Myles was feeling irritable as he hacked his way through the forest. He still didn't know where Devlin had run off to, and he had managed to get himself stuck in some heavy underbrush. He still had a hatchet with him from when they had been chopping wood on the farm earlier that he was using to slash his way through. But it was simply too small for his liking. The blade was too short, and the weight was all wrong in his hands. All it did was leave him more irritated with each swing he made with it.

  It was many slashes later that finally led to him what might have been a faint animal trail. It didn't take much to convince himself that taking it was a better idea than continuing straight. This was all Devlin's fault. Myles hoped hoped he hadn't gotten lost. Or eaten. He was just starting to get used to having a travel companion.

  He tuned out the sounds around him as he trudged further down the faint trail. He was fairly sure he could see light ahead and hoped it meant he was close to the edge of the forest. A strange sound from what must have been a bird made him look up and to his right, but he brushed it off when he didn't see anything.

  By the time he heard it call again and turned in realization, it was too late.

  "MYYYYLLLLEEESSSS," The call grew louder at a rapid speed as Devlin flew straight at him from somewhere far above. It only cut off when they collided and crashed into the ground.

  By the time Myles got his breath back, and untangled himself from the menace in front of him, Devlin was already back on his feet, practically bursting with excitement.

  "There you are! Where'd you go?"

  Myles felt his eye twitch and his hands clenched as if fighting not to throttle the kid in front of him. "Devlin."

  "Did you find anything cool? I saw these big spiders. And I ate these plants. They might have been poisonous, but they were pretty tasty!"

  Myles opened his mouth. Maybe it was to yell. He wiped a tired- and now dirty- hand through his hair and let out a deep sigh as the tension ran out of his shoulders.

  Devlin threw an arm over his shoulder and started walking forward, dragging him along. Myles grunted when the arm pressed on the spot on his shoulder that was still smarting. It had landed on some sprouting tree when he was slammed unceremoniously into the ground. He pulled Devlin off of him, but he did follow.

  "Did you say you ate some poisonous plants you found?"

  "Yep."

  "Okay."

  There was a brief moment of silence.

  "And I found the next member of our crew."

  "Your crew." Myles corrected. He didn't want to know what kind of forest creature Devlin had found and befriended this time.

  "You'll like her. She might take some convincing though. Like you."

  "You want me to believe you actually ran into someone else in this forest?"

  "That's what I just said! She's tall. And she's strong. And she's really fast. She's perfect."

  Myles raised an eyebrow as he glanced over to look at the dopey grin on Devlin's face. Maybe the idiot had eaten some bad plants or mushrooms when he was out in the forest. Myles hadn't seen anyone else out there. But he played along.

  "Those are your only criteria when looking for a girl? Speed? How would you even know if she's fast? Did she run to get away from you?"

  Devlin ignored the jab and just grinned at him like he was the one being silly. "Of course she's fast. That's why she is going to join our team! You'll see Myles."

  The two of them walked out of the forest and back into open. Like they had seen earlier on the farm, the area around them was littered with dead grass and patches of strange vines and growths. They could see the edge of another farm field up ahead, but Myles was pretty sure this wasn't the same property where they had started. They would have to make their way back up the hill and look for the old man's farm again.

  They didn't stray far from the treeline as they went, but they pick up on a few interesting things. It wasn't just around the edge of the forest that the plants were being impacted. There were isolated areas of the farm fields that were also dying, some separated far from the where it otherwise seemed to be encroaching in from the forest.

  "I feel fine." Devlin said abruptly.

  "Good for you." Myles said back.

  "Those plants are just plants."

  Mylse shrugged. "They look like plants."

  "Right."

  "Good."

  They kept walking and crossed over another fence.

  "Think the old man will have something to eat ready when we get back?" Devlin asked.

  "I sure hope so."

  It took another while before they came to a familiar ramshackle fence. Myles stepped over a section that was on the ground. Devlin made to follow him, but then paused and looked at something in the distance. Myles tried to follow his gaze. It took him a minute to spot the familiar black and white dog that was staring at them from afar.

