Extra Darling

Chapter 19: It Matters

I sighed as I peeked above the tall branches of the sturdy tree. In the distance, the sun was setting behind the snow capped mountains. The last few rays of yellow broke through the purple of the sky like spotlights, but unfortunately they still didn't show me who I was looking for.

Slightly and I had spent the entire day searching for Skye. We looked on nearly every inch of ground that Slightly said was safe. There were parts deeper in the jungle that he said were strictly off limits, but I didn't think Skye would be there anyway. I knew he wasn't as Grigori's Castle, but apart from that information I hadn't the slightest idea of where to find him.

Now the sun was going down, and thus our searching for the day had come to an end.

"We can look again tomorrow, Ophelia. I'm sure we'll find your fairy friend eventually." Slightly called from down below me.

I took one last look over the shifting jungle top and sighed again, plopping down on the branch, "I just don't know why he left in the first place. He wouldn't have been scared of me, would he?"
"No, definitely not." Slightly said, his voice growing louder as he easily climbed the tree and pulled himself up next to me, "You're the least threatening person I know."
"Hey!" I defended, shooting him a look, "I can be threatening."
He laughed and the mole on his upper lip danced, "Maybe in your dreams."

I hopped up from the branch and unsheathed the narrow sword at my belt, the one I had taken from Arthur's ship. In my attempt to come across as menacing, I felt my foot slip off the back of the branch and I went falling backwards. I gasped and dropped the sword in my hands, just barely managing to grab hold of a smaller branch before I fell down through the tree. I heard the sword clatter to the jungle floor as Tala barked worriedly below me. Once I had steadied myself again, I risked a glance at Slightly and found him hysterical, just as I assumed he would be.

"Alright," I admitted, a small giggle escaping my lips, "Maybe I could use some practice."
Slightly took a deep breath, silencing his burst of laughter, "You could use a lot of practice, my butter-fingered friend."
I pulled myself back into a sitting position and lightly hit him on the shoulder, "It's not funny! I dropped my sword."

I leaned over the side of the branch and looked down the the impression my sword had left in the soft underbrush. Tala barked again and hopped her front paws against the side of the tree, her ears perking as I looked down at her.

"Where did you get that anyway? You didn't have one when I last saw you."
I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I knew I had to lie to him again. I hated doing it, but I couldn't bring myself to admit the truth just yet.
"Skye gave it to me, as a thank you for saving his life."
Slightly looked impressed, not doubting my story in the least which broke my heart a little more, "That's pretty impressive."

I nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear as the wind picked up and blew it sideways. The air was growing colder and the sky had faint glimmers of stars beginning to appear. Slightly clapped his hands on his knees and tossed his bow over his shoulder, "Well, come on then. We should get going before we have to walk back in the dark."

I groaned and leaned forward, wrapping my arms around the branch and squishing my cheek against the side, "Must we? Can't we just stay here and ignore everything else for a little while?"
"Stay here?" Slightly asked, swinging his legs down and beginning to descend, "In the middle of the jungle, with no protection, and no fire?"
"You can start a fire, can't you?"
"I can, but I can't protect us both from the night creatures."
I sat up, suddenly alert, "Creatures? There are no creatures. I've been out here at night before."

He smirked, pausing a few branches below me and looking up, "Then you've been lucky. They're especially awful in the winter time here. The ones with the long tongues snatch birds right out of their nests."