Wishful thinking

 After the wolf attack, Kael sat beside Draven, his jaw tight with worry. He didn't want anything bad to happen to his brother, but he knew Draven would be okay. The scratch wasn't life-threatening, as long as they could get it cleaned and wrapped before the heat of the next day set in. Summer had just begun when the brothers made it to the forest, but after a week of scraping by, their supplies were running dangerously low. Draven broke the silence as he cradled his bandaged arm. "How much do you think those mushrooms are worth?" he asked, his tone hopeful but strained. Kael frowned thoughtfully. "I'm not even sure what they are. I just know I've seen them before, in Mom's Garden. She said they were rare." His lips curved into a faint smile as he tried to lighten the mood. "Hopefully, they're worth enough for some meat at least." Draven chuckled softly, though his face was still pale. "I'd settle for a decent loaf of bread." Kael placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure it out. Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll see what we can do." Draven nodded, lying back on their makeshift bedding. Kael stayed awake a little longer, staring at the faint glow of the mushrooms wrapped carefully in cloth. They were a small spark of hope in their otherwise grim situation. 

Draven woke up in a panic in the middle of the night, sweating after a terrible dream. He struggled to make sense of it. In the dream, he was lying in bed in his old room, watching himself sleep. His hand fell over the side of the bed, and a spark shot from his fingertip, igniting a fire. The flames consumed everything as he jolted awake, his heart pounding. He sat up in the den, glancing at Kael, who was still sound asleep. His mind raced. What does this mean? Was that just a dream? He rolled over, trying to go back to sleep, but his thoughts refused to settle. He lay there, staring at the ceiling of their makeshift home, until the first light of dawn filtered through the trees. Kael stirred and sat up, stretching. "Good morning, brother. How's your arm feeling?" Draven, still shaken and exhausted, replied in a tired, almost scared tone, "Fine. Just need to clean it. Are we going to town today to try to sell the mushrooms?" Kael shook his head. "I was thinking we'd wait until your arm's better. I'll go hunting today while you rest. Tomorrow, if your wound's closed up more, we'll head to town." Draven sighed, disappointed but understanding. "Okay." As Kael began gathering his things for the hunt, Draven hesitated, then asked, "Do you remember the stories Dad used to tell us when we were little? About the tower and how people with magic go there to learn from all kinds of masters?" Kael paused, a faint smile crossing his face. "Of course, I remember. I've been dreaming of going there ever since he told us those stories. But to have magic is the rarest thing in the world." Draven's mind churned, his thoughts lingering on the spark in his dream. What if? he thought, but he kept the question to himself, unsure of what it could mean.

Kael continued to get ready for his hunt while Draven went to the stream to clean and rewrap his wound. The stream was only about three hundred steps from the den, but he couldn't shake the lingering thought of his dream. What if he was the cause of their parents' death and the loss of everything they had? The thought scared him. As he approached the stream, his eyes caught sight of a thick trail of blood. He crouched, inspecting it. It wasn't human—he could tell that much. His stomach tightened. It must be the injured magical beast from last night, he thought. Fear prickled his skin, and after quickly cleaning his wound, he rushed back to the den. By the time Draven returned, Kael was ready to leave. His bow was slung over his shoulder, and his two arrows were secured in a makeshift quiver. On the ground beside him was a small jar filled with a rudimentary ointment made from the herbs they'd gathered the day before. Kael handed it to Draven. "I made this for your arm," he said. "It's not perfect—I wasted most of the herbs trying to get it right—but it should help with the cut." Draven accepted the jar, touched by his brother's effort. Their father had been a medicine man, and though Kael had learned only the basics, it was enough to show how much he cared. "I'm heading out," Kael continued. "It'll be late when I get back. Rest up, alright?" Draven nodded. "Be careful brother."

Kael left the den and headed toward the stream where Draven had noticed the blood. His plan was to track the injured wolf; its pelt would surely fetch a good price in town. When he reached the stream, the trail of blood was thick at the edge of the water but abruptly ended. Scanning the area, he noticed a faint trail on the other side. Determined, he crossed the stream and followed the new trail, though it led him farther than he'd hoped. The blood was becoming harder to spot with each step. Kael wasn't trained in hunting. The bow slung across his back was barely held together, cobbled from scavenged materials. He thought back to the night before, remembering the moment he'd hit the wolf in the eye. It's a blessing I even hit it, he thought. Panic and desperation had guided his shot, and he couldn't explain the strange feeling he'd had when the arrow seemed to almost appear where he had willed it. Lost in thought, Kael realized he had ventured into an unfamiliar part of the forest. The dense canopy above swallowed the sunlight, casting eerie shadows on the ground. He decided to take a break and look for herbs or berries. When he stumbled upon a bush laden with small, vibrant red berries, hunger gnawed at him. He plucked a handful and tossed one into his mouth, reasoning that at worst, it might upset his stomach.

As he swallowed, a sudden burst of energy rippled through his body. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt—a pulse of raw, cosmic force that left him breathless. Confused and alarmed, Kael decided not to eat another. Instead, he carefully picked the remaining berries, tucking them into his pouch. Whatever they were, they were no ordinary fruit. Continuing his hunt, Kael tried to remain cautious, but the eerie silence of the forest unnerved him. No birds, no rustling leaves—just an oppressive stillness that made the hair on his neck stand on end. Though the sun still hung high in the sky, casting dappled light through the trees, Kael couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

Time continued and Kael noticed the sun was beginning to set, so he decided to start heading back to the den. He had wandered farther than intended, and the growing darkness urged him to return. As he moved through the forest, his sharp eyes caught sight of thick brush with signs of disturbance—dried blood and broken sticks scattered across the ground. Picking up the trail again, Kael cautiously pushed through the dense brush.

On the other side, he froze. There, in a small clearing, lay the wolf, its massive body rising and falling with labored breaths. The arrow he had fired the night before was still lodged deep in its eye socket. Kael's heart raced as he reached for an arrow, his fingers trembling as he drew the bowstring. Step by step, he crept closer, each movement calculated and silent. Just as he was about to release the arrow, the wolf's eyes snapped open. Its gaze locked onto him, and Kael froze in place, caught between fear and awe. The wolf rose to its feet, its movements sluggish but determined. Then, in a display that left Kael breathless, the beast seemed to defy gravity. Its paws barely touched the ground as it moved, as though it were running on the wind itself.

Magic!

Kael could hardly believe what he was seeing. The wolf darted away, its form a blur of motion, leaving Kael standing in stunned silence. The raw power and grace of the creature had thrown him off balance, both physically and mentally. He stumbled backward, lowering his bow. "I have to tell Draven about this," Kael muttered to himself. He glanced at the pouch of berries he had collected earlier. "And... he needs to try one of these berries. Maybe he'll feel what I felt." The sky above was painted in shades of orange and purple as the sun dipped lower. Kael shook his head, forcing himself to focus. "I'd better hurry. It's getting dark, and I know he's worrying about me." As the den came into view, the last rays of the sun slipped behind the trees, painting the sky in shades of deep orange and pink. Kael quickened his pace, his legs aching but his heart lighter. Despite his failures in the hunt, he felt like he'd found something more valuable—a secret waiting to be unraveled. And with the wolf's escape still fresh in his memory, he couldn't help but wonder what other mysteries the forest held.