  Devlin turned to Myles. "I'll be right back." He ran towards where the dog was hiding in the grass. By the time he got close, the dog had long run off, but he crouched down at the same spot anyway. He dug through his pants pockets and pulled out some bread and jerky he had stashed away from the lunch the farmer had shared with them. He left them out on a rock, and smiled at the dog from where he hid a short distance away. Once he was done, he hurried back.

  "You still had half your food from lunch? I thought you were complaining about being hungry?"

  Devlin just shrugged at him and grinned. "You're right! We should go find some snacks!"

  Myles shook his head. "You're something else."

  "Hey, Myles. Do you think he's got a name?"

  "The dog?"

  "Of course."

  "How should I know?"

  Devlin seemed to be thinking hard. "What if we call him Scout?."

  Myles looked but he couldn't see the small dog from here at all. Devlin was grinning, proud of the name.

  Myles gave in. "Scout it is." Devlin cheered.

  The two finally made it back in sight of the farmhouse when the old man called out to them. "There you two boys are! Hurry up! I just finished making supper."

  "Supper?" With that word, Devlin ran on ahead with a little extra pep in his step.

  Myles followed him, but at his usual speed. The other two were already inside when he made his through the door. Whatever stew Len had cooked up smelled great.

  Devlin was already sitting, fists on the table and spoon in hand.

  Myles bowed his head politely in thanks and sat.

  The man ladled stew in front of each of them and then took his own seat on the other side of the table.

  Devlin started digging in right away.

  "So tell me. How much worse are things looking back there?" The man was looking serious now.

  Devlin spoke up in answer. Myles made no attempt to add his own thoughts.

  "You're talking about those weird, tasty plants, right? The ones growing in the fields? They're all over!"

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  "Yes. Or well, I guess those plants are part of it."

  "Why don't you just grow those?"

  The old man looked at him with confusion. "What? You think I should try to grow them?"

  "Well, I told you. They're pretty tasty. And they seem to want to grow more than the other stuff you've got out there."

  "You ate them? Well ain't that something."

  Devlin shrugged.

  When Devlin went back to eating some of his stew, Myles added his two cents. "You think those plants did all that damage? Killed those crops and wrecked the fence so badly?"

  Len and Devlin both turned to Myles with confused expressions. Then the old man started laughing.

  "What?" Myles asked curtly.

  "You think some invasive plant species did all of that damage? Of course that's not what destroyed the fence." The farmer's face had regained its serious expression.

  "Then what is the issue?" Myles asked. "Are all of the farms in town struggling like yours?"

  The man let out a tired sigh and looked away from them towards the window. "I thought the issue would be clear. The damage was from the creatures living on the darkside."

  "The Darkside? What are you talking about?"

  Len's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "I forget that you young'ns aren't from around here. The Darkside is just the name we townsfolk use for the other side of the hill. We live here in Sunnyside where the sun shines almost every day and the fields are open. Once you go through the woods all the way to the other side of the hill, you get the Darkside. The trees there are so tall and dense that you can hardly see and the shadows from the hill always fall that way and cloak the area. It can be dangerous over there, so very few people ever attempt to venture that way."

  "And that's what ruined your fence."

  The man let out a tired sigh. "The people of this village have always lived with a deep appreciation for the land and our relationship with it. We have always respected the creatures that live on the darkside, and in turn they have respected our territory on this side of these hills. It seems like people forget that these days. But it is true that we can't afford much more of a hit to this year's harvest than we've already taken. We rely on the produce not just for our own food, but for most of the revenue that we make at all. It seems that there is a growing sentiment throughout the town that the monsters living on the darkside are too dangerous and need to be wiped out. What's next after that? The bears and wolves?" The man shook his head.

  Devlin was frowning. "What do you mean?"

