A Forest of Secrets

Chapter 9

Jo's mouth felt dry and thick, her throat ached. She opened her eyes, but she couldn't quite focus them. She remembered seeing Alaric and Gerard on the floor, had that been a dream? She rubbed her eyes, trying to make them work already. She still had her dagger tied to her waist, and she was wearing her boots: that had been no dream, maybe. How did she get knocked out? Maybe the mage had thought it funny to play a practical joke on them, scare Gerard and then knock everyone out to draw mustaches with soot on them as they slept. She touched her face, just in case. No soot. She came out of the tent, annoyed and ready to yell at Laurentius. Because it had to be him, right? She really didn't want to think of what or who else it could've been.

Laurentius, Alaric, and Gerard were having breakfast by the fire like nothing had happened. She cleared her throat, loudly, to get their attention. Maybe her conversation with Gerard had been a dream too? She could only hope.

"You'd think with all the sleeping you did, you'd wake up a complete beauty," Laurentius had a light, mocking tone in his voice. "You have some drool on your cheek, by the way- very appealing," he winked at her.

"Don't listen to him, you can really pull off that I-just-got-out-of-bed look, but I'd stay away from the birds if I were you: it's nesting season," Alaric pointed at her hair, chuckling. She suddenly missed bashful shy Alaric, he was getting way too comfortable around her. She fixed her hair with her fingers, it obviously wasn't that bad-- just a little tangled. They'd pay for mocking her, later.

"I didn't realize the two of you were so friendly now, have you given each other friendship bracelets yet?" Laurentius sniggered and Alaric almost choked with his stale piece of bread. She smirked wickedly. "Anyways, did something happen last night or did I have a very vivid hallucination?" Gerard pointed at an ancient tree nearby, all tied up with ropes made of lianas. "What the..." she walked towards the tree, treading with caution. It was all highly suspect.

There was a scrawny little girl tied up on the other side, her long black hair covered with caked dirt and leaves poking all over her unbelievable tangles. She was sitting with her arms behind her back and a sullen expression on her face. Alaric walked next to Jo. The girl spat at him.

"Hey! I was bringing you breakfast, that's not a very nice way to say thanks, you know?" he looked amused. "If you tell us why you ambushed our camp last night, this whole plate of quail eggs and wild mushrooms will be all for you," he placed it in front of her face. "But if you don't want it, I think I still have a bit of space in my stomach- right here," he pointed at his side. The girl grimaced and shot him a defiant look, but something in her eyes told Jo she actually really wanted to wolf down what Alaric was offering.

"So we were ambushed last night- and she... she did it?" she looked at the girl, practically all skin and bones, light as a bird: she took them all down? How did she manage to trick both Alaric and Gerard? She was in awe, what a badass little girl.

"Laurentius flew back and managed to immobilize her until we woke up. I guess he's not that bad after all," Alaric shrugged, almost dropping the plate. The girl perked up, her eyes fixated on it. She looked relieved when he put the plate on a rock, where it couldn't fall. "We've been trying to talk to her, Laurentius says she wouldn't say a word to him last night," he lowered his voice. "He thought she was mute, but she did yelp when he pinched her so..."

"Maybe she just doesn't want to talk to you guys, why don't I give it a try?" Alaric dedicated her a half smirk. What, he didn't think she could do it? She'd show him.

"If you manage to get information out of her, I'll dance in a dress around the campfire," he chuckled. Jo rolled her eyes.

"Get your dress ready then, sweetheart: you'll look very pretty in it," she shoved him aside, then shooed him when he hid behind the tree to eavesdrop.