“Why do you ask?” Did he have a reason to believe otherwise?“I just wanted to be sure.”
He was silent for a time. Brexl had never been much of a talker. Even as a child he was content to sit quietly and let everyone else dominate the conversation.
“Have you heard any of them talk about scars?”
“Scars? Uh, no I can’t say that I have.” I thought for a moment and added. “If they disliked scars I’m sure that would have come out already too. Maybe the fact that they haven’t talked about it means it's not a big deal to them.”
I looked at my scarred friend with pity souring my gut. He was covered in scars from head to toe. Brexl had never brought them up before and I’d secretly hoped he didn’t mind all his marks of victory against death, but it seems he did.
“What are your thoughts on scars?” I asked, holding my breath, hoping his answer wasn’t too harsh.
“They’re a reminder.”
A reminder of what, he didn’t say. He turned onto his side with his back facing me, marking the end of the conversation.
I let a vine slither along the ground and wrap itself around my leg. The surrounding forest seemed to rest easier if I allowed it to connect with me whenever I slept outdoors. I rested easier, too. I’d seen firsthand how skilled my leafy friends were at protecting me in my sleep.
The trees only slept in the winter when their leaves were gone, and the ground was cold. Tonight, though, they were wide awake and their whispered promises of protection drifted to my ears like lullabies.
I sensed all was well with no predators nearby, so I allowed myself to be lulled to sleep.
They’re coming. They draw near. They’re here! They’re here!Cries of terror from my forest friends ripped me from my sleep. The vine that had clutched my leg had tightened painfully around my ankle in an attempt to wake me.
I sat up with a start and sniffed the air.
“Jagwas,” Brexl spoke my thought aloud. My movements must have woken him.
“They’re close.” I confirmed.
Here! Here! Here! Here!Trees and flowers shouted with each jagwa foot that touched the ground where they lay.
I scrambled to my feet and ran out of the shelter, with Brexl close behind me.
“Wake up. We need to run.” I whisper shouted into the shelter the females were sleeping in. When neither of them showed any signs of waking, I had a vine plug both their noses. That did the trick.
“Hey!” Kayla batted the vine away and sat up quickly.
“Shh!” I whispered. “We’re surrounded by jagwas. They’re trying to find a weak point in my vines.”
I could feel sharp claws attempting to cut through my wall. So far, I had been able to will the vines to replace themselves as quickly as the jagwas could cut them, but that wouldn’t last for long. Not if all the jagwas started clawing at once.
Brexl untied Jelly and reattached his harness. I continued concentrating on rebuilding my vines.
“Mot!” I cursed as I felt one jagwa give up on clawing and chose to climb the vines instead.
It landed with a thump inside the barrier and darted toward us. Brexl was there in a flash, fully shifted, and clawing right back at the ugly beast.
Taylor let out a scream, and Kayla hopped into the chariot.
Two more jagwas jumped the barrier and circled us. Brexl was there in an instant, slaying both of them with the bone spikes that extended from his arms.
Three more jagwas leapt over my walls and I knew it was time to run. There were too many now for Brexl and me to fight off. We’d need our entire dekes to ward off this many beasts and even then, we might not make it.
Without a word, Brexl hauled Taylor over his shoulder and ran. I shifted into my dryad form and opened a side of the wall for him and closed it once hepassed through.
Now it was our turn. How was I going to protect Kayla and Jelly? Bafilo’s were not known for their speed. They were large, nearly invisible creatures that lumbered slowly along, which had worked fine until now. Jelly could provide Kayla with a moderately paced ride in her chariot. But right now, I needed something much faster than moderately paced.
The fuzzy, loveable creature had already changed its fur to blend in with the darkness of night. If it weren’t for the harness he was wearing, I wouldn’t be able to spot him.