  The man looked out the window and off into the distance and then turned back to the two of them. "Ah, sorry. I have a bad habit of rambling. A side effect of old age, I guess. You two don't need to worry about any of that. Maybe I am just too stuck in my own ways to understand. I appreciate your help with the fence. It's a bit much for these old bones these days, but maybe that will be enough to save at least some of this year's crops."

  Myles looked at Devlin and found him sporting that strange pensive look that he sometimes had about him. He must have come to some sort of conclusion quickly because after a few moments, the expression cleared and he spoke.

  "Don't worry, old man. If it is something on the darkside that is giving you trouble, then we'll just have to go find it. You made us dinner, so we'll do this for you."

  "What? No." Len's response was immediate. "You can't go try to do that. Look. The work you both have done has already been more than enough. And you don't owe me anything just because an old man wanted to entertain some company while he ate his food. I didn't invite you here so that I could watch two kids get themselves hurt looking for danger." His frown was back and deeper this time. "Besides, if the army really sends a team, that will be the end of it anyway."

  Myles pursed his lips. Here was another man who didn't think he looked strong enough to defeat some monster in the woods. It probably wouldn't have bothered him if he hadn't been so aware of his own weakness.

  Devlin wasn't concerned. "You think the army is tougher than the two of us? I told you not to worry, old man. I've already decided. We're going to find this guy. You can count on us!"

  That night, Devlin and Myles camped out at a spot up on the hillside where they could overlook the edge of the old man's fields. From here, the strange pattern of of damage was more clear. Lots of those black plants were encroaching on the fields as far as several meters in some areas. The damage was certainly worse the closer you got to the forest, but patches of them also showed up in random places just like they had seen earlier that day.

  Myles had kept the ax that he had been carrying earlier with him. He still wasn't thrilled with it as a tool or a weapon, but at least it was something. The plan was to stay there all night to fight whatever beast or creatures the old man was talking about when they showed up.

  Myles wasn't totally convinced that it wasn't just some agricultural issue affecting the area, but Devlin seemed certain that the old man was right. When Myles had asked why he was so sure, Devlin had answered something unintelligible like "It has to be true since I feel great!"

  Myles was happy to play along. He didn't know anything about farming or plants and fighting something sounded much easier than dealing with a more scientific issue. If he was being honest, he was kind of hoping they would end up getting some action. For as much as Devlin had brought him nothing but trouble since the moment they met, one thing was true; Devlin was the first person Myles had ever met who enjoyed a good fight as much as he did. And while there had been no shortage of them in the short time since they had run into each other, he was ready to go again.

  But as the night dragged on, they didn't see any movement from the treeline or the fields. They heard some animal calls from far out in the distance, but nothing that seemed to be growing closer. Myles continued to sit up at attention while Devlin was content to relax backwards with his hands under his head, looking up at the stars.

  "What do you think it'll look like?"

  Myles didn't answer, but Devlin continued on as if he had.

  "I bet it's a giant spider. Wait. Actually, do giant spiders eat plants? Huh. I don't know. I'm not sure why anything would bother eating that wheat anyway. I tried some while we were out there, and it tasted terrible."

  Myles glanced over at him. Devlin was still looking at the sky, but his hands were fiddling with the belt he wore over one shoulder. He knew now from the other day he had a dagger there tucked out of sight. Myles' eyes jumped to the sword thrown carelessly on the ground next to him and traced over the black leather and blue accents. He found himself frowning. The image of Devlin using the thing like a club flashed through his mind like a gnat he couldn't swat away. He wondered if Devlin would even remember he had it if something did show up for them to fight. Actually, Myles was almost confident that he wouldn't, and would opt for using his fists regardless of what manner of creature it ended up being. He doubted he would bother to pull out his knife either considering Myles had never seen him so much as reach for it in a fight. The more Myles thought about it the less it all made sense but he supposed Devlin's actions rarely did.

  Myles turned his gaze back towards the treeline and resumed scanning.

  "I'm bored, Myles. How come nothing has shown up yet?"

