Sorrel

Trail (3/3)

(Μονοπάτι)

"No-lan?" Nikól stuttered. Both her voice and skin pale.

The name's owner took no heed as he moved on. Gwen scurried to the truck, bringing it to life as she gestured for us to get in.

She drove us right beside him, making me tense as I was just a stretch through the window from the seven foot, matte black fright - with four eyes.

"Never seen a Brute unleashed?"

My attention spun to our driver whose eyes scrolled between the path before her and our leader. I shook my head.

"He's still Nolan. Consider this a costume"

No costumes are this terrifying.

Slowly, Nolan came to a halt. He rose his huge head, then flipped it sideways. Gwen stopped the truck settling her eyes on him, waiting. He flipped again towards the truck sending the fear that managed to slip away jolting back into me.

The ooze from before came back engulfing Nolan as the reverse of his transformation took place, presenting his normal self.

Gwen got out of the truck looking to him, as he dusted himself.

"What'd you find?"

He turned his head in our general direction showing his eyes as they transitioned back to normal.

Through Nolan's eyes in beast form, everything was monochrome with extra color from golden light. If the lights were in vertical, pole form they indicated footprint. If, swirls they indicated scent. Sound was indicated by waves of the light. The brighter the footprint lights were, the more recent the prints were. In the case of scent and sound, their light brightness was directly proportional to their strength.

There were successive swirls, verticals and waves from us, as we moved and talked. They were bright and went as far back as the house. There were dim ones as well. These were Dad's. They also came from the house, but on reaching where we found the truck, they met more dim lights.

Both Dad's lights and the strangers' moved through the trail but not north-east suggesting Krone. They moved full north.

"Traces. Your father met people and followed them north" Nolan spoke up.

People?

"Think you might know why he made the detour or who the people might be?"

I kept silent in response. Nolan turned his head for the path before swerving back to give another question.

"Wait, we're just outside Gàntia. Why does your father have to go as far as Krone to get supplies?"

The questions were throbbing without a single clue for an answer. I rifled through my mind trying to put the pieces together to at least make an assumption. Gwen hopped into the truck, still turned on. She blared the old horn for Nolan and I to get in.

"Answer's up north then"

---------

The truck reeked with frustration. Gwen steadied us northward with her eyes never peeling from the path. She drove a bit fast sending continuous air in, once again bringing my hairs - and everyone's - to dance.

"How does it feel when you're in your form?" Nikól asked.

Nolan raised his head from its rest on his hand.

"Crazy cool."

"Overwhelming?"

A pleasured smile smeared onto his face as he sat more comfortably.