“I would expect nothing less.” He huffed warmth into her hair and then pulled away. He headed to the southern part of town and stopped, turning around to look at Orion. Orion ran up to him, and Elco nuzzled the little boy closely. Seda could see Orion crying, and her heart ached for them.
Elco does deserve happiness.
When they ended their embrace, Elco quickly headed south and found a clearing in the Amanita Copse to take off into the air.
“Thanks, Seda. I know that necklace means a lot to you. We will get you to the Wisps and then figure out how to get it back if Elco cannot find him,” Benny said to her.
She flipped him off angrily and left to find Lucja, Orion, and Vidar to thank them for their hospitality.
It tookthem hours to traverse through the northern Amanita Copse, but slowly the mushrooms started to thin and shrink in size, giving way to the majestic, pillared redwoods once more. The air was fresh and laced with thick fog again, and the ground creaked with their steps through the deepening snow.
Seda was very thankful to Lucja for her warning of the changing environment they were traveling in, and for the insistence on wearing the leather boots.
Her thoughts drifted to Elco, and she hoped he was safe. He had promised to return at dusk. She looked up at the slowly setting sun, knowing he would keep his word.
Benny was right next to Roya the whole time, gently touching her hand or offering her help to cross tall logs. She gave him multiple scathing looks at his offers for help, but would always accept them and have a slight smile on her face afterward. The three Corvids took to the air once they were able to do so again, and played through the tops of the trees, landing on branches and staring down at the group, dropping snow onto their heads below and laughing through the air at their own trickery.
“The sun is setting quickly,” Ojore said as he looked toward the reddening sky. “We should stop soon, Benny. It is about to get really cold, and we should start a fire.”
“Just a little further. The snow is deep here.”
They continued until they came upon a large river, like a silver monster itself; the waters were rapid and volatile, and appeared to be a hundred feet in width. Chunks of ice and forest debris rushed through the current.
“How do we get across?” Benny asked loudly to the Corvids as the loud waters drowned out all other sounds. “Do you see a way?”
“No. We must pick a direction and travel the length. It is bound to thin eventually,” Roya shouted back and flew up into the air, flying west.
The group followed.
It was pitch black, and the group was having a tough time getting around. Seda unleashed her power, lighting up her arms to help them navigate the fallen trees and the muddy, treacherous shoreline. Benny raised his hand to halt the group and yelled, “The waters are still too wide. We need to set up camp and keep going in the morning.”
Ojore and Askold set down their bags near the shore on a dry patch of land and began gathering loose sticks to build a fire.
Not far in the distance, a low, throbbing hum vibrated through the darkness, rattling the trees and sending snow cascading to the ground.
Everyone froze, the silence hanging heavy in the air, overwhelming even the crashing waters.
“What was that?” Askold asked.
The low hum shook through the trees again.
Roya and the Corvids flew down from the tree tops and shifted forms, surrounding Seda. “We cannot see what that is,” Roya shouted over the raging river. “It is too dark around here.”
They extended their claws, ready to strike back at anything that came at them suddenly.
Something vast and menacing slipped through the trees behind them and crashed into the water.
“Whatever it is. It is in the water now,” Ojore said as he slowly turned toward the rapids with his sword drawn.
“Do not make any sudden movements,” Roya advised, her eyes slanted as she peered into the darkness.
whoumm-whoumm-whoumm
Seda felt the cold realization that another monster was hunting them. She immediately activated her power, and the purple glow surged up to her shoulders, lighting up the fierce waters ahead.
She practiced for this. She would be brave. She would help protect her friends.
A quick movement and loud splash in the water startled them. Everyone turned toward the sound. They searched for the source, but it had disappeared.
