Ghost of a Forgotten Past

Chapter 15- Finding her Haven

"Wake up Jim, wake up Falcon" whispered Nathaniel faintly to the sleeping men as he shook their shoulders. "What's wrong?!" hoarsely whispered Jim drawing his blade as he sprang up, and spun around in a circle saying "where are they? Where are they?". "Be still my friend" reassured Nathaniel "there is no danger abroad" he continued, "then why does one wake us your highness?" he asked lowering his voice and sheathing his sword. "To follow her" Nathaniel answered back pointing at Lanora weaving through the trees in the, blue light of the full moon, "oh so you plan to follow her and find the way up the cliff?" murmured Jim to him down behind a moss covered log. "Yes, that is my plan" he answered, the smell of rotting wood hung in the air quite strong so they moved on to the cover of the next big tree. Lanora ahead was unaware of her followers, she was anxious to return to Phantom, for she had not been to him for quite a while, she had even missed dancing upon angles peak due to training the men, and few creatures who had now appeared in the court of those who wished to take a stand against King Kane.

Quietly they followed the silent footed girl, from tree to tree, the wind carried their scent downwind she was up wind so she could not catch whiff that she was being followed. Lanora continued to push her way through the lush undergrowth, treading on silent dainty feet, on a track that was barely visible and she left no print for followers to determine her way of choice if they lost sight of her. The silvery moon light lit the air and made it easy to see for quite a distance ahead, and behind so they had to stay in the shadows to keep from being spotted. But Jim stopped in the middle of a light pool at the very moment Lanora turned slightly and caught sight of him, as quick as a flash she hit the deck. Lying flat out on her stomach Lanora pulled herself through the dirty snow and dewy ferns, enough to get off the thin trail. She lied there for a few minutes under the peppermint scented candy ferns, the sharp scent wafting through the air. When she couldn't hear anything, slowly and carefully Lanora turned on to her side and bobbed her head up just enough to see the place where she saw the dark figure standing in the pool of light, now he was gone. As Lanora did Jim threw himself on the ground where he stood and hoped that he had not given them away, he too waited but longer than she did to see if they were still there, But unlike Lanora he had two looking for her so they could tell him when she continued on her way. And sure enough Lanora stood and quickly scurried on her way travelling at twice the pace she was moving at before.

Nathaniel watched her eyes straining into the shadows that she now walked; Lanora appeared to be glancing back every few steps. If they came out into the revealing light she would surly catch them, so signalling to Falcon he dropped to his knees slowly and silently they crawled over to where Jim laid waiting for them. "we will have to crawl for a while until she becomes comfortable enough to stop looking back at us to see if we are really here" instructed Nathaniel, popping his head up for a split second glance in her direction to make sure she was still in sight, "ok she has moved quite a distance now, let us hope she thinks she was just seeing things" Nathaniel concluded. Silently they crawled along the track only slightly ruffling the top ferns as they passed through the narrow corridor, by the time they reached the place they last saw her their knees were soaked and their hands were covered in dirt and leaves. "Can we get up now?" groaned Falcon sitting on his heels, and brushing his hands off on the nearest fern, "hold on" hushed Nathaniel through his teeth, Slowly and surly he crept up to standing but bent down just enough that his head and shoulders were above the usually waist high undergrowth "yeah come on but quietly" he surveyed motioning towards the now visible ravine and whatever lay beyond the cliffs, that now more than ever he wanted to learn what it was.

Nathaniel stopped at the fringe of the forest where it then became rock and gave way to the ravine. She still hadn't showed herself yet, they had been guessing the path she had took which was near impossible considering her quiet travel. So waiting they stayed in the shadows, until very carefully a small foot emerged from the bushes adjacent to them and the rest of Lanora followed soon after, and in a few quick steps she was in the air sailing gracefully over the ravine and landing on the polished place on the opposite side. As quick as she showed herself she was gone, Lanora had melted back into the shrubbery from whence she came. "ok let's go" softly ordered Nathaniel, coming out of their cover and running up to the edge of the terrifying drop, and jumped at the last minute. A little too late for his right foot slipped slightly on the grey- brown stone, which caused him to lose balance and not jump cleanly over, instead he landed right on the edge of the opposite side, he stood teetering on the lip between safety and peril. Jim called out to him "lean as much as you can forward! Before you fall backwards!", but Nathaniel was already toppling forward, he hit the rock with a sharp smack, and he let out a groan of pain.