Timber

Chapter Thirty-One: Sands of Discord

The lethargy that had once threatened to engulf Hazel was now obliterated, chased away by a flood of adrenaline. The cave, their sanctuary against the night's terrors, morphed before her eyes into a daunting trap. Gripping her axe with a resolve hardened by the long sleepless night, Hazel's senses honed to a razor's edge, piercing the remnants of shadow that clung to the cave's interior. The gargantuan form of a being continued to hover at the mouth of the cave. It did not proceed forward but it did not retreat either. 

She gently nudged Silus, whose eyes had been resting for the last hour. His gaze darted to hers and then to the cave entrance. They both tensed, rising to their feet as they heard the unmistakable sound of a screech. Wait, a screech?

As Hazel edged closer to the cave's mouth, her eyes narrowed against the muted light, a slow, creeping realization unfolded within her. A familiar green light hovered in the air at the opening, where the shadow continued to float. Suddenly, the light flickered, shifting into a brilliant blue that cast an unearthly outline around the being before her. It was not just any animal, but one with vast, majestic wings spread wide, poised for flight—a falcon, she recognized with a start, similar if not exactly the same as the one who had brought them water. The size of it continued to astound her as she let out a breath, relaxing her shoulders. Her heart filled with gratitude that the beast of a bird was a friend and not a foe.

The falcon, its feathers catching the first light of dawn, seemed to shimmer with a life of its own. With a sudden, vigorous flap of its wings, it launched itself into the air, stirring up a whirlwind of sand that danced like golden dust in the emerging sunlight. Hazel shielded her eyes, watching through the veil of sand as the bird ascended, its form shrinking into a speck against the turquoise sky, eventually vanishing from sight.

In the wake of its departure, Hazel stood motionless, her attention shifting to the world beyond the cave. She listened intently, her breath held in anticipation. Gradually, she became aware of a profound silence. The menacing growls and unsettling shuffles that had once filled the darkness with dread were gone, erased by the light of day. Relief washed over her in waves, a soothing balm to the night's tensions. The absence of threatening sounds felt like a promise, a whisper of safety in the quiet of the dawn.

With Silus by her side, she cautiously approached the entrance, her steps hesitant. Near the opening, she spotted the outline of a large bundle wrapped in dark green burlap cloth, tied with a deep mahogany ribbon. A light tan card was attached to the package.

"Festus?" Hazel questioned softly, her hand trembling as she reached down to pick up the package. It was lumpy and slightly awkward in her shaky grasp.

Returning to the cave's depths, Silus, Mia, and Aaron were all wide awake now, their attention fixed on the newly arrived gift.

Mia leaned forward, her voice laced with a hopeful note, "Could it be from Persephone?"

Silus, examining the package, shook his head, before his attention was drawn to the small paper card. "Let's see," he nudged Hazel gently.

With careful fingers, Hazel loosened the ribbon, her eyes straining in the scarce light to make out the words written in a bold, hasty hand on the card: 'Fill your belly, not the air - F.'

A soft chuckle escaped her, despite the situation. 'It's definitely from Festus.' she thought, sharing a knowing glance with Silus. 'He's probably a little less than thrilled about our fireside chat last night.'

Mia's shoulders slumped slightly, her initial spark of hope fading into a resigned sigh. She diverted her gaze, a subtle bite to her lip betraying her disappointment. She adjusted her leg with clear discomfort.