Shion and Eren walked into the woods as the job posting described, past the lake near the road. The forest just loosened as they walked.
For hours the tress were like a sort of barrier. Thick trunks, roots breaking the ground into uneven steps, branches above them blocking most of the light. Even sound felt wrong there. Their footsteps didn't carry, they just disappeared too quickly.
As they kept going, the density thinned. Shion slowed down, Eren noticed a couple steps later and matched her.
Ahead, the trees formed a clearing, not large, but enough. Sunlight reached the ground, unimpeded, falling on a patch on land cultivated, that didn't seem to belong to the rest of the forest.
It was a farm.
That shouldn't be all that strange for them, people settled wherever they could and tried to get a living. But something felt off right away. Not a single thing, nothing that particular, but the way everything fit together too neatly: Rows of crops in perfect straight lines, soil turned and perfectly maintained, a small wooden house at the far end, a thin line of smoke rising from the chimney, a fence marked the edge of the land, not tall or strong enough to pose a defense, but just enough to mark it as belonging to someone.
Eren let out a small breath "That's... convenient"
Shion didn't answer immediately. Her eyes moved from one side to the other, slowly, taking pieces instead of focusing on one thing. The crops looked healthy, but the soil underneath them was darker in patches, the fence had not been repaired from the looks of it, just stood there perfectly like it was recently built, the path leading in was used, just not enough to say if anyone lived there or just came every now and then.
"Convenient" Shion repeated almost for herself.
Eren glanced at her "You don't think so?"
"I think" Shion said "If I lived out here, I'd build closer to the road. I would have to buy or sell something eventually"
Eren looked back towards the forest behind them, the path was already difficult to see between the trees, the main road to town was nowhere visible from there "Maybe they wanted distance"
Shion thought about it for a second "Distance from what?"
Eren didn't answer, none of them made much sense.
They stood there for a moment, neither stepping forward. Neither stepping back.
The wind moved lightly across the clearing, carrying the smell of soil and something faintly sweet. Crops. Something stored. Something like that.
Eren noticed something then, there were no animal sounds, no movement, there was no livestock. Not even a single movement behind the fence.
"Maybe they lost them, or the predators from the woods got to them" Eren said, though it sounded more like she was filling the silence than trying to explain anything.
"Maybe" Shion's hand rested near her sword. Not gripping. Just close enough.
Eren realized her own hand had moved the same way. She shifted slightly, easing her shoulders, as if she had meant to do it.
Nothing was happening, and maybe that was the problem.
"Could be nothing, just a farm" Eren said.
Shion nodded once "Could be" She was already moving.
She didn't walk straight into the house, instead, angled slightly, stepping into the clearing with measured step. Open ground didn't make her faster. If anything, it made her more deliberate, and cautious.
Eren followed her, and started noticing things on the soil that didn't see from a distance. She crouched briefly, brushing her fingers against the dirt. It crumbled easily, dry beneath the surface despite the healthy growth above. Supplemented. Brought in from elsewhere maybe. Not natural to the clearing.
She stood up without comment.
Behind them, the door to the house opened. Both of them stilled, not dramatically, just enough.
A man stepped out, wiping his hands on a cloth. Late 40s from his looks alone, broad shouldered, dressed plainly. No visible weapons on him. His expression shifted quickly from welcoming as he spotted them.
"Well now" he called, his voice carrying easily across the clearing "Didn't expect any visits today, neither travelers this far in"
Eren forced a smile before she could think better of it "We didn't expect to find a farm out here either"
The man chuckled, easy, but didn't feel natural "Aye, most don't. But land is land, and it grows if you treat it right" He stepped a little closer to the edge of the porch. Not quite approaching them fully. Enough to greet. Far enough to retreat.
"Long way from the road" Shion added.
His eyes flickered to her then, briefly. Just a moment longer than they had on Eren. Not enough to call out. Enough to notice.
"Quiet out here" he replied looking back at Eren "Some folk prefer it that way" His smile faded a bit.
"I suppose so" Shion replied with a single nod. She held her gaze for a second.
Eren's eyes moved between the man and Shion, without meaning to. Just checking. She caught herself and looked back to the farmer quickly.
"You live out here alone?" Eren asked.
"Mostly" He replied "Occasional help comes when it's needed"
His tone stayed light, but something in that phrase lingered.
Eren opened her mouth to respond, but Shion spoke first.
"We're tracking bandits" she said calmly and directly :Heard there's been trouble in these woods"
There was again the smile that went down just a little bit. Then it settled.
"Aye" he said for a moment "There's always trouble, if you go looking for it"
The wind shifted again. This time it carried something else with it, faint, almost buried beneath the smell of the wood burning, the soil, and that sweet smell from before.
Rot.
Shion didn't turn her head. Didn't react. But something in her posture changed, just slightly, like a thread pulling taut.
Behind them, the forest remained still. Like something was watching them.