42 days had passed since the day Nara told him about the two special places in the first layer and gave him the sword. Now Ivor moved quickly through the forest, searching for Nara instead of hunting or training.
Other kids had started following Nara into the Scar, hoping he'd lead them to the whispered-about boy. Because of this, Nara stopped coming at regular times. Instead, he and Ivor agreed that Nara would enter and leave when he could, and Ivor would be the one to find him.
Ivor liked the idea. It was practical and suited his tracking skills.
He tracks by sound, smell, and small signs people leave behind. As he ran, the forest told him things: damp bark, old soil, old blood, steel, and nervous kids. He ignored most of it, focusing only on Nara's scent. His smell, mixed with forge smoke, oil, ink, and paper, always sharpened his focus.
