. “Because
you’re out here in our woods, with two items of silver. You
don’t look for an elf with silver.”
    Another blink of time.
    “Why are you really out here?” The last bit was hostile
and almost joking. “You gonna to sleep forever, Princess?”
    I jerked awake with a start, worried about how much time had passed.
Quickly I scrambled for my focus, trying to figure out how far away
the target had gotten. Yesterday it had been within easy distance to
the west as if the elf had been walking slowly to let me catch up.
    Only now it was far, far to the north and more than a few days away.
Two days had vanished during my last time warp. Had it happened
again? Already? The wounds under my makeshift bandages had healed. I
bundled up the torn fabrics and put them into a pocket of my duffle.
    The elf was too far way to get a proper fix. Trying for another weird
spirit conversation was out as well. If the wolf was anywhere around
and still watching then I might be able to ask him.
    My choices boiled down to heading north after the elf. Heading west
where I’d felt the elf a few days ago. Or going east and
heading home, which meant starving unless I walked through the night.
    “Hell.” I muttered and hefted my bag over a shoulder.
Half a day’s walk was closer than all the other options. I
might find some sort of clue. Maybe even a freeway. Perhaps the elf
had hitched a ride north. That must be it, there was a freeway or
road close. Maybe he had found a bike and peddled.
    Wilderness was never completely quiet, but there was a sort of
stillness in my immediate area. Like everything hushed for a moment
as I passed through. Nature’s collective breath released as
soon as my feet moved far enough away.
    A few hours later I found the road. Too bad it was barely that. The
path couldn’t have been wide enough to fit two cars at the same
time. One direction wove through trees and faded into the distance.
That was the direction I turned for.
    Near high noon, I started getting too hungry to concentrate. Early
hunger pains and dizzy spells were tolerable. Now it was getting near
impossible. Things blurred, the world tilted uncontrollably. Stupid,
stupid me. Food had always been an issue.
    I stopped, set my bag down and dug through for anything that might be
useful. A knife, sure, I could skin an animal. There was fluid for
starting a small fire to cook. Nothing in here would serve as a
snare. Trapping was a skill I had never learned. Daniel would know.
He was a Scout.
    Could I use