Falling Feathers Book 1 ~ UNEDITED~

Chapter XXI

>>> Chase Ashfield <<<
    How long we'd spent wandering in those woods I had no idea. It seemed like an eternal night. The sun was never visible, either that or it never rose and played in these woods. The only light that danced in these woods was the moonlight. Not even the stars could be seen from this dark place. I felt as though I'd entered another world. I hope Danny doesn't send anyone looking for us. The last thing we need is all of us getting lost and killed in this cursed forest, I thought to myself.
    It's been days since we ate. We hadn't been able to find any animals in the woods, we hadn't even been able to hear any. There were no traces of life in these woods besides Autumn and me.  If there had been any nymphs, we didn't recognize them.  They could be anything.  I reminded myself.
"I'm starving,"  Autumn grumbled as we climbed over a log, walking for what we both knew would be nothing.  "We should hunt."  Hunting won't be any good.  These woods are barren for certain.  We haven't found anything! I opened my mouth to contradict her suggestion, but I closed it.
"That's a good idea." Even if we find nothing, at least it gives us something to do rather than wander aimlessly. I figured to myself.  After all, I added to myself, we might get lucky.  "We'd cover more ground if we split up.  Just don't go too far, you know what the woods do."  She was already walking away.  Waving her hand to me, she called over her shoulder,
"Don't worry, if you need help just yell."  I sighed and watched her as she went away.  I hope I can hear you if you yell.  I wandered around the woods, trying my hardest to find any sign of life.  I licked my lips, which were getting dry.  I miss the taste of rabbit, I grumbled to myself.  And deer.  I shook my head, trying to evade the thought.  I can almost taste the juicy flesh of a young deer.  The taste slowly crept into my mouth.  It was starting to drive me insane.  I need to eat something.  There has to be something in these cursed woods that hasn't died off yet!  I stopped and tasted the air, trying desperately to find something that I could eat.
Leaves crunched softly behind me.  I spun around and growled.  Whatever is there is dying.  I'm going to eat it no matter what it is!  I told myself.  Behind me, I found a rabbit.  It was a pale brown, with black-tipped ears and big black eyes.  It looked up at me with a sense of curiosity, and scratched it's ear.  I could feel the sharp teeth growing in and feel the prick on my back of the fur growing.   I have nothing to fear if I change now, it'll just make the rabbit taste that much better, I reminded myself.  You don't have to hold it back.  I let it go, and let the change take over as I lunged forward with a snarl. My jaws snapped shut where the rabbit was. To much of my disappointment and fury, instead of biting down on rabbit flesh, I found myself biting into orange and red leaves.  It was a trick of the woods!  I snarled furiously at the leaves on the ground. Around me I could hear laughter. It was light, and childlike. A breeze blew through the forest and carried the leaves away. The nymphs are here! I realized, as my stomach turned over. I need to find Autumn and warn her! I turned around and ran the way I came. I'll follow my scent and find the place we met. Then I'll follow Autumn scent. The woods may change, but surely they can't shift if I'm using my sense of smell. I figured. Autumn please be ok, I prayed to myself. We can't lose your necklace. I blinked her out of my mind. Don't think about her longer than you have to. Don't get your hopes up either, I reminded myself. She could be dead by now, if the nymphs got to her.  Why I cared so much about reaching her before she died, I hated to admit.  I just need the necklace.  If I find her dead or alive, it shouldn't matter.  I told myself.  But it did matter.  I wanted to find her alive.  But I shouldn't.  Affection is a sign of weakness and it's dangerous.  I growled.  Don't get attached!  I ordered myself.  But it was no use.  I was already attached to her.

