The Last Elf of the Brown Spruce Forest

“So, in the end, the last elf was left alone in the Brown Spruce Forest.”

Harwin-hyung finished his long story and took out a water bottle to wet his throat.

I wanted to tell him I had listened well, but the story was heavier than I expected, and the words wouldn’t come out easily.

Right then, Syle, the group leader, tapped the cauldron with a ladle.

“The soup’s going to dry out at this rate. Kid, little miss, stop bothering the naturalist and get your food first.”

I wasn’t particularly hungry, probably because of the story Harwin-hyung had told.

Or so I thought, but the moment I received the warm bowl, my mouth watered unexpectedly.

The ingredients didn’t look all that special.

Lamb, fat, potatoes, and maybe some barley.

If we were back in the village, we might have diced up carrots or mushrooms grown near the embers, but we couldn’t expect such luxuries on the road.

Still, there was no point in complaining—it already looked plenty delicious.

Blowing gently on the soup simmered over low heat and taking a spoonful, my whole body seemed to melt in relaxed contentment.

“Mmm.”

Semna made a strange noise as she blew on her soup and ate it.

“That’s right. Eat up, everyone. Kid, have some more. In the snowy plains, you have to eat when you can.”

Syle ladled out another bowl for each of us.

But if I ate this much now, wouldn’t I feel sleepy later?

“Leader Syle , how will the night watch be arranged?”

“Kid, how could I trust you with the night watch? Just sleep well so tomorrow’s plans stay on track. Riding a horse isn’t easy, you know. By the time you wake up, your thighs will be screaming. Hahaha.”

Syle pushed us into the wagon, saying he was going to sleep there himself.

It felt like maybe this wasn’t right, but Harwin-hyung told me not to worry. He took off his glasses and was the first to fall asleep.

I awkwardly covered myself with the wool blanket and leaned against the inner wall of the wagon.

Semna  sat next to me, chatting about this and that, until she eventually leaned on my shoulder and fell asleep.

When she had insisted on tagging along, I’d wanted to give her a good scolding…

But now, the familiar weight of my childhood friend leaning on me felt oddly comforting.

If Semna  hadn’t been here, I might have tossed and turned for hours.

Not that I’d ever tell her that.

Still, I’d have to send her back eventually.

The village chief must be fuming by now. Hopefully, he wouldn’t come chasing after us.

Gaya-noona and Monbin-hyung must be worried, too.

Lost in these thoughts, I eventually fell asleep myself…

Until a rustling noise woke me.

Semna was carefully getting up, glancing back at me.

“Where are you going?”

“...The Bathroom. I’ll be right back, so just sleep.”

“The bathroom is over there.”

In the circle of wagons, it was at the farthest edge.

Still, it was within the fire’s glow, though barely.

It didn’t seem ideal, but if they had built the bathroom in the dark, someone could have been snatched away by a monster or ghost.

However, Semna seemed uncomfortable using the semi-open bathroom near the older men.

She hesitated for a moment, then climbed down from the wagon and pointed somewhere in the opposite direction.

“I’ll just go over there. Just a little bit further.”

“Should I come with you?”

“No!”

I was worried.

A watchman nearby, who had apparently overheard our conversation, chuckled softly.

“Just don’t go too far.”

“Will she be okay?”

“She’ll be fine. What could happen?”

I still wasn’t convinced, but the watchman didn’t seem concerned.

By then, Semna had grabbed a lantern and darted off into the distance. The darkness quickly swallowed her up.

I really wasn’t sure this was okay.

Outside the village, it was truly dark and cold.

Anywhere without fire might as well have been an ice cellar.

I hesitated for a moment before pulling off the wool blanket and stepping out of the wagon.

Semna had told me not to follow her, but at the very least, I needed to be ready to rush over if something happened.

Standing at the faint edge of the fire’s glow, I began to count.

Counting to a hundred should be enough.

One, two, three, four…

As I slowly counted, I heard a sound.

A wailing noise, like the wind.

A ghostly moan.

No. That wasn’t it.

It was the same sound I’d heard when Semna  had clung to my back, crying, when we got lost in the snowy plains as kids.

I shouted to the watchman to let him know, then immediately dashed into the darkness.

Ah, I should grab a rope and a lantern.

Fresh footprints in the snow clearly led toward the forest.

Syle and Harwin-hyung  had both warned us never to go into the forest.

“When I catch you, you’ll regret it,” I muttered, annoyed.

I could hear the group crew bustling behind me.

But Semna might not have time to wait.

“Hey, kid! I’ll wake the leader, so wait for us and go together!”

“There’s no time! I’ll go ahead. Follow me as soon as you can!”

