Wylde Magic | Book 3

Forty Eight: Through The Forest

Running in the forest was a nightmare. The sounds of battle behind us gave me nothing but worry, and the roots and briars underfoot were a tripping hazard. At least with Schula by my side I had some comfort, and not long after our climb down the oak tree Puko met up with us once again.

We could hear them. The Winter army that crept through the Summer forest. Keeping well to the side, our only option was to stay hidden as we made our way to the hawthorn grove. I missed having Spaulder nearby, not only his comforting presence but also the dragon magic in him that allowed us to speak silently between our minds. 

Puko was a source of stress, considering how loud he could be at times. But Mother help us, he managed to sit silently on my shoulder as we went.

The sun, which was high in the midday sky when we left Yusellia, was now beginning to dip into a golden afternoon glow before true evening set in. A few sounds caught my ears as our energy began to wear thin. Schula's breathing, the hammering of my heart from anxious stress, the ruffling of Puko's feathers.

Until finally, Schula stopped under the twisted trunk of a tree that had been fighting for its share of the fleeting sunlight through the forest canopy for a very long time. The earth beneath it was a cool reprieve from the blistering summer heat, and we both sank to the ground to catch our breath.

"How much farther do you think we have to go?" I asked, keeping my voice to a murmur.

Schula sighed, laying her head back against the rough bark of the tree. "A ways. We're going so slowly because of the Winter court, I don't know if we can make it before dark."

I bit my lip, looking over my shoulder at Puko as I reached up to stroke his head feathers. "Are you alright to keep going? We can take a longer break and I can find us something to eat."

"No... no." Schula shook her head, using the tree to stand up again. "It's just so hot out here, and I'm... anxious. I want it to work out, I want it to be Teyber when we get there."

"But you have worries?" I asked softly, reaching out to hold her hand.

She startled as I laced my fingers with hers, then she tightened her own grip as she met my eyes. "We've had an awful lot of letdowns. I'm just preparing for another, I suppose."

I sighed through my nose, pulling Schula into a hug. "We need to press on. If it really is Teyber, we finally have allies by our side again."

She nodded. "You're right. Let's get on with it then."

Schula moved forward, breaking away from the hug when I heard something light but out of place for the forest.

I pushed her back against the tree, making eye contact with what must have been an expression of panic. Her eyes widened, but she stayed silent.

The forest is not a quiet place. The buzzing of insects, the rustling of the endless foliage. But certain sounds can stand out so harshly against the rest of the environment that I can pick them out as though the rest of the world was still as stone.

And the sound of a blade sliding into its sheath is one of them.

My heart beat frantically in my chest, enough so that I prayed the one who wielded a weapon in the forest did not hear it. Had the Winter force gotten so close without us noticing? Had our short break been a mistake?

The sound stopped though, and nothing could be heard over the rest of the sounds of the forest. It was a long pause before we heard rustling from that same direction. It could be anything. Wind, a bird. But we couldn't just go find out without risking being seen.

Schula moved slowly, silently, bringing her hands together to where she could call her ice magic out. Once she had a shard of ice, delicate and already cracking in several places, it would shatter the moment it hit much of anything solid.