>>> Autumn Rose <<<
    "Why is there nothing in these woods?" I yelled out loud. I knew there was no one to hear me, but I felt a bit of reassurance in hearing a voice, rather than the silence of the woods. The only sound I could hear was my footsteps. I huffed with impatience. I was hungry, and I was tired of walking for nothing.  I cursed Lux under my breath for bringing me here.  I proceeded to curse that stranger for following me.  "We're going to die together, or alone, and I don't even know his name.  Or who he is,"  I said to myself with a sinking heart.  "At least I knew Soren's name, had it have been Soren."  I missed Soren.  I wanted so badly to put him out of mind.  He doesn't love you.  He hates you, and he has every right to hate you.  I sighed.  "You're a monster."
Suddenly, I heard a childlike laughter coming from in front of me.  It moved around to my right then behind me.  But it wasn't just one voice, it was a chorus of voices.
"Who's there?"  I demanded, looking into the trees trying to find whatever was laughing.  "Can you help me?  I'm lost," I added.  There was no reply, just more laughing.  When I walked towards the laughter, it moved just a few steps too far for me too see who was there.  It must be the nymphs, I figured to myself.  The nymphs that the stranger was talking about.  The laughter was circling around me, and every time I could hear it move,I failed to see movement in the trees.  I couldn't see the shadows move, or hear the leaves crunch, all I could hear was the laughter.  It's better than silence, I figured.  But who's making it, and where are they?  "Where are you?"  I exclaimed in an exasperated tone.  Still there was no reply.  However, just as quickly as the laughter started, it stopped.  Everything was silent again.
"Hello?"  I murmured.  Leaves behind me crunched.  I turned around slowly, and saw a face I hadn't seen in what felt like an eternity.  "Mum?"  I exclaimed.  Her red hair was lain across her shoulders, her pale grey eyes danced with a child-like joy that I'd never seen before.  She wore a white blouse and a slim black dress that barely touched the ground.  "Mum is that you?"  I whispered more to myself then her.  She smiled, and nodded.  I ran up to her and hugged her.  Right as my arm touched her, she disappeared into a swirl of leaves.  The same young laughter bubbled in the swirl of leaves, and traveled up to the top of the canopy, along with the leaves.  I felt her necklace on my neck grow warm, as my hand went to touch it.  "Don't leave me,"  I breathed as a tear rolled down my cheek.

>>> Soren Hawethorne <<<
    "How long has it been now, a week?"  Peter asked, as he pushed a beer in my direction.  I took a sip of it, and replied,
"No, it's been five days."  Peter shook his head in disbelief.
"Boy, these five days have felt like a month!"  Peter exclaimed.  He leaned in close to me, and added "Business is doing better, now that Alys is back on the job.  And now that more people are getting out!  That cursed disease is almost completely out of Shepherd's Rest!"  It was true.  The illness that had taken so many, including Alys, was effecting fewer people.  A few doctors from other towns had come in, and worked with our sick.  Things were looking up for the town, but for me I still needed a way to prove that Autumn was a criminal.  Once upon a time I thought I would lose her.  I was trying to protect her, and keep her safe.  I even rescued her from the woods, the first time I saw her!  I growled to myself, and took another sip of my beer.  Now, I'm trying to think of a way to send her away.  I hated the thought.  If she's making trouble, it could get me killed, or someone else.  I scoffed to myself.  If?  I already know she's making trouble.  I just need her to do something big, and -
"Soren?"  Peter chuckled.  I was snapped out of my trans.  I looked up from my beer mug, and saw Peter looking at me with a smile.  "You alright?  You looked like you were contemplating something serious there!"  I smiled falsely and took another sip of my beer.
"No, not at all.  Just wondering where Autumn is."  I lied.  It wasn't a complete lie, but it also wasn't the complete truth. Peter nodded his head slowly.
    "She's been gone for quite a while now, hasn't she? Has she come by at all?" I shook my head.
    "For five days, I've neither seen nor heard any trace of her."
    "That's a bit concerning, ain't it." Peter murmured. It was less of a question and more of an observation. I nodded solemnly, and lied again.
    "I've been thinking about assembling a search party for her, since she didn't tell me where she was going before she left. But I'll give it another few days, and take it on good faith that she's doing alright." Peter nodded in agreement, as I finished off my beer.
    "Fine idea." Fine idea indeed...