With that, I plunged straight into the forest.

Nearly ten minutes passed as I stumbled through the forest, but there was no sign of Semna.

How far could she have gone?

Surely, she hadn’t been taken by a ghost…

“Semna! Semna!”

I shouted her name over and over, but my voice bounced around the labyrinth of trees and faded into nothing.

To make matters worse, visibility was terrible.

The dense trees reduced my lantern’s light to just a single step ahead.

It felt like the world had shrunk to that tiny circle of light.

The atmosphere was utterly eerie.

Yes, stepping into a forest for the first time had always felt eerie.

The ancient trees, which had stood here longer than anyone could remember, were like gaunt giants silently watching me from the darkness.

“Leave. Human.”

When I heard the voice, I thought for a moment that one of the trees had spoken.

Even when something swished to the ground near me, I didn’t fully grasp what had happened until I picked it up.

It was my hat.

“What…?”

An arrow was embedded in the top of it.

Whoever had fired it had such skill that I hadn’t even noticed it hit.

Then, the voice spoke again, icy and emotionless.

“Leave. If you don’t turn back by the count of ten, this time, I’ll aim for your ear.”

Then Harwin-hyung’s story came rushing back to me.

The last elf of the Brown Spruce Forest.

The vengeful spirit who shoots three arrows at any intruder.

“W-wait. I’m here to find my childhood friend, Semna. She’s a girl about my age, with red hair. Have you seen her?”

“Don’t try any tricks.”

“I’m not tricking you…”

I stopped mid-sentence and turned my head.

A savage gust of wind sliced past the tip of my ear.

More than the pain, I was utterly shocked.

If I had reacted even a moment slower, the arrow would have gone straight through my ear.

“Leave. This is your last warning.”

Honestly, I was scared, but more than that, my stubbornness flared up.

Shooting arrows at someone without listening to them first? How outrageous.

“I told you, I’m here to find Semna. Why won’t you just listen to me?”

“I warned you not to try any tricks.”

The voice was closer now.

It was coming from somewhere above, just beyond the reach of my lantern’s light.

The elf had moved closer.

The cold air carried a faint but unmistakable hint of menace.

It was like a chill sinking deep into my bones, raising every hair on my body.

My instincts told me where to look.

“Calm down. Look, see? I didn’t bring any weapons.”

I raised both hands slowly, making sure the elf could see them, and then set the lantern gently on the ground.

Next, I untied the lasso from my belt, and without wasting a moment, I swung it upward.

I felt the rope catch onto something.

It felt lighter than a sheep, but still substantial.

Trusting the practiced reflexes of a shepherd, I yanked the rope.

“Ugh…!”

The elf was dragged downward, flipping and twisting as she kicked off the tree trunk multiple times.

Even so, she landed gracefully on the ground, bow and arrows still firmly in hand.

But that was as far as she got.

Her left ankle was tightly bound in the lasso. There was nothing she could do about it.

I gave the rope another sharp tug, and the elf was dragged forward against her will.

Still, she didn’t go down without a fight.

Even as she rolled, she skillfully nocked another arrow to her bowstring.

I swung the rope side to side to throw off her aim, and I could see her sharp eyes waver.

Seizing the opportunity, I pulled hard on the rope again, closing the distance between us.

The elf gritted her teeth and aimed directly at me, even as she was being dragged closer.

The arrowhead gleamed menacingly in the dim light.

We were now so close that I could see my reflection in her eyes.

She released the arrow.

I twisted my head just in time, but the arrow grazed my already torn ear, worsening the wound.

We were now within striking distance.

I could knock her out with one punch.

My fist almost flew on instinct.

But no. No matter how much it hurt, I couldn’t let myself do that.

If I fought her now, I wouldn’t be able to find out where Semna  was.

I clenched the rope tightly, glaring at her instead.

For the first time, I got a proper look at her.

She had long platinum blonde hair that fell to her waist. Her face was stunningly beautiful, but icy cold.

She wore no hat, just thin clothes and simple pants, yet she didn’t seem to feel the cold.

Did the forest lack needles for sewing, forcing her to wear hand-me-downs?

As I got lost in such idle thoughts, the elf nocked another arrow.

She pulled the bowstring taut, aiming right at me.

If she let go now, the arrow would undoubtedly pierce my eye.

Even the best shepherd in Greendal wouldn’t be able to dodge an arrow at this distance.

I was terrified.

I wanted to lash out, to throw a punch and dispel this fear.

But I held back, standing still and waiting.

I don’t know how much time passed.

Frost was beginning to gather on my eyebrows when the elf finally spoke.