Unfamiliar Territory [Book One]

Chapter Twenty-Four | A Comforting Hand

It was like watching a pack of wolves. The six children running in unison-well, five, since Trout was being carried by Maple as she ran at the head of the pack. I wasn't sure how she did it every day. It had to be something to do with their mother having Knowledge. Did it just naturally make people more athletic?

"Hurry up, fox!" Gust shouted behind him. "How're you supposed to watch us if you can't even keep up?!"

He was in the rear, just like every other day. And I knew it wasn't because he was the slowest. I wanted to shout a retort, but I had learned my lesson. When I was running like this, just one slip up would be enough to put me down. Tea or no tea, my body was still not much more than a skeleton. There was only so much Knowledge could do, it seemed.

And he knew it.

"If you don't catch up by the time we get home..." Gust went on, waving my cane above his head as he ran, "...then I'm not giving grandpa's cane back!"

"Gust!" Maple called, turning her head back slightly towards her brother. "Stop."

"Oh, c'mon, Maple, it's been forever!" Gust whined.

"It's only been two weeks," she returned.

Two weeks since Dr. Quincy had to start his job in town. Two weeks since Kat commenced her owl-hunt. I couldn't argue that it didn't feel like forever. Every morning that I ran felt like the last morning of my life.

"Same thing!" her brother shouted back.

And, at the same time, they could have conversations while running. They would hardly be out of breath after the run while I gasped for life on the ground. Were they holding back for my sake? Gust always made threats like these but I would never lose sight of them-

"Alright then, Leaf, Lilly? Let's ditch the slowpoke!"

The twins, who were running on either side of Gust, nodded in unison, like a secret plan finally coming to fruition. Maple turned more towards them as they all maintained their speed.

"Gust-!"

"Later, suckers!" Leaf shouted over her.

The trio took off in a dead sprint. They moved faster than kids their age should. Almost as fast as Kat and Mutt, and those two weren't even human. There was a bend in the trail about two dozen yards away and they were approaching it in a matter of seconds.

"Stop, you idiots!" Maple yelled after them. She shot her head back at me then back towards her siblings. They were rounding the curve, threatening to disappear any second.

"Meadow, hold Trout," Maple said, handing over the toddler as she spoke.

"I-I want to come with you!" Meadow argued. An unfamiliar sound. Soft and squeaky. I realized it was the very first time I'd heard her speak.

"You need to watch Trout and Foxy."

I saw Meadow visibly flinch. She was easily the smallest of her sisters, and it wasn't just because she was the youngest. Lily was only a year apart from her and she was nearly twice as big. It didn't exactly help that her long, curly hair only helped to hide her small frame.

"B-But..."

"Please." They stopped running. Gust and the twins were gone, somewhere further down the trail- the thick pine trees blocking them from view. Maple stared into the woods that surrounded us. "I won't be gone long."

Meadow held her younger brother close to her small frame. Trout practically squealed in delight as his pudgy hands found her long clumps of hair and began to tug. She must have been a patron saint of patience to put up with such antics without batting an eye. In fact, she hardly even seemed to register him. As she stared at the ground, I could almost see the indecision exuding from her like an aura.