  Myles had grown more accustomed to these conversations. "How should I know?"

  "Do you think it knows we're here? I bet we scared it away."

  "Right, because the two of us are so intimidating."

  "Exactly! It isn't going to come out if it knows it doesn't stand a chance. I've got an idea."

  Myles didn't bother to look at him, but he did raise a single eyebrow.

  Devlin continued, "I can't believe I didn't think of it before. We need disguises."

  "We really don't."

  "What do you mean we don't? Everyone knows that the secret to carrying out a secret mission is a good disguise."

  "Good thing this isn't a secret mission."

  Devlin crossed his arms and pouted. "If you're no fun, then just say so."

  "Don't forget who's been sitting here with you all night watching for some boogeyman that probably isn't real. And I'm totally fun."

  "Nope." Devlin popped the 'p'. He turned his head to flash Myles a grin, but didn't sit up. "But that's okay. You're still cool."

  xxxxx

  The two sat there like that as the sky grew darker and the night began to pass by.

  They didn't notice the lone figure on horseback silently overlooking them from a ridge closer to the top of the hill. They didn't see her screw up her face and turn away, steering back towards town.

  Her bangs were getting long now, but she didn't reach to move them out of her eyes. If anything, she tilted her head downwards to let them cover more of her face. The sun was setting, and she was headed back towards town. It was safer there, and she wasn't a fool enough not to take advantage of that. She had gone out that evening to ride and try to clear her head and it had helped a little. She didn't mean to spy on the two strangers camping out in the farm fields. She had first noticed them the day before at the tavern in town, and they had piqued her interest when they had started asking about the Brink.

  She didn't know what to make of her interaction with the shorter one earlier that day. Devlin, she was pretty sure that was his name. And he had called the other one Myles. It was probably the way he had snuck up on her in the woods that had left her feeling put off and nervous. To be fair, she had already been on edge when he had found her. It was likely only the way he had immediately caught her off guard with his nonsense answers that had kept her from bolting sooner. There was also the fact that he was scrawny and not even taller than her. But she still wasn't sure what his game was. There was always the possibility that it really had been chance that had led him to her in the woods. But in her experience, that kind of luck never favored her. And she couldn't think of a single good reason why a stranger like him would want something with her.

  So when she was looking over the hillside and spotted them in the distance, she couldn't help but wonder about the pair. They really didn't seem like much of a threat, and the few weapons they appeared to carry were only logical accessories for travelers. She didn't understand what they were doing now, out in the middle of the field rather than in town. But it did seem that maybe asking for logic from them was going a bit too far. At least not if her conversation with Devlin earlier was anything to go by.

  Regardless though, she had to make a decision. What was the smartest course of action? Wait until first light, take Folly, and get herself far away from Sunnyside? Or wait and learn what she could about their motives and who they worked for.

  Even now as she reentered the town and headed for the small stable, she couldn't reach a decision. The structure was one of few in town that was freestanding and not built into the hillside. She found the stall in the back that she had paid for when she first arrived in town the other day. It was small, especially for a real horse like Folly. They were probably designed for ponies and other weak-bred farm animals. But it was better than nothing. And they had left a bag of grain in there like she had asked for. She was relieved to see it, even as she pulled the tack off of Folly and moved it to the corner. It meant that at least one of them would eat well tonight. Folly was the one who had to do most of the work anyway.

  She spoke softly to her best friend as she worked, apologizing for the cramped space. She fetched water from a spigot outside to refill her canteens and a bucket that had been hanging in the stall. She used it to wash her face while she was at it and felt at least a bit better. It was still dark when she made her way back inside, and empty save for her. She didn't mind.

  She took her saddle pad and folded it up in the corner of the small room and leaned her shield against the wall next to it so that it was easy to reach. The straw was clean enough for her as she lay down and settled in for the night. Folly chuffed from where she stood above her and promised to keep her safe as she slept.

  "Good night, Folly." With that, the girl closed her